“Come on doll down the hatch, you can do it Kelly… I see you take it father, so has Dante and half the class… so come on down the hatch… down the hatch!” Nathan said as he sat by the bar, filled with fourth year cadets and Ensigns with a small spattering of what his drinking buddy loved to call the JG’s as they stood surrounding Kelly Schultz, friend and ex fling whom Nathan loved finding chances to tease her whenever she came back to Earth.

Kelly slammed the glass down on the table and looked around at the graduating class. Life had changed so much for her over the past year just like it was going to change for this new batch of cadets. She and Dante had taken to the stars only to return for a briefing to find themselves back during graduation week. Well Dante was only for a hot minute. He had taken off as fast as he could to spend time with Natasha. It had to be true love for the man to be hanging out stocking the hypo cabinet at the hospital on a Saturday night. The more Kelly thought about it the larger her smile grew. Dante had left the bar feeling no pain. This probably meant he was doing things in the supply stockroom that could bust you down a rank if caught but that was true love. It made you do stupid things and the only thing that made Dante stupid was a dark haired blue eye feisty Russian. Since Kelly was going to be flying solo tonight Nate was just as good as anyone to hang out with.

“I’m impressed, six shots, you got seven in you Kelz or are you gonna slink back to your ship and sleep it off?” Nathan asked, smiling widely at the gorgeous blonde. The irony was Nathan and Kelly where never truly serious, it was this hot spark that only lasted a month, but he always enjoyed her random calls to bars even after they split where they talked trash and tried to see who could drink the most.

Her eyes drifted around the bar looking to see if anyone interesting caught her eye before replying. Nate knew this look in her eyes. Heck anyone who had been drinking with Kelly knew this look. “Debating,” she said scanning the room a second time.

“The Constellation will survive without you you for a few hours, plus you promised me you would wing man me… you owe me after the last date you set me on… that Andorian girl was a freak but she had more screws lose than a Ferengi freighter.” Nathan said as he took back a shot as the music and crowd seemed to get louder.

“Hey I warned you that night it was slim pickings and there was no guarantee I was finding you a woman to bring home to your mama,” she southern drawled out the last word as she pointed a finger accusingly at him however you are in luck,” Kelly snapped her fingers twice to grab the bartenders attention. “Tonight I am going to find you a prime time, one hundred percent perfect girl suitable for steamy date nights, church functions, and most importantly meeting your mama. Now we need to narrow the field. You have never been picking about blonde, brunette, or red heads but red heads are crazy, along with anyone named Ashley, Shannon or Tiffany. We want someone pretty but you have to focus on the pretty-psycho scale as Duncan and I created. See the prettier they are the more psycho they are,” Kelly took one of the shot that was just delivered and handed the other to Nathan. “Case in point,” she downed her shot. “I am hot as all get out so it takes a strong man to handle the truckloads of baggage I bring into a relationship, sort it out, and stay for longer than a week.”

“You are hot as heck, it’s why I picked you up in a bar when it was snowing in New York as you tried to fight those Klingons for cheating in that trivia game. I knew then if I went out with you it would be trouble. Luckily we found we liked sex better than just truly dating and it was best to be friends… maybe not as fun on some dark stormy nights but it’s worked out so far… you have gotten me the last three out of six girls. In baseball you would be batting 500 which isn’t too bad.” Nathan snickered a bit as he couldn’t help but shake his head as some of the past memories.

Looking around bar Kelly pointed to a red head in the corner. “How about her? I know I said avoid the red heads but she is wearing glasses which I have no idea why except that maybe it is like a force field holding back the crazy? She seems cute though.”

“Oh no, I dated her back when I first came in… she was nice until she tried to suck on my toes, that was a game changer… hommie don’t play that, next.” Nathan said with a wave of his hand like he was some king ordering someone out of his court.

“You know you just made me throw up a little in my mouth right,” Kelly side eyed him.

“Brunette two o’clock,” Kelly called out another candidate to the the ‘lets find Nate a Date game’.

“See she might be nice, but I saw her own YouTV on that show and she couldn’t name the original Federation members, which is literally the first thing they teach you in primary school. She put that video up for all to see too, it was… it was bad.” Nate said as he shook his head, as if to say he felt sorry for the generation they were growing up in.

“There is a place for all in Starfleet. The dumb ones just get red shirts,” she laughed but was partially serious.

“Okay what about that blonde with the fruity drink that has the cute little umbrella?” Kelly shook her head not even letting Nate respond before she spoke again. “She has to be from Connecticut with a name like Olivia or Ava. You can tell by the prep girl sweater and headband thing she has got going. Only girls from Connecticut look like that because they are close enough to New York City to land a wealthy doctor or lawyer but far enough away they can wear their beige skirts and plaid sweater discussing vegetarian recipes and vegan options for cheese.”

Ensign Kelly Shultz

“God no, that just reminds me back home. My family, the most real people I ever had was my dad’s servants. The people in the Vineyard were god awful, and I highly doubt Connecticut is any better… snobbish pricks… and yes I know the irony in my being snobby about snobs.” Nathan said, feeling like this was not going anywhere good as he took a swig from his drink and sighed. He liked having Kelz around but he knew it wouldn’t last.

The truth was none of the people here sparked him. He was officially an Ensign himself, having just graduated yet waiting assignment. Most of the people of the people here in this bar were ex cadets just a week ago, as he took a deep breath as he ran his hands through his messy brown hair as he looked back at Kelz, his icy blue eyes seeming to try and guess just what she might be planning for the night, or if she did indeed have some mark in mind to try and pawn him off she she could grab Dante and run off on some odd bender that those two always seemed to be getting into.

Ensign Nathan Harland

“You have got to make up your mind about your wish list. There is no way you are going to find the girl next door, that has a brain, will put up with you missing the hamper, make a decent sandwich, and make you bite your knuckle to hold back some bone head comment you can barely contain because not only is she sweet and innocent but plucky and feisty all in one. You are looking for a bar unicorn and they don’t exist. Trust me Dante and I would have found her by now if she existed but,” Kelly stopped speaking and her mouth slightly hung open. “She shoots. She scores,” Kelly made a dunkin’ motion as if playing basketball and sinking the winning shot. Spinning on the bar stool, Kelly face Nate.

“Fifty credits say I can score you a conversation with the brunette unicorn at seven o’clock,” she pointed to the petite brunette wearing medical blue sipping a beer in a four-seater table. The girl looked like she could be a greeter at church but leave and fit right in on karaoke night downtown in the city while only changing her shoes. She had a modest-quality about her yet something in the woman’s eyes convinced you she was only the good girl next door as long as she was not behind a closed door.

“She is cute… very cute in fact… you sure you have the skills to pull this off? My experience women in groups seldom leave the safety of numbers.” Nathan said as he took a deep breath but nodded as he looked back to Kelly

“Be right back,” Kelly tapped the bar twice before sauntering across the room.

Walking over to the table Kelly began to talk to the brunette. From Nate’s perspective, he could not tell if Kelly was singing his praises or sinking his chances. Twice the women glanced his was resulting in the classic motion of the brunette finger-combing her hair from her face yet surreptitiously locking eyes with him for a moment. As her eyes met his, Chloe Kendrick decided it was worth the chance. Talking to her friends, she then stood up and began walking over to the bar where Nathan was sitting. As she approached him, Chloe thought about how she was going to introduce herself. Introductions always set the stage for interaction. Seeing the expression on Nathan’s face there was only one thing she could say. Sliding into the seat next to him that was once occupied by Kelly she said, “Are you happy to see me, or is that just a defense mechanism?”

Chloe Hendrick

“I am always happy to meet a friendly face.” Nathan said with as he bit his lower lip eyes he narrowed his icy blue eyes on Chloe as he broke into a small smile as she sat next to him. Looking behind him he waved at the bartender to get the attention of them as they moved next to them. “I’ll have another rum and coke and she…” he paused as he looked over at Chloe as he squinted a bit as he looked her in her eyes, not once looking back to see what she had already been drinking as he looked back to the bartender. “And she will have a blue Hawaiian martini, shaking if I am not mistaking correct?” he said as he watched the bartender leave before bringing his attention back to her.

“You and her a tag team thing,” Chloe hooked a thumb at Kelly across the room with her eyes still on Nathan. There was no way Chloe was going to lose the bet she agreed to with Kelly. “So does she have like a comm or are you really just that good?” Chloe was intrigued at how Nate had performed the feat and the part of her that normally would have said, go back to the girls was silenced by the fact it was Senior Week and a time to have fun.

“Oh that? I am really just that good… I’m Nate by the way.” he answered as he couldn’t help but have that devilish smirk that seemed plastered on his face as his eyes seemed to squint slightly as he looked her over. The more he learned about people, the more he could figure them out and Nathan always figured everyone out.

Nathan Harland

“I know and your last name is Harland,” she didn’t immediately introduce herself back. Compared to most of the men that looked like he did with an eye smolder registering about an 8.5 on the lost in your eyes scale, Chloe needed to see if his mind was as stimulating as he penetrating stare.

“Do you now, and here I thought I was the one with parlor tricks, though yours seems a bit more obvious.” Nathan said as he shook his slightly, he figured Kelly couldn’t do anything without trying to just throw away all the cards. Whatever happened to the art of playing someone up was lost on her, she always had to turn something into a competition.

“So according to that blonde that sent me over here I am the first contestant on the Let’s Date Nate game. She said I was to skip looking at your amazing blue eyes because that was not going to be enough to forgive you for missing the hamper in ten years,” Chloe shook her head as if confused by her own statement. “She also said you were a psych major and that you bored easily with the types from Connecticut again whatever that means,” Chloe picked up the drink the bar staff had set down for them. Taking a sip she let the flavor mingle on her tongue before swallowing it. “You know I half think you both are dating and in some weird fight which is why she gave me such bizarre dating tips for you,” she tossed her hair over one side of her shoulder, “but figured what the heck. It’s Senior Week and since Starfleet has seen fit to send you out to counsel the crazies in space, I better make sure you are up to the job. I am going to ask you three questions. They are going to be mentally based. If you answer them I will tell you my name. So are you game to play a game or off duty or looking for an easier score because my friend Sadie is still looking for a date for the night.?

“Some of that is correct, but I think you may have been misled by my friend on some of the details… you know women so bad at keeping it straight.” Nathan said, knowing then and there this could make or break them and was curious which direction it would go with the gorgeous woman in front of him.

An unexpected bubble of laughter erupted from her lips as she processed his semi-anti feminist comment. Chloe, however, wasn’t mad and frankly far more intrigued by it than offended. Most men put on their best behavior when meeting someone. Nathan here seemed to be laying all his cards down instead of stockpiling a few away. That meant he was confident or arrogant. Since he wasn’t talking about himself exclusively or demonstrating any other narcissist traits Nathan Harland had to just be that confident in himself which was rather attractive.

“As for the questions, knock yourself out I don’t mind at all.”

“So your first question is,” Chloe moved her drink from her napkin and pressed it to her lips. Instead of the expected lip print, Chloe made sure she smeared it enough to create a circle-ish blot. “What does my modified Rorschach Test say about me,” she asked laying it on the bar between them.

Chloe Hendrick

“It says you need to think of better methods of figuring out psychoanalysis and not use antiquated methods disproved to have any real merit over three hundred years ago… I mean what kind of blue are you sporting modern psychotherapy barley knows what that is, let alone uses it…” Nathan said as he paused, this wasn’t going to win anyone over by nitpicking their data as he smiled at looked back at the napkin.

“No, but it could have given you some insight as to what is on my mind. That is the key to these meet and greets. Figure out what someone is actually thinking versus what they are saying,” Chloe took a sip of her drink.

“I think though if I had to be honest, it says that shade of lipstick would look amazing left somewhere on me later… but that might be to on the nose and quite frankly just goes back to an idea of every thinks with their second brain… but I think the real question is, why did you believe my friend when she said I was a psychiatrist? I mean I am very good at bs and I can work my way through a lot of situations by faking it… but I digress, its hardly your fault. Kelly is a great many things, but she never in the two years I known her figured out the difference from a psychiatrist and a neurosurgeon… she hears works on brains and just tells everyone I analysis people.” Nathan said as he took a swig from his drink before looking back at Chloe.

“For a neurosurgeon, you sure do talk like a psychologist,” she crossed her arms over her chest raising an eyebrow playfully. There was a reason however for this Nathan would never admit to if he was smart. That was Nathan Harland was a player and a decent enough one that could use charisma and charm to convince any lady across from him the world rose and set by her if she was just willing to take the chance. The issue was the sun always came up and men like Nathan would not be there in the morning. Since it was graduation week, Chloe didn’t expect a lifetime of sunrises with the man across from her. This meant both of them were on the same page so whatever happened, she and Nathan understood there were no strings attached.

“So… that is one thing she told you that was wrong, I think instead of this whole three questions I get a chance to reverse it… what else… if anything else… did she get wrong?” Nathan asked as he wondered if this would be a wrench in her cog or if she could still work with some of the details she was giving being incorrect.

Nathan Harland

“Two truths and a lie then,” Chloe leaned back in her seat. “Okay, she told me you were an avid fan of....baseball. You played as a kid in the open lots and parks until you were old enough to play on the big boy teams for a school. You tried out in middle school for one of those select leagues and they soon realized you were so good they fudged the age requirements to have you play up. You played high school ball until you graduated early and entered Starfleet,” Chloe summed up her story. In truth, Kelly hadn’t told her anything she could share with Nathan at this point but she had seen the last name on the back of a jersey when she attended the home games in the spring. Back then she only oogled him from the stands and had never met him but based on what she knew of him it had to be close enough to the real story to pass the mustard.

Ensign Chloe Harlan.