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 2003-2009 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, 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, and all characters associated with ZZ Studios, James Sheppard, and Marvin Badger © James Bruner and appear here with his permission. Although characters from and events referring to Zig Zag the Story appear here, this story is not canon to that one, and the author will disavow any knowledge of this story. Wanda Vixen © Chris Yost and appears here with his permission. Sabrina Mustidalae © Eric W. Schwartz and appears here with his permission. This story is not canon to Sabrina Online the comic, or Sabrina Online the Story, either. Matt Barstock, Angie Rockwell, Intermountain Charter, The Bitch, and her crew, and Jerry Kitt © Silver Coyote. See their story HERE. Gail Rutherford © me and is not canon to any other story involving ZZ Studios. Gabrielle Ryder and Jean LeBrun © Aslaug, from her Transitions stories. See them at her site, The Axe Shed, available from the links page. Dr. Elias Kahn, mentioned in this chapter, is © Shere Kahn from his story “From the Depths to the Heights,” available on the Raccoon’s Bookshelf.
Author’s Note: Lewiston, Maine’s airport, identifier KLEW, is actually uncontrolled. That is, it has no control tower. Poetic license was used for this story, so Alex and company talk with a control tower whilst aviating there.
¹Refers to events that transpire in “Transitions.”
Chapter 55
Meet and Greet, Part 1
Alex looked at the clock on his desk, and then checked his watch. With a sigh, he tried to focus his attention back on the task before him. The mountain of résumés they’d started with had been whittled down to ten. With only six positions being contemplated, the final cut needed to be made. Billy was waiting to review the ten finalists when Alex was done, and then they’d compile a list of their six choices. Duncan would do the same, and then Loni would compare all three. The applicants who were on all three would be called for an interview. If there were disagreements in the lists, they would likely wait until after the ones they all agreed on had been interviewed, and then discuss which among the remaining ones looked to fit in the best with old and new crews. The new pilots would start out in the Kingairs or Citations. The new Gulfstream, combined with the higher usage of their current one, would open up four positions in those aircraft. Those would go to the senior Citation crews, with the two new Captain’s positions going to the current Gulfstream First Officers.
Alex glanced at the clock again. Thirteen twelve. Exactly two minutes since the last time he looked. It was Wednesday afternoon, and in the morning he’d be flying to Maine to pick up Corrie. He’d worked through lunch in hopes of leaving early, but if he didn’t quit clock-watching and get a move on, he’d still be sitting at his desk at seventeen hundred.
Just as he was starting to read the page in front of him again for the third time, the intercom chimed.
“Saved by the bell,” he mused as he hit the button to respond. “Yes, Loni?”
“Zig Zag on line one for you, Alex.”
“Thanks,” he replied with a grin, and then pressed the button to answer the call. “Hi cousin, what’s up?”
“Hello Alex, ah, I’m almost afraid to ask this. You’re going to think I only call when I want something.”
“Why, do you need to fly to Denver and confront a mobster again?” Alex’s grin widened as he recalled the flight to Colorado with Zig and some of her employees, and the outcome of that adventure.¹ Zig Zag laughed softly.
“No, nothing that dramatic. We want to do a calendar for next year, and I’d like to go to the Caribbean for a location shoot. Probably about a month from now.”
Alex clacked a few keystrokes to open the Flight Schedule file on his computer and looked at that time frame. This far out, most any aircraft in Kentiger’s fleet was available.
“Sounds like a nice excuse to go south. How many furs, and how much gear?”
“Twelve of my actors, of course, plus a makeup fur and a costumer. Mark our photographer, James and I, and …I think that’s about it. Oh, unless I can convince Jean LeBrun to come along. We’re doing a pirate theme, and I’d like her historical research and perspective.”
Alex chuckled. “Seems a bit much just to take pictures of guys and gals in skimpy pirate-y costumes. That pretty much fills the Gulfstream, which seats twelve plus crew. We can have one of the Citations bring the overflow, and have both aircraft fly the same schedule and route, no problem.”
“I’ll take your word for it on that. Whatever works is fine. I’ll call you tomorrow with the exact destination. Jean is looking up which island down there was the most used by real pirates, and then I’ll start calling the film and tourism boards to find a suitable location.” Zig Zag’s smile carried through in her voice. Alex smiled to himself. No secrets allowed, it seemed.
“Leave the information with Loni, please. I’m heading out of town in the morning.”
“Oh? Business or pleasure?” Zig Zag replied in a teasing tone.
“Both, actually. I’m flying to Maine to bring Corrie down to meet everyone, and Billy wants to be able to recommend her for any flying jobs he hears about that she’s qualified for.”
“Tsk! Oh cousin, and you weren’t going to tell me? You know you have to bring her by so I can meet her. Are you flying back Friday?”
“Yes. How about we stop in for lunch?” Alex asked, shaking his head. He should have thought of the idea before his cousin chided him.
“Great idea. I’ll see if James can join us. I’m sure he’d like to meet the femme who melted the ice.” It was all Zig could do to keep from laughing.
Alex rolled his eyes at the wordplay, but chuckled nonetheless. “Oh, ouch! Such a sharp pun, but we’ll stop by for lunch anyway. Can you meet us?”
“Sure, uh, oops, no. I have meetings all morning with vendors. You can either call and I’ll ask James to come and get you, or take a cab here and we’ll all go together.”
Alex thought a moment, recalling how Columbus was set up. “We’ll take a cab. No Need for James to go running all the way out to Port Columbus. Say…around eleven hundred, er, eleven o’clock?”
“Perfect. See you then.” Zig Zag’s smile widened at the prospect of Alex’s visit.
“Yep. Love you Zig. See you Friday.”
Alex ended the call, leaving Zig Zag still framing a response. She still wasn’t used to her cousin saying he loved her, and believing it was said with no ulterior motive. She gave a slight shake of her head and smiled as she went back to working up an exact location for the shoot.
# # #
The next morning’s weather promised a rough ride for Alex on his way to Maine. A spring cold front was producing lines of thunderstorms along a lot of his route. After looking at the forecast again and consulting with the FAA flight service briefer, he decided to redo his flight plan and go east and then north along the coast. If there weren’t too many delays, he’d make it in to Lewiston ahead of the approaching storms. The flight back on Friday looked to have clear skies and steady winds, as long as he didn’t wait too late in the day. Like many times in Spring, another cold front was forecast to be approaching Kentucky by then.
Alex called in his flight plan, and then walked out of Kentiger’s hangar to Stripes One. It was still quite early, and no one else was in yet. The sun was still below the horizon, but the high cirrocumulus overhead was alight with predawn glow. The T-38 had been towed out and Alastair McCrory’s maintenance crew had prepped her the day before, but Alex still performed a meticulous preflight. Taking nothing for granted was what kept good pilots around to become old pilots. The air was cool, but humid, and the morning dew ran in little rivulets down the white and black-striped metal skin of the aircraft wherever he touched her. His paws were damp by the time he finished, so he wiped them on a cloth he kept in the belly pod. He then stowed his overnight bag in the belly pod along with the engine inlet and exhaust covers, and made sure the second parachute was both in there and current. Parachutes needed to be checked and repacked on a regular schedule, and he wasn’t about to take any chances where Corrie’s wellbeing was concerned. He then donned his parachute and climbed into the cockpit. A sleepy-eyed young mixed-breed canid pulled the stairs away and pulled the chocks when Alex directed him to. After assisting with the engine start and control check routines, the young fur headed back into Bluegrass Aviation’s hangar across the ramp.
Alex received clearance and taxied out. He stopped at the end of the runway for his final checks, and waited only a moment for takeoff clearance. There was no traffic so early, so he rolled onto the runway and went straight into afterburner. A few seconds later, he was climbing away and turning eastward into the rising sun.
The ride at FL250 was a bit bumpy. The chop was caused by the same instability that was assisting in building the thunderstorms well off to his left. The higher flight levels promised no better, so Alex maintained his altitude and focused on staying on course. He flew on over West Virginia, and split the heavy traffic areas around Washington and Norfolk. He then turned northward and flew along just off the coast. The air had smoothed out, and he was low enough to avoid the transoceanic flights as they climbed out from New York. He continued on, dodging the traffic out of Boston Logan the same way. It was closing in on lunchtime when he crossed the coast of southern Maine and began his letdown and approach into Lewiston. The descent was also bumpy, as the approaching cold front and daytime heating began to cause the low cumulus to build upwards into towers of cloud. By his experience, Alex gauged that there would be thunderstorms in progress within a couple of hours. The landing was routine, but as he rolled out after touchdown, Lewiston Tower called him.
“Ah, Nine Sierra Tango, proceed direct to the Old North ramp. I think there’s a lady there who’s about to bust waiting for you.”
Alex grinned in his mask. Apparently, the whole airfield knew about their romance. Again he felt pleased that everyone was so supportive of it and her. He pressed the PTT and responded.
“Niner Sierra Tango, don’t want to keep the lady waiting. Proceeding directly to Old North.”
He turned onto the taxiway and rolled on to the familiar ramp in front of Old North Helicopters. It caught his attention that the ramp was empty, so business for Ben and company continued to be brisk. As he brought the T-38 to a stop, he noticed a blur of motion by the door into the office. A flash of white and green flight suit on tawny fur. The tiger hadn’t even raised the canopy, and the engines were still spooling down when the ramp fur tapped the side of the aircraft to let him know the boarding ladder was ready to be put in place. He purposefully didn’t look that direction yet, intent on finishing his shutdown checklist. He then opened the canopy and unstrapped from his seat as the boarding ladder clunked into place.. He unplugged the comm and oxygen lines, and only then looked over. The ramp fur who’d put the chocks and boarding ladder in place was quickly retreating, giving a last glance over his shoulder as he got in an airport truck and drove away. At the bottom of the ladder, Corrie stood waiting.
She was standing quite still, her green eyes shining like the dew he’d seen earlier. Only her tail betrayed any eagerness as it curled rapidly back and forth. Alex’s muzzle split in a broad smile, and he carefully stood, took his helmet off, and made his way down the ladder. He barely got his feet on the ground and turned in her direction before she seized him in a fierce embrace. He kissed her passionately, putting all the feelings of missing her into it. She returned the intensity, wanting to find a way to express how she’d missed him all in one kiss. Then suddenly he felt her withdraw. Physically, she didn’t move a bit, and she still pressed into the kiss, but Alex felt the change. For just a brief second, she went from passionate lover to trapped animal in his arms. It was only for a fleeting moment, and then she was back, kissing him as enthusiastically as ever.
When they finally broke the kiss, they were both a bit breathless. After a deep breath, Alex spoke first.
“Well, you didn’t miss me, did you?”
Corrie arched an eyebrow in mock consternation. “Oh ha ha, of course not. I throw meself on every jet jockey who taxies up. Ben says it’s good for business.”
Alex raised an eyebrow in return, exaggerating in mock suspicion. “Aha! So that’s it! I knew a beautiful gal like you wouldn’t fall for a greymuzzle like me. It was all just a business ploy.”
“Yeah, yeah, just give me anothah kiss before we get your things and get going.”
Alex kissed her soundly again, and then they released their embrace. He retrieved his overnight bag and stowed his parachute and helmet in the belly pod, along with his harness and G-suit. Then he closed the canopy on Stripes One and put the covers and pins on the aircraft. As they made their way toward the building, Alex could see into the hangar through the open main door. The Huey that had been undergoing annual inspection when he was training still sat with most of its access panels open or off. Curious, he asked Corrie about it.
“Love, shouldn’t that Huey have been out of inspection by now?”
Corrie spared a glance in that direction as she paused to let Alex open the office door for her. She’d normally disdain such old-fashioned chivalry from a male. She could open any door she wanted for herself, but with Alex, she had finally just given up. No matter how many times she’d tried to put him off of doing it, he’d still take that one quick step ahead and open the door for her. Now, she found his persistence a bit charming.
“Coo yes. She should’ve been out before you left, but that’s our oldest bird. She’s become a bit of a hangar queen. They found some things in annual that they’re waiting on parts for.”
Alex nodded as they went inside. Corrie spoke over her shoulder, flicking her tail tuft in front of his nose playfully.
“Don’t go away now. I need to get me purse and then we can go. I’m all done until Tuesday, and everyone else is out.”
Alex nodded and waited while the lioness disappeared back toward the locker area. She returned a moment later, purse in paw.
“Alright Luv, let’s go get you settled at your hotel, and then your coming home with me. I’ll make lunch and we can relax a bit before I have to finish packing.”
Alex gave her a wry grin. “Yes, Ma’am.”
Corrie laughed in response. “You’ve been taking Ben’s advice, I see. C’mon then, let’s get going.”
She grabbed Alex’s paw and led him out to her Jeep. He tossed his overnight bag in the back, and they got in. The drive to the hotel was short, but with lunchtime traffic it still took several minutes.
“Sorry, no talking boxes. You’ll just have to take it on faith that I know where I’m going,” the lioness quipped as they drove.
“You sound better anyway,” Alex replied with a grin.
Corrie rolled her eyes, but laughed all the same. They made the turn into the hotel parking lot, and she pulled to a stop under the overhang at the entrance. Alex got out and went inside to register. He then went to his room and dropped his overnight bag off before returning to the Jeep. The two felines small-talked as they drove out of town to Corrie’s apartment. As they pulled up, Alex noted a curtain in a window near the back of the farmhouse beside the garage shift and then close. As they got out, Alex commented on what he’d just seen.
“Your landlady is keeping tabs on you, Love. I just saw the curtains move in the kitchen window.”
Corrie glanced that way and shrugged. “She usually checks any car that pulls in. You’ve been expected. She interrogated me for an hour after your last visit. She‘s happy for us, but she asked when I’d be moving out. I think she already has another renter lined up.”
Alex let the question of her response go unasked. He didn’t want to seem to be rushing the lioness. The distant rumble of thunder ushered them along as they went up the stairs and Corrie headed for the kitchen area.
“Have a seat while I get stahted on lunch.”
“Let me help,” Alex stated as she began to get out dishes and a skillet. She arched an eyebrow in return.
“You’ve flown all morning, but you still want to help? You really are a right proper gentlefur. Alright then, I’m gonna make burgers, and I like lettuce and tomato. You’ll find them in the fridge. Wash ‘em and —”
Alex held up a paw. “I’ve been a single fur and eating my own cooking for quite a while now. Just tell me where the knife and cutting board are, unless you want me to use my claws instead.”
Corrie giggled as he made a show of flexing his claws out. “Oh showoff! The knives are in the drawer beside the fridge. The cutting board is on the back of the countah.”
Alex retrieved the items from the refrigerator, and the knife and cutting board. He peeled off several leaves of lettuce, and washed them and the tomato under the tap. He quickly cut the tomato into slices and put them and the lettuce on a paper plate. Then he rinsed off the knife and cutting board and left them in the sink. By this time, Corrie had the burgers frying, and had the buns and condiments out. In short order, they sat down to eat. Alex bowed his head and said a short grace. Corrie was very quiet while he prayed, and when he looked up, she intently met his gaze.
“It’s just burgers, unless you think they’ll be bad enough to need prayed ovah.”
Alex chuckled. “No, they smell great. It’s my custom to say thank you. I believe God created everything, so it’s only right to thank Him for what He provides.”
A brief look of uncertainty crossed Corrie’s face, but then she nodded and picked up her burger. They ate and talked about how busy things had been. Corrie had been flying at least four hours every day, and had been gone overnight 3 times in the short time Alex had been gone. They finished and Alex helped Corrie clear the table and clean up. They then adjourned to the couch, where they cuddled up together and turned on the TV. The thunder outside seemed to stay in the distance, but rain began to patter on the windows, increasing to a steady roar for brief periods.
Corrie was relaxed, her head on Alex’s shoulder, but he felt her suddenly tense up. “Do you think your friends and family will like me? Some say I’m a bit too forward and direct, or that I’m not very refined. As I’ve said, I’m just an ol’ Aussie roughout.”
Alex gave her a kiss on the side of the muzzle. “You’ll do just fine. Be yourself. I love you, and that’s what counts. I have no doubt they’ll like you too.”
She regarded him for a moment, as if weighing his words. Then she snuggled into his side and relaxed again as he wrapped his fluffy snow leopard tail around her shoulder. They remained like that until they heard the clock chime seventeen hundred. It was all too soon, but it was time for them to get some dinner, and Alex to head for his hotel. They’d both need to be up very early for the flight back to Kentucky. Corrie called in a pizza order to DaVinci’s, and then drove them back to town. The rains had stopped, and the sun was beginning to peek out of the breaking clouds. They picked up the order and found a small park to stop and eat at. Neither of them wanted their day to end, but soon they’d finished eating, and Alex had to insist on going on to his hotel. Corrie tried again to convince him to sleep on her couch, but he knew they would end up talking until late, and he wanted to be as fresh as possible for the next day’s flight. It was just fully dark when she stopped in front of the hotel. They shared a long kiss before parting, both feeling the morning couldn’t come soon enough.
# # #
“So, what time are Alex and Corrie coming for dinner?” Penny asked as she and Billy cleared their plates away.
“Err, what?” he replied.
“Oh don’t tell me you didn’t tell Alex to bring his girlfriend by for dinner. How can we show off our southern hospitality if they don’t?” Penny had a mischievous glint in her eye, knowing she’d caught her husband off guard. Billy recovered quickly.
“Well, they’ll probably be tired after flying all day. Alex phoned and said they were going to stop in Columbus and see Zig Zag on the way, so it might be a bit later in the day by the time they get in. Why don’t we ask them for Saturday instead?”
Penny smiled as she put the dishes in the dishwasher. “Good plan. Glad you thought of it.”
Billy moved silently up behind his wife, and as she stood up he grabbed her in a very intimate embrace. She let out a startled “eep!”
“Thank you for reminding me,” he murred low in her ear. She relaxed and snuggled into the hug, but before it progressed any further, she spun in his grasp to face him. Billy blinked, taken aback by the slightly worried look on her face.
“What?”
“Cowboy, do you really think she could be the one? Alex hasn’t dated much for so long, and nothing we’ve done has helped. Could his true love have come to him so suddenly?”
Billy smirked. “You mean without your, eh, guidance? Alex is a big boy. He knows himself, and if this gal is anything like he says she is, then she’ll be a good match for him. Just don’t scare her away with twenty million questions at the start, okay?”
Penny gave him her “million-dollar” pout. “I promise.” She then pulled into the embrace. “I’m so happy he finally found someone. I just hope nothing happens to screw it up this time.”
“Well from what he said, they’ve already survived several pitfalls, including us not adding helicopters to Kentiger, and the misunderstanding I told you about.”
“I know,” Penny replied as she nodded in agreement. “I guess I just worry about him.”
Billy began to nuzzle her neck, and felt her fur ruffle as a thrill went down her spine and she pressed into the move.
“Let me take those worries off your mind, Princess” he rumbled, low and deep. Penny pulled in a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh.
“Take ‘em away, Cowboy,” she murred in return.
# # #
The sun was still an hour from rising the next morning when Alex dropped his overnight bag in the back of Corrie’s jeep and got in.
“G’morning Luv, sleep well?” Corrie was bright-eyed and eager to get going. Alex had indeed slept well, and so he was also eager to be in the air.
“Sure did, ready to fly?”
She nodded enthusiastically as she pulled out of the parking lot and headed for Old North. Traffic was negligible at that time of morning, so the drive only took a few minutes. Corrie went inside the building long enough to put her keys in her locker so she couldn’t accidentally lose them on the trip, and put her G-suit and parachute harness on over her flight suit. She then rejoined Alex, and the pair walked paw-in-paw out to Stripes One, carrying their travel bags and Corrie’s helmet. Alex stowed their bags in the belly pod and brought out the parachutes and his gear. He then stepped into his G-suit and chute harness, and began his preflight. He was just finishing up when a truck pulled up. The ramp fur had brought him the paperwork to sign for the fuel and LOX he’d requested the day before.
Alex and Corrie then climbed aboard; with Alex insisting Corrie take the front seat. He fired up the radios and called in for engine start clearance and to activate his flight plan. The ramp fur removed the ladders and chocks at his indication, and soon Stripes One taxied out to the runway. The sun was just breaking the horizon as they lifted off and Alex pulled the gear up. The sky was clear, with wispy cirrus beginning to show off to the west as the morning light reached it. As the cold front off to the west moved their way, those clouds would thicken and lower, but for now, nothing obscured the view. As they climbed out of Lewiston, Alex realized how much better it felt flying with Corrie aboard.
The radio chatter from the early morning commercial traffic made any sustained conversation difficult, so Corrie occupied herself with the wonderful panoramic view their FL280 perch afforded her as they sped southward. Contrail lines marked the airline routes to their east and west. A patchwork of forests and fields, rivers and roads slid quickly by below them. Alex had the long range drop tanks under the wings, so they would be flying direct to Columbus. Corrie contemplated how things had changed since the tiger in the back seat had come into her life. The beautiful view reminded her of how great she was feeling right now. The only thing that dimmed her contentment was the small nagging voice, way back in her mind, that said it couldn’t last. She chose to tell that voice to shut up, and went back to enjoying the ride.
They’d been in the air about two hours when Alex received clearance from ATC to begin his letdown into Port Columbus. After maneuvering through the approach, and holding for traffic for about ten minutes, he set the mains on the runway at almost exactly two and a half hours after they’d departed. They taxied to the spot the follow-me truck indicated, and parked. Soon, the chocks were in place, and both felines stowed their parachutes, helmets, and associated gear in the belly pod. They caught a ride to the FBO office, and Alex took care of the paperwork. He then called for a taxi, and they stepped out to the parking lot to wait for it.
A few minutes later, the taxi arrived and they got in. The cabbie eyed them a moment, noting the flight suits, and then again when Alex told him the address they wanted to go to. He gave them a speculative look, but then smiled and shrugged as he started the meter. They pulled out of the parking lot and drove into downtown Columbus. As they drove, Corrie asked about Alex’s cousin.
“So, we’re meeting your cousin and her boyfriend for lunch. What did you say her name was?”
Alex grinned a bit. “I didn’t, but her name is Tonya. Her boyfriend’s name is James. He’s a coyote-German shepherd hybrid.”
“Sounds like an interesting mix.”
“He’s a very nice guy, and my cousin seems very happy with him.”
Corrie noticed a quiet smile come across Alex’s muzzle, but before she could ask what it was for, the cabbie announced that they were turning onto the street their destination was on. She looked up the block, but saw only parking garages and small offices, and a couple of what looked to be warehouses farther down. Then one single-story warehouse-sized building on the right caught her eye. She looked quickly at Alex, but he just looked relaxed. Sure enough, the taxi made the turn into the parking lot of the building. Corrie turned back to Alex, her eyes narrowed.
“Is this some kind of joke?”
Alex arched an eyebrow. “What?”
“Alex, this is a porn studio. Don’t tell me you’ve nevah heard of ZZ Studios.”
Alex looked at her neutrally, doing his best to keep up the appearance that nothing should seem out of place. Corrie missed the slight quirk of the grin that was trying to break loose. “And where have you heard about it?”
Corrie blushed furiously, and Alex had to dig his claws into the surface of his palm to keep from laughing. “I’ve, ah, been around male pilots most of my adult life. They talk, I listen. I’ve…seen a few of the movies from here, too.” Here, her blush actually managed to deepen. “I really don’t think theah your cup of tea, unless I’ve badly misread you, that is.”
Alex decided it was time to come clean, mostly. He’d intentionally let it be a surprise so he could make sure he got an honest reaction from the lioness. He knew she wouldn’t intentionally lie or hide her feeling, but he was concerned that if he told her straight out, she’d have covered any negative reaction so as not to upset him. He smiled reassuringly and nodded toward the building.
“It’s not and you didn’t. My cousin works here.”
Corrie’s eyes went wide for a second, but then she blinked and managed a weak smile. “Uh, I kinda overreacted theah, didn’t I?”
“It’s alright. I’m still getting used to the idea, myself. I hadn’t seen Tonya since she was about ten years old until recently. We’ve become friends as well as family since we got back in touch. As I said, it was her advice that helped me make up for the misunderstanding about my marital status.”
Corrie eyed the front of the building again. The little sign on the front door that said “No Minors Allowed” left no doubt that this was indeed the ZZ Studios she’d heard and seen so much about. With a small shrug and no little trepidation, she hitched a thumb toward the building.
“Let’s go meet your cousin, Luv.”
Alex nodded and paid the cabbie. He nodded in thanks as they got out. As the taxi pulled away, they walked up to the door. Alex opened it for Corrie, but she stopped and gave him a smirk.
“Oh no, not this time. You first. The first porn stah with his or her bits showing and I’m out of here!”
Alex laughed for a moment and then went on in. Corrie stayed right behind him. The reception room was all pink, with a counter and a desk that took up the right side of the room. A cardboard standup of the studio’s famous owner adorned the other back corner. Promotional posters took up most of the walls. A well-dressed professional-looking collie stood up from the desk and came to the counter.
“Hello Col. O’Whitt, good to see you.”
“Hello Miss Rutherford, good to see you, too. Is my cousin in her usual spot waiting for us?”
The collie didn’t miss a beat. “Yes, she’s expecting you. Who’s your guest?”
Alex looked around, and found that Corrie was almost hidden behind him. He smiled and side-stepped slightly, managing to look chagrined, as well.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I nearly forgot to introduce you. This is my girlfriend Corrie Patterson. Corrie, this is Gail Rutherford, receptionist and office administrator for ZZ Studios.”
“Miss Patterson, a pleasure,” the collie stated as she extended a paw to shake.
“Likewise, Miss Rutherford,” Corrie replied as she shook paws. She now realized that, despite what the product was, this was still a business. Presenting a professional face would be expected.
“Back this way, Corrie.” Alex nodded toward a doorway and grabbed her paw. They walked into a hallway and turned right, where they met a lioness in street clothes coming the other way. She stopped short and looked at them both, and then grinned broadly.
“Well, I see it wasn’t because I was a lioness that you shot me down cold. Nice to see you, Alex.”
“You too, Cherry. This is my girlfriend Corrie,” Alex replied with a slight bow of his head. Cherry McCool smiled at Corrie and gave a nod toward her.
“A pleasure, my dear. Alex has good taste.”
“Ah, thank you. It’s a pleasah to meet you too.” Corrie’s eyes were a bit wide, but otherwise she seemed to be taking her first encounter with one of the studio stars in stride.
“Oh Honey! With that accent and your looks, Zig will try to recruit you for sure!”
Corrie blushed furiously, and Cherry giggled. “Not your thing, eh? Don’t worry, Zig tries to recruit almost everyone she meets at some time or another. Oops, gotta run. Time for my checkup with Dr. Kahn. See you Alex, Corrie.”
The lioness gave a brushing cheek kiss to both of them and disappeared out the door. Alex just smiled as Corrie seemed very surprised by the move. Alex reassured her as they walked on down the hall.
“Don’t be rattled. The folks here tend to be a rather friendly and affectionate lot. Ah, here we are.”
Alex tapped on a door and opened it before Corrie could see the lettering on it. Once inside, the posters on the wall and the name plate on the desk told whose office they’d entered.
“Knock knock, cousin,” Alex stated as he stopped in front of the desk. The fur at the desk had the chair turned with the back to them, but the distinctive hairstyle and the flash of black on white fur as the tail flipped around confirmed who was sitting there. By now Corrie was looking very confused. Zig Zag spun around in her chair and stood up.
“Alex! It’s great to see you. Oh, and you must be Corrie. It’s wonderful to meet you. Alex barely did you justice, you’re gorgeous!”
Alex glanced at Corrie, and found her now looking rather dumbstruck, with her mouth open slightly. A full two seconds went by before she seemed to recover. She blinked and then managed to speak.
“Ah … uh, but you’re a skunk, not a tigress … how?”
“Zig’s grandfather and my grandfather were brothers. That’s where her lovely stripe pattern comes from,” Alex said in a gentle voice to her. Zig Zag flashed him a smile at the compliment. Corrie seemed startled by his voice, and then she blushed in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, I was just really surprised. I always thought the stripes were a dye job, I guess. Oh, that didn’t sound right ethah. I, uh, Zig Zag, it’s a pleasah to meet you.”
Zig Zag winked, bemused by Corrie’s discomfiture. “Oh wow! Love the accent. Alex said you were from
Corrie’s blush deepened, and she began to look very uncomfortable. Alex came to her rescue. “Zig, come on now, let’s go to lunch. I don’t think Corrie is interested, and we need to watch our time. There are thunderstorms to the west, and we don’t want to get caught by them.”
Zig Zag gave Corrie a keen-eyed look up and down, causing her blush to deepen further, and then shrugged as she turned to retrieve her purse. “Too bad. You two would be great for our couple’s video series.” She then broke out in laughter as Alex blushed, too. “C’mon then. James is meeting us at Furry’s.”
The striped skunkette led the way back out to the parking lot, where she unlocked the doors to her Lexus. She beat Alex to the door behind the driver’s door and opened it with a flourish of her paw and a flip of her tail.
“I’ll play chauffer if you two want to get in some smooching on the way.”
Alex grinned as Corrie’s eyebrows shot skyward. “Thanks Zig. We’ll sit together in the back seat, but you keep your eyes on the road, okay?”
“Spoil sport,” she shot back as they got in. She closed the door and got in behind the wheel. As Zig Zag started the car and backed out of the parking space, Alex watched several emotions vie for control over Corrie’s expression. He leaned in and spoke in a low, quiet voice, right next to her ear.
“Relax Love, Zig likes to tease a lot, but she’d never do anything to harm you, or me. The best way I’ve found is to just tease back, but in a little more low-key way.”
Corrie looked at him askance for a moment, but then she grinned. “Gotcha Luv. You mean like this?”
She suddenly grabbed him and planted a loud, smacking kiss on him. He caught the sudden shift and widening of Zig Zag’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. Then the edges crinkled in a smile. Corrie saw the expression out of the corner of her eye, and let out a low giggle as she continued to hug Alex. He shook his head and muttered, “Great, now I have two sex-crazed femmes in my life.”
Corrie giggled again and whispered, “Nah, not sex-crazed. Well, not me anyway. Besides, it was a good excuse to kiss you.”
Alex leaned into the hug a bit, smiling. “You never need an excuse to kiss me. You’re welcome to anytime.”
Corrie did, but only a gentle, much less noisy smooch this time. Then she settled back with Alex’s arm around her shoulder as Zig Zag navigated the midday traffic. While driving, Zig inquired about the basics of where in
“Hello Alex, how are you doing?”
“Really good since you didn’t confuse the order of greeting,” Alex teased as he shook paws. “How about you?”
James laughed and replied. “Fit and fine, wise guy. This must be the lady I’ve heard so much about. I’m James Sheppard, pleased to meet you.”
Corrie shook the offered paw as she replied, “Hello James, Corrie Patterson. I hope all you’ve been hearing is good.”
“Not a bad word in the bunch. Let’s go sit down, I’m famished,” James replied, although he was looking at Zig Zag when he said it rather than back toward the dining area. He then led the way to a table out of the way of the main traffic area. James and Alex held the seats for the ladies as they sat down, and were just seating themselves when the waiter appeared. He took their orders and quickly disappeared toward the kitchen.
The four small-talked about their work and the flight down from Maine while they waited for their meals to arrive. Alex noticed that Corrie was slowly beginning to be more relaxed. Especially when she found out James didn’t work in adult films. She’d seemed a bit tense after finding out who his cousin was. The waiter brought their food and drinks, and then departed to greet another customer who’d just walked in.
As they began their lunch, Alex noticed that Corrie had an intense look of curiosity on her face. She almost jumped as he casually asked, “What’s got your curiosity going, Love?”
“Uh, er, well … no, I can’t figure out how to ask this and not sound rude.”
The lioness was looking a bit chagrinned. James was the one looking curious now, but Zig Zag smiled knowingly.
“Let me guess,” she said, a humorous note in the lilt of her voice. “You want to know how a relative of someone as straight-laced as Alex ended up in porn.”
Corrie blushed deeply again as Alex stifled a laugh. James hid his grin behind a paw as Corrie murmured a meek, “Um, well, yeah?”
“A long story, but suffice it to say that I just found something I was good at and made the most of it. Alex can fill you in on some of the details sometime, but let’s not drag down the good mood now, okay?” Zig Zag’s smile had just enough of a sharp edge to it for Corrie to see pursuing the subject would not be welcome. She nodded and shifted topic a bit.
“Fair enough. I am curious about why you seem to ask almost everyone you meet if they want to act for you. At least, that’s what someone told me. I’m sure not everyone is cut out for your business.”
Zig’s smile softened, and she laughed a light, easy laugh. “Am I really that bad? Honey, that’s just me being me. No, in fact most folks are definitely not cut out for the adult film business. When you’re stark naked, with a camera lens in places you never thought one could maneuver into, and twenty furs watching you, and you can still be convincing that you’re having the best sex you ever had, or deliver dialog? Well, that takes more than just enjoying sex, or even being sexy-looking. It takes acting ability, and confidence, and a certain presence for the camera. A lot of stamina, too. We usually have to do several takes to get a scene just right. Hey, you should join Alex when he comes to watch us shoot a scene.”
James again had to stifle a laugh as Corrie did a double-take toward Alex, and his eyes went wide for a second. The lioness arched an eyebrow inquiringly. Alex managed a rueful grin and a chuckle.
“I would say I lost a bet, but I don’t gamble. Zig agreed to fly with me if I agreed to watch her direct a scene.”
“Uh Huh,” Zig interjected. “And he hasn’t lived up to his end yet. He watched my crew pose for a poster shoot, and I think someone said we’re even, but I think he’s still gotta come watch us shoot a scene.”
Corrie giggled despite still looking surprised, and then laughed full out. “Oh Luv! I think I will join you. Your blush will probably be burned into your fur for a week.”
Alex grinned in response. “Yours too, Love. Remember, there might likely be male actors there, as well.”
Corrie blinked, startled out of her laughter for a moment, and then she blushed furiously.
“See, you’ve started already,” Alex quipped with a wink to let her know he was teasing her. She shook her head and mumbled, “What have I got meself into?”
Zig Zag reached out and gently touched her paw, a warm smile on her muzzle. “Corrie, it’s okay. I promise if you do join Alex, I’ll make sure it isn’t too extreme a scene.”
Corrie nodded, and the conversation moved on. As they talked and ate, Zig Zag sat back and contemplated the reactions she’d seen in the lioness. Something seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place what. Other than all the blushing, that is. That reminded her of Sabrina. Soon, the meal was over and James stood up to excuse himself.
“Sorry to leave good company, but I have to get back to the office. I have a project cost analysis report to review before we send the technicians out to begin work.”
Alex stood and shook paws. “Great to see you again James. Don’t work too hard.”
“Not me. Safe flight, you two. Great to meet you, Corrie.”
James and Zig Zag exchanged a hug and kiss, and then James gave a nod to all and left. Alex remained standing as he slipped a tip under his plate. “I think we’d better get going too, Cousin.”
He held out a paw to Corrie, and she grinned as she ignored it and stood up. “As I’ve said, I’m just an ol’ Aussie roughout. I can stand up by meself. Are we taking a taxi back?”
“Not unless you’re tired of my company,” Zig Zag replied before Alex could answer. Corrie grinned at her as the skunkette stood up, too.
“Nah, I’ve really enjoyed meeting you. You’re not anything like I thought the notorious Zig Zag would be.”
Zig Zag nearly fell over laughing as Corrie realized how that statement sounded and began to stammer an apology. “Ah, I’m sorry. That didn’t come out like I meant it to.”
“Oh relax. I get that a lot. Everybody expects me to be this raving sex maniac all the time. I can be, if I want, but I’m also a successful businesswoman, and I do live in the real world.”
Zig’s smile told Corrie that no offense was taken, so she shrugged and smiled back. The trio left the restaurant and Zig Zag drove to the airport. She pulled into the parking lot and stopped by the door into the building where she’d seen Alex off on his previous visit. Alex and Corrie got out, but Zig Zag remained behind the wheel.
“Sorry I can’t stay and watch you take off. I didn’t realize it was this late. I’m expecting some props in this afternoon, and I need to supervise their unpacking.”
“Props for an adult studio? I’m sure I don’t want to know,” Alex replied with shake of his head. “I’ll see you next time. Love you, Cousin.”
Zig Zag only hesitated a second before flashing a warm smile. ‘You too, Alex. Oh, by the way, the destination for the shoot is
“Bye Zig Zag,” Corrie managed to get out before the skunkette drove away. She turned to Alex and shook her head as a rueful grin graced her muzzle.
“Now that’s a phrase I’d have bet me paycheck I’d nevah say in me life. Any othah surprise relatives I should know about?
Alex laughed heartily. “No, that’s the only mystery. You’ll meet Jenna and her cubs, Tia and Andrew, probably this evening. Perhaps next time we can stop by West Virginia so you can meet my Aunt Talia.”
Corrie nodded as they entered the building. “Sounds good. Do you want to check the weathah before we take off?”
Alex gave her a look, and she rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s my one dumb question for today.”
“No such thing as a dumb question. I see a lot of cirrostratus to the west, and I want to see how close the storms generating that are.”
They walked down the hall and Alex stepped into the flight planning room. The storms were still just west of the Mississippi River, so they had time to get to Lexington if they didn’t dawdle.
They went from there out to Stripes One and Alex did a thorough preflight. In short order they were rolling down the runway and into the air. Recalling that Mastifson likely still had contacts at Columbus watching for anything resembling aerobatics, Alex opted for a high speed, relatively shallow climb. Lexington was under an hour away, and Alex was looking forward to introducing Corrie to everyone.
For her part, Corrie was getting a bit nervous. Alex had impressed her friends. Very much so, in fact. Question now was, could she do the same with his friends and family?
End of Chapter 55
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