Zac
Zac reluctantly pulled away, watching intently as Laila dropped her gaze and flushed red across her cheeks. He had met some humans before, of course. His friend Oren was friends with a human doctor who worked on the Zataras. But there was something about Laila that fascinated him.
Zac watched her as she toyed with the glass, sliding it backwards and forwards on the bar top. Her hair spilled down her back in waves of dark brown shot with strands of red, and her eyes reminded him of amber. Her skin was much paler than his; paler than most Taureans, and across her still blushing cheeks were little spots of brown. He felt an urge to count them all, to brush them with his fingers.
“What are the spots?” He couldn't resist asking, his curiosity pushing against his usual Taurean reticence.
“The spots?” Her brows drew down in confusion.
Zac lifted his hand to gently touch a finger to her nose and cheeks.
“Oh!” She flushed again and grinned. “You mean my freckles! They're from being in the sun.”
“In the sun?” His eyes widened.
“Not actuallyinthe sun, but from being outdoors. My skin tans a little—goes a little golden brown in the sun... almost like yours—but not as dark... and the freckles appear as well.”
“Taurean skin doesn't change color, we are as we are.” He spread his hands wide, forgetting the scars that marred his left arm and hand. She hadn't mentioned them yet, but she would. Experience told him it was only a matter of time before she realized the extent of his physical injuries, and then she would want nothing to do with him. He may as well make the most of this interlude while it lasted.
“Is this your first time on a space station?” He asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Is it that obvious?” She pulled a face, and he smiled crookedly in reply, taking a sip of his own drink instead of answering. “I know I stand out,” she gestured towards herself and then around the room at the other occupants.
Zac looked around, surprised to realize that while they had been sitting and talking, the bar had filled up. There were no longer any seats available, and patrons were standing in small groups. He was well known for his attention to his surroundings. Surely this woman could not have captivated him that much already?
He glanced across the room, seeking the eye of T'arq, who was laughing with the group he had befriended earlier. T'arq turned his head to meet Zac's gaze and raised an eyebrow in question. Zac shook his head slightly, returning his attention to Laila.
“Have you explored the station yet?”
She turned to face him. “No, I just arrived today. I haven’t had a chance to go anywhere yet. Why? Are you offering a tour?”
“I suppose I am,” he murmured. “There are a couple of places near this bar that are worth a look.”
“Sounds interesting,” she smiled. “Although I rarely leave bars with men I just met.”
“And I don't leave bars with women I just met.”
She laughed, the sound warming him and making him want to hear more. “We make a good pair then, don't we?”
Zac turned to the bartender and paid for their drinks with a flick of his wrist, the chip reader beeping in acknowledgement.
“Oh, you didn't need to...”
Zac shook his head at her. “My home, my tour, my credits.”
“Alright, well, thank you,” she conceded grudgingly.
“Shall we?” he asked.
The bar really had become busy, the crush of people parting for Zac like the Red Sea as they made their way to the door.
On the way out they passed T'arq's table, Zac nodding at his friend, who smiled broadly and opened his mouth, only to snap it shut when he saw the expression on Zac’s face.
“Tomorrow,” Zac said to his second-in-command as he passed the table, not breaking stride.
“Yes, Commander,” T'arq replied, his serious tone ruined by the smirk on his face and the way he lifted two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute.
Zac shook his head, exasperated at his friend, but glad T'arq had turned away and not pushed for more.
