Freedom to Dance

Posted on Friday, 25 June 2021 - 1:50am by Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Neu Reich

Everything was ready for two days time. Between the crew, a wedding had been prepared and was ready to go. Adrianna knew that a hen night would be small, so opted for a little bit of home. All Ade had put in the message to Alex was "Holo, 8pm, wear heels and a dress you can dance in. Oh, and make sure you've got a full stomach, we’ll be drinking. It's my hen night and we're going to party! Ade".

That was enough of a description right?

Either way, Ade was waiting outside the holo, finalising the programme. She was in a short, crimson number that hugged every curve and a black pair of Louis Vuittons, that may have been about three inches high. Her curly hair hung loosely over her shoulders an she was so ready to keep her hair down for the night. Leo was having his stag in the lounge, so why couldn't she have fun too?

Approaching the holodeck with two minutes to spare, Alex Kingsley said a silent prayer to the gods of the universe that this night would not be the end of her. When it came to an evening with Adrianna Baciami, it did good to seek divine intervention. Especially when she was in a dress and heels, for the second time in as many months. What was happening to her?!

While the bride to be had opted for red, Alex had gone for black. Black was, after all, easy and literally went with anything. Including her crazy hair. It was a classic for a reason.

She had very few dress options in her wardrobe so had decided to find something new for the occasion. After much debating, she had gone with a short black halter neck dress - the insane shortness of which was offset by a thin layer of mesh and lace which formed an extra layer over the skirt and avoided any needless self consciousness on her part.

She just wished, with the plunging neckline and her back bare, that she had thought of doing something about her inherent paleness. No time to worry about that now.

"Wow, you really did come to party!" Alex grinned as she rounded the corner to find Ade waiting for her. "Looking good!"

Adrianna looked up just as the programme finalised. "Don't look to bad yourself," she smiled, "I am taking you to my favourite, all time place in Rome... Though no need to run through streets this time, promise."

Adrianna opened the doors to a busy nightclub. It was traditional Latino styled music. The bar was flowing, there was a loud murmer of people laughing and chatting as live musicians jammed alongside a DJ. There was a distinct rhythm, perhaps salsa styled, that pounded around the room adding to the atmosphere. There was a distinct smell of sweet, subtle sweat, something primal and a hell lot of tequila and grappa. Adrianna gestured inside, "welcome to Buona Notte. Club 'good night'. I hope you can dance."

Alex grinned as she drank in the scene. Sure it was a hologram but did she really care? "Depends on how much drink is involved," she laughed, gesturing to the bar, "shall we?"

"We shall," Adrianna flipped her hair and walked in, she pushed past the crowd, where there were too barstools. The woman caught the eye of the bar tended and he soon came over with two glasses and a bottle of grappa. He winked at the pair of them and walked away to the next customer, shimmying a little to the music. Ade looked to Alex as she poured, "at least one, then you can have tequila or whoever."

"It would be rude not to," Alex replied, fully resigned to her fate. "Just be sure to drag me home when this is over."

"We'll hold each other up," Adrianna agreed, toasting to that. Her eyes caught sight of two men approaching. She eyed them a little and grinned, "and just in cue, we have our dance partners."

Alex downed her drink. Hopefully her husband would not take offence to her dancing with a hologram or tomorrow was going to be interesting. "Dancing it is," she declared as she set down her empty glass. "Tonight, your only job is to have fun and celebrate your upcoming wedding."

Adrianna chuckled, offering her hand to one of them men, "let's salsa!" The man span her and danced all the way to the dance floor. It was clear that Adrianna had grown up in a culture that danced. The Italian was a natural to salsa, she was free spirited and her smile beamed pure relaxation and enjoyment.

"Guess you are stuck with me," Alex announced as she gestured for his companion to follow her to the dancefloor. Dancing had been a near constant in her life, even though she always preferred gymnastic competitions to dance and so she could hold her own. What she really wanted was what she had admitted to Adrianna - to see her friend have some fun. After everything she had been through, she had more than earned it and every girl deserved to have a special night ahead of their wedding. A way to say goodbye to the single life.

The music on the dancefloor was louder than at the bar, making it far too easy to just forget everything and dance. And her dance partner was good. Not Soral good, but he definitely wasn't bad. Or unpleasant on the eye either. As one song blended into another and then another, thirst eventually had her back at the bar for refills.

Adrianna abandoned her dance partner and followed suit. She waved the bar tender over and ordered n iced cocktail for herself and looked to Alex, "are you having fun?"

"I am," Alex nodded as she downed her vodka, "thank you for asking me to come tonight."

Adrianna nodded, "I needed something - - something that would be less intense; something fun and with someone. I needed a semblance of positive nostalgia and a friend." She sipped her drink, "seemed like a good idea."

"Sounds like a great idea," Alex corrected as she gestured for another round of drinks for them both. As glasses were set down she raised hers in a toast, "to married life, loud music, good drink and dancing your cares away."

"To life in general," Ade agreed toasting and sipping her drink. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too," Alex smiled. "Honestly, if I wasn't here I'd be sitting reading journals waiting on Soral coming home or I'd be dragging myself to the gym."

"Gawd," Ade teased, jokingly disgusted, "I'm glad I dragged you out." She gently pushed the glass closer to Alex, "you need this more than I do. Drink!" She grinned and order more cocktails for the pair. It was safe to say that even this Italian was going to have a hangover the next morning.

"The gym or waiting on my husband coming home?" Alex asked she drank.

"Everything about it that is deemed boring," Adrianna replied, taking a drink.

Alex stuck her tongue out, "that depends on what you do when your husband gets home, doesn't it?"

Adrianna smirked a little, "probably cook and be ready to help him unwind." There was a glint in her eye, something cheeky. Adrianna looked out to the crowd and pointed to the men they'd been dancing with, "is it possible for holos to look lonely?"

"I do not cook," Alex stated firmly as she looked to where Adrianna was pointing. "I suppose they do. We can't have that. At all."

"Replicating is the new cooking anyway," Ade chuckled standing up announcing as she started walking through the crowd to the guys, "we must dance!"

Finishing her drink, Alex hopped down from the barstool and followed her friend back out onto the dancefloor. Soon enough they were once again lost in a sea of bodies dancing to music and it was very easy to forget they were simply on a holodeck. She had to admit, when Ade wanted to let loose, she knew how to do it.