The Blind Date...(Jakob)

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

Dr. Felicia Valentino entered Yog's Bar and Grill. She showed the front guards she had no weapons, she never did.

Her work at Coruscant Medical was never ending, she was a specialist with eating disorders and had only been back to work with patients for about the last two months.

But, tonight was supposed to be a night of leisure, something she rarely ever had. Felicia's cousin, Hayden Radnor another doctor at Coruscant Medical, had set her up on a blind date.

Jakob Burton, was supposed to be in his early twenties...

Felicia was twenty-nine and had almost decided not to do this, but Hayden had told her he'd been friends with Jakob for a while and that he was a very nice guy.

She was dressed conservatively, black skirt, not too short and a nice black and gray sweater. Her long, brown hair was done in a French twist with some ringlets hanging down and her makeup was done perfectly.

The date was set for seven o'clock, but Felicia had arrived a bit early. Now all she had to wait on was her date.

[Jakob Burton]

Seven o'clock came and went. All the while, Jake was back up to his usual self-training session. During the session, a beam hit his watch, shorting it out. Not even realizing it, he continued his training with a renewed fervor.

Shortly, just after seven-thirty, Jake heard an alarm go off. He glanced over, and realized the time. He was late for the date!

Rushing, stripping down as he ran, he bolted for the shower, hopping in, furiously scrubbing. The water was cold, but he was late and didn't care. After about a minute of washing and rinsing, he bolted from the shower, stopping to barely towel himself off before rummaging through his clothing. Putting on a fairly nice and baggy pair of khaki slacks and a tight, black, muscle shirt, Jake shook his shoulder-length, red hair one time to give it the tossed look he so commonly sported and favored. Returning to the bathroom, Jake applied some deodorant and some cologne, then continued his running, only stopping to grab his nice chronograph, boots, socks, and his belt with his sabers dangling upon it. Sprinting down the hallways, he continued the last of his dressing until he reached the doors to the bar. Running his fingers through his still slightly wet hair to give it some semblance of tidiness, Jake collected himself before stepping into the bar.

Other than a sketchy description (Hayden called her a smoking hot, mid-twenties doctor and left it at that) and the name Felicia Valentino, Jake knew little or nothing of what the woman looked like. All he could do was walk and look for someone who looked like a doctor. Stepping through the bar, he scanned around, completely passing Felicia as he did so, stopping just short of the table. Just as he stopped, his nose caught the draft of a nice scent. Perfume. Black Rosewater. Fairly expensive. Jake, to make it seem as if he was still looking around, turned slowly, fixing his eyes on several other tables before being completely turned to Felicia. Almost positive that it was her, he approached her table, leaning in slightly, just close enough to seem polite but just far away enough to not be considered invasive.

"Um, are you Felicia Valentino?"

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

Felicia had been there for nearly an hour and Jake had not shown, she was about ready to leave when a young man came in. He fit Hayden's discription, shoulder length red hair, musclely to say the least. He was very good-looking, but he was late.

Not a good way to start a blind date. Felicia was always on time and it bothered her when people were late, but....he was a Jedi, he was cute and she was sure that there was a perfectly good explanation for this.

He walked by once and she allowed him too. It was obvious, he was looking for her. Then he turned and came right up to her and asked her name.

Felicia sipped her ice water and smiled. "Yes, I'm Felicia and you must be Jakob."

[Jakob Burton]

Jake, glad he was right and so far wasn't making a big fool out of himself, reached for her hand, holding it gently.

"Please, Ms. Felicia, call me Jake. Everyone does."

Drawing her hand forward softly and moving to meet it, he kissed it lightly before letting it go. Pulling the chair across from her, Jake had a seat.

"I apologize for my.....uh, tardiness. I was training, and my chronograph got fried by a beam....Normally, I'm on time, but things happen. Sometimes, the future is evasive.....And I must say, your taste in perfume is excellent. "

Drawing it in with his nose, Jake exhaled softly.

"Mmm, Black Rosewater, isn't it?"

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

The young doctor was impressed with the gentle kiss and his knowing of perfume. "Yes, as a matter of fact it is Black Rosewater, Jake." She told him as a deeper smile came to her lips as she looked into his eyes.

Felicia was taken by them. "No worries, Jake. Things happen, it's very understandable."

[Jakob Burton]

Jake returned the smile, gazing into her eyes.

"Tell me a little about yourself."

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

Felicia took a sip of her water and smiled.

"Well, I'm a doctor." she began. "I work at Coruscant Medical as an eating disorder specialist on the fourth floor. I've just recently transferred back here about two months ago to take on patients again."

The young doctor paused and then continued. "I've been traveling all over the galaxy promoting a new strategy that I've created called 'Little Bites' to other facilities. The gain in optimium health in the patients once they begin the program has become unreal."

Felicia stopped at that point, hoping she wasn't boring him to death.

[Jakob Burton]

As Jake listened intently, he gazed into her eyes. Very pretty. Her face was beginning to become burned into his mind. Such a beautiful face. As she finished, a droid came, asking for their order.

"Um, I'll have the large T-Bone steak and fries meal, with a low-carb beer."

Jake then paused, waiting for Felicia to take her own order.

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

"I'll take a chef salad, low fat ranch and a peach sparkling water." Felicia smiled.

She looked back to Jake as the droid took off. "What about you, Jake? What exactly do Padawans do on a normal day?"

[Jakob Burton]

"Well, we study......spar...study some more....spar some more....and....oh yeah, study. Really not much of a change from my life before the GJO.......you know, save for the pit fights and extreme competitions.....life was rough in the lower sector...."

As Jake mentions this, his gaze seems to leave Felicia, as if he was distractingly fixated upon a memory, a blemish in his mind awaiting purgation.

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

"Not all of us come from the perfect homes or family life, Jake. It's more of what you've learned from it, that is what really matters." She gave him a friendly smile.

[Jakob Burton]

"Yeah......I guess you're right....."

Jake brought his attention back to Felicia. Remembering her order, he smiles as he speaks.

"So, I take it that you're a health nut?"

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

Felicia nodded. "I eat healthy yes. I must to promote what I teach to my patients. I had my own eating disorder when I was much younger and nearly died. Now, I can take my own experiences and help others."

[Jakob Burton]

"Oh.....I see......That says a lot. You practice what you preach; you believe in what you preach; and most certainly, you are a perfected by-product of your preachings....."

Jake smiled wolfishly, letting his eyes wander up and down the length of Felicia's slender, yet perfect body.

".....And let's not forget, you're quite the looker as well."

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

The doctor blushed as she took a sip of her water. She wasn't used to being complimented quite like that. "Well, um thank you. You are quite handsome yourself."

[Jakob Burton]

"Nah, not really.......I'm just healthy-looking. In fact, I probably don't take as much care with myself as I should.......I'm kinda lucky.....genetic predispositions keep me this way......not my eating habits....."

Just as Jake spoke, the droid returned, carrying two plates. One was the low-fat ranch chef salad, and the other was the very large T-bone steak and a pile of fries. In another handlike recepticle were their drinks: a peach water and a low-carb beer. As they were served, Jake unceremoniously began to cut into his steak, taking a large, rare chunk and forking it into his mouth. As he finished chewing, Jake effortlessly opened up the beer bottle with his hands. He took a swig. It was almost immediately accompanied with a soured look.

"God, this beer is awful......."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jake continued to sip away at the beer, quickly swallowing to keep from tasting the awful brew.

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

"Well, I think all beer is awful. I just have never gotten used to that taste. I more of a wine-cooler and mixed drink type of girl." She smiled as she took bite of her salad.

"Mmm, this is good. My cousins been wanting me to come over here, he says they have the best salads. He was right."

[Jakob Burton]

"Hmmm....I see. Well, beer and salads are foods that one has to aquire a taste for......I've never really liked salads, to be honest. Too green, no solid sustinence. Excuse me for a moment."

Jake got up, heading to the bar, where he ordered a bottle of whiskey and a peach daquiri. Shortly, as the drinks came to his hands, he returns to the table.

"Sorry 'bout that. The low-carb crap just isn't for me.....and I figured you could use a good daquiri."

Jake offers the daquiri to Felicia with a warm smile.

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

Felicia smiles and accepts the daquiri. "Thank you, Jake. I've not had one of these in a while." She takes a sip. "Mmm, very good. So," she began. "Do you have any hobbies or things you like to do?"

[Jakob Burton]

"Other than the usual stuff......you know, hovercycle racing, lightsaber training, hand-to-hand combat training, unarmed combat training, working out.....going out with beautiful ladies like yourself.......I really don't do too much."

Jake took a sip of the whiskey, the harsh taste appealing to him.

"But there is one thing I like to do......."

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

Felicia had never been out with a Jedi, usually her dates consisted of accounting creampuffs, who thought they were all that. Everything was fake.

But, Jake, there was nothing fake about him, she could tell first off and she liked that.

"So, what is it that you really like?" She asked with a curious smile.

[Jakob Burton]

"I like to go out at night and watch the sky. Particularly when there is a full moon out.......I've always had a bit of an obsession with the moon.....It casts a surrealistic luminescence on things, augments them, makes them more beautiful....."

Jake looks down at his chronograph, and smiles.

"Speaking of which, tonight has a full moon. How 'bout after we have dinner, we go for a walk in the gardens? I could take you to a few of my favorite spots..."

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

"Sure, it sounds lovely." She answered with a smile. Yeah, she liked this guy.

She sipped on her drink some more. "So, how long have you been with the Order?"

[Jakob Burton]

"A few months at best.....most of my combative prowess I gained previous to my joining of the Order. I was a slave, if you will, of a Hutt who resided in the lower slums of Coruscant. I was trained to fight in competitions for profit.....I look back on my childhood as slightly hard....But hey, it prepared me for things to come, I guess."

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

Felicia nodded with a kind smile. "I believe, we are able to learn a lot in our events as children, may they be good or bad. I know, I learned quite a bit, I don't listen to my father that constantly told me I was nothing but fat and ugly and would never amount to anything. You have grown in your events as well, it's most evident."

[Jakob Burton]

"Well, I would have to agree with you on that......My mother taught me how to be strong and how to survive using the one thing that I would always have......myself. And thank you. I'm glad somebody noticed...."

Jake smiles, before cutting and eating another part of his steak. Swallowing it down, Jake switches gears.

"So tell me, Felicia, what is it that you do for fun?"

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

"I collect spores, molds and fungus..." She said in the most serious of tones.

A few moments later, she laughed. "Kidding. I just had too, I'm sorry." She thought for a few moments. "Well, I enjoy tennis, rock wall climbing and rollercoasters. And every once in a while, I go snow boarding with my cousin. Had I not become a doctor, I would've gone pro at tennis."

[Jakob Burton]

"Wow. Quite the athlete, I see. Well, maybe we could play tennis sometime.....or perhaps I could teach you a little in the martial arts......That sort of thing is my section of expertise."

Finishing the last of his steak, Jake takes a sip of his whiskey. He then turned to make more conversation, while Felicia finished her meal.

"Rollercoasters, huh? Well, maybe sometime I'll take ya for a ride on my hovercycle......Its quite similar to riding a rollercoaster, with the added fact that you are in control of the ride yourself. Maybe we could do that before we walk in the gardens. That is, if you want to."

[Dr. Felicia Valentino]

"Excellent, sounds like a lot of fun. I've never been on a hovercycle." She smiled and finished off her meal. "Martial arts, I've never done anything like that, but there's always a first time for everything." She took another drink.