Piece of Tail (11 page)

"I can't do it, Blaze."

Her long time friend threw an arm around her shoulders. “Ah, sure you can, Gina. You want to get married, right? Well, looking like a bleached circus tent is just part of the fun."

Gina elbowed her friend. “Bitch. You know you'll be doing this in a few months.” The sparkle of Blaze's engagement ring caught a ray of the fading sunlight and threw rainbows along the floor.

"Yeah, yeah. Only, Jack and I agreed that comfort came before the whole ‘following tradition’ thing. We're not a terribly traditional couple. Plus, I'm hoping Meg will work out her mothering needs with planning your wedding. Maybe by the time mine comes along, she'll dig the whole track suit and bare feet idea."

Gina snorted. “Not hardly.” Then she sighed. “Speaking of dog-boy, he won't try and mark his territory all over Ben's farm, will he?” Gina had chosen to have her wedding in a place that spoke of peace and freedom and change. Ryan would be giving her away.

Blaze snickered and she giggled in response before her partner-in-crime wiped the smile away. “Don't tell Jack I laughed. We agreed to do this whole cat and dog thing, but he still gets pissed when you guys crack dog jokes."

She swallowed her laugh. “It's just so hard, Blaze. I mean, dogs…” Gina looked around and lowered her voice to a whisper, “They eat their own shit. I hope you broke him of that habit when you moved in together.” She shuddered. “Gross."

Before Blaze could respond, Meg yelled from across the store. Bridal Warehouse was just that, a big freaking warehouse filled from front to back in nothing but frilly white dresses. With Gina's curly thick hair and dark golden skin, white looked stark and forbidding. White, the bane of a curvy chick's existence.

"All right, let's do this. I swear to God, though… If she's got more than ten dresses over there, I'm picking number five. I don't care how ugly it is. I am done with this wedding preparation shit. Daniel is much better at it."

Blaze squeezed her shoulder. “Agreed. I never knew that beneath that sweet exterior of Meg's lurked a freaking drill sergeant. It's all Ben's fault. Good sex can change a woman."

"Gi-na!" Meg's teacher-tone flashed Gina back to the first grade.

"Damn, the woman's got a set of pipes on her, too,” Blaze muttered.

"You aren't lying. You should hear her and Ben going at it. I swear, his sole purpose in life is to fuck the stripes onto her. No lie.” Gina laughed and the two of them meandered toward the back of the warehouse.

They passed rack after rack after rack of white and cream colored frilly-ness. Long dresses, short dresses and pieces of cloth that could never even pass for a dress hung all around them. Her skin felt tight and itchy just looking at them. Halfway through the store, a bright swath of red caught her eye and Gina paused.

"Whoa.” She cut between two racks. There, lining the side wall of Bridal Warehouse, were mannequins dressed in… colors.

She reached out and stroked the red dress that had caught her eye. It was a gorgeous, strapless, two-piece outfit that seemed made for Gina. The top, a lace-up satin corset, looked to be the right size, as did the floor-length skirt. It wasn't the deep, blood red color that called to her most though. No, it was the spots. Tiny leopard-inspired rosettes were embroidered all over the full skirt and lined the top of the corset as if proclaiming “I'm wild and I'm proud of it!” She needed this dress. Had to have this dress. No other outfit for her wedding would do. It was this or she'd go naked. Period.

"Uh, Gina. I'm not wearing that as a bridesmaid. A cat has to have some pride and I'm not dressing up—"

Gina cut Blaze off. “It's not for you, it's for me.” She carefully removed the outfit from the rack and cradled it in her arms.

"But, Gi, it's a bridesmaid dress. We're in the ‘bridesmaid’ section, honey. White, remember?” Blaze reached for the dress.

Gina growled. “Nope. It's mine. It's this or naked, Blaze. Swear to Sekhmet."

Blaze sighed. “All right, but you're telling Meg."

Meg wouldn't care. Meg believed in the power of
The Right Dress
and now Gina knew why. She'd tell the world she was proud to love her men, would bind her life to theirs, and this was the dress to do it in.

An hour later they were all piled into Meg's little car, Gina's dress tucked safely in the trunk despite Meg's protests that they needed to keep shopping for veils, slips, shoes, jewelry, gloves, flowers…

"I hope Patrick's parents don't think less of you for you for not wearing white,” Meg said.

"They'll think I have excellent taste,” she stated, matter-of-factly.

Meg rolled her eyes and pulled into the flow of traffic, heading toward her farm. “You have some sort of taste, that's for sure."

Gina stuck her tongue out at her friend. “It was that dress or go naked, woman. Get over it. Besides, I think they'd much prefer me clothed, thankyouverymuch. And at this point, I don't think I can do any wrong. Both Daniel's and Patrick's parents assumed they'd never get grandkids and now that they've got me, they're tickled pink. Even if the kid comes out with a tail."

Blaze laughed out loud and Meg smiled, shaking her head and sighing. “I can't wait to dress both of you for my wedding. Now that Blaze has opened my eyes to fashion, and you've opened my eyes to possibilities, my imagination is running wild."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say Meg-sie. I'll even keep my tail under wraps for your shindig."

Meg slammed on the brakes and Gina caught herself on the dashboard, face inches from the windshield.

"What the—"

"Whoa!” Blaze slapped into the back of Gina's seat.

"You'll what?” Meg stared at her as if she had two heads and that's when Gina noticed the cloud of dust surrounding the car. At least they'd made it onto a side road.

"Meg, you're really taking this disobedient thing a little too far. I don't think breaking laws and causing accidents should be part of the “new” you. Okay?"

Meg glared at her. “Don't try to change the subject. You are not to let the tail out to play at any of our weddings, Gina. Do you know how many cameras are at weddings? One near disaster was enough!” Pale black stripes appeared on Meg's neck and Gina knew the tigress was growing more agitated by the moment. But, dammit, this was her wedding.

"You know what—"

"Bitches, please.” Blaze growled. “Meg, this is Gina's wedding, you'll let her do what the hell she wants with the exception of getting her freak on in the middle of the dance floor. Gina, your tail can come out and play, but no intentionally freaking out the human guests. The dress you picked will mostly hide it, and we can work with that for our weddings, too. Everyone got it?"

Silence reigned in the car as the seconds ticked by and eventually, Gina said what she was sure Meg had been thinking. “Damn, woman, we all move out of Half-were House and now you've decided to be our new Tasheka. Bitch, please."

Meg threw the car into drive and started their journey to the farm again as the three friend's laughter filled the car. They'd be all right. They'd all managed to find their own way in the world.

Gina supposed that her stint in Half-were House had actually done what it was supposed to. She had a life filled with love and she was making it on her own with two men who loved her and two friends who were the best unofficial pride anyone could ask for. Because she was happy, she had more control. Yeah, living in Half-were House hadn't turned out to be the hell she imagined when she first moved in.

The radio announcer's mellow background chatter fell away as Meg rumbled toward the farm where they were all staying. The day was bright and the fields green as they left the outskirts of the big city.

As the first strains of music swelled in the car, Blaze crowed out a laugh. “Purrr-fect! Turn it up, Meg!"

Meg glanced at Gina, smiling happily, golden eyes sparkling. She was so different from the shell-shocked woman who arrived at the House a short while ago. When Gina recognized the song, she actually managed a blush.

"'I never will fo-o-orget, the wayyyy you look tonight… my la-dy in reeeeed,'” Blaze's rich voice twined with Chris De Burgh's soulful voice.

"'Is dancing with meeee,” Meg's voice soared into a harmonizing octave, sweet and pure.

Gina grinned, looking out the window and seeing only color and light. Her throat swelled closed and she couldn't join in. Blaze's hands settled on her shoulders from the back seat, and Meg laid a hand on her thigh. Reaching with each of her hands to cover theirs, Gina laid her head back. And purred.

The End

Celia Kyle would like to rule the world and become a ninja. As a fall-back, she’s working on her writing career and giving readers stories that touch their hearts and *ahem* other places.

Visit her at
http://celiakyle.com