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It’s almost time, just past eight. The Captain told me that Lt. Reed would be joining him for breakfast at half past. Knowing the lieutenant, he will be just a few moments early… even if he has to wait outside the dining room door for a bit.
Everything is ready here in the kitchen… hollandaise, English muffins, Canadian bacon. Once Malcolm arrives, all I’ll need to do is poach the eggs. I’ll give them a little time to get settled, but hopefully the food will be a welcome distraction.
It’s not at all unusual for Jon to invite his officers to join him for a meal from time to time. And he’d have me think this was another such occasion. But I’ve known him for many years and this is not just another breakfast. For one thing, he seldom makes any special menu requests.
And this isn’t the first request involving Malcolm’s food preferences. Last year’s pineapple birthday cake was apparently a hit, to judge from Jon’s smile when he came to the galley to thank me for it. So when he requested my eggs Benedict for this morning, a touch of worry in his voice as he wondered aloud if that’s something Malcolm would like, it was clear that he wanted this to be special.
I don’t know if he’s ready to admit the extent of his interest yet, but every time I see the two of them working together, it’s obvious to me that there is an undercurrent between them. I hope this breakfast goes well.
First dates can be wonderful… or very awkward.