Keeping it Clean! (Evening)

Vas, red face and embarrassed, all but RAN to the laundry room. ANYWHERE the captain wasn’t! Oh, sweet Buddha why!

Serena jumped, dropping the basket she was holding when the door to the laundry room suddenly slammed shut. “Oh!” She said, when her sensibilities returned. “It’s you, Crew Chief. What’s wrong? You’re as pale as the sheets I just folded.”

“It was AWFUL! The Captian! He just … wouldn’t … stop.” Vas said pacing the small room. “I just want to be clear! You know I don’t see you like that! Right?”

Serena picked up the basket full of sheets she’d dropped, and rested it against her hip. While she agreed the Captain could be awful, she had no idea what he was talking about. “Like what?” She asked, not being able to hide the confusion on her face.

“Like you know … “ Vas said grasping. “... like how you see Gill! Captain’s got it in his head you and I are … do more than laundry in the laundry room?”

“Like have breakfast?” She asked. “That’d be weird. What else would you do in a laundry ro--- oh! He thinks we have sex in here?”

“AAAhh!” Vas said covering his ears. “I am offically traumatized! Oh, it gets worse! He seems to think I’m coming on to you and he seems to think you told him to tell me to keep my hands to myself! Why?! …. Oh …” Vas said smacking his forehead. “ … maybe I am high strung.” He said remembering the note.

Serena continued to look at the crew chief with the same disbelief on her face. “Maybe a little… but I ain’t said anything to him about you or your hands.” She said, dropping the basket on top of the washer. “In fact, I haven’t really seen him at all since we dropped off the drogs on New Kasmir was the last. He’s mostly been in town. *He* got to go to Solstice.”

“Everyone got to go to Solstice ‘cept you ‘n me! And Yes! And now he wants to take me to a cat house!” Vas said turning red all over again. “I know you didn’t. Cuz you know … we ain’t DONE anything!”

“It’s the Captain.” She said dismissively. “He ain’t gonna remember he was supposed to take you to have sex with someone. A couple of drinks and usually he don’t remember much. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Well, you just weren’t just grilled about sex! And how Captain said I apparently need to have some. It was just downright horrifying.” Vas said dragging a hand across his face.

“Having sex with me would be horrifying?” The teen asked, crestfallen.

“AAH!! Not you too! No! That’s not what I said! Being told I need to have sex more by my Captain is horrifying!” Vas clarified waving his hands about wildly.

“You think he could talk to Gil?” she asked, smoothing out a pillowcase.

“You are not going to get the Captain to tell Gill to have sex with you.” Vas said flatly.

“Well, not if he’s gonna tell *him* to keep *his* hands to himself.” She chuffed. “Don’t worry, Crew Chief. I seen we stocked up on blue label whiskey -- I don’t think the Captain’s gonna remember he’s supposed to take you to a cat house.”

“Sweet Buddha I hope so.” Vas sighed shaking his head. “I don’t know why my personal life is so interesting all of a sudden.”

“I think maybe it’s on account of it’s not so interesting.” Serena said honestly.

“That ain’t make a lick a sense … can we just … fold laundry and forget this ever happened. EVER.” Vas said shaking his head.

“Okay, Crew Chief. And … yes, to answer your question, I know you don’t see me *like that.* Don’t worry. The Captain just sometimes says stuff without thinkin’ it through. And if you want? I’ll tell ‘em you kept your hands to yourself.”

“I more likely hope he forgets the whole thing … maybe if you could pour him something strong for his nightcap to help him forget I would consider it a kindness.” Vas was not above using the man’s vice to bury this embarrassing incident.

“Sure thing Crew chief.” She said with certainty. “Leave it to me. Crew looks after its own.”