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***
"Malcolm, you're gonna love it. An all-time classic." Trip Tucker took stock of his various treats and beverages and handed me a bowl of popcorn. "You're gonna be eatin' those words about American culture two hours from now," he informed me smugly.
"I'm sure," I replied, trying to keep my face neutral. The fact was, I was enjoying the show already. I loved to see Trip get enthusiastic and when he got this excited it was a joy to behold. He shifted in his chair and then shifted some more. He moved the popcorn first to his left and then back to his right. Optimum comfort was required for this event. Trip had always been a champion of movie night. Every other picture we saw seemed to be his 'favorite' but this one, I was assured, really was. It had also proved to be one of the most elusive and Trip had worked hard to acquire the rights to a single showing. It's worth it, he had proclaimed with a knowing look, whenever anyone suggested he might be becoming just a trifle obsessed.
"They're gonna be talkin' about this for days." Trip whispered happily in my ear as the lights dimmed.
***
Trip's going to be grouching about this for days, I thought miserably, as I keyed in my lock code and let myself into my quarters. My first thought, when I became aware of the noise and bustle a mere minute or two into the film, had been that there must be a situation on the bridge. My second was that Trip was going to be crushed - what rotten timing. Then the awful truth came into sharp focus. People were getting up to leave because the movie was over. I had been sound asleep for nearly two hours. How was that possible? It's true I hadn't slept the night before and it's true I had been working hard right up to the moment Trip had put his head into the armoury and insisted my presence was required for the event of the year and could I please stop messing around and walk briskly to the screening but it's also true that the loss of a single night's sleep had never bothered me before. I suppose the heat of the room, the congenial atmosphere after the general stresses of the day and of course the pre-movie beer had simply combined to have a strong soporific effect on me and I had fallen helplessly into slumber. Fortunately I am a discreet sleeper - I'd hate to think that I'd ruined the movie for anyone.
But of course I had ruined it for Trip. He is the kind of man who likes to share. He likes to see the look on your face when you try his favorite pie, he likes to see you become absorbed in a game of water polo - he likes, basically, to be the one who introduced you to your latest pleasure. However much he cherished it, Trip would have hated to watch the movie alone. The fun was in everyone else's enjoyment and, on that score, I had failed horribly.
Not that I wasn't forgiven eventually, Trip is incapable of holding a grudge for long, but he certainly made the most of the few days that he *was* capable of it. Every remark he directed at me in private ended with variations on 'if you can manage to stay awake that long'.
"Look, I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't lose consciousness during your all time favorite celluloid experience on purpose, you know," I told him after one particularly snide variation, delivered, if you please, in the middle of the lunch queue. "I'll make it up to you."
"Yeah?" He did seem to genuinely brighten at that. There was a definite sparkle in his eyes and his mouth curved into a small but sexy smile. It was only when his eyes began to wander somewhat appreciatively over my face that I realised I had been smiling back, relaxed and unguarded. I caught myself and attended to my meal, fetching myself a plate of soup and a small portion of dessert. From my peripheral vision, it seemed Trip was also busily collecting his lunch but, when I glanced up at him, his full attention was on me.
***
At first I considered that moment at the lunch counter to be the moment - *the* moment - I'd fallen in love but really it was just the moment I realised it. It wasn't, after all, the first time I had seen that particular smile. In fact, when I thought about it, I was able to recall several instances of being the recipient of Trip's special smiles and the object of Trip's scrutiny. I'd be working on the bridge or eating in the mess or ... yes, there had been many times. It's funny, I'd never read much into those little gestures of his - always saving me a seat on movie night, seating himself beside me if I happened to be there first, hovering behind me on the bridge, beside me again during the staff meetings - but I was seeing them now in a new light. I'd never consciously considered the fact that he watched me until that moment. His observation wasn't filed under 'threatening' and so it was constantly disregarded to allow me to give my full attention to matters of ship's security that certainly were. Suddenly it fell into place. Trip had been subtly declaring at his interest in me and quite skillfully discovering that I was also interested, discovering it before I knew it myself.
He had snuck up on me. Me. Armoury and security officer. Blindfold me and I could pinpoint the slightest footfall anywhere around me. I could walk so softly myself you'd never hear me coming and I had surrendered before I even knew I had been under attack. And I wasn't finding that the least bit distressing.
~the end~