Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: A Pleasant End To The Evening
Lael Rosek
((“The Den” Lounge, Caitian Spacedock))
::As they re-entered the lounge, they went their separate ways, German headed to chat with Xerix and Lael moving toward the bar where Teller was indulging in what she assumed to be an alcoholic beverage. She’d understood what German had been asking of her without him needing to directly say it. They both had careers to protect. Her willingness to put what would likely have been a long work conversation with Tiria on hold earlier showed her commitment. She was trying to change...trying to find a balance.::
::Before German, her career had been her life. But since he’d come crashing into her world, she was beginning to realize that without someone to share it with, no measure of success would make her truly happy. German brightened her world in ways that continued to surprise her. She felt a contentment with herself that she’d never felt before.::
::For the first time, she felt like she was enough. She didn’t need to impress anyone else. As long as German loved her, that was all she needed. It was incredibly freeing.::
::She saw Rahman approach Teller and caught their conversation as she approached.::
Rahman: Response
Any: Response
Teller: Respectfully ma'am, the next time I volunteer for something, feel free to stun me.
Rahman: Response
Rosek: ::smirks:: Sounds like you had to deal with the voles, Mr. Teller. I’m glad I was the last one to know what was going on. I much prefer a runaway cargo sled.
::She didn’t envy the man. He seemed to have gotten roped into the greater of the two evils and looked as though he’d barely come out of it intact. The bottle in front of him only furthered her hypothesis. She herself had remained relatively sober this evening, only indulging a little.::
::A couple years ago, she would have at the very least been significantly buzzed by this point in the evening. It helped with the nervous anxiety that often accompanied big shindigs like this. It was a testament to how much she’d grown as an officer and as a person that she could handle this formal affair without nearly as much of her preferred brandy.::
Teller: Just leave the bottle - it'll save us both a lot of time.
Rahman: Response
Rosek: ::chuckles then turns to Teller:: I do believe you were wanting a dance earlier. ::smirks:: Still up for it?
::She could sense the struggle as Teller tried to decide between a stiff drink and her company. With an almost unnoticeable roll of her eyes, she shook her head. She must be losing her touch. In her younger years, it wouldn’t have been a contest. But then, she wasn’t being as outright flirtatious as she usually was when she asked men for a dance. Perhaps time had dulled that side of her...or perhaps having German meant that she just wasn’t interested in flirtations with other men.::
Teller: Actually Chief, that sounds great. Think this band knows anything with a beat?
Rahman: Response
Rosek: ::laughs:: Yeah. That’s my goal. Dance my way through the department heads. ::smiles:: But seriously. A dance is just a dance. This is a social event after all, isn’t it?
Teller: If you'll excuse me Skipper, it looks like I will need to blow up something tonight. The dance floor.
::This time, Lael did roll her eyes obviously at the man’s attempt at humor. Though it was cheesy, she supposed that was part of Teller’s charm. It was actually surprising that he didn’t have the ladies chasing him. He was very charismatic and if she wasn’t with German, she might be tempted.::
Rahman: Response
::Lael laughed as Teller swept into an exaggerated bow, taking her hand and leading her out onto the dance floor. There was a bit of a twinkle in her eye and a slight blush in her cheeks as she watched his wildly creative dance moves, hers a simple sway, not sure quite how to match his enthusiasm. She was more used to ballroom and other intimate types of dancing.::
::It was a whole different experience watching Teller fearlessly letting his personality come out. She’d need a helluva lot more liquid courage if she was going to loosen up as much as she had. Besides, she had a reputation to uphold. No one could possibly take her seriously as first officer if she was seen dancing like a drunken idiot.::
::Gradually, she allowed the music to lull her and though, she didn’t let lose completely of control, her stiff movements slowly became more fluid. The cargo sled had been a nice distraction and even with Jansen still present, she found herself less nervous than she had been earlier. She was determined to enjoy the rest of the evening. God only knew how long it would be before the two crews were together again.::