By...Northstar
It was actually Sherry that had mentioned it in one of her posts to the list. And now there were about 10 Covert Lovers from the list attending. Karin was the first to arrive yesterday and Cheryln, Sherry, Christina, Trace, Aly and Michelle were arriving today. Lease, Wendy and Holly were coming tomorrow. It was going to be fun putting some more faces to the names that she 'talked' to every day. Some were coming to this event cause they weren't sure they were going to be able to attend the Close Quarters Standby 2 this year. There still hadn't been a date set and no news seemed to be forthcoming, so this was the next best way for the CL's to get to know one another.
As Karin was getting herself ready to go down to breakfast, the phone rang. Walking over to the desk, she picked it up to hear Trace on the other end.
"Hey Trace!! how's it going?"
"Not bad. Cherlyn, Chris, Aly and I just got here. We're in the restaurant just off the lobby. You had breakfast yet?" she asked.
"I was just heading down there when you called."
"Great. Hurry up! Can't wait to actually meet you in person."
"Oh my, you sure you're up to it?" I bantered back. "Anyway, I'm on my way down, so you had better prepare yourself and the others too!"
"Hey, I'm up to it, but are you????" Trace laughed, "This should be a blast. I hope the others get here soon too so we can start the partying early."
"Okay, I'll be down in a jiffy."
Glancing around the room to make sure nothing was left out of place, Karin left the room. As she was heading towards the elevators, Karin passed the room Sherry had reserved. She thought she heard some noise behind the door and went over and knocked on the door.
"Karin?" the girl who answered the door asked.
"Yup! In the flesh so to speak." I answered. I had posted a pic of myself on a private page on my site so that at least some of us would know what the other one looked like. Cheryln and Trace and Michelle had done the same thing and Aly had sent me one of her.
"Sherry?" I asked back and she nodded her head yes. "Good. Hey, you had breakfast yet? I was just heading down to meet with some of the others in the restaurant and if you haven't, then maybe you could come along with me."
"Sounds good to me. Hang on and I'll just grab my purse." Sherry said.
***************
Walking into the restaurant, it wasn't hard to spot where the others were seated and we headed over.
"Hey girls, I found Sherry on the way!!" I told them in way of an introduction. "She just got into the room as I walked by and talked her into coming down for breakfast."
The girls all introduced themselves and then we settled down into ordering or meals and then chatting amongst ourselves. After a while the discussion of costumes came up.
"Hey guys!!" Aly said. "What kind of costumes did you manage to get for the party tomorrow night?"
"Now what would be the fun in that, if we told you what we were going to wear Aly?" Chris asked, grinning.
"Awwww, come on! We have to at least know what each other is wearing. Besides, I'll see it anyway when you get ready." she came back with, then stuck her tongue out at Chris.
"I'm wearing an Arabian Princess costume that I made last Halloween." Cherlyn volunteered.
"Neat. I am wearing a Marie Antoinnette costume I borrowed." Aly said as she looked at the others, just waiting for a comment about her choice.
"Yeah, I can see you as Marie. Good choice." Trace grinned. "I have seen so many different costumes in the last few weeks trying to decide which one I was going to get. I hate having to make choices and this one was harder than most I've had to make."
"And???" I asked, knowing that whatever Trace chose would be on the 'different' side.
"I think I'll make you wait until tomorrow night! I don't want to ruin the suprise." she teased. "But wait until you get to see what Christina is going to wear. It is absolutely stunning and she made it herself."
All eyes turned to Chris waiting to see if she would tell them. Blushing slightly at being the center of attention, she gave in.
"Oh, I guess I'll tell you. I mean it's no big deal. I am going as a Medieval Princess. Who knows maybe I'll find a Knight at the party!" she laughed.
"Great choices everyone." Karin said. "I'm getting kinda excited about the party now. I wasn't too sure about it at first. Hey, Sherry, you haven't told us what yours is yet."
"Ah, neither have you Karin." she quipped back. "But for your information I have a very simple one. I am going as Snow White!!"
"I can't wait to see all the costumes!" Cheryln exclaimed. "I hope you all brought masks as well. We have to be icognito until midnight when they have the unmasking. So, what ARE you wearing as a costume Karin?"
"Not gonna let me get away without answering are you? Okay, I'll tell ya. I am going as the Wicked Witch of the West from OZ!!" I said.
"OH MY GAWD! I knew you would pick something bitchy!!" Trace retorted. "Can't wait to see this."
"Well, guys," Sherry said as she started getting up, "I hate to spoil the fun, but I have to get upstairs and see if anyone else has shown up. Anyone up for shopping after lunch?"
"I AM!" everyone said as one.
"Great. I'll call your room after the others get here and we can go exploring."
With that everyone started gathering up their stuff and left the restaurant.
**
After lunch, Lease, Michelle, Wendy and Holly arrived. Once they had unloaded all their luggage in the suite Sherry had reserved, they all set out for an afternoon of shopping.
When they arrived back at the hotel later that afternoon totally exhausted but content, they all went back to the suites to get unloaded from all the parcels they had carried around. Not one of them had left the stores empty handed and they were happy but a little more broke. They had even gone to a store that made them T-shirts that said Covert Lovers on them along with their online names.
"Well guys I don't know about you but I am absolutely famished and I need to get something to eat. Shopping always makes me hungry." Holly stated.
"Sounds like a plan to me. Let's see if the others want to go down to dinner early and then we can check out the local action after." Trace agreed.
*********
After dinner and a short nap the girls headed downtown to check out the night life and when they got back late that night they were more than ready to turn in. They all went into the one suite to discuss the plans for the next day.
"Well girls. This has really been a fun day. I think tomorrow is going to be a blast." Michelle said as she flopped across the bed.
"Yeah, it will be fun to see all the different costumes." Lease said. She was lounging on the love seat totally relaxed. "I hear that they have some really outrageous ones."
"Well I think we will be the best dressed there tomorrow." Wendy commented. "From what I see most of us have conservative costumes."
"Yeah but we haven't found out what Trace is going to be wearing!!" Aly whined. "I don't think it's fair that she won't tell us."
"You'll just have to wait!" Trace grinned back, "but I will say one thing, in that you will definitely be surprised."
"Okay, enough about the costumes, we need to decide what we are going to do tomorrow and then get some sleep." Karin said in her 'mom' voice.
"Well, we can definitely do some more shopping and we have to go and check out some of the 'location' sites from LFN." Lease suggested.
"Yeah, we should see if we can find the studio." Wendy said. "At least take some pictures from the outside. And who knows what else will happen."
"All right. Sounds good to me." Sherry yawned as she got up to leave. "Michelle, Lease, Holly, Wendy, you guys ready to go?"
"Yup, I am definitely ready to get into my jammies and get some sleep." Michelle answered. "We'll want to get up at a decent time if we want to do all that we have planned."
With that the girls all got up and as the five of them left the room, the others were gathering up the needed items to get ready for bed. Taking turns using the facilities it wasn't long before the lights were turned off.
After another full day of shopping and sight seeing the girls were more than ready for the night ahead. More bags were unloaded and oohed and aahed over and then it was time to get dressed and ready for the Masquearade Dance in honor of Mardi Gras.
Just about everyone was ready and looked wonderful. Michelle had decided to be Alice in Wonderland and Lease was just putting the finishing touches to Michelle's hair. Lease herself was dressed as Xena and Wendy was dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Holly was outfitted to be Maid Marion.
"We all look great. I wonder what is keeping Trace and Aly?" Chris asked, looking toward the bathroom. " All I keep hearing is giggles coming out of there. I mean how bad can it be?"
"Well, I do believe we are about to find out." Wendy replies. She was closest to the bathroom and could hear the door unlock.
Aly came out first and she was really trying hard not to burst out laughing, and then Trace walked out.
"OH MY GAWD!!!!" we all screamed before we all started to laugh hysterically. Trace was dressed as Madonna, the way she use to be before she mellowed.
"What??" Trace asked. "You don't think it suits me?"
"Well, I can see now why you didn't tell us what yours was." Karin laughed. "You sure you couldn't find a more pointy bra?"
"Hey, I tried and this was the best I could come up with. You know how many stores I had to search thru to find this one?" she asked, " Well, let me tell you it was a lot."
"Girl, you do have a lot of nerve. That much I will say." Wendy said.
"Hey, you got it flaunt it is what I say." Trace responded.
And with that they put on their masks and left the room.
*****************************
Upon entering the ballroom, the girls were amazed at how many people were there. A lot of eyes were on Trace as they entered the room but she took it all in stride.
"Hey, it's for a good cause. You don't think I would do this with family do you? "
"Good cause?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, didn't you know that this ball is for charity?" Cheryln asked Chris.
"No, I didn't."
"Yeah, that is why there will be celebrities here. I must say though, they sure kept the confirmed list a secret. I only found out a few names and I don't recognize but a few." Holly stated.
"Oh well, let's just mingle and then meet up again when the buffet is served. I want to take a look around and see if I can 'spy' any celebrities. It is going to be hard though with the masks and all." Lease said as she wandered to the refreshment table.
"I think she just wants to get away from standing beside you Trace," Aly joked, " and I can't really say I blame her. You do seem to 'stand' out."
"Okay, go ahead and make fun of me, but I betcha I'll have a lot of dance partners." Trace tossed back over her shoulder good humouredly as she walked away into the throngs.
With that we all went our separate ways agreeing to meet back at the buffet table when it was announced.
***************
Tables had been set up along the perimeter of three of the walls with a long table at the front of the room in front of the stage. Balloons had been hung in nets along the domed ceiling, ready to be released at midnight just before the unmasking.
Before long, dinner was announced and the girls met up again. There was an abundance of food set out along the tables by the stage and the girls quickly filled their plates and headed to a table along the wall.
"Did you know that they were going to have a costume judging?" Sherry asked us all as we sat down.
"Really? That will be interesting. I've seen quite a few that I would vote for." Aly responded.
"Yeah, I heard someone talking about it when I was dancing. Apparently the judges are the celebrities!! I guess they will announce it after the spot dance after dinner." Sherry said.
After dinner the dancing continued and just around 11:30 pm the spot dance was announced. Aly was lucky enough to be in the right spot with her partner and won a nice gift. None of the others were as lucky. Just then they saw a procession of people walk up onto the stage to stand beside the announcer.
"Okay ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention please. This is the time when we announce the winners of our costume judging. As you know this dance is being held with all proceeds being donated to various charities that our 'Celebrity' judges have chosen. The winners will recieve a tropy and a certificate which has been signed by the judges. Now, on with the winners."
"We have 3 categories in which costumes are chosen as winners. The third one being Most Original, the second one Most Daring and the first one Most Outrageous. During the evening our celebrity hosts have been mingling among all of you and have chosen the ones they feel fit into these categories. Now with out further adieu we will announce our winners." he continued on.
The girls were busy chatting amongst themselves and didn't hear all the announcements. They watched as the winners in the Most Original walked up on stage to accept their awards.
"Okay let's give these people a nice round of applause."
"Next up we have the Most Daring costume awards. We would like it if everyone could tone it down a bit so that the winners can hear their names being called. Now you know the reason why we wanted you to sign in earlier today with your name and what you would be wearing. Also once we have announced the winners we will have the unmasking of the judges and then we will have a general unmasking. Let's continue."
The girls looked guiltily at each other feeling as though the announcer was talking to them when he mentioned the toning down. Now they paid attention to what was being announced.
"And in first place for Most Daring costume we have Tracy Few. So come on up!!!"
Trace just gasped as she heard her name being called. "I can't go up there!! It took me everything I had to dress like this in the first place and now I have to stand on stage."
"Come on!!" Karin urged her. "You can do it. I know you can."
"Yeah," Cherlyn piped in, " we'll walk you up there. Let's go."
With a reluctant Trace in the middle the girls all pulled and pushed her along until they reached the stage. Looking like she was heading for the gallows she slowly made her way up the stairs until she stood alongside the other two winners.
After the awards were given out in all the categories and the winners had left the stage the announcer walked back up to the microphone. "Okay, now if I can have your attention please, we can get to the unmasking. Again, I want to congratulate all the winners from the costume judging."
"We were very lucky this evening in that all of our judges work on two series that are shot right here in Toronto. The first ones unmasking now are from the series "Due South". I think most of you will recognize Paul Gross and crew." the announcer said as he pointed to the group to the left of him as they unmasked themselves.
"And the second set of judges come from the dark and mysterious "La Femme Nikita". Now I know this show has become a very popular show both here in Canada and abroad. We all know you won't have a problem recognizing Roy Dupuis and Peta Wilson. Let's give a huge round of applause to show our appreciation in them attending this evening's festivities."
With that the huge crowd erupted in a round of applause that seemed to go on forever.
The girls looked at each other and just sighed. This was just like CQS after all. It was well worth having come to this just to be here with the stars of the show they all loved.
By then it was midnight and the rest of the guests unmasked themselves and the balloons were dropped from the ceiling.
The celebrity guests then mingled among the others and the girls were lucky enough to get autographs from Roy, Peta, Alberta, Eugene, Don and Matthew.
With huge grins on their faces they headed back to the rooms in the wee hours of the morning to get some well deserved rest.