Dinner And A Chat

Posted on Fri Aug 13th, 2021 @ 4:15am by Captain Calypso Skyie & Lieutenant Commander Tyler Driskill

Mission: The Boneyard Heist
Location: Holodeck 1

She’d grabbed a quick shower, just out of habit after a flight or a hard day’s work, not because she’d actually desperately needed one. It was just a part of her normal wind-down routine and at this point, routine gave her just that additional link to the real galaxy that kept people going in the same direction. As she dressed, Cally started running over everything she knew about Tyler, decision to keep dinner casual and non-work related be damned. This was a getting-to-know you type thing, had to be able to think like him and more importantly? Get him to think like her, the first time, every time.

So she showed up after about twenty-five minutes rather than take the full half hour, just like normal, a shoulder less blue tube top and black knee-length skirt with white tennis shoes, after all, casual and comfortable. She’d even taken a few moments to throw on some eyeliner and a sky-blue shade of eyeshadow to go with a muted blush and a just pinker than her natural lip gloss. She was a woman after all, even IF she was admittedly going over the hill having hit the big 4-0.

Tyler walked off the lift wearing a pair of blue jeans, a well fit black v neck t-shirt and black cowboy boots. "I hope you haven't been waiting long?" the First Officer asked. Cally had a laid back style, but she was still his superior officer and he wanted them to be able to work well together.

"Only a couple minutes," She smiled to reassure him, "If I'm not a few minutes early, I'm already late. Except in mission timing, then if I'm not dead on time, something's wrong. BUT." She made a slicing gesture with her hand, "That's not important right now. I had no clue what you wanted, so I picked out a place that's got what's called 'American' style food, which apparently means that it's got some of just about every type of food, so the menu's massive."

"Well I hope you are hungry?" Tyler asked with a smile and offered his arm as the holodeck doors slid open.

She slipped her arm into his as the doors revealed the inside of the restaurant, no name was evident but walls were filled with large writing that seemed to serve as a menu of its own. Categories included Appetizers, Pizza, Seafood, Italian, Mexican, American, Greek and several others that she found she couldn't process right away. "I think if I wasn't before, I am now..." She said quietly, "Perhaps a few too many options?" She allowed him to lead them to where they'd sit.

"That is a lot of options" Tyler replied as they made it to their table and he pulled out Cally's chair. Just because she was his Commanding Officer and possible friend didn't mean he couldn't be a gentlemen. "It smells wonderful in here" Tyler shot a smile across the table as he took his seat.

Calypso smiled with a quiet 'thank you' as she let him slide the chair under her. Another possible piece of a puzzle, since there was no doubt that there would be diplomatic situations in their future and politeness was always a plus in that. Her eyes hit the appetizers menu and saw one thing she was looking for, a guilty pleasure she'd gotten very fond of during her times on Earth, "I know I'm definitely getting the fried mozzarella to start off with." She flushed slightly red, "It's almost an addiction at this point with it, with some marinara sauce, just heaven in the mouth." A chuckled, "Aside from that, I'd say I've gotten very attached to Mexican food, the spices just really work well with each other."

"Mexican food is tasty" Tyler said as he took his seat. "I think I'm going to have the calamari." He said with a first glance at the menu.

A young lady approached the table and with a big smile said, "Welcome would the lovely couple like to start with an appetizer and some wine?"

Tyler blushed slightly, "We're just friends, she's actually my boss." he smiled at the waitress and then back at Cally.

Calypso chuckled slightly, "I suppose that's true, isn't it?" She winked at the waitress, "But since we're here away from work, anything goes. I think I'll start with mozzarella sticks with marinara, and a cola, it's a bit early to start with alcohol for me."

"Calamari and red wine please" Tyler gave s smile to the young lady. "This is a really nice place" Tyler smiled at Cally.

“It’s an actual place in Grand Forks, North Dakota, names ‘Mikey’s’, built about a hundred fifty years ago, for ‘authentic American cuisine’, but turned into a semi-tourist trap. I ran into it about a decade ago when I was at the Academy, a friend dragged me out there, then started going every weekend. It’s a miracle I didn’t turn into a balloon!” She giggled girlishly, then slapped a hand across her mouth in embarrassment before regaining control, “But, a really nice place overall.”

Tyler laughed in return "Oh the Academy, those were the days" he knew they had both served long enough that the Academy seemed like so long ago.

It really took virtually no time for their drinks and then appetizers to come to the table, and Cally took a sip of her soda and smiled slightly, "So, Tyler, tell me a bit about yourself? Don't worry about your time in the Fleet, I already know most of that, but just... About you yourself?"

He took a sip of his beverage and returned the smile "Well Cally" he paused for a second "I'm forty four and still an XO" he raised his brows and took another sip of his wine. "I enjoy working out, the beach, a good drink" he raised his glass "let's see" Tyler paused and thought for a moment and then stared at his boss and gave a slight shrug and a crooked smile.

"Meh, ten years as an instructor at the Academy in that time, so basically thirty-four and still an XO." She winked at him, dipping a crispy stick of fried cheese in the red sauce, "I can't even say much about that for myself, I was an XO at thirty-eight before I had my own issues." She emphasized it in a way that told him she'd be telling him about it a bit later, this wasn't an interrogation, just literally a getting-to-know-you, and she gestured with her mozzarella stick like a baton for him to continue.

"Never been married" he took a bite of the calamari and thought for a moment "enjoy good food" he gestured toward his food with a smile on his face.

"Never married myself, I do enjoy a good match of tennis and if you ever need to find me in the morning, I'll be taking a three kilometer swim. I'm almost religious about that." A mischievous smile crossed Cally's face as her hand flashed out without warning in an attempt to snag a piece of calamari.

His fork moved in an attempt to stop Cally from her calamari steal. "I like to work out in the morning before shift as well" he smiled never breaking eye contact with her.

Her own utensil parried, she twirled it in her finger as she considered her next assault in the fried seafood, keeping her own eyes on his, "Weight work, or what do you do, in particular?" She made up her mind and speared a cheese stick and offered it to him, a trade in kind perhaps?

"Lot's of it" he leaned forward and took a bite and moved his fork out of the way. "Running and swimming are a good work out" he added "never tried tennis."

She selected a piece of the squid and popped it into her mouth, trade complete. Diplomacy did often work better than confrontation or guile, "I could have gone professional on Betazed. I probably would have topped out at about fortieth or so, but I was pretty good once upon a time when I had a one as the first number of my age. I still love to play, but the computer opponents I've gone up against are either too perfect or too easy, I'd rather go up against someone real. Of course, I know how to shoot, every Marine's a rifleman, but not too great at that despite my time as a sniper-spotter."

"I'm pretty good with a phaser, but you don't want to let me get close to you" he decided to brag a little.

"Why? Are you some big shot hand to hand combat pro?" She asked, wrinkling her nose.

"No" he said taking another sip of his wine and shaking his head at her. "Just pretty good at protecting myself" he said softly, Tyler really didn't care for violent.

Once again she pondered for a moment. Obviously she knew he'd been an instructor at the Academy in close combat, "And others, I assume? I know you said you were never married, girlfriend at all?"

"Others, yes" he replied and blushed "just flings recently" he shrugged and wondered how she would react to that, but it was just honesty.

Cally nodded with a smile, "I'd be lying if I said I'd been a nun over the past decade... Or two." She chuckled and shook her head, "I think my longest relationship since high school was about two months? And that was awkward in it's own right! Far easier with no strings attached." She shrugged

"You've got that right" he finished down his wine and shot her a smile. "So what you think our first mission will be?" he asked her to basically make a guess at this point so he laughed a bit.

"Oh Gods..." Calypso shook her head slowly, "If Towers has his say, our first mission will be flying back to Earth or spacing me at the Starbase." It was more a maniacal giggle, "Otherwise? Heading out past the border of our space. We're an explorer type ship, we're gonna explore."

"I was kind of hoping you would say that" he figured that was going to be the plan, but he was just a First Officer what did he know.

"Once I know something, you will know it." She stated definitively, "You are my alter-ego, the person that needs to be able to take over from me on a moment's notice. I'm hoping you'll be able to see things that I don't. I want your opinion, no matter if it contradicts mine, trust me, I won't be angry, I had a great boss on Perseus and she told me the same thing. We won't always agree and if you've got something to back up what you're talking about, or even just a strong hunch, bring it out. I might not always take your advice, but I'll always listen."

"Thank you!" Tyler said softly, he had served under a Commanding Officer that wouldn't listen to anything he said, shut him down at almost every thing. "I respect you more than you know Cally" he said raising his glass that had been refilled to cheers her.

She raised her own in response to the salute, then her eyes widened as the entree she’d ordered mostly offhand was placed in front of her. Sure, she’d known what she’d been getting into, but the country fried steak in front of her had to have come from a cow the size of a barn, overlapping the large plate and smothered in a wonderful smelling country gravy. The small mountain of similarly covered mashed potatoes and the corn on the cob on its own plate finished off just her own meal, “I was there two weeks ago and I don’t remember it being this big..” She shook her head slightly, “You any good at being a Devil’s Advocate?” She asked as she considered just how she was going to attack this side of mammoth.

"Just dive right in there boss lady" Tyler joked and laughed before taking a nice chunk of his medium rare rib-eye steak and devoured it. "I'm usually behind the cause" he replied chewing his steak.

She laughed around the mouthful of potatoes she'd stuffed in after the first bite of steak, "Good, so I expect you to disagree with me and question my decisions at all times to make sure I don't make stupid mistakes." She used the time talking to saw off another bite of the crispy meat and just about had to unhinge her jaw to get it in, "Can't guarantee not doing something stupid, because well.. Former Marine, right? We're not known as the smartest people in the Fleet."

Tyler had finished the chunk of steak he had been working on "Well I have no comment on that" he raised his brows as he stuffed in a bite of grilled asparagus and quickly finished it off. "But you have my word that if I think the decisions needs questioning I'll question it, but in a professional manner of course."

"And if I give an order that puts us in what you believe unnecessary danger while we're engaged in a mission and we're both on the bridge?" Cally asked, taking hold of the corn and then working a row of kernels off as she watched him for his reaction.

This was a question that could get him in trouble. Also an action that often ruined a First Officers career. "Honestly?" he asked her taking another bite of the steak, looking up at his Commanding Officer and friend, yeah he could call her a friend.

She nodded, this time delicately cutting a piece of her steak, now that the initial feeding frenzy was over, "Always."

Swallowing hard and making eye contact with Cally "If it means the lives of the people on this ship" he paused and broke eye contact for a second, looking down at his plate and taking a breath. Tyler looked back up at her "Or starting a war, then yes I'd ask you for a moment and if the current situation don't call for it and it's forced on me I'll voice my opinion in front of the bridge crew or question you."

With a nod, Cally again chomped on a more normal bite of potatoes and gravy, "That'll work, but before you question me about my decision, make sure that you tell whoever I'm giving the order to to not follow it." She gave him a broad smile, "I would hate for that war to begin while you're trying to figure out why I'm kicking it off."

"Agreed" he smiled at her then taking a drink from a fresh glass of wine. "If it ever happens, I promise to do it in the most respectful way possible."

"Hell no!" She laughed, "If you need to knock me on my ass to do the right thing, I hereby order to you knock my ass out!" She shook her head slightly, "I'll survive some hurt feelings and bruises if needs require, the safety of the Federation and the safety of the crew and ship are far more important than that, in that order. But, if I ask you to trust me after you question it? That means I know what I'm doing but I don't have time to explain it. Trust me, you'll know the difference between me off my rocker or not"

"I have no doubt" he quickly replied looking up at Cally with a smile.

She looked down at her collection of plates and the remnants of the steak and potatoes, not much of which remained, then patted her belly, "You know, this is why I swim so much, because I eat until I look like I'm pregnant.. And otherwise, it'll all go to my ass."

Tyler laughed and finished off the last bite of his steak "This was a great dinner" he smiled at Cally. "Big list of to-do's tomorrow and you?"

"One that may or may not be slightly longer than yours? Or perhaps a bit shorter, who knows?" She grinned, "But I'm definitely getting a good swim in for the morning, gotta work some of this dinner off. I think I'll start with checking out the small craft and maybe do a flyby of the hull to make sure there's nothing major that needs attention."

"Both great ideas" he gave a nod and finished his wine. "I think I'll go for a run and get to know the engineering deck first thing" he paused only a second "I'll be helping out with the internal sensor issue on deck one through three most of the day."

Calypso pursed her lips in thought for a few moments and shrugged. There was no harm in putting it out there, "You know, the maintenance crew goes back to their barracks every evening, so we're the only two on board, until tomorrow at least." She raised an eyebrow in the unasked question of whether he wanted to follow her home or not. They were, after all, both unattached adults and what no one else knew, wouldn't harm them.

Tyler looked away and thought about it for a few moments. In fact a smile grew on his face as he thought about it. He couldn't lie to himself or Calypso "you are beautiful" he said locking eye contact with her "and you have no" he paused and looked away again. The drinks he had weren't making thing any easier, but he had never been in this situation. He had never had a Commanding Officer he was attracted to.

Calypso slid her chair back from the table and stood, reaching her hand out to him in offer, "Don't worry Tyler," She said quietly, "No strings attached, no judgements, no harm." Her eyes glittered, "No one would know."

He wasn't a fool, Tyler took the offered hand and stood from the table. Since there was no one around he reached over and kissed Cally, he hoped she wasn't just testing him.

She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms lazily around his neck and kissed him back, trying to hold back a smile. A few second later, she opened her eyes again, "Computer, open program Bermuda Three." The surroundings changed from the restaurant to a beach bungalow, She planted another, more sensual kiss on his lips before reaching for his hand again, "Quarters are overrated..."