It’s not that I’m ashamed of my body. Well…I mean, I don’t love it but I’ve accepted that no amount of exercise is going to make my hips and thighs much smaller,” Cassie admitted. “But it’s just that this…” She motioned to her new costume. “Is so revealing. I mean, I look more like Slave Leia from Return of the Jedi than a bodyguard.”
“Well, you’re not wrong, doll,” Kat admitted. “Which means you’re going to fit right in. Since you know your Star Wars stuff, you shouldn’t be a bit surprised when you meet your new boss.”
“Who—Gozeriam, you mean?” Cassie asked. “Why?”
“Because Xempi Gozeriam isn’t a humanoid,” Kat said casually. “He’s a Slimerian.”
“A what?” Cassie shook her head. “What kind of alien species is that?”
“A kind that doesn’t even look remotely human,” Kat told her. “Remember Jabba the Hutt?”
“Ewww! He looks like that?” Cassie exclaimed.
“Kind of.” Kat shrugged. “Except he does have legs and feet—ten of them, I believe. So he’s able to get around. Oh, and his skin changes color for some reason—at least, from what I could see when I was doing research for your costume.”
“Knowing my new, uh, boss looks like Jabba the Hutt with legs makes me want to wear this skimpy outfit around him even less, you know,” Cassie pointed out, looking down at herself.
“Sorry, doll. But I told you, I looked up images of Xempi Gozeriam’s corps of private bodyguards, and that’s pretty much how they dress. They’re all women too—did you know that?”
“No, I didn’t.” Cassie frowned. “Are they all, uh, humanoid?”
Kat shrugged.
“More or less. There was an Orthonian in the pictures I saw—they look kind of like tall, thin humans but with insect heads. The one I saw looked like a seven-foot-tall super model with the head of a bumble bee. But most of the rest have humanoid features,” she added, as though to comfort Cassie.
“I don’t really care what they look like—I care what I look like.” Cassie looked down at herself again and grimaced. “Is it really necessary to show my stomach and hips this way?”
“It is if you want to be taken seriously on Bachanalius. Look…” Kat put a hand on her arm. “You need to start learning to love your curves. You’re gorgeous—what the Kindred call an ‘Elite’—a woman the Goddess has blessed with extra-generous curves. That’s a mark of beauty here on the Mother Ship.”
“It is?” Cassie looked at her in surprise.
“How do you think I got not one but two amazingly hot husbands?” Kat put a hand on her own generous hip. “The Kindred love full-figured gals. Especially the Twin Kindred but really, all of them do.” She winked at Cassie. “Including the Blood Kindred, like your hunky partner.”
“Stone is just that—my partner,” Cassie protested, but she could feel her cheeks heating with a blush.
“You sure about that?” Kat asked, grinning. “I mean, both of you are single, right?”
“Yes, but we’re just friends. Best friends,” Cassie stressed. “And I wouldn’t want to do anything to ruin that friendship. It’s pretty much the best thing in my life,” she admitted.
“I’m sure if we asked your partner, he’d say you were the best thing in his life, too,” Kat murmured. “But never mind—I won’t tease you anymore. I just want you to own your curves and feel fabulous in your new outfit.”
“I’ll try,” Cassie said uncomfortably.
“Just remember you won’t be the only one there dressed like that,” Kat reminded her. “Xempi Gozeriam has lots of other guards and he makes all of them wear costumes that look a lot like this one.”
“Yeah, but I bet Stone won’t have to wear anything this crazy or revealing,” Cassie muttered.
Just then there was a knock on the door and they heard Stone say, “Excuse me but I am here for my fitting. May I come in?”
“Oh, no!” Cassie gasped. She made a move to dodge behind the folding screen in the corner of Kat’s office but the other girl put an arm out to block her.
“Look, doll—he’s going to have to see you in that outfit eventually,” she said, giving Cassie a stern look. “Would you rather have him look now and get used to it, or see it for the first time when the two of you are meeting with Xempi Gozeriam on Bachanalius?”
“Well…” Cassie hesitated. She supposed Kat had a point. It was better to let her partner get used to her new ‘look’ now rather than later, when they were in a dangerous undercover situation. But damn it, she just wasn’t used to showing this much skin! At work she wore boxy professional pantsuits that covered her completely from head to toe. And when she and Stone were hanging out together at home or going to a concert or a movie, she wore jeans and a t-shirt. Nothing more revealing than that—ever.