First Floor Date

Posted on Tue Oct 8th, 2024 @ 5:04pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant Commander Jason Frankley
Edited on on Tue Oct 8th, 2024 @ 7:11pm

1,335 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well

Adrianna and Jason had been messaging on and off for the hours that lead up to their date. She had to admit that he seemed like a nice guy, equally, he could see that she was more than the cold demeanor she showed at work. Neither wanted to admit that perhaps the date would work– no one wanted the mum-squad to be right about them.

Entertainingly enough– the date was not off to a great start. So, at least they wouldn’t be lying to their mums…

Jason Frankley shifted his weight again, the small confines of the turbo lift suddenly feeling tighter with every passing second. Stuck here with Adrianna Baciami wasn’t exactly how he imagined his evening going, but as he glanced at her, he couldn’t say he was disappointed either. Not at all.

She stood across from him, leaning against the opposite wall, her arms folded casually but with a grace that made her look like she belonged in control of any situation. Her dark eyes flicked up at him, noticing the way he was watching her.

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, though there was a playful glint in her eyes.

Jason smirked. "Nothing. Just trying to figure out how this is my life right now."

Adrianna’s lips curled into a smile. "Your life? You think you’re the one suffering? I was supposed to be having a nice, quiet dinner, maybe some good wine, by myself– not being forced on a date by my mother and her new best friend. Instead, I’m stuck here with you." She paused, her smile deepening as she added, "Though, I suppose it could be worse."

"Could it?" Jason asked, stepping just a little closer, his voice dropping. "You don’t seem like the type to get stuck anywhere you don’t want to be."

Her smirk grew. "You’re not wrong," she said, her accent wrapping around each word like honey. "But maybe I’ll make an exception this time. For the company. Perhaps our matchmakers don't have such bad taste."

Jason chuckled, taking another small step forward. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

"You should," she replied, her tone teasing. She bit her lower lip lightly, something Jason immediately noticed, and the heat between them seemed to spike. "So, tell me, Jason, what exactly did you have planned for tonight?"

Jason shrugged, his eyes never leaving hers. "Honestly? Wasn’t sure. Thought we’d have a nice dinner, get to know each other… not like this though."

"And what’s wrong with this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow again. "You think you can’t handle a turbo lift– make it romantic?"

"Oh, I can handle it," Jason said, his voice taking on a deeper, more playful tone as he closed the distance between them. "Just wasn’t expecting it to be this… close– intimate, even, so fast."

Adrianna’s lips parted slightly, her eyes flicking to his chest for a second, as if she were considering something, before meeting his gaze again. "Non ti piace stare vicino? You don’t like being close?" she asked, her voice teasing, clearly knowing the effect she was having on him.

Jason leaned in just enough so that his breath brushed her cheek. "Depends on who I’m close to," he murmured, his voice low.

Adrianna’s breath caught for just a second, and she smiled, her eyes locking with his. "Lucky me, then," she whispered. "I guess you’ll have to make the most of it, marinaio."

That word, marinaio, slid from her lips like a challenge, and Jason felt something spark in him. He leaned in just a little more, his hand finding her waist, pulling her just an inch closer.

"Careful, Baciami," he said, his lips inches from hers now, his tone filled with both humor and intensity. "You might end up liking this more than you planned."

Adrianna’s eyes flickered, and she tilted her head up, bringing her lips dangerously close to his. "Maybe I already do," she whispered, her voice a sultry tease.

Jason’s hand slid down her waist, the touch lingering as the tension between them reached a peak. He could feel her breath on his skin, could see the desire in her eyes as her hand lightly brushed his chest, like she was testing how far she could push this before one of them finally gave in.

"You know," he murmured, his lips just barely grazing her ear, "if I’d known we’d end up like this, I would’ve skipped the whole dinner."

Adrianna laughed softly, the sound deep and smooth, before she met his eyes again, her gaze simmering. "Cena o non cena, dinner or no dinner," she said, her voice velvet smooth, "I’m still expecting you to make a move."

Jason grinned, his hand tightening just slightly at her waist as he pulled her closer. "Oh, I plan to," he whispered.

They leaned in, the space between their lips almost nonexistent. The heat, the tension, the way she was looking at him—it all told Jason that this was more than just a game. Her hand slid up to his shoulder, fingers brushing the back of his neck, and Jason couldn’t think of anything else but kissing her.

Their lips were about to meet when the lift jolted, and the doors slid open with a loud ding.

"Hey! Got it all fixed!" The engineer’s voice cut through the air like a cold shower.

Jason and Adrianna jerked apart, both staring wide-eyed at the oblivious engineer standing there, wrench in hand and grinning ear to ear.

The engineer glanced between them, clearly having no idea what he’d interrupted. "Whoa—uh—sorry! Didn’t mean to barge in on whatever this is." He gave an awkward, nervous laugh and held up his wrench like it was a peace offering. "But, uh, you two can carry on if you need to…" The engineer gave an awkward double thumbs up, backing away.

Adrianna covered her face with her hand for a second, shaking her head as she muttered, "Che cavolo…"—What the hell… Her cheeks were flushed, and when she looked at Jason, there was both humor and frustration in her eyes.

Jason, still a little dazed, ran a hand through his hair and chuckled under his breath. "Thanks, man. Real great timing."

The engineer blinked, still completely unaware of what he’d interrupted in full, but knowing that he’d killed the mood. "Yeah, no problemmo! Just doing my job!" He pointed to the lift, grinning like he’d just saved the day. "Lift’s all set! I can break it again if you want to– uhh."

Jason and Adrianna both shook their heads and watched the engineer walk backwards, down a corridor to the left, out of sight, stumbling and a stuttering mess.

Jason turned back to Adrianna, unable to hide the smirk that tugged at his lips. "So… about that move."

Adrianna shot him a look, her eyes still heated with the tension that hadn’t quite dissipated. "You’re lucky we got interrupted," she said, her voice a mix of playful annoyance and lingering desire. "But I’ll be expecting you to make up for it later."

Jason’s grin widened. "Oh, I plan to."

They stepped out of the lift, the air between them crackling with the promise of something more. As they walked side by side down the corridor, their fingers brushed again, the flirtation far from over.

"Next time, perhaps you use your tactical training," Adrianna said, giving him a sidelong glance, "you’d better be quicker with that move, prima che qualcuno ci interrompa. Before someone else gets in our way."

Jason laughed, his heart still racing from their near-kiss. "Trust me, next time, no one’s getting in the way."

Adrianna gave him a smile that was both a challenge and a promise. "I’ll hold you to that, marinaio."

 

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