Opening Day Part 3

The same coloring that made Harlan look pasty, whey faced and totally ineffective; made his cousin Jack appear elegant, intellectual and terribly refined.  Unfortunately, in reality he was none of the above. In reality, he was pompous, boorish and down right mean.  He used the Katz name to bully and intimidate anyone who got in his way.  And on any given day, it took less than nothing to get in his way.  The cats of Katz City, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his mercurial moods, always gave him a wide berth and showered him with respect he in no way deserved.

The hush that fell over the crowd deepened, as various cats wrapped up their meals and tried to figure out how to sneak out without drawing his attention.  

There was one cat in the bar, however, who was thrilled.   Lyla Jane straightened her blouse, brushed off her jeans and walked straight over to him.  "Jack," she cried out happily, her face reflecting love, hope and not a little fear.

"Well here's my little Pearl," he purred.  "Let's get a bottle from Diamante and head on upstairs for a private party.  I'm a little thirsty and a whole lot hungry for that special kind of loving you are so famous for."

"Oh no Jacky," she whispered wringing her paws.  "We can't be doing that here no more.  Mr. Dweezil has his rules and one of them is that there is no fornimacation on the premises."

"Come again," he asked archly, twitching his whiskers and lifting an eyebrow.

"There can be no fornimacation on the premises," she said a little louder, "And since you ain't got no premises and I ain't got no premises, I guess there cain't be no fornimacation between us until one of gets his own premises.  But Miss Trixie said that it would all be alright, because we can go on dates now."  She said all in one breath, her eyes lighting up with hope, as she placed a paw on his chest. "You know we can go out to eat and to the movies.  And in time, one of us is bound to save up enough money to get their own premises."

"Have you lost what little brains you have Pearl?" He replied nastily flinging off her paw.  "Listen up folks, this little dimwit actually thinks that I would  be seen in public with a Cat House girl.   And that I, " he said dramatically indicated himself, am so hard up for dates that I would sink to dating a whore."

He shoved her aside as he walked over to the bar. "Diamante,"  he ordered, "pour me your best IPA ."

Muttering under her breath, she poured it and slamming the mug on the bar, said "That will be seven dollars."

"He took the drink, drained most of it, sat the glass on the bar, and said, Diamante, have you forgotten who I am."

"My name is Diane, asshole, you owe the bar seven dollars, and if you don't pay up in the next ten seconds, I'm calling Mr. Dweezil."

"Well go ahead and call him Diamante," he sneered leaning over the bar, "why don't you just go ahead and call him."

And with that, she pressed a button under the bar and Dweezil came out from the kitchen.