Judgement – You're Stepping On My Toes Part 2
by Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek
Post Details
::ON::
-OLD-
Ai'lani continued to lead her across the dance floor gracefully, his eyes rarely leaving hers to look around. As the tango ended, he stopped before leaning forward and giving her cheek a small, chaste kiss. "Thank you for a lovely dance," he told her with a smile.
Before Bridget could say anything, a meaty hand grabbed her left arm and yanked her away for Ai'lani, sending her spinning and tumbling across the dance floor. A sallow, thin faced man stepped over and landed a brutal punch to Ai'lani's delicate cheek bones so hard the crunch cut over the final tones of the orchestra, and smashed the Deltan to the floor.
-NEW-
"Don't ever touch her, you piece of guinea scum." He raised his foot, ready to deliver a kicking that meant to kill.
"Dutch! No!" Bridget's yell echoed over the stunned crowd. She pushed herself from a prone position, trying to scramble to her feet.
But apparently, there was no need for her to intervene. As Dutch came close again, Ai'lani, having remained deceivingly passive after the punch, suddenly sprang to his feet and before people could tell what was going on, got the upper hand. Dutch found himself pressed quite firmly face first against a nearby table with his hands restrained painfully behind his back.
Ai'lani felt lightheaded from the adrenaline rushing through his veins and he kept him restrained with a strength people probably doubted he possessed. He hadn't hit him, of course. In fact, the thought of punching back hadn't even entered his mind. Violence wasn't in his nature. But he wasn't about to just lie down and be a victim.
"Get off me!" snarled Dutch, struggling against the arm lock that pinned him securely. "Boys, fuck this guinea up for me. Break his legs then break his face!" He bellowed. More of Dutch's men started shoving through the crowd.
"Hey, you alright?" Bridget's breathless question was for Ai'lani, but Dutch answered, thinking she had asked him.
"Stay out of this, you whore!" Dutch snarled. "I gave you everything, and I find you foolin' with this guy. Bad enough when I thought you were screwing Dix Dwyer. I'm going to make you regret it!"
Ignoring Dutch, Ai'lani gave Bridget a kind smile. "I'm fine."
The crowd that had gathered around the scene parted as an extremely tall, middle aged man in a custom made tuxedo came toward them. He was Owney's right hand man, Frenchy. A deceivingly genial expression on his face, he was most often a gentleman; but he was also an enforcer with hands the size of dinner plates, and acted as the club's bouncer when necessary. When it came to Dutch lately, it had always been necessary, to one degree or another.
"Whats going on here?" he rumbled, his baritone authoritative, but amiable.
If it had been Bridget's personal choice, she'd have had Dutch hauled off to jail in a heartbeat. But she had to stay in character; which meant Vera didn't take sides or stand up for herself. "It's just a misunderstanding, Frenchy." Bridget looked at Ai'lani and hoped he'd get the message. If he didn't, she'd explain later.
"Sandman, let Dutch up." Frenchy instructed.
Ai'lani let him go quickly enough, taking a few steps back. "Nothing to worry about, Frenchy, just a misunderstanding. Got me off guard for a minute there. Acted out of instinct, no harm done," he told the bigger man, looking at Dutch.
If looks could kill, Ai'lani would have been a steaming heap of ash. As it was, Dutch straightened up, smoothed down his clothes and adjusted his hat. He was going to kill the Deltan, Ai'lani could see it.
"Outside, Dutch," Frenchy warned, putting a huge hand on the gangster's shoulder. "Take it outside."
Dutch threw the hand off. "Right. Outside." He turned, and grabbed Bridget by the upper arm, pulling her close. "Alright Vera, we're leaving."
"Hey, you can't pull her around like that. She's not your property," Ai'lani told him.
"She's bought and paid for," Dutch snarled as he pushed Bridget in front of him. "If you want to make something of it, I'll see you out front."
Before Ai'lani could answer, there was a short fanfare from the orchestra, and all eyes turned that direction, including Dutch's. Distracted, he stopped pushing Bridget and stood still. Dixie Dwyer was at a microphone in the center of the stage, acting like an emcee. His announcement that Vera would be singing brought a sigh of relief from Bridget, a growl from Dutch, and applause from the audience.
Dutch wasn't about to cross Owney openly - at least, not yet. Not until his power base was solidified. So as a spotlight traveled the audience and stopped over Bridget, there was nothing Dutch could do. In an effort at revenge and a reminder that they had unfinished business, he gave a grunt and slapped her hard on the behind, showing a fake cheesy smile to those who turned to watch.
Bridget jumped a bit at the slap, and had to grit her teeth not to turn around and sock Dutch right in the mouth. After a second to control herself, she focused on the stage and made her way down the terraces toward it. Climbing the steps, she gave Dixie a grateful smile; she knew he'd seen what happened, and figured this was his doing - a way to get her out of Dutch's grasp - for now.
"Thanks a million," she muttered under her breath. As she stepped to the microphone and looked out over the crowd, she saw Dutch being escorted to the door by Frenchy and another man.
"You shouldn't put up with him, you know. Owney could sort you out for the club. I could come play for you, you know, between films."
"I know, and don't think I don't appreciate it, but I'd lose my club and maybe my life if I did that," she said, watching as he made his way toward the grand piano that had been brought to center stage.
As the orchestra began the intro to Vera's song, Owney approached Ai'lani. Ever the gracious host, Owney asked Ai'lani to join him at his table, and offered to buy him a drink. "After all, Sandman, Dutch needs to know that if he messes with my best dancer, he's got a world of hurt coming his way."
"Thanks," Ai'lani accepted, looking over at the door where Dutch had been led out as he sat down. Still a little upset over the conflict, he looked back at Owney and flashed him a smile before looking up at Bridget, curious to hear her sing.
Cab Calloway's orchestra began the intro music to the racy ballad, "Body And Soul", written by the Hollywood songwriter, Lawrence Green. Dixie was on piano, and Bridget turned to look at him, grinning and rolling her eyes. The song had been banned from the radio because of it's suggestive lyrics; but it was extremely popular nonetheless. Dixie loved the song because he loved Vera singing it. Their secret relationship made the song all the more provocative to him. Bridget's contralto voice was a good choice for the song - low and throaty. As she sang the first stanza, she looked out over the crowd to find Ai'lani. Ah, there he was, sitting with Owney. Good. She caught his eye, and gave him a big wink and a smile.
The Deltan smiled honestly, enjoying her performance, but keeping his eyes on hers.
"Don't get any ideas, Sandman." Owney told him with a paternalistic tone. "And its not because you're coloured and she's white. Or because she's the Dutchman's. Even if she wasn't, she's still a whole heap of trouble. Still practically jail bait, and too ambitious for her own good. There's nothing but trouble if you go there."
Ai'lani gave a laugh. "Don't worry. I've got enough trouble without chasing after her."
His back to her, Sandman didn't see Lila approach his chair. She was an absolutely stunning woman; tall and voluptuous, her dark hair and eyes were the perfect match for her light brown skin. She was dressed in a shimmering peach halter gown with a daringly low cut bodice. She bent over his back and whispered in his ear.
"So this is where you've got to. I've been looking for you, baby."
Ai'lani hadn't noticed her approach and gave a slight jump when she breathed against his ear. He turned to look at her and smiled at the sight. She was breathtaking. Sure, Ai'lani knew she wasn't real, but at moments like this, he really had to give props to whoever invented the hologram. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted her, unsure if this was Lila or not.
Owney smiled and invited Lila to join them, but she demurred. "We're on in fifteen minutes, Mister Madden. Sandy and I have to get ready. We're dancing to "Creole Love Call."
"You just picked that song so you could get nice and close to me," Ai'lani told her with a flirty smile.
"Moi?" Her feigned innocence elicited a laugh from both men. "Just because you dance like honey drippin' from the comb don't mean I wanna get all that close to you," she purred.
Ai'lani grinned wickedly. "Well then I suppose you won't mind me sitting this one out, will you?" he teased.
"Well, I could always ask Clay to do it. Your brother would like that, wouldn't he," she replied in kind, bending forward so he'd catch a good bird's eye view of her decolletage.
"Hmm...Well, he's right over there, sweetie, go ahead," Ai'lani told her, a challenge in his eyes as he flashed her flirty grin.
"No dilly-dallying you two." Madden chided them. "There's a show to do. Go do your stuff."
Ai'lani gave him a smile too, before standing up and offering his hand to Lila before leading her to the dance floor.
"Where do you think you're goin'? We dance on stage, you know that. You just bein' a goose?" Lila grinned and squeezed his hand, and pulled him toward the curtains that hung from the vaulted ceiling to the floor. Behind them lay the chaos of rushing bodies - singers, actors, comedians, and chorus girls.
"Do we have to dance to that song?" he suddenly asked her. "How about something more lively?" he suggested.
"What did you have in mind?" She turned, a questioning look on her face.
"How about some fast swing?" he suggested.
She smiled and said, "Sure. Let's do a Lindy Hop. I'll tell the band." She winked and went back out between the curtains, climbing up the rear stairs to the orchestra. She whispered in the ear of a trumped player, who nodded.
Backstage, she pressed between a couple of burly men who gave comments to her back, which she ignored, and found Sandman talking with a chorus girl. She paused, listening.
"...You have to be careful. You can't go provoking everyone, specially not people like Dutch." The dancer was giving Ai'lani a doe-eyed look, radiating concern.
"I know. Don't worry about me, Katy. I can take care of myself," he assured, reaching up to lightly caress her cheek.
She giggled. "Someone needs to take care of you. You'll just get into trouble otherwise."
He chuckled. "And what? You wanna take care of me?" he asked with a wink.
"I think I could take you in hand." She stepped closer to him, tugging her lip between her teeth and looking at him through thick eyelashes.
"Back off, girl. Ain't you got someplace to be?" Lila glared angrily at Katy, staring her down. There was a pronounced hierarchy among the performers, and everyone knew their station. Lila was at the top, and Katy at the bottom. To Lila's mind, she had no right reaching above her station with the Sandman. The irony was that Lila herself had no idea she held a double standard.
Katy shrugged innocently, but with a malicious smile. She gave Sandman a pouty wink and turned to flounce away, swinging her hips wide in hopes he'd notice and do something about it later.
"In fact, I'll take care of you right now." The emphasis in Lila's voice gave a whole different spin on what Katy had said. She stepped in front of Ai'lani with arms folded, doing her best to block his view of the retreating chorus girl. "Jus' what the hell you think you doin' with that li'l shrimp when you gots lobster right in yo' hand?" When Lila was mad, her accent became stronger and revealed her Alabama roots.
Ai'lani really had no idea if what came from him next would fit into the story or not, but he was a sucker for drama. "Well maybe I'd rather have a shrimp than a someone that only acknowledges me depending on who's around," he told her.
"I have no ahdea what you mean. But if you wants that li'l bitty girl, then you jus' go right on ahead. But don't come crawlin' ta me when she done dumps yo' ass for the next pretty boy comes along."
"Lila, Sandman. You're on." It was a stage hand, who looked to be about fifteen years old. His pink ears told the fact that he'd been listening to their conversation, and had only made his presence known when it was apparent the duo wasn't headed up the back stairs to await their cue.
"Suff it, Marchon," Lila spat at the boy. But she dutifully turned and made her way to the back of the stage and the wooden stairs that led to the wings. She didn't know whether Sandy would follow, but she was betting on it. It was her perception that his career meant more to him than she did.
Marchon rolled his eyes. He was used to Lila's prima donna histrionics. "You'd best get up there too, Sandy. Crowd needs distracting after all that fuss with Dutch."
"Right," Ai'lani nodded, following Lila up. Luckily, he was a pretty good dancer, so could keep up with Lila. They moved across the floor with elegance, despite the upbeat song choice and when they finished, the crowd erupted in applause.
Taking a bow, Ai'lani led Lila off the stage and went up to Bridget. "I didn't know you could sing," he told her once he noticed she was standing alone.
Before she could reply, the whole simulation froze, and Vedra, the waitress who had set the program up, walked between two. "I'm sorry," she began, "But Edward said we should let you stay until we're ready to lock up, and its only me and Pelin now, and we're ready to go."
"Oh..." Bridget's voice was layered with elements of surprise; she hadn't expected the time to pass so quickly, and she hadn't expected Ed to give the employees such a direction. She pensively bit her lip, wondering why he hadn't joined them in the game.
"Alright, let me give you something... Vedra," she quickly read the Risian girl's name tag. Reaching for the padd the waitress carried, Bridget paid for the holosuite rental and gave her a generous tip in Federation credits, then handed the reader back to the girl and accepted back her isolinear rod.
The risian woman beamed at her. "Thanks. Take care now, tell Eddie I said hi." Then the waitress sashayed out, her high heels could be heard clipping on the stairs to the ground floor.
~Eddie?~ She'd have to ask him about that. To Ai'lani she said, "I guess it's time for us to go." Her smile for him was genuine as she looped her arm around his.
Ai'lani smiled at the gesture, happy that she was comfortable enough to do it. Walking with her in silence for a while, he spoke up. "I must say, I usually prefer reality to holodecks but that was really fun," he admitted. He had been known to indulge in some recreational program here and there, but it wasn't really a habit for him.
As she listened, she mentally summed up the experience and the parts of his character that she'd gotten to know a little bit. He could be prickly and strongly opinionated, but he was honest - and she greatly respected that about him.
"Can I be honest?" he asked, as if he needed permission. Knowing he really didn't, he spoke right after the question. "I'm glad that sloppy lab intern messed something up in Sickbay," he grinned wickedly. "Kaelin is lovely but he never would've agreed to going into the holodeck for some fun. Which means you and I probably would've ended tonight on a bad note. I'm glad I got to know you a little better. You're not as uptight as you seem," he said finally, looking down at Bridget.
She laughed. "Well, I do like Kaelin, but you're probably right; he wouldn't be comfortable play acting in a game like that. Edward isn't really into it either, though he plays along when I ask. But he never initiates it." She gave a shrug that translated into 'to each his own'. "And I'm glad you don't think I'm uptight. I'd be horribly offended if you did," She tilted her chin and gave him a playful smile.
Ai'lani returned it. "Well we wouldn't want that, would we?" he said.
Pelin awaited them at the door, ready to unlock it for them as they approached. "Thank you for letting us stay," Bridget said to him. He bade them goodnight and they left, and their footsteps echoed from the silent walls.
"Why, Mrs. Stapleton, out in the empty Promenade at three in the morning, an incredibly good looking younger man on your arm. What will your husband think?" he asked her, his tone light and playful as he gave her arm an affectionate squeeze.
"Younger man?! Listen, buddy..." she broke out into laughter. "I don't think so. And besides, someone of your advanced age and experience certainly wouldn't take advantage of a poor young thing such as I."
"Oh please, don't act innocent!" Ai'lani told her, laughing along. "And besides, I am younger than you. A couple of years younger, but younger nonetheless," he pointed out. "But, let's get serious for a minute," he added. "We should go out again. Just the two of us. In fact, I am officially electing myself as the person you'll hang out with when your husband is busy. So, there," he said playfully.
She rolled her eyes dramatically, but grinned nonetheless. "What would Kaelin say? I mean... don't you think he'd be even a little bit jealous?"
"I don't know. He didn't seem that attached to you?"
They approached the door to Bridget's quarters as she laughed. "To me? No. I thought he was rather attached to you, my friend. And he has every reason to be."
"Mmm...flirting outside of your quarters. I'm impressed. And here I thought you were such a good girl," he teased in a flirty tone, ignoring her observation of Kaelin being attached to him. It wasn't a secret for him of course. He could feel it from the moment they'd first gone out.
She exaggerated a shocked expression, her lips forming an oval before she spoke. "Flirting! I was just making an observation, you know. And you deftly sidestepped the point." She punctuated the sentence with a wagging index finger. "We will have to talk about that, sometime."
"Sometime," Ai'lani said with a small half smile. "But not tonight." Leaning over, Ai'lani pressed a soft but heartfelt kiss on Bridget's cheek and for a moment, she felt warmth radiating from the contact and an oddly pleasant feeling go through her. She couldn't quite figure out what it was, but it felt like affection, only aimed towards her instead of to someone else.
She wasn't sure what to say. Thoughts tumbled around in her mind, pushing and pulling at one another. Subconsciously, her fingers went toward her face, but she realized she was about to act like a schoolgirl by touching the warm spot he had left on her cheek. Instead, she covered the movement by offering an awkward smile and a handshake.
"I... it's... thank you, Ai'lani. I had a wonderful time."
Ai'lani took her hand, and grinned. "Aww, does this mean I'm not getting invited in?" he asked with a teasing laugh before raising his hands up in defense of any retaliation to the jab as he backed away from her. "Sweet dreams!" he wished, turning on his heel and going down the corridor to the turbolift.
::OFF::
Ensign Bridget Stapleton
Doctor (General Practitioner), DS5
&
Ai'lani Elley
Freelance photojournalist (PNPC by Maja)
&
Vedra and a cast of thousands
NPCs by Notty
by Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek
Post Details
| Title | You're Stepping On My Toes Part 2 | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton & (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek | |
| Posted | Wed Apr 13, 2011 @ 7:34pm | |
| Location | Holodeck 6, Box Of Delights | |
| Timeline | from SD37: 2022 to SD38: 0230 |
-OLD-
Ai'lani continued to lead her across the dance floor gracefully, his eyes rarely leaving hers to look around. As the tango ended, he stopped before leaning forward and giving her cheek a small, chaste kiss. "Thank you for a lovely dance," he told her with a smile.
Before Bridget could say anything, a meaty hand grabbed her left arm and yanked her away for Ai'lani, sending her spinning and tumbling across the dance floor. A sallow, thin faced man stepped over and landed a brutal punch to Ai'lani's delicate cheek bones so hard the crunch cut over the final tones of the orchestra, and smashed the Deltan to the floor.
-NEW-
"Don't ever touch her, you piece of guinea scum." He raised his foot, ready to deliver a kicking that meant to kill.
"Dutch! No!" Bridget's yell echoed over the stunned crowd. She pushed herself from a prone position, trying to scramble to her feet.
But apparently, there was no need for her to intervene. As Dutch came close again, Ai'lani, having remained deceivingly passive after the punch, suddenly sprang to his feet and before people could tell what was going on, got the upper hand. Dutch found himself pressed quite firmly face first against a nearby table with his hands restrained painfully behind his back.
Ai'lani felt lightheaded from the adrenaline rushing through his veins and he kept him restrained with a strength people probably doubted he possessed. He hadn't hit him, of course. In fact, the thought of punching back hadn't even entered his mind. Violence wasn't in his nature. But he wasn't about to just lie down and be a victim.
"Get off me!" snarled Dutch, struggling against the arm lock that pinned him securely. "Boys, fuck this guinea up for me. Break his legs then break his face!" He bellowed. More of Dutch's men started shoving through the crowd.
"Hey, you alright?" Bridget's breathless question was for Ai'lani, but Dutch answered, thinking she had asked him.
"Stay out of this, you whore!" Dutch snarled. "I gave you everything, and I find you foolin' with this guy. Bad enough when I thought you were screwing Dix Dwyer. I'm going to make you regret it!"
Ignoring Dutch, Ai'lani gave Bridget a kind smile. "I'm fine."
The crowd that had gathered around the scene parted as an extremely tall, middle aged man in a custom made tuxedo came toward them. He was Owney's right hand man, Frenchy. A deceivingly genial expression on his face, he was most often a gentleman; but he was also an enforcer with hands the size of dinner plates, and acted as the club's bouncer when necessary. When it came to Dutch lately, it had always been necessary, to one degree or another.
"Whats going on here?" he rumbled, his baritone authoritative, but amiable.
If it had been Bridget's personal choice, she'd have had Dutch hauled off to jail in a heartbeat. But she had to stay in character; which meant Vera didn't take sides or stand up for herself. "It's just a misunderstanding, Frenchy." Bridget looked at Ai'lani and hoped he'd get the message. If he didn't, she'd explain later.
"Sandman, let Dutch up." Frenchy instructed.
Ai'lani let him go quickly enough, taking a few steps back. "Nothing to worry about, Frenchy, just a misunderstanding. Got me off guard for a minute there. Acted out of instinct, no harm done," he told the bigger man, looking at Dutch.
If looks could kill, Ai'lani would have been a steaming heap of ash. As it was, Dutch straightened up, smoothed down his clothes and adjusted his hat. He was going to kill the Deltan, Ai'lani could see it.
"Outside, Dutch," Frenchy warned, putting a huge hand on the gangster's shoulder. "Take it outside."
Dutch threw the hand off. "Right. Outside." He turned, and grabbed Bridget by the upper arm, pulling her close. "Alright Vera, we're leaving."
"Hey, you can't pull her around like that. She's not your property," Ai'lani told him.
"She's bought and paid for," Dutch snarled as he pushed Bridget in front of him. "If you want to make something of it, I'll see you out front."
Before Ai'lani could answer, there was a short fanfare from the orchestra, and all eyes turned that direction, including Dutch's. Distracted, he stopped pushing Bridget and stood still. Dixie Dwyer was at a microphone in the center of the stage, acting like an emcee. His announcement that Vera would be singing brought a sigh of relief from Bridget, a growl from Dutch, and applause from the audience.
Dutch wasn't about to cross Owney openly - at least, not yet. Not until his power base was solidified. So as a spotlight traveled the audience and stopped over Bridget, there was nothing Dutch could do. In an effort at revenge and a reminder that they had unfinished business, he gave a grunt and slapped her hard on the behind, showing a fake cheesy smile to those who turned to watch.
Bridget jumped a bit at the slap, and had to grit her teeth not to turn around and sock Dutch right in the mouth. After a second to control herself, she focused on the stage and made her way down the terraces toward it. Climbing the steps, she gave Dixie a grateful smile; she knew he'd seen what happened, and figured this was his doing - a way to get her out of Dutch's grasp - for now.
"Thanks a million," she muttered under her breath. As she stepped to the microphone and looked out over the crowd, she saw Dutch being escorted to the door by Frenchy and another man.
"You shouldn't put up with him, you know. Owney could sort you out for the club. I could come play for you, you know, between films."
"I know, and don't think I don't appreciate it, but I'd lose my club and maybe my life if I did that," she said, watching as he made his way toward the grand piano that had been brought to center stage.
As the orchestra began the intro to Vera's song, Owney approached Ai'lani. Ever the gracious host, Owney asked Ai'lani to join him at his table, and offered to buy him a drink. "After all, Sandman, Dutch needs to know that if he messes with my best dancer, he's got a world of hurt coming his way."
"Thanks," Ai'lani accepted, looking over at the door where Dutch had been led out as he sat down. Still a little upset over the conflict, he looked back at Owney and flashed him a smile before looking up at Bridget, curious to hear her sing.
Cab Calloway's orchestra began the intro music to the racy ballad, "Body And Soul", written by the Hollywood songwriter, Lawrence Green. Dixie was on piano, and Bridget turned to look at him, grinning and rolling her eyes. The song had been banned from the radio because of it's suggestive lyrics; but it was extremely popular nonetheless. Dixie loved the song because he loved Vera singing it. Their secret relationship made the song all the more provocative to him. Bridget's contralto voice was a good choice for the song - low and throaty. As she sang the first stanza, she looked out over the crowd to find Ai'lani. Ah, there he was, sitting with Owney. Good. She caught his eye, and gave him a big wink and a smile.
The Deltan smiled honestly, enjoying her performance, but keeping his eyes on hers.
"Don't get any ideas, Sandman." Owney told him with a paternalistic tone. "And its not because you're coloured and she's white. Or because she's the Dutchman's. Even if she wasn't, she's still a whole heap of trouble. Still practically jail bait, and too ambitious for her own good. There's nothing but trouble if you go there."
Ai'lani gave a laugh. "Don't worry. I've got enough trouble without chasing after her."
His back to her, Sandman didn't see Lila approach his chair. She was an absolutely stunning woman; tall and voluptuous, her dark hair and eyes were the perfect match for her light brown skin. She was dressed in a shimmering peach halter gown with a daringly low cut bodice. She bent over his back and whispered in his ear.
"So this is where you've got to. I've been looking for you, baby."
Ai'lani hadn't noticed her approach and gave a slight jump when she breathed against his ear. He turned to look at her and smiled at the sight. She was breathtaking. Sure, Ai'lani knew she wasn't real, but at moments like this, he really had to give props to whoever invented the hologram. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted her, unsure if this was Lila or not.
Owney smiled and invited Lila to join them, but she demurred. "We're on in fifteen minutes, Mister Madden. Sandy and I have to get ready. We're dancing to "Creole Love Call."
"You just picked that song so you could get nice and close to me," Ai'lani told her with a flirty smile.
"Moi?" Her feigned innocence elicited a laugh from both men. "Just because you dance like honey drippin' from the comb don't mean I wanna get all that close to you," she purred.
Ai'lani grinned wickedly. "Well then I suppose you won't mind me sitting this one out, will you?" he teased.
"Well, I could always ask Clay to do it. Your brother would like that, wouldn't he," she replied in kind, bending forward so he'd catch a good bird's eye view of her decolletage.
"Hmm...Well, he's right over there, sweetie, go ahead," Ai'lani told her, a challenge in his eyes as he flashed her flirty grin.
"No dilly-dallying you two." Madden chided them. "There's a show to do. Go do your stuff."
Ai'lani gave him a smile too, before standing up and offering his hand to Lila before leading her to the dance floor.
"Where do you think you're goin'? We dance on stage, you know that. You just bein' a goose?" Lila grinned and squeezed his hand, and pulled him toward the curtains that hung from the vaulted ceiling to the floor. Behind them lay the chaos of rushing bodies - singers, actors, comedians, and chorus girls.
"Do we have to dance to that song?" he suddenly asked her. "How about something more lively?" he suggested.
"What did you have in mind?" She turned, a questioning look on her face.
"How about some fast swing?" he suggested.
She smiled and said, "Sure. Let's do a Lindy Hop. I'll tell the band." She winked and went back out between the curtains, climbing up the rear stairs to the orchestra. She whispered in the ear of a trumped player, who nodded.
Backstage, she pressed between a couple of burly men who gave comments to her back, which she ignored, and found Sandman talking with a chorus girl. She paused, listening.
"...You have to be careful. You can't go provoking everyone, specially not people like Dutch." The dancer was giving Ai'lani a doe-eyed look, radiating concern.
"I know. Don't worry about me, Katy. I can take care of myself," he assured, reaching up to lightly caress her cheek.
She giggled. "Someone needs to take care of you. You'll just get into trouble otherwise."
He chuckled. "And what? You wanna take care of me?" he asked with a wink.
"I think I could take you in hand." She stepped closer to him, tugging her lip between her teeth and looking at him through thick eyelashes.
"Back off, girl. Ain't you got someplace to be?" Lila glared angrily at Katy, staring her down. There was a pronounced hierarchy among the performers, and everyone knew their station. Lila was at the top, and Katy at the bottom. To Lila's mind, she had no right reaching above her station with the Sandman. The irony was that Lila herself had no idea she held a double standard.
Katy shrugged innocently, but with a malicious smile. She gave Sandman a pouty wink and turned to flounce away, swinging her hips wide in hopes he'd notice and do something about it later.
"In fact, I'll take care of you right now." The emphasis in Lila's voice gave a whole different spin on what Katy had said. She stepped in front of Ai'lani with arms folded, doing her best to block his view of the retreating chorus girl. "Jus' what the hell you think you doin' with that li'l shrimp when you gots lobster right in yo' hand?" When Lila was mad, her accent became stronger and revealed her Alabama roots.
Ai'lani really had no idea if what came from him next would fit into the story or not, but he was a sucker for drama. "Well maybe I'd rather have a shrimp than a someone that only acknowledges me depending on who's around," he told her.
"I have no ahdea what you mean. But if you wants that li'l bitty girl, then you jus' go right on ahead. But don't come crawlin' ta me when she done dumps yo' ass for the next pretty boy comes along."
"Lila, Sandman. You're on." It was a stage hand, who looked to be about fifteen years old. His pink ears told the fact that he'd been listening to their conversation, and had only made his presence known when it was apparent the duo wasn't headed up the back stairs to await their cue.
"Suff it, Marchon," Lila spat at the boy. But she dutifully turned and made her way to the back of the stage and the wooden stairs that led to the wings. She didn't know whether Sandy would follow, but she was betting on it. It was her perception that his career meant more to him than she did.
Marchon rolled his eyes. He was used to Lila's prima donna histrionics. "You'd best get up there too, Sandy. Crowd needs distracting after all that fuss with Dutch."
"Right," Ai'lani nodded, following Lila up. Luckily, he was a pretty good dancer, so could keep up with Lila. They moved across the floor with elegance, despite the upbeat song choice and when they finished, the crowd erupted in applause.
Taking a bow, Ai'lani led Lila off the stage and went up to Bridget. "I didn't know you could sing," he told her once he noticed she was standing alone.
Before she could reply, the whole simulation froze, and Vedra, the waitress who had set the program up, walked between two. "I'm sorry," she began, "But Edward said we should let you stay until we're ready to lock up, and its only me and Pelin now, and we're ready to go."
"Oh..." Bridget's voice was layered with elements of surprise; she hadn't expected the time to pass so quickly, and she hadn't expected Ed to give the employees such a direction. She pensively bit her lip, wondering why he hadn't joined them in the game.
"Alright, let me give you something... Vedra," she quickly read the Risian girl's name tag. Reaching for the padd the waitress carried, Bridget paid for the holosuite rental and gave her a generous tip in Federation credits, then handed the reader back to the girl and accepted back her isolinear rod.
The risian woman beamed at her. "Thanks. Take care now, tell Eddie I said hi." Then the waitress sashayed out, her high heels could be heard clipping on the stairs to the ground floor.
~Eddie?~ She'd have to ask him about that. To Ai'lani she said, "I guess it's time for us to go." Her smile for him was genuine as she looped her arm around his.
Ai'lani smiled at the gesture, happy that she was comfortable enough to do it. Walking with her in silence for a while, he spoke up. "I must say, I usually prefer reality to holodecks but that was really fun," he admitted. He had been known to indulge in some recreational program here and there, but it wasn't really a habit for him.
As she listened, she mentally summed up the experience and the parts of his character that she'd gotten to know a little bit. He could be prickly and strongly opinionated, but he was honest - and she greatly respected that about him.
"Can I be honest?" he asked, as if he needed permission. Knowing he really didn't, he spoke right after the question. "I'm glad that sloppy lab intern messed something up in Sickbay," he grinned wickedly. "Kaelin is lovely but he never would've agreed to going into the holodeck for some fun. Which means you and I probably would've ended tonight on a bad note. I'm glad I got to know you a little better. You're not as uptight as you seem," he said finally, looking down at Bridget.
She laughed. "Well, I do like Kaelin, but you're probably right; he wouldn't be comfortable play acting in a game like that. Edward isn't really into it either, though he plays along when I ask. But he never initiates it." She gave a shrug that translated into 'to each his own'. "And I'm glad you don't think I'm uptight. I'd be horribly offended if you did," She tilted her chin and gave him a playful smile.
Ai'lani returned it. "Well we wouldn't want that, would we?" he said.
Pelin awaited them at the door, ready to unlock it for them as they approached. "Thank you for letting us stay," Bridget said to him. He bade them goodnight and they left, and their footsteps echoed from the silent walls.
"Why, Mrs. Stapleton, out in the empty Promenade at three in the morning, an incredibly good looking younger man on your arm. What will your husband think?" he asked her, his tone light and playful as he gave her arm an affectionate squeeze.
"Younger man?! Listen, buddy..." she broke out into laughter. "I don't think so. And besides, someone of your advanced age and experience certainly wouldn't take advantage of a poor young thing such as I."
"Oh please, don't act innocent!" Ai'lani told her, laughing along. "And besides, I am younger than you. A couple of years younger, but younger nonetheless," he pointed out. "But, let's get serious for a minute," he added. "We should go out again. Just the two of us. In fact, I am officially electing myself as the person you'll hang out with when your husband is busy. So, there," he said playfully.
She rolled her eyes dramatically, but grinned nonetheless. "What would Kaelin say? I mean... don't you think he'd be even a little bit jealous?"
"I don't know. He didn't seem that attached to you?"
They approached the door to Bridget's quarters as she laughed. "To me? No. I thought he was rather attached to you, my friend. And he has every reason to be."
"Mmm...flirting outside of your quarters. I'm impressed. And here I thought you were such a good girl," he teased in a flirty tone, ignoring her observation of Kaelin being attached to him. It wasn't a secret for him of course. He could feel it from the moment they'd first gone out.
She exaggerated a shocked expression, her lips forming an oval before she spoke. "Flirting! I was just making an observation, you know. And you deftly sidestepped the point." She punctuated the sentence with a wagging index finger. "We will have to talk about that, sometime."
"Sometime," Ai'lani said with a small half smile. "But not tonight." Leaning over, Ai'lani pressed a soft but heartfelt kiss on Bridget's cheek and for a moment, she felt warmth radiating from the contact and an oddly pleasant feeling go through her. She couldn't quite figure out what it was, but it felt like affection, only aimed towards her instead of to someone else.
She wasn't sure what to say. Thoughts tumbled around in her mind, pushing and pulling at one another. Subconsciously, her fingers went toward her face, but she realized she was about to act like a schoolgirl by touching the warm spot he had left on her cheek. Instead, she covered the movement by offering an awkward smile and a handshake.
"I... it's... thank you, Ai'lani. I had a wonderful time."
Ai'lani took her hand, and grinned. "Aww, does this mean I'm not getting invited in?" he asked with a teasing laugh before raising his hands up in defense of any retaliation to the jab as he backed away from her. "Sweet dreams!" he wished, turning on his heel and going down the corridor to the turbolift.
::OFF::
Ensign Bridget Stapleton
Doctor (General Practitioner), DS5
&
Ai'lani Elley
Freelance photojournalist (PNPC by Maja)
&
Vedra and a cast of thousands
NPCs by Notty