Another Fine Mess1 / Another Fine Mess2

Another Fine Mess¹

Month 3, Day 15

Drake MacGregor

1759 Hours

  

Drake glanced at the other man in the lift. Smitty seems nervous. Think I know why, too, though I’d never get him to admit it. Mac will be in the gym. And he doesn’t want to see her.

The door opened, and they stepped off just in time to see the redhead bounce off the wall before them. Bugalu placed a hand on the wall on either side of her, his eyes glaring at her fiercely. “Enough is enough!” the helmsman declared.

Wonder what she’s done this time.

“What’s the problem?” Mac asked in confusion.

“Stephanie just refused a date with me,” Bugalu asserted.

Mac didn’t seem horrified, or even surprised. “Oh. Who’s Stephanie?”

“Engineering tech on C shift,” Bugalu explained shortly. “She thinks we’re a couple!”

“Told you it would happen,” Mac stated calmly. “But okay, I’ll talk to her.”

“No!” the negro declared. “You already have; that’s why she thinks we’re a couple!”

“Bugs, I don’t even know who she is.”

“She fixed my bathroom door last week after you gave me that gerkat shower!”

“Oh.” Her face went pink but expressionless. “That tech.” She licked her lower lip. “I never said that. To her or anybody.”

She’s keeping something unsaid, but no, Mac never would have said she and Bugalu were an item.

“You must have said something, because she’s positive we’re a couple! And she’s not the only one! Blossom said as much when she turned me down. Even Ivy is starting to have second thoughts about dating me, which is not something I tolerate well.”

“But... Ivy knows about us!”

“That’s what I thought, too!”

“Well, what do you want me to do?” she asked, pushing her braids behind her. “I mean, make a list, and I can talk to them. Or is there some way I can make a general announcement to the entire crew?”

“Think it would work?” he asked sarcastically.

“No,” she admitted. “Works best when it’s done woman to woman, one to one.” She shook her head. “But if there’s a lot of them, one to one could take a long time.”

“Well, start working at it. Just work your way down a list of female crewmembers.”

“But I need to study!”

“That’s your choice,” he told her coldly. “But until you get this... mess straightened out, there will be no more movie nights!” She gasped in disbelief, her eyes round and lower jaw hanging. “Not only that, but you are not allowed in my quarters, and I will not enter yours! If we do anything together, it will be in public, and it will not involve touching! Of any kind!”

How will she survive without those weekly hugs?

Her face had gone absolutely stark white. “You can’t... mean it.”

“Oh, yes, I do!” he insisted, standing straight and crossing his arms. “Fix this problem, Mac. Prove to people we aren’t a couple, because we aren’t!” He turned toward the lift, saw the two men standing in front of it, and turned for the men’s locker room instead.

Mac was still leaning against the wall, her face utterly white. This must be even worse for her than failing a probationary. Drake stepped forward, opened his arms, and she fell against him. She shuddered convulsively as hot tears soaked into his tunic. “What did I do wrong, Mac?” she asked, her voice broken and muffled.

“We’ll figure something out,” he assured her, patting her shoulder. A sound made him turn his head, and he realized Smitty was back on the lift, his face unreadable as the door closed. Oh, blast, I should have let him be her shoulder! He sighed. Too late now.

Another Fine Mess²

Month 3, Day 15

Smythe

1800 Hours

Smitty shifted his weight to the other foot as he and MacGregor rode the lift. What am I doing? I can’t go to the gym now! She’ll be there, this time of night. I don’t want to see her. Actually, I do, but... it’s not a good idea.

The door opened, and they stepped off, just as Bugalu shoved the redhead against the wall outside the gym doors. The helmsman threw an arm to either side of her to trap her and glared at her. “Enough!” the negro declared.

Wonder what she’s done.

“What’s the problem?” Colleen asked casually.

You’d think she’d be upset about being tossed around. Unless she’s used to it. That’s an ugly thought.

“Stephanie just refused a date with me,” Bugalu asserted.

Colleen didn’t blink at the news. “Who’s Stephanie?”

“Engineering tech on C shift,” Bugalu explained. “Somehow, she thinks you and I are a couple!”

“Told you it would happen,” Mac stated smugly. “But I suppose you want me to talk to her.”

“No!” Bugalu declared. “You already have; that’s why she thinks we’re a couple!”

“I don’t even know who she is.”

“She fixed my bathroom door last week after you gave me that gerkat shower!”

“Oh.” Her face went pink as she tried to hide her satisfaction. “That technician.” She licked her lower lip invitingly. “I never said a word to her about you.”

“You must have said something, because she knows we’re a couple! And not just her! Blossom turned me down. Even Ivy is having second thoughts about me, which is not something I tolerate well.”

“So Ivy knows about us.”

She sounds plenty satisfied by the news. Not surprising, I suppose.

“That’s what I thought you’d say!”

And he sounds frustrated, even desperate. How many times has she put him through this kind of scene?

“Well, what do you want me to do?” she asked in mock frustration, pushing her braids behind her. “I mean, if you insist, I can talk to them. Or maybe you want me to make a general announcement to the entire crew?”

“Do you really think this will work?” he asked.

He’s bluffing. Or trying to. But she’s full of confidence.

“Why not?” she asked. “These things work best when it’s just one to one.” She moved her head as she studied his face. “Anyway, if you’ve had a lot of them, talking could take a long time.”

The helmsman was not ready to give in. “Well, go ahead and start talking. Just work your way down a list of female crewmembers.”

Yes, he’s probably dated about 90% of them. Or however many aren’t married.

“Don’t be so stubborn!”

“That’s my choice,” he told her coldly. “Until you get this... mess straightened out, there will be no more us!” She gasped in disbelief, her eyes round.

No, I don’t believe Bugalu is breaking off with a woman as beautiful as she is.

“From now on, you are not allowed in my quarters, and I won’t enter yours! If we do anything together, it will be in public, and it will not involve touching! Of any kind!”

He is breaking up with her! That leaves her free to date others! For all the good that does me.

Her face went white. “You can’t... mean that.”

“Oh, I do!” he insisted, standing straight and crossing his arms. “Fix this, Mac. Prove to people we aren’t a couple, because we aren’t!” He turned, saw the two men watching, and headed for the men’s locker room.

But they have been, ever since she came aboard. Unless... she’s been trying to make it more than it actually is? He didn’t stop dating when she arrived; he simply added her to the mix.

Colleen was still pressed against the wall for support, her face utterly white.

It’s like her whole universe - all her hopes and dreams - just went sour.

MacGregor stepped forward, opened his arms, and she flew into his embrace. They hugged each other tightly, completely oblivious of anyone else. “I may have lost him,” she said, her voice muffled by the doctor’s shoulder.

“You’ve still got me,” he assured her, fondling her shoulder.

I should have known. He’s been in her pocket since she arrived. Even if she succeeds in getting the word out that she and Bugalu are not together, every man aboard will be after her. As if they haven’t been already. She won’t need another officer cornering her in some quiet spot, like Winthrop.

And I don’t need this. He stepped back onto the lift. If I went back ten or fifteen years, would the technical magazines seem... unread? MacGregor looked around at him, seemed startled to realize he was still there. Like he’s just now remembered me, or realized this isn’t exactly a private place for them to- He sighed once the lift doors had closed. Don’t worry, MacGreg, I’m not running to tell Jane you’re handling an underling in public. Colleen’s not objecting. It’s none of my business.

I can’t decide which is worse. Knowing that she’s trying to ensnare Bugalu, knowing that Bugalu can resist her, or knowing that MacGreg is quite willing to insert himself in Bugalu’s stead. Or maybe it’s knowing that, with those two already in the picture, there’s definitely no room for me. Especially since I’m her superior.

What is it going to take to get her out of my mind?