Unlikely To Like You

[Nika Raskov]

She could have melted from relief.  Awesome that this worked out because Liv was pretty quiet in the beginning and this wouldn’t be the first time Nika had gone way overboard on something.  What a gamble it had been.  Liv looked as though she was actually enjoying the meal and that was fantastic.  Nika liked hearing the other woman talk.  She laughed and smiled at the thanks.  “You are most welcome.  I’m glad you like it.”  Nika started in on her own plate, cutting a bite-sized cube easily with her fork.  The noodles, she made the pasta herself, were like butter; they all but melted in your mouth.  Lasagna was her favorite food.  Then tacos.  Still, it was nice to have had the time to cook a bunch, even if the reason sucked.  The only evidence from the crash that remained was the small brace and hard sleeve over the last two fingers on her left hand.  Even that wasn’t terribly noticeable which was preferable as Nika didn’t really like drawing attention to herself.  Not unnecessarily.  There was her public persona for the media and the like sure and Nika was goofy and a prankster and everything she appeared to be in the interviews but she was also very private.  She’d rather be left alone really.  It was the job that made her go out all extroverted.  Hell, Nika didn’t even post to her own social media accounts...that was Annessa and her assistants.  Nika just sent them pictures and stuff when they bugged her to death.

A barking laugh erupted at Liv’s quip about a restaurant.  “I’ll consider it when I retire so I’ll hold you to that.”  Nika looked thoughtful.  “Can you really draw or paint or...?  When I’ve come in for coffee sometimes you’re neck-deep in books that require two hands and a triple digit IQ...”  That’s so hot.  “Are art skills a prerequisite to being a mad scientist?”