Bret – Collette

Collette was her name. She was a beautiful, leggy, very talented blonde, and she was responsible for helping me keep my sanity after the day I'd been through. I didn't see much of Bart after we went backstage, but I didn't care. I was more in the mood for Collette's company than Bart's and I assumed Danielle was taking care of my little brother just fine.

After Collette finished the second show and changed out of her costume, she came up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck. After a long sensuous kiss, she looked up at me and smiled. "We could go somewhere more private, oui?" she asked in that delightfully accented English as her fingers played with the hair at the nape of my neck.

"Oui," I replied grinning when she giggled at my heavily accented attempt at French. "Is my suite alright?" It was a question asked just to make sure we were thinking the same way. Collette had flirted shamelessly ever since she plopped down on my lap earlier tonight. It hadn't taken long after I got backstage to get the idea Collette wasn't in any hurry to get rid of me, but I did want to make sure I wasn't presuming too much before I took her upstairs.

"Oui" was the reply I got right before she leaned in for another kiss. This one was longer, deeper, and left no doubt about what Collette had in mind.

It was the banging on my bedroom door that woke me, and I wasn't the only one to be pulled out of my sleep. "Bret?" Collette mumbled sleepily as she stirred next to me.

"Ignore him," I told her wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close. I wasn't sure if it was Pappy or Bart, but I'd bet on Pappy. Given how Bart had looked the last time I'd seen him, I'd guess he was in a position similar to my own. Honestly, though, I wasn't particularly worried about Pappy right now. After the day he'd put us through yesterday, I didn't think it would hurt him to wait a while.

I snuggled up next to Collette and kissed her deeply. I then moved my kisses to her jaw and down her neck. The knocking had gone on this whole time, but about the time I moved my lips to Collette's collarbone she giggled loudly. The knocking turned into a single loud bang and was joined by a sharp "Breton."

Collette pulled away. "Breton?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

I shrugged. "Breton." Sighing, I sat up. I should have known Pappy wouldn't give up and just leave us alone; it'd been a vain hope at best. "It's open," I called.

Pappy flung the door open and came to an abrupt halt when he saw Collette. "What in the . . ."

Collette had also sat up and was now smiling brightly. "Bonjour, Monsieur."

I found myself fighting back a smile of my own at her cheerful greeting. One thing about Collette, no one would ever be able to call her shy. While she was technically covered, it didn't take a great deal of imagination to figure out what that sheet was hiding, and she didn't seem to mind at all.

"Mornin', Pappy," I added.

Pappy gave me a look of pure agitation. "I didn't realize you were busy, Breton."

Breton was coming out of Pappy's mouth a lot more than I was comfortable with on this trip but I wasn't going to let it bother me now. "Just a little."

"Far too busy to take a trip with me, I assume."

That got my attention. "Somethin' wrong?" I asked. Delightful as Collette was if Pappy really needed me I'd thank her for a lovely night, ask if I might see her again during our trip, and then leave with Pappy.

Pappy scoffed. "Nothing of any importance. I'll see if your brother's up yet."

I almost told him not to bother as I couldn't imagine Bart's night had been much different than mine, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. He was already agitated; I wasn't going to add to that irritation. A long moment passed without anything being said, and I finally cleared my throat. "Need anything else, Pappy?"

Pappy didn't answer me but turned his attention to Collette. All the irritation left his face as he smiled at her. "Please forgive the intrusion, my dear."

Collette bit her lip and giggled, and I knew the old Beauregard Maverick charm had worked its magic on her. "There is nothing to forgive, Monsieur."

"Then I wish you a good day, Miss." His attention shifted back to me and just like that, the irritation appeared again. "If you can pull yourself away, Bret, I'd like to see you in the dining room around two."

"Sure thing."

With a final huff, Pappy slammed the door shut.

"Your papa?" Collette asked.

"Uh-huh," I replied thinking of another time when Pappy had walked in and found me in another compromising position. I'd been fifteen and bound and determined to marry the girl I was courting, and we were willing to do whatever we had to in order to get Pappy to give his consent, even if that meant consummating our relationship long before we were ready. Thankfully – I can say that now as I look back – Pappy caught us before we were able to do anything. We didn't even manage to get undressed all the way before he guessed what we'd try to do and came storming in to stop us. That incident had ended nothing like today's, and I couldn't help but smile as I thought about how things had changed over the years.

"He's an attractive man; very. . . distinguished . . . looking."

I'll admit that stung my ego just a bit. When a man has spent a night making love to a woman the last thing he wants to hear is her obvious admiration for his father. Before I could take too much offense however, she turned back to me, and the look she gave me eased any sting her earlier comment had infected.

"You look very much like him," she added with a coy smile before kissing me softly. When we broke apart she put that same coy smile back in place. "When are you to meet him?"

"Not for a while yet."

As I'd reminded myself countless times on this trip, Pappy was a grown man, and he had a great appreciation for the opposite sex. He'd understand if I was a little late.