Jim is irresistible to Vulcans.

“There are currently three Vulcans outside wanting to see you.”

Jim pushed the glasses that had fallen down to the edge of his nose back into place. He stared at his friend, Gaila.

He was sitting at a table near the Green Tea Café where he worked part time just to have something to do during too quiet times on Vulcan. And there were a lot of quiet times.

He’d come to live there temporarily with his mother while she was on assignment for Starfleet there. They had a couple of months still to go.

Ever since they’d escaped the famine on Tarsus, his mom wouldn’t let him out of her sight. He was an adult now and she still wanted him with her.

“What for?”

Gaila, an Orion girl, laughed. “To give you Valentines, of course.”

He made a face. “Isn’t that illogical? I mean they’re Vulcans. They don’t have Valentine’s Day.”

“Earthers do and that’s what you are. So they are giving you something appropriate to your species. Or something like that. Face it, Jim, you’re irresistible to Vulcans.”

“Get real.”

“It’s true. They come here constantly and it certainly isn’t for the weak green tea.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Tell them you already have a Vulcan boyfriend.”

Jim laughed. “I don’t.”

She rolled her eyes as she poured herself a cup of the weak tea. “Yes you do. Spock.”

Jim snorted. “Right. He’s not my boyfriend. I’m tutoring him in Military Tactics.”

Gaila took a sip of her tea, filled one for Jim, brought it over, and sat across from him.

“What are you doing?”

“Studying for the Vulcan Science Academy exam.”

“You aren’t actually going to go there, are you?”

“No,” Jim admitted. “I just want to show them I could get in if I wanted to.”

“Just bat those baby blues at the council and they will let you in.” Gaila shook her head. “You’re blind.”

“Huh?’

“Spock has it bad for you.”

“He does not.”

“Do you honestly think a Vulcan needs to be tutored? About anything?” She rolled her eyes. “He wants you. He just comes at it differently than those guys out there with their Valentine’s. And that makes him smart. He spends hours next to you, gazing into your eyes, right where he wants to be. While they’re all out there still trying to get you to give them the time of day.”

“Gaila—” He shook his head. The door of the Café opened.

She looked behind her shoulder and smiled. “Speak of your Vulcan Lover Boy. It’s time for a…” She did air quotes. “’Tutoring Session’”.  

*Look for Part 2 on Monday