The Afterburner (Eliza Steele)

[Jace Trent]

"Hmmmm, you buy the spiceloaf and I'll get dessert"
Eliza docked the Defiance with incredible finesse indicative of her superb piloting ability.
Once the post flight check was complete, Jace stood up and followed her out of the hatch as they made their way to the lift that would take them to the lower deck and eventually off the ship.
They made their way through the large station towards the Bet's Off tapcafe and were greeted by a server droid upon entry. Jace held up two fingers, indicating how many seats would be needed and followed the droid to their seats. Jace stepped forward and pulled out the chair for Eliza. His primary intention was of course to be a gentleman, but there was a small part that pulled out her chair so that he could insure that his seat had a good vantage point of the door. Some habits never die. Once she sat down, he helped push her chair in, then he took his seat across from her.

He looked at her for a moment. It had been awhile since Jace had just grabbed dinner with someone. Typically eating with anyone meant, getting a bite or two in while the details of a job were being discussed. But here he was. Sitting at a table with a beautiful woman, for no other reason than to enjoy her company. The feelings were not exactly foreign to Jace, just dormant.

Breaking himself out of the spell, he spoke up.
"There's no need for me to look at the menu. Not if the spiceloaf is as good as you say" @[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

The nuance of where Jace had seated her at the table had not gotten past the petite smuggler. It was a habit of hers too to sit facing the door just in case something unexpected went down. Eliza nodded a soft 'thanks' as the dark-haired man pushed her chair in for her, then perused over the menu without really looking at it. The spirited Corellisi's mind was wondering about things it outta not, but did anyway regarding the ruggedly handsome Captain. She wasn't used to having anyone treat her like a lady, and it was admittedly kinda nice for a change.

"Indeed the spiceloaf is, though the nerf steak is pretty good too. Ale feed I hear to make it tender, brought in from Taanab," the brunette smiled, her dark chocolate orbs catching his baby blue over the top of the menu just before she put it down.

"So... tell me about your crew? I've never had to deal with one before. It's either been just my old man and me, or Leeboo."

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

He leaned back in his chair and smirked.
"They're a crazy munch of misfits, but they're MY misfits. Khull is my pilot. He's a cranky drunk fuzzball most of the time, but he can fly a toaster if it had an engine. Marrik, he's not as tech savvy, but he is the best tracker I have ever met, plus he can hold his own in a fight. Veil, she is the most gifted slicer I have ever met, and she's got more heart than you can imagine. They all got their quirks, but they get the job done."
Jace couldn't help himself from beaming as he describe his crew. He would never let them see this side of him. But the gorgeous chocolate eyes looking back at him seemed to have a power over him.

The server droid arrived to take their order. Jace went with his only choice, spiceloaf. Then the droid turned to @[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

Eliza smiled softly as she listened to what Jace had to say about his crew, taking in both the look of pride and a tone of warmth detected towards them; one the smuggler suspected was not for their ears to hear, only hers in confidentiality.

"Sounds like you have quite the good crew then. Perhaps I envy you just a little. Being off on one's own with only a droid to talk to can get kinda lonely, but I'm not really complaining, just saying."

When the server drold came to take their order, it was a no brainer. "I'll have the same with a glass of milk please," Eliza said, then waited for the droid to leave. "Next time we're here your buying and we have the nerf steak," she half smirked/giggled.

"So what's on your horizon, Jace? You said you were just here. Got any jobs lined up?"

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

Jace picked up on the slight shift in her eyes as she talked about her solitude. Was it loneliness? Sadness?

He nodded his agreement to buy the next meal. He felt himself getting excited about the thought of seeing her again.

He thought about her inquiry. He did have a possible job lined up. He was just waiting to hear back about the details.
"Well, my mom raised me to never talk about work at the dinner table. But as for my horizons... I'm currently having dinner with a beautiful woman, and hoping that the sun don't set any time soon." There was a tenderness in his voice as he said the last line.
@[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

Eliza felt her face warm a bit at his tender words, which was very unusual for the petite smuggler. She didn't usually let things like that faze her, but for some reason this ruggedly handsome space cowboy was getting under her radar and working on infiltrating her walls erected to protect herself especially after her dad had gone to prison.

Thank goodness for the server droid bringing their order. It gave Eliza a moment to compose herself. "Well my horizon is definitely looking shiny from where I'm sitting. Who says sunsets and the following sunrise aren't just as nice to experience," she winked just before raising her fork to her mouth with a piece of spiceloaf on it.

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

Jace allowed himself a warm smile. He felt something that he hadn't felt in himself for at least a decade. A heartbeat.
There was something magical about the woman that sat across from him. She was beautiful, witty, smart, an amazing pilot. She was the complete package. Somehow she had removed a stone from the wall that surrounded his heart. It may be only one stone, but it was more progress than anyone had made since, well Jace couldn't remember exactly.

He put a mouthful of his spiceloaf into his mouth and chewed. An explosion of flavor assaulted his taste buds. It was delicious!
"Mmmmmmm, you're delici- I mean, this is delicious" He felt his cheeks turn red at his slip of the tongue. He had slipped. He never slipped. He continued eating hoping she hadn't noticed. @[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

Eliza caught the Corellisi's slip, but just smiled to herself as she washed down the spiceloaf with a swig of milk. "I told you it was good… And I mean what I say, that is something you can count on," the brunette smiled back, then took another bite from her dinner, already thinking about dessert.

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

Happy that she didn't mention anything about the slip, Jace attempted to redeem his swagger. He wiped his mouth with a napkin then placed it on his empty plate along with his used cutlery and slid the plate to the end of the table.
"That you did, I like a woman who says what she means. Beats all the typical game playing. And to prove that I'm a man of my word..." He picked up the dessert menu and placed it open and turned it towards her. "Pick whatever you want. It's still my treat"
@[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

The food was good, but the company better. So when Jace presented the dessert menu for her prevue, the spirited Corellisi couldn't help but lick her lips as her dark gazed looked down the list, then went back up to meet his with a certain gleam in her eyes.

"Chocolate covered cambry berries with whipped cream… " Eliza smiled playfully. "Do you want to eat them here or take them to go?"

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

She licked her lips. Jace wasn't sure if it was an innocent subconscious action, or if she was in fact being cruel. He cleared his throat and turned his attention to his own menu in an effort to distract himself.

He looked up at her upon hearing her question. He struggled with an answer. Taking their dessert to go meant that it would be time to take her back to her ship. That suggested a finality to their encounter. Jace found himself feeling a desperation that he was unfamiliar with. He didn't want her to go. Jace had never struggled with attachments. Because he never attached himself to anyone. But here he was trying to milk the clock for an extra second with the vixen that sat before him.
He entertained thoughts of taking her back to his ship and then flying to... well anywhere but back to her ship. But for all his swagger, he was a gentleman at heart. Reluctantly, he answered her.
"We can take it to go, I wouldn't want Charlie back at the Afterburner to think that I kidnapped you" He gave her a half-hearted wink. Hoping that his face didn't betray the feeling that was starting to take hold.

The server droid returned to take their dessert order.
@[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

Eliza thought she'd seen a flash of something in the depths of his blue pools. Was he conflicted about something, about her perhaps. His half-hearted wink confirmed the spirited Corellisi's musing as Jace joked about his need to get her back to the Afterburner so her pal Charlie wouldn't worry about her. It was all noble, but to be honest she didn't want to go back.

Biting her lip this time, Eliza made the decision. "We'll have the chocolate covered cambries with extra whipped cream to go," she nodded to the server droid, then looked over to her 'date'. "Thanks for being concerned … but I'm not ready to call it a night just yet if you aren't. Do you got any good holovids we could watch while enjoying dessert? I haven't done that in ages."

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

His smile returned when she mentioned that she didn't want to leave just yet.
"I do have a decent collection. I have the complete adventures of Captain Mal Reynolds if you are interested?"

He excused himself to use the refresher. Which was merely a ruse so that he could go to the counter and pay the entire bill, both for dinner and dessert.
He arrived back to the table just as the boxed up dessert was being placed on the table.
"Shall we? I hear the seats fill up fast" He winked
@[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

"Interested? Call me very. That is my favorite in fact," Eliza said returning the smile.

The spirited Corellisi watched Jace walk away from the table after he'd excused himself. She just couldn't help herself from taking in his backside swagger from head to toe. There was a whole lot of wondering going on in the brunette's mind now about how the rest of the night should go. The thing was she found the Captain almost too good to be true. He made her want to find out more about him some of which was of the carnal nature, other because they had common interests and wanted to explore them with him.

By the time he returned, the server droid had brought their ordered dessert to go and that the bill had been taken care. What a sly dog, but a nice gesture nonetheless.

"Oh I bet you have pull with the owner of the theater to get the best seats in the house," she winked back, then rose from the table and placed her hand in the crook of his arm carrying the dessert package in the other. "With all those episodes, you'll be stuck with me for a long time. Think you can handle that? And thanks for picking up the tab. Now I owe you."

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

Her arm felt....Well, nice in the crook of his arm. He responded as they walked out of the tapcafe and made their way back to the Defiance.
"Oh I'm a survivor, got a medal or two to prove it." He said the latter at an almost whisper.

They made it back to the Defiance and Jace led the way to the middle deck. He paused and looked at his quarters. Both the passenger lounge and crew's lounge had holo screens. But the one in his room was bigger and was better quality. He would be breaking his rule if he brought her in there, but he was in uncharted territory. To buy himself time to think, he gently relieved himself from her gentle grasp and said "Wait here"
He went into the galley and retrieved two dishes and two spoons and returned to where he left her.
Another stone from the wall around his heart seemed to dislodge. Giving into this rare moment of vulnerability, Jace walked up to the door and punched in the code to his room. The door hissed open and Jace stepped aside.
"After you, I talked to the owner, he saved us the best seats in the house."
@[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

The closer they got to his ship, the more nervous Eliza got; second guessing herself about being so bold and daring with the fellow smuggler, but her Corellian instinct told her not to worry. So far Jace had shown a real respectable side to him. Maybe that is what had her worried more, that she'd screw this up not being respectable enough because the man just made her weak in the knees.

After they rebounded the Defiance, Jace left her for a few moments to get some plates and utensils. When he came back, the man surprised her by opening the door to his quarters and inviting her into his private domaine. "Well I'll have to thank him properly for his kindness," she smiled, then stepped past him into the captain's cabin. It was bigger than hers and appointed with more amenities.

Making her way over to the sofa, Eliza put the dessert package down in the middle of the coffee table in front of it, then took off her holstered weapon and wrapped it up neatly, setting it down carefully on the end of the table before taking a seat. "Your cabin is very nice… Another reason I'm slowly falling in love with your ship."

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

Jace felt the slight hint of a blush invade his cheeks at her flirtatious comment. He took of his duster and hung it up on the coat rack by the door. Next he unbuckled his utility belt and untied the holster on his thigh and placed it in the chair next to his desk. He walked over and sat down next to Eliza and began dishing out their dessert. He smiled at her compliment.
"Easy now, she's already spoken for"
Once their dessert was situated, Jace pressed a few buttons on the arm of the sofa and the holo-vid began. They sat back and ate their dessert and watched the vid.

After a few awkward minutes, Jace finally gave in and put his arm along the headrest behind her. An obvious attempt to put his arm around her. He was either gonna get slapped, or she would accept the gesture. Either way, Jace was tired of holding back. He liked her, and he wasn't gonna let her leave his life forever without making an effort first. @[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

When Jace laid his arm up across the back of the sofa casually behind her, Eliza didn't react one way or the other initially, then as time went on as they watched the holovids of Cap'n Mal's Adventures the spirited Corellisi slowly migrated towards him, finally nestling against his side and allowing his arm to drop down to hold her like a man would courting a woman. She relished the feel of him holding her, and took in his spicy masculine scent.

After much lively banter between them commenting on the holovid that they both loved to watch and practically knew every line, Eliza began to get sleepy as it had been well over twenty-fours hours since she'd actually slept. Laying her head upon Jace's shoulder, the dark-haired beauty slowly fell asleep with her petite hand resting lightly on his thigh, just like a woman courting a man would do.

@[member="Jace Trent"]

 

[Jace Trent]

And so they grew closer. They laughed, they bantered and enjoyed, well just being together. Jace hadn't felt this good in along time.
As the holovid ended, Jace could hear her slow and steady breathing. She had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. Jace didn't think she could be anymore beautiful, but as she slept, the serenity in her face made her seem almost angelic.

He sat there for a long moment and just enjoyed the sound of her breathing and the warmth of her head on his shoulder. But eventually, fatigue was starting to take him as well. He thought about just falling asleep there next to her. But he had already broken one of his rules tonight, so he decided to be the gentleman.
He gently slipped his hand on her cheek to support her weight as he moved out from under her. Once he moved, he slowly laid her head down on the sofa. She stirred slightly and brought her feet up onto the sofa an stretched out. She looked so peaceful. He had to leave before he lost his resolve to be a gentleman. He went over to his bed and pulled the blanket off and returned back to the sleeping woman. He gently placed the blanket on her, then stood up and walked out of his quarters. He entered the cockpit and sat in the pilots chair. His chair. He kicked his feet up on the console and settled in. He had slept here many times. Then he dozed.

He awoke and stretched as he sat up. The pilot's chair was in fact comfortable so he slept pretty well. He returned his his quarters to check and see if Eliza was still asleep, if she was in fact real.
He found her still sleeping soundly. Jace couldn't help but smile. He retreated quietly and went to the galley. He began cooking bantha steaks with eggs. He was a decent cook, it was just a talent that he didn't broadcast.

Placing the freshly cooked breakfast on two plates, he placed the plates, and two cups of juice on a tray and returned to his quarters. He stood in the doorway to see if she was near rousing.
@[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

The aroma of fresh food cooking waffled in the air around her bringing the spirited Corellisi out of a very nice dream about a very nice man doing very nice things. Eliza had had the same dream over and over it seemed during the night and she didn't want to wake up, but at the same time she did. Slowly her eyelids flickered open and dark chocolate orbs tried to focus on her surroundings. This wasn't her quarters upon her ship… It was Jace's, but where was he? The brunette wiped the drool from her mouth as she had been out like a light sleeping on his comfy sofa.

Tossing back the blanket that was atop her, Eliza pushed up off the sofa cushion she was lying on to a sitting position, stretching as she did in a catlike way. Her layered expresso colored tresses were slightly sleep tossed, but a quick shake out with her fingers fixed that right up. That's when the petite smuggler noticed the ruggedly handsome man standing in the doorway with a tray of food just watching her. She flashed a lopsided grin his way, beckoning for him to come in.

"Oh a girl could definitely get used to room service in the morning."

@[member="Jace Trent"]