Pepper Potts strolled into the large ballroom of the BLISS Pleasure Cruise wearing a long, sweeping black dress. The redheaded CEO immediately noticed how immaculate everything looked. Pepper was considered by many a down-to-Earth woman, despite her wealthy lifestyle. Still, she did welcome and appreciate a well-run operation, and as she observed how spotless and shiny the room looked, the redhead knew how dedicated the cleaning staff had to be to get such a result. It reflected well on the BLISS organization and especially its leadership.
The ballroom’s walls, ceiling, and four large pillars gave off a Mediterranean aesthetic, done entirely in white with a gold trim that only highlighted just how pristine the white looked. The floor was hardwood and had a BLISS Logo worked into the design. Directly above the logo in the floor was an impressive-looking golden chandelier that bordered on excessive for Pepper’s tastes. Still, for Pepper, every fine detail of the ballroom reinforced the idea that she had made the right choice in choosing BLISS for her much-needed vacation.
She had woken up from her nap feeling completely rejuvenated and looked forward to the night’s events. Pepper recalled flashing a pleased smile the second she had been roused from her slumber and had started getting ready for the night’s welcoming dinner. A similar smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when she saw that the ballroom was bustling with activity. She paused to take in the grand sight before her, and her eyes were soon drawn to a central stage where there was a projection of a BLISS logo. Pepper already knew she was feeling the benefits of her vacation, and it was all thanks to this cruise. She sighed contently and proceeded to make her way to the bar.
Meanwhile, Storm and Kitty had spent most of the afternoon on the ship’s deck getting to Robert and Patricia, as well as a few of the couples that had been past guests on board one of BLISS’ luxury cruise vessels. They had their fair share of champagne and were fairly buzzed by the time the other couples had suggested they get ready for the welcoming dinner. Before they had said their goodbyes, Patricia had given them their room number, as well as phone number, in case they ever needed them or wanted to get together. As she said this, she had given the pair of mutant women a little wink, which caused Storm and Kitty to laugh. The happy couple’s cheerful mood was absolutely infectious.
“I wonder which table we’re seated at?” Kitty asked Ororo, who was taking in all of the activity going on around her.
Earlier, Kitty had mentioned to Robert and Patricia if they could all sit together, but the handsome older man smiled and explained that for the first night aboard ship, the tradition was that all of the first time guests sit together.
“I don’t know,” Ororo said, glancing over to Kitty, “Let’s find out.”
The pair made their way over to a table that had a wide assortment of small cards with names and table written on each. It didn’t take long for Kitty and Storm to find their own cards, and they soon weaved their way through the crowd to their table. Just as Kitty placed her card down to reserve her place next to Ororo, she noticed out of the corner of her eye a feminine figure approaching. They turned and saw, to their astonishment, Pepper Potts. The redhead approached the pair carrying a drink in her hand. The two mutant women gave each other a surprised look. It was hard to believe that the CEO of Stark Industries would be on the same cruise as them, but that was, in fact, the case. Pepper’s face lit up when she saw the familiar pair. Kitty waved excitedly and was overjoyed that they would be sharing the cruise with Pepper, and Ororo quickly embraced the redhead in a warm hug.
“Ororo, Kitty! What a pleasant surprise!” Pepper exclaimed, as her and Storm broke their hug.
“Pepper,” Ororo smiled, “It is always so nice to see you.”
Kitty looked around the large room, “Is Tony with you?”
Pepper laughed, “Tony’s busy as always. I’m vacationing solo, or at least I thought I was. But now that you’re here, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. It’s going to be so much fun!”
Storm, Kitty and Pepper chatted for a while at their table, and soon, more first time guests of the BLISS Pleasure Cruise sat down to join the three ladies. It didn’t take long for everyone to introduce themselves. There were two college coeds that had decided to splurge and go on a vacation before both of their senior years. Their names were Mia and Sophie. Sophie smiled bashfully at the rest of the table. She was a slender thing with shoulder-length curly blonde hair and wore glasses. It was clear she was a bit of an introvert, even as Mia boasted that she was the one that booked the cruise for the both of them.
“It was time to get Sophie here out of the library stacks and into a bikini. I swear there is a hot piece of ass in there somewhere,” Mia laughed at her own joke as her friend fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. Unlike Sophie, who was cute in a girl next door-kind of a way, Mia was the type of girl that was hot and she knew it. She wore a red dress that hugged her youthful body, and flattered her olive skin. Her straight black hair was gathered in the sort of effortless style that had to have taken hours to get right.
Next to them was Ruth, a pudgy redheaded woman whose most prominent feature was the overly large cross necklace dangling around her neck. The rest of her figure, which could generously be called Rubinqsque was hidden beneath a long, matronly dress.
“Isn’t this all so fancy, y’all?” she had asked Kitty, a Southern accent coloring her question, before she added in a hushed tone, “Ya know, I don’t really feel comfortable in the middle of all this abundance, but I done won a spot on this cruise from work. Who am I to turn such a blessed gift down?”
“I’m really happy for you,” Kitty smiled warmly at the woman.
“We’ll have to pray extra hard once our meal is served. What denomination are you, Kitty?” Ruth asked.
“Actually, I’m Jewish,” Kitty answered. Ruth’s eyes grew wide and her face burned in embarrassment.
“Speaking of winning a spot on this cruise,” a caramel-skinned twenty-something spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention, “That’s why I’m here. I won a free pass on board the ship. Oh, I’m Olivia, by the way. I decided to take BLISS up on their generous offer.”
“That makes two of us,” Ororo murmured, explaining to the group that she too had won passage on board the immense luxury vessel. “Though my trip let me take a plus one?”
Olivia blushed. “I actually just broke up with my boyfriend last month,” she admitted. “He couldn’t deal with dating someone smarter than him.”
“Oh?” Pepper asked.
Olivia shrugged, “I just wrapped up my second year of med school. He failed his paralegal exams. We had a big fight and I kicked him out. I’d been saving the news about this trip as a surprise, but it’s totally better this way. Between classes and clinicals this is the first break I’ve had in forever. I’m looking forward to some well-deserved alone time.”
“Well, don’t be too much of a shut-in!” Mia exclaimed, before raising her glass, “It’s time to party! We’re all on vacay!”
Sophie laughed at her energetic friend, while the older, more composed women at the table shrugged, smiled and held out their drinks in a toast. Ruth was the only one that was hesitant to do so, but Kitty silently urged her on. It didn’t take long after Mia’s toast that finely-dressed waiters came out to serve the evening’s dinner. Kitty waited for everyone at the table to be served and for the tall, physically-fit waiter to leave before she made an observation.
“Has anyone noticed the female staff on board the ship?” Kitty asked, cutting into her grilled salmon fillet, “They are all...so…”
“Top heavy walking, talking Barbie Dolls,” Olivia said bluntly, cocking an eyebrow, “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
“It’s not just their busts I’ve noticed. It’s everything. I’ve even noticed some of their faces have been...enhanced,” Ororo added, the disgust clear in her tone.
“I agree, Ororo. I understand that certain industries hire on the basis of looks, but if BLISS is only hiring women who’ve had plastic surgery in order to keep their job…” Pepper shook her head, furrowing her brow. . “Not to mention the moral implications. “Stark Industries is looking at a partnership with BLISS. I know for a fact that their CEO is on board. After dinner tonight, I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Just then, the lights in the large room began to dim and a what sounded like a popular rock song, if not one any of the tables could name offhand, began to play. A spotlight was turned on and shone brightly up on the raised stage. There was an excited murmur that wafted through the crowd of seated passengers and rose over the sound of utensils clinking on plates. Slowly and smoothly, the curtains of the stage parted and revealed row after row of female staff.
Each of them looked different, in height and build and skin tone, but standing in a group the way they were, they seemed as interchangeable as an array of boxed dolls. They all stood with their hands placed in identical places on their wide hips, the same white sequined mini dress all but plastered to their curvaceous forms. Their gold necklaces with each woman’s name etched into the small pendant that hung off the high-priced jewelry were clearly gleaming in the spotlight as they rested just above their cavernous cleavage. Each and every woman’s hair was styled in perfect waves and their makeup was immaculate. The same gleaming white smile shone from their ruby-red lips as they gazed lovingly at the crowd of passengers.
The song finally came to an end and it was punctuated by a loud, “Welcome to BLISS!”, the women on stage all exclaimed in unison to the scattered applause of the neighboring tables.
“Need to definitely get to the bottom of this,” Pepper whispered, glancing worriedly over to Storm and Kitty.