Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda, Tribune does!
Author's Note: I don't
know where my grammar got off to in this part, so sorry if anything's off! Oh,
and the stuff between the asteriks is a flashback. Please
R&R!
Paradise
Chapter Five: The British Butler
Bot
She wasn't sure whether she wanted to shoot herself, run screaming
from the room, or cry and beg Dylan's forgiveness and tell him never to leave
like that again, and Beka Valentine hated herself for it. As it was, she paced
nervously in front of the Obs. Deck windown, pausing every once in a while to
curse Harper in several different
languages.
***********************************************************************
"Are
you crazy? I told you, Seamus, I do not want to see him!" She had been so angry
at him for even suggesting it.
He had used that persistent, whiny, "I'm
too small and cute for you to say no" voice. "C'mon, Bek, you have to see him!
Just one dinner on Obs. Deck, that's it!"
"No!"
"I'll overhaul the
Maru!"
That had taken her by surprise. "Really."
"Yeah! Pay for it
myself!"
This had been a little bit too suspicious for Beka.
"Harper...why?"
And for a moment, it wasn't Harper that Beka was talking
to; it was someone older, and wiser. It was like Rev Bem trapped in the body of
one freakin' genius. "Because, Beka, I want you to have something good. Dylan is
good, he's good for you; he won't hurt you like Bobby did and you'll be happy. I
want you to be happy."
"Seamus..." was all Beka could
say.
"Please, Bek, I know how you feel about him and you're scared and
everything and I know you don't know what you want with him, but don't let him
get away, Beka. He loves you."
"I know," Beka whispered.
"Will you
go? Please, Beka?"
She had nodded, half-reluctant and
half-eager.
And then he was back to being Harper again, grinning his
trademark ladies' man grin and saying, "You just trust in the Harper, baby, and
be in Obs. Deck in two hours, dressed to
kill!"
***********************************************************************
She
was only dressed to mildly maim, in tight black pants and a high-necked
sleeveless shirt, despite Trance's suggestion of at least a skirt. Beka kept
pacing, not liking the table set for two in the middle of the room, or the soft
candlelight, or the music playing that Harper apparently thought was romantic.
And the table cloth was pink. Pink!
"Harper, you really overdid
yourself," Beka muttered.
"I'd have to agree." She didn't have to look
towards the door to know that it was Dylan. She turned anyway, raising an
eyebrow when she saw his dress attire.
"That looks pretty damn
uncomfortable, Captian Terrific," she quipped.
"Well, I see you chose
comfort over style," he retorted.
"Hey, do you know how tight these pants
are?" she shot back as they both laughed. Back to being friends for the moment.
She could handle that. It didn't squelch the desire to run over to him and touch
him and make sure he was really alive, really there on Obs. Deck, but the need
was dampened.
He pulled out her chair for her like a real gentleman, and
his hand rested gently on her bare shoulder as she sat down. She hate herself
for tensing up and how quickly he took his hand away. He sat down across from
her; poured them both wine. Neither of them looked at each other, and they spent
an uncomfortable few minutes of silence.
Until they broke it by laughing
at the Maria 'bot dressed like a butler.
"That has got to be Harper!"
Beka gasped out between gales of laughter.
"What can I get you, my good
lady and gentleman?" the drone asked in a completely fake British
accent.
"I'm going to have to speak to him about this!" Dylan said,
laughing harder.
But it served to break the ice between them, or at least
thin it, and they talked about safely comfortable topics throughout the elegant
dinner.
Then dinner was over, and dessert and coffee were over, and they
were lead by the british butler bot to the vacant rec room, where they found
popcorn and a movie. They sat on opposite ends of the couch, even though Beka
knew Dylan would rather have them close together.
She had to give him
credit, though. He waited until half the movie was over before saying, "Beka, we
need to talk."
To Be Continued...(I promise!)