August Challenge – Close Encounters of the Awkward Kind
Late April 2377
Star Station Echo
Commander Inga Strauss smiled as she spotted the Bluefin’s Operations officer, Nigel Bane.
“Hey Nigel, what would you like to do this evening?” The Bluefin was in port for a few days and the crew was getting some much needed R&R.
The Australian Lieutenant flashed a jaunty grin. “I’ve got a surprise for you. Meet me in front of Sloopy’s Bar at 1700 hours.”
“Oooh, I like surprises!” Strauss said, coyly. “Surely you can give me a hint?”
Nigel shook his head. “Nope. You’ll just just have to wait ‘til then.”
She reached up and ran a hand roughly through his shaggy hair. “Well, you might want to get a haircut before then – if you let it get any longer the Captain’s going to say something.”
Nigel came to attention and snapped off a salute. “Aye, aye your Commander-ship! You have but to ask.”
Strauss gave Bane a playful shove. “Quit being an ass,” she giggled, “and go! I still have to finish my shift. See you in front of Sloopy’s at 1700.”
* * *
Strauss made her way through the throng of beings that crowded Merchant’s Alley – the retail zone of Echo Station. It was still a few minutes before 1700, but she decided she might as well be early. Besides – she was excited about Nigel’s promised surprise.
As she neared their appointed rendezvous point, she spotted Nigel standing just outside the bar, watching the people go by. It appeared he had gotten his hair trimmed, though not quite to regulation. That didn’t really surprise Inga – Nigel was somewhat cavalier about regulations. He was in civilian clothing too, but he was off-duty after all, so no harm there.
She slipped up on him then stepped up with a quick embrace and a rather hot kiss. As she stepped back smiling, Bane’s eyes were wide.
“Seems that I’m the one who surprised you,” she said, huskily.
Bane blinked and a crooked grin spread on his face. “Yeah! You sure did.”
She stepped closer and whispered breathily into his ear. “So . . . where’s my surprise? If you’re a good boy and show me now, maybe later we can . . .” Inga went on to state her carnal intentions. As she whispered in Bane’s ear, she noticed something different. She stepped back and looked at him askance.
“Nigel, did you change your cologne?”
Bane’s face registered understanding and amusement. “Nigel? Oh, you think . . .”
“Nick!” A familiar voice rang out behind Inga. She turned around to see Nigel Bane trotting up, wearing his uniform – his hair still uncut. He hurried up and embraced his doppelganger while Inga stood by, dumbstruck.
“Good to see you, you little pansey!” exclaimed Nigel. He wrapped an arm around the other Bane and faced Inga, his face beaming.
Inga struggled to find breath. “Nigel . . . what? . . . who? . . .”
“Inga, this is my surprise! It’s my little brother Nick – he came out to visit for a few days.”
“I . . . but . . . little brother?” she said, weakly.
“Yeah – he’s three minutes younger,” Nigel noticed Inga’s discomfiture. “I told you about Nick, remember?”
Inga’s face was now a brilliant shade of crimson. She thought about what she had whispered in Nick’s ear. Nick, for his part, seemed to be enjoying the meeting immensely.
“Nigel!” she finally squeaked. For some reason, she was having a hard time catching her breath. “You. never. mentioned. Nick. was. your. TWIN!”
“I didn’t?” Nigel looked genuinely puzzled. “Must have slipped my mind.”
Inga’s embarrassment had slid into a smoldering fury. “Nigel – I thought he was . . . Oh, MY GOD! I can’t believe I just . . . that I said . . .” She looked from Nigel, who looked puzzled, to Nick who wore a roguish grin and gave Inga a conspiratorial wink.
“OOOH!” She finally finished. She walked up to Nigel and placed a finger in his face. “Nigel, I am going back to the ship. Do NOT attempt to speak to me for the next 24 hours, or I swear, I will hurt you. Very. VERY. badly. Understood?”
“But . . .”
“Zip it, Lieutenant!” she said in her steely command voice. “And you had better by-God have your hair cut the next time I see you – you got that, Mister?”
“Um, yes ma’am,” replied Nigel, realizing that something, though he did not know what, had gone terribly bolloxed.
Commander Strauss spun on her heel and stormed through the crowd.
“Nice Sheila,” remarked Nick.
“What the hell did you do, Nick?”
“Me? Hang on, mate! I was just standing here, minding me own business when your ladyfriend sticks her tongue in me ear and . . .”
“WHAT?” Nigel turned and grabbed Nick by the throat and the two went down, rolling around trading blows.
As a swarm of security officers pulled them apart, Nick grinned crookedly at his twin and spoke through bleeding lips. “Blimey, I’ve missed ya, Nigel! I can’t remember the last time I’ve ‘ad this much fun!”
* * *
Late April 2377
Star Station Echo
Commander Inga Strauss smiled as she spotted the Bluefin’s Operations officer, Nigel Bane.
“Hey Nigel, what would you like to do this evening?” The Bluefin was in port for a few days and the crew was getting some much needed R&R.
The Australian Lieutenant flashed a jaunty grin. “I’ve got a surprise for you. Meet me in front of Sloopy’s Bar at 1700 hours.”
“Oooh, I like surprises!” Strauss said, coyly. “Surely you can give me a hint?”
Nigel shook his head. “Nope. You’ll just just have to wait ‘til then.”
She reached up and ran a hand roughly through his shaggy hair. “Well, you might want to get a haircut before then – if you let it get any longer the Captain’s going to say something.”
Nigel came to attention and snapped off a salute. “Aye, aye your Commander-ship! You have but to ask.”
Strauss gave Bane a playful shove. “Quit being an ass,” she giggled, “and go! I still have to finish my shift. See you in front of Sloopy’s at 1700.”
* * *
Strauss made her way through the throng of beings that crowded Merchant’s Alley – the retail zone of Echo Station. It was still a few minutes before 1700, but she decided she might as well be early. Besides – she was excited about Nigel’s promised surprise.
As she neared their appointed rendezvous point, she spotted Nigel standing just outside the bar, watching the people go by. It appeared he had gotten his hair trimmed, though not quite to regulation. That didn’t really surprise Inga – Nigel was somewhat cavalier about regulations. He was in civilian clothing too, but he was off-duty after all, so no harm there.
She slipped up on him then stepped up with a quick embrace and a rather hot kiss. As she stepped back smiling, Bane’s eyes were wide.
“Seems that I’m the one who surprised you,” she said, huskily.
Bane blinked and a crooked grin spread on his face. “Yeah! You sure did.”
She stepped closer and whispered breathily into his ear. “So . . . where’s my surprise? If you’re a good boy and show me now, maybe later we can . . .” Inga went on to state her carnal intentions. As she whispered in Bane’s ear, she noticed something different. She stepped back and looked at him askance.
“Nigel, did you change your cologne?”
Bane’s face registered understanding and amusement. “Nigel? Oh, you think . . .”
“Nick!” A familiar voice rang out behind Inga. She turned around to see Nigel Bane trotting up, wearing his uniform – his hair still uncut. He hurried up and embraced his doppelganger while Inga stood by, dumbstruck.
“Good to see you, you little pansey!” exclaimed Nigel. He wrapped an arm around the other Bane and faced Inga, his face beaming.
Inga struggled to find breath. “Nigel . . . what? . . . who? . . .”
“Inga, this is my surprise! It’s my little brother Nick – he came out to visit for a few days.”
“I . . . but . . . little brother?” she said, weakly.
“Yeah – he’s three minutes younger,” Nigel noticed Inga’s discomfiture. “I told you about Nick, remember?”
Inga’s face was now a brilliant shade of crimson. She thought about what she had whispered in Nick’s ear. Nick, for his part, seemed to be enjoying the meeting immensely.
“Nigel!” she finally squeaked. For some reason, she was having a hard time catching her breath. “You. never. mentioned. Nick. was. your. TWIN!”
“I didn’t?” Nigel looked genuinely puzzled. “Must have slipped my mind.”
Inga’s embarrassment had slid into a smoldering fury. “Nigel – I thought he was . . . Oh, MY GOD! I can’t believe I just . . . that I said . . .” She looked from Nigel, who looked puzzled, to Nick who wore a roguish grin and gave Inga a conspiratorial wink.
“OOOH!” She finally finished. She walked up to Nigel and placed a finger in his face. “Nigel, I am going back to the ship. Do NOT attempt to speak to me for the next 24 hours, or I swear, I will hurt you. Very. VERY. badly. Understood?”
“But . . .”
“Zip it, Lieutenant!” she said in her steely command voice. “And you had better by-God have your hair cut the next time I see you – you got that, Mister?”
“Um, yes ma’am,” replied Nigel, realizing that something, though he did not know what, had gone terribly bolloxed.
Commander Strauss spun on her heel and stormed through the crowd.
“Nice Sheila,” remarked Nick.
“What the hell did you do, Nick?”
“Me? Hang on, mate! I was just standing here, minding me own business when your ladyfriend sticks her tongue in me ear and . . .”
“WHAT?” Nigel turned and grabbed Nick by the throat and the two went down, rolling around trading blows.
As a swarm of security officers pulled them apart, Nick grinned crookedly at his twin and spoke through bleeding lips. “Blimey, I’ve missed ya, Nigel! I can’t remember the last time I’ve ‘ad this much fun!”
* * *
Hilarious! I've always thought that if I had a twin, we'd get in the worst trouble imaginable.
