He handed over the little box, which Lou squealed with happiness over as she snatched and opened it with massive excitement. She tucked it into her cleavage until she could take off her ropin’ gloves, then gestured for Chet to give her the microphone.
“Okay, Sally! You can go to space now!”
The crowd cheered and Sally tipped her hat in Lou’s direction, grinning.
???
Their aftershow party was the best send-off meets engagement party Lou or Sally could have asked for.
There was even a ‘rocketship’ cake…with a ring on it.
***
IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUNDING
Sally was done with space travel.
While the weeks spent on the ‘luxury cruiser’ from Earth’s moon to WLN269 had been fairly comfortable, she was about ready to burst at the seams with cabin fever.
She’d tried doing yoga with one of the other women on the ship and had nearly gnawed her own arm off during the silent meditation period. But at least the ship’s rec room had given her space for Judo practice.
And there was only so much oreo-chip poker one could play in a 24 hour period before the stakes started getting destructively creative.
As the ship touched down and her stomach rebelled against the difference in gravity, Sally couldn’t tell if it was because of the leftover vertigo from her translation implant, or if she was still hungover from trying questionable alien booze.
Maybe a little of both.
Hurling her guts out in the surprisingly spacious ship’s bathroom, Sally marveled once again at what she was calling the ‘three seashells’ lined up along the inside of the stall. She still hadn’t figured out what the second and third shells were for, but the first one played a variety of tunes, warmed your seat, and, if you hit the right glyph, rinsed your tush with a nice jet of warm water.
Hitting the wrong glyph, however, resulted in icy water being jettisonedwith forcestraight up your butthole.
Sally had made that mistake exactly once during the flight. Her surprised shout and sudden pants-around-the-ankles escape out of the stall had given at least two other girls a look at the goods, but hells if she’d been sticking around to find out what sort of alien gadgetry had just attacked her backside.
She’d seen that movie.
Nothank you.
The shuttle rocked slightly as it settled into the docking clamps and Sally steadied herself on the stall wall, waiting for her body to calm down. Motion sickness wasn’t something she had much experience with and she had already decided it could go die in a fire.
One of the other girls was in the bathroom changing clothes when Sally finally crept from the stall.
“You ok?” Juliette asked, looking concerned.
Sally grimaced, but waved her off, “Just peachy. Motion sickness.”
“Oh, yeah that sucks. Sorry!” The woman struggled for a moment with her outfit before huffing and turning to Sally. “Would you mind zipping me up?”
Sally finished washing her hands before helping.
“Is this a weddin’ dress?” she asked in consternation, finally taking in what the other girl had on.
“Weddingpantsuit, but yes!” She clapped her hands, eyes tearing up slightly as she looked at Sally nervously. “Is it too much?”
Sally looked her over with a critical eye, fluffed out the train a bit, then nodded sharply.
“You’ll do. And if he doesn’t eat you up with a spoon, you kick him right in whatever constitutes as ‘gnards’ in these parts!”
Juliette grinned before grabbing her recently-made friend in a nervous hug. “Thanks, Sally! Keep in touch? Please?”
