It was 0700 in the morning when Aramis woke up to the computer beeping, his alarm he had set. He slapped the console, dismissing the alarm.

“Stupid computer. Shut up already. My head hurts!” Aramis said sternly at the computer.

He slowly woke up and sat up, swinging his muscular legs over the edge of the bed. He groaned slightly, fighting off the huge hangover he was having. Behind him, still laying in his bed, came a female groaning sound, followed by an asteroid sized yawn. A green colored arm fell on the side of the bed that Ararmis just vacated.

“Don’t go baby,” the Orion dance girl pleaded. “We were just starting to have fun.”

Aramis turned his head to his left as she moved up behind him, softly kissing the left side of his neck. He felt her well-proportioned bare breasts against the bare skin of his back. She teasingly tried to seduce him back to bed. He kissed her on her lips for a second, then stood up.

“Sorry baby. I’d love to stay in bed all day with you, but I have a meeting with the station’s Executive Officer in one hour that I have to go to. Plus I have some paperwork to do before my next assignment. Maybe we can have dinner tonight?”

Feeling put off, she quickly withdrew, got up out of bed and huffed out the bedroom, grabbing her dress she wore the night before. She quickly got dressed in the living room and left his quarters at warp speed.

“Well damn…” Aramis stood there, staring at where she was. He shook his head in disbelief. “I get the feeling this is going to be a very long day for me.”

He started to walk to the sonic shower and as he stepped in it, the sonic induction coil in it blew, showering him with his sparks. He jumped out of the shower stall, cursing in Klingon and Romulan. Knowing his sonic shower was dead, he stormed to his closet and grabbed a clean uniform. He was muttering curses to himself, in Andorian, as he got dressed. When he got dressed, he went to the replication unit and ordered a black coffee, hot, double strong. The replicator whirred and a cup of black coffee appeared. He grabbed it quickly and took a big sip. He spit it back out and tossed the full cup back at the replication unit.

“I said hot coffee, not cold coffee. Stupid Ferangi piece of crap!”

He kicked a chair out of his way and stormed out of his quarters, heading to the Promenade for a quick breakfast and much needed hot coffee. He stepped into the turbolift and it started going up. It stopped a few decks up and the doors opened, revealing a female Trill.

“Good morning cutie,” Lieutenant Commander Catersha said, smiling at Aramis.

He looked at her with bloodshot eyes and a scowl on his face. Catersha quickly changed her facial expression when she saw him. Then she stepped into the lift and the doors closed. She sniffed the air. She glanced at him.

“What the heck? You slept in a Ferangi farm last night. You stink.”

“I had a rough night last night. Ended up taking an Orion dancing girl back to my quarters after several strong drinks.” He turned to stare at her. “Then I went to jump in my sonic shower and the damn coil blew. I got a shower alright, a shower of hot sparks. Plus, I got a monster hangover and I’m hungry.” He softened his stare at her. “So please give me some mercy Cat?”

She turned her head to look at him, a pondering look on her face. His expression slowly changed from a soft stern look, to almost a pleading for mercy look. She did a good job hiding what she was thinking and feeling. She intentionally kept her face neutral, noticing how bad he was squirming. Suddenly, she smiled at him after she saw him suffer for about five seconds.

“Alright I guess.” Catersha said to him in her best teasing tone. Then she looked up at the ceiling. “Computer, reroute this lift to Section 47.”

The computer bleeped acknowledgement and the lift suddenly stopped and started going back down several decks, then shifted to the left for a few seconds, then stopped. The doors opened and Cat gestured for Aramis to follow her.

“Come on stinky. You can use the sonic shower in my quarters. I know you are meeting the station’s Executive Officer. That is my sister, and it was actually a blind date I set up for you.”

Catersha teased Aramis and took his hand and led him back to his quarters. Once they got in her quarters, she offered to make him a quick breakfast while he took a long shower. He agreed to her offer and turned to walk to the bathroom to take a shower. Catersha looked him up and down as he walked away. As Aramis started up her sonic shower, she walked to the replicator and had to make a quick breakfast and hot coffee. She placed a tray of Trill delicacies and two cups of hot coffee. She sat down and waited. Several minutes later, Aramis walked out of her bathroom, dressed in uniform and looking like a fresh Trill flower. Catersha took in the delicious sight of him and whistled at him, then gave a soft playful growl. He rolled his eyes at her, blushing at her playful advances and sat down.

“Oh stop it, you big tease,” Aramis playfully scolded her, reaching for his cup of coffee.

Catersha laughed. “You always loved it when I teased you while we were dating in 2378, my senior year at the Academy.”

She slid the tray of fruits to him. He glanced at it, then picked up his favorite Trill fruit.

“I remember when I first tried this,” he said to her, “it was our first date when you showed me a garden center.”

Cat was biting into the fruit and nodded in agreement. She bit off a piece and some of the sweet juice ran down her chin. Aramis saw that and grabbed his napkin and dabbed her chin. Their eyes locked as he caught the fruit juice that streamed down her jaw. She smiled at him. They had a good breakfast, catching up after they split up while they were in the Academy. Suddenly, Aramis’ comm badge chirped. He tapped it while still keeping eye contact with Catersha.

“Lionel here.”

“Aramis, I need you in my office in ten minutes to discuss your official orders. Admiral Harley out.”

Still looking at Catersha while he took a sip of his coffee, he said to her.

“Well, I guess the fun is about to start. Duty calls Cat. Thanks for the breakfast and the shower. Hopefully we can meet up later today…say dinner, 2100?”

Catersha looked at him as she stood up with him.

“Are you asking me out on a date,” she asked him, giving him a playful smile.

Aramis looked into her eyes with a friendly smile.

“I guess I am Cat.”

She stood there for a few seconds, her smile growing bigger. Then she jumped on him, arms and legs wrapped around him as she kissed him passionately. He was stunned for a second, then managed to react to her, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She broke their kiss and answered him softly.

“No.”

Aramis had a big stunned look on his face that seemed to last forever. Catersha stood there, trying to hold back her laughter. She managed to hold herself together for a few seconds, then busted out laughing so hard she fell on the floor. All Aramis did was stare at her, watching her laugh her butt off. After several minutes of gut busting laughter, Catersha finally got it out of her system and stood back up, composing herself. She stood in front of him, eyes locked on him.

“Yes Aramis, I will go out with you tonight.” Then her facial expression turned more serious. He raised an eyebrow as he saw the change. She saw his eyebrow raise up and responded to his unasked question. “I have to catch my transport at 1000 in the morning. I was given my official orders to report to Starbase 72 for reassignment.”

Aramis looked a little shocked at the news. Then he regained his composure.

“I’m happy for you Cat. Let’s meet on the Promenade at 2030 hours tonight,” Aramis asked her.

Catersha nodded. “Yes I will be there. You better not be late, Mister…or else!” She gave him her stern ‘mother is mad at you’ stare…then winked at him.

As he stepped out into the corridor, Aramis Lionel couldn’t help but smile at the memory of his conversation with Catersha. Her sharp wit and infectious laughter had left him feeling more at ease than he had in weeks. He shook his head and laughed, as he walked out of her quarters, heading to meet the Admiral. Little did he know, their casual encounter would soon become a distant memory, replaced by the harsh realities of whatever missions they were given, as they will part ways, yet again.