Naggar Residence, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
12 Sept. 824 A.S.
"Do you have a favorite color?" - the question caught him by surprise. His first reaction was to giggle as he saw Doreen's head pop out of the door's frame, so he took a second to think about it. To be fair, he was unsure of the answer. "Uhm... I don't think so. Although, I've always found all shades of orange to be beautiful." He thought of all the fiery colours that can be seen just before and during the dusk sky. Erik loved that kind of sight for some reason. As his mind kept thinking about it, he recalled that moment at the end of Benjen's birthday... when Doreen's brown-orange hair looked as if on fire under the twilight sun's light. He smiled.
Naggar Residence, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
"Orange," she thought as she ducked back into her room. "Not a color I keep." Her hair free but otherwise still wrapped in a towel, she was in her walk-in closet going through her wardrobe. She didn't have anything orange. Lots of red as they were her favorite color, blues, some greens and things with a colorful variety on them but...no orange. Not wanting to keep him waiting, she found something.
"This will have to do," she said to herself under her breath.
She laid it on her bed while she began assembling herself. In her undergarments, she fixed her hair in front of her large, bedroom mirror. She was humming as she got ready and why not, she had a good reason for it now. Then she slipped into her dress before finishing her hair. She liked what she saw. Then, she sprayed her upper chest with some perfume. A sweet scent. Strong enough to get his attention but not so strong as to get the attention of others. Lastly, the necklace her father gave her when she was 16 and a few thin bracelets on her wrists. It was her favorite and she wore it often. She had a matching purse to the outfit as well. She smiled at the woman in the mirror, sighed and said under her breath, "Let's go get him!"
Before she stepped out, Erik would hear, "I'm ready!"
When she stepped out, she got to within a few steps of him and did a twirl to show of her dress. "I don't have orange but, well, this has a darker shade of it? You like?"
He stood up when she entered the room. She spun back and forth a few quick times and her crimson dress fluttered around. Erik took a moment to scan Doreen, bottom to top, slowly. "You look marvelous." he offered with a smile. Ultimately, the colour of the dress didn't matter as much as who was wearing it...
While she was still getting ready, he had had time to think where they could go, as well as setup a ride. He went to the apartment door, opened it and held it so, while his other hand gestured for the exit politely. He allowed Doreen to go out first, then followed. After she locked the door, he wrapped his hand around her waist and led her outside, to the waiting shuttle. It wasn't much of a fancy ride, but the destination was sure to make up for it. After they both got in, it was a fast trip over to the New Corinth island.
New Corinth, Planet Yuma, Coronado
evening of 12 Sept. 824 A.S.
As Yuma's multi-cultural centre, the city of New Corinth was more or less a haven for all types of people and, implicitly, all types of fun. Music, theatre, movies, cultural events, sports, competitions... you could find them all here. And more importantly... people from all over Sirius were part of it. Crayterians - both old and new - along with Sirians, be them war refugees or otherwise, and even Gallics from the Free Council would partake in the flow of life on New Corinth.
The shuttle with Erik and Doreen dropped them off at a landing pad on the south side of the city, near one of the park areas. The breeze was softly pushing and pulling both the ocean's water and the trees in sight, while the city's lights were sparkling all around.
Arm in arm, side by side, she was taking in the view. She hadn't seen this.
"You didn't tell me about this place, Erik," she said to him. "It's so pretty at night."
Her hair flowed with the breeze and her dress as well. Based on the city and that they were heading out, she figured they would be later than normal.
"Um....the kids.....your sister....do they know we'll be a bit late?" she asked.
It probably wasn't a big deal but she was a Mom and well, she would wonder if she was in his sister's shoes. Ben? He wouldn't think much of it being that he would be playing the night away with Peter.
Seeing the lights, the businesses and the waterfront, she was thinking of restaurants. She didn't know what to think.
"So, what did you have in mind for dinner?" she asked. "My mind is an open book."
"You didn't tell me about this place, Erik," "Yuma is a large planet..." - he chuckled - "I guess I just didn't get the chance. I rarely come to New Corinth myself anyway... work takes up a lot of time as you know."
"Um....the kids.....your sister....do they know we'll be a bit late?" "It wouldn't be the first time we left our boys together long into the night... I doubt anything will happen this time. And Lara's been a parent for longer than either of us, I'm sure she knows how to handle things. I'll leave her a message though, once we reach the restaurant." Erik commented with a grin. He trusted his own sister but mostly he trusted Peter to always be a responsible boy. And if anything, gods forbid, were to happen... it wasn't like they couldn't be called anyway...
"So, what did you have in mind for dinner?" "Well... there's this cozy place right in the middle of the park. I've never been to it before but i hear they make the best Maultaschen and assorted dishes." - he explained with a hint of pride in his eyes. Considering Doreen's origin, Erik thought a place with Rheinland-specific food would mark the occasion much better. He wanted her to feel as relaxed as possible after the day's events.
As they kept walking through the alleyway... the small restaurant's lights were starting to come into view. A few voices could be heard, as well as low-volume music. Faintly, a smell of well-cooked food was following the wind.
The smile on her face was one of radiance when he talked about the best Maultaschen.
"That's so sweet of you," she responded with controlled energy. "I haven't had a good Maultaschen since Hamburg." She cozied up to him as well while they walked.
The restaurant came into view. It was a pretty place on the water, the kind of place she had never eaten at before. She recognized the smells. Yes, there was cuisine from Rheinland and the music made for a very pleasant atmosphere. Among the smells she detected more than Rheinland food. It all smelled delicious and it was making her hungry. Still, she was enjoying the moment. The light from the restaurant gave a nice glow where they were and it could be seen in the water. Before they would enter, she would turn in front of him and faced him, before they got to within view of the patrons inside.
She put her arms up over his shoulders and was smiling. She was happy....for the first time in a long time. She said nothing as she pulled herself up to kiss him. She started softly but then put some passion into it. When she pulled away, she was still smiling but in a kind, loving sort of way. Softly she just said, "Thank you for this night."
Both Erik and Doreen were already seated at a table by the window, with a view over the calm iridescent waters. They hadn't ordered yet and the menus were still waiting to be picked up. As they were on opposite sides of the small round table, Erik was taking a moment to just... stare at Doreen. His smile was obvious, but he felt he had every right to. He was having dinner with a beautiful and intelligent woman who, in truth, had been on his mind for quite some time.
"Well then..." - he broke his own silence - "... should we call the waiter?" He was quite hungry and he also thought they could freely chat while their dishes would be prepared.
"We shall," she replied smiling. She had a pleasing smile on her face as she noticed Erik looking at her. She wanted to respond to it as for once, someone she cared about was admiring her for what she was and not some bar patron out of lust. She thanked him when he got his chair for her.
As they sat across from each other, the piano music set a good mood. She maintained her smile as she just stared at him. It was broken when the menus arrived.
"May I start you with some drinks?" asked the waiter.
"Yes," she answered. She thought a moment about the Greek wine she tried on the tour. "I'd like some Greek wine if you have it." The waiter nodded the positive and took Erik's drink order as well. As he left, she looked in the direction of the piano player. She was mesmerized.
"I always wanted to learn that," she stated. "It's beautiful. I remember hearing one played quite often back on Tinker's Haven." In truth, she missed it, having often heard it played by John Holliday.
For the moment, all the bad of the war disappeared.
When the waiter returned, she made a request. She wrote it on a napkin and handed it to him. "Please, see if he can play this. Quite honestly, it's one of the most beautiful pieces I ever heard."
She then turned to Erik and took his hands. A tear fell from her eye as she softly told him, "John Holliday plays this."
Then it began.
"I'd like some Greek wine if you have it." "I'll be having an 'Old Crayter' Ale."
"John Holliday plays this."
Erik saw a certain note of nostalgia in Doreen's eyes as she made that statement. "Hm. So then... what could you tell me about doctor Holliday? I'm guessing you knew him well?" - he asked, unsure what to expect. He had heard plenty about John Holliday... from both fellow Crayterians and many Sirians. Erik knew all about the doctor's work... and he respected the valiant and idealistic posture it placed him in, but he had no idea who he was, as a person.
Before Doreen could reply, the new tune she requested began to play... it was truly lovely. Erik leaned forward, just slightly, and added one last comment "Either way, I sure have to thank him one day..."
"Doctor Holliday," she thought to herself. Here she was trying to enjoy time with Erik and once again she brought him up. It was only when he wanted to hear more about him that she realized it. But, in all fairness, he was the reason for her success and she owed him her life. For all of the success he taught her, some of her favorite moments were of him sitting in front of his piano. It brought a smile to her face as she spoke.
"He taught me all of what I know. Medicine, life, self-respect....the list is endless." She took his right hand in her left. "He was a mentor. When I was at my worst, he brought me to my best." She snickered, "I can't think of the amount of times he scolded me when he caught me sneaking a smoke when I was trying to quit which I eventually did." She returned to her gentle smile, "But for all of the things I learned from him, being at a lounge where he was at the piano was just something of magic." She looked toward the pianist, "This music reminds me of him. Their style is similar."
She turned back to Erik, "But for all of John's wonder, he hasn't been himself since his Midori passed. He blames himself." She sighed, "He hides his pain well. Last I knew, he was living at his camp alone."
She smiled softly again, tightening the grip of Erik's hand, "You would like him, Erik. He never takes credit and often humbles himself. You two have much in common."
Again, she realized her ramblings of someone else. She shook her head and went straight faced, "Erik, I'm sorry. I shouldn't discuss the past so much with you."
She looked into his face, "I want this to be about us.......the present......the future."