With a slight hum to herself Willow put another set of cutlery down on the table and finished setting the third place. She moved to the replicator and checked the meal plan she had set up earlier.

“What’s this?” Cai’s voice asked as she replicated a large carafe of water for the table. “You haven’t got your uniform or your pyjamas on. This is some sort of…inbetween state that I haven’t seen for some time…are you wearing actual people clothes?”

Rolling her eyes Willow responded. “Says the guys who has worn the same hoodie and jeans combination for over a year.”

“So what’s the occasion? It’s not your birthday, it’s not mine…”

“Brad’s joining us for dinner.” She said as she put the smaller plates for the starter over the larger main course ones.

“Brad?”

“Doctor Walker. He and I were friends, we are going to catch up and I thought dinner would be a nice way of doing it.” Silence followed her explanation. It stretched on for a heartbeat or so until she looked up at him. “Is that ok?”

Cai for his part scowled furiously. “Are you kidding....of course it’s not ok. How could you think having a date was ok? First of all having one with me here is just weird and second what about Doug!”

Willow frowned. “It’s not a date, we are friends that’s it. You’re here because it’s not a date and you have to eat and even if it were a date what about Doug. Doug made his choice Cai he’s not here. We aren’t engaged any more.”

With a scowl Cai turned and headed back to his room without another word, leaving her to sigh and rub the bridge of her nose slightly as she considered.

Willow Taylor
CO