Chapter 15 – The Card

Under the partly cloudy late morning sky, an arctic wolf in a fresh designer suit descended the staircase of the Redshore City courthouse, accompanied by his lawyer and flanked on both sides by his security team. They approached a podium set in front of a swarm of media to commence a quick, post-release press conference. Behind the press were groups of protesters and supporters, with the supporters swelling to more than twice the size of the protesters.

Lawyer Rick Delaney, a hedgehog dressed in a tan suit with a fierce reputation surrounding him, waited patiently as an aide brought a step stool for him. He climbed up to the podium crowded with microphones and cleared his throat as a sign to silence the chatter.

"My client and I would like to thank the court for overturning this gross miscarriage of justice based on the numerous and heinous actions of a confidence man, a scornful ex-talent scout, several inept police officers and an overzealous prosecutor. Mr. Crystal is a pillar of the community that reshaped entertainment in the entertainment capital of the world, and after his harrowing and inspiring experience, he'd like to get back to his life and his life's work at Crystal Entertainment. He's going to share a few words and answer some questions but, please, respect his time and what he's been through."

Delaney stepped down and let Jimmy take over the podium. The wolf waved to his supporters and flashed a toothy grin, much to their elated screams.

"First, I'd like to thank all the believers out there. You kept hope alive, and hope won out," he said. Booing protesters were quickly drowned out by cheers. "Thank you, thank you. Justice may be blind, but she sure knows when somethin' don't smell right." There was a light rumble of laughter. "Truthfully, everything starting from the day I got taken in by a fraud, leading up to my false arrest and the last few months I spent locked away has been one long, traumatic nightmare. Getting my freedom back, I knew I had to set a goal, and that's getting back to good—that's my new motto from here on. And to prove it, I'm giving back to this fine city and the beautiful people in it with a benefit concert at the Crystal Tower Theater later this week."

"Mr. Crystal, can you share who will be performing at this concert?" one of the reporters asked.

"Roxy Sin will absolutely be a part of the concert. We reward loyalty at Crystal Entertainment and through this scandal, many lost faith and jumped ship, but Roxy stayed on our label through the hardship. You'll hear the rest of the lineup when there's more to share."

"Mr. Crystal, who exactly is this concert benefiting?"

"Whoever needs benefiting. What kind of dumb question is that?"

"Mr. Crystal, are you going to file a criminal complaint against Buster Moon and his theater company? "

A scowl took Jimmy's face, but only for a second. "This is all I'm gonna say about that conman: Buster Moon is a footnote in the story of my life, and I don't want to think about him ever again." He motioned for Delaney to take over. As the hedgehog went by, Jimmy leaned over and whispered, "Handle these losers so I can think about what I'm gonna do to Moon next."

"What Mr. Crystal meant with the concert was that he'd like to benefit the entire world if he could," Delaney explained, taking on more of the media's questions as Jimmy made his way to the sidewalk. The mogul's security team formed a protective wall while he met with supporters, shaking hands, signing everything from Crystal paraphernalia to random body parts including a giraffe's whole neck, and at some point, he was passed a baby cheetah for a photo op.

"You're beautiful people," Jimmy said. "Never stop being beautiful."

A member of his security deposited a copious amount of sanitizer into Jimmy's palms before opening the door to his limo. Jimmy barely settled in his seat before he was tackled by a suited ball of fur.

"Oh, Mr. Crystal! I'm so happy you're free!" Jerry cried, burying his face in Jimmy's chest.

"Jerry, I haven't worn a suit in months. If you ruin this one with your tears, you're walking to the office!"

The cat scrambled back to his spot, seated between Jimmy and Cleo. "My apologies, sir."

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Cleo said. "I know you're a workaholic but should you be going back so soon? Don't you want to take some time to reacclimate and get your affairs in order? It sounds like Celeste Cassidy's been doing a decent job of running the company in your absence."

"Cassidy is nothing but a seat warmer and she knows it!" Jimmy spat.

"Nothing but a seat warmer!" Jerry said.

"She's only where she is now because of Moon. It's all luck."

"All luck!"

"And now that I'm free, everything's gonna be different."

"Everything's gonna be different!"

Cleo wrinkled her nose. "I'm sorry, is there an echo in here?" She ignored Jerry's frown. "I think it would be a mistake to focus on Moon right now. What you should—"

"Speaking of Moon," Jerry interjected over her, "I've had plenty of time coming up with lots of revenge plans. I'm ready for the next stage of Operation: Moonfall, sir!"

Jimmy quirked an eyebrow. "Operation who what now?"

Jerry preened himself with a satisfied smile. "You know... your plan to destroy Moon." He realized his folly from the silence and odd looks that followed.

"Jerry, you're embarrassing yourself."

"You can't see it right now but I'm cringing," Cleo said. "On the inside."

"We're absolutely not calling it that."

"It takes a lot to give me secondhand embarrassment."

Jerry hid his blushing face behind his tablet. "Sheesh. Tough crowd."

With a ding, the elevator door opened, letting Jimmy, Cleo and Jerry out into a dark hallway resembling polished slate. Jimmy broke into a sprint, pushing open the golden doors at the end the hallway.

"Ooohoho!" he laughed, bursting into his office. He spun around in childlike glee, taking it all in for the first time in months.

Cleo and Jerry watched from the hallway near Jerry's own office. As Cleo was about join Jimmy, Jerry suddenly spoke up.

"Ms. Keller... look, the only reason I'm tolerating you is because you're really helping Mr. Crystal out right now."

Cleo whipped around. "Tolerating me?"

"The history between you and Mr. Crystal, that's all it is. All right?"

The snow leopard caught the shrill laugh in her hand just as it escaped her maw. "This is getting silly. You're so thirsty for him, it's going to start affecting your job."

Jerry peered around Cleo's legs to make sure Jimmy couldn't hear them. The wolf had his arms outstretched as if absorbing the essence of the office itself.

"I'd drink that man like the tall glass of water he is if I could, but I've always put professionalism first. My job is to make his job easier, but that's beside the point." Jerry's gaze fell to the floor, finding it hard to maintain eye contact with Cleo. He clasped one hand in the other and squeezed his fingers. "I... okay, so, people Mr. Crystal trusts and depends on keep walking out on him when things get too hard. Some of them even stab him in the back on the way out. And do you know who's there to hold him steady, listen to his grief, endure his outbursts, try to make him smile through his pain? It's me. Do you know who he called when a bunch of absolute animals trapped him under his own stage while they illegally seized his theater? Me. It's always been me."

Cleo sighed as the cat fidgeted in front of her. "You really do love him."

"I'm not stupid. He's got a lot of issues, I know. Who doesn't? But I feel like no one should be alone in this world, especially not him."

"Not that this is any of your business, but I've already been down this road with Jimmy and the door is thoroughly shut on that part of my life, all right?"

Jerry looked her over as if awaiting the physical manifestation of her lies to erupt from her body but received a shock instead that made his fur stand on end.

"Jerry!" Jimmy called, already sounding irritated. Jerry raced into the office to find the wolf gesturing to the empty snack dish on his desk. "I've been gone for how long and you couldn't even have this ready? What use are you!?"

"Ms. Cassidy must've—I'm so sorry, sir. I'll fix this right away!" Jerry had removed all the tarps from the art and tried his best to scrub all traces of Cassidy from the office before Jimmy got out, and yet he'd forgotten one of the most important comforts.

Cleo watched as Jerry scampered past her and out of the office. She turned to Jimmy with a look of clear distaste. "You know, this empathy and vulnerability thing wasn't supposed to be just for the cameras. Some compassion can go a long way."

"Tch." Jimmy's muzzle curled into a half-snarl until Jerry returned and delicately refilled the dish with snacks. "Thank you, Jerry," he said through gritted teeth.

"You're very welcome, sir," Jerry sang.

"Look at that," Cleo said. "You made his day."

Jimmy waved her away dismissively. "Yeah, whatever. Jerry, hit me with those ideas for the plan we're definitely not calling the thing you said earlier. I'm gonna make Moon wish the mommy pig never caught him."

Cleo suddenly wagged a finger in Jimmy's face. "No! No more of this! Moon's already paying the price for his actions and you've gotten everything back."

Jimmy's nostrils flared. "Not everything."

"What did you expect? That you managed to claw your way back here like almost nothing happened is a miracle in and of itself! What else do you want, the Key to the City?"

"Did they take that back while I was locked up? Son of a bitch!"

"My point is that you won! Buster Moon is irrelevant. Focus on rebuilding yourself. That's what's important right now." The snow leopard reached out and gingerly grabbed onto Jimmy's elbow. "You have your freedom, your company, and your health. Sounds like something worth celebrating to me."

She could feel the tension draining from him. He gave her a direct, piercing stare and said something with a grin that almost knocked her to the floor.

"You're right."

Jimmy moved over to one of the alabaster columns decorating the office and felt around its surface until he unlatched a false panel and retrieved a bottle of bourbon from the alcove. He admired its amber radiance in the sunlight. At least Cassidy hadn't found his stash.

"I don't think so," Cleo said, snatching the bottle from Jimmy and placing it back in the column. "I remember how you get with liquor. Let's shoot for something more upbeat."

"Fine," Jimmy growled. He went to his desk and fished a remote from one of the drawers and pressed the play button. Salsa music filled the office. "What the? This isn't my playlist! Goddamn Cassidy!"

"I like it," Cleo said, feeling her body move to the rhythm.

Jimmy watched her hips swivel and sway in that tight indigo skirt, her fluffy tail billowing behind her in a hypnotic pattern. Parched barely described the intensity in which Jimmy's eyes drank Cleo in that moment.

Cleo threw the wolf a steamy glance over her shoulder. "You're going to leave a girl dancing all by herself?"

Jimmy took her invitation, abandoning his jacket and tie on his chair. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and moved in behind her, sliding his hands onto her waist. Their bodies matched, moving in tandem with each other and the music.

"Hey Jerry, scratch that last thing," Jimmy said. "Hit me with some opportunities, okay? Gotta boost my reputation."

"Yes, sir," Jerry replied, tapping away at his tablet. "You've been invited to appear on the next season of Dancing with the Stars. They want you to, and I quote, 'stomp your crappy reputation out on the dance floor.'"

Jimmy looked like he smelled something spoiled. "No chance in hell."

"I think you'd go pretty far," Cleo said.

"You're an amazing dancer, Mr. Crystal," Jerry added, trying hard not to be mesmerized by his boss's footwork.

"We all know shows like that are popularity contests more often than not," Jimmy said. "I refuse to be the first loser voted off on national television just because half the country got taken in by negative press."

"Sounds like you're letting an opportunity slip away," Cleo said. "This wasn't going to be easy. You have to take risks."

Jimmy spun Cleo around so they were face to face. "Axe that one, Jerry," Jimmy emphasized, his arctic glare meeting the snow leopard's.

Noting Jimmy's agitation, Jerry skipped most of the other reality show ideas. "There was also the idea of a slight rebrand, changing your name from Crystal to Cristal... you know, like the champagne."

Jimmy almost stopped in his tracks. "Jerry, do I look like a stripper to you?"

Jerry's cheeks flushed red remembering a certain incident the night Moon took over the theater. He shook it off. "Well, I thought James Cristal sounded suave," he murmured.

"You say something, Jerry?"

"Nothing worth repeating, sir!"

Cleo pushed away from Jimmy and went into a spin. Once she did a full rotation around him, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back in, their noses only an inch apart.

"You're screwing up already," she said. "Dancing with the Stars could be a great start to rehabilitating your image. Don't be a fool and let it pass you by."

Jimmy firmly planted his left foot as Cleo threw an arm around his neck. He used one arm to hold Cleo's waist and the other to support her back, and they arched down into a dip.

"This is exactly why I dumped you," he said at the bottom of the dip. "You're always trying to wrestle away control, and you love telling everyone else what's wrong with them."

"First of all, I dumped you. You're volatile and you barely know what's good for you or the people around you."

Jimmy pulled them back up. "Look around, Cleo. I do pretty well for myself."

"You literally just escaped serious consequences because you managed to whip up a get out of jail free card. You haven't learned anything."

"And you haven't learned when to back off!" Jimmy then added with a rumble, "While you still can."

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "Don't even think about threatening me, Jimmy. I don't scare as easily as a koala."

"You should know by now I can follow through when I need to. Do I need to?"

Jerry yelped when Jimmy crashed into the desk. Jimmy's back was flat against the desk's surface as Cleo hovered over him, one hand pinning him down and the other buried in his mane, her claws tickling his throat.

Cleo bared her fangs. "Don't forget: A cat's claws are always sharper!"

They stared each other down like that for a minute, daring the other to make a move. And they finally did make a move, simultaneously, closing in for a sloppy, needy kiss. Jimmy tried to sit up, but Cleo pushed him back down. She let herself get sucked into the wolf's passionate and dangerous clutches. Her better judgment was clouded by the high from the entanglement of their muzzles. Everything around them was a pointless blur of the senses: The Salsa music, the snack dish crashing to the floor, Jerry's dejected sigh. Nothing else mattered.

Jimmy's strong hands glided their way down Cleo's back, playfully traced her backside, brushed across her thighs, then slid up her skirt until he cupped a generous handful of her rump. They parted just a smidge, huffing hot breath into each other's faces.

Sporting a lopsided grin, Jimmy said, "I see you're wearing those panties I like."

"No, I'm wearing the panties I like. You liking them is just a perk."

Jimmy closed the gap with another kiss. Cleo straddled him atop the desk, giggling into his mouth like a teenager breaking all the rules. As Jimmy pulled down on those panties he liked so much, a small voice broke Cleo out of the moment.

"Uhh...I can leave the room, if you want." Jerry's expression was of embarrassment, fright, and slightly pained. They both stared at him like they were seeing him for the first time, and his wide eyes flashed with a bit of guilt.

"This was a mistake," Cleo murmured, pushing herself off the desk. "I can't let myself get wrapped up in you again."

Jimmy sat up, clearly confused. Then he shut his eyes and waved her away. "Jerry, escort Cleo to the elevator."

"Yes, sir," Jerry said, but Cleo had already readjusted her clothes and was making a beeline for the exit without him.

Cleo waited by the elevator, hearing Jerry's small footsteps approaching down the hallway.

"You lied," he hissed.

She turned to meet his indignant gaze. "I never planned for that to happen."

"You lied!" Jerry said again, eyes glossy, voice undulating. "It's me picking up the pieces. It's always been me!"

"Jerry, look... you can't wait for change. If you do, it may come in a form you won't like."

Jerry's chest heaved with every angry breath he took. After a long exhale, he asked, "What does that mean?"

The elevator opened with a ding. Cleo stepped inside.

"If there's something in this world you want, you better go get it. Fight for it. If you don't, you really have no one else to blame when it slips through your fingers."

Once Cleo was gone, Jerry reentered the office at a sluggish pace, feeling drained, but not as drained as his boss. Jimmy sat on the desk in a stupor, clothes and fur disheveled, as if awakening from a deep slumber. Scant traces of irritation tugged at his face.

"I'll started cleaning up, sir," Jerry said, and that seemed to wake Jimmy. The wolf used the remote to shut off the music and slid off the desk.

"Ignore what you saw," he commanded, straightening out his clothes. Jerry, at a loss for words, pointed a shaky finger until Jimmy looked down and realized his fly was open. In the flurry he couldn't even remember if that was his doing or Cleo's. He zipped himself up and sat down at his desk.

"There's a lot of work to be done now that I'm back."

"Yes, Mr. Crystal."

Jerry began by cleaning up the fallen snacks, picking up the pieces. Just as he always did.

A/N

This was one of my favorite chapters to write so far. The power struggle between Jimmy and Cleo and their burgeoning feelings. Jerry explaining his attachment to Jimmy and his inability to do anything but sadly orbit the Jimmy/Cleo drama. Buster and his crew are pretty wholesome in comparison; I find it more fun to explore characters with these types of entanglements and flaws that inform their decisions.

Also, a bit of a heads up – this chapter took a little longer to write than intended because I was writing it simultaneously with another one-shot story that I'll post in the near future called The Last Gasps of Jimmy Crystal. It's not tied to Moonfall, though I think the title might have given that away.