Chakotay couldn't breathe . . . all three of them looked drop dead gorgeous. But for him, Kathryn Janeway, clad in the most elegant and yet one of the sexiest dresses he had EVER seen on a woman, literally took his breath away. He watched her, and her alone as the group came closer . . . the way her hips seemed to move rhythmically to the sultry sound of the futuristic dance music . . . how the sheer transparency to the material of her black dress stretched and moved against her thighs . . . hugging her trim waist. He looked at how the colorful lights from the bar reflected endless prismical colors on her bare shoulders, and nearly fell backwards as one of the spaghetti straps to the garment slowly and carelessly slid off her shoulder.
He smiled as she fidgeted and with nervous fingers pushed it back up. Her hair cascading down her back, that half smile and an endless supply of memories and facts about her amazing intellect made this a woman Chakotay would fight to *live* for. What seemed to be like a Millennium . . . what seemed to have happened in slow motion . . . caught up to Chakotay as suddenly all three Starfleet women were standing before them.
Harry broke the silence, "Captain? You *own* that dress?" He grunted in pain as Tom elbowed him in the stomach. Harry hadn't meant anything by it -- everyone knew -- he was just in shock.
"Uh, what Harry means to say, Captain is that you look . . ." he swallowed, "different, er wonderful."
"Thank you," B'Elanna spoke up. "We," she indicated Kes and herself, "worked hard to get her here . . . out of the bathroom," she muttered under her breath and Kathryn smiled to herself.
Kathryn glanced at Chakotay -- she hadn't been avoiding his eyes, at least she didn't think so -- but what her Commanding Officer thought of her meant a lot. "Commander," she greeted and then winced, knowing she should've done the first-name basis thing. "Chakotay," she moved to his side, trying to get out of the way of people who were walking back and forth around the small crowd. "How are you? What have you seen so far?"
Chakotay gently guided her off to the side, away from the crowd, with a light hand centered in the middle of her back. He smiled, "I'm glad you could make it, Kathryn. So far we've been just a few places . . . decided to have some fun and drinks here. I ran into other crew members gallivanting around this area - they're spread out and enjoying themselves." He knew she'd be pleased.
She laughed, nervously and fingered a piece of her hair trying to think of what next to say. She couldn't discuss nebulas . . . warp core theories . . . or anything else that they usually discussed . . . so . . .
"Would you like a drink?" Chakotay asked quickly. He wanted to drown himself in a bottle of Vodka . . . what was he . . . a youthful, infatuated boy?
"Yes, please!" Kathryn exclaimed and slid onto the stool at the bar. As Chakotay was ordering with the bartender a man, one like the gigolo-types that Tom programmed in the holodeck, moved within 'sensor range.' Not thinking, Kathryn glanced in his direction and was embarrassed as he smiled and raised his glass to her. 'I wonder what that means . . .' she smirked and felt a calming hand reach out to reassure her when Chakotay moved over to stand closer to her . . gently squeezing his hand on her shoulder as he talked with the bartender a little more.
Chakotay handed Kathryn the drink, "The bartender tells me this is the closest thing he has to my description of Red Wine." He was glad to see that the man who had been eyeing Kathryn had left.
Kathryn took a sip and smiled with pleasure, "it's good."
"You look fabulous," he said suddenly.
"Think so,?" she asked.
"Well, that is to say . . . it's just, different, than what I normally see," he rambled and immediately regretted it. That was the second time tonight someone had told her that.
"Captain!" Harry was waving at her from the pool table. "Please come and be my partner!"
Kathryn was laughing, "On my way!" She glanced up at Chakotay, "Excuse me, Chakotay."
"Sure," he smiled and watched her leave before he shook his head at himself. 'I meant to say that you look every essence a woman . . . a very sexy and desirable woman, Kathryn, that have had mens' respect and devotion over the course of history' he thought sadly to himself. He put out some currency for the drinks and turned around straight into Tom's path.
"Chakotay, where are you going?" Tom was confused.
"Out," Chakotay stated and shifted his weight to the other foot.
"You're leaving when *she* is here," he pointed as Kathryn leaned over to aim her cue at a solid ball, accidently showing more of her thighs to the people around her than she would ever have dared. "More accurately . . . when she is here . . . dressed like *that*?"
"Yes," Chakotay gritted out.
"What did you do?" Tom sing-songed.
Chakotay sighed, "I couldn't think. I haven't felt that way since my first year at Starfleet --and why am I telling *you this?! What's my problem, Tom? I'm with her on the bridge every day, my room is right next door to hers, we have meals together, laugh together, talk together - we both know she's one hell of a woman, with or without a dress like that."
"I'd say so," he admired the view and quickly caught himself as B'Elanna glared at him from across the room.
"So why can't I tell her that," Chakotay leaned against the bar. "You know I'd really like to just . . ." he stopped short remembering he had company.
"Uh, you can," Tom looked off into the distance, "but maybe you should do it in a less direct way."
"Such as?" Chakotay asked.
"Invite her to the party tonight. Go from there," he pounded Chakotay on the shoulder. "If the two of you don't do something soon, we're all going to be very disappointed."
"What? Who will be?" Chakotay couldn't believe people had seen his true feelings when it came to Kathryn Janeway. It was impossible. "Impossible," he reiterated out loud before heading over to ask Kathryn to what would probably be a Starfleet Frat-House Party. Ancestors forgive him . . .
CONTINUED IN PART 14!
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