Relaxation

Bekkah woke from her nap, refreshed in body if not in spirit. She checked the time. Almost time for dinner, she thought. I've slept the afternoon away. She got out of bed and dressed. She would come up and change into her outfit for the talent show after dinner.

She called the main desk. "Room number for Mr. Gordon Tracy please. Yes, I will wait until you transfer."

"Hello?"

"Gordon?"

"Bekkah! Where are you?"

"Still in my room. Would you walk me down to dinner? I don't feel up to walking about by myself."

"Sure. Stay put. I'll be there in a minute."

"Thanks."

She waited by the door until there was a knock. She looked out the peephole in the door. A huge amber-colored eye looked back at her. She chuckled a bit, then opened the door.

"You are just what I need right now. Unbridled comedy," she told him. He smiled cheekily, then offered his arm. She hesitated for just a moment, then put her hand on it. He gently put his other hand on hers and they walked together to the banquet hall.

Jeff Tracy had managed, through his influence and not a few bribes, to get a table for his party. It was discreetly placed at the back of the room. Brains, Tin-Tin, and Bekkah, who were conference participants, did not sit with them. Instead, they were to sit at their table with Sir James and the Martins.

Gordon escorted Bekkah to the table, and pulled her chair out for her. She sat on the edge of the seat, as if she were going to bolt from the room. Then Brains came over, and sat beside her. She relaxed immediately and sat back.

Interesting, thought Gordon, she seems as secure with Brains as he seems to be with her. He was not the only one to notice that when Brains was around Bekkah, all traces of his stutter disappeared.

Sir James Masters came along, escorting Tin-Tin. Gordon's eyes widened, and a sly grin covered his face when he saw the handsome, blond baronet. Brains introduced them, and they shook hands. A good solid handshake, Gordon thought. No weakling here. And no geek either. Wait until Alan gets a load of this!

"Are you going to be okay, Bekkah?" he asked before he left to sit with his family.

"Yes, Gordon. Thank you. I'll be fine."

He bent down to kiss her, and ended up getting a chaste peck on the cheek instead of the kiss on the lips that had been their salute for the past month or more. He returned the kiss on the cheek, being careful not to touch her anywhere else. It was going to take time, he realized. But he would go at her pace. She was too important to him to jeapordize her recovery from her nightmare.

The Gregory Martins came to the table, Janet's hand firmly esconced in her husband's arm. Bekkah leaned over to speak to him.

"I understand you're doing a number from 'The Scarlet Pimpernel'. I was beginning to believe that I was the only one who appreciated that musical. So, who are you going to be? Sir Percy or Chauvelin?"

"You'll have to wait until the show, Dr. Barnes. Just as I will have to wait to hear what the Trigonmetric Trio is going to sing." he teased. "Actually, my little theatre group staged that musical recently. I was able to play both parts, Sir Percy the Pimpernel, and Chauvelin the French agent. Though not at the same time. That would have been too much."

"Oh! I wish I could have seen it!" Bekkah gushed.

At this point, dinner was served, and most everyone was otherwise engaged.

Bekkah had still not regained her appetite. Brains noticed her pushing her food around on her plate.

"Bekkah, this isn't like you. You need to eat. You'll need the energy to sing tonight."

She looked at him with a small smile. "You're right, Hiram. I'll eat something." She picked out a few choice morsels and ate them. Finding them to be tasty, she ate some more. Before she knew it, her plate was almost cleared. Brains inwardly sighed with relief.

The participants of the "We're not all geeks night" left their tables before dessert was served. There would be a special dessert buffet served to them after the show. Bekkah walked up to her room on Sir James's arm.

"I will come to collect you as soon as I am finished dressing," he promised.

Bekkah stood in front of the mirror, looking at the purpling bruises. She could barely see the edge of the wide line of bruising that ran down her back from shoulder to buttock, but she could feel them every time she moved. A sob threatened to rise up in her throat, but she stifled it, and quickly got dressed. The 1930's vintage reproduction she was to wear had a deep neckline, and showed some of the bruising. She hunted around until she found one of the scarves that Tin-Tin had purchased. She draped this around her neck and slid the ends into the decolletage of her dress. She looked in the mirror again. It will have to do, she thought.

A quiet knock at the door roused her from her thoughts. She peered through the peephole and saw Sir James waiting on her. She took a deep breath and went down to sing.

Gordon and John moved up from the table in the back to sit with Brains, Tin- Tin, and Janet. They wanted a better view of the night's festivities.

The master of ceremonies for the show was the band's leader, Tyler. He introduced each act with style and wit. Brains told his table mates that Tyler was a chemical engineer working for a large petroleum company. The first act was an accordian player. But instead of the usual polka, this lady played "Flight of the Bumblebee" on her instrument, a difficult feat. Then the band played "I Wanna Be Happy" as an introduction to the third act, the Trigonmetric Trio. The three ladies all wore the same dress, trying to recreate the look of a 1930's close harmony trio. They sang a song Gordon and John both knew, "The House is Haunted". Bekkah often sang that song after hours in the lab.

After the trio left, the band played another number, then there was a barbershop quartet, singing a Beach Boys tune. Sir James played a jazz number on the piano. Finally, Gregory Martin came forward to sing. He sang "Where's the Girl?" taking on the persona of Chauvelin, the conniving French agent. His eyes were directed only at Janet, who smiled broadly all the while. Backstage, Bekkah whispered to her friends, "He's so good!"

The band played again, then the trio came out for a second song. The quartet did a second number, this time a jazzy version of "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby". Then Gregory came out for an encore. This time he was Sir Percy, singing about recovering his love Marguerite with "I Never Let Her Go". The band played one more swing tune, and then the ladies did their encore, "Little White Lies." While onstage, Bekkah thought she caught a glimpse of Ivan Virenov sitting at the back in wheelchair. Her cheeks flamed, but she didn't falter in her singing and the whole night wrapped up in loud applause.

"Gregory, you were marvelous!" Bekkah exclaimed backstage as they cooled off with cold drinks and pastries. "And I could see exactly who your Marguerite was. She's a very lucky lady."

"No, I'm a very lucky man, Dr. Barnes. Very lucky indeed," he declared as Janet came up to him and took his arm.

Donna came over to give Bekkah a hug. Bekkah winced, but returned the embrace.

"You knew exactly what numbers to pick, hon. Thanks for your hard work."

"Thank you for doing this again! I don't know how I would have made it through without you two." Bekkah looked over the buffet and then loaded up her plate with brownies and other chocolate items. "I feel a real need for some artificial serotonin tonight." Her friends laughed and the three of them sat down to catch up with each other's lives.