lunch," she ordered. "Both of you."
With one last cough, Harry stood. "I'm not very hungry. I'm
going back to the bridge." He left without a backward glance.
Paris and Torres exchanged concerned glances. Then Tom turned
his attention back to balefully keeping an eye on Malista's new
admirers. He was just waiting for one of them to give him an excuse
to go over there and take action.
B'Elanna sighed. It was going to be a long day---and an even
longer week. B'Elanna didn't hold out much hope that Tom wouldn't
hear about Malista's date for tonight, or the next night, or---and
Neelix was throwing another party at the resort on Saturday evening.
Malista was planning to attend---her first time at a party on the
ship. Torres intended to have a little talk with the Delaneys. Just
to make sure they didn't go overboard. She didn't know if Tom's blood
pressure could stand it if they dressed Shadow in one of their
typically provocative outfits.
B'Elanna sighed again, but then smiled as she saw Tom's frown,
thinking, 'He's so cute when he's belligerent. Kahless help him if he
ever has a daughter of his own.' That idea sparked another train of
thought.
Tom glanced at B'Elanna and was amazed to see her smiling
thoughtfully, her mind momentarily miles and years away from the mess
hall thinking of blue-eyed little girls.
***********************
Harry Kim was not having a good week. It seemed that everywhere
he went, Malista Shadow was there or was just leaving, usually trailed
by some panting playboy making eyes at her and trying to put his hands
on her. Though she was seemingly dodging the hands, she wasn't
making much of an effort to discourage her admirers.
One of them had even asked Harry for advice on the type of
perfume Malista would like to receive as a gift. Kim had replied
rather snappishly that he had no idea.
On Tuesday night, he'd gone to Sandrine's to meet Tom and
B'Elanna. At a table in the corner, Malista and Susan Nicoletti were
on a double date with Gerron and Ensign Michael Murphy. Malista and
Jerron? Harry found the idea ludicrous, but that didn't explain why
he felt an urge to tell Gerron to keep his hands to himself. Maybe
he'd been hanging around with Tom too much lately. Harry was getting
infected with Tom's protective instincts. That must be it.
When Harry found himself noticing that the top two buttons of
Malista's red blouse were left unfastened, he decided he'd better
leave before Tom caught him looking at her and reacted in big brother
fashion. It wasn't that she was dressed provocatively. It was just that
every time she leaned forward to pick up her drink, Harry caught a
glimpse of cleavage peeking from the vee-neck. If he could do that
from across the room, he didn't want to think about the view Gerron
and Michael were sharing. He found himself thinking about it a little
too much and excused himself.
Harry decided to stay in his quarters when not on duty. That
prevented him from having to watch Malista flirting with other men,
but it didn't prevent him from hearing about it. On Wednesday night,
she'd had a date with Crewman Joksuun Pakkin and had accompanied
Jenny Delaney and her date, Ensign Seth Laknar to holodeck one for a
picnic on Hestes Colony, renowned for the romantic views of the four
moons rising over its mountain lakes. Harry had heard all about it
Thursday evening in the mess hall as Jenny and her sister had
discussed it fairly loudly during dinner.
On Thursday, she learned to ice skate on a holodeck recreation
of the ice lakes of New Sweden with Sven Haldersen, Megan Delaney,
and Paul Bloorden. Susan Nicoletti and Malista were discussing sore
muscles and Sven's 'adorable accent' as they worked on the bridge
within earshot of Harry's station on Friday afternoon.
On Friday, Tom, B'Elanna, Malista, and Lieutenant Trent Salaka
from the Biology Department attended the recreation of a performance
of a musical play, something called The Man of La Mancha. B'Elanna
had insisted on telling Harry all about it at lunch the next day.
She'd expressed her approval of Trent's good manners and considerate
behavior. It seemed that he'd known the play was emotionally moving
and provided a box of tissues for each of the ladies in his party.
Not that Torres had needed them. But Malista had been moved to tears
several times.
And at every opportunity, Tom insisted on talking to Harry about
his concerns for his 'little sister'. He was afraid she'd embarked on
a campaign to date every unattached male on Voyager, and feared that
one of them would try to involve
Malista in a sexual relationship before she was ready to handle it.
Harry didn't really want to hear about it, but couldn't think of
a way to discourage Tom without arousing suspicions again about his
own relationship with her. Whatever that relationship was. Harry was
uncertain about the strength of his
feelings for her and what he wanted to do about them. He'd found
himself thinking more often about Libby---and about Malista---and
comparing and contrasting the two women.
As for Malista's feelings for Harry, she was always polite---
friendly even, but--- distant. He remembered saying he wanted to
be friends. It hadn't occurred to him she'd take him at his word so
literally. He hadn't really meant 'just friends'. Maybe he should have
done a better job of defining his terms.
The only positive note was that he'd evidently been forgiven his
trespasses by the female contingent of Voyager. They were speaking to
him again, politely, but with a hint of mistrust that had never been
present before. He was evidently on probation.
The current object of their scorn was Freddie Bristow who'd
tried unsuccessfully to pit sister against sister---evidently an
unforgivable sin---at least till some other poor sap messed up and
supplanted Bristow as chief villain on the shipboard grapevine.
Harry was on his way to his quarters when Susan Nicoletti caught
up with him in the corridor. "Harry?" He paused and turned to face
her as she caught up with him and matched his gait. "Harry, I was
looking for you. Did you want to skip
rehearsal or meet early tonight?"
"Tonight? Why?"
She lightly punched his arm. "The party at the resort? Remember?
Tonight at 0800."
"Oh. I guess we can cancel rehearsal," Harry said listlessly.
Susan sent an evaluating sidewise glance in his direction.
Casually, she said, "Have you decided what you're going to wear
tonight? Instead of a Polynesian theme, Neelix decided to try for
Acapulco!" She hid a smile at Harry's lack of enthusiasm.
"I'm not going."
Susan grabbed his arm and pulled him to a halt. "What do you
mean you're not going? Mariachis! Margaritas! Ensign Mendez has
promised to teach us a Mexican Hat Dance in honor of Cinco de Mayo.
Whatever that is."
He stared at her with a somber expression. "I'm just not in the
mood for a party, Susan."
"Oh, well, I thought for sure you'd want to be there when you
heard---" she broke off abruptly. She spun on her heel and started
walking away, as if she'd reconsidered what she'd been about to say.
"What?" Harry asked.
Susan stopped near the entrance to her quarters, but kept her
back towards him. "Oh, nothing!" she caroled.
"Susan?" Harry repeatedly ominously. It was obvious that she
didn't want to tell him something. He felt strongly that he needed to
know what she was keeping from him.
She turned back to face him with a show of reluctance. "Really,
Harry, it's nothing. It's just a rumor. Nothing to concern yourself
about." She didn't sound very convincing. She sounded like she was
trying to placate him.
He advanced on her, stopping within whispering distance. "Susan,
what were you going to say? I'd want to be there when I heard---
what?"
Nicoletti gnawed on her upper lip for a moment. "Well, I don't
know if I should say anything---to you. Maybe I should tell Tom
Paris---I mean, he does consider himself---sort of responsible---"
"This is something about Malista?" Harry deduced. His patience
was evaporating. "Susan, tell me."
"It's just a rumor. It may not be serious," she explained. "I
mean, why get you or Tom all stirred up---"
"Just tell me," he said impatiently.
She sighed. "Well, all right. You promise not to do anything---
hasty?"
Harry nodded, his eyes intent on her face.
"Well," Susan glanced around the corridor as if to ensure no one
would overhear. "There's a rumor floating around that tonight at the
party---I don't know if I should tell you this, Harry. It could just
cause unnecessary trouble."
Kim resisted the urge to wrap his hands around Nicoletti's
throat and throttle the words out of her. "Tell me!" he demanded
vehemently.
"There's a rumor going around that tonight at the party, George
Natwick is going to get even with Malista--- for making a fool of him
in class," she blurted out.
"How?"
"I don't know. That's all I heard. That he wants to get even.
And what better place to embarrass her than on the holodeck when the
whole crew is there?" she asked reasonably. "Do you think I should
tell Tom?" she asked artlessly.
"No!" Harry snapped. His mind was racing as he came up with
various scenarios and steps he could take as countermeasures. His
eyes focused on Nicoletti once more. "No, don't tell Tom. I'll take
care of it. Thanks, Susan. I appreciate the warning. I'll see you
tonight." He spun and charged down the corridor to his cabin.
He needed to make plans and find something to wear.
Susan watch him disappear then entered her own quarters. Megan,
Jenny, Malista, and B'Elanna looked up from the computer screen.
Smiling, Susan held up her right hand with a thumbs up gesture.
"He'll be there, all right." For a moment, Nicoletti felt a twinge of
guilt at manipulating her friend, Harry Kim. She quickly shrugged it
off. She was doing it for his own good---they all were.
"Good," said Jenny. "Megan, did you take care of---"
Her twin smiled like a cat who'd been in the cream. "George
knows what to do. You know, when he's not flexing all those muscles,
he's kind of cute," she said thoughtfully.
Susan and B'Elanna exchanged dubious looks. There was just no
accounting for tastes.
"Good," Jenny said again. "Now all we have to do is pick out
an outfit for Malista to wear tonight. How about this one?" She
indicated a picture from the ship's computer library.
The others leaned in to study the costume. B'Elanna and Malista
both reacted with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. "Not unless you want
Tom to have a stroke," Torres said.
Malista shook her head. "There's not enough material there for a
bandage, much less a dress. Jenny, you could probably get away with
that, but---"
"But Malista wouldn't feel comfortable showing so much skin,"
Susan concluded, earning a grateful nod from Shadow and Torres for
her tact.
Jenny frowned at the screen, then her expression lightened.
"Maybe I'll wear that one. Or save it for a special occasion. Let's
see, what else---" She scrolled through the files of replicator
patterns. "How about this one?"
They all peered at her next choice. "Jenny---" Malista began,
only to stop when words failed her.
B'Elanna rolled her eyes in exasperation at the redhead. The
two women were not exactly friends. They were temporary allies in the
common cause of helping Malista Shadow. "Jenny, I know some people
think less is more, but that doesn't apply to clothing items."
"Some people have the figure to carry off an outfit like this!"
Jenny snapped cattily.
"Anyone who wears that outfit is likely to be carried off!"
Megan giggled, defusing the disagreement before it could escalate.
The truth of that remark drew a laugh.
Susan Nicoletti took over the computer controls while Jenny was
distracted. "I think what Malista needs is something that leaves some
mystery," she said diplomatically. "Something that---teases, but
doesn't reveal---something---"
"Like that!" Malista, Susan, and B'Elanna said simultaneously,
Jenny and Megan studied the design with matching pouts. "Are you
sure? That looks kind of---" Jenny began.
"Plain," Megan finished.
"It's perfect," Malista said with a happy smile.
***********************
Neelix had done a remarkable job of decorating the holodeck
resort with a Mexican motif. Multi-colored pinatas hung from the
ceiling surrounding the dining area. The tablecloths were gaudily
striped in bold primary colors, and the salsa and chips were in
pottery dishes. The Mariachis were dressed in the full regalia,
playing their instruments as they strolled around the room, their
huge sombreros brushing the hanging decorations and setting them in
motion.
A large dance floor had been cleared in the center of the room
and the tables grouped around it in a loosely organized fashion. The
buffet was set up by the pool, with a variety of 'authentic' replicated
Mexican food---everything from enchiladas to flautas to chiles rellenos
---and more than enough jalapenos and pico de gallo to
scald the palates of those who craved hot and spicy foods. Neelix
had also thoughtfully provided a cactus-shaped dish of leola root
dip, for those who cared to improve upon the original Alpha Quadrant
recipes with a touch of Delta Quadrant cuisine.
Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay made an early appearance.
Neelix was disappointed that they were still in uniform, but was
pleased they were in attendance. The captain was recounting some
story about her Academy days that involved drinking and a worm in a bottle
and---eating it. Neelix thought that was disgusting. But then humans could
be very strange in their culin
ary habits at times.
Lieutenant Paris and Lieutenant Torres entered the holodeck arm
in arm. Paris cut a dashing figure though his fairness seemed
strangely at odds with his chosen costume. He was dressed in black
slacks, a black silk shirt with loose long sleeves and wide cuffs,
and wearing a black cape that flowed almost to his feet and swung
dramatically with his every movement. He was wearing black boots and
a black flat-topped sombrero hung down his back, held by a string
around his neck.
B'Elanna was wearing a white blouse with a short, tight-fitting
red jacket over it, and a long, split skirt in the same shade of red.
Her black knee-length boots added two inches to her height.
They walked over to greet the captain and first officer.
Janeway studied Tom's apparel with an amused glint in her gray eyes.
"Is that an authentic Mexican costume, Mr. Paris?"
He posed like a model and pivoted so she could get the full
effect of the cape. "You've never heard of the legendary Zorro? He
was the Robin Hood of California when Mexico owned it! Of course,
you might have recognized the outfit---if a certain someone hadn't stolen
the mask that goes with it," he said, a pout evident in the last sentence.
B'Elanna scowled up at him impatiently. "I let you keep the
cape. I'm not going anywhere with a man who wears a mask. Masks are
cowardly. There's no honor---"
Tom held up a hand. "Never mind," he said nobly, sounding
martyred. "She wouldn't let me wear the mustache or the sword,
either." He snagged a couple of drinks off the tray of a passing
waiter and handed one to Torres.
"I'm sure you would have looked very dashing, Mr. Paris,"
Janeway commiserated with a twinkle in her eye. Chakotay just shook
his head.
Other crew members continued to arrive, some in costume, others
wearing civilian clothes or their uniforms. Jenny and Megan Delaney
stirred the interest of the unattached males by appearing in the
skimpiest sundresses ever seen in the Delta Quadrant. They seemed to
defy gravity merely by staying in place. The sisters were holding
court near the bar area.
There seemed to be an air of excitement, of expectation as the
crowd grew. Chakotay picked up on it and searched the faces of the
party-goers, hoping to find a clue to the source. He didn't like
surprises.