In all her time working for the resort, never had Thea met someone so attractive, grumpy, and bashful. For a starship Captain, Zehra seemed too—looking her up and down shamelessly, Thea noted the obvious secondhand effort in the captain's appearance. The curls, the makeup, even the dress was unable to be pulled on without assistance. Thea did a small bow as she opened the manual door. "After you, m'lady."

It was almost like someone else had dolled her up, like a birthday crumpet, just for her. Thea forced her eyes to look straight ahead, to avoid them wandering, but the height difference caused them to be just above the hips and wander back down. . .Thea face palmed and kept her hand in front of her eyes as she made her way through the corridor. Why the starshit was she being such a pervert?

Zehra cleared her throat, a low hum, smooth as honey. "Are you okay? You may trip over the—"

"I'm fi—" Thea squeaked when something impacted hard with her shin and sent the suitcase flying.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist. Stealing a peak, Thea choked from the close proximity of Zehra's chest that nearly obscured her face. "Oh starshit I am a pervert."

Zehra dropped her, taking two steps back. "Excuse me?"

Thea's ass hit the floor. "Oh fuck. I said that aloud." She laughed nervously, attempting to hide the growing panic. "I uh—I'm sorry. Let me get someone else to assist you. Unless you like the attention." Thea winked.

Oh fucken stars what is wrong with me?

"Theo, was it?" Captain Zehra asked, a tight, terrifying small pulling across her royal purple lips.

"Thea."

"Thea. Stay the starshit away from me. I don't want to be here. I was forced to be here. I will not subject myself to be your eye candy," Zehra stated. "Up here."

Thea coughed, raising her eyes from the floor to look up at Zehra's breas—face. It was too hard to see her face from down here.

"I don't know what your resort policies are, but I didn't ask for and would never ask for an escort. So please, stop acting so starshitted adorable and vulgar. I—" Zehra froze, her finger raised as if she were about to scold further and thought better of it. "I know a million ways to kill you. Don't. Come. Near. Me."

Retrieving the suitcase, the captain stormed off, her heels like swords striking the ground with each step. She looked even hotter angry. Thea groaned, burying her face in her hands. It was like a switch flicked in her brain the instant she laid eyes on her. Friendly and 'friendly' were not the same.

"That the captain? She's pretty hot," Janice said, poking Thea with what she assumed was a stick. "You completely failed on making a move."

"Janice! I wasn't making a move, can't you see? I was too busy embarrassing myself and making her hate me," Thea cried, standing up and shoving the stick away. "But it doesn't matter, I'm late for my next job anyways."

Adjusting her bow, Thea took an apron from her pocket and tied it over the resort shirt. This had to be one of the worst interactions she had ever had with another being.

But she did call me adorable.

A dorky smile drove away the gloom. That she did.

Running to the back of the resort, she leapt over the top of a sleeping patron on the beach. Devin would be leaving the bar any minute now. She knew he didn't care whether she was there when he did, but her boss would.

A group of teen's lounged about, blocking the way to the bar. Why couldn't they just swim in the water? Thea examined the beach front, several families stole all the space toward the front, while the teens danced to pulsing bass in the back. Ugh. The one thing she couldn't stand, a crowd of sweaty bodies. Taking a deep breath she held it and pushed past them.

"Hey!"

"Watch it!"

"You little b—"

"Bright piece of sunshine? Why thank you!" Thea said, cutting them off.

A tentacle reached out, wrapping around her waist. Thea squeaked like a toy as they dragged her through the rest of the ground and to the bar. "Mr. Hatchin's, sir!" Thea smiled the brightest she could manage as her boss narrowed his four black eyes.

"You're late. Again. Miss Everly, we spoke about this just last week," he said, crossing four, orange tentacles. Releasing the one around her waist he filled two drink orders and slide them across the bar counter. "Are you sure you want this job? Your track record says otherwise."

Sliding over the countertop, Thea immediately grabbed three placed orders, making sure to circle the Quintect just so, forming a heart for the lovers brew. Sprinkling red flower petals on the surface for decor and tang, she handed it to the young, honeymooning couple with two straws. "Enjoy."

They smiled, their tentacle-like oi'ek wrapping around each other in silent communication. Thea didn't know much about Se'li, but she always found how their emotions were visible on the outside through their hair-like tentacles to be fascinating. The couples pulsed pink in passion, a symbol of their newfound love.

Leaning against the counter, she stared into the distance, visualizing herself and the captain sharing a lovers brew.

"Thea, have you heard me, I've been speaking this entire time," Mr. Hatchin's snapped.

"Yes, sorry sir, I was listening," Thea said, coughing into her hand. "I was just dreaming about how wonderful it would be if the bar could become this busy every night."

The G'si's lower left eye twitched. "You have a week. If you can't arrive on time for the next seven days, you are fired."

Thea let out a long breath as her boss walked away, his tentacles splatting despite the dryness of the sand. That was close, too close. Gosh, she needed to recalculate the journey from the resort to the bar and cut down on her hours. But if she did then rent might be late, and Ginger wouldn't like that.

"Can I get a—holy starshit what are you doing here?" A familiar, deep feminine voice asked.

Raising a brow, Thea glanced up to see none other than Captain Zehra sitting on the bar stool. "I work here." She pasted on a smile, not wanting the captain to see anything other than her best. "What can I get you, beautiful?"

Captain Zehra folded her hands on the countertop. "A restraining order."

Thea pulled a business card from her pocket and slid it across the counter. "I can help you with that, but only on Friday's and Tuesday's."

"You're a Lawyer too? What the starshit." Narrowing her gaze to be sharper than a sword, Zehra examined Thea like a threat. "Are you fucking with me?"

"N-no, but I wouldn't mind if you asked." The instant the words rolled off her tongue she could feel the heat envelope her face. Oh freakin stars. "I didn't mean that I—Not that you aren't attractive you are quite fuckable—but I shouldn't say things like this to a stranger, to a Captain no less, and I—" Thea buried her face in her hands. "I don't know what's wrong with me today, I'm so sorry."

Captain Zehra laughed.

Thea peeked at the captain between her fingers, watching as Zehra laid her head on her arm, still laughing. "That has to be the best compliment I've received. I'll keep a note of that, Thea. Maybe that's how I should start my next meeting: Hello everything, I'm Captain Zehra, attractive and fuckable."

Retrieving a few shots, Thea placed them in front of herself and Zehra. No one else seemed to notice the bar existed, or were too young to be acknowledged. "I think we could both due with forgetting today. It's on the house." She downed a shot, enjoying the pleasant burning sensation that traveled down her throat and blossomed in her chest.

"Cheers to that," the captain said, downing two in seconds

The two continued to drink for awhile, Thea pausing to serve a few other customers as the hours went on. Day faded to twilight, bathing the world in a glow Thea believed was on-pare with the stars.

She rounded back to Captain Zehra, placing more shots in front of her upon request.

The Captain held an empty glass between her fingers with the grace of a goddess. "That's not bad, what's it called?"

"Do you want the official or unofficial name?" Thea asked, allowing her shoulders to relax. The captain taking what she said lightly made her feel the slightest bit better or perhaps she was simply too tired after the long day to care. Even if it didn't fix the embarrassment, at least it allowed for a break in tension.

"How about both? Might need to stock my bar when I get back to my ship," Captain Zehra stated, taking another shot and setting the glass on the counter.

Thea cleared her throat, assuming a dignified position, as if she were about to give a lecture. "The official name is the LizzTail, because it knocks you on your ass. The unofficial name is the one night regret. And well—pretty sure I don't need to tell you why."

Captain Zehra raised a brow. "Is that the reason you gave it to me?"

"Captain! I—I would never," Thea stuttered.

Leaning forward intentionally, Captain Zehra's long hair fell forward to frame her face. "You are the one who said I am, and I quote 'fuckable'."

Thea swallowed, noticing the lovely square jaw beneath the slowly falling out curls of royal purple. The setting suns caused light to dance off of her skin, making it sparkle like the sea.

Hell yes, you really are.

An alarm sounded in Thea's pocket as Heather slithered past and came to stand beside her. The Lizz flicked her tongue, a mischievous twinkling shone in her green eyes that contrasted her orange scales. "Better get going before you are late, unless you aren't finished with your—whatever this is."

Thea nodded sharply and leapt over the bar. "See you later Cap!" It was nice to get away for a moment and just breathe. For someone who didn't want to be anywhere near her, Zehra sure seemed to be screaming the opposite by following after her.

Oh hush. It's coincidence that she went to the bar you work at. It's just close to the resort, that's all, nothing more. But then, when she discovered I was there, why did she stay?

Shaking off the thought, Thea removed her apron and threw on a cap. All that was left was to fly the Gremere's then put them to bed. Maybe after that was done, she'd stumble into the Captain again. She glanced back, part of her wished she wouldn't, but that part of her was stomped out instantly by the part who did.