***Chapter 4 from my novelette, --- "The Saucy Sweethearts Of Storyville"...

 

   (Image, above, from the original painting by Gator.)

 

   Lulu White banged her coffee cup down on the kitchen table. "He's hit her before, but this was really bad, worst he's ever done! Damn straight, I banned him from here! I don't want no crazy-ass roustabout in my place! I had a restriction warrant sworn out against him, nice and legal! Of course, Pierre went immediately to his daddy to get it removed, but no soap!" Lulu laughed. "I got more pull than Honore Ozanne. I got Judge  Kaplan and the Chief Of Police Vern O' Grady, too!" She laughed again.  "That fancy little shit Pierre threatened to take his business to Willie Piazza's place, said she's got a new dancer named Margarette La Mer. Ha! They call her 'The Pearl Of The Sea'! Fucking let him go to Willie's! Who needs him?" 

   Juliette Jo wiped up the spilled coffee with a dish rag.  "You want a cinnamon roll, Miss Lulu? I just made them."

   "I know, Julie Joey, the smell of them is what drew me in here... No, not now. Did you see Charlezza? Damn it to hell, she's covered with wounds! It's a good thing for that fucking little fool Pierre that she doesn't have something broke or I'd sue him for damages. He can't just go about ruining my girls! They're my merchandise! It's going to be a while before Charlezza can service clients again, as beat up as she is, and that lowers my revenue!"

   "I know, Miss Lulu," Juliette Jo said, "I know. I wish Miss Charly would have charged Pierre with tearing her up so bad."

   "Charged him with assault? She's too scared to, afraid he'll come back and finish the job."

   "You mean kill her?" Juliette Jo had made Lulu another cup of coffee and set it down in front of her.  

   Lulu took a sip, even though it was burning hot. "I wouldn't put it past the little shit.... You're not running out of chicory, are you, Julie Joey?"

   "No, Miss Lulu, Mama Lorraine always makes sure we have enough. Listen to that, --- milk man's here. I want to order cottage cheese..." Juliette Jo walked, swaying, toward the back door.  

   Alphonso, the huge white cat, a fourteen pounder, who was Juliette Jo's pet, had been sitting on a chair pulled up to the table. It was his special chair; it had a thick velvet cushion tied on it and he was often there to get any little treat the Juliette Jo might have for him, --- scraps of butter from her baking, little pieces of meat and fish or cheese. He knew the sound of the milkman's horse and cart and now he jumped down and ran to the back door to greet him. Alphonso liked George Hogan, the milkman, because he also gave treats. And, George was a cat lover; he knew all the itchy spots, --- under a cat's chin, along the jawline, on top of the head between the ears  between the shoulder blades.

   It just so happened that Dennis, the rat terrier, was strolling through the kitchen at this time, intending to jump on Madame Lulu's ample lap. There was an uneasy truce between Alphonso and Dennis, Both pets had dominating personalities and they were well matched in terms of strength and feistiness, with Alphonso, a big young, usually mellow cat, perhaps having a slight edge. Dennis was bigger; his teeth were stronger, but he didn't have claws. And, Alphonso was a polydactyl, having seven toes on each front foot, each of the toes having an agile razor sharp claw. 

Alphonso puffed up so that he looked twice his size, hissing loudly, advancing toward Dennis on stiff strong legs, getting ready to swipe with his "swords". Dennis growled, laid his ears flat, crouched down in attack mode and showed his teeth, teeth that were the size of the German Shepherd's, amazingly large.

"Well, fucking shit!," Madame Lulu drawled, "those crazy animals are going to fight... Damn critters will have me upsetting my good coffee a second time."

   "I'll stop it, Miss Lulu," Juliette Jo said. She flung a bowlful of water on Alphonso and Dennis. Alphonso shrieked like he'd been scalded and Dennis yelped. Alphonso leaped effortlessly to the top of the cupboards, staring down with gleaming yellow eyes, grumbling, --- swearing in "cat". Dennis yowled and scrambled, nails scratching on the ceramic tiles, to the relative safety of the parlor.  

   Lulu mumbled something about, "Louie Armstrong should have brought my rheumatism medicine from Doctor Blake yesterday! I don't care if he can play a mean trumpet, he's still just a delivery boy for the Doc, as far as I'm concerned! Shit! Where the fucking hell has that skinny kid gone to, anyway? My fucking bones ache!..."  She gulped her coffee. 

   "Louie's not such a kid anymore, Miss Lulu, even though he's been coming around here since he was but a little scamp. He's a teen, almost a man." Juliette Jo chuckled. "But, just about everybody's a kid to you, --- huh, Miss Lulu?"

   "Damn straight, they are!" A corner of Lulu's wide creased mouth went up.

   Juilette Jo shook her head and went to talk to George Hogan. He laughed in his jolly way when he heard the tale of the two spoiled pets, saying he'd put his money on "tough guy" Alphonso to win, every time.

--- Copyright by Antoinette Beard/Sorelle Sucere, 2021.