The Boys' Club

Chapter 6

      It was the night of the Christmas party. The plane had brought Carmen and several of the staff from the island to the mainland. Driscoll wasn't among them and the only flight crew member was Josh Williams. Just before Carmen had boarded the plane on the island she had overheard Baily talking to Grant Morrison saying how any member of the flight crew leaving the island now with the mission only days away, was being negligent. She didn't care what the arrogant asshole thought. She desperately needed a short break from that place.

She dressed conservatively in a white blouse and calf length grey skirt. When she arrived at the auditorium in the club she looked around for Tracy but couldn't see her. She spotted Angela at a table on the far side of the dance floor and went over to join her.

"Tracy isn't here yet," Angela informed her, "She was at work this morning, but no one has seen her since lunch time."

The meals were brought out, but still no Tracy. Finally half an hour after they had finished eating, and the music had started, Angela nudged Carmen pointing to an approaching figure. It was Tracy like they had never seen her. Her long hair was now jet black and she had applied dark eye liner to her eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless short black cocktail dress showing off her long bare toned legs.
"What do you think?" she asked as she stood in front of them. Angela and Carmen gaped at her, as did everyone else at the table.

Angela finally found her tongue. "Wow! Trace you look spectacular. Maybe a bit like a high class hooker, but spectacular."
Tracy sat down and gave Angela a playful hit on the arm.
"Shut up," she said, "I don't look like a hooker, do I Carmen?"
"No, you look great," Carmen said, "I almost didn't recognise you."

"I spent three hours at the salon this afternoon, then another hour at home with this make up. Did I miss dinner? Oh well I'll have a drink instead." She walked off to the bar with every male head turning in her direction as she passed.

In between drinks and dancing Tracy asked Carmen for an update of what was going on at the island.
"Nothing has gone wrong for a couple of days," Carmen said, "I've been using the bug detector every night, but no one has planted any new listening devices."
"Good," Tracy said, "Maybe they've given up. Anyway in nine days you'll have your first trip into space. You're going to the moon to bring back all the staff who are having Christmas at home, or are starting an Earth rotation. Dad will be going on that trip so Adam and Grant will be on their best behaviour. Now excuse me for a few minutes while I have another dance with Matt over there."

"Who are those two men you've been dancing with anyway?" Carmen asked looking across the dance floor to a table on the other side."
Tracy gave a mischievous smile. "They are Matt and Shane, my two new staff in the MRU. They start tomorrow. I haven't told them my name so they have no idea they have been dancing with their boss. Ha ha!"
"That's terrible, Tracy," said Angela stifling a laugh, "When they find out they are going to be really ticked off with you."
"I know," Tracy said, "That's going to be the fun part." She walked off slightly unsteadily thanks to all the scotches she'd had during the evening. A minute later she was leading one of the new unsuspecting men out onto the dance floor."

Angela turned to Carmen. "Tracy has really changed lately," she said, "Ever since she broke up with Laurence she's been a lot more fun loving, doesn't put in such long hours at her job anymore, and she even comes out for Friday night drinks with the staff. I think her break up was a good thing for her."

They sat watching Tracy dancing with Matt.
"Oh no!" Angela exclaimed.
"What is it?" Carmen asked.
"Look. He has his hand on her butt. Ha ha! Ohhhh, wait till he finds out he's been touching up his new boss!"
The two women laughed.

When Tracy returned to the table ten minutes later, she was also laughing as she told them how Matt had asked her back to his motel room. She had declined of course.
"So he still doesn't know?" Angela asked.

"No, he's going to be in for a shock when I tell him and Shane. But Carmen, on to serious things. I see Josh Williams over there. I'm going over to have a little chat with him about your problem. Oh, look at that. I'll have to walk right past my ex, Laurence and his new girlfriend."
Carmen and Angela watched her walk off. "I so love the new Tracy," Angela said with a chuckle.

As Tracy walked across to Josh's table she made a slight detour so that she went right past her ex boyfriend Laurence who was engaged in a conversation with his new girlfriend. They both stopped talking as Tracy sauntered past. "Hi Laurence," she said with a seductive smile, and kept walking. When she reached Josh's table a few moments later she glanced back to see Laurence trying to say something to his girlfriend who was glaring in Tracy's direction shooting daggers at her with her eyes.

She sat down next to Josh who was staring at her goggle eyed! "Hi Josh," she said using her seductive voice again.
"Tracy.....you l-look...", Josh stammered, then paused.
"Different, yes I know. It's my new look. Hope you like it. But I want to talk to you about something else. I see you and Carmen are the only flight crew here."
"Yes, the others are getting ready for the moon flight."
"That's still ten days away. Anyway I wanted to talk to you about Carmen. You're the communications expert on the crew. Who do you think planted that microphone in her room? I assume you know about that?"

"Yeah, Driscoll was questioning everyone about it but no one admitted to doing it."
Tracy reached over and walked her fingers across his hand. "You must have an idea. Who do you think it was?" She looked closely at his face. If he lied she would know.

He didn't lie. "I don't know. I really don't think it was one of the flight crew. My guess would be one of the maintenance guys. Tracy, would have a dance with me?"
"Okay," Tracy said, getting up, "One dance. Just don't put your hand on my butt!"

Later as the Christmas party was winding down Tracy revealed who she was to her two new staff. They were slightly shocked, but eventually laughed about it. Carmen went back to her motel to get a good night's sleep. She would be flying out at ten the next morning back to the island where preparations were building for the spaceflight in nine days time. She couldn't wait!

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