[USS Tempest] "I've Got You Under My Skin"

I've Got You Under My Skin 

*by Ensigns Miranda Craig and Newlyn Davis*

It had been a really good day for Miranda and she was having a hard time not 
smiling. First she'd found herself waking up in Lindsey's quarters, which 
was nice since she couldn't remember the last she'd spent the night with her 
sister; then she'd done a little shopping; and now she was getting ready to 
have dinner with Newlyn. She only hoped that her date would stay on track 
with her day and turn out nicely.

With one last tug at the bottom of his top, Newlyn reached for the chime to 
Miranda's room. Stopping a millimetre from it, he took a deep breath before 
pressing it.

Miranda actually jumped at the sound of the door chime. She gave herself a 
final once over in the mirror, adjusting her pendent so it rested perfectly 
against her blouse and then walked over and answered the door. "Hi," she 
said. *Oh that was a bright and intelligent greeting.*

"Hi." He was struck dumb for a moment, lost in her eyes. "You look 
stunning." He picked up her hand and brushed his lips over her fingertips.

"Thank you." There was a light blush coloring Miranda's cheeks as she 
stepped out into the hall. "You're looking pretty good yourself."

He touched the pendant. "Beautiful," he said as he looked back into her 
eyes. "Where shall we eat?"

A smile lit up Miranda's face as she walked along side Newlyn. "Thanks. My 
sister gave it to me when I was born. Haven't taken it off since then." She 
had to think about his question. She was actually a little too nervous to 
eat at the moment. "Anywhere but Quarks. If Linds catches me in there again 
she'll skin me."

Pulling a face, Newlyn shook his head. "Horrible, seedy place. But it does 
have one saving grace. You ever been to Vic's"

She had to think a moment. "I think I've heard about it in passing. Isn't it 
a night club or something on the holodeck?"

"Yeah, sort of. It's a holosuite program set during 1962 Las Vegas. They 
have a bar and a restaurant and a casino. I went last night, it was very 
swish. Fancy giving it a whirl?"

"I'd love to." Miranda replied with a bright smile that seemed to make her 
brown eyes sparkle. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as they 
walked down the corridor. He was handsome, jet black hair and bright green 
eyes. He was older then her, but that was ok. She was just amazed that he'd 
accepted her dinner invite. "What kinda music do they play at this place?"

"Rat pack stuff, Vic sings Sinatra and Bacharach and that kind of thing. All 
the classics. It's brill." Taking a little incentive, he reached for her 
hand as they wandered through the crowds on the Promenade.

Miranda had heard of Sinatra and lot because of her grandfather and Lindsey. 
"Sounds like a great place." Another light blush colored her cheek when 
Newlyn took her hand. She didn't pull away, she simply let him steer her 
through the crowd and towards the holosuite. She ignored the looks she was 
getting from Quark as they passed him. She had to keep from laughing at the 
fear in his eyes. *Linds must'a gotten to 'em*.

Vic's bar was buzzing, the man himself on the stage singing away. Newlyn 
gave the hologram a wave, since he'd been there long after everyone else had 
gone to sleep the previous night. He'd told Vic all about Miranda, how 
beautiful she was, how much he wanted to impress her. At the end of the 
song, Vic glanced over and gave Newlyn a little wink. The band suddenly 
struck up a classic Sinatra with a slow beat.

"I've got you under my skin," Vic crooned. "I've got you deep in the heart 
of me."

Newlyn lifted Miranda's hand and swung her away from him then stepped close, 
pulling her into the steps of the dance.

Miranda laughed out loud as she was led into a dance. "You're lucky that my 
grandfather taught me how to dance to these kinda songs or you'd be 
explaining your new limp to Rosie." They'd only been fifteen minutes into 
the date if that and already it was so unlike any of the dates she'd had in 
the academy.

He wiggled his eyebrows as they shuffled around each other, their hips 
swinging. "I will have you know that I pride myself on being able to dance 
with anybody, even people with two left feet." Sliding up to her, he leaned 
his cheek against hers, one hand clasping one of hers, the other in the 
small of her back. "You're angelic on the dancefloor, Miranda." *You're 
angelic everywhere*.

"Such a charmer you are, Newlyn Davis." She laughed and smiled the whole 
time Newlyn led her around the dance floor. It felt nice and she had to 
admit she was having a blast. *So this is what it's like to be treated like 
a woman and not a little girl.* When the song ended, Miranda found herself 
trying to catch her breath. "Do you start all your dates by sweeping the 
girl off her feet literally?"

"Only the special ones." Leading her to a table, he waved at a passing 
waiter. "A drink before we eat?"

Miranda bit her lip. Lindsey had given her wine last night at dinner so 
maybe one drink would be alright. "Sure."

"Two martinis please," he said to the server. Blushing, he suddenly turned 
back to her. "Unless you want something else?" *Nice one, Newlyn, go with 
the whole being a sexist knob and you order for the lady.*

Miranda nodded at the waiter and then waited until he left the table. "It's 
ok. You would have had to order them anyway." She stopped before she told 
him she was still underage as far as alcohol was concerned. "Ya know Newlyn. 
I'm rather surprised that you agreed to this evening."

"And why wouldn't I?" He reached for her hand, twining their fingers 
together. "You're drop-dead gorgeous." Another romantic song struck up and 
he grinned. Vic was really out-doing himself. "If you hadn't asked me, I'd 
have asked you right back."

*I am?* Miranda blinked. Shaking her head to clear it, she smiled crookedly 
as she answered him. "Well putting aside the fact that I'm barely out of the 
academy which I attended early there by making me younger than most ensigns; 
there's the fact that you're an officer on my sister's ship and most people 
would be leery of going out on a date with the Captain's baby sister." It 
all came out in one breathlessly long sentence.

He stared open-mouthed at her. Unravelling all the words and connotations of 
what she'd just said, he smirked. "But you're lovely. And not just to look 
upon." The drinks came and he lifted his, chinking it against hers. "Who 
wouldn't want to spend an evening with the most beautiful woman on the 
ship?"

Miranda laughed. "You're sweet, Newlyn." She picked up her glass and sipped 
from it. It burned going down but then it made her feel warm.

"Why I thank you, my Lady." They chatted idly for a while, relaxing into 
each others' company. "So, why d'you go into Security?

"Promise not laugh?" She waited until Newlyn nodded and then admitted. "I 
wanted to be a Texas Ranger, but there aren't any anymore. Star Fleet's in 
my family, and Security came close enough to being a Ranger."

Sucking in his cheeks to stop himself from laughing, Newlyn nodded. "Yes, I 
can see the connection."

Miranda could tell he wanted to laugh, so she went ahead and laughed at 
herself. "What can I say? Born and raised in Texas and was read old western 
stories as bedtime stories. You can't tell me you never wanted to be a real 
knight."

Joining her chuckling, he shook his head. "Never." With a grin, he added, "I 
wanted to be Robin Hood!"

"It takes a real man to admit he'd wanted to wear tights." Miranda teased as 
she toyed with the martini glass.

"Oh but don't you think I'd look spiffy in Forest Green tights and a hat?" 
Making a pull of an invisible bow and arrow, he aimed it at Vic, who grabbed 
at his chest in mock pain as he dropped off the stage.

"Hey there pally. So this is the lovely Miranda, is it?" With a sparkle in 
his eyes, Vic smiled. "You know he spent all last night telling me about how 
beautiful you are. Who knew a cockney could be so poetic."

Surprise was clear etched on Miranda's face. *He spent all night talking 
about me?* "Is that a fact?" She replied out loud as she smiled slowly. "And 
what exactly was Mister Davis here saying about me?"

"Oh you know, the usual love sick puppy-dog things. But I can definitely see 
what all the fuss was about. You know what, doll-face, I've got an idea."

Newlyn smirked as he raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"There's a table on my balcony, it overlooks the whole of Las Vegas, why 
don't you and Newlyn head up there and I'll see what I can do in the way of 
dinner?"

Miranda looked at Vic and then over at Newlyn. Biting her lip, she slowly 
smiled. "That sounds nice, Vic. Thanks."

Leading them up to his suite, Vic let them in before bowing out. With a 
smirk he watched their faces light up as they saw a table set for two, 
candlelit and flowing with fine wine and the most romantic meal he could 
come up with. *I hope this works out for you, pally, she seems like the 
sweetest girl in the world.*

Miranda gasped. It was like a scene out of a romance holo-vid. This could be 
something that she could get very used to. "Wow, Newlyn this is.." she 
smiled brightly and then laughed, "every little girl's dream of how a first 
date should be."

"We try our best," he breathed. Vic had exceeded all of Newlyn's 
expectations. A dozen red roses sat in a vase. Picking one out, he gave it 
to Miranda. "May I ruin the evening for just one minute?" He leaned forward, 
cupping her chin in his hands, he brushed his lips against hers.

A sudden burst of butterflies filled Miranda's stomach at the light press of 
his lips. This too was a hell of a lot different than kissing the two boys 
she'd dated briefly during the academy. Leaning into the kiss, Miranda 
deepened it.

He pulled back, staring deep into her eyes. "Shall we eat?"

"It smells wonderful," Miranda replied as she was lead to the table. *If 
this is a dream I hope I over sleep*.

"Yes it does." Newlyn pulled out her chair for her before sitting himself. 
Their wine glasses were already full so he raised his. "To pleasant company, 
I just hope we can do this again."

Miranda clinked her glass with his. "Oh I think there's a fair chance 
that'll happen."

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