88: I See. . .

I see London, I see France. . .
by Avery Breaux and Trick London
80114.1945
Following A New Home

--=The Officer's Lounge, Forward aboard the USS Serendipity=--

"Mon Dieu!!!" Fleur smacked her hands against her apron'd hips. "I cannot believe the nerve. To tell me now, mere hours before the event that I am to cook for the entire crew instead of just the twenty five who were on Alchemy? Impossible!"

"Fleur, love, you have to calm down dearie. You're melting down." Trick London warned, as he went back to stocking colorful bottles of synthale behind the bar. "You ran a large cafe on the station and fed hundreds of customers a day. Why is this upsetting you so?"

"That was different. I knew where everything was, I designed the kitchen myself and hand selected the support staff. I am melting down because I am marinating filet Mignon in my secret lemon mixture to turn into shish kabob for thirty people because they told me that is La Capitaine's favorite dish. Now they are saying they wish to have an al fresco Italian dinner in the arboretum! With no time to change plan?"

"So continue with the original menu and just add to it," Trick was completely unfazed by this dilemma. They had, before Fleur had arrived, fed crowds ten times the size of the one they were expecting tomorrow night, back on the Flagship. "How much trouble is it to make spaghetti?"

Avery Breaux entered the lounge and stood unceremoniously by the door, watching the exchange...

"I do not make 'spaghetti', Mr. London. I make shrimp alla linguine with Arabiata sauce. . .I make shells stuffed with five kinds of cheeses, and-"


"Be sure to put the Parmesan on the side," Trick warned her sternly. "The Captain loathes Parmesan."

Fleur rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "So there is no chance you can get more people to help me?"

"I'll see what I can do, pet. Just go back to the kitchen and start. . ." Trick grinned, "Stuffing shells."

"I'll stuff something, somewhere. . ." Fleur began to protest.

Breaux interrupted, "You know if you put a dash of cayenne in the Arabiata instead of pepper flakes, people will notice...in a good way."

Fleur spun in his direction, "Cayenne?...Barbaric, Celts might do that but..." Fleur realized she had no idea who this person was. "Et vous..."

Avery moved forward, he smirked in Trick's direction, and then focused on Fleur, "Cayenne might be an acquired taste...maybe you're right...but you know, if you put anything on a plate and then stand near it...I have a feeling no one is going to be focused on the food..." Avery smiled and extended his hand, "Avery Breaux...I'm in Engineering."


Fleur's face flushed slightly. "You are far too kind, Monsieur." She smiled at him, gesturing with an open palm. "Cayenne or no cayenne, since you are so charming I will offer you penny's worth of free advice, yes? If you would like to get on the, how do you say, good side of the boss, Lt. Commander Lair she likes mocha lattes with extra whipped cream. Do not tell her that I told you this, let her think you are telepath. It will be amusing."

"Thanks...I could use something extra in my quiver. You seem busy so I'll come back another time...I think the lounge will be a great place to spend some time," Breaux offered.

"I am lobbying for a small coffee bar space down here, perhaps taking over part of the replimat. Seeing how La Capitaine is seriously coffee addicted, perhaps I will get my way. I just cannot feel at home behind a regular bar." She looked at London and then added, "People drowning sorrows in dark corners of the room, swilling synthetic booze, To this I say pfffffft. Better to celebrate life with a cafe and a very large, very fattening patisserie."

"Well, that's fine with me dearie, you keep to the daylight hours, if your kind can go out during the day, I thought that meant curtains for your breed?"

"Pfffffffft."

Breaux couldn't believe London had said what he'd said, until Fleur swatted at him with the dish towel that was tucked into her apron. Apparently, they'd known each other a long time, and that afforded him the luxury of insulting her so.

"You just leave after hours to me, pet. You have to be up at the crack of dawn anyway to knead all that bread dough."

Trick realized he hadn't personally greeted the new officer, and stuck his hand out.

"Where are my manners? How'dya do, mate? The name's London, but everybody just calls me Trick." He grinned broadly. "We've been forbidden to call the dining room the mess, and Captain likes simple names so I'm thinking we just call the lounge Forward. What'dya think?"

London's charming accent made Avery feel as if this guy could probably get away with anything- his grin confirmed that likely, he already had.

"I think whatever shingle you hang, people will show...I know I will," Breaux leaned in close, "...remind me to stay on her good side," Breaux motioned to Fleur with his eyes. Breaux continued, "I'm guessing you two know everything there is to know about the crew...what do I need to know?...anyone to stay clear of?..." Avery looked about the lounge taking it all in.

"Not really to stay clear of mate, well except for the crazy French bird with the rolling pin, but you already met her." London raised his voice intentionally so Fleur would hear, and the two men heard several metal mixing bowls drop in the pantry as a response.

"Be careful, London. You have to sleep sometime." Fleur called back. It was difficult to tell from the tone of her voice if she was joking.

Trick laughed, then spoke in a normal tone of voice to Breaux again. "The crew. . .all I know of them anyway," he gestured with open hands, "is the reason I'm here. They're good people. You'll fit right in." Trick declined to mention that being half Betazoid, he could sense quite a bit about a person's state of mind and heart upon meeting them.

He could tell already that Breaux was a good man.

Trick polished the counter top to a high gloss, and then added one last thought. "Just, don't get between the Captain and her morning coffee and you'll do fine."

As Fleur entered the bar again, arms full of mixing bowls and other utensils she was taking from storage and back to the main galley with her, she nodded to Avery.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Breaux. I look forward to seeing you again soon."

As she walked away, Fleur thought about what Trick had said, and continued formulating a plan of action in her mind where Zanh was concerned.

She had every intention of doing what the Prophets had asked of her. . .and wedging herself firmly between Zanh and something far more precious to her than her morning coffee.

Lt. Avery Breaux
Engineer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012

and

Trick London
Barkeep/Manager, Forward
USS Serendipity NCC-2012

NRPG: Neither Mr. Breaux nor I shoulder the blame for this title. I was stuck. . .and it's all Salvek's doing! He's been spending far too much time with "that Trill". ;) LOL~ZL