Chapter 42
At the stroke of eight o'clock the next morning, Naomi stopped just outside the door to the room Kitty had spent the night in. The tall, fit cheetah woman was dressed in a sunny light blue dress, her bright platinum hair done up neatly upon her head in a French braid. Naomi paused to reflect a moment, thinking that perhaps this was the first day in which her dear friend Kitty might learn to portray herself as the amazing young woman Naomi thought her to be. Then again, Naomi quickly told herself with a rueful smile, perhaps not. She would simply have to take things as they came she mused…
Naomi quietly opened the door to the guestroom, and made her way inside, closing the door with only the tiniest of clicks. She smiled down upon the cute little vixen, whom she found curled up and smiling beneath Yuri's silk sheets that she so loved. Naomi could only shake her blonde head, smiling, then padded over to sit beside the sleeping girl. "Bon jour, Kitty," Naomi greeted her warmly, laying a hand on her rounded shoulder to gently rock her. "Time to get up, cheri…"
Kitty groaned softly, then whimpered, but finally did open her blue eyes to see Naomi sitting beside her, smiling warmly at her. "Hey, Naomi," Kitty replied softly, then yawned. "So…the first of my weekly torture sessions is about to begin, eh?" Kitty added cleverly, grinning.
Naomi sighed, rolled her eyes, then finally snorted. "We are not going to have another case of those Fashion Fling hysterics are we, Kitty?" Naomi remonstrated softly. "For…I had thought you far more mature for that sort of behavior by now, mon ami."
"So," Kitty posed in reply as she moved up into a sitting position on her bed, "What you really mean is that as long as I do exactly what you say---while perhaps not liking it---and not complaining about it, I'm fine. Is that about it?" Kitty asked.
Naomi grinned, then reached out a hand to caress Kitty's cheek, then followed that up by gently pinching Kitty's cheek. "Oui! What a remarkably intelligent young lady you are, cheri," Naomi teased, patting Kitty's cheek.
Now it was Kitty who rolled her eyes…but, then she too smiled. "Yeah, I figured it'd be something along those lines, Naomi. Eh, okay…I'll do it. It's not like I have much of a choice anyhow." Kitty then put her feet down on the floor, and reached her arms high above her head and stretched languidly.
"As I said, cheri…what a remarkable mind you have," Naomi reminded, then smiled. She then got up and moved toward the door. "Ah, but now, you go ready yourself for the day, hmm?"
Kitty stood up, blinking her eyes, and twisting her neck. She then yawned hugely again. "Sounds like a plan to me," Kitty opined, and began to shuffle her way to the room's bathroom.
"Ah, and while you do," Naomi offered, "I will find you some suitable clothes, Kitty." Naomi moved to the closet, and opened it.
Kitty stopped, and frowned. "Oh, you will, will you?" she posed, then shook her head. "Yeah, let me guess," Kitty added as she crossed her arms before herself. "A dress or a some sort of a skirt for me, right?"
Naomi grinned wolfishly, her amber eyes twinkling. "How astute, ami! But, to answer your question, most likely, oui," Naomi told her.
"Oy, I can see already it's gonna be one very looong day," Kitty muttered to herself aloud.
"What was that, cheri?" Naomi asked sweetly, having heard every word Kitty had said, but chose to annoy her and pretend she had not.
"Nothing," Kitty quickly responded, slipping inside the bathroom. "Nothing at all, Naomi…"
Naomi searched the closet in the guestroom, but could find nothing that would look good on Kitty…let alone fit her small frame. So, upon hearing the sound of the shower running, Naomi nodded, and headed out and over to Svetlana's and Maria's bedroom. Naomi was in no way surprised to find the two Russian girls already up and in the process of making their beds.
"Ah, bon jour, mon belle cheris," Naomi greeted the two brightly, a fond smile upon her face. "You are both up early this morning, hmm?"
"Of course, tovarisch," Maria answered with a smile. "After all, it is not every day one learns to become a lady, da?" Maria smiled over at her friend Svetlana, who grinned, then softly giggled.
Naomi smiled indulgently at the two. "Of course, cheris," Naomi replied matter-of-factly, causing both of her friends to grin. "Now, do get yourselves ready, mon amis. Kitty is using the shower at this moment, so she'll be along before too much longer…I hope."
Svetlana smiled, already going through her closet to choose her clothing for the day. "Oh, Naomi? Thank you once again for letting us join Kitty in her training," Svetlana told her warmly. Svetlana chose a plum colored blouse and a cream colored pleated skirt for herself to wear.
"I like your choice of clothing, Svetlana," Naomi complimented the little tigress, who beamed with pleasure. "Now, as for you two joining Kitty…ah, that is nothing," Naomi explained. "Perhaps it should be I who should be thanking you, non? For, I am certain that Kitty will not be nearly as difficult to handle as she would be by herself. I'm sure she will be heartened to know that she has others with her---her friends---who will go through the same thing as she herself does."
Maria nodded her head in understanding. "That Kitty, what a scamp she can be, da?" she observed, smiling and shaking her head slowly.
"Maria, that's not kind," Svetlana chided her friend, defending Kitty. "Kitty has her quirks, now true…but, she is such a dear. I, for one, would not change a single hair on her blonde head."
"All true, Svetlana my love," Maria replied, still smiling. "But…for all that, she is still a scamp! Come now…admit it, Svetlana!" Maria's blue eyes twinkled merrily.
Svetlana softly chewed her lower lip, then giggled. "Very well," she reluctantly admitted a moment later. "She is a scamp…but I love her all the same!" she said earnestly.
Naomi could only shake her head and smile. She then watched as the two Russians moved through their closets…hoping as the two did so, she might find just the thing for Kitty to wear. She first thought that Svetlana would be the right choice, as she and Kitty were nearly the same height. However, it didn't take Naomi too long to discern that anything the voluptuous Svetlana had most likely would be all wrong for their resident tomboy…Kitty just plain didn't have the same sort of figure that Svetlana did. Naomi then grinned widely…thinking, now that she thought of it, not all that many women had the same sort of figure their Svetlana did…period! So, Naomi flicked her eyes over to where Maria was selecting her clothes. Maria, she saw, chose a deep pink shirt, and a black skirt to wear. Then, Naomi spotted just the thing!
"Um, Maria? Cheri, do you think I might borrow some of your clothes for Kitty to wear?" Naomi asked.
Svetlana turned to Naomi, and smiled. "Ooh! Naomi, Kitty may wear anything of mine she likes!" she offered most graciously.
Naomi, without even thinking about it, locked eyes with Maria, who almost imperceptibly shook her snowy white haired head. "That is very sweet of you, Svetlana," Naomi said, very diplomatically. "But, er, um…" Then, Naomi's diplomacy faltered, not quite sure as to how to break the news to her friend.
"Svetlana," Maria said after a moment, a fond smile on her face for her dearest friend. "Do you really think---even for a moment---that Kitty could fit into your clothes, dear?" Maria smile bloomed larger. "Come now, Svetlana…you have seen Kitty, da? She is pretty woman, I know…but, does she have your figure, my love? The answer to that would be nyet." Maria shook her head.
Svetlana thought a moment about Kitty's slender yet still feminine figure, and then her own…and then laughed softly. She softly slapped her forehead in mock rebuke. "Da, you are right," she told her friend. "I suppose I was so eager to help my friend that I was not thinking…"
Maria moved over to fondly hug the little tigress. "That is because you have a big heart, my friend," she told the grinning, now blushing Svetlana. Maria gave Svetlana a kiss on the cheek, then let her loose.
"Now, as for your question, Naomi," Maria continued, returning her attention to Naomi once more. "The answer, of course, would be da! Here, allow me, hmm?" Maria searched her closet a moment, then selected a dark blue skirt and a lighter blue blouse to go with it. "Hmm, perhaps something like this, da?"
Naomi clapped her hands together in happiness once. "Ah, that's perfect, cheri!" Naomi told her, smiling as she took the clothes. "Now, I must run, my friends. I will see you very soon. Adieu!"
"Dasfindanya, Naomi!" the Russian girls laughed, watching the fleet cheetah woman sprint from their room, the skirt and blouse flapping in her wake.
Naomi moved back into Kitty's guestroom once more, and carefully laid out the blue ensemble upon Kitty's bed---once she herself made it, of course! Then, Naomi took a seat, and waited.
After a while, Kitty opened the bathroom door, and entered her room again. The blonde, sweet-faced vixen had her face washed, her teeth brushed, and was in the process of running her fingers negligently through her still wet hair. "Hey, Naomi," Kitty said by way of greeting, grinning at Naomi's widened eyes…which were most likely due to the fact that Kitty was strutting about the room in nothing but her undergarments that moment.
Kitty then looked down at the clothes arrayed upon her bed, then sighed, knowing she would have to endure all this…if she was going to continue to stay in Naomi's good graces. She pondered this a moment longer, then looked warily over into Naomi's smiling face. "Cute," Kitty grumped, but smiled. "Stop looking so smug, Naomi…you have more manners than that!" Kitty grumbled further, even as she picked up the blue cotton blouse and put it on…followed by---and here Kitty had to suppress a shudder---the skirt.
Naomi chuckled to watch Kitty's antics. "Ah perhaps you are right, cheri," Naomi admitted with a chuckle. "Ah, but you may be heartened to hear that your friends Svetlana and Maria have expressed a desire to join you in learning the subtle art of being a lady," Naomi offered, and smiled when she saw the flicker of relief in Kitty's blue eyes. "I hadn't thought you would mind, petite…so, I agreed to allow them to join you."
Kitty smiled. "Cool, very cool," Kitty remarked with a relieved grin. So, she told herself, I won't be going this one alone. Her grin faded however, as the reality of the situation sank in. "I'll have to thank them for helping me through this later, though, won't I?" Kitty then pointed out to Naomi, who sat smiling.
Naomi grinned, then shrugged. "Eh, I'm sure you'll know what to do, Kitty cheri," Naomi replied, nodded her head. "Now, I'll allow you to finish getting ready," Naomi said graciously, though she did sigh. "Meanwhile, I will be downstairs, preparing breakfast for us all. So…I will see you downstairs before too much longer, am I right?" Naomi opined, giving Kitty a meaningful look.
Kitty simply nodded, tucking her blouse into the dreaded skirt she now wore, not wanting to say anything. She was able to find a pair of flat shoes in blue to wear, and properly garbed---ha! she told herself---she made her way downstairs, only to find everyone else already up and dressed as well. "So, I'm the last one dressed, huh?" Kitty observed…more to get everyone's attention than anything else.
Yuri, whose back was turned that moment, turned around and nearly dropped the full bowl of scrambled eggs in her hands, as she saw that her beloved tomboy was dressed in a blouse---and would you believe it?---a skirt! "Mon Dieu!" Yuri murmured as she regained her composure…being sure to smile most approvingly at Kitty in her most unusual attire. "Kitty! You look radiant this morning!" she observed in a near gush. She then turned to her other friends. "Does she not, ladies?"
"That's enough, Yuri," Kitty groused, flumping most un-ladylike into her chair at the table. "I already feel like some Barbie doll in this get-up."
"Kitty," Svetlana observed as she tucked her skirts under her legs before sitting down beside the frowning tomboy. "I don't know of this Barbie of whom you speak…but, to me, you look absolutely beautiful, my friend."
Kitty wanted to frown, but…c'mon, who could frown when a close friend of yours tells you something like that? "Er, um…well, gee, thanks, Svetlana for that," Kitty somehow managed, giving Svetlana a confused smile. "But, I still don't like it."
"Cheri, what did you promise, hmm?" Naomi quietly cautioned as she took her seat beside Kitty.
"Yeah, yeah," Kitty responded, but then managed to smile somehow.
Breakfast came and went quickly enough. Naomi then led Kitty, Maria, and Svetlana to the back of the house and into one of the bigger rooms within Yuri's chateau. "Now, amis…let us begin with something simple, shall we?" Naomi offered with a smile. "Now, I do know that all of you have already learned to walk like ladies, so…bearing that in mind, we shall work from that, oui?"
Kitty gulped nervously, then shook her head. No doubt about, she gloomed to herself, this was going to be a long day…
At the same time, Interpol Paris Headquarters Building…
Leutnant Uma Metzer made her way downstairs to the staff gymnasium, intending to begin her daily training session. For, after all, she mused to herself, there was no need to go to the local gym, when she could train here---for free!--- at Interpol. Uma moved quickly into the women's locker room, her sports bag over her shoulder, and changed into her workout clothes. As she moved into the large gymnasium, she was greatly surprised to learn that she wasn't alone this day.
Trooper Aslan Jaeger, the new South African recruit and one of her new QRF troopers, was already there performing what had to be a rather rigorous set of sit-ups near one of the painted cinderblock walls.
Uma stopped to watch the muscular lion fellow at work, silently admitting to herself that she was impressed…most impressed indeed "Guten morgen, Her Jaeger…I am surprised to see you here on a Saturday," Uma pointed out with a smile and pleased nod of her head. For, at least in Uma's experience, not many souls spent their Saturdays working out. Usually, she had the use of the entire gym to herself. However, she told herself, smiling, I may as well enjoy some company.
Aslan started, then saw her, and athletically leapt to his feet. The long-haired lion fellow smiled, pausing to wipe the sweat from his glistening forehead. He then bowed politely to her. "Guten morgen, Frau Metzer," he replied, quietly in his deep voice.
Uma smiled at his politeness, but felt she needed to correct him. She slowly shook her head in negation. "Nein, Ich bin eine Fraulein, mein Herr," she supplied in her native German. She then grinned, her green eyes twinkling. "Now, Herr Jaeger, might I ask what are you doing here this early on a Saturday?" she inquired as she began to stretch.
Aslan smiled, watching her. "Of course, mein Leutnant…I always train at least five hours, each and every day. And, well…since I can train here free of charge, I prefer it to the paying to use some exercise club," he explained.
Uma nodded, agreeing with his logic. "I see. Well, since we both are here this morning, would you be opposed to we two training together?" she asked.
Aslan smiled broadly, his olive-green eyes pleased. "I would be most delighted, Fraulein! In fact, it woud be an honor," Aslan told her, bowing to her with respect and thanks.
Uma smiled again, then nodded her assent. "Very well then…let us get started then, hmm?" she proposed, then grinned. "Oh, Herr Jaeger? I much prefer Uma to Fraulein Jaeger…well, as long as we are off-duty." Uma smiled cleverly at him, and felt her heart beat faster as the handsome man returned the favor her way.
And after that, the new day continued on…