A Promenade Rendezvous

Posted on Sat Dec 18th, 2021 @ 6:45pm by Lieutenant Kennedy Ryan Walsh & Lieutenant JG Irynya

Mission: Starbase Shoreleave
Location: Starbase 2, Promenade
Timeline: Mission Day 6 at 2000

[ Starbase 2: Promenade ]
[ MD 6 2000 ]

Kennedy walked hand-in-hand with Irynya on the upper concourse of the promenade along the railing to the lower levels. He was nervous being in such a public place holding the hand of the woman he loved. His cheeks were flushed. He wore a lavender-colored button-up collared shirt, silver and black pinstripe-styled bowtie, navy blue dress slacks with the same brown leather dress boots he had worn a couple of days prior.

"It's a date, not an Academy certification test," Irynya teased quietly, her fingers tightening between his in a light squeeze. She pulled him to a halt, coming around in front of him. The hem of her dress brushed against her knees, its fluted edge tickling as she moved.

Her hands came up, lightly grasping the opposite loops of his bowtie as if she intended to straighten it. Straightening wasn't necessary. Kennedy was fastidiously precise in his attire. But it offered easy cover for what she wanted. She fake tugged at the garment, glancing up at him through long dark eyelashes. "I love you. There is nothing about this date that is going to be anything other than perfect," she said quietly.

Fake adjusting completed, she leaned in kissing him chastely before pulling away.

Kennedy was prompt to say something in response to the comparison of their date to an Academy certification but her kiss disrupted his train of thought. His cheeks flushed further while his hand moved to feel his lips where hers had been. He loved when their lips touched like that. His hands went up to the bowtie to ensure that her playfulness hadn’t made a mess which wasn’t the case. He smiled at her, “I love it when you kiss me like that.” His hand reached out for hers while he took a few steps towards her.

She chuckled when he checked his bowtie, shaking her head lightly. Long hair brushed her back, which was bared in a deep V. Absently she collected it in her free hand as if she were just about to put it up before releasing it. She had worn it half down just for the occasion, but was so used to her standard ponytail that the feel of loose hair against her skin distracted her.

"So where are we going, exactly?" she asked.

Kennedy smiled at her while offering her his hand, “I thought I’d take you to the place Miriam took Dogrov and I the other night. Or we could try something else? I hear they have a live music venue on the station… with dancing but I don’t know how to dance.”

"I remember," she said with a laugh. "Someday I will teach you, but not tonight."

She glanced at him sidelong, a small thrill rushing through her as she studied his profile. His cheeks were the ever permanent shade of blushing that seemed to be his default when they were together and he was smiling with a half quirk of his mouth that she had come to recognize as a sort of shy happiness that was uniquely his. A goofy grin spread across her face and for a very brief moment she considered kissing him right where his mouth quirked up. It had been a few weeks, but the idea that he was hers still caught her off guard from time to time.

"The spot where Miriam took you is perfect. It sounded like you enjoyed it."

“I did!” Kennedy exclaimed excitedly. He squeezed her hand while they walked further down the promenade, “Just about there.”

Kennedy looked over and felt like his heart skipped a beat when he looked over at Irynya. When his hands returned to the path ahead he saw the marquee above the shop, “It’s just there.”

From the outside it was a fairly standard looking promenade frontage. A few round wood tables dotted the space outside the entrance, straight back wood chairs with what looked like red leather cushions settled around them. Absently Irynya wondered if the material was fabricated as so many were or if the proprietor had brought them in. The marquee boasted the establishment's name -- An Rós Dearg.

The Risian looked from the marquee to Kennedy and then back again, grinning.

He walked up to the the maitres de’s station with Irynya on his arm, “Do you have a reservation, sir?”

“Yes, should be under Doctor Ryan Walsh for two,” Kennedy replied looking down at the PADD on the counter.

The Maitres De nodded his head, “Of course. Doctor Walsh. Just one moment and one of our hosting staff will bring you to your table.” The Maitres D pointed over to the waiting area.

Kennedy nodded, escorting Irynya over to the seats. He squeezed her hand and offered with his free hand for her to sit down. Miriam hadn’t made a reservation so Dogrov, her and himself waited forty-five minutes to get a table. Kennedy made a reservation that night for Irynya and him.

Irynya took the seat proffered, settling on the edge and crossing one leg over the other just above her knee. Her hands automatically moved to her hem, situating her skirt so that it settled just over her knee and draped down the side of her legs. Her back was straight, shoulders back and her hands settled in her lap.

"Kennedy," she said, voice pitching up with excitement as she drew out his name. "This place is cute! Remind me to compliment Miriam for her taste."

“I knew you’d fall in love with it like I had!” He exclaimed. He was excited to bring her here. He had sat down shortly after she had situated herself and then offered her his hand.

Within several minutes the hostess made their way to them, “Doctor Ryan Walsh plus one party?”

Kennedy nodded his head curtly, “Yes that would be us.” He quickly got to his feet as if it were an impromptu drill hall inspection. He turned to offer his hand to help Irynya up from the chair if needed.

She chuckled at him, a smirk on her lips, but demurely placed her hand in his. She didn’t need the help, but she didn’t mind it either. Coming to her feet in one easy motion she took her hand back, before looping her arm through his, her hand resting on his forearm. She squeezed it lightly, goofy grin returning as they followed the hostess into the establishment.

The first thing that Irynya noticed was more of the burnished brown wood that she had noticed outside. A long bar dominated the far wall followed by more of the round wood tables interspersed in a semi random pattern. On the far wall were a series of booths, each designed so that you had to step up and into them. The benches were covered in the same red leather as the chair seats and over-stuffed making them cozy and yet somehow not cracking or weathering with wear.

From the ceiling lights were hung like teardrops, long stems dropping them down to hang over each table and booth the light both bright enough to see well and intimate enough to make each table feel separate from the rest. A Bajoran man and an Andorian woman tended the bar each busily making drinks and taking orders. The quiet murmur of people enjoying their own personal conversations lay like a blanket over the space.

Kennedy smiled when she rose to her feet with his helping hand. He leaned in giving her a small peck of a kiss on the cheek as they followed the host to their table. He had asked for the corner booth he coveted when he sat at the round table when he came to this establishment with his nurses. The hostess brought him to the table.

He looked over at Irynya with a large grin, his usual expressionless face was full of happiness and he felt like a champion that he had secured the booth he wanted to sit at with the woman he held the most dear to his heart.

“Your table Mrs Ryan Walsh and Dr. Ryan Walsh,” the host smiled gesturing to their booth.

Kennedy rose an eyebrow at the comment while his eyes drifted to Irynya. Being the introvert of the two, he fell quiet. They weren’t close to marriage, this was their first official outing together as a couple off the Sojo. He then made a gesture for her to take a seat. Kennedy took the far side and at first sat at the side but saw Irynya moving towards the middle and he wanted to sit beside her too. To take in the best view of the establishment from this corner view and also enjoy her company away from the busyness of their lives on the Sojo.

“The special tonight is a bottle of Chateau Picard 2376, a Chardonnay and we have a large selection of cocktails, spirits and wines with some beer selections from around the Galaxy,” the hostess continued, “your waiter tonight is Emmè. I hope you enjoy your evening at An Rós Dearg!”

The host left the pair to themselves after leaving two PADDs before them. Kennedy looked through the menu to try to see if there was any familiarity with the drinks. He couldn’t remember what Miriam introduced him but he was looking for the drink he had with Irynya, the night he told her how he felt. His confession for the first time since he joined Starfleet: the Singapore Sling.

The waiter was prompt, coming around after only a few brief moments. “Good evening Dr. and Mrs. Ryan Walsh,” he said, repeating the error the hostess had made. “Would you like to begin with drinks?” The first time Irynya had been caught off guard by the assertion that she was Kennedy’s wife and hadn’t said anything, but the second she watched him for a reaction, turning her head just slightly to catch a look at his face.

Kennedy’s face flushed pink when he caught the waiter addressing them as Mrs. and Dr. Ryan Walsh but he couldn’t help but smile. His hand reached out for hers underneath the table with his fingers grazing.

“Can you make a Love Martini?” she inquired, curious. “Cranberry, peach liquor, and coconut liquor?”

The waiter inclined his head politely. “Of course, ma’am. And for you, Doctor?”

“Do you have…” he trailed off unsure if he should order the drink for himself in an Gaelic inspired bar. He said in an almost low tone, “Do you have Singapore Slings here?”

Irynya’s facial expression was all polite appreciation for the waiter’s attention as she felt Kennedy’s fingers graze her thigh, moving blindly in the wrong direction. She snaked a hand between them, settling her palm on the back of his hand and pressing her fingers between his before pressing his hand still against her leg.

“Absolutely, Doctor Ryan Walsh,” the waiter was saying as she did so. “I’ll give you a few minutes with the menu and go put your drinks in,” he said before politely excusing himself.

As soon as his back was turned Irynya turned her face to Kennedy, eyebrows raised in a question and lips pressed together in amusement. She suspected his hand and missed its target accidentally, but she would happily make the most of the mistake.

Kennedy’s cheeks changed to a shade of rose-coloured red from his flushed pink after realizing he had grazed her thigh and not her hand. He squeezed her hand lightly, “Sorry I was hoping to get your hand.” He smiled.

Irynya’s laugh was almost musical in her amusement. “I guessed as much,” she said, not yet releasing his hand. “But I wouldn’t have minded either way.”

She pulled their hands free, twisting them so that his palm was upward and gently leaning in to press her lips to his wrist, lingering for just a moment before pulling away and releasing his hand.

“So…” she said, eyes bright, “A Singapore Sling?”

He closed his eyes when she kissed the inside of his wrist, he loved being kissed by her. He reopened his eyes with his cheeks still flushed at her recent comment about being touched there, “You want me to touch you there?” He looked away from her briefly then back to her, “Ohhh.” He was slightly embarrassed he just got it.

"It's my leg, Kennedy. Not something salacious." She winked at him as she said it, though, enjoying watching the light bulb come on as he learned what she was comfortable with.

His cheeks reddened slightly more while he nodded his head in a small motion, “Happy memories to the night I confessed how I felt about you. And they’re a tasty drink and I’ve been craving one ever since.” He smiled at her once the waiter had returned with their drinks.

“Have you decided on food yet?” The waiter Emme inquired.

Kennedy looked at the appetizers and then over to her, “should we get the charcuterie and the pretzel with dijon mustard to start? They were a hit the other night?”

She shrugged lightly with a small smile. "That works for me," she said. "I'm game to try whatever you recommend."

She interlaced her own fingers, setting them in her lap and waiting for Emme to leave with their order. Eyes never leaving the retreating waiter's back she carefully resituated, closing any space that had been between them so that their legs were touching. She turned to look at him then, telltale eyebrows raised, and lightly ran her foot up his calf. "Being close is half the fun on a date," she commented with a chuckle and an intent look, watching his reaction closely.

Kennedy had ordered the two appetizers which would give them time to decide on entrees later on their evening. In the corner of his eye, he watched Irynya move closer against him and move her foot up against the inside of his calf. In response, he gingerly started to tap one and then two of his fingers in a slight rhythm on her leg, his fingers stopped for a brief moment, before replaying the rhythm once more. He set his hand down on her thigh lightly before doing the finger-tapping once more as he built up the confidence to touch her there. He knew she wanted him to do so but he required it. He then stopped and squeezed her thigh before releasing it resting it there.

Irynya's eyes danced, but she was also carefully still as Kennedy's fingers lightly tapped. His hand was warm, comforting, when he finally got the courage to shift from tapping to just letting his hand rest and she grinned, offering him an encouraging smile before leaning into him and tilting her head onto his shoulder.

"If it's too much you don’t have to," she said just loud enough for him to hear. "But I want to be affectionate with you whether we're out in public or at home in private."

“I want to touch you,” Kennedy’s cheeks remained flushed while he temporarily broke off eye contact with her to look at his untouched Singapore Sling. He smiled remembering the night he was introduced to the drink, had nachos for the first time and dripped salsa all over his uniform.

He then looked back over to her, “Just be patient with me? This is all new to me.” He looked underneath the table to ensure his hand hadn’t moved from her thigh, pressing his hand down then grabbing her thigh once again to give her a gentle squeeze.

Irynya chuckled lightly, leaning over to press her lips to his cheek just as an unfamiliar lilting voice from the end of the table piped up.

“Kenny?”

He hadn’t heard the sound down the table. He gasped lightly, welcoming her kiss. He smiled and returned Irynya’s kiss on the cheek in turn.

Irynya, for her part, froze, eyes narrowing slightly. Unlike Kennedy, she had heard the voice of the interloper and was busily studying a tall blonde-haired woman standing at the end of the table. The woman in question wore her hair long and down, parted along the middle with waves that flipped outward where her hair hit her shoulders. She was wearing a red cocktail dress and, if Irynya had to guess, a pair of strappy heels. She resisted the urge to bend down and look. While the woman herself was quite attractive, her expression struck the Risian as oddly detached, almost predatory.

“Kennedy,” she said, voice neutral. “I think you have a guest.”

The new woman’s eyes flicked to Irynya as she spoke, gaze sharp and assessing as if she were sizing the Risian up for a fight as opposed to interrupting her date.

“Is there something we can do for you Ms…” Irynya trailed off sweetly, the well-learned what is mine is yours tone of the welcoming Risian coming out only slightly more forced than normal as alarm bells sounded in her head.

Kennedy’s face pinkened once again mid-kiss as if he were caught in a bedroom closet kissing his girlfriend while his eyes slowly turned to face Lieutenant Gosia Nowicka of the USS Miranda. He had told Irynya that he had encountered her during his short time bringing his patients aboard the ship; it wasn’t a friendly encounter. Then he told her he spotted her when he was out for drinks with the nurses. His mouth dropped, then turned to Irynya quickly, “Goooose… Gosia.”

He pushed his anxiety levels down, taking a deep breath..

"Ah," Irynya said, the sound of the affirmation pert in her mouth. She turned to Gosia then and smiled broadly. "Lieutenant Nowicka," she said with a honeyed voice. "Is there something we can do for you?"

At the end of the table Gosia Nowicka frowned, eyeing Irynya warily. And then, as if Irynya were hardly worth her time of day, she ignored her greeting, turning back to Kennedy.

"Kenny," she said, voice tight. "We didn't properly get to speak when you were on board the Miranda. I thought," here her eyes darted to Irynya, giving away only briefly her uncertainty about the other woman, "that perhaps we could get coffee. Seeing as we both seem to be on a stopover here."

From behind Gosia a table of similarly aged women could be seen craning their necks as if they had some stake in this encounter. There were three of them, each dressed similarly to Gosia, and it clicked quickly in Irynya's brain that the group of them must be out for a night with friends.

She wanted to tell the other woman to pound sand. Whatever interest she could possibly have hardly seemed worth being polite. But it was Kennedy whom she had addressed and so Irynya stayed silent. Both of her hands had been visible, through the exchange, but now she moved the hand closest to Kennedy deliberately down, placing it on his hand and squeezing.

She smiled warmly at Gosia when she saw the other woman's eyes flick back to her again, clearly noticing the move.

Then she tilted her head back so her lips were a hair's breadth from Kennedy's ear and she whispered. "Do you want to talk to her? Squeeze my hand once for no, twice for yes."

Kennedy squeezed her hand for a long time and looked into Irynya’s eyes while he considered her inquiry into assistance here. He shook his head, he broke their eye contact to look over to the woman from his past inquiring about a social call for coffee. He didn’t want to speak with her but knew he should at least attempt to dismiss her so he could go about enjoying his evening with Irynya. He took a deep breath through his nose.

When Kennedy opened his mouth words didn’t come directly out, his lips reached out for the straw for the Singapore Sling that their waiter had brought over moments before Gosia’s arrival to their table. He took in a long sip, he knew the alcohol wouldn’t take any effect for a while but he was hoping it would provide him the courage to do something he had never done before.

He lowered his eyes to the drink briefly while he continued his long sip. Then he stopped, lifting his head up and rediverting his eyes back to Gosia. He shook his head, “Please return to your table, Gosia. My girlfriend and I want to enjoy our evening to celebrate my promotion together.”

Kennedy looked over to Irynya and squeezed her hand once more because that is all he wanted to say.

The look on Gosia's face could best be described as incredulous and, despite the request coming from Kennedy, her gaze settled on Irynya, eyes narrowing further with suspicion and a touch of disgust.

"Hello Gosia. It's nice to see you Gosia," the tall blonde woman quipped, her voice ugly and her face turning an angry red. "I never took you as one to be rude."

The barb was clearly meant to get under Kennedy's skin, but her eyes continued to shoot daggers at Irynya. "Don't tell me your girlfriend is too insecure to trust you with an old friend for an hour." The word girlfriend rolled off her tongue like a curse giving the impression that she didn't believe the title to be accurate.

Irynya had managed to maintain the saccharine visage of a Risian throughout this exchange though anyone who knew her well would have been alarmed by the coldness of her eyes. She squeezed Kennedy's hand tightly when Gosia suggested she was insecure, the only tell of her anger.

"That's funny," she said sweetly, finally addressing Gosia, "I thought he was extremely polite considering it is you who is interrupting us."

“I’m far from being rude,” Kennedy replied quietly. His hand on Irynya’s leg squeezed slightly tighter due to the situation they were placed in. He wasn’t certain if he should agree to coffee with Gosia but maybe it would get her to leave them alone?

As if sensing Kennedy's line of thought, Irynya didn't give him the chance to act. Instead she repeated the head tilt to whisper in his ear. "Trust me?" she asked, voice steely and intent.

Kennedy’s lip raised slightly with the frustration of the predicament. He didn’t know what to do, he just wanted to be left alone to enjoy his evening with Irynya without being interloped upon. That, however, had already happened. He looked at her. She was the only person he trusted completely. He gave her a confirming and ensuring head nod.

A broad, almost catlike, grin spread across Irynya's features and she pressed her lips just below the spot where she had been whispering, lingering for a moment behind his ear. Though she was fully aware of Gosia watching she ignored the other woman, twisting in her seat for a better angle. She brought the leg that had been brushing Kennedy up to press her knee toward the back of the booth, her far hand also disappearing from the table as she did and finding its way to brace against his leg so she didn't fall entirely into his lap.

Her lips brushed softly along his jaw, teasing and coaxing in a move that was far more sensual than anything she had done with him up to that point ending with the capture of his lips with hers. Her kissing was not chaste. It was slow and languorous, taking time and enjoying the warmth and thrill of kissing him like this… in public…

When she finally released him, her hand left his leg, coming up to her own lips before, and with a deliberate smug look, she turned to Gosia.

"I'm sorry. Why are you still here? I thought Kennedy was fairly clear. We're... busy…" she emphasized the last word, drawing it out suggestively as she did.

Kennedy gasped at Irynya’s actions while her kisses worked against his jawline and she repositioned herself. He focused on her and for a moment he realized a slight tightness below the table. He blushed slightly, and when she finally broke away to address Gosia his mouth fell agape with curiosity and want of more.

Not giving more than another moment's attention to the woman who had made Kennedy so uncomfortable years ago, Irynya turned back to what she had been doing. Her hand went up to circle the back of his neck and she recaptured his lips. The move was a deliberate and clear message. She was done talking and the other woman needed to leave.

For a long moment she let herself get lost in doing something she had wanted to do for some time, moving further than the careful affection that she shared with Kennedy to something more physically driven. After a moment, though, her conscience got the better of her and she pulled away, eyes turning to the end of the table to confirm that Gosia had, in fact, left. That the woman was a few tables down still shooting daggers at her didn't bother her so much now that she had walked away.

"I…" she began, meeting Kennedy's eyes for the first time since the kissing had started, "I hope that was ok."

Kennedy needed a moment to collect his thoughts now that Irynya and Gosia had crossed paths. He had hoped the pair of them would have never met but he was hoping he wouldn’t have encountered Lieutenant Nowicka again a short time after his last experience with her onboard the Miranda. He looked over at Irynya grinning, “That was the first time anyone has stood up for me… in a very effective way. I know, I don’t have to ask but I really want to kiss you.”

Kennedy leaned and kissed her on the lips before breaking away, “Yes. That was more than okay, I hope she doesn’t bother you nor I again.”

Irynya's answering smile was soft. "I was happy to intervene," she said, her voice gentle. "But I meant… the action itself… was it ok that I did that? You've asked me to go slow. That… was not slow. That…" she blew out a long breath and pulled her leg back from where she had been half propped on the bench so she was turned forward again. Her gaze faltered as she moved and her eyes went to her hands, now on the table, one set of fingers lightly tracing the stem of her glass.

“Irynya,” Kennedy said her name while his hand returned to her leg underneath the table, “It was something else entirely. I’ve never thought the most beautiful, gorgeous woman in the bar would kiss me that way and here she is. Kissing. Me.” He blushed while he looked down at his hand on her leg, “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. You helped me come out of the shell that I’ve been in for so long and that should count for something.”

"So… yes… kissing you in a way that implied quite a bit more intimacy than we've actually had up to now was ok." Her expression was serious, but her eyes danced with amusement and mischief. "Of course I am kissing you like that Kennedy. That's…" she shrugged lightly, not quite sure of the word she wanted. "You can reasonably expect that most of the time that's how I prefer to be kissing you."

Her smile returned then, echoing some of the mirth in her eyes. With an almost self conscious shake of her head she bumped her shoulder against his lightly, leaning into him and tucking her head on his shoulder. Her hand wove in behind his arm and settled on his thigh, resting there gently now rather than being used to keep her from toppling. "Maybe we can try that again sometime… when we don't have an angry ex watching us?"

“She was never my girlfriend,” Kennedy corrected her. “I thought she was a friend but she wasn’t in the end.”

Iryna listened, considering the certainty of his statement as he spoke. It was evident to her, from only this one encounter, that Gosia had fancied herself his girlfriend. Or at least had imagined some sort of more… intimate… relationship than Kennedy spoke of. That he wasn't aware of that didn't surprise her and, for now, she decided not to mention it further.

He took another long sip of his Singapore Sling before looking over at her, “I know I said I wanted to take this slow but I know that you have your own needs. We can always… compromise?” He gave her a half-assured smile, “I mean, if you want to.”

The Risian's eyebrows crept up in surprise. "Needs isn't exactly the word I would use," she said with a touch of amusement. Her expression sobered quickly though as she thought about his offer. "Compromise would be… nice…" she said finally. "But only if it's willing compromise because you want to. Not because you feel like you have to."

Kennedy nodded his head in agreement, “It is definitely willing.” He shifted his eyes from his drink into her eyes. “I’m sure with my promotion I will get certain privileges. I don’t know how I will adjust without knowing you’re just in the other room.” He frowned, “Even Noah. I know it's silly, we’re on the same ship, but I feel like we would be farther apart.”

Her hand squeezed his thigh lightly and then ran down to his knee and back to its former position. "We'll figure it out," she told him. "It just means a different routine. And… with Noah at least… you'll have to be a bit more deliberate about cultivating that friendship. With me… well…" she trailed off, her mind already moving to the acknowledgement that senior crew quarters meant privacy--something they had little of now.

Before either of them could continue their line of thought Emme returned, a wood board bearing an assortment of meats, cheeses. Fruits, nuts and sauces balanced on one arm and a platter with a large pretzel on the other. He laid them both on the table with a flourish.

"Are you ready to order Dr. and Mrs. Ryan Walsh?"

=/\= Joint Post By =/\=

Lieutenant Kennedy Ryan Walsh
Chief Medical Officer

and

Lieutenant JG Irynya
Assistant Chief Flight Controller

with an appearance from

Lieutenant Gosia Nowicka
2XO - USS Miranda and Jealous Ex-Girlfriend