1.7: Hot Pursuit

Ten minutes after Angela had sung his praises to the other females, Brooklyn announced he was full and excused himself. In truth, he would have preferred to stay and chat, but once he'd been pointed out as the clan's second-in-command, the combined gazes of the New Orleans clan females made him more than a little nervous. But less than ten seconds after he stood up, Rebecca had also excused herself and gotten up to follow him… and less than a minute later, Marie, Yvette and Isabel had also gotten up and followed him out of the room.

Only Martha remained at the table, though staring wistfully and sadly in the direction that the others had taken. Broadway felt a bit sorry for her; she obviously wanted to go after Brooklyn too, but considered the competition too fierce. He whispered, "Martha, you cook, right?" When she turned back to him with a somewhat startled look and nodded, he whispered, "Brooklyn's favorite dish is beef ragout."

"Go on after him, if you really want to!" Angela whispered encouragingly. So Martha also excused herself, and left in the direction the others had taken.

Lexington looked in the direction of the departing females with dismay written all over his face. It was obvious what he was thinking: Were they all so focused on Brooklyn that they didn't even notice him?

Hudson noticed Lexington's dismay and his probable growing jealousy, and muttered to him, "I'd be willing to bet that at least one of those females is status-hungry; not interested in Brooklyn for himself, but for his clan position. Having that sort of mate can lead to misery later on… And as for the others, once they come to their senses and stop chasing the same prey everyone else is chasing, I've no doubt one of them will look in your direction."

Angela put in, "Why not go after them now, and just ask the one you like best to go on a glide with you? What could it hurt?"

Lexington looked at her askance and echoed disbelievingly, "What could it hurt?" But after another minute or so he got up and excused himself to go follow the others.

Brooklyn couldn't believe what he was doing. Just yesterday, he'd been complaining to Lex about how he was tired of being single; that there were no females around who were interested in him for a mate. Tonight, there were females aplenty… and here he was, walking away from them! What the hell was wrong with him?

"Oh, Brooklyn…"

Eeep! Brooklyn glanced back, to see Rebecca right behind him. She'd followed him right out of the dining hall! And oh Dragon, there were three more females right behind her! And all of them looking at him like he was their dinner, instead of the feast back in the hall.

Brooklyn ducked through the first door on his left, and stepped into… a dead end. The room was a living room or den, with some overstuffed chairs and small tables, a piano, and a fireplace off to one side, but no other door to exit. But there wasn't a fire going in the fireplace; could he escape up the chimney?

Why was he trying to run away again? Brooklyn got ahold of himself, told his male ego it was time to step up to the plate, and turned to face the incoming females with a smile that was only slightly forced. "Ladies, would you care to join me?"

And in short order he was seated in one of the easy chairs, with lovely females just about draping themselves all over him. Yvette was behind the chair, cooing into his ear about how studly he was, running her fingers through his mane, and… my, that was an interesting cushion she was encouraging him to rest against! And Marie was leaning over in front of him, bracing herself on the easy chair's arms and essentially trapping him there, cooing similar sentiments while giving him a heart-stopping view of her cleavage. Isabel stood off to one side, looking at what her rookery sisters were doing, and shook her head before speaking up, asking Brooklyn if he'd like her to bring him something to eat or drink, since he left the feast early.

"Uhhh… yeah, some water would be nice," Brooklyn said with a gulp, as Marie lightly ran a talon along his thigh. Ice-cold water, please; something to spill on his loincloth before a tent formed there…

Rebecca had been tripped up by Marie's tail as Brooklyn had been taking his seat, and by the time she'd recovered, Yvette and Marie had claimed their positions. Since then she'd been trying to edge closer to him, a desperate look on her face, but now she sprang up and said hastily, "I'll get it for you!" She hurried out, just as Martha came in.

Between the sight down Marie's tunic, the feel of what he was resting his head against, and the sweet nothings being cooed in his ears by both Yvette and Marie, Brooklyn's attention was increasingly occupied. But he vaguely registered other voices; Martha asking if there was anything Brooklyn wanted to eat or drink, and Isabel quietly informing Martha that Rebecca had already left to get him some water. Then a few seconds Isabel spoke up a little louder: "All right, who in here intends to piss off the clan leaders, by having pre-mated sex right on the spot?"

Yvette backed off immediately, while Marie stood up and gave Isabel a nasty glare. Isabel only cocked her head at her rookery sister and said, "Hey, did you want him to think you're really that easy? Of course, if you really are that easy …"

Isabel said with a venomous tone to her voice, "You're the one who spends all her time on Bourbon Street with the hookers!"

Isabel's feline ears went back as she hissed, "I go there to patrol and protect the innocent, while you spend most of your time grooming your feathers!"

"Uh, hey, ladies, let's not start fighting!" Brooklyn said desperately.

"He's right; we shouldn't be fighting," Martha said. "Er…Brooklyn, would you like to--"

"Yes, cher Brooklyn, what would you like to do?" Yvette interjected, as she came around to the front of his chair. "Just name it…"

Brooklyn looked around desperately for an idea, and saw the piano. "Um, some music? Do any of you know how--"

"I do!" "I do!" Yvette and Marie both sprang for the piano, but Yvette was closer and got there first. There was almost a scuffle between the two sisters, before Yvette said brightly, "Why don't we take turns?" as she slid onto the bench.

Marie fumed, but stepped back and let Yvette play. And as the first tinkling notes emerged from the piano, she turned to Martha and said sweetly, "Martha, cherie… that was such a wonderful feast you helped make for us all. But aren't you still needed in the kitchen? I'll bet there's still plenty of work left to do for tomorrow's real Thanksgiving dinner. You wouldn't want to just serve our guests leftovers from tonight, would you?" Martha started to stammer a reply, looking worriedly at Brooklyn, but Marie steered her towards the door and pushed her out to the hall, talking all the way about how it was Martha's duty to create another delectable feast for everyone.

Lexington found where everyone had gone to, when he saw Rebecca emerging from a door into the hall at almost a dead run. He flattened himself against the wall to let her run past, on her way to the dining hall, and wondered why she was in such a hurry… obviously in so much of a hurry that she wouldn't appreciate it if he stopped her and asked her to go on a glide with him. Not that it would do much good with her anyway, he admitted to himself. She'd spent hours with both him and Brooklyn back in New York, and she'd had eyes only for Brooklyn from the start.

Once Rebecca had run past, and after looking regretfully after in her departing direction for a moment, Lex went on to the room she'd emerged from. He got there just as Martha came out, with her rookery sister Marie right behind her, saying something about dinner tomorrow. Martha glanced at Lex, then glanced back into the room, before turning and hurrying down the hall. (Was that a choked sob he heard as she left? Nahhh…) But since Marie was still in the doorway, Lex gathered his courage and said just as she was turning away, "Hi! Since introductions were made in such a hurry earlier, I'm Lexington, but you can call me Lex if you want."

Marie turned back to face him, but with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. "Hi, I'm Marie."

"Sooo, Marie… would you, uh, like to go for a glide with me? Show me your protectorate?"

Marie gave him a look of mingled disgust and pity, before hissing, "You should try your luck with Martha. She knows what to do with leftovers."

Lex stared open-mouthed at her as she turned and went back inside the room. Then he turned and stomped away, but not to go find Martha; as angry and hurt as he was now, he wanted something to destroy.

To Be Continued…

Author's note: "cher" and "cherie" are French for "dear"; "cher" is used when addressing males and "cherie" for females.