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Jean-Luc sat back in his chair, still clad in his 1940s clothing. “Picard to Sickbay.”
“Crusher here.”
“How is Mister Whalen?”
“He’ll live. We got him here in time.”
“Excellent news. I wondered, would you like to meet me at the holodeck to finish our scenario?” Will Riker raised his eyebrows and exchanged looks with Deanna.
“That sounds wonderful, Jean-Luc. I’ll meet you there.”
“Ten minutes? Picard out.” Jean-Luc rose from his chair and tugged down his suit jacket. “Number One, you have the bridge. I’ll be on the holodeck with Doctor Crusher.” Data turned, a question poised on his lips. Deanna quickly shook her head at Data and he turned back around to his console. Data wanted to ask if he, too, could return to the holodeck, but Counsellor Troi seemed to indicate to him that he should not speak. He hoped she would explain it to him later.
Jean-Luc grinned as the turbolift doors shut behind him. Perhaps Beverly would forgive him for accidentally inviting Whalen and Data on their date. He hadn’t meant to, it just slipped out. He paused by a replicator in the corridor near the holodecks.
“Computer: can you create old Earth style paper money?”
“Affirmative”
“Computer: I need...money suitable to the 1940s in America. Enough to take someone out to dinner.”
“Please state the quantity.” Jean-Lu thought about the old Dixon Hill novels. Dix usually charged people twenty dollars an hour. The woman, Jessica, had handed him something she had called a C note, with a large numerical 50 on the paper. That must be a lot of money in 1940. “Computer: Fifty.” The machine swirled to life and five green and white pieces of paper appeared all with the number 10 on them. Perfect.
###
Jean-Luc took Beverly to a restaurant clad in chrome, with a sign outside proclaiming it to be a ‘Diner’. The interior was bright and cheery – Red stools with a long chrome counter along the front, and scattered tables and chairs. They were seated in something called a ‘booth’ with two large red benches on either side of the table. Jean-Lu and Beverly ordered simple meals, and drank lots of coffee. Jean-Luc was telling Beverly more about the era and the Dixon Hill character when she slid her foot out of her shoe and ran it up his leg. He reached down into his lap and grasped her foot and gave it a gentle massage. Beverly bit back the moan that threatened to escape her lips and instead took another sip of her coffee. Over the rim of her cup, she locked eyes with Jean-Luc.
“So does this Dixon fellow have a place to live?”
“Yes, he has an apartment. It’s probably not very big and from what I gather, he always kept it a bit of a mess.”
“I see. Does it have a bed?” Jean-Luc gaped at Beverly from across the table. He raised his hand up to signal for their waitress and when she came over, he used the words he recalled reading in a Dixon Hill novel when Dix was done eating - “Check please.”