perfectly reasonable explanation."
"I don't know," the ensign said glumly.
"Come on! I think you've got hold of the wrong end of the
stick. Malista adores you! And well she should, you adorable little
man," Paris teased, pinching at his friend's cheek.
Harry slapped his hand away. "Try not to be an idiot! And don't
call me little!"
***********************
Sandrine's was fairly crowded. Luckily, B'Elanna and Malista had
managed to snag a table and were waiting for Tom and Harry. Sue
Nicoletti and Jenny Delaney were hovering nearby, talking to them.
Just as Harry came up beside Malista, the four women burst into
laughter.
"What's so funny?" Tom asked, bending to kiss Torres' cheek in
greeting. It had quickly become a habit. Though Torres wasn't fond
of public displays of affection, she tolerated them.
"Freddie Bristow," Torres said, clasping his hand as he seated
himself and pulled his chair closer to her side.
Tom exchanged fulminating glances with Harry. "So what has he
been up to this time?"
"His usual single-minded pursuit of women," Sue said
disgustedly.
"He made a pass at me this afternoon," Malista said, shaking her
head disbelievingly. "At the resort. He deleted the holographic pool
boy and took his place."
Jenny looked thoughtful. "You know, I think we should circulate
a petition to have that boy neutered."
The women burst into shrieks of laughter at that idea. The men
didn't think it was funny at all and frowned.
Harry reached for Malista's hand. "Are you okay?" He felt
incredibly stupid and incredibly guilty for doubting her---whether
she knew about it or not.
She smiled at him. "Yes. My name must have come up on his list.
I assume he's working his way down the crew manifest. He just had to
try, I guess."
Kim smiled wistfully. "He'd have to be crazy not to try. You're
beautiful." He stroked her cheek with his fingertips.
Malista blushed and captured his hand in her own. Jenny and Sue
glanced at each other. "Why do I suddenly feel de trop?" Sue asked
rhetorically. "Come on, Jenny! Let's leave this foursome to their
dinner."
"Okay. If we can't have him neutered, then how else can we get
even with him?" Jenny asked as they strolled away. She still bore a
grudge against Bristow for trying to date her and her twin at the
same time. How he'd hoped to keep each sister from finding out that
he was dating the other was a mystery no one had solved. Especially
since he'd arranged the two dates consecutively on the same night.
"Lord, I hope Sue can rein in Jenny's imagination," Paris said
fervently.
Harry squeezed Malista's hand. "Do you want to help them plot
revenge?"
"No, I don't think so," she said, grinning at Harry. "He's
harmless. Freddie is merely convinced that he's God's personal gift
to women everywhere."
"What a fool!" Tom commented lazily. "Everyone knows that's me!
The line forms to the right, ladies!" He waved his arm in a wide
gesture. The patrons of Sandrine's ignored him.
Torres thumped his shoulder. "Knock it off, Paris!" She was
grinning.
"Well," he replied, "you certainly look a little calmer today. I
heard the captain told you to take some time off to rest. You must
have gotten in some good quality time."
To his surprise, B'Elanna's eyes danced with laughter as she
traded looks with Malista who was also smothering a smile.
"What? What did you do with your time off?" Paris demanded.
The ladies shook their heads and didn't answer.
"Harry, I sense a conspiracy!" he announced melodramatically.
Harry was enjoying watching Malista smile, but wondered why she
didn't want to tell him what she'd been doing. Did she have something
to hide?
"How are you feeling?" he asked, ignoring Paris' antics. "Still sore
from the accident?"
She shrugged. "A little. That's why I went to the resort---to
bake the soreness from my muscles in the sunshine---even holographic
"Then Freddie showed up and ruined it."
She seemed surprised at Harry's rancor toward Bristow. "It was
nothing, Harry. I wish you could have come to the resort though." She
leaned closer and whispered, "I'm sure your hands would have warmed
the oil much better than the hologram's." She flicked his earlobe
with her tongue and suppressed a giggle when he flinched and caught
his breath.
He sat back in his chair and stared at her. He wondered why she
was being so---affectionate. Was she trying to keep him from asking
questions? "You're in a good mood tonight."
She was beginning to relax enough to tease Harry. She smiled
flirtatiously at him. "You think I'm in a good mood now, just wait
until---"
"Stop! My innocent ears can't handle this!" Paris exclaimed.
"Now are we going to eat dinner, or what?"
"Are you going to stop clowning or what?" Torres muttered under
her breath, suddenly tired of his nonsense.
The smile dropped away as Tom's eyes darted anxiously towards
her. "Sorry, B'Elanna. I didn't mean to---" He stopped, because he
wasn't sure what he'd done to provoke her.
Torres covered his hand with her own. "No, I'm sorry, Tom. I
shouldn't have said that. You're having a good time. Supervising
double shifts is beginning to wear on me."
He was surprised she'd relented. But he appreciated it. He sent
her one of his rare, genuine smiles, amusement flickering in the
crystal blue depths. Smile Number Eight. He turned his hand under
hers to grasp her fingers. "And what have you been up to? How are
things down below in Engineering?"
"Busy. I don't want to talk about it. How are things up above on
the bridge?" Torres asked.
"Harry found a source of deuterium in the next planetary
system," Paris replied.
"Do we have to talk about work?" Malista asked. "Let's do
something different." For her, this was a bold move. She usually
followed the lead of the others.
"Like what?" Kim couldn't understand her sudden buoyant good
spirits. Something had happened today. And if it wasn't Freddie
Bristow, what could it have been? Maybe someone else had made a pass
at her? Maybe she wasn't interested in Freddie because there was
someone else? His imagination was running riot though it didn't show
on his face.
"Like---isn't it about time that Tom showed us how he can play
that piano?" she suggested mischievously.
Torres jumped in immediately. "Yes. I think so. Come on, Tom.
Let's hear a song. This place is dying from lack of entertainment."
Tom shook his head. "There are too many people here."
"That's why they call it a performance, Tom," Harry commented.
"Come on! Show us what you can do! Nobody else is paying attention."
Tom gazed at his three companions. Harry and Malista were
smiling encouragingly. B'Elanna regarded him seriously. Her brown
&
nbsp; eyes opened wide as she added her own argument. "Please? I'd like to
hear you play."
Tom inhaled and blew out a deep breath. If B'Elanna wanted it---
"You guys don't know what you're asking for. You should lower your
expectations right away. But---okay." The trio followed him to the
piano.
The crowd in Sandrine's noticed and quietly moved their chairs
so they could watch what Paris was up to. As far as anyone present
knew, the piano was just added as atmosphere. No one had ever played
it.
Paris made a great show of limbering up his fingers, then rested
them lightly on the keys. "Any requests?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know your repertoire." He stood on
Paris' right.
Torres, standing on his left, placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Play something you like. Anything."
Malista stood next to Harry and offered Tom another encouraging
smile as she leaned against the upright side of the piano. Kidding
around, Tom performed a few dramatic riffs up and down the keys. His
blue eyes widened and stared into B'Elanna's as he began to play. It
was a beautiful piece of music. It sounded like a ballad---and it
seemed familiar to Shadow and Torres. Still gazing at B'Elanna, Tom
began to sing quietly in a lilting tenor voice.
"I have dreamed thee too long,
Never saw thee, or touched thee
But know thee with all of my heart.
Half a prayer, half a song,
Thou hast always been with me,
Though we have been always apart.
Dulcinea, Dulcinea,
I see heaven when I see thee, Dulcinea.
And thy name is like a prayer an angel whispers.
Dulcinea, Dulcinea.
If I reach out to thee,
Do not tremble and shrink from the touch
Of my hand on thy hair,
If my fingers but see,
Thou art warm and alive and no phantom
To fade in the air.
Dulcinea, Dulcinea,
I have sought thee, sung thee, dreamed thee,
Dulcinea. Dulcinea.
Now I've found thee
And the world shall know thy glory,
Dulcinea, Dulcinea."
Tom hadn't meant to become the center of attention. His was a
private performance. But a silence had fallen in Sandrine's and now
the only sound was Tom's voice and his music. As he became aware of
it, he broke off and changed tunes, segueing into another song,
directing his eyes and his attention to the keyboard. His polite
facade was firmly in place once more.
Torres was having difficulty breathing. He knew she'd recognize
the song from the play they'd seen in a holographic performance a few
weeks ago. He had serenaded her. In public. The man who didn't like
to show his feelings. He was putting them on display---for her. Of
course, he was still hiding behind the music as if it were just a
performance---but still! This was progress.
"Oh, I know that one," Malista said with a happy grin. Her back
was to the listening crowd. Unaware of their interest, she began to
sing in a strikingly pure alto, gazing at Harry Kim.
"The skies are green and glowing,
Where my heart is, where my heart is,
Where the scented lunar flower is growing.
Somewhere beyond the sky, beyond Antares."
Paris joined her, their voices blending as if they'd practiced
for weeks.
"I'll be back though it takes forever,
Forever is just a day.
Forever is just another journey.
Tomorrow---a step along the way."
"Then let the years go fading
Where my heart is, where my heart is,
My love eternally is waiting
Somewhere beyond the sky, beyond Antares."
As they finished singing, Tom smiled up at her approvingly.
There was a collective sigh from those listening partially in
appreciation of the smooth, sensual blending of their voices and
partially because the song's lyrics were haunting for those who were
so far from home. Some had left their loves waiting in the Alpha
Quadrant, which was literally beyond Antares. There were a few
sniffling sounds heard in the dim lighting of the bar.
Malista jumped self-consciously as those present began to
applaud. She shrank into Harry's welcoming arms. He was smiling. "You
have a beautiful voice, Malista. Play something else, Tom." Good
music always lightened his mood.
"Do you want to sing anything special?" Paris asked.
"No," Shadow denied. "I don't sing in public." She hid her hot
face in Harry's neck, threading her fingers through his thick inky
hair as she nestled against him, nuzzling his neck.
Tom flashed her a grin. "Don't look now, Sis, but you just did."
"I only sang that one because I knew it. And I forgot anyone
else was here. I had a recording made by Nyota Uhura," Shadow
explained.
"I have that recording too. I have quite a few musical
selections from the Uhura Museum of Musicology Collection," Paris
said. "Let's see, how about something everyone can sing along with?"
He ran his fingers up and down the keys while he thought about it. A
movement near the doorway caught his eye. Lt. Tuvok had just entered
Sandrine's. The Security Officer's presence inspired Paris. He
began to play and everyone---except Tuvok---launched into the first
of fifteen verses of "What Do You Do With A Grumpy Vulcan?".
Tuvok eyed the entire proceedings with a disdainfully raised
eyebrow---which just made the raucous verses even more amusing to the
group of singers.
At the conclusion, Paris stood and melodramatically took a bow.
He extended a hand toward Shadow. She took the second curtain call
with him. Then the foursome adjourned to the table and ordered
dinner.
***********************
Paris walked Torres to her cabin. They had their arms around
each other. "Tom, what does Dulcinea mean?"
Tom cleared his throat uneasily. "It comes from a Latin word and
means 'sweet or delightful'." He suppressed a wince. He wasn't sure
how she'd react.
Torres keyed the code to her cabin door, and pulled Paris
inside. As the door slid shut behind them she thrust him up against
the wall and placed her hands on either side of him to keep him in
place. She looked up into his face. "Thank you. No one ever sang a
song just for me before. It was beautiful."
She could read in his expression that he was tempted to make a
joke, to lighten the atmosphere. Fortunately, he resisted temptation.
"I'm glad you liked it. I wasn't sure---if you'd be embarrassed or---
"
She grabbed the nape of his neck and pulled his lips down to
hers and devoured them with a kiss.
When they paused for a moment to breathe, he gasped, "I guess
you weren't embarrassed." She growled at him and nipped lightly at
his neck. He tipped her chin up again to gaze into her chocolate
eyes. "You are one beautiful lady."
"I almost believe you mean that," Torres said, trying to escape
his grasp.
He refused to let her go, forcing her
to look him in the eyes
once more. "I do mean it. B'Elanna, I don't understand how you can't
see it." He ran his finger caressingly down the center of her
forehead. "I love these bumps," he whispered.
She eyed him skeptically, thinking he had to be joking. "What?"
He tilted his head to study them at an angle. "Yeah. They kind
of make a little road map, pointing the way down to your beautiful,"
he nipped at her lower lip, "lovely, mouth. Not that I need a map."
He created a trail with his lips, working his way from her chin to
her hairline, speaking between kisses. "I can't believe how---lucky,
how blessed I am to have met you---I have a hard time believing that
this isn't all a dream. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up---and you and
Voyager and Harry and Malista---will all be figments of my
imagination and I'll still be in New Zealand." He closed his eyes and
leaned his head back against the wall.
She studied him for a moment. She was tempted to get him to talk
about New Zealand---and how he'd gotten there, but she remembered
what Malista had said to her on the holodeck---that before she pushed
Tom into confiding in her, Torres had better be sure she could handle
the truth---no matter what it might be.
Heavy discussions could wait. But a distraction was definitely
called for. She moved her arms up to encircle his neck. "This is
real, Helmboy!" she insisted. "If you don't believe me---" She
pressed her body against his---and bit his trapezium muscle.
"OW!" Paris yelped, his eyes flying open. "Torres, the
traditional way to convince someone they aren't dreaming is to pinch
them---not chew them!"
"Cry baby!" she accused with a grin. "I can do pinching too."
One hand dropped toward his backside.
He caught her wrists and pinned her hands lightly behind her
back. "You're a dangerous woman," he complained insincerely. There it
was! Smile Number Nine ---eyes sparkling, genuine, brilliant smile.
This was the smile Torres wished to see all the time.
She growled and snapped her teeth at him. "That's what you get
for being such a temptation, hotshot. You look like dessert to me.
Your skin looks like cream over strawberries---especially when you
blush---Yeah! Like that!"
Paris could feel his skin heating and knew he was turning pink.