Smokey Saga #64:
"
Beauty Pool Knockout II: Zoe And Lizzy'z Exzellent Adventurez
"
*****
Hello, dear friends! Mea culpa for taking my sweet time to get back to Zoe and L.B. here before now. "Knockout" was another story that picked up a few "sequests," and while like a lot of sequels it'll be tough to live up to the original, I hope you like it. But if you enjoy Zoe Et Lizzy Deux, and would like a Zoe Et Lizzy Trois, ask away. Any story and sequel can garner their share of "
three
quests" and coming up with new ideas for my characters is always fun. If you're unfamiliar with the story on which this sequel is based, in this case, I recommend going back and reading it first. Its title is indeed "Beauty Pool Knockout," it's Saga #46, and you can find it elsewhere in my library. Interestingly, this sequel's set in the same month I created these girls (February 2015).
While clearly a reference, the sequel title is only whimsical (and yes, the words are intentionally misspelled). The lasses certainly don't travel through time to a radical fututopia with George Carlin. Instead, they
...
well, you'll see. Enjoy, cheers, thank you for stopping by, happy reading, and feedback's welcomed, valued and appreciated. ***This Saga has been modified from its original version and formatted to fit this screen. No animals were harmed in the writing of this story. The fictional persons and events in this fictive work of fiction are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons or events is purely unintentional and coincidental.***
*****
24 Hours From You-Know-Where
Saturday, February 7th, 2015, 7:10 p.m.
It was not a dark and stormy night.
Good old reliable Sunny Ray was below the horizon for the evening, passing the circadian baton to friendly Luna Moona. The interior of 810-2C Wilson Apartments stood still, peaceful and quiet. Then the door opened, and in stepped Lizzy-Beth Williams.
Oh, what a day! This morning Lizzy had the inspiration to bring an unexpected treat to work at PetCo: glazed and jelly doughnuts for everyone. The supplemental breakfast was enjoyed, then she was on the clock. Her main body of work took place in the cubby hole where the young cats and kittens were situated. Lizzy-Beth
adored
cats. Right up there with swimming, they were one of her favorite things in the world. Her own kitty at home, Muffins, a two-year-old Himalayan, spent her day in the top of her kitty house, watching over her queendom and dozing. Actually, the cat's
full
name was Muffinstein de Rossi Etheridge Maddow Navratilova Toe-Claws, but Muffins sufficed for short. And it saved them countless minutes calling out the kitty's name (not that it did any good; she only came when she wanted). She slept in bed with her owner—and her owner's girlfriend—during the night, and frankly never appreciated that rude noise the clock made in the morning, nor her Mommies' daily departure. She rather felt a bit insulted by it all. Why on Earth would they want to leave, when they could stay home all day, playing with, petting, pampering and worshiping her??
But they always returned home sooner or later, those silly humans. Lizzy-Beth's duties at PetCo included feeding the adoptable cats, scooping their litter, showing them off to the interested customer, and
playing
with them, God bless America. It was for demonstrative purposes, of course—a cat's cuteness and love of play were big selling points for new owners—but Lizzy still couldn't believe she actually got paid to
play
with half a dozen adorable felines, then come home and carry on playtime with her own cat. Sometimes life could be so nice. Today was a big day, as Saturdays tended to be. On busier days like this, her job description expanded with more tasks. While not with the cats, she also sold product to shoppers, directed them where to find their pet needs, and cashiered as necessary. She did so much running around today, she actually shaved an ounce or two off her body weight.
But PetCo was her occupation—as Wilson Apartments, Commons County was her home—only eight months out of the year. May through August were spent in Fisherman's Bay, at the Bayside Inn on 38th and Fisherman's Avenue. It was here she resided and did her other job in the summers, lifeguard at the Bayside Inn's massive indoor pool. Though only seasonally, she'd been at this job longer and grown too attached to give it up. PetCo missed her and her devoted work in the summer, but just like a child starting school again, come September, back she was. Sometimes, even Lizzy-Beth Kessie Williams needed one heck of a vacation.
But the water...
oh
, swimming was just ever so delightful as cats for Lizzy, if not more. Even when frantically going under to snatch a drowner, she felt the passion in the midst of panic, stroking, pushing, kicking through the water. So magically freeing...so wondrous. Lizzy-Beth felt truly fortunate. Almost 29 years old, and she'd already been blessed with two potential careers, corresponding to two of her greatest loves. And then of course, there was a most recently attained
third
great love in her life.
"Zoe...oh, Zohhhh-eeee..." she sang tunelessly, wishing there was an actual song called "Zoe" for her to croon. This performance, natch, was in reference and deference to the woman who'd last summer become her beloved girlfriend: Zoe Trix Palmer. One stormy, enigmatic night last July at the Inn, Zoe'd accidentally knocked herself out and fallen in the pool. She could've possibly drowned had Lizzy-Beth not been there with the necessary skills. She'd saved the girl's life, which she kept modest vis-à-vis (but still gave her a small thrill when she put it in perspective). She saved far more lives than the average individual. But she couldn't get a swelled head over it.
Speaking—or, singing—of Zoe, shouldn't she be home right about now? A Saturday at her beauty salon was a big day too, but she never came back long after 6:30 or 7:00. Zoe still kept her own apartment nearby in Statler as of right now, but often as she'd been staying here, she'd practically moved in already. Which was just
fine
with Lizzy-Beth. Muffins may have felt differently.
"Mrow!" declared Muffins, following her Mommy into the kitchen to rub her legs and give her the business. "Mrow! Mrow!
Mrow!!
"
"
Mrow!
" Lizzy countered, mimicking her tone. She opened the fridge and freezer together, studying contents. She and Zoe had started something of an unspoken pattern that whoever got home first would usually make dinner. Unless of course neither felt like it, in which case they went out or ordered in. Muffins sniffed the bottom drawers and meowed at the veggie crisper.
"Salad?" asked Lizzy-Beth, alluding to the head of lettuce inside. "Well, that's one idea. Let's see what Zoe wants, how 'bout it?"
Zoe indeed got home a few minutes later. Lizzy, who'd adjourned to her/their bedroom to straighten a few things up, heard the door reopen and bounded back out. But the person she saw enter was not the same Zoe who normally carried that beautiful smile on her face. This Zoe was frowning, furrowing, and...almost tearful, in fact.
Oh my gosh
, thought Lizzy-Beth.
What happened?
Zoe didn't seem to register her girlfriend's presence there in the same room, nor that of said girlfriend's cat. But she failed to care whether Lizzy-Beth saw her do what she was about to do or not. She removed her purse by the strap, whipped it in the air with a mix of frustration and ire, and slung it down into the sofa like an angry missile. Then she sat. She didn't even take off her coat. She simply planted herself in the sofa beside her wounded pocketbook, clamped her hands over her unhappy face, and whimpered.
Lizzy's eyebrows jumped at the violent purse abuse. This
really
wasn't like Zoe. Something was even more wrong than she thought.
The oblivious Muffins was the first to attempt communication. She repeated her meows and rubbed Zoe's legs.
Zoe gently shoved Muffins away with her foot. "
Cat, please just get lost
," came the anguished mutter. Appearing to pick up the hint, the scorned Muffins turned up her nose. She slunk off with indignance.
Well!
she seemed to say.
I never!
Wow, she really is upset
.
"Wow, you really are upset. Well, I hope you're not gonna tell me to please just get lost too, 'cause I'm not prepared to do that."
Lizzy-Beth sat cautiously beside and slipped her arm around Zoe.
"Sweetie-bear, what on Earth is the matter? Tell me."
Zoe leaned over in her direction, dropped her head in Lizzy's bosom, and emitted a noise that sounded remarkably like the loud clock that irritated Muffins so. It was actually a loud groan, but muzzled by her paws, sounded quite like an alarm or a car horn.
She felt Lizzy-Beth swaddle her in her other arm as well, and finally lowered her hands with a sigh.
"
Worst
stupid effing day...of my whole stupid effing life."
Lizzy-Beth was so very sad to hear that.
"Oh, honey!...I'm so very sad to hear that!" As was Lizzy's nature, she gave a small try to humor Zoe out of it. "Well, this
must
be serious. I've never heard you use the '
eff
' word before."
She was hoping for a tiny chuckle at most, but got just the opposite. Zoe started crying.
"Aw, babe, I...I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" Lizzy-Beth apologized. "Please don't cry, Zoe, I didn't mean to tease you. I was just trying to make you smile. Please, Zoe, I can't handle it when people cry. I just can't deal with it. I never know what to do!"
