Lt Alex Storm - State Secrets

[Karen Morris]

(( Molly Malone’s Irish Pub – First Promenade, Deck 225, Deep Space 224 ))

 A whiff of a memory.  A smell of a time long past.  An aroma of a childhood scamper through the damp moss in the woods.  A scent of an old lover's perfume.  A sweet bouquet of a memorable wine served at a celebration.  A piquant trace of a happier time.

~*~

Chicken wings were not an unknown entity to Alex Storm.  While Betazed didn’t have a one-to-one equivalent to chicken wings, the tactical officer had gotten a chance to experience the tangy morsels several times while on Earth.  One of her friend group’s favorite restaurants in SanFran was Skylar’s Wings and Things.  Their wings were great, but they also made amazing burgers and had seasoned fries to die for!  

But even though Alex had had chicken wings before, apparently, the J'naii beside her had not.  And Alex didn’t need to be a Betazoid to see Meris salivating in response to the aroma of the plate in front of her.  
 
Meris: They smell most appealing.
 
Alex nudged the plate closer to Meris for the officer in red, and in the process of letting Meris smell the chicken wings, she got some sauce on her finger, which she licked off with a pleasant sigh.
 
Meris: ::licks lips:: That gives you a great deal of pleasure.

The way Meris said, pleasure, could either have made Alex laugh or could have unsettled her
 
Storm: When I reported aboard to the captain earlier today, she told me I had to have the wings at Molly Malone's, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
 
Meris quirked an eyebrow.
 
Meris: That is most curious. The Captain made a similar suggestion to me. ::speculatively:: Perhaps Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie is a silent partner in the Molly Malone's enterprise.
 
Storm: Would you like to share these with me? I’m not sure I can eat all of them myself, anyway.
 
Meris: ::surprised:: May I? You would not object to sharing your chicken’s wings with me?
 
Storm: I wouldn’t have offered if I objected.  Dig in.

Now, while Alex didn’t mean that literally, it seemed like the J’naii took in more literally than she anticipated.  They straightened one of their fingers and gave a wing a poke so hard that it went rolling across part of the bar at which they were seated.  But as soon as Alex saw Meris raise their finger to their mouth, she chuckled with understanding.  

Meris: ::eyelids fluttering:: Lieutenant Storm, your meat sticks are most delicious..
 
Storm: Chicken wings, Meris.  They’re called chicken wings, and all you’ve eaten is the sauce.  Here, usually they are eaten with both hands.  

Alex picked up a wing and demonstrated how they were usually held.  Her eyes drifted sideways to make sure Meris was watching, then she raised her spicy rib to her mouth and pulled some of the flesh off.

Meris:  Response:

Alex chewed and swallowed and then smacked her lips.

Storm:   Oooo.  That one was spicy.  

The tactical officer continued eating the wing and getting as much of the meat off as she could.  Of course, as was to be expected, she got sauce all over her fingers and some even around her mouth.

Meris: Response.

When Alex finished with that particular chicken wing, she set it off to the side of the plate and picked up a napkin with which she began to clean her fingers and wipe off her mouth.

Storm:  The only problem with Chicken wings, Meris, is that they are incredibly messy.  ::Alex lowered her head and leaned in, speaking in a low tone as if giving away state secrets.::  Remember to never eat them on a first date.  

Meris: Response.

~*~
Tags / TBC
~*~

Lt Alex Storm
Tactical Officer
USS Artemis
O240103SK2