Tripletit 04: Welcome

We had arrived at the hotel's foyer. As we opened the door the Hotel Manageress rushed towards us and pushed us back into the corridor.

"You can't go out the front!" She exclaimed. "There is a large crowd out there waiting for you, too many for the Police to control. I'll show you the way to the staff entrance at the back."

We followed her back down the corridor, through several sets of doors, one marked 'Staff Only' which she had to use a key-code on, and were obviously in the service areas.

"Straight on, through the next two sets of doors, and the staff entrance will be ahead of you," the manageress said. "I've got to get back. The staff is worried that your fans will rush the building."

As she turned to leave I grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"Thank you," I said.

"That's OK, Ricky," she replied. "You and your wife are welcome here any time."

She rushed off with her heels clacking furiously.

As we went through the second set of doors we could hear a distant hubbub, like an Earth demonstration, but at a distance. Just inside the staff entrance were a number of Tripletit women looking slightly anxious. I recognised one, the chambermaid I'd met before. She looked tired and strained.

"That's her," I said to Shona.

"Then go and say hello," she said, gently nudging me.

The chambermaid was so intent on looking out into the street that she didn't notice me until I took her hand.

"Hello again," I said, kissing her hand. "You didn't tell me your name last time."

"I didn't? No. I didn't think you'd want to know," she replied.

"Not want to know the name of my friend?" I asked. "Of course I want to know."

She looked at Shona who was smiling at us. Shona nodded.

"Ricky, my name is Janet."

"Thank you, Janet, my friend," I replied.

Janet swept me up in her arms and held me against her, hugging me tightly but gently. Her face brightened with happiness. She waved a hand at the other staff who were still looking out.

"They didn't believe me," Janet said.

"They will now," Shona said, coming to stand beside us. "But why are they all looking outside? What's happening out there?"

"More of Ricky's fans, and the media. They've got the whole hotel surrounded. Everyone who goes out is mobbed and questioned about whether they've seen Ricky. Those who have, have been interviewed in front of cameras. We were hoping they'd go away once it was past midnight, but they didn't."

"How are we going to get home?" Shona asked.

Janet looked at her.

"Dressed like that, Shona, you're too recognisable. You wouldn't get more than a couple of yards. You're nearly as famous as Ricky. You couldn't hold Ricky, even concealed. It would be too dangerous. We might be able to smuggle Ricky out with the staff if there was a diversion, but..."

"Ursula?" I suggested to Shona.

"Ursula?" Janet queried. "You mean the singer?"

"Yes, Janet," Shona replied. "Ursula and her group are Ricky's friends too. We're a select bunch, Ricky's friends, and that includes you."

"Me? And Ursula?" Janet was incredulous.

"If you are Ricky's friend, and Ursula is Ricky's friend, then you are linked to her too." Shona answered.

"But I'm only a..." Janet started to say.

"My friend," I emphasised. Janet's arms squeezed me again.

"Thank you, Ricky. If we could get Ursula to leave from the front while we leave at the back, we should be able to get through."

"Even better," Shona said, "would be for Ursula to leave from the back with us. Those outside would ignore anyone except Ursula and the group."

"But how?" Janet asked.

"I could write a note to Ursula, asking for her help" I said. "She'd recognise my signature from the autographs."

"Do it!" Janet ordered, producing a note pad from her apron pocket. "I'll get someone to take it to Ursula."

I wrote a short note, explaining the problem and asking for Ursula's help. Janet, still carrying me, walked across to one of the other chambermaids and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned round; saw me in Janet's arms and her face blanched with shock.

"Janet! It was true!" She said as if not believing her eyes.

"Yes, Ruth. This is my friend Ricky." Janet emphasised 'friend'.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Ruth," I said. Ruth bobbed a curtsey as if I were royalty. Janet passed me for Ruth to hold as she explained about getting the note to Ursula.

"But will Ursula accept it from me, a chambermaid?" Ruth queried.

"Just tell any of the group that the message is from Ricky," I suggested.

"HOW long have you been on Tripletit, Ricky?" Ruth asked. "Less than a day? And you can send messages to Ursula? That's fast work, even for the smallest Earthman I've ever seen."

"Ursula's my friend," I said. "So is Janet."

"I don't know Ursula," Ruth said, "but I do know Janet. Anyone Janet chooses as a friend must be worth knowing."

Janet blushed.

"Ruth! We may be friends but don't make me out to be more than I am."

Shona put her arm around Janet's waist.

"Janet. I know that when Ricky first met you, he didn't really understand friendship on Tripletit. He does now, and wanted to find you. I appreciate the way you treated my husband then. That was the act of a true friend. He knows that and wanted to find you again to show that you are his friend. Now take him from your friend Ruth so that she can deliver that message. It's time to show your colleagues your new friend."

"I'd like to meet them," I added as Janet collected me from Ruth's arms.

Janet walked over to the group of women clustered around the back door. She raised her voice.

"Colleagues! I'd like you to meet my new friend!" She announced.

The first woman who turned, squealed.

"Ricky!"

Janet and I were surrounded by a crowd of excited women. I was passed around them, hugged, and kissed on the face. Shona waved at me as she disappeared through a door.

"Back soon," she mouthed at me.

"Sorry I didn't believe you, Janet," one of the chambermaids said sheepishly, "but it seemed so unlikely."

They were even more excited when Ruth brought Ursula and her group, then startled as all five greeted me as their friend. Janet handed me proudly to Ursula.

"We are staying here overnight, Ricky," Ursula said, "but our tour bus is in the car park. What we'll do is walk across there, wait about quarter of an hour in the bus while we have a coffee, and then walk back. That should provide enough diversion for you and Shona to get away."

"Thank you, Ursula."

"I've found a spare chambermaid's uniform to disguise Shona," Janet said as Shona walked back in wearing an apron and headscarf. "It wouldn't work in daylight, nor for long, but long enough while everyone's watching Ursula. But, just in case her disguise doesn't work, I'm smuggling you out -- under my skirt. OK?"

"Yes, friend Janet," I replied.

"Are we ready?" Ursula asked.

"Yes!" came the chorused answer.

"Under you go, Ricky," Janet ordered. I ducked under her dark blue uniform skirt. There wasn't much room inside and I had to crouch to keep my head below her waistband.

As we went through the door I could hear loud shouts of "Ursula!". Janet walked slowly and carefully. The lining of her skirt slithered around me as she moved. The back of my head was pressed against her sensible panties. After about a hundred yards she stopped.

"You can come out now, Ricky," she said, lifting her skirt.

I blinked in the street lights. Shona was standing beside Janet, clutching a laundry bag in her hands.

"One of Janet's friends carried my dress for me," Shona explained. "If I had been recognised they might have thought it was you in here, but there's no way I could have hidden you under this skirt. It's too tight."

"That was deliberate," Janet said. "We decided that there was a risk that Shona might be recognised, but if there was no way she could conceal you, that might not matter. We found a uniform just slightly too small."

"Thank you, Janet," I said. "You've been a real friend."

"I wish..." she started to say.

"You wish what?" I asked.

"That I could do more with you," she said looking straight at Shona.

"That's for Ricky to decide, Janet," Shona said, "but not today. It is our first night together on Tripletit and I want him for the rest of it. Later, perhaps?"

I looked from Shona to Janet. I wasn't quite sure what they meant. I thought I knew but...

"Janet? How can I contact you?" I said. "We can't just part here."

They smiled at me. At least that was a good response. Janet wrote her address and telephone number on her pad.

"We'll be in touch soon, Janet," Shona said, "I've got to return my borrowed uniform."

"There's no need to return it, Shona." Janet replied. "It was in the rag bag for recycling. No one will miss it, and the hotel would give you two anything after tonight. You've given them so much publicity."

"But I will contact you anyway, Janet," I said. "within a couple of days. I'm not losing my friend."

"Can your friend say goodbye properly?" Janet asked, again looking at Shona, not me.

"Janet," Shona said with a smile. "Friends don't have to ask the wife. You have my permission anytime, anywhere. I'm sure Ricky feels the same."

I held out my arms to Janet. She unbuttoned her uniform bodice and brought me to her left breast and to her right. She sighed as she handed me back to Shona.

"You have changed my life, Ricky. Do you know that? From being an obscure nobody I've become a friend of some of the most famous people on the planet."

"That's because of who you are, Janet," I replied. "someone who values friendship. Ruth knows it. Shona knows it. Ursula knows it and I know it."

Janet kissed me on the forehead and walked off into the night. Shona carried me back into her apartment. We were home, after an amazing Tripletit welcome.

The End -- For Now.