Walking into The Golden Kettle, the place that his crew often spoke about. They told him it was a good place to get a cold beer and a decent meal. Tristan didn't see any of his crew there now. The place was practically empty. His stomach gave another rumble reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day. Maria would have to forgive him this one for eating out.

He took a seat at the bar looking around at the few remaining people left in the place. Couples. On dates.

"Great. Just what I needed to see" he thought wryly.

He had never given his romantic status much thought. Sherrie was gone now, not that she had lasted any longer than any of the others had. They didn't interest him beyond a couple dates. They were looking for a rich husband, someone to take care of them. Sherrie was like that, raised with money, she lacked compassion. Hell, she lacked passion entirely. Like the others, she lacked fire. Something that would keep him guessing.

Tristan might've left his pirating days behind him and become a decent business man, but his taste for the edge of danger hadn't diminished at all. Something that made his blood race through his veins and make him feel really alive.

He had taken to working all the time now. All the romance and it's pitfalls were a secondary thought. There was no one else who had caught his eye. Until that day of the raid on the yards when she came barreling through the fray to save his hide from being skewered by a blade.



Before he could get lost in another daydream about Aja, he suddenly started to smell jasmine, reminding him of a week he stayed once in India, where the night blooming jasmine hung heavy in the air and comforted him in a strange way. He hadn't thought of that in years. Strange how the time passes by. With a heavy sigh, he turned his attention to the copper eyes of the woman who had been the dominating character in many a daydream this past week. Aja stood behind the bar, giving him a smile and he wondered how long she had been standing there.



"Hi. What can I get for you tonight?"

"I'll have a beer and a menu." Tristan laid some money on the bar. He had wondered where she had been all week, now he was getting a clue as to where she disappeared to.

"Coming right up." she moved quickly, putting his beer in front of him, before ducking under the counter and coming back up with a menu. "Here ya go. I'll leave ya for a minute so ya can figure out whatchya need." She gave him another smile, and wandered down the bar. Tristan stared after her for a moment longer, but shrugging slightly and read the menu. When he looked up again, she was once again standing there giving him a soft smile.

"You, my friend, have incredible concentration."

"Yes. Well, years of studying."

"It's impressive." another smile was granted to him, he found himself smiling back. "Hey, ya do smile. I was beginning to think you were terminally cranky."

"I'm not. Really." she gave him a sly grin and he almost swore he was blushing. "Uh, could I get a hamburger and fries?"

"Sure thing, sunshine." She winked at him and disappeared into the kitchen. Tristan felt dumbfounded by her while he stared after her again, momentarily speechless. Was she flirting with him' Not that he'd had a shortage of anyone doing so, but those women were less subtle than Aja seemed to be with it.



He was still thinking about that when he saw here coming back out. She looked down the bar and waved at the patrons who were leaving.

"See you two tomorrow." She called out.

"You want me to come get you?" The woman asked.

"Yeah. Whenever is fine. I actually have tomorrow off."

"You won't know what to do with yourself." the other woman laughed.

"I'm sure I'll find something." Aja smiled and waved as they went out the door. Another man bustled from the back, and went about the task of cleaning up. She smiled at that, then turned her attention back to Tristan, who hadn't been able to take his eyes off her. She came closer to him and leaned on the bar.

"Now, tell me. What's a nice looking man like you, doing here all alone?" She was flirting with him! Surely, she was just making conversation just to be polite, maybe to up her tips.

"I was working late."

"All work and no play, my friend. Isn't healthy." Tristan nodded in slow agreement. She watched him thinking for a moment and then spoke again. "Seriously. Playtime is essential fer keepin ya young."





Aja smiled broadly, turning on her heel when she heard the cook ring the bell. She grabbed the plate and the ketchup, setting both down smoothly in front of Tristan. "I'll leave ya to eat." She paused a moment, looking at him with concern. "Ya alright, Tris?" the way she had given him a little nickname made him smile.

"Yes....Um...I'm fine. Thank you." he stared a moment longer, she gave him another smile, and wandered towards the other end of the bar. Tristan watched her leave, then began eating, still thinking about his friends.

Aja had come and gone several times, getting him another beer. He hadn't noticed her approach or departure as he had his book pulled out and was reading about the modifications he saw in the plans he had with him while he ate. He also didn't notice the other people at the bar leaving. The cook had left for the night, so did the bus boy. Aja and Tristan were the only two left. When the light started to diminish, he looked up to see her turning off some of the lights. She was walking towards him, as he fumbled in his pockets.

"I didn't realize it was so late." He tried to stand, and stumbled a little. Aja caught him and helped him steady himself. He hadn't thought he drank that much, but apparently, he had.

"Hey there, Tris. Why don't ya sit. I'll get ya home."

"You don't have..."

"I know I don't have to, Tristan. It's not about duty. It's about wanting to see ya stay in one piece." she smiled. "Just sit. I'll take care of this, and then we'll go." She didn't seem to give him an option about what was going to happen. He saw her take the glass into the kitchen, again, her perfume lingered in the air around him. He smiled slightly as the memories the scent invoked. New ones were mixing in with the old, Aja's soft smile, the sound of her laugh. He didn't know why she had such an effect on him.

When she returned, she shut off the lights behind the bar. Security lights were the only thing that remained on. Tristan stared at her, the way the dim light graced her face. Her dark eyes reflected concern and he reached a hand up to touch her face.

"You're a very nice lady."

"And yer not quite yourself, Tristan. Let's get ya home." she held out her hand, he took it, letting her put her arm around him to guide him to the door. She leaned him against the building while she locked up.

"I didn't know I had that much to drink." He stared up at the stars, letting the cool night air surround him.

"You were pretty into those plans." Aja replied as she put the keys in her pocket. She looked at him, with the streetlight halo in his hair, the glint of it coming off the watch on his wrist. His left hand clutching the plans he had been so lost in. The lines around his eyes faded in the dark. He looked at peace. Her observations started to wander about the rest of him, she had to remember what it was she was trying to do for him. Just get him home in one piece. She shook herself out of it and smiled brightly. "Come on, let's get going." She put her arm around Tristan, making to move him towards the horses, his face was mere inches from hers.



Tristan moved slowly, but he was staring at her, noticing her perfume again. It made him smile again. She looked at him with a soft smile. "What's with that smile?"

"Oh..nothing. Remembering India."

"Ah." Aja carefully leaned him against the tie off post, moving to un-hitch Chiron. "India huh?"

"Yes. You can smell the night blooming jasmine everywhere. It's ....." He started to slide, she caught him and he stared deeply into her eyes, his arm went around her waist and held her tightly to him. "Intoxicating."

Aja merely blushed a little as the look that Tristan gave her could've set a fire. Tristan's hand moved up her back, the heated look in his eyes growing slightly. She felt she couldn't move at the moment if her life depended on it, she was completely entranced by his stare. He leaned in, fully intent on kissing her. Somewhere in what seemed like the distance, Chiron huffed and nudged her, breaking the spell she found herself under. She smiled a little unsteady.

"Come on, Tristan. Yer not getting any closer to home standing here."

"I'm closer than I ever was before." He spoke before thinking, and Aja passed it off as drunken rambling.



With some difficulty, she managed to get Tristan in Chiron's saddle and get up before he fell off. Once she was seated decently enough, his arms latched onto her and he leaned against her back.



Tristan didn't seem to notice when Chiron had come to a stop. She smiled remembering that Rico had once said that Tristan had been known to become a little lost without going anywhere. His friends were obvious in their affection for the man, but loved to tease him. Tristan always took it in stride. Aja thought about the countless times she'd seen four of them together. The core four as some had taken to calling the leadership of the ship yards. Whenever they were spotted together, they looked like they could take on the world. They'd laugh, and talk, teasing each other about this or that.

Rico, of course, was a favorite with the girls at work. It was the green eyes and dark hair in combination with the muscles from working on the ship. Murray, the quarter master was quiet. A six foot two package of muscled man, with deep gray eyes and a flop of sun streaked brown hair. Murray seemed fascinated with the people around him. He'd spend hours watching them. Some of the girls thought he was a major hottie.

Then there was Warren, married but that in no way marred his rugged good looks. He was a solid man, with light brown hair and mischievous brown eyes.

But it was Tristan that always caught Aja's eye. He looked so cute, reading his books, sharing what he was reading with his companions. His eyes got bright, and the smile that lit his face, was to die for. She couldn't believe he was there behind her holding her close and burying his face in her hair.

She slid from the saddle slowly, making sure he made it to the ground without landing them both flat on their backs. She shook him to catch his attention. He started and looked around. Aja motioned to the house, took his arm gently and started for the door.

"Tris, yer home." "So we are." Tristan fished around in his pockets again, pulling out the keys, and promptly dropping them on the concrete. Aja scooped them up and studied them for a moment before ascertaining which one would open his door. Finding the right one on the first try, she smiled, and helped Tristan inside. Aja had only ever been to the door of the house, once when she came with Tanner. She knew the foyer was huge and looked like any other wealthy persons house. Tristan made his way down the hallway, somehow avoiding crashing into things, unaware that Aja had stayed right behind him, a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder, steering him away from the walls. Once at the den door, he leaned on the frame and looked at her. "I don't know how to thank you." "I believe ya just did, Tris." He took her hand in his, his eyes never leaving hers. Aja stood mesmerized by the intensity of the stare. The moment shared outside the tavern returned. Tristan put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Aja didn't resist, didn't want to. She'd been daydreaming about Tristan for a while now. Nice men like Tristan didn't appear very often in her world. One kiss. Just one. What could be the harm"

Tristan's hand reached up and touched her face gently, before going through her hair, and pulling her in to him. His lips connected with hers, a soft, tentative kiss at first, which then deepened into a hungry demand for more. Aja ran her hands up his arms, holding onto him to protect her from the storm of emotions he was now stirring up within her. Her fingers ran through his hair, pulling a moan from him.

She was the first to come back to reality. She pulled back and saw the passion in Tristan's eyes. She took a deep unsteady breath and took a step back. Tristan did not let go of her yet, he moved closer to her, staring at her with the same passion dark eyes. Aja ran a hand up his chest and placed it in the middle. He just looked at her confused by the movement.

"Are ya gonna be alright if I leave ya alone now?" she watched the question's implications set in, leaving him looking a little flustered. She knew that if they had kept on the track they were on, he would have regretted it in the morning, this just proved that for her. "Yeah. I should be fine." "Alright then. Good night, Tristan." she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, not really wanting to leave but knowing she had to before anything else could happen. "Goodnight, Aja.?

She smiled sweetly, dropped the keys on the coffee table and left his house, leaving the smell of jasmine in her absence. He stayed leaned against the doorframe a while longer, trying to calm his body down from that kiss. His mind going over and over the events of the night, always returning to thinking about India again and the woman with copper eyes that reminded him of it.