FIRE ON HIGH
“Fire On High” is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. All characters and settings © Tigermark 2003-2006 unless otherwise noted. Request permission before using them, please.
The characters of Anatol Altaisokova and Melinda Altaisokova are my names for characters © Max Blackrabbit. They appear in this story with his permission. The characters of Brandy, Maxwell, Tonya and Zig Zag are also © Max Blackrabbit and appear here with his permission. Events and information relating to Tonya, Zig Zag, Anatol, and their family are presented here, but are not to be considered canon to those characters or any other story but this one. ZZ Studios © James Bruner. Matt Barstock and Intermountain Charter, Intermountain forty four, and her crew © Silver Coyote. See their story HERE.
CHAPTER 30
Only The Good
Sunday morning dawned cold and damp. The drizzle of the previous day had turned into a steady rain. Alex and Talia had been up by turns all through the night. Anton had been in and out of consciousness. Now Alex was sitting beside Anton’s bed while Talia got ready for church. Presently, she stepped in the room.
“I’m ready to go, Alex. I’ll remind everyone to keep us in their prayers.”
“Thanks, only, ask everyone not to pile in here this afternoon. There’s nothing to see, and it wouldn’t help him any. Just ask them to remember us to the Lord.” Alex hadn’t even looked up, just sat watching his father sleep. Talia put a paw on his shoulder for a moment, and then left.
Alex’s thoughts retreated into memories. Anton teaching him to bait his line for fishing. All of them camping near the river, and Anton showing him and Jason about woods lore. How to pitch a tent, make water safe for drinking, find and cut wood and build a fire, and especially how to clean fish for cooking. All Alex knew about automobiles had come from watching and talking with his father as the old tiger worked on car and truck bodies. All of Alex’s life, his father had been there at the high points. High School and College graduation. When he’d gotten his wings, and his instructor’s rating, and when he’d gotten his Master’s degree. At the ceremony after the Gulf War when he’d been declared an ace, his dad had actually teared up a bit.
He’d been there for Alex’s low points, too. The several times this or that femme had not worked out or had taken off when Alex was hoping they’d be the one. When his friend Greg Baker had been killed and he came home for the funeral, Anton had been right there. When Alex had returned from a classified mission to find out that his mother wasn’t only dead, but already buried, it’d been his dad who’d been strong for him, and told him that it was all right, his mother knew quite well that he loved her. And when Jason had died. Alex knew how much the old tiger was hurting then, but he still stayed strong for the ones around him. It was now fast becoming the lowest Alex had ever felt, and his father wouldn’t be there to help him through the roughest part of it. Just then, Anton opened his eyes.
“Hi Son,” he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Hello Dad.” There wasn’t much else to say, and Alex knew that asking him how he was doing would be pointless.
The old tiger cleared his throat and spoke again, stronger this time. “I’m really hurting. Is it time?”
Alex looked at his watch. It had been about two and a half hours since Anton’s last dose of morphine.
“Yes, I can give you one. Hang on while I get it ready.”
Anton moved his head. It was too small a motion to be called a shake. “Thank you, but what I meant was is it time for me to go. I guess not. I keep hoping the next time I’ll open my eyes and I’ll be with the Lord, and Su-Lin and Jason and everyone.”
“No, not yet. There, the shot is ready. Let me get to the port.”
Anton didn’t move or react either way as the morphine went in. After a few seconds, he relaxed a little, but not much.
“Ach, that didn’t cut it nearly as much. At least I don’t feel like I’m going to go straight back out.”
Alex threw the syringe into the container Mary had left and sat back down. He smiled a sad smile at his father. Anton was having none of that.
“Alex, c’mon. I know you feel sad, and I’m sorry to be leaving you, but this isn’t the end. Soon I’ll be free of cancer and pain. I’ll be waiting when eventually your turn comes. It’s all right. I’m ready when He is.”
Alex sighed, trying to improve the expression on his face. “I know. It’s just, well, I was hoping to have found that special someone. The one for me, before now. I wanted you to meet her, and like her, whoever she is. If by chance I’m ever a father, I wanted you to know the grandcubs, too.”
Anton actually managed a grin. “Tell you what, when you find her, or have them, show them pictures of me. Tell them about me, and in spirit, I’ll be there. Now, don’t you go marrying someone just so you won’t be alone. Make sure you really love her, then you love her for life.”
Alex smiled earnestly. “Sound advice, Dad. I’ll do my best to follow it.”
“Good. Whew, I’m getting really tired again. I’m going to sleep a while.”
With that, Anton closed his eyes and drifted back into sleep. Alex sat, contemplating his father’s words. Don’t marry just to not be alone? Yes, he could see the sense in that. To marry someone you didn’t love was asking for disaster to begin with, as far as he was concerned. Soon after Anton fell asleep, Alex heard Talia returning from church. He stood and went out to greet her.
“Hello Aunt Talia, how was church?”
“Hello Alex. It was fine. Everyone is praying for Anton and us. Several folks and Brother Sirius wanted to come by, but I told them Anton wanted it to be just family right now.”
Alex nodded, and then Talia spoke again.
“How is he?”
“Sleeping right now. He was awake for a while, and I just gave him a dose at twelve thirty. He’s in so much pain, and he wants to go on. He’s just waiting for the end.”
Talia nodded solemnly. Neither of them spoke much as they went to the kitchen, made lunch, and ate. Talia then took her turn sitting with Anton. Alex went to the living room and stretched out on the couch. Soon he was napping soundly.
It was almost five o’clock when Talia gently shook his shoulder.
“Alex, your turn again. I need to start supper.”
Alex roused himself and went to take up the vigil at his father’s bedside. Talia told him what had happened while he was out as she walked beside him.
“He was in and out. He ate a very little bit of lunch. We talked a bit, and he had the painkiller at four thirty. I don’t think it’s helping much now.”
Talia headed for the kitchen as Alex sat down. Anton was breathing shallowly. He twitched slightly from time to time because of the pain, but otherwise stayed motionless. The time passed, and Talia brought them a plate of food to eat. Alex had finished his and put the plate aside when, at around eighteen thirty, Anton opened his eyes and moved a paw toward Alex.
“Son,” he said, very weakly. “I love you.”
Alex took his paw and replied, “I love you too, Dad.”
The old tiger smiled and closed his eyes again. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then was still. After a couple of moments, Alex felt the grip of his father’s paw release. He put two fingers to his father’s neck, but no pulse was there. Alex’s shoulders hunched over in realization. Slowly he stood and pulled the bedsheet up, pausing to kiss the old tiger’s brow before covering him. He then raised his eyes toward Heaven.
“Goodbye Dad, and thank you, and you too, Lord.”
Alex then walked out of the bedroom to go deliver the saddest news he’d ever had to give to his aunt.
# # #
Jenna had just unlocked the door, coming home from evening services at church. Tia and Andrew had sung as part of the youth choir, and everyone had really enjoyed their songs. Everyone had also wished them well and promised prayers when Jenna had told them that she and the cubs were going to West Virginia on Monday, and why they were going. As Tia and Andrew slipped past their mother, heading for their bedrooms to change clothes, the phone rang. Jenna hurried to answer it.
“Hello, O’Whitt residence.”
“Jen, it’s Alex.”
Jenna’s throat caught, and tears filled her eyes as she realized what the call meant. Alex’s tone of voice told her what she dreaded hearing.
“H-he’s gone?” she choked out.
“Yes. About an hour ago. The doctor from Hospice is here now doing the official paperwork.”
“Ah, okay. *sniffle* When is the funeral going to be?” Jenna fought hard to get a grip on the tears that were threatening to overwhelm her.
“Tuesday afternoon, with the wake tomorrow night. Dad already had everything set up.” Alex sounded so very sad, and so tightly controlled.
“Yes, that’s what he said a long time ago, that he was setting everything up for when this happened. Uh, how’s Talia?”
Alex sighed. “She bawled her eyes out at first, but she’s been quiet for the past half hour or so. She seems like she’s still kind of in shock, even though we knew this was coming.”
Jenna nodded to herself. “And you?”
Alex was silent a moment and then answered, “More sad than I’ve ever been. With Jason, and Mom, it was shock, and hurt. This has been coming so slowly that I’m not sure I have any hurt left. He was in such pain, and I know he’s gone on to better than we’ll ever see on this earth, but I just feel so profoundly sad that he’s gone. There’s so much I wish he’d still been here to see in the future.”
Jenna was quiet, unsure of what to say. She realized finally that there wasn’t really anything to say, so she settled with a soft, “Well, we’ll be there tomorrow afternoon.”
“All right. Drive carefully, okay? Love you, Sis,” Alex replied, just as softly.
“Love you too, Bro. Bye for now.”
“Bye.”
Jenna hung up the pawset and turned around to find Tia standing in the entrance to the hallway. The expression on the young tigress’ face told Jenna she’d heard enough to guess what had happened. Jenna held her arms open and Tia rushed into the embrace, sobbing into her shoulder for a few moments. Then a small sound caused them to both look down the hall. Andrew was halfway to them from his room. The sound had been a short gasp.
“Grandpa’s dead, isn’t he,” the young tiger stated.
“Yes Andrew. That was Alex on the phone, and he—,” Jenna began, but Andrew’s face seemed to harden. He turned and went back to his room. Jenna called after him, but he acted as though he couldn’t hear.
Jenna and Tia looked at each other, and released their embrace. Tia was looking thoughtful, despite the tears still filling her eyes.
“Mom, I need to call ‘Schell and tell her what’s happened. She can call the rest of the Top Guns. I already made arrangements for my schoolwork, but she can pick up any more that I might miss. I also need to call Sensei Quai and tell him I might not be there Thursday.”
Jenna stood for a second, open-mouthed. When had her little cub turned into the responsible young tigress in front of her? She nodded her head slightly and managed a “uh, sure.” Tia turned and walked over to the phone, stopping only to grab a pawful of tissues to wipe her eyes and nose.
As Tia started making her calls, Jenna sat down on the couch and quietly gave vent to some of her grief, letting her tears flow freely down her muzzle and into the tissue she’d grabbed. Anton would have been so proud to see his grandcub handling herself in such a mature way. He would’ve been proud, in his way, of Andrew, too. Hiding their grief and feelings was the way with the O’Whitt males.
After a few moments Jenna stood and went to her bedroom to put the black dress she’d laid out just in case with her other things for the trip. She also began to prepare herself for the difficult days ahead.
# # #
“Panelli residence, Penny speaking,” Penny answered on the second ring. The caller ID display showed an out-of-state number she wasn’t familiar with, so she was ready with her best anti-telemarketer response.
“Hello Penny.”
The voice on the line spoke volumes in those two short words. Penny immediately knew that it was Alex, and that most likely the end had come for Anton.
“Alex, how are you holding up and when did it happen?”
Alex took a deep breath and let it out, thankful that Penny was so astute. Jenna had known by his voice, too. He’d had to go through the news with both the hospice folks and the pastor of Anton and Talia’s church. Right now he didn’t think he could go through having to say that his father was dead one more time.
“I’m doing okay. Talia is a mess, though. The pastor and some ladies from her church are with her now down at her house. It happened just after eighteen thirty.”
“I’m so sorry, Alex. Billy is out at Kentiger right now waiting on one of the Kingairs to get in. I’ll call him and we’ll be over tomorrow.”
Penny could hear a shrug in Alex’s reply. “No need to hurry. The funeral isn’t until Tuesday. The wake is tomorrow night, if you’d like to attend that.”
“Nonsense! I hear you trying to be so strong for everyone else. Billy and I will be there ASAP so you can have some support, while you give support to your family. I’ll call Billy right now, and we’ll see you first thing tomorrow.”
After a second’s silence, Alex replied, “All right, Penny. Thanks. Safe travel, and I’ll see y’all tomorrow. Bye.”
“Bye.” Penny put the pawset in its cradle and took time for a brief prayer before she called her husband. She then picked it back up and dialed the number for Kentiger.
“Kentiger Executive Air, Billy Panelli here,” Billy answered on the second ring.
“Billy, call Duncan and tell him you won’t be in tomorrow, or for a few days. Alex just called,” was all Penny said.
“Anton?” Billy asked, hoping perhaps it was something else.
“Yes. Alex is holding up for now, but he needs the support of his friends. How early can we leave?”
Billy thought a few seconds, and pulled the weather forecast up on his computer. “Let’s see, I can go prep the Aerostar while I’m waiting for Deiter and Sara to get in. Hmm, if this weather doesn’t bottom out, we can leave by oh six hundred. Looks like we’ll be in the soup all the way over, though. The forecast for Charleston is pretty marginal. If we drive over, we can still leave early, it’ll just take us a couple of hours longer to get there.”
Penny decided quickly. “Let’s just drive over, then. That’ll save us renting a car or depending on Alex to drive us everywhere.”
“Okay. Penny?”
“Yes, Cowboy?”
“I love you Princess.”
“I love you, too. Drive carefully coming home.”
“You bet. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Billy put the pawset down and put his chin in his paw. Alex would really need them now, and he was glad he and Penny could be there to help. He would miss the elder O’Whitt, too, that was for sure. He wasn’t exactly sure why he had made such a point of telling Penny he loved her. He always did, but usually it was just a quick “love you” added before finishing a call. Shrugging to himself, he picked the pawset back up to call Duncan Jetter.
On her end, Penny smiled as she wiped a tear from her eye. She knew exactly why Billy had made the effort to specifically tell her he loved her. Death had paid a visit close by to them, and he was affirming his love for her, just in case. It was a rather silly notion, but it made her feel very loved and special to him, just the same. She got up and headed to the bedroom to pack, her mind turning to practicalities and the next few days. It was going to be a rough week.
# # #
The wake had been underway, more or less, for almost twenty minutes. So far, it wasn’t looking like much of a celebration of Anton O’Whitt’s life. The gathering was taking place at Anton’s house, and so far everyone was sitting or standing in small groups, nursing drinks or snacks. All had come to Alex and Talia when they’d arrived to shake paws or hug and murmur condolences, but now everyone was silent, lost in their own thoughts and grief. Tia, Jack Lazarus and Jenna sat together over in one corner. Jack had managed to fly in late in the afternoon to be with them. The two femmes were leaning on Jack with sad, faraway expressions. Andrew was by himself beside the wall, a very grim look on his face. Talia sat with a group of her church friends. Alex sat on the couch with Billy on one side and Penny on the other. He could feel their support, but at the moment he was at a loss as to how to get started with the wake.
This had gone on for a few minutes longer when a short, stout muskrat of about Anton’s age, with silver hair and whiskers, stood up.
“This isn’t what Anton intended for his wake. Looks like it’s up to me to get things started. Anton and I went to school together. Heh, he was always the gentlefur. When little Su-Lin started coming to our school, some of the guys picked on her a lot. Anton wasn’t dating her then, but he stood up for her. Faced ‘em down with his fists and claws ready to fight. He always stood by his friends, or anyone he felt was getting picked on. He did work on several o’ the cars and trucks I’ve owned. A finer bodywork fur you’ll never find. By the way, I’m Steve Wright. Pleased to meet any of you I don’t know. Well pleased to have known Anton most of my life. Here’s to you, Anton.”
The muskrat raised his glass in salute, took a drink, and then sat down. It was soda that he drank, but no one there cared. They all shared in the toast. That seemed to open the gates as Anton’s friends and neighbors began to remember, and talk, and smile and laugh a bit. Billy Panelli told of his and Anton’s trip to see Anatol before he died. Jack spoke up about his only meeting with the old tiger. Alex heard stories from the hilarious to the very touching. Some of them were about his mother, as well. The combined effect eased his soul and gave him strength for the coming day and the funeral. He looked over and saw Jack talking with a mechanic who’d worked with Anton. Jenna and Tia were smiling as the fur regaled them all with a story about he and Anton and a malfunctioning grease gun. Talia was smiling too, finally, as the pastor of their church told of something Anton had done a few years back to help a local family. No one but he had known that it was Anton who’d done that good deed.
A couple of hours later, as the last of the those who’d attended the wake filed out, Alex, Jenna, Jack, Tia, Andrew, and Talia all gathered in the living room. Billy and Penny were the last to say their goodnights as they left for their hotel, leaving the O’Whitt clan plus Jack to themselves.
“Hey, I’ll see you all in the morning,” Jack said as he prepared to leave, too. He hugged the two cubs and shook paws with Alex and Talia. He then wrapped Jenna in a tight embrace while everyone else managed to look elsewhere for a few moments. When they all herd the smack of a kiss parting, they looked back to see the pair releasing the hug.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Sweetheart,” Jenna said, smiling in spite of her red eyes and an occasional sniffle from holding back tears. The others said goodnight, as well, and Jack departed for a hotel, too. The O’Whitts stood for a moment in silence.
Alex looked from face to face, and then spread his arms open wide. One by one each of the others joined the embrace, Andrew last of all. Alex held them all for a moment, and then bowed his head.
“Lord, thank you for Dad. Thank you for his life, and for taking him home. Thank you for the strength we’ll need to see us through our grief. Amen.”
The others murmured their amens, and then Alex released the hug. They all embraced individually, and then went to get ready for bed, each of them silent in their own thoughts except for a subdued goodnight to each other.
It was a couple of hours later that Alex slipped quietly out the door and into the back yard. He’d been restless, and wanted a breath of fresh air. The clouds and drizzle of the day had given way to a crisp, clear night. Alex looked up at a bright moon which washed out all but the brightest stars. He remembered nights like this, sitting by a campfire on fishing trips with his father.
The enormity of his loss suddenly crashed in on Alex. Mom was gone. Jason was gone. Uncle Anni, and now his Dad. He fell to one knee, and his shoulders began to shake. For once, he just knelt and let his tears flow, allowing grief to take him.
It was some time later that he felt a gentle breeze stir. It felt unusually warm, for the chill night, and the scent it carried reminded Alex so much of his father. He felt a calm, peaceful feeling settle over him. He knelt for a minute longer, accepting the moment and saying a silent thank you. He then stood to go back inside. As he turned, he was startled to find Talia standing at the back door looking at him. She had decided to stay there with the family rather than go to her home down the street.
“Alex,” she began hesitantly, “are you all right?”
Alex managed a smile as he stepped up to her. “Yes, just needed a breath of air.”
Talia arched an eyebrow, with a slight smile on her muzzle. She placed a paw on his cheek and wrapped him in a hug.
“Must be awfully wet air, to make your cheekfur so damp.”
She leaned her head into his shoulder. Alex could tell she was teasing him a bit. He was struck by how thin and fragile she felt, but at the same time so strong. They held like that a moment, and then Talia turned to go back inside.
“How come you aren’t asleep?” Alex asked as he followed her in. She gave a slight grin over her shoulder.
“I’m an old school teacher. I know when someone’s not where they’re supposed to be. I also know when a cub won’t show it, but desperately needs a cry and a hug. Good night, Alex.”
She turned and went into the room she was sleeping in without another word. Alex gave his head a slight shake, smiling to himself. The O’Whitt males might be a tough, stoic group, but the O’Whitt females were as wise and strong and subtle a group of femmes as anyone would ever find. He went on to his bed and lay down. Sleep would come now, and be welcome in advance of the coming day.
# # #
“Friends, loved ones, and acquaintances. We have come to say goodbye to someone who has touched our lives in many ways. Anton Vostov O’Whitt was sixty six plus years on this earth. In that brief time he worked, as we all do. He married and loved and raised a family. He made friends, and was a good friend to those he befriended. He was a well known and liked member of the community.”
The old beagle speaking was pastor of the little church Anton and Talia attended. Brother Ben Sirius had pastored the Elkview Community Church for more years than he could remember. Among all his duties, burying church members was not on his list of favorite things to do. As the years went by, though, he seemed to be doing it more and more often.
“All of us knew Anton,” he continued. “Some more, some less. But you ask almost anyone up and down Elk River about Anton, and they knew him, or knew of him. The white tiger who did auto body work, with the Irish name and the slight Russian accent. He was a quiet fur, but when he did speak, folks had learned it always paid to listen. He met a young snow leopardess just moving here after her family escaped from
Alex was listening, but slowly the beagle’s eulogy slipped into the background of his thoughts. He looked at the casket in front of him, where his father’s body lay with paws clasped and a peaceful expression. A flag was draped on the coffin, folded down for the open upper lid. The flowers were so numerous it almost looked like a jungle. The folks at Kentiger had sent some, and even the Tigerkahts had, too. Beside him, Talia was almost constantly dabbing at the tears she was trying to hold back. Jenna’s eyes were still quite red from the previous day’s crying, but she, as well as Tia and Andrew, now sat quietly and listened, lost in their own thoughts. Jack sat next to Jenna with an arm around her shoulders, giving what comfort he could.
After the pastor, several of Anton’s friends delivered short eulogies of their own. Then a violinist played several of Anton’s favorite hymns and songs. Alex found himself smiling. His father had pre-arranged all of this. He remembered the old tiger saying, “bagpipes are okay, but I think I’ll save everyone’s ears and just have a fiddle player.”
Two old veterans folded the flag that draped the old tiger’s coffin, and presented it to Talia. She accepted it and hugged it to her chest.
Then, after a closing prayer from the pastor, the funeral was over. Alex blinked, realizing he’d been so lost in thought that he’d nearly missed Brother Sirius’s dismissal of everyone. He stood and walked to the back of the room with the rest of the family. There he joined the five others who would act as pall bearers. After the last mourners had departed, a fur from the funeral home led them back to the casket. The lid was carefully closed. He then indicated for the six to place their paws on the rails along the sides of the casket. They just had to put a paw on it, as the support the casket rested on had wheels. Together they and the casket made their way out to the waiting hearse. After placing the casket in and closing the door, the fur led the pall bearers to a limousine for the ride to the cemetery. There was a second limo for the family. No others would follow, as Anton had wanted the graveside service to be private.
The hearse, family car, and pall bearer’s limo made the drive from the funeral home across the bridge over the Elk River at Elkview, and through the small community. They turned up the steep access road to the cemetery, and stopped beside the lower end on the gravel road. Alex spent the trip mostly just staring ahead, gathering his strength for this one last duty. Then he remembered. He still had another duty to perform, and that one might be more challenging than helping carry a casket.
Alex was by far the youngest of the pall bearers. The other five were all friends of Anton’s. The muskrat who’d started things off at the wake, a grey-haired hare, two canids that Alex gave up trying to figure out the heritage of, and a raccoon who had been Anton’s partner in a body shop before they sold it and both retired. The six got out now and stepped up to the hearse. Once the funeral home fur opened the door, they slid the casket out and up onto their shoulders. Alex had to suppress a small laugh at the stray thought that it was a good thing his father had been so light when he died, or the older gentlefurs with him might not have been able to carry the burden.
The O’Whitts and Jack got out of the family car and followed silently behind them as the pall bearers made their way carefully up the hill across the uneven ground. Only the six and the family would be there. Even the pastor was left out. As they approached the grave and set the casket on the frame that would lower it to its final resting place, Alex noted that the same two furs who’d been there for Jason’s burial now waited to close the grave for Anton. Elkview was a very small town, and probably didn’t have an abundance of gravediggers, he smirked to himself.
The six stepped back and gathered with the O’Whitt clan. In the moments of silence that followed, Alex looked at the grave stone. It was inscribed with both his mother and father’s names, and their dates of birth and of Su-Lin’s death. Anton’s would be added in the next week. Jason’s stone stood beside his parents. There was a spot for Alex if he wanted, but he didn’t care to contemplate that at the moment. He took a step forward and laid a paw on the casket.
“Goodbye Dad. May you rest well.”
He then turned and walked back toward the cars, leaving the others to say their goodbyes. As he walked, he couldn’t lose the feeling that he was alone now. He knew of course that Talia and Jenna and the cubs would always be there for him if he needed them, but still he felt isolated. He sat down in the limo to wait for everyone to get done, his thoughts wandering aimlessly.
# # #
“Hey Billy, got a few minutes?”
Billy looked up from his desk, quite surprised. “Alex? What are you doing here? I thought you’d still be in West Virginia!”
It had only been two days since Anton’s funeral, and Billy had expected Alex to be gone at least through the weekend.
“I just can’t sit around. I’ll have to go back Monday for the reading of Dad’s will, but right now I need to talk to you about something.”
Alex looked quite serious, so Billy didn’t attempt any banter. “Sure, come on and have a seat.”
Alex walked in and sat down in the chair beside Billy’s desk. He paused a moment, and then launched into what he had to say.
“I’ll be off all next week taking care of Dad’s things. I want to go out on sales calls the following Monday. I’ll spend today setting up the meetings.”
Alex was silent a second, so Billy said, “Okay, sounds fine, but why did you need to talk to me about it? You know you’re always free to set up sales calls whenever you want.”
Alex took a deep breath. “Well, you know how you’ve said you’d like to see us break into the Columbus market? It seems not everything is sewn up by your friend Matt Barstock. I have a list of several companies up there I’m going to make appointments to call on. One might prove a bit . . . controversial.”
After a moment, Billy asked, “How so?”
“It’s ZZ Studios.”
Billy’s eyes got big as he accidentally gulped the coffee he’d gone to take a sip of. He coughed a couple of times, and then began to laugh. It took several minutes before he could speak again. Alex at first looked embarrassed, and then a little miffed. Finally Billy was able to respond.
“Oh Alex, that’s a good one. You really got me. I can just imagine straight-laced Alex O’Whitt walking into a porn studio! You’d be so red-faced just driving into the parking lot that you’d spontaneously combust! Oh come on, don’t look mad. It was a really good joke.”
Alex’s face had gone from showing slight anger to a neutral calm expression. “I’m not joking, Billy.”
Billy looked closely at his friend’s face and body language. He lowered his eyes and took on a chagrinned look.
“I’m sorry, Alex, but this is so out of character for you. Why the sudden idea to contract with ZZ Studios?”
“I’ll tell you in a minute, but first, will that cause any problems?”
Billy looked thoughtful for several moments before responding. “I don’t think so, at least not with the customer base. I can’t think of any of the businesses we deal with that’d give a care who else we fly, and a couple that might actually pay more to fly in the same jet as any of the ZZ Studios crew. There could be a couple of the local vocal self-righteous groups that would protest if they found out anyone from there was flying in, but then I think they’d be overrun by folks hoping for an autograph. I seriously doubt there’d be any problems for the business.”
“Okay. How about you personally?” Alex still had the same calm look he’d had since Billy had stopped laughing.
Billy answered much faster this time. “Nah, not really. You know me, I have as strong a morals as any Christian, but to tell the truth, I have a hard time condemning the movies ZZ Studios does. By all I’ve read on them, they’re so much a cut above what others who make adult movies and videos are putting out. They’re movies with sex, but not dumb and trashy like the rest of the lot. Heh, in fact, Penny and I have a few of their couples videos. Just for ideas and inspiration, er, that is, ah . . .”
Alex grinned in spite of himself at Billy’s uncomfortable realization that he’d probably just given out way too much information.
“Okay Billy, say no more. Now as to my sudden idea, Dad told me something before he passed away that behooves me to go there. Now don’t laugh at this, I’m not joking. Zig Zag is my second cousin.”
Billy looked at Alex askance for several seconds. It was obvious he was torn between laughter and disbelief. In the end, disbelief won.
“Alex, are you sure? You said your dad was mostly out from painkillers toward the end. Could he have been hallucinating?”
“No. He told me this a good week before he was started on morphine. I knew I had a cousin that the rest of the family wouldn’t talk about, and that she worked in adult films. At most, though, I thought she might be a stand-in for Zig Zag, not the real article.”
“Don’t you mean lay-in?” Billy said with a grinning smirk.
Alex didn’t blink. The comment would’ve been funny two weeks ago, but instead Alex felt offended. He paused to think that over, and realized it was because he already accepted the tiger-striped skunk as family.
“I’m sorry Billy, but this is my cousin. My family. I know it was a joke, but I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t do that.”
Billy arched an eyebrow. Alex was really serious about this.
“Okay Alex, sorry. So you’re going to make a sales call to meet her? Why not just call her and introduce yourself?”
Alex sighed. He didn’t really want to go into the whole story if Billy hadn’t already read about Zig Zag’s history with her family. “Suffice it to say she’s not on good terms with most of the family. I have a better chance of seeing her as a total stranger than by telling her I’m related to her first.”
Billy put his paw on his chin and rested his elbow on his desk, his tail idly waving behind him. Several moments passed, and then he looked Alex in the eyes.
“Make sure you give her a good deal. It’d be nice to meet her sometime.”
Alex nodded, smiling, and stood up. “You bet, Billy. Thanks.”
As his friend and partner turned and walked out, Billy spoke quietly, mostly to himself.
“Good luck, my friend.”
END OF CHAPTER 30