All That Glitters Ch. 50

A few moments later, Seeka took the stage once again. The mood had changed at the stage site. Picking up on that, the music she started her second set with was more romantic in nature. She played for another two hours ending her performance with a Byandi song for newlyweds, to the pleasure of all at the resort.

Later that day, the newlywed couple came out of the swamp, hand-in-hand, still wearing their diadems of white flowers. Everywhere they went, they were greeted with the traditional Asocan response to newlyweds: 'go with the blessings of the Holy Couple'. Even the humans had taken to the phrase. The couple wore happy smiles all day long as they were constantly reminded of the new status.

Day Twelve of the Second Denders Summit, Denders Resort, South-West Coast of North America, Terra, The Sol System

"Good morning everyone," Sylvie greeted the group. "Welcome to day twelve of the summit. We once again have a full schedule of shuttles for sightseeing and shopping. Please do not get on the wrong shuttles. Check with the staff at the shuttle site before you enter the shuttle. With the exception of last minute entries, all of the shuttles have the names of those who are scheduled to be on them.

"The Silver Conference Room is again available if needed.

"Today, the President invites the senior leadership to a human style formal dinner in the Capital. That is scheduled for 19:00hrs. Your aides already have the schedules for departures. Please do not be late.

"Also today, we will have the 'Navel Battle' in the theatre. This will consist of belly dancers from South America, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands. Each area has its own unique style. It will be worth watching. You will also be asked if you wish to try it. They Byandi will enjoy it as it is similar to Byandi style dancing, though with unique differences for each of the styles.

"Tomorrow, the President and the Foreign Minister will be here for the second Signing Ceremony for the various agreements that have been made since last week.

"Tomorrow afternoon, François Pallanders will be here to sign agreements with the Senior Leadership on new ship requests for Pallanders.

"On Friday, the Council of Empaths has requested the use of the theater in the morning to conduct a Grand Congress of Empaths as there are several young empaths here at Denders who would be admitted into the Council. The general public is welcome but please do not interfere with the participants. We ask that you stay to the rear, out of the way during the process.

"Juanita..."

"Thank-you Sylvie. As Sylvie has already said, the President has requested the presence of the Senior Leadership for a formal dinner for his daughter and her friend Guinevere Soulange. It is also an opportunity for the leadership to enjoy the type of non-state high dining that formal dinner parties provide. We hope you enjoy this. You are encouraged to bring your families with you, especially the teen members of your family. I will leave it up to you to decide if your younger children would enjoy something of this nature.

"The President and Charles Ronter, the Foreign Minister, will be here tomorrow morning for a Signing Ceremony. This will once again take place in the theatre. The President has advised us that his press secretary is much improved and his daughter will not repeat her role as announcer." That got some laughter from the group and a few comments of disappointment.

"I have here the invitations to the Graduation Ceremony of Grace Elizabeth Holloway, the President's Daughter. These are made to the leaders of the Greater Community and their older children. Young children will probably not find these ceremonies active enough to hold their interest. I will leave it to you to decide if your children are old enough to participate in viewing the ceremony. This ceremony will take place in the Capital on Friday, the twenty first of June, starting at 17:00hrs. Transportation is being arranged. I need to know by tomorrow morning's brief the numbers of people who will be attending.

"Hanalei..."

"Thank-you, Juanita. The Consulate indicates that inquiries for their services have not let up. They are continuing to grow daily, with about twice as much activity online as in-person. The site is capable of expanding to twice the current level of occupation, however, if the levels of inquiries keep up, we may have to expand the site for even more additional personnel much sooner than anticipated. That is still a future option," Hanalei smiled here and bowed to the leadership, who smiled back, please with the results so far. Trade was an issue dear to the heart of all leaders everywhere.

"Sylvie..."

"Thank-you. I hope you have all had the chance to get your formal wear for the dinner tonight? It not, you have very little time to complete that task," Sylvie said with a smile to show she was joking.

"Anything of note to pass along?" she asked, getting nothing back from the senior delegates.

"Go enjoy the day," she told them, sending the leadership out.

Denders' Theatre, Denders Resort, Terra, The Sol System

Having been primed by the comments from Sylvie, many of the senior leadership were in the audience in the theatre for the afternoon's show. They would not be disappointed.

The show started with a demonstration on the various styles of belly dancing that would be depicted. They demonstrated the styles from South America, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands.

The show lasted for over three hours and many of the audience members were drawn up on stage to try out the various forms of belly dance. Much fun was had by all.

The Byandi, in particular, liked these forms of dance as they tended to mirror their own style of folk dance. They did very well in the Middle Eastern style of dance, though they did enjoy the much faster paced Pacific Island dances.

The word got around the resort and those that missed the performance in the afternoon were on hand for the evening performances, minus the leadership of the Greater Community, who were otherwise occupied.

Chez Aubuchon Restaurant, Capital City, Terra, The Sol System

The Chez Aubuchon Restaurant was a grand establishment that had been in Capital City for over three hundred years. The current owner, Angelique Aubuchon, was the great-great-granddaughter of the original owner of the restaurant and the new owner of the restaurant as her father, Antoine Aubuchon, had recently retired though he still showed up on occasion at his namesake establishment.

Lawrence Wilber was the attendant at the door this evening, along with his favourite person, Tuuli Saviano, the diminutive woman on the staff that was his own age. They got along well and he always enjoyed working with her as he found himself fancying her. Both were wearing the white half-jackets of the restaurant serving staff, though with the black borders that indicated bar staff. As more experienced staff member of the restaurant, they could and often were, be placed anywhere they were needed.

They were working in the entrance bar, where clients would wait for their reservations. It was off to the right of the main door and blocked by a wall so that the pair did not see clients until they entered the bar proper.

A man entered the bar dressed in what appeared to be a Navy Mess Dress but with a black, open jacket with items on its collar and shoulder boards that Lawrence did not recognize. He was followed by a woman in the more standard black, Navy Mess Dress, which was familiar to Lawrence. The woman looked vaguely familiar but Lawrence could not immediately place her.

"What is your name, sir?" Lawrence inquired politely.

"That is correct," the man replied.

"What?" Lawrence asked, perplexed.

"We have already established that, young man, now we need to confirm timings," the man stated.

"Bouyé, stop teasing the man," the other woman admonished.

From the side, Tuuli interrupted the ongoing debate. "Lawrence, there is a C M D R E Whatt with a party of eighty nine at 19:00 in the Main Ballroom," she told him.

"That would be the abbreviation for Commodore, as in the first rank of the Admiralty, a one-star rank, while mine would be Vice Admiral, a three-star rank," said a new woman just entering the establishment and hearing the comment. The Vice Admiral wore the same type of jacket as Commodore Whatt was wearing.

"Admiral," the other woman said, bowing slightly.

"Captain Noor, Bouyé, are we ready for the guests?" Fiona asked.

At the name of Captain Noor, things snapped into place in Lawrence's mind. That's why he recognized her! She was the Captain Henadi Noor! Then that made the Admiral, Vice Admiral Fiona Marsh of Liramor-23!

Tuuli reached up and physically closed Lawrence's mouth, much to the amusement of the new guests.

The door opened yet again and this time beings that Lawrence recognized as Byandi entered the waiting area, chattering excitedly. The 'women' were wearing something like an Indian Sari, though it was very sheer. Lawrence, being a normal red-blooded young male, stared openly at the obvious display of, well, chests...

Tuuli once again used a finger to shut his mouth and forcibly stepped in front of him. "Gentle Beings," she said with a bow. "You have a reservation?" she inquired.

"Do we, Commodore Whatt?" asked one of the Byandi 'women', who appeared to have some sort of seniority over the others.

"We most certainly do, Mylatrin Adriné," Bouyé replied with a low bow.

"Excuse me," Lawrence interrupted, "Do you have the authority to provide an appointment for these..."

"People?" Commodore Whatt stated with enough force in his voice to get Lawrence's attention.

Lawrence, unfortunately, was one of those who followed the Right Reverend Mike Hollister. He believed that Terra should be for humans and not be allowed to be exploited by aliens.

"He might not have that authority, but I would," said a voice that Lawrence had heard many times before. His head snapped around to see...The President of the Union!!

"Mr..r..r..presitent...." Lawrence stumbled. "You...you...your name does not appear on the guest list, sir," Lawrence finally got out.

The President took note of the name tag. "No Lawrence, it does not. When my name appears on a guest list, the media tends to congregate. I would prefer that my daughter's formal be a more private affair. I therefore asked Commodore Whatt to make the arrangements for me. His name is not as well known as say, mine, or Vice Admiral Marsh's, or even Captain Henadi Noor's.

"Having said that, have no doubt, Lawrence, that these are MY guests. They are the senior leadership of the Greater Community. The Governors, Presidents, Kings, Queens, Senior Ministers of the Interspecies Community and their families.

"That is a lot of power in one location, Lawrence, one that the establishment of my good friend Angelique Aubuchon should be proud to serve," the President finished.

"And is, sir," said another cold voice behind Lawrence. His head snapped around to see his boss standing there, looking rather annoyed at him.

"Wilford, it is so good to see you again," Angelique simpered, giving a very sweet smile for the President. "Oh, MY! Grace, you look so lovely in that dress."

Grace gave a small curtsy and a smile to Angelique, and elbowed her father, who seemed to have frozen for the moment. He finally reacted to the presence of the beautiful restaurateur. "Hello, Angelique," he replied, with a smile that reached his eyes.

"Wilford, you know how to turn a woman's heart," she replied, smiling deeply.

Grace noted the interplay but said nothing. It was not her place to interfere and, quite frankly, she liked the woman.

"Daddy, should I start calling her 'mommy'," she whispered to her father, half-jesting. She noted the blush that struck her father's face.

"Let me take care of things for a moment, Wilford," Angelique said, saving the President from having to reply. She turned on Lawrence.

"I do believe that I pay you rather well, do I not, Mr. Wilber?" Angelique said with a hard voice.

"Yes, ma'am, you do," he replied, his face rapidly paling.

"Do you wish to keep working here, Mr. Wilbur?" she asked pointedly.

"Yes, ma'am, I do. I...I like working here." He replied, his eyes seeking out the diminutive Tuuli, who was saying nothing and now standing slightly away from him.

Shit, he thought. Have I fucked up my chances with Tuuli? He asked himself.

"Very well then, Mr. Wilber. As our maître' d has just booked out sick, I shall make you the maître' d for tonight. I expect nothing less than the absolute best from this establishment for the President's guests, Mr. Wilber. Trust me, your future employment rests on that responsibility," she told him, pointing to the back of the room and the door leading to the preparation area.

Lawrence bobbed his head and fled into the back.

"I'm sorry, Tuuli, that places you alone at reception, tonight," Angelique told the woman.

"Not an issue, Boss, I can manage things here," Tuuli assured her.

Lawrence came back, wearing a different jacket, a white half-jacket with gold trim, one that made him the maître' d. He bowed to the President.

"Ladies, gentlemen, gentle beings, may I introduce your maître' d for tonight, Lawrence Wilber," Angelique said with commitment in her voice. "I assure you he will show you the best that this establishment has to offer," Lawrence bobbed his head to his boss and bowed low to the guests. There were a lot more of them now than a few minutes ago.

"Ladies, gentlemen, gentle beings, I am Lawrence Wilber your maître' d. It will be my pleasure to see to all of your needs this evening. If you would follow me to the right, we shall move to the Main Ballroom's waiting area, which has been prepared for you," he told them, moving his arm to show the direction that they would have to follow and then moved at a graceful pace into the corridor leading to the ballroom. The crowd followed.

Lawrence had been aware that an important event was taking place here this evening but his duties had been at front reception. He was not fully aware of all that had taken place so far. He would have to scramble to fill in the gaps of his knowledge to ensure that the guests were taken care of. Fortunately, there was a check-list for situations just like this. As soon as he could break away, he moved to the main preparation area to look at the check list for this party and almost wished he hadn't...

SHIT!! This is going to be one hell of a night! He thought...

Almost before he had finished the thought, one of the staff came to him. "Lawrence, there are people at the back door who claim to be musicians for the President?" he told him.

"I'll take care of it, Mark." Lawrence went to the door and found roughly twenty people in Navy uniforms with equipment waiting.

"We apologize for arriving late, sir. There was an issue with one of the vehicles. If you would show us where to set up, I would appreciate that," the woman in charge said. Lawrence took them to a small stage that was concealed behind a curtain.

"As soon as you are set up, we will raise the curtain," Lawrence told them, pointing to the switch that said, 'up and down'. The conductor nodded and told him that they could manage that part.

Lawrence went back into the preparation area and found several people he did not know there. "And you are?" he asked.

"I am Siobhan Riley, Master Chef. We have been asked to assist your chefs tonight as they are not familiar with some of the meals that will be prepared for this evening," she told him. No sooner had she finished that statement then Lawrence saw several aliens with sou-chef hats in the kitchen. They were making special meals, which made sense to him.

He was shocked to see them and, quite frankly, a little bit frightened. However, he had to make a decision on whether he wanted to keep his job and possibly his friendship with Tuuli.

He picked up the check list and noted that several special preparations were being made for some of the guests. He also noted the list of food choices made by the guests and their placement within the ballroom. He moved out to see the head waiter.

"All is ready, Albert?" Lawrence asked.

"Hello, Lawrence. I was wondering who would be the maître 'd for tonight. Better you than me," he told him. "Yes, all the preparations are completed. The guests should be coming in for the meal shortly. Best you get in the waiting room and see that they stay calm," he suggested.

Lawrence nodded and went to the other room. Several waiters were mingling with the people, serving drinks of all kinds. Lawrence moved among the staff and checked to see that all was good. He was surprised to see several young children and even infants in the group of guests. It had never occurred to him that Aliens would have families but he kicked himself mentally.

Of course they would, idiot. Aliens didn't just pop into existence as full grown adults, he thought.

The younger ones were doing well, being kept happy by their families, much like the human families in the group. Lawrence was suddenly struck by the fact that, though alien, they were families with little ones, who acted much the same as human families did.

After a quick appraisal, he went back to the main ballroom and checked to see that all was ready. Someone brought the banner board to him to verify, however, the names were written in several different languages that Lawrence could not make out. A woman approached him.

"Good evening. I am Juanita Invierno from the UDC. I am told that you are the maître' d for this evening?" she asked.

"Yes, I am. Can you make sense of this board, Ms. Invierno?" he asked.

"Yes, I made it. It is correct. You can place it in front of the door between the rooms so that the guests can find their seating. I have three of my staff here tonight to help with translation if required," Juanita told him. She tapped her comp to his and he felt the rumble at his wrist.

"I have just given you the latest translation matrix. You will need it," she told him. Lawrence was grateful for that, swiftly placing his personal privacy hearing piece in his ear.

He had the board placed to the right of the doors and went to check on the band.

"We are ready," the conductor told him. Lawrence raised the curtain and directed his people to open the ballroom doors. The band began to play some classical music as the guests, who seemed to be in good spirits, entered the ballroom. As people found their seats, staff moved in with highchairs for the children that needed them or raised seats for those children too big for the highchairs but not tall enough to get to the table yet. The parents, and the children, appreciated that.

Once everyone was seated, Lawrence approached the head table. At the table was seated the President and his daughter, Grace, with Guinevere Soulange and their friends, Martte Garnal potentially the future Impotasse, Shallel on their left. Mme. Soulange, was further to the left along with the Asoc, and the Asost. Lawrence realized that Grace and Guinevere were centered in the table, which made sense as this was their formal.

On the President's right, Lawrence was shocked to see his boss, Angelique, now wearing a very beautiful and form fitting, silk gown, sitting next to the President. Her eyes locked on his for a moment and then turned to the President.

On the other side of Mme. Aubuchon was the Impotass Hatel Konexi and his mate, Grenta Konexi.

Lawrence bowed to the head table. "With your permission, Miss?" he asked. Once he had Grace's OK, he turned and bowed to the guests. He made the statement that was on the checklist:

"Ladies, gentlemen, gentle beings. While all care has been taken to ensure that you receive the proper meals, please ensure that you scan the items before ingesting them. If there are any issues, inform one of the staff immediately. Otherwise, enjoy the evening..."