01-04-2026, 02:44 AM
Alex couldn't blame Jez for her finding some humor in the situation as she pointed out the obvious, " “You're a man, and Beno is a woman. I think it would be obvious to you. You did take a Biology class, didn’t you?”
He blushed and grinned, but didn't respond right away. He indeed had his share of education in the matter, including that of a number of other species, yet he often failed to understand interactions when they involved him personally. As a child, his sister had helped him with such matters. He eventually created Cindy and ended up equipping her to be better at reading such things than he was.
“What happened was that she clearly likes you.” Said Jez, her tone matter of factly.
Alex looked away from Jez and back toward the doorway to Ten Forward, even though Beno was long gone. He slowly turned to looked back at Jez, his eyes narrowed in disbelief, "Really?"
His mind was his greatest weapon, yet it could also be his biggest hindrance. His exceptional brain was in high gear, grinding away at countless variables and evaluating conversations he had been having with her since he came onto the ship, but naturally it got him nowhere. It wasn't that he found the idea so impossible to grasp, but he had very little experience to compare it to. He was certainly guilty of a number of encounters in his playboy years, but that was a long time ago. Kristina had been the only woman he had ever really fallen in love with and that experience had taken his breath away when it happened. With his wife gone, he had a hard time even considering the possibility that lightning could strike twice. Alex knew that such matters were a weak spot for him, so was there really something he wasn't seeing?
Alex now leaned forward, scrutinizing Jez and questioning, "Clearly?"
He considered his next words as he still doubted that Beno had an actual romantic intent in the kiss. After all, it had been on the cheek. It would be acceptable behavior for a kiss on the cheek to simply be a friendly gesture, especially if she were in a good mood. If it had actually had a more romantic intent, it would have very likely played differently. He didn't kiss him on the mouth, nor did her kiss linger. There was nothing in addition to the kiss to imply that it was anything other than a friendly but slightly intimate gesture.
He grinned again as he crossed his arms and said the word again, "Clearly?" The added, "I do not think that word means what you think it means."
It was a quote that he expected would be lost on Jez. It was from one of his favorite stories and he knew it was an obscure reference. Still, it made him smile that Jez thought the FO might have developed an affection for him. It was very likely that Jez was poking fun at him over it.
== Tag Mala ==
He blushed and grinned, but didn't respond right away. He indeed had his share of education in the matter, including that of a number of other species, yet he often failed to understand interactions when they involved him personally. As a child, his sister had helped him with such matters. He eventually created Cindy and ended up equipping her to be better at reading such things than he was.
“What happened was that she clearly likes you.” Said Jez, her tone matter of factly.
Alex looked away from Jez and back toward the doorway to Ten Forward, even though Beno was long gone. He slowly turned to looked back at Jez, his eyes narrowed in disbelief, "Really?"
His mind was his greatest weapon, yet it could also be his biggest hindrance. His exceptional brain was in high gear, grinding away at countless variables and evaluating conversations he had been having with her since he came onto the ship, but naturally it got him nowhere. It wasn't that he found the idea so impossible to grasp, but he had very little experience to compare it to. He was certainly guilty of a number of encounters in his playboy years, but that was a long time ago. Kristina had been the only woman he had ever really fallen in love with and that experience had taken his breath away when it happened. With his wife gone, he had a hard time even considering the possibility that lightning could strike twice. Alex knew that such matters were a weak spot for him, so was there really something he wasn't seeing?
Alex now leaned forward, scrutinizing Jez and questioning, "Clearly?"
He considered his next words as he still doubted that Beno had an actual romantic intent in the kiss. After all, it had been on the cheek. It would be acceptable behavior for a kiss on the cheek to simply be a friendly gesture, especially if she were in a good mood. If it had actually had a more romantic intent, it would have very likely played differently. He didn't kiss him on the mouth, nor did her kiss linger. There was nothing in addition to the kiss to imply that it was anything other than a friendly but slightly intimate gesture.
He grinned again as he crossed his arms and said the word again, "Clearly?" The added, "I do not think that word means what you think it means."
It was a quote that he expected would be lost on Jez. It was from one of his favorite stories and he knew it was an obscure reference. Still, it made him smile that Jez thought the FO might have developed an affection for him. It was very likely that Jez was poking fun at him over it.
== Tag Mala ==