FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Jane finished polishing the half-imagined scuffs from her sunglasses, and settled them on her face, perched over that broad feline muzzle, they lent a mirrored sparkle to otherwise tawny fur. Between those and the leather jacket and worn jeans, she could be a biker's moll, or perhaps an off duty cop. Neither was true, but both matched the rough, tough, solid image that she was going for. With six feet of height and solid muscle mass to match, there was no calling her a delicate woman, but she still managed a bit of feminine shape, very faint hourglass with slightly slimmer waist than hips, and enough bust to make men's jackets distinctly impractical. Not a problem, leather came in lady's sizes, too.

Stepping out of her apartment building, she took the left, around the back of the building, to the off-street parking she also rented by the month, a locked garage just big enough for a smart car. Plenty of extra space for her Harley, and hey, what better way to get to work on a May morning than roaring down the street on a softail?

It wasn't all that far, only about twenty minutes if you obeyed the speed limits... well, sort of obeyed. You could get away with a bit of playing around with them if you were careful. Still, she didn't get much chance to really open up, and made a mental note to take part of a day off and go out into the countryside to really let herself ride. Still, it's not like her office days were all that boring or stifling.

She swiped her keycard to let herself into the parking garage, and left her bike in its designated stall, then swiped again to be let from the garage into the office building. Big, squat, square, it was pretty unremarkable from the outside. You wouldn't even know it from the apartment buildings to either side, aside from the extra security and a nice little brass plate beside the front door. "Kuroko's Finest. Call for appointments."

No phone number on the plaque, of course, if someone wanted their business, well, they had to know someone who knew someone. Didn't keep the company from being a damn busy place. Specializing in various flavors of relaxation, sometimes massage or a good fuck, and sometimes well... Jane had a different specialty. She took turns with some of the other folks, doing the pleasure thing, fulfilling a fantasy here and there. Often it was an in-house thing. She was big and strong, and that was its own kind of comfort.

Leo was on his way out to the garage, the jaguar slouching with hands in his pockets. Jane snorted. "Business or pleasure?"

He paused and shrugged. "Gotta pick up Icon, he's got a job uptown, and it's not like he's gonna drive himself. Can't see over the wheel."

"Ah. Tell the little fluff I said hi."

"Tell him yourself, he'll be back later tonight. I've seen Janice come back from this job. She takes a couple days to recover, so he'll be staying the night here at least tonight, if not tomorrow."

Jane nodded, and went through the door, into the foyer.

Craig looked up from his desk, the bull, holding up one finger in that near universal 'hold on, be right with you' gesture. Not unique to desk secretaries, either. Jane grinned, showing a mouthful of sharp teeth.

"Yes, Mrs. Etoile, it's all set up. Our driver is going to have him at your building just when you requested, three thirty. Try not to be too rough on him, though with that guy, too rough is a high bar. You're quite welcome, of course. We look forward to hearing from you again."

He pressed a button on his console, ending the call, and looked back up at Jane. "Sorry about that. Last minute confirmations. Anyway, got a job for you. Still got that tux?"

"Silly question. Who would get rid of a tailored tuxedo?"

"Kinda thought so. Get it, and yourself, over to the shop for touch ups on the tailoring. You're going to be rubbing elbows with the snootiest of the city, so you'll need to look the part."

Which wasn't exactly her favorite thing to do. She could do it, and the suit really was still in her possession, but she hadn't worn it in several years. She'd been secretly hoping not to wear it again. "What's the job, then?"

"Oh, you're gonna like this one, trust me. Local folks, you remember the Guthries? Well, they've got a business partner flying in from Japan, and he's bringing his oldest daughter along. She needs a plus one for this charity gig, and her father wants some peace of mind. So you're playing bodyguard."

Her interest in the job skyrocketed. "Any possibility that I'll actually need to do more than look intimidating?"

"Honey, with those teeth, all you need to do is smile. Sergeant Donahue's going to be waiting for you over at the shop to give you details, but there's not been any death threats or blackmail or anything. And she's halfway around the world from home, no jealous boyfriends. You might actually be a really bored kitty tonight."

And right back down. Well, it was money, and might even be fun, depending on what this little princess was like. But she wasn't going to count on a night of excitement. "Alright, sign me up. I expect the boss wants a word?"

"Nope, get over to the shop. He said you'd be fine and he'll see you later. I didn't ask, that fox is a little weird."

"Understatement, but okay. I'll head back to my apartment for the tux and get over to the shop."

Craig nodded again, then sighed, and pressed another button. "Hello again, Miss Edwards, what can we d-" The rest was cut off by the shutting door as Jane headed back to the parking garage.

A few hours later, she was standing on the low platform at the center of fitting room 3, on the second floor of The Vault, possibly the most exclusive clothier in the city. It was a bit more sophisticated than how a tailor's shop used to work, and the platform was a shallow bowl. Jane had been walking, moving, and generally putting her outfit through its paces for forty minutes so far, and was expecting at least forty more under the watchful eyes of the proprietor, a Hindi woman wrapped in layers of beautifully patterned silks.

"Again, but a little deeper in the lunge, please."

"Taller, put your shoulders back."

"Show me your 'don't even think about it' pose."

All instructions that the sabretooth followed without more than a token grumble. She only even bothered with that out of a need to protect her rough reputation. Not that Vanjaram (no one had figured out if that was a first name, a surname, or just what she chose to call herself, given names be damned) would have breathed a word of what happened to anyone. She took confidence seriously, which explained why Kuroko paid her a stupendous retainer to handle all of the fittings and alterations for his employees. She was also familiar with more unusual fabrics than just cotton and silk.

Sergeant Donahue looked pretty damned uncomfortable, really, the slightly plump human standing to one side, trying not to look at her half-dressed, or often just in her underwear. He gave her the basic briefing, which gangs were recently active near the area of the party, any unsavories who would be at the party, and there were a few of those. Fancy dinners always attracted the kind of people who couldn't say no to a quick buck, however many loopholes and gray areas had to be exploited to get it.

"Very well, Miss Cooper, everything looks to be good. We'll make a few adjustments to the fit of the jacket, and provide you a new belt to match. Although, given how you do your thing, I expect the jacket won't be worn much. We've made sure to keep the shirt suitable for rolling up your sleeves, as well. So, do try not to tear anything?"

In addition to being masterfully tailored, the slacks, vest, and jacket were all a very, very expensive anti-ballistic fabric. A small caliber bullet wouldn't penetrate, although it would still be like getting hit by a hammer. Beat being shot, though, by a long stretch, and what with the communications gear built into her watch and sunglasses, the gloves (looked like a nice pair of driving gloves, but had very carefully reinforced knuckles) and her boots (wingtips were simply not going to survive her) the whole ensemble was worth roughly the same as a new luxury car.

She'd had it tested, a few times. The last one had broken a few ribs, but the fabric had held, and the mugger wound up having a very, very bad day after that. Each use had required replacing a section of the coat and lining, but it was worth it, and Kuroko had paid every penny without hesitation. Keeping his people safe was a very important thing, in the old fox's book.

When all was said and done, and everything was neatly packaged in her suit bag, Jane hopped a cab home. There were plenty of things a bike was good for, but carrying things carefully home was not one of them. Her apartment was near the top of this particular building, on the outskirts of "down town" but still close enough that there was always someone up and going. At the moment, it was pretty quiet, but shortly there would be a tide of school children coming home, and some dejected teenagers too, if they couldn't find excuses to not be home on a Friday afternoon. School was only going a few more weeks, and after that, the pace and flow of life would change, again.

Jane wouldn't mind. There'd been some friction when she moved in, about a year ago. Her biker image made some folks nervous, but that didn't last past the first little girl (a collie pup, Shannon) had asked for a ride on her Harley. That Jane had a kid's helmet on hand was surprising enough, but the look of aghast on Shannon's mom's face when her daughter ran up to her, wagging like mad.

"Miss Jane said I can have a ride on her motorcycle if you say it's okay Mom! Please say it's okay?"

Puppy dog eyes are a thing, and they were applied there. Jane had watched resistance melt in a matter of seconds. And the slow cruise around the block had cemented her as the best thing Shannon, or any of the other kids, had ever met. That she'd made sure it was good with Shannon's mama got her a little approval from that direction, too.

For now, though, the building was pretty quiet, and she was happy for that. Good time to get a shower, get settled and ready for the night that was to come. But first, a nap. She took off boots and shirt, undid her belt and hooked thumbs in her jeans, stripping those off as well. Then opened a curtain and sprawled out on her couch, in the wash of sunlight coming in the window.

The buzz of her phone's alarm roused her, an hour and change later, and she sat, stretched, and glanced out the window. A few clouds, possibly a storm out on the horizon, one of those early summer things that could be a light, warm rain or might be driving hail. Either way some fabulous lightning. For now, there was other water on her agenda.

The shower was expensive, one of those big, stand in units that could do anything from a steady rain from overhead to needle jets from every angle. Her fur was mostly short and coarse, but there was thicker ruff around her neck and shoulders, and that took quite a bit of work to get good and clean.

Even more so to get dry, and the stand-up dryer was at least as expensive as the shower. Angled jets of heated air, like having a blow-dryer hitting you from a dozen places at once. Resulted in dry fur, yeah, but afterward she was poofy and fluffy. Not how she needed to look. Took some work and effort with a brush to tame all that wild down. On with the clothes. Without having much reason for or against, she put on black lace panties, and matching bra. Both custom fitted, because Vanjaram was a perfectionist. The thought of all that tailoring work undone by a stray strap or bunched waistband was unacceptable.

Slacks and shirt, waistcoat and jacket, boots and gloves. She picked up her watch from the charging dock, and buckled it on her left wrist. A few moments for everything to sync, and a little display flickered on her sunglasses, bringing up the date and time as a little HUD. Fancy, neat, but not terribly useful, though there were plenty of other features that could be accessed later on. She took off her jacket, and keyed open the safe next to the bedroom door, then strapped the concealed carry holster on, and slid in her pistol and two spare magazines. After settling all of that, and the jacket back in place, she put her sunglasses back on, stepped outside, and locked the door behind her.

A few taps on her watch synched her phone and brought the ear cuff on her left ear into the system, and she spent the ride down the elevator checking in with Craig, and arranging her ride to the airport to meet her clients. In the lobby was a familiar face.

"Miss Jane!" Was all the warning she got before a ballistic collie hit her legs and wrapped a hug around her.

"Wha-Shannon! Hi pupper! Home from school?" The beaming Mom behind her chuckled. "Yeah, we had a parent teacher conference, so we're a bit behind the pack. Where are you going, all dressed up?"

Jane ruffled Shannon between the ears, then carefully picked her up and handed her back to Mom. "Got a thing for work, have to look all presentable and such. Speaking of which, I think that's my car pulling up outside. Be good pup!" Shannon laughed and nodded, and the sabretooth stepped out into the late afternoon sun.

Her car was pulling up, just as she predicted, and she grinned at Leodin. "Got time in your busy schedule to give a girl a lift, buster?" His reply grunt and grin, and unlocked doors, were about all she needed, anyway. "To the airport, Jeeves!"

It was a pretty decent drive across the city to reach the airport. Might have been faster to hit the beltway instead, but Leodin knew what he was doing, and she was content to let him do it. It left her time to get everything else hooked up and talking to each other. Her glasses were getting a little busy around the edges, with the watch, phone and pistol all fighting for limited real estate, so she tapped a few more things on her phone, cutting the displays down without breaking the links. Back down to just time, date, and whatever notification popped up from her phone.

Like the one just now, telling her which gate and flight she was there to meet. Leodin left her at the airport, since she'd be accompanying the client in their transportation from that point, and he had other pickups and deliveries to deal with. First thing she did on entering the building was go up to the security kiosk and show the computer her ID, retina, and concealed carry permit. Much easier to get clearance, and the machine chewed on that for a few moments, then issued her a visitor badge with the appropriate clearances to get her past the metal detectors and security screenings, and into the passenger concourse.

She found the gate in question, then found a seat. It was going to be a good fifteen minutes before it even hit ground, and longer than that before anyone got off of it. Plenty of time to put in a call.

"Kuroko's finest," Craig's voice picked up at the other end. "What can I do for you, Miss Cooper?"

"Well, how about shooting me everything you can find about this business guy and his daughter? I could use a real introduction before I'm shaking hands."

As Craig sent files, details from a few news articles mostly, and a synopsis of social media accounts, which painted a pretty clear picture of a very, very carefully managed young woman. The touches of gloss were obvious. There wasn't a single photograph of the girl that wasn't carefully posed and timed, and her personal accounts were blank aside from the usual assortment of holiday messages and feel-good fluff. Lots of facade, not much meat.

"Any of this feel suspicious to you, Craig?"

"All of it. Be careful, Jane. I don't like when a client has this much hidden. Makes it hard to tell what else they might be hiding. From what I can tell, her papa's a traditionalist. Probably grooming her for a marriage to some business associate to strengthen family ties. Depending on her, this could be an easy night, since she'd go right along with his plan, or a hellacious mess as she tries to worm out from under him. I'm going to be on the line all night, kitty cat. We've got a dozen people at this party you're going to, so it shouldn't be too bad, getting a little back up if she's wily."

"Thanks Craig. Glad you're playing eyes and ears for us tonight."

"Buy me a bottle of scotch in gratitude, lady."

"We'll see. I think that's my flight coming down. Over and out."

She had plenty of pictures of Mister Tanaka, and a few of his daughter, Kotomi. She was... less certain of any particular social protocols that might come up, but she was hoping that the Guthries, or at least an agent of theirs, would be here as well.

Good timing on that, the plane touched down and started to taxi to the gate, and a quartet of nearly identical wolves faded out of the crowd, moving toward the gate. And trailing along behind, the sleek shape of Mrs. Guthrie. A slender, graying Siamese, she still had plenty of energy, though she didn't move so fast, anymore.

"Jane, darling, it's good to see you. I'm glad Kuroko picked you for this assignment. That suit looks fantastic on you."

Jane nodded and smiled, genuine and warm. It was hard to dislike the old lady, given that she seemed to actually be as generally nice as she appeared. She was definitely the velvet glove of the couple, her husband Stephen was aggressive and capable, the sort of business man who got what he was after ruthlessly. Sofia's job was to soothe things after, help things smooth over and get back on track. They were a frighteningly effective team, when you saw them in action. Like a good cop, bad cop trick, but with multi-million dollar business deals instead.

"S'a pleasure, ma'am. Little upset I couldn't bring my bike, but Vanjaram'd kill me if I did that to her suit."

"I know a limousine isn't as much fun, but it will carry all of us at once, instead. Ah! Here we are."

Only two people were coming down the boarding ramp, a pair of foxes. The older, male member of the pair wearing a neat, tailored three piece, while the younger female walked a few paces behind him, in a long dress. Pretty calm and subordinate. Jane felt her hopes for excitement dwindling.

Mrs. Guthrie bowed as they came off the ramp, and exchanged a few quiet words with the elder, presumably Mr. Tanaka. Tanaka-san? Jane decided to go with the words and titles familiar to her, instead of awkwardly trying to use ones she wasn't familiar with. Mrs. Guthrie turned and beckoned for forward.

"Hideo, this is Jane Cooper. While she's not part of my personal security folks, she's quite adept, and has the advantage of two X chromosomes. We've contracted with her company before for various events and never been anything less than fully satisfied."

Jane was impressed. That many double entendres and not a single hitch or wink. At least two of those events had been orgies, and of course they'd been fully satisfied. A dozen assistants from Kuroko's Finest had been involved. Everyone was thoroughly satisfied. Some of the other events had just brought in catering staff and a bit of security, some pleasant music and a few charming escorts to ply the big spenders with drink and conversation. It usually worked out well for whatever charity the event was supporting. One thing you couldn't call the Guthrie's was stingy.

Jane copied Sofia's bow, then stuck out her hand with a grin that was careful not to show more fang than she defaulted to. The big ones were a bit hard to disguise. The fox took her hand and gave it a shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Cooper." The male's voice was smooth and soft, the Japanese accent there, but not overpowering. His English was very good, from what she could tell. Not surprising if he had business partners half the world away.

"Likewise, Mr. Tanaka. And this, I assume is Kotomi?" She bowed again, this time to the younger lady. She returned the bow, and Jane thought she saw something in her expression, but it faded back to that cool passivity like sliding on a comfortable, familiar mask.

"Yes, Miss Cooper, this is my daughter. I hope she won't be too much trouble," his scowl didn't match her calm, passive demeanor at all, "but it would be most kind of you to show her around and keep her occupied until the party."

"I can think of a few things to keep her busy for a few hours."

Mrs. Guthrie interjected with a well-timed, "Shall we?" And took Mister Tanaka by the elbow, leading him, along with the wolf pack, toward the exit, with Jane and Kotomi trailing behind.

Seeing little harm in a quiet, and frank, conversation, Jane looked over and asked, "so, you a troublemaker, or is he fussy over nothing?"

The reply had even less accent than her father had shown, and had traces of too-perfect English, learned secondhand and practiced without a conversational partner. "I am afraid that I do not know what you are implying. It is not my place to question or debate my father's decisions or conduct."

Jane puzzled over that, then grinned. "You're trouble, then, but good enough to deny it clean. Well, I suppose that's better than going along after someone who doesn't actually do much of anything. After we ditch the old folks, let's get something to eat, yeah?"

Kotomi continued to walk, silent for a moment, then nodded. "I have not been to America before. It would be interesting to try some of your foods. Can you recommend a place? One that my father would find acceptable, I mean."

Jane thought on the question for a bit, until they were outside on the street, dividing up into a pair of limousines. Mrs. Guthrie and the older fox, and two of the wolves, got into one. The other two wolves picked up a car at the rear. She and Kotomi had the second limo to themselves, aside from a driver. The partition was enough to allow some privacy, and Jane followed her charge in. Plenty of room to relax, the Guthrie's were never cagey about indulging guests or friends.

Jane tapped the call button. The immediate response from the driver was just a chirpy "yes, ladies?"

"We're going to make a stop or two before rejoining the others at the venue tonight, how about taking us by the Gray Hare for a bite to eat?"

"Uh... give me a moment to verify." The intercom went dead, and they waited the minute or two for conversation. Not surprised, Jane picked up the expected call as it buzzed.

"Hello Sofia, calling to ask 'what the heck' I assume?"

"The thought had crossed my mind. Any reason why I should indulge this wild hair of yours to go gallivanting off, instead of staying with the herd?"

"Well now," Jane grinned at Kotomi, "I was thinking this pretty young lady could use a decent meal before we have to sit down with tiny things on toothpicks and whatever minute portion sizes your chef thinks are real food. Call me crazy, but a plate shouldn't be seventy percent empty space, and the rest some thin, spread out art masquerading as food."

The laugh on the other end of the call was genuine, and suddenly very hushed. "I think you mean that you want to show her a good time, and also keep her from seeing me seduce her father. Fine, fine, go do your thing. I trust you to keep her safe and sound. And I won't bore you with the details of what my husband knows we're doing without him."

"You have seen through my deception with your customary wisdom, Mrs. Guthrie. See you at seven, and I assume your driver here knows which venue you're using. "Jane could hear... something on the other end of the call. Something wet, a bit like slapping raw meat. "Well you didn't waste any time. Have fun!"

"I always do, dear," and she cut the call, heading back to... well, whatever she was doing with the old fox. Mr. Guthrie had an interesting wife, and interesting tastes in perversion. She didn't really understand, but if he wanted to know that his wife was pleasing other men, well, he'd found the right woman. She had an appetite for good times that rivaled any one of her co-workers, and even her boss.

She felt the car taking a turn, and grinned at Kotomi. "You'll like the Gray Hare. Mrs. Gray's an old friend of mine, and she'll treat you right. You wanted to try American food, she's got a good bit of the southern diner in her, and a few more tricks. Besides, I bet Mrs. Guthrie's chef decided your arrival was his cue to do some sort of Japanese fusion bullshit, so tonight's meal probably won't do right by you, and certainly won't fill me up. We can get some good grub, and talk some."

The slender young fox nodded once, and folded her hands in her lap. Her expression was still carefully controlled, but Jane was pretty sure that there was a lot of thinking going on behind it. She could live with thinking, though she was wondering what this girl would be like behind the masks. Troublemaker or free spirit, or just repressed. Hard to tell.

The ride from the airport to the Gray Hare was pretty long, a good forty minutes of weaving through traffic, stop and go thanks to the Friday afternoon rush to get anywhere that wasn't work. It wasn't quite official quitting time yet, but it would be soon. She took out her phone and tapped a few buttons.

"Gray Hare, this is Amy speaking. What can we do for you?"

"Amy, it's Jane. Can you set aside a booth in the back for me? I've got a guest coming your way who's also a client, y'dig?"

"Oh, I gotcha. Sure, I'll get it all set up. How far out are you?"

"About ten minutes, if traffic holds."

"Perfect. See you in ten!"

The line went dead, but hell, Amy'd always been an excitable bunny, no doubt she was excited about this, too.

The driver pulled up to the curb, and lowered the partition to grin back into the compartment. "Miss Cooper, I can't really park this thing anywhere close by. Give me a ring when you're finishing up and I'll pull it back around the front for you. There's a parking garage nearby I can probably find space in."

"Got it. Number?"

He rattled it off, and Jane saved it in her phone under Limo Driver. Second thought, she added 'Cute Limo Driver' instead. He was a decent looking man, though humans always were a hit or miss thing for her. Sometimes they wanted to play, sometimes the sight of teeth as long as their fingers was a big fat no. He... might be game, it was hard to tell. Worth investigating, though.

The diner wasn't all that impressive from the outside. It occupied the bottom floor of one of the city's ubiquitous walk ups, the windows were clean a few days ago, the paint was a little worn and weathered, and the posters papered to the front door were for shows and concerts that were local stuff, nothing famous. Might be famous someday. Everybody starts somewhere.

But on the inside it was warm, with wood floors and comfortable seats. Amy was waiting for them, a plump hare (white, not gray) with a huge smile. Blue dress and an apron that was clearly a working item, not decoration. "Jane! Ten minutes my left foot. You only gave my eight!"

"And you were ready in five, weren't you?"

"That's... beside the point! Come on back. Who's your friend?"

Kotomi was a little bit shocked, ears up and eyes wide. Maybe not familiar with this brand of effusively welcoming hostess, which seemed likely. Culture shock, to name it. "Mrs. Gray, this is Kotomi Tanaka. Her father's a guest of the Guthries, and they've hired me to be her local guide and escort for the evening. And there's nowhere more local and inviting than your place."

Amy paused, then made an inexpert attempt at a formal bow before straightening up with her huge grin, both ears up and twitching. "I'll just bill this to the Guthries then. Slightly better than the 'on the house' I was planning on."

"You've got to stop treating me, Amy. I appreciate it, but I'm not broke, and you're running a business. And I eat a lot."

"I'll not hear a word of it, you don't owe me a thing and never will. Good publicity to have you as a regular. Speaking of your appetite, your usual carnivore special?"

Jane grinned, and shook her head. "Just coffee and a basket of chicken, ma'am." The banter had taken them past the main dining area to a secluded booth near the back, and near the kitchen too. Jane rather liked it because it was out of sight of the doors with the exception of the seat she took for herself, and the kitchen made an excellent 'oh shit' exit if it was needed. It wasn't the first time she'd brought a client here, and anyone who invaded Mr. Gray's kitchen was going to have a very rough day of it. That man kept his knives sharp, and there wasn't a lot of difference between butchering a feral pig and butchering a fur or human. They all bleed the same.

There was only one menu at the table, for Kotomi since Jane knew the menu by heart. She ate here at least once a week, always got told no charge, and always left a tip worth the whole meal and then some anyway. It was kind of a game, but she really did feel a bit upset at abusing the hare's generosity.

"Go ahead and take your time. Or I can tell you the best things on the menu, if you want to get a taste of distilled American cuisine," Jane suggested, as she slid into her seat, back to the wall and an eye on the door.

Kotomi had been silent in a shocked sort of way, through the whole exchange and banter. Jane addressing her directly seemed to break her out of the spell. "Is it always so... boisterous?"

"Nah, it's pretty quiet right now. Give it an hour and things will get really cooking. We'll leave around then anyway."

Kotomi shook her head, and stared at the menu, flipping pages for a moment, then folded it back down. "What do you suggest, Miss Cooper?"

Just about then, Amy showed back up, coffee mug one hand and a carafe of coffee in the other. As soon as she'd set those down, her notepad and pen appeared to replace them. "Chicken basket, carnivore edition. And what's Miss Tanaka having?"

Jane answered, "your house special burger and fries, ma'am. It doesn't get more home comfort than that. Well, maybe your biscuits and gravy, but that's morning food."

Amy jotted down the order, then, "and to drink?"

Jane glanced at Kotomi, who smiled and requested, "hot tea, please. A little bit of the familiar might help me appreciate the meal for what it is."

Order in hand, Amy scurried off to the kitchen. Probably to give her husband a good-natured harass about getting this order done on the quick. Kotomi was looking around at the decor (rustic) and the customers (middle class or lower, almost all of them, but the smiling and happy sort). "I have never been to a place like this. In Japan we eat at home, or we go to very fancy restaurants. The kind with reservation lists and dress codes. The "American cuisine" places in Japan are all either fast food or a strange mélange of European and Latin foods."

"That's not really all that wrong, when you get down to it. The country's been founded and filled up and mish-mashed full of immigrants from everywhere. Our food is kind of like our language, no one thing, just bits and pieces of everyone else. And then we make it ours."

"Hm. Japan distills and venerates our own roots and history. Some parts of us have not changed for centuries. Maybe longer."

"Nothing wrong with that. Just a question of whether you've chosen to accept those cultural limitations and roles, or just accepted them reflexively." Jane paused, then shook her head. Too deep a conversation for this kind of place. "After we eat, what do you want to do? Anything you're not allowed to do while daddy knows about it? I'm pretty good at finding some safe trouble to get into." And it couldn't be more boring than tonight's party was going to be. Though that did bring up the question of where her boss was.

The fox opened her mouth to reply, then closed it quickly when Amy reappeared with her tray. Plates, cups, a pot of tea and condiments. The smells were her husband's usual output, absolutely mouth-watering. Jane could probably make a fortune if she bottled and sold the smell of his chicken as a predator incense. Maybe car air fresheners.

Kotomi was similarly fascinated, looking at the bun piled with patty, bacon, cheeses, and bits of greenery that Mr. Gray had included because he liked to tailor to his customers. He was usually dead on the money, too. Kotomi's reaction to her first bite was fun to watch, and Jane chewed through a strip of chicken, fried without breading, as she watched. Uncertainty, first. Then a cringe, possibly at the textures as she bit into the burger. Then the rush of mixed flavors and hot grease (one of her own favorite parts, even if she wasn't all that enamored of bread) went straight from 'this is okay' to 'oh god, where have you been all my life'. Jane laughed at the faces she was making, then more when she wolfed the whole thing down.

Okay, so Claude had a convert, then. The scruffy hare would be insufferably pleased with himself, when his wife told him. He'd probably be grinning about it for at least a few days. Right about the time things were starting to get busy, Miss Tanaka was done with her plate. Jane downed the rest of her coffee, and left a couple of bills under her mug, then keyed her phone. Two rings, and the limo driver replied with, "three minutes and I'll be in front, engine running."

"Three minutes. If it's four, I'll take the extra one out of your hide."

"Threatening me with a good time, I see." Well, that answered a few questions about the man. Adventurous, or at least able to pretend he was.

True to his word, he was at the door in three minutes, and the two of them piled into the back. The partition came down a moment later, though he kept eyes on the road as he drove. "We've got an hour before you're due to be at the amphitheater, but it'll take twenty minutes just to get there. Got any last minute stops in mind?"

Jane looked at Kotomi, who shook her head. "Nope. Is there anyone else going that needs a lift?" Even as she asked that, she was keying the same message in, over to Craig.

"Not that I know of, but I've asked the limo service if they have anyone on a wait list. You?"

"Wait one." Craig was typing something in reply. "Yeah, got one. Corner of... Fifth and Watson. You know the place?"

"Oh yeah, ten minutes and we'll pick up your friend."

The drive over there was quiet, Kotomi sitting against the side of the limo with her eyes shut, and Jane looking over message traffic scrolled across her glasses. This kind of HUD was invaluable for anyone trying to multitask, but it had taken a long time, years, to figure out how much information was too much. It was a pretty low threshold, depending on what was going on. Riding in a limo? Not much to do aside from keep an ear on the road noise.

Fifth and Watson was on the edge of a nasty part of town, but Jane wasn't worried. Yeah, there were plenty of scumbags in the city, but a limo meant money, and trying to carjack money was usually not a career-enhancing move for a criminal. Still, it didn't pay to gamble on other people being smart enough to do the math, so she blanked her glasses and slid a hand under her jacket.

The door opened, and Jane tensed. But it was just Wolfgang, and she relaxed as he shut the door behind him, and took a seat. The kid (he was even younger than Leodin) was dressed up, but hadn't benefited from Vanjaram's superb tailoring. It wasn't that he looked sloppy or anything, but his clothes didn't fit quite right, and it was hard to get that perfect fit off the rack. Still, there was a kind of rough charm to the wolf that Jane had always liked, probably because it was kind of similar to how she presented herself.

He nodded to Jane, then turned his attention to Kotomi, and blinked, then stared. Well shit. Jane glanced at Kotomi, and sighed as the fox stared back. Oh dear. Well, this isn't going to end well. "Hey you two. Don't get too lost on each other. We'll beat the party in twenty. Wolfgang, what're you headed there for?"

"Huh? Oh, uh... Catherine needs some service help, one of her regulars is out sick and I'm going to be running things from the kitchen to the tables."

Jane was almost certain that miss Tanaka's world included a strong theme of 'we don't associate (much less fuck) with the help' but a glance confirmed that she didn't even register that something like that was going on. Great.

"Well, at least we won't be seeing Chef Blanchard's idea of Japanese fusion cooking. Catherine's not the experimental type, but she does good food."

There wasn't much for Jane to do aside from hope that Wolfgang would be too busy for anything to happen, and that she could keep things from turning into an incident. She gave herself a fifty-fifty chance. At best.

The limo pulled up to the venue, and Jane let out another sigh. The Gardner Amphitheater was one of her favorite places for a concert, but security? Kind of a nightmare. So much open space, so many avenues to get in and out. She was pleased to see a handful of well-dressed guards greeting people as they disembarked from the cars. Worn-in boots, and a tell-tale little bulge under arms, here and there. Armed security, and knowing the Guthries, top-dollar, too.

Wolfgang waved, and took of around the back to wherever Catherine, Kuroko's company caterer, had set up her kitchen. Jane helped Kotomi out of the car and followed her in the front entrance. "Come on, miss Tanaka. I'm sure your father is waiting."

The amphitheater was a huge half-circle hill, with seats of stone set into them, all surrounding a slightly raised stage area. Behind the stage was a wide open field, backed by a cordon of neatly maintained trees, and Jane noticed a few people just hanging out in the tree line. Security, she supposed, which certainly made her happier about the whole situation. The stage and the grass behind it were where most of the people, and tables, were, while the very front part of the stage, and the first row of seats, had been fitted with risers to make a smaller stage for the entertaining space. Someone was there, fiddling with sound equipment and getting things going there while everyone else was enjoying cocktails or soft drinks, milling around or conversing at tables.

Jane offered a hand to Kotomi, and settled the fox at her arm. "I'm your escort, Miss Tanaka. At least for appearance's sake, let's make it look that way. Are you interested in a drink? I could use one." The fox nodded absently, head turning to scan the area as they descended the steps along the west side of the seats.

Ah shit, Jane sighed to herself. This is going to end badly, I just know it.

They detoured toward the bar, and Jane leaned on the bar top while she waited for the bartender to turn back around from rearranging bottles, or whatever he was doing. He turned around and grinned at them.

"Boss. What are you doing back there?"

Kuroko grinned, a flash of white teeth on the black fox face, and pulled out a few glasses. "Tending bar, Miss Cooper. What does it look like?"

"No, you black bastard. What are you doing back there instead of one of our numerous mixologically inclined employees? Why are you there, instead of doing your usual handshaking and ear bending?"

Kuroko set one glass in front of Kotomi, and one in front of Jane. "Have you ever known me, Miss Cooper, to be in the wrong place at an event like this? Trust me to know my work, like I trust you to know yours. Also, trust me to know what you're drinking tonight, it'll turn out well."

Jane glanced at her glass, and the red-tinted amber in it. A careful sip gave all the flavors of bourbon and cherry, but without much of the heat that should have been in the liquor. Just a taste of it. "As you like, but not enough to dull your edge, cat-a-mountain." Jane glanced sideways, to see Kotomi also take an experimental sip, her glass full of something so dark it was nearly black.

"Oh. Oh this is... this is very good, how did you know?" she cupped the glass in both hands and held it to her chest, nose down to inhale the scent. Jane could catch it from where she stood, something sweet and green, like berries or at least fruits.

"Ah, trust an old fox to know tricks, my dear Tanaka Kotomi. I listen, I learn, and I tell no one, because secrets help civilization run on, without falling apart." He paused, then winked at Jane. "Go on, you two. Unless I miss my guess, Mr. Guthrie should be announcing dinner sometime shortly. I expect he's waiting for his wife to finish blowing her dinner partner." Kotomi glanced sharply at him, confused, but the ink-furred fox had already turned away to another customer. She expected him to stay busy, she hadn't seen a cash register or tip jar, and that meant open bar. Which meant a busy, busy bartender.

"He's... a little strange, isn't he?" the young fox asked as Jane lead her through the maze of tables, looking for the place-setting that had her name, or at least her father's. It was unlikely she'd find one that said Cooper, but Tanaka was a good bet, considering that the elder Tanaka was an honored guest at this event. Jane was very sure that she didn't want to know how much a plate cost at this shindig. At least half a paycheck, and probably a lot more than that.

There was a soft chime over the announcement system, the speakers kicking on as an older tabby cat took the stage, dressed in a tuxedo that fit him perfectly, even though it was a bit old, several years out of fashion. "Hello, everyone, and good evening. Welcome to the feast. I know everyone was told to expect dinner and a show, and we'll get to both of those in a minute or three.

"First, I'd like to thank everyone for coming. Those of you donating, or at least buying plates, are doing a great deal of good in some faraway places. Specifically, working on cleaning up the Detroit BioWaste zone. It's not that far away, but good grief, does it need help." That got a weak laugh. Confused laugh, too, no one was quite sure if it was a joke. One thing Stephen wasn't good at was humor.

"No, really. Between Detroit, Hong Kong, and Istanbul, there's a lot of places that need some serious rehabilitation. That costs money, and while governments are footing a lot of the bill, there's only so much that taxes can manage. That's when it falls to those of us with the means to help out, and hey, if we dress it up as a fancy, incredibly overpriced, formal dinner, that doesn't make it any less philanthropic.

"Second, if you hadn't already guessed, this event is being staffed and supported by Kuroko's Finest. Some of you know these fine folks from events past. For those of you from out of town," he paused, and glanced off to one side, where Mrs. Guthrie was leading the elder Tanaka over to join Jane and his daughter, "these people are the best of the best at having a good time. If you're _not_having a good time, talk to one of them, they will figure it out. And it's all getting billed to me, so... have fun. Have as much fun as you feel you can handle.

"Third," Jane looked over, and noticed that a dozen people were filtering through the tables, with trays on their shoulders, laying down plates for each guest. "Let's eat, folks! The actual entertainment will be up here shortly, so I'm going to get out of their way."

The table they were at was suddenly occupied. The Guthries sat beside each other, while Tanaka Hideo took Mrs.'s Guthrie's other side. Jane was between Stephen and Kotomi, and an empty chair between the two Tanakas. Sofia was whispering in her husband's ear, and the look on his face shifted rapidly between dismay, lust, and amusement, while Hideo looked both uncomfortable and very, very satisfied.

"My father looks... more content than he usually does at these fussy dinners," Kotomi whispered in her ear. "I am not sure why. He said he was going to be discussing business all day, and he's usually so wound tight after that."

Jane paused, considering her reply, then shrugged. "Mrs. Guthrie has a way of putting men at ease, I suppose." Which was a lot easier than explaining to Kotomi that her father had probably spent the last few hours getting his balls drained by another man's wife.

The dubious look that the younger fox gave her was pretty clearly an "I know you're lying, but I don't know about what" sort of thing. Kotomi might know more than she let on? But any further speculation was interrupted by the arrival of food. Delivered by a neatly dressed young wolf. Because when Kuroko was around, there were no coincidences. She shot a glare over at the bar, but he wasn't there any longer. Bad news, a boss you couldn't keep an eye on could be planning anything.

The question of Kuroko's location got answered pretty swiftly, when he sat down between Kotomi and Hideo, grinning as everyone glanced over.

"Well hi there, host and hostess, guests of honor, and my well-cleaned up disreputable lady cat. They'd never know what you do for fun in that immaculate suit, would they? You bring the bike? No, no, you had one of our limos out, didn't you?" Jane's level, unamused glare was increasing in heat with every word, but he seemed unaware, oblivious. "And Hideo, old friend! It's so nice to see you back in country. Has Sofia been making you comfortable?" Jane's glare ratcheted up further, but her attention shifted from Kuroko to Kotomi. Or rather, to her empty seat.

"Excuse me, you black furred distraction, but I need to go do my job, I expect."

Kuroko grinned. "Don't chase too hard. Wouldn't want to upset your charge." Hideo wasn't sure who to glare at, and eventually settled on Kuroko. Who clearly deserved it.

Jane stood up and took a quick scan of the crowd, but all the movement and chatter, and weaving wait-staff, left her little in the way of a trail to follow. She spotted a fox tail vanishing behind a tent, however. Well, lacking other leads, she'd have to follow that. No good to sprint, there just wasn't room, so she weaved her way through the crowd. Caterer's tent, that made sense if Jane's guess was correct.

She rounded the corner, and spotted that same vulpine tail disappearing into a copse of trees. Within the security perimeter, but still. She couldn't really blame the girl. Wolfgang was a cute piece of tail, and this was probably the best chance she'd had to have some fun where her father was too distracted to interfere. So she slowed up, creeping toward the trees. Kotomi probably thought she'd gotten away clean, and Jane wasn't really sure if she ought to interrupt or just wait for them to finish. Asking what her boss would have her do was stupid. He'd probably want her to join in, and she was just not going to do that.

So she leaned against a tree, and listened, instead. Giggling, quiet, and hurried. Oh hell with it. She peeked around the tree, and put a hand over her muzzle. God, they were being cute.

Kotomi had pinned Wolfgang up against one of the trees, and had her hands up under his shirt. He had a look of confusion mixed with lust. A kind of 'is this really happening' sort of thing. Like he couldn't believe his good fortune, and wasn't sure if it really was good. It took him... a while to respond fully. Kotomi was clearly the aggressor here. Had it been the other way, Jane might have intervened, but hey, this fox wanted to get laid. It'd be hypocritical of her to interfere after commenting on her father's recent excitement.

He did respond, though, the larger wolf putting a hand on each of her hips pulling her in close against him. His mouth to her neck, little bites and nibbles and kisses. Which got a fluttery nervous laugh from her. "Careful, we... we cannot ruin my dress, papa would kill me and I don't want him to find out."

"Find out what, you dragged a waiter out to the trees to kiss and make out?"

"If you think that is all I want, wolf, I should throw you back and go ask Miss Cooper to recommend someone else." She put a hand down the front of his slacks, and Jane watched his eyes widen, then close as she squeezed something and made him moan. "I want this. I want this inside me. I want it now but we can't ruin my dress."

Wolfgang was wide-eyed with shock. Was he really that innocent? Well, he had just started with the company, and it wasn't an assistant position, just a kind of gofer, help thing. Kuroko hired a lot of people that way, by just letting them find out where they fit, and then getting them the best training and support to do that thing. Jane had gotten some of that. The gear she had on right now, for instance. Not cheap at all, and the company had funded every bit of it, down to the panties. Maybe he was that innocent, but she wasn't going to let it stay that way.

The girl had her dress off, over her head in a few seconds, standing there in front of him in all of that brick red and pale cream fur. She really did look good, sleek and gently curved, probably thanks to a minutely regulated diet and attendants fussing over her all the time, if her attitude and stereotypes were to be believed. Probably more like a steady diet and a decent liking for her own well-being and appearance. Whatever it was, the end result was Wolfgang's jaw on the floor. Maybe it was something about a girl standing there in nothing but heels and panties. Jane rather doubted she'd get the same reaction, in that position.

Wolfgang's stunned amazement didn't last very long. He was out of his shirt in a moment, and yeah, he had the muscles and sleek lupine fur. Jane made a note to see about cornering him in a locker room or something. Might be worth the effort. Kotomi certainly thought so, stepping up to kiss him, up indeed, she was shorter than him by a few inches. Not surprising, the standard sizes might have shifted some over the centuries, but Asian folks still tended to be shorter than Americans. And foxes tended to be smaller than wolves. Either way.

The vixen, kissed him, one hand going to his shoulders and the back of his neck. The other, back down his slacks. One way or another, she was getting that cock in her. Jane was... really hoping they'd exercise at least a little good sense in the 'let's not get stuck together for twenty minutes' department, but... wasn't making any bets, there. And wasn't sure how to suggest that without ruining things. Well... deal with that when it came. When they came? Something like that.

She wasn't going to let him get away, either, from the look of things. She had him against a tree again, kissing with all the excited passion of someone denied for far, far too long and that lower hand was fumbling with his belt buckle, button, zipper. Huh, update, make that definitely corner him in a locker room, that boy was hung well enough to make anyone purr.

Kotomi was clearly excited. Given that she wrapped a leg around his hip and got nice and close, trapping that against her belly fur. Which... was a damn good thing, from his expression. "So... soft. God, god you are..." the rest of that though was lost in another kiss, and it was his turn to take the initiative. He lifted her, leaning back against the tree, and she wrapped both legs around his hip. "Slow, slow oh god slowly," she mumbled, and he obeyed. Jane was... a little distracted, herself, watching that, and shook her head, turning to look. No one searching or coming this way, yet. Good.

When she looked back, Kotomi had her face buried in the wolf's shoulder, making little noises of... pleasure, she was pretty sure. She was clinging tight to the wolf, regardless, and sliding slowly down his shaft a little at a time. He kept picking her up, then letting her slide again, not pushing or forcing, letting her adjust. Maybe he wasn't as inexperienced as he appeared? Or just had good instincts and a concern for her well-being. Either way, a bonus. Kuroko would want to hear about it. Which might be part of the reason for some of these shenanigans. Did that old bastard ever stop plotting?

Kotomi's moan broke free for a moment, cut off as she bit the boy's shoulder. That got a wince, but he didn't fight, just held her, keeping her in place, impaled, unmoving, and just let her get used to him. Given the way she'd been acting so far, Jane doubted she was going to let him stay still for long. A doubt that proved valid when, a moment later, Kotomi let go of Wolfgang's shoulder and kissed him again. "Okay. Okay d-do not have to... be gentle. Come on and do it. Do me? Do me!"

Jane stifled a chuckle. Well, there was no doubt about enthusiastic consent, was there it was pretty obvious that both of them were very much enthusiastic. And the flip, when Wolfgang turned around and pinned her to the tree instead was... proof of that. If he had been feeling pressured, the passion might not have been that clear. There might need to be some careful explaining if he was biting as hard at her neck and shoulder as it looked like he was, but Kotomi wasn't minding at all.

It was hard to tell from the outside, but Jane could see his hips moving, could hear both of them growling and groaning and panting. Urgency, that was it. They were both so excited, so urgent and needy. It was cute. Also messy. And she was certain, with the energy they were going at it, that there was going to be a knot in the princess. Well, she'd deal with that if she needed to. She was glad, in the brief moment she spared a thought for it, that there wasn't a risk of pregnancy or infection. Furs breeding needed the touch of a geneticist to get everything to mesh right, so every one of them was on some variant of a contraceptive pill or implant or something. And with the massive hodge-podge of genetic coding and biologies, infections were very hard to transmit from one species to another. Lacking suitable propagation opportunities most of them had died out, or were in the process of doing so.

More importantly than concerns about unprotected sex, or a lack of concerns, she had an idea for covering this mess up, providing at least the paper-thin excuses folks would need to pretend nothing had gone on. She stepped away from the trees to avoid alerting the happy couple, and keyed her phone.

"Craig speaking, go ahead, Miss Cooper."

"Hey Craig, can you patch me through to Catherine real quick?"

"Sure can. This have anything to do with her missing waiter?"

"You bet it does. And my missing heiress."

"Roger that," he said, and the line went quiet. After a moment, the quiet was replaced by the background hustle of an active kitchen.

"Evening Jane," came Catherine's voice, the plump and ordinarily good-natured woman sounded harried and rushed. "I hear you've found my wayward waiter?"

"Oh, you're right. He's new enough we can forgive him the unprofessional conduct of ducking off to fuck the guests when he should be serving them duck confit. Save me some, by the way, I'm missing dinner to watch these two get to know each other."

"Will do," Catherine laughed. "I take it I won't be getting him back anytime soon?"

"Eh... call it thirty minutes, Cat. Can you do me a favor, though? When folks ask, me and the vixen were back at the kitchen with you, and you were showing her how you do those sinfully delicious cherries of yours. I've a feeling her father wouldn't like to know that she's getting stuffed full of wolf right now."

There was a muted moment, but Jane could hear the yelling from here as Catherine scolded someone for something, and got her kitchen in order again. "Got it. Bring them both by once they're cleaned up and well make sure stories stick." The line went quiet, and Jane nodded. Well, at least it was faintly possible Wolfgang wouldn't get fired. Though odds were good he'd be given a quiet talking to, instead of the boot. She moved back toward the copse of trees to check on the lovers.

Not much had changed, really. Wolfgang had stamina, apparently. She leaned against a tree to watch, grinning. Catherine would probably want a report. She'd mentioned before that Wolfgang had a nice butt, and Jane could agree. Nice tail, lots of wag, and that kind of hunky build that was quite popular with... most people, really. Jane liked her guys smaller, more a fan of the 'boy toy' idea than a hunk to match her stature.

Things shifted suddenly, and she grinned as Kotomi grabbed him tight, biting into his shoulder to stifle what sounded like an ecstatic cry of pleasure. He wasn't far behind, hips jerking faster, then going still. Both of them sagged, panting, and Kotomi started to giggle, licking at him and kissing. Well, it was about her cue.

Jane walked into the clearing with a grin. "Wolfgang! My boy, I didn't realize you were done with your training on the personal services side of the house. Nor that Miss Tanaka had paid for those services. I'm a bit disappointed no one let me know you would be helping her tonight. I'm sure Craig just forgot to mention it?"

Both of them froze, tails and ears out and up, eyes wide. Kotomi recovered first. "I... think that I must take responsibility for this. I dragged him here, it was not his idea."

"Oh, I know that much. I saw you pin him to the tree. Then again, I saw how poleaxed he was in the limo, so don't take too much credit. He could have said no. That's one of the first things we teach our staff, how to say no, and when. Because among the things he ain't supposed to do are things like ditch his boss without a warning, and fuck the clients when he ain't had proper training. Though it looks like he's got talent. Don't you think, Kotomi?"

Her blush, ears turning as red as her fur, stalled her enough for Wolfgang to get a word in. "I'm sorry Miss Cooper I... wasn't thinking and I let... ah shit." He was still young, and it showed. He lacked Kotomi's aplomb. Fair enough, it was probably pretty hard to think while he was stuffed inside the little minx, but he wasn't going to be getting many other chances. Not soon, anyway.

"Yeah, you were both thinking with your crotches and not your heads. And Kotomi, how mad would your dad be to find out about this?"

"I think that... incandescent would be a good way to describe it. I was not thinking that far ahead."

"Well, good news for both of you, I think that far ahead. So! Wolfgang, you're covered. Catherine knows what you were up to, but won't be able to take any sort of action against you right now because it would blow the cover story. But you better suck up to her, and mean it, wolf. She doesn't have much of a bad side, but what there is of it is MEAN. And here's the cover story. Kotomi went looking for the ladies' room, and you, Wolfgang, were kind enough to escort her. On the way back, you detoured by the kitchen, and convinced Catherine to give you a preview of dessert. It's about as flimsy as tissue paper, but it's enough that no one will have to officially know what you to were doing. Speaking of which... Wolfgang, are you about ready to get out of her?"

"Uh. Um. Y-yes?" He gave a few experimental tugs, then one longer one, careful and shuddery. The dripping sound that followed confirmed her estimation. Messy. Pretty standard for canine lovers.

"Oh buddy, you need to get down and clean her up, or no one will be able to pretend not to know. Move it puppy." He stared at her, goggle-eyed, then got on his knees and stuffed his face between Kotomi's legs. The intensifying blush and the way she grabbed at his hair and bit her lip said about everything that needed to be said about both his enthusiasm and her enjoyment. He stayed down there, too, until he was certain she was clean. Coming up and wiping his muzzle on the back of one hand, he glanced at Jane.

"Okay, all clean." He looked up at Kotomi, and grinned all those sharp white teeth. "I am sorry you're leaving, miss. I... really, really enjoyed this and I wish we'd be getting another chance." Jane rolled her eyes. "What? I did enjoy this. All of it, aside from the maybe losing my job and terror when you stepped out. Those I could pass on. But her? Nothing but pleasure."

Kotomi's nod matched his, and Jane sighed. "God, you two are young. Fine, fine, get dressed, kiss and so on. Meet me at the kitchen tent in five minutes. If you're not there, on time, I'll just drag both of you back to the table by your ears and you can explain it to Mister Tanaka and Kuroko." The looks of horror and worry confirmed that both of them were listening. "Good. Move it you two."

Three minutes later, a pair of panting youngsters joined her at the kitchen tent. Catherine's glare skewered Wolfgang to the spot, tail and ears drooped as she approached. But all she did was straighten his tie, and fix a twist in his collar. "You owe me, buster. I'll collect later. Take this," she handed him a tray, "to the main table, then get. Your. Ass. Back. Here. Got it?"

"And that's us, Kotomi, so we're going to get to the table, enjoy dessert, and I will talk my boss into smoothing things over with your father. Got it?"

Both of the younger canines nodded, and the trio set off for the table, Wolfgang leading the way. "Okay, can't fault you girl. He does have a nice ass. But you could have managed this a whole lot easier with my help than trying to get around me. Communicate, puppy."

"You would have helped me? Against my father's intent?"

"Wasn't your father who hired me. It was Mrs. Guthrie, and that woman would have gleefully cheered me on in helping you get laid. But since we went this way about it, well, have to be a guess, not something we can confirm unless your father decides to keep you here another day or three. "

The conversation had carried them to the table again, and after depositing the dishes of candied cherries, apricots, and sweet jerky for the carnivores, Wolfgang took off at something just shy of a dead run. Kuroko had clearly been entertaining, telling some story that ended with, "and I assure you, each word is true. Would I tell a lie?"

"Boss," Jane countered, "I haven't known you to give the same birth date twice in any conversation. You might not lie, but reality is remarkably flexible once you start talking."

The fox grinned shamelessly. "So? It's all in good fun. I'm glad you ladies could rejoin us. How was the kitchen?"

Hideo was trying to glare at Jane and Kotomi, but there wasn't any heat to it. In fact, he wasn't focusing well at all, and Jane didn't have to even try, to find the source of his distraction. Mrs. Guthrie, sitting sideways in her husband's lap, gave Jane a devilish grin, and kept moving her feet. The woman was relentless and shameless. No wonder she got on so well with the old fox. Both old foxes, actually.

The rest of the evening passed without much to upset it, but it wasn't until sometime after one in the morning that Jane had packed Kotomi into the limo with her father and the Guthries. And at that point it was time to go home, strip out of her monkey suit, and crash. It had been a long day, and she was hoping to sleep until noon. Maybe later. She'd certainly earned it. Tomorrow might mean more "interesting" things, but they were for tomorrow, and hopefully someone else's problem.