PURR Chapter 13: Kat's and Rat's

Jake was notoriously jealous. Since his time ‘inside’ he was even more so. He had become overprotective of Tess, almost smothering her. This often had an adverse effect on her. At the end of the Paris gigs, Tess surprised Jake by announcing that Gracie, DeeDee and she would be going off alone to London on a shopping spree and to have some girly fun for the week. Her attitude did not faze him, he was used to her fierce independent stances from time to time. In fact, that was one of the things that had initially attracted him to her. He loved a challenge, but of course she could and would do exactly as she pleased and often did. They unwittingly illustrated that old cliché of the irresistible force and the immovable object. In their case, the irresistible force would invariably come out on top, and that irresistible force was Tess.

The girls had been gone two days and Jake hadn’t received Tess’s promised call. In fact her cell phone was switched off. That’s when coincidences back in London started to play with his mind and he began to draw vague conclusions. Jake began to torment himself with thoughts of her talking and laughing with Danny at the party after the final Wembley show. She’d made such a fuss about thanking him for Jake’s liberation. Even Danny appeared slightly awkward, since he was with his lady Libby. Tess seemed to be cornering him whenever she got the chance. At one stage, Jake had to pull her aside and ‘have a word’ as she seemed to be throwing herself at the lovable villain. Jake chalked it up to the drink, drugs and the whole heady atmosphere. Everybody in the band was pretty spaced out that night. That was only to be expected as they celebrated their triumph of London.

Then he thought of the party Danny threw for the band later that week at the ‘La Vie en Rose’, where Danny was conspicuously not accompanied by the delicious Libby. He had asked Jake as a courtesy if he minded if he showed Tess around the club and have a few games at the casino tables on the upper level with her. At the time, Jake was distracted and lost in conversation with Gracie, Elvis Costello and his wife Diana Krall, so he agreed without hesitation. It would be about two hours before the couple met up again and everything was cool.

But back in Paris, Jake’s mind was drawing conclusions that were not at all cool. His jealous nature started to rear its ugly head. He thought of the way Danny had seen the band off at Heathrow and how he kissed Gracie and Tess goodbye. Jake now swore to himself that Danny’s kiss to Tess was far too lingering and meaningful. He also couldn’t stop thinking of the way Danny and Tess went missing together at the airport for half an hour.

If he was not careful, this could, as it had all to often done in the past, get him into some serious trouble. More serious than most if he chose to fuck with Danny Bannion. Jake rationalized in his now fevered mind that it was probably all Tess’s doing. After all, she had a self-confessed addiction to ‘Bad Boys’ and Bannion was two steps ahead in that game. First of all, he was a REAL ‘Bad MAN’. Second, they didn’t come more dangerous or temptingly charming. Was Jake winding himself up with all this imagery, making something out of nothing? He thought he’d better be sure before he took another step in the wrong direction. Appearances can be deceiving, but so could Tess...

Now Jake was suspicious of her motives for going to London. Jake felt that everyone must have known what had happened back in London. It started with that ostensibly friendly kiss in the car park outside of Pentonville. A lot more must have happened after that simple kiss.

Had anyone noticed Tess whispering in Danny‘s ear? She had a veritable catalogue of sexual tricks in her mind, as well as her panties. These were now supplemented with the techniques she’d picked up from Jake. All of which made her irresistible to any mortal man. She set her sites on, even an immovable figure like Danny Bannion. Underneath his hard exterior, Tess could see and feel that something else had hardened. She already had a well-earned reputation as a seductress. She knew then she must have this man, and whatever Tess wanted, Tess usually got. Jake was driving himself into a jealous rage as all this swirled in his imagination. He had to calm down and get a grip.

He thought he would go find Tone, have a few beers with him and talk things over. He knew Tone would reassure him by telling him he was crazy and rationalize his thoughts. Or would he? Tone and Danny went way, way back and shared a code. His mood worsened at this thought. He was getting paranoid, thinking mistakenly now that his best friend could be part of a conspiracy.

Fortunately for Jake, most of the band stayed at the hotel in Paris for a few days before moving off to their next gig in Rome. Even more fortunate was the fact that Kat was still there. She was Jakes closest female friend and confidant. He rang her on the in house line. She could tell by his erratic, frantic speech that something was amiss.

“Yeah, come on up, Jakey boy, I’ll roll ya one!” He grabbed a bottle of wine and two straws and made his way up to Kat’s suite. Both he and Tone loved Kat, she was their strongest supporter and understood both crazy guys. She had a moderating influence over both of them and they respected her advice and she never forgot how they were there for her and Angela that fateful night in Atlanta. If anybody could pour oil on Coltrane’s troubled waters, Kat was surely the one. He banged on her door. She opened it in her bathrobe, joint in her mouth and wine bottle in hand “Come on in Sax man, Tell Mamma what’s goin’ on. Here, smoke this and lighten up man.” She handed him a joint and he wasted no time lighting up. If ever he needed a smoke, now was the time.

“Sit down man, make yourself at home. We’ve got all the time in the world. What the hell is up with you Jake? Is Redman blowing smoke up your ass again? C’mere. I can handle him for ya!”

“Kat, please be serious... I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place here. I’m almost going outta my mind. It’s all about Tess. I just don‘t know what‘s going on with her, this London trip has me worried. Kat is something going on I should know about? It was all so sudden?”

Kat already guessed that it was about Tess somehow. She was always in tune with her sister musicians. She somehow instinctively knew where they were going musically. That’s what made her such a good bassist. It was always as if she could read their minds when it came to what musical direction they were taking, and how her bass could pick up on every nuance as they jammed. She was an extraordinarily perceptive woman when it came to people too.

“Jakey, have you stopped and thought that maybe you brought this down on yourself? I know you love her, but that don’t mean you own her. You can’t put a songbird in a cage and expect her to keep singing, how did you feel when you were in a six by-eight cell in Pentonville. You’re a musician, and musicians have always cherished their freedom of expression. That’s what makes you and Tone the great musicians you are. Maybe, just maybe she is making a statement with this trip that says she needs more personal space. I’ve known Tess a long time, Jake. She’s a fiercely independent lady and when she feels that she’s being invaded, it can get very ugly very quickly.

“But right now, I think you should let the nightingale fly if she wants. If she really loves you, she’ll come back. If she doesn’t, you’ll know she really wasn’t the girl for you.”

“But Kat I can’t live without her, I wanna get on the next plane to London and go find her, see what she’s up to. Yeah I think that is what I should do and have it out with her, lay my suspicions to rest.”

“Jake I think that is exactly what you should NOT do! Love is about freedom, not ownership. I know that’s not what you want to hear from me right now, but you have to face facts darlin’ You have to trust her cause once the trust is gone it wont return.”

She topped up Jake’s glass, Kat’s company and cool head in addition to the joint had calmed him down and he was regaining some perspective. He told her of his fears that she might be having an affair with Danny Bannion…

“Duh!” She laughed out loud and took a long puff, “Jake are you really fucking crazy? Who wouldn’t like to, but if anybody did that would be our Gracie from what she’s said about Mr. Bannion.”

But on the other hand, Kat had noticed at the ‘Vie En Rose’ that night when playing the tables, Tess with Danny and that Tess was obviously playing more than roulette. Kat thought to herself hmmm…. Gracie, DeeDee and Tess going back to London; she feared Jake could be onto something, a right can of worms, a race for the devil maybe? If that were the case, Tess was probably winning by a head. She said nothing of her thoughts and decided to try and boost his confidence.

“Take a good look at yourself Jake. You’re tall and handsome and you’re built. Besides that, I don’t think there’s any woman in the world that couldn‘t be seduced by your saxophone. And when you gave me and the rest of the girls your sweet lips and tongue way back at the Order of PURR auction Wow! In my humble opinion, Tess is a very lucky woman, you just need to back off a bit, give her room to breath man.”

“Jake, I was just about ready to get in the hot tub on the terrace when you rang.” She stood up and dropped her robe. As she stood before him totally nude, she said, “Lets go get in and talk some more there, and bring that bottle of yours over here, hon’ and we can get the straws out. You look like you need something Jake, some kinda loving.”

As Jake was undoing his jeans, he had to smile as he watched her beautiful buns move along with her naturally sultry walk. But Jake’s mind was still on Tess, the love of his life as tempting as Kat looked, Jake and Kat shared a different kind of sexuality. Kat knew the power of intimacy without the possibility of intercourse. It was never anything close to a romantic relationship or anything like it for either of them, but another kind of bond, one of mutual acceptance with a generous measure of respect. It was a different kind of love, one that he had never known before.

Kat asked Jake a direct question that froze his heart as she looked him in the eyes. “If your fears turn out to be true what is the worse that can happen?”

“I don’t know, I just don’t know Kat. I lose Tess and kill myself? “Jake answered.

Kat knew now that she was hurting him and for a short while it would get worse, but in her heart, a good heart she was doing it for his own good.

“Think about it, Jake. You would lose a girl that didn’t love you, a heartbreaker that would betray your love for the thrill of the next bad guy that would probably fuck her a few times and then forget her. Did you really think it would be any different with you? You’re her current ‘Bad boy’. She takes her lead from Gracie you know, who has a current Marlboro Man. But Tone knows the score. Even though he says she hurts him, he knows the reality. He’s as bad as her, always whining that she’s breaking his heart and getting on her case. I know he can’t keep it in his pants, he thinks he is discreet but he can’t fool ‘Katwoman.’ Sorry Jake, I digress lets get back to the point. In this life on the road, you should know what it’s like, nobody has stable relationships. We’re all pretty fucked up in that department. Tess don’t need a man for security. It’s a veritable zoo in a rock and roll circus like this. Maybe you expect too much given the circumstances. Jake, she may just need space, a little time to herself or else Bannion is too bad for her to resist. Either way you win, if you take the right perspective.”

Kat was very worldly having toured long and hard, nobody could fool that lady! Jake got her point. The extreme circumstance of what he saw as Tess’s possible betrayal of him enabled Jake and Kat to reach an even more profound connection. She had not only comforted his troubled soul, she gave him a healthy dose of purely verbal sexual healing.

Jake felt better and slightly reassured as he and Kat sat in the spa, drank and smoked, they became comfortably numb as they talked of many things. Later they dried off put on bathrobes, retired back to the lounge and started to talk in more depth. He opened up and told her about his life, his tempestuous relationship with Tess, his friendship with Tone, the reasons behind his passion for his music, his weakness for gambling, his being an adrenalin junkie with a compulsion for taking chances, but he finally got to the one topic he’d never discuss fully with anyone.

Sure, one night when he and Tone were both drunk while they were on the Rolling Stones tour, he confided to him that his wife had been murdered, her throat slashed. However, he never went into detail about that nightmarish experience. He might have gone on to tell his best friend more later. At any rate, he hadn’t ever really told anyone at all of the connotations and particulars that he had long ago buried deep in his consciousness. Kat was the first. It was sort of a catharsis for him to divulge the truth of what happened, or his memories and feelings that lived yet deep in his heart.

Kat patiently listened to it all. For once, that was the only thing he wanted from a woman. Even so, she knew those demons would not be vanquished altogether. Not yet. She swore to him that she would not divulge what she now knew to anyone. She respected Jake’s privacy, but knew that one day he would find a woman who would be his enduring lover and soul mate for the rest of his life. Kat felt a tinge of envy for that woman, but she knew that Jake would find her one day. She just hoped he wouldn’t screw that up with all the emotional baggage he should be dropping.

Meanwhile, back in London Tess, Gracie and DeeDee were having fun, albeit each in her own way. Tess vanished without a word, fickle as always. On the second day, Gracie and DeeDee decided to go to the ‘La Vie en Rose“ for reasons of their own.

As for Gracie, she saw this as her chance to get to know Danny better, whereas DeeDee had a thing going with Johnny that she would like to resume. When they arrived at the club at 10:30 PM, both were stopped dead in their tracks when they spotted Tess at Danny’s table. She was by his side as they were having dinner together, both engrossed in each others company.

In the meantime, Johnny had appeared from nowhere to DeeDee’s side and took her arm “Well how the fuck are you Double D? It’s so nice to see you again. Come, let me get you a drink.” DeeDee didn’t hesitate to take him up on his offer. ”How about you Gracie?” She didn’t answer. She just kept staring at Tess and Danny who hadn’t noticed her yet. As she walked closer she caught Danny’ eye. He called her over to join them. She accepted and Danny got a waiter to pull up a chair next to his. She sat down and she and Tess instantly looked daggers at each other, sitting on either side of Bannion. Tess didn’t realize she was acting just like Jake used to act with her. The difference was that Danny wasn’t as insecure as either of them. He enjoyed having two beautiful women vying for his attention.

When he excused himself to ostensibly take an important phone call, he left them alone together knowing full well that a cat fight would ensue. He knew that these were two classy women, and he knew that they weren’t likely to trade blows or tear each other’s hair out. No, the witty and urbane women each had an arsenal of words capable of cutting like a scalpel. It really didn’t matter which of them triumphed in such an exchange. Danny had already chosen Tess. He had deeper motives.

The tension between Gracie and Tess was palpable, like electricity in the air. In her heart, Gracie knew that Tess had already hooked Danny. She knew it was too late for her to make her play for the charismatic pirate. Tess was quite comfortable with Danny and she made sure it showed. They made no pretence of their fascination with each other. Gracie was just his guest for the evening. For his part, Danny was the perfect gentleman as always. Or was he?

He liked the fiery temperament Tess possessed. He knew fresh memories of a confrontation like she was about to have with Gracie would carry over into the bedroom. He knew she could be a real wildcat in bed, a regular black magic woman when her ire was up. Danny liked that attitude in its place, but certainly not when he wore her on his arm as a trophy to show off to his friends and associates. He’d used this old ploy before on other women with great success. Both Tess and Gracie had too much class to make a spectacle of themselves in a public place, so they slung their biting remarks and insults at one another in an audibly hushed tones.

“So, Miss Texas Cowgirl, you’re trying to round up another maverick into your corral so you can firebrand his flesh as yours?" Gracie hissed.

Tess puffed out her already generous chest and shot back, “Hey, once they get a taste of the best prime cut in town, they won’t settle for rump!”

“So is THAT why Jake is sniffin’ around the girls in the band like he’s starving? Obviously, that boy needs more than hamburger. We all know you’re like that sign at Mickey D’s says, ’Over 10 million served,’ Gracie fired back.

“Oh!” Isn’t that a little like the pot calling the kettle black?” Tess was getting indignant now. “Everybody knows you flash those big tits around so whatever guy you trap in your web is too hypnotized by those things in their face to notice that’s all you have goin’ for you.”

“Is that why your puppy dog Tone couldn’t wait for you to be out of the picture for a while so HE could get some quality pussy for a change?”

“You leave Tone out of this.” Tess’s last remark hit Gracie literally below the belt. “You wouldn’t be able to handle him. He’s got more taste than to settle for throwaway trailer park trash like you.”

Tess returned her cheap shot with one of her own, “If he’s so great, what are you doin’ here in London trying your luck with a real man like Danny? Face it Gracie, he‘s out of your league. I bet when you go crawlin‘ back to your pussy-whipped little man, he‘ll have been tired of your shit and is fucking one of the girls in the band. I’ve seen how he looks at Angela and it’ sure not like she’s a casual acquaintance to him. I‘ll bet he‘s fucking her right now!”

The verbal barrage they hurled at each other kept up until Danny sidled up to the table, acting as though he hadn‘t heard any of their war of words. He couldn‘t wait to get Tess in the sack to see how that heated exchange would affect her performance. She was already everything any man could ask for in that arena, but the best was never good enough for him. He’d been there, done that countless times before, but he always wanted things that go beyond the zenith. He was the kind of man that could rewrite the rules to measure up to his own expectations.

Danny sat back down and asked Gracie how she was and said it was nice to see her again and added "Tess has filled me in on how well the Parisian shows went down."

“Look, I’ve obviously come at a bad time and interrupted your little soirée” Gracie offered.

“Not at all, not at all,” he replied as Tess threw him a look that could kill.

“Gracie there’s someone I’d love you to meet.”

Danny waved across the club and a stunning brunette in a black Gucci gown and Prada shoes sidled over. Gracie was immediately struck with this vision and her dominant stance.

“Gracie let me introduce you to Libby, Libby Lovelace this is Gracie Pasquale.”

“I know who she is, Danny Boy. Pleased to meet you, Gracie.” There was an instant impact between the two ladies a kind of sensual, sexual dynamic.

She also noticed the smirk on Danny’s face as she called him ‘Boy” “I don’t think I got to introduce you two ladies at the party when the band did Wembley.”

Tess had already met Libby and seemed to relax and smile as she joined the table. Libby and Gracie fell into deep conversation. Gracie liked the way this woman almost spoke down to people. Danny “Boy.” What was going on there?

Danny interrupted “Tess and I are going up to my apartment on the 3rd floor to relax. Please come up for a nightcap when you and Libby are ready.”

This didn’t seam to faze Tess at all. She just smiled, gave a knowing wink and said “See you later Gracie, love you really!”

Gracie believed her, they often had quick outbursts at each other, but underneath always respected each other and were soon good friends again. That’s how they managed to write such fiery rock songs together.

Gracie and Libby had a few more glasses of Champagne and the conversation flowed. She soon learnt that Libby was resident dominatrix at the club and in fact she had a dungeon and other rooms in the basement, all kept for exclusive clients. She was immediately intrigued when the domme offered to show her around…