Jack and Jill III
Chapter 1
Kate was packing for the trip. She was having a little difficulty deciding just what to take. Oh, she knew she needed a swimsuit, clothes, makeup, her feminine products, even a little emergency medical kit. It was some of the clothes she was having trouble with along with which of her swimsuits to bring.
She'd read the brochure Rick had given her and it had talked about the fact that there would be a formal dinner. Basically a black tie event requiring one of her better dresses. But she didn't have any dresses that were all that fancy. She didn't have a need for them. Especially when money was so tight since her mother had died.
That was when she broke down and called her best friend. It wasn't that she would have a dress that would fit her since she clearly wasn't the same size as she was. However, she could be a good sounding board over just what to take.
Jim answered the door. "Hi, Mr. Beckett. I got an emergency call from Kate," Lanie told him.
Jim shook his head. "She's in her room packing." He didn't see how there could be an emergency. It was just a date for Christ's sake. He had never really understood what his wife had seen in looking perfect. Whatever it was that had driven her had obviously infected their daughter.
"Thanks." Lanie knew just where to go and found Kate with an open suitcase that had a few things in it. Most everything else she owned looked to be spread out all over the bed.
"So what's the emergency?" Lanie called out and saw Kate coming out of her personal bathroom with her hands full.
"Lanie! I really need your help." Kate dropped what she was carrying into her suitcase.
"Unless you plan on going naked I would say so." She had bras, panties, a few pairs of socks, and even a tie, but not a whole lot of anything else when it came to clothes.
"Funny." Kate rolled her eyes; she was not amused. "It says there'll be a formal dinner and I don't have anything to wear. I've never had any need for something that fancy." Now she did, though.
"And when did Rick give you the brochure telling you this?" Lanie asked although she already knew the answer. She was just not above rubbing it in.
Annoyed, Kate made a face at her. "Just help me, okay?" This trip had been planned three months ago and she'd shown the brochure to Lanie because she was so excited about it. At the time she and Rick had only been dating for about three months. Meaning six months now. So not having the required dress was her own fault.
"So show me what you've got." Maybe Kate had gotten something new that she didn't know anything about but she doubted it.
Kate grabbed something off the bed and held it up in front of her, only to see Lanie scrunch her face up and shake her head. That got dropped back on the bed; she picked up another one and held it up for her to see.
"Definitely not!" Why did she even own that thing? Kate dropped it and picked up the next one, followed by the next, then the next, and the next.
Lanie had shot down everything she owned. "There isn't anything else." There literally wasn't anything else that was remotely nice enough. Her life wasn't about looking that beautiful. She still wasn't sure what Rick saw in her but he obviously saw something and she wanted to be worthy.
"I'm doomed!" Kate sat on her bed, dejected.
"Maybe you can skip that part of the trip. What swimsuits are you taking?" Lanie knew it had not just one pool but three of them along with eight hot tub Jacuzzis.
Kate searched for her lone one piece and held it up. "What are you? Your mother? Make that your grandmother! Show some skin, girl. You want him to like you, right?" Lanie rejected that suit.
"Have you two even had sex yet?" She had met Rick and if she had found him she would be fucking his brains out daily.
"Lanie!" Kate didn't want a one-night stand. They'd been on at least a dozen dates and had even done some kissing. She was beginning to think he might actually be the one. Goodness knows his standing in the world was better than hers. It was the one main reason why she questioned why he was dating HER!
Lanie held up her hands. "Fine, fine. But if you keep him guessing as to whether you're interested or not he's just going to find someone else. Or do you want him to dump you?" Much like Kate was thinking, Lanie wasn't sure just why Rick was dating below his class. But he was and if Kate wanted to keep him she was going to have to put out eventually.
"Now show me the bikinis and stop moaning at me." Lanie waited for the first one.
"Nice, what else?" Lanie approved of the first one and shook her head at the second. "You're 19, girl, not a sweet 16 teenager. Where are the sexy suits?" Surely she had something that was a little risqué?
Tentatively Kate picked up the one that she'd recently bought with Rick in mind. It really wasn't something she wasn't comfortable with.
"NOW WE'RE TALKING!" Lanie liked this one a lot.
Kate had been afraid she would like this one. It had a thong bottom that exposed pretty much her entire ass. Hell, even the front was tiny and going to require that she shave off every hair she had down there. The top wasn't much better. The main reason she'd bought this one was because of the colors.
"You don't think it's too–"
Lanie stopped her right there. "It's perfect! You're going to make his eyes pop right out of his head," she said gleefully. Then there was a knock at her bedroom door and Kate quickly hid it behind her back.
Jim had something for her and while he wasn't sure why Rick liked his daughter either, he wanted the best for her so he'd done it.
"Dad?" Why was he here? She didn't need his help choosing what to pack.
"I read the brochure too, Katie, and it talked about an event that I thought you might need some help with." Jim shifted the box he was holding behind his back to the front so she and Lanie could see it. "This was your mother's. She wasn't your size, though she was close. You two are so much alike. I had it altered for you just for this trip. I thought you might like it." Jim wasn't sure. Talking about his wife, her mother, was painful for both of them.
Kate stepped over to him and took the box. "Thanks, Dad." She didn't know what else to say. The offer told her a lot.
"I'll leave you two to decide. Take it or leave it behind. …I'll, ah, be out there," he pointed and retreated from her room, praying he'd done the right thing.
Kate was still holding the box and looking at it. "Well open it, girl. Let's see it." Lanie was dying to see what her dad had arranged.
With no small amount of trepidation Kate set the box on her bed on top of her other clothes and slowly opened it.
This was her mother's and her clothes had been off limits since her death. That her dad had kept all of them wasn't the surprise. That he had taken one and had it altered so it would fit her was really big.
"OH, MY!" Kate barely recognized it as she carefully lifted it out. She held it close to her and turned so Lanie could see it. If Lanie liked it, it just might work.
The elegant gown was scoop-necked and sleeveless. Its lines skimmed her body and fell straight to her calves, ending in graceful scallops. It had a drop waist accented by a spiral motif done in rose-colored bugle beads. The entire gown was a sheer silk black netting with hand-applied sliver and rose bugle beads and a background pattern consisting both of scattered sequins and black seed beads. Worn beneath it was a short silk slip dress in nude. It was one of the most lovely things Kate had ever seen.
"I've never seen anything like it. That looks really old, but it's very, very nice, Kate. I think you've found your dress. With that and that bikini Rick's going to faint for sure. You might have to give him mouth-to-mouth," Lanie teased since sex was still on her mind.
Kate began to remember what her mother had told her about this dress. Kate had found it in her closet and had asked her about it when she was younger, so she knew its history.
"What do I wear under the slip dress?" Kate wasn't sure she had all that much for this dress.
"Absolutely nothing," Lanie answered without hesitation. It was a no-brainer as far as she was concerned. Kate stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "It's the only way, Kate, and don't even start to tell me that you're not interested in teasing him, knowing that you're naked under that while Rick's left to question if you are or not. You'll drive him mad." Lanie loved it.
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Lanie hugged Kate at the front door. Kate was all packed for the trip that started tomorrow and she was really happy for her. Kate deserved this trip and she really wanted for Kate to do all she could to keep him.
"Remember, girlfriend, have fun. Maybe a whole lot of fun." Lanie winked at her and smiled wickedly. Of course Kate didn't miss the intended reference to sex. Lanie was rather stuck on that topic.
"I'll try." Kate wasn't willing to commit to having sex quite yet, but she did want to have fun on their trip. There was no way she could afford it. She didn't even know what the room looked like. Rick wasn't telling. He said he wanted it to be a surprise; she hated surprises so the room had her worried. What if it had just the one bed and they had to share it? It was the reason she had included something she called pajamas. Lanie had tried to talk her out of them but she had kept them in her suitcase.
"I'm not sleeping naked in the same bed with him, Lanie!" That was out and not going to happen. However, she did want to sleep in the same room with him, just in a different bed.
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Kate took the subway to a train station. Once there she looked around for where the next train was located. She had only been there once and like last time it was busy with people a lot like her.
Thanks to Rick she had a ticket and had no trouble getting on her train. She had a seat all to herself that looked wide enough for two people. Then to her surprise a man came by to take her drink order. She was pretty sure he meant alcohol but she chose a soda instead.
It was a bullet train that was going to take two hours to reach her destination. When he gave her the soda and a glass with ice, he also handed her a card showing what food choices were available. She was shocked to learn that they were going to feed her. This was something she'd never done before. She settled on the sandwich box.
Not long later the same man walked to her and then past her as he dropped off what she had ordered. It was a plain white box. Inside she found her sandwich of choice, chips, an apple, a cookie, and even a napkin. There were also condiments to enhance her sandwich since it came bald. Everything was nicely chilled.
She wasn't done with her sandwich yet when he was back to ask if she wanted another soda. He even knew what she had ordered the first time.
Later he came back to take it all away. She stopped him to ask a question. "When do we get there?"
"Another 30 minutes," he replied then hurried away with the trash since he had other things to do before they arrived.
Kate retrieved her bag that had been stored behind her and started looking around. This space station was even busier than the bullet train station. It was also far more beautiful. She checked her ticket and started looking for her gate.
Here there were people using bots to tote all their luggage. She was the only person dragging her suitcase behind her. It did at least have wheels on it, but she felt way out of place.
B26 turned out to be very far away and she walked for what felt like forever. Along the way were shops that sold all kinds of things. "B2! …I'm dying here." She shook her head but kept walking.
When she reached B26 she found people all over the place yet there was only one person in line so she got behind him and waited.
Her turn came and she handed over her ticket. "Solar Sea. The next shuttle is in approximately 15 minutes. You enter through the gate that's behind me. There's no assigned seating so you can either take a seat and wait or get in line."
The woman wasn't being curt by any means. It was just that she saw the general public all day long. Day after day and Kate was just another body.
Kate chose to get in line and was third in line.
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It was a basic shuttle that maybe held 24 people. Only half of them had seats, the rest had to stand. Kate chose to stand and soon found the shuttle totally full. Now it felt more like the subway trains she was used to. Save for the fact that half the people on it had droids carrying bags.
Third on meant almost the last one off. Which meant she had to get in line. There hadn't been any windows so she hadn't seen anything. She just knew that they were in orbit.
Finally it was her turn to see an agent. Kate handed over her ticket and her identification. "Solar Seas, room number 18, deck 17. Your room is at the very forward of the ship. Through those doors and then down the ramp. Once on board they'll want to see this card which is also your room key. Every time you exit the ship you'll need to take your room key with you as well as your photo identification. Without both you will not be allowed back onboard.
"There's a mandatory evacuation drill. An announcement will be made for it. If you haven't already purchased your excursions you can do that onboard. Just be warned that if you wait too long the one you want might be sold out.
"You'll find a map of the ship in your room. You'll also receive a daily routine at your door. Your bag will be delivered to your room. You're free to take your carry-on with you if you wish or you can have it delivered as well." Kate watched as her bag disappeared. She chose to keep the smaller bag she was carrying.
Then a man took her room card and scanned it. There were actually two of them so it sped everything up. She was a little unnerved to see a heavily armed guard just beyond both of them. She also saw the screen that took a picture of her and then did a security scan. When it turned green she was allowed into the ship.
First up was a foyer that had 6 transit pod stations. She wanted deck 17 Forward so she selected that button and waited.
It took her to a central area where she had to begin walking to get to the very front of the ship.
The door was beige and it said Sky Loft Suite 18 Deck 17. A scan of her card and the door opened for her. Just inside to her left she saw a bathroom. However what she saw in front of her had her sucking in a breath. "HOLY SHIT!" She saw a set of stairs with a navy blue runner on her right. In the distance right in front of her was a wall of windows that was two floors tall.
Against the wall of the bathroom was a work desk that held two chairs. It was there that she saw a folder that, once opened, showed her the floor plan and today's itinerary. There was also information on all of the restaurants and bars on the ship. In addition there was a list of what was going to happen each day. Meaning was it a sailing day or were they going to be stopping at a planet?
There was a chocolate sectional sofa on the left side. On the right was a coffee dispenser, hot water dispenser, and a mini refrigerator. On the wall behind this was the TV.
Kate saw blackout drapes that were presently open. Being open revealed a sheer white set of drapes that allowed the light to enter. There was even a door. "But we're in space!" How could there possibly be a door? The windows alone were dangerous enough as it was. Pulling the drapes to one side exposed the door for her to open.
Stepping through the door she found a small table with two chairs and another wall of windows. On the table was a notification. The windows were automatically dimming. The glass was actually transparent steel and very strong. She could sit with a cup of coffee and look out into space when they weren't going Faster Than Light since being in FTL there wasn't anything to see.
Next Kate went up the stairs to a loft area. She saw a wall of glass that had the same sheer white drapes as the main windows.
Up there she found there was just the one bed. "Guess that answers that." It was huge, though. She had seen large beds before but this one was even bigger.
The room was barely wide enough for the bed. One wall was short and behind it she found a closet for her clothes and another bathroom that she was sure was directly over the one below.
The floors here looked like wood but didn't feel like wood. They were really dark.
Rick had warned her that he would be late so for now she was on her own. Since all she had was her carry-on bag she started unpacking it after choosing a drawer for her things.
Inside the bathroom she put some of her more personal items. On a shelf she found shampoo, conditioner, and soap as well as a set of glasses. The sink was small; the shower could only accommodate one person at a time and the toilet looked...odd. Still it was functional.
Going back to the stairs she looked down and out. The entire place was almost as big as the apartment she shared with her father. The only thing missing was the kitchen and a dining room table. All of the food was supplied as part of the cruise and she was worried that she was going to gain weight on this trip.
Since she had to wait for Rick to arrive, she decided to start exploring. She had entered on Deck 4 that was only for entering and exiting from the ship when it was docked at a port. If the planet didn't have an orbiting port then they used a shuttle service that she still had to find.
There were 3 swimming pools, a theater room, library, exercise room, spa, observation rooms, restaurants, bars, casino, communications lounge, show lounge, main dining room, buffet area, sports area, and three whole decks of shops where she could buy stuff. Not to mention the shore excursion desk, security desk, photo room, and help desk.
There was a lot to see! This was a ship that Kate had been certain she was never, ever going to set foot on. The fact that Rick had asked her to come was such a surprise. And that was on top of the surprise that he was even asking her, Kate Beckett. Miss Nobody.