Little Footprints

Posted on Tue 13th Feb, 2018 @ 6:06pm by

1,090 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: A Phaser as Deadly as a Candlestick
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: Current

Caroline entered Orchids & Jazz and stopped long enough to smile at Reon and say, "Hello, I'm looking for Jade, but how are you?"

"Just fine. It's good to see you here again, Caroline," Reon answered. "Are you researching another murder mystery?”

The reporter laughed ruefully, “Not this time, thank goodness. This is totally for personal pleasure.”

“Good news. I think people were getting a little nervous about going to Tivoli Gardens with two murders in less than a week. You’ll find Miss Lantz in her office working on financials. She won’t mind being interrupted,” he smiled. “Do you know where that is?"

"No, do you have time to show me?" Caroline asked hopefully. She had enjoyed the little time she’d spent with him, only one date, but wanted to spend more. Their hours didn’t line up very well, unfortunately.

"Of course," Velasquez replied. He signaled to Jenna to play hostess for a few minutes. This time of day, it was unlikely that there would be problems if he were gone for a few minutes. "Come with me. Would you care for a drink? Miss Lantz keeps a 20th century lemon Coke recipe that's non-alcoholic and very refreshing. My treat." He needed to check his schedule soon, and find a time when he could invite her to lunch, at the very least.

"I’d love to try it," Caroline replied as she glanced up at him. "Our schedules have not coincided very well lately, and I really hate to be forward … but what do you think about breakfast some morning on the promenade? We could meet after the early morning report." Caroline, normally self-assured, was out of her depth as she asked, taking another quick glance at him. Caroline liked this man, but things needed to go very slowly in her world.

Reon smiled, "Let's work that out soon. I'd like it." He stopped at the bar and made up an icy lemon Coke, handing it to her in a frosty glass. "Let me know what you think. Come on back," he nodded his head toward Jade's office and led the way down a corridor.

"Miss Lantz, Miss Post would like a word with you," he said, after a knock on the door frame.

Caroline flashed a smile at Reon and touched his arm lightly before he left, her voice soft. "Thank you for the delicious drink, and I hope to see you again before I depart."

He smiled and winked, “I’ll be in my usual place.”

Jade looked up and greeted the woman, "Please, come in. Sit down and tell me what’s up. You always know," she grinned

Caroline sat down across from Jade and crossed her legs, taking a sip of the cold drink and then setting it on her knee. "I'm so sorry to disturb you." It wasn't every day that you met someone and knew that you would become great friends as time passed. "I was wondering if you would have a room that we could use to hold a baby shower, for Lt. Collins."

Caroline glanced around Jade's office, which showed that the restaurant owner had impeccable taste in office decor, as well as in her wardrobe. As she looked, Post continued to speak quietly. "The lieutenant's baby will be born soon, and it would be nice to have a shower prior to the birth. Afterwards might be fine as well. I would really like it to be special, since it's her first. I'd like to invite as many Starfleet women as possible."

Jade looked thoughtfully at Post. "There's the upstairs loft," she said, "if you don't have a real sit-down. We can replace the tables with chairs, serve a buffet, probably get a couple of hundred women there at one time. If you had an event where people could drop in and out over several hours, you could invite even more. This is an awfully large base, though, and I don’t even know how many women there are in Starfleet, even if it’s kept to officers," Lantz said doubtfully. "There are thousands of women included in the total roster."

She gazed into the distance. "I think there is a possibility, though. I could cater an event held in Tivoli Gardens, but do you really want to go that large? Maybe it would be better to keep it to her close friends.” She brought her eyes back to the lieutenant. "If I provide the food and you manage the decorating, yes, I think we could come up with quite a shower."

Caroline leaned forward for a moment as she thought. Then she shrugged her shoulders and settled back again. "I suspect that she has met with most of the women on the station. If she hasn't, they won't come. Unless they like babies, of course. We really don't want people to stay too long, and yet if they need the opportunity to gather and chat, they should have it.

“It might be one of the few functions that occurs on the base where the women actually get to gather and talk. I will make arrangements for decorating the loft. I think finger foods and some kind of punch would be good? But I will leave that to you." Caroline flashed a smile at the other woman. "I really appreciate your help in this."

"Not a problem. The lieutenant is an appealing woman, and I'm sure she has many friends. She does seem on the quiet side, so I hope we don’t overwhelm her." Jade thought about the foods that would be suitable for a baby shower. "I guarantee a delicious afternoon feast, and a wonderful cake, plus punch that tastes good and leaves one clear-headed to return to duty, if needed. Do you have a theme? Or will you let me know when you do?"

"Let's stick with pastel footprints. It's what I always wanted - that or zoo animals, but I think the footprints would be cuter, and then there won't be any odd feelings about anything." Caroline thought that animals in cages might not be taken correctly. "Yes, footprints will be just the thing."

"Pastel footprints it is," Jade said, making a note on her PADD. "I’ll get Marin working on something gorgeous for the cake, and I'll leave the rest to you. I’m glad you thought of this. We need a reason to celebrate around here, after recent weeks."

Caroline nodded, "Definitely, and thanks, Jade, for diving into unknown territory with me."

 

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