[Previous post: Tallulah's "Team Playing"]
=/\=
Stardate: 60314.1420
Setting: Earth, Starfleet Academy, Tennis Courts
Time Index: A week ago
Doratheva looked up in the sky, not sure if she wished a sunny day or
a rainy one. It had been sunny all today during graduation, which she
had appreciated, but now…for this…well, she wasn't sure what she
wanted. She asked about her assignment and was told to enjoy the
layover between Starfleet and her assignment.
That made her itchy. She wanted to be going somewhere. Doing
something. Well something other than what she was about to do.
Still the newly minted Ensign gamely took out her tennis racket and
began warming up by volleying a few balls. Her black curls were
pulled back and the tennis whites she wore contrasted with her tanned
skin. Well Terrans said she looked tanned, actually it was perfectly
normal Edoan skin.
"Nice volley."
It was a compliment, Eva reminded herself. No need to bristle just
yet. Turning around to face her husband, she smiled. It was as
natural in that moment as a cat smiling at a bird before the pounce.
"Hello Nolan."
"Eva," he smiled. Seeing her back up, he sighed and wondered if his
wife would ever learn how to behave. Still he knew what was expected
of him, with all these people watching. So Nolan Johnson, also in
tennis whites, gave a dazzling smile and looked like the doting
husband he wasn't.
He always dazzled, she thought. That was the problem – he was all
dazzle and no substance.
Within a few moments the couple was playing a light game of tennis.
"So where's your assignment, darling?" Nolan called out.
Eva tried not to flinch at the term of endearment. It didn't work.
They had been married for nearly 4 years – 2 of them strained to say
the least. It took her a year to realize there was no heart in him
and another year to get over her shame at being duped. She spent the
next 2 years mad at the world for wasting the 2 years prior.
"Classified," she lied as she returned the serve.
"Even from your husband?"
That was a sore point with her – he knew she wanted a divorce.
Unfortunately he wasn't granting it, said it didn't look good to
others. Eva could give a flying fig what other people thought – she'd
walk around naked, and had done so with no shame, and not thought
about what other people thought. Nolan said that as a crazy Edoan and
Betazoid she had no concept of what was proper. He came from a
"legacy" family in Starfleet and felt he had to keep up appearances.
Even with a wife he thought was crazy.
So she still was legally married – stuck with a husband who didn't
love her and didn't want to leave her. Knowing whatever she'd say
would be bad, she shrugged. "You know how it is."
"You haven't asked where I'm assigned to."
"I know," she replied.
Suddenly Eva realized that if she didn't end this farce of a marriage
soon, she'd never be rid of Nolan. He'd weigh her down like an
albatross. Swinging a bit harder than she had to she asked, "So how's
Sandy? That's her name isn't it?"
Nolan made a face. Honestly Eva had no conception of what was proper
conversation in public. "Sandy was a nice lab partner. She's great."
"You'd know wouldn't you?"
"Eva, are you trying to hint at something?"
"Hint?" Now Eva's temper was boiling. Two years in the making she
rage started to come flowing out. All the things she hadn't said,
namely because she was too busy avoiding her "darling" husband, now
came spewing out. "No, when I asked about the late nights in the lab
when you had no assignments that was hinting. When I asked about the
research trips when you had no homework, that was hinting. I'm beyond
hinting now Nolan. So let's be civilized, since you like that so
much, how's your mistress? Or have you already moved on? That would
be a shame. Sandy seemed so…perky."
"Eva, really, I don't know what you're talking about and this isn't
appropriate – OW!"
The people on the other courts would say later on that they had seemed
like a perfectly nice couple.
Up until the point the wife had assaulted her husband with a forehand
lob.
The wife had seen the ball coming and whacked it with such speed and
determination that the ball had no choice to go flying back across the
court and smacking the first thing it would hit.
Namely—her husband's nose.
Kneeling down as the blood squirted out of his nose, Nolan looked up
at Eva who was walking over. "You're crazy! You did that on
purpose."
"Oops," she shrugged.
Revenge in his eyes Nolan looked up at the exotic woman who was
standing on the other side of the net. "Oops? Oops? That's all you
have to say is 'oops'?"
Eva shrugged and offered, "Be happy it didn't go somewhere else?"
"You're crazy!"
"No, Nolan, you are," the wife replied. "You're crazy if you think
I'm going to keep putting up with you. Sign the damn divorce papers."
"I'll sue! You did this on purpose."
Eva picked up the blood-splattered ball. "I attacked you? With a
tennis ball? Really Nolan if I wanted to hurt you I could. But it
was an accident."
Walking away she smiled over her shoulder, "And you can't prove
otherwise."
=/\= 2005 post #211
Cady O'Brien {cadyob@gmail.com}
Ensign Doratheva
Assistant Chief of Security
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
