She sang with passion of lost love, of tender sadness, of misty memories fading with time …. Lando was totally captivated. When she finished the number, he clapped as loudly as the rest of the audience. Smiling and blushing becomingly, she allowed herself to be escorted back to her table by Umjing Baab, who genuflected deeply to her, and then returned to his fellow Rughja band members.
As the Swinging Trio struck up a catchy tune, Lando got unhesitatingly to his feet and walked over to the chanteuse, narrowly beating out a wealthy Alderaanian banker whom Lando had relieved of many of his excess credits earlier that evening.
Reaching Lady Laal’s table, Lando bowed to her, flashing his best, most charming smile. “May I?” he asked, holding out his arm.
She hesitated for a long second, glanced at each of the men sitting with her, then shrugged fractionally. “Thank you,” she said, and stood up.
Lando escorted her out to the dance floor. She looked around her and frowned slightly in consternation. “Oh, dear. I’m afraid I don’t know how to do this one.”
Lando was surprised. The margengai-glide had been popular for at least five years. “It’s easy,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder, and interlacing his fingers with hers. “I’ll show you.”
She missed several steps right off, and brought her heeled evening slipper down on his toes once, but after a couple of minutes, and Lando’s experienced coaching, Bria began to catch on. Her sense of timing was good, and so were her reflexes. Once she’d memorized the intricate pattern of the steps, she began to enjoy herself, Lando could tell. She was nearly as tall as he was, and as they moved around the dance floor, they began to receive the admiring glances of the onlookers still seated at the tables.
“Good, you’ve got it,” Lando said. “You’re a natural.”
“I haven’t danced in years,” she confessed, a little breathless, as the music changed to a fast number. Lando whirled her into a boxnov threestep.
She was a little rusty, but it was obvious that the older dance was one she’d done before.
“You’re wonderful,” he assured her. “I’m the luckiest man on this ship, finding a partner like you.”
She gave him a brilliant smile, her cheeks flushed with the exercise and praise. “Flatterer.”
Lando put on a mock-hurt expression. “Me? I am under a vow of truth, Lady Bria … Bria … what a lovely name. You’re Corellian, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, stiffening slightly in his arms, her glance suddenly wary. “Why?”
“I was just thinking that I’ve only heard that name once before. Is it common on your homeworld?”
“No,” she said. “My father made it up from the first syllables of my grandmothers’ names. Brusela and Iaphagena. He didn’t want to saddle me with either of them, but he wanted to honor both of them.”
“Clever,” Lando said. “Obviously a man of great diplomacy and tact.”
She laughed a little, but there was a sad note underlying her merriment.
“That’s my father,” she agreed. “Lando, I’m surprised to hear you say you’ve met another Bria. I thought I was the only one.”
“You probably are,” Lando said. “The other Bria I knew was a ship. My friend Han named his Sorosuub Starmite he leased from me the Bria. ” She missed a step, recovered quickly. “Han?” she said. “I used to know a Corellian named Han. Is your friend Corellian?”
Lando nodded, and twirled her in a spin. When she was back in his arms again, he said, “Han Solo and I go back a ways. Don’t tell me you know him?”
She laughed a little. “I do. It has to be the same guy. Brown hair, brownish eyes with a hint of green, a hair taller than you, has a very charming, lopsided smile?”
“Whoa,” Lando said, raising an eyebrow. “You do know him well, don’t you?
That guy gets around, doesn’t he?”
Her face reddened at his knowing look, and she glanced away and concentrated on the intricate steps for a moment. When she looked back up, her eyes were cool, and a little amused. “He’s just part of my past, like a lot of other guys,” she said. “There must be a few skeletons in your cargo locker, right?”
Lando, realizing he’d touched a nerve, was happy to let the subject go.
“You bet,” he said.
They danced several more dances, and Lando enjoyed her company tremendously. He looked over at her table, and realized that her companions had left the lounge. “Who are those fellows who were sitting at your table?”