Impromptu First Date

Posted on Mon Feb 27th, 2023 @ 7:31pm by Lieutenant JG Patra Rommel
Edited on on Tue Feb 28th, 2023 @ 9:31pm

Mission: When on Risa...
Location: Starbase 12
Timeline: Day Four

Patra sighed and sat down to eat her bacon cheeseburger and chili cheese fries. She had been discharged from medical after her neuro regenerative treatment and had been looking forward to seeing Doctor Holliday for a dinner like she had promised, but as fates would have it she was called away for an emergency surgery before they could make arrangements. Not sure what she was supposed to do while the ship was being repaired, she was expressly forbidden to assist in the repairs and overhauls, she had checked into the visiting junior officer’s billets, then wandered the promenade of Starbase 12. She found a fast food joint that served Earth style hamburgers and fries and decided to order her meal.

“Are you seriously going to eat that?” Patra heard. She looked up from her plate ready to spout an angry reply; and stopped. There before her was her redheaded goddess, Doctor Victoria Holiday. Patra looked down at her burger, with pieces of real bacon and cheese hanging off of it and the deep fried French fries with red chili and cheese all over it; she replied “Oh, yeah, every single greasy bit of it. I need the flavor and Starfleet doctors can work on my heart later.”

Doctor Holliday laughed a musical laugh, an easy going laugh; that was as natural to her as breathing. Patra spoke up again; “Well let me guess what you are going to eat? Kale with a dusting of spinach over tofu?” Doctor Holliday laughed again, just as honest and natural as her first laugh. “ Close. Never thought of spinach as a Zest though.” This time Patra laughed and waved for Doctor Holliday to have a seat across from her.
“Thank you. Would you care to see what my lunch is?” inquired Doctor Holliday. “Sure, if it doesn’t look like something you stole from a bird feeder.” replied Patra with a smile. Doctor Holliday laughed again; Patra liked her laugh. She must have a lot of joy in her world. thought Patra. Doctor Holliday opened her bag; and there was a huge salad in a glass container. Doctor Holliday listed the ingredients as she lifted off the lid: “Spinach, carrots, lettuce, celery, radish, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, parsley, lemon pepper, and; Kale!”

Patra laughed. Doctor Victoria Holliday loved her laugh. “What do you use for dressing?” inquired Patra. “Nothing. I like my vegetables like I like my conversation; raw.” They both chuckled in unison. “Okay, I have seen the healthy salad; what is the main course? You aren’t a vegasaur are you?” inquired Patra. Victoria shook her head, “No, I just don’t eat a lot of meat, but no, I am not a Vegetarian. I have a small chicken dressed with herbs and spices on a bed of rice pilaf.” Sure enough, Victoria brought out a small roasted chicken on a bed of rice. Patra whistled, “That looks and smells delicious.”

“Thank you, my Mom taught me to cook. She said someday I would be on my own and realize that knowing how to cook would come in real handy. She was right, most of my colleagues just use the replicators for their food, and consider that cooking.” replied Doctor Holliday. Patra laughed again. “I guess most of my colleagues are similar; because none of them know how to cook either; take apart, repair and put back together complicated machinery but cook not so much.” stated Patra.
Patra’s eyes twinkled; she was enjoying this conversation and time with Doctor Holliday. Doctor Holliday’s face made a pouting grimace that was so deadpan dry and filled with angst and despair that Patra began to laugh so hard she almost chocked laughing. Victoria reached one of her arms across the table and clapped Patra’s back; Victoria had a look now as one of deep concern. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean for you to choke.” Patra waved away Victoria’s hand away. Patra did respond to her touch with a thrill. Patra caught her breath, “No I am fine. You just made me laugh; that’s all.” “That’s all? You know how hard it is to make the most beautiful woman you have ever meet; laugh? And me almost being a stranger to you too!”

Patra’ mind and heart took in the cheesy line; knowing it was not a line at all. Patra blurted out some words; words that caught them both by surprise; “You are not a stranger. Just strange. Do you always start conversations with someone you are attracted to with Are you really going to eat that or meet them as you patient?” This time Victoria laughed until she choked. Patra had to get up from her chair and reach around to pat her back. She responded much like Patra had; except it took her much longer to wave her hand away from her back, which Patra didn’t mind at all.

“No, I usually start with something like Do you like raisins because I feel like a date.” Patra couldn’t help herself, she spit her coke all over the table. Both of them laughed like hyenas as they started to ramble off cheesy pick up lines at each other. About a dozen cheesy lines later they both leaned back in their chairs. Victoria’s salad and Patra’s burger lay untouched on the table. For a long time they just sat simmering in the cozy ambiance of two souls that are bonding. Victoria leaned forward and put her arm out with her palm up. Patra leaned in a little and placed her hand into Victoria’s. Their fingers did a dance as old as puppy love and as lasting as a True Love.

Patra pointed at Dr. Holliday’s salad with her free hand, “ Are you really going to eat that?” Dr. Holliday responded “No. Not now. I think I would rather go for a walk with you.” She said, her hand unconsciously tightened around Patra’s. Patra smiled a shy smile, “That would be nice. Real nice.”

If anyone thought it was strange that two beautiful women, would just get up and leave their food on the table; they didn’t say anything out loud.

That night Victoria showed Patra how to make the herbed chicken. The next morning, Patra showed Victoria how to make corned beef hash; with bacon.