For ninety-seven nights, xenolinguist Ellis Quill has sat three stools away from Vesper, a silver-skinned pilot at the Event Horizon Cantina, and never said a word to her. Tonight her ship leaves at last call, so he sends her a drink with an unsigned note. The waiter droid delivers it in the name of the wrong gentleman, and by that gentleman's custom she has just accepted his proposal of marriage. A space-opera romantic comedy of aliens, exotic drinks and stranger customs.