“Have you seen her?” Hank asked, putting his mug back down on the bar. “You should. I mean, that’s a woman to make the heart beat faster.”

He tapped his nose. “You know, it’s not like I hadn’t had offers. I had. In the last few years women have been falling over themselves to sleep with me.” He draped his arm around the other’s shoulders. “Good looking man like me, ain't really surprising, is it? But it seems they was only the hors d’oevres, as you might say. And boy, was the main course worth waiting for!”

He hooted with laughter, then swiftly covered his mouth in case anyone heard, but he couldn’t keep it inside.

“Main course and sweet, sweet dessert, all rolled up into one package.”

Serenity’s pilot was more than a little drunk, and he didn’t care. He had money in his pocket, and a need to talk to someone, and he’d found just the right bar. Now he was feeling loquacious.

He grinned lopsidedly. “You know when I first saw her?” He put a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell anyone, but it was when Mal interviewed me. Heard about him, a’course. The whole damn ‘verse saw what he did, saw the mess on Miranda, but not many know it was him. I did. She told me.” He winked very carefully. “Can’t say who, but it was a little bird.” He frowned. “Where was I? Oh, yeah.” He lifted his head. “Bar keep, another round for me and my friend!” he called and laughed.

The barman poured, picking up a coin from the pile in front of him. “That it?” he asked. Hank nodded.

He waited until the barman had gone to serve someone else before he leaned forward again. “That’s when I saw her. First time. Standing next to Mal. She looked me up and down like I was a side of meat she was considering buying. Man, she could have bought me thirty times over!” He paused and took a large mouthful of beer. “Like some kind of exotic flower. And right then and there I wanted to make her blossom.” He glanced about. “Always knew if she gave me the chance I could make her bloom.”

He sighed, his good m