“You’re what?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
The lounge suddenly got quiet, as the music stopped and the flashing light were dimmed. The air suddenly felt as thick as the plush carpet underhoof.
“Married...as in...I have a husband and stuff.” Bastet chuckled wearing a small smirk. I noticed Chocolate Kisses spit out her drink, her dark brown eyes wide in disbelief, as Bastet held up her front-right hoof, displaying an Onyx bracelet with a moderately sized diamond on it. The smirking blue earth pony was suddenly bowled over in a flurry of cream-orange feathers.
“I’m so happy for you!” Gushed Variety. The two mares were very close after all, I’d expected no other reaction from her. The flightless pegasus was almost glowing with joy for her friend.
“Thanks Vee” Bastet smiled, dusting herself off.
I stood there silently as they giggled together. Desire came from one of the back rooms, her golden-tan coat gleaming with sweat as she stopped in from of the bar. Without taking her eyes off Bastet, Chocolate Kisses fixed a Pina Colada and slid it over to the her.
She knows her so well. I thought, adding fuel to the fire raging in my chest. We all know each other that well, inside and out. We are closer than any family. These are my girls. A yellow buck with a red mane came out of the back shortly after, paying Desire and trotting breathlessly towards the stairs. The pony griffon raised a questioning eyebrow at my reddening face as she sipped her drink.
“How did this happen?” I asked, trying to keep my cool. How could you do this to us? To me! Is what I wanted to scream! “You went on a one week vacation, that’s a short amount of time to fall in love and get married, don’t you think dear?”
I couldn’t tell if she saw the fire in my eyes or not. Bastet had a million bit poker face and the balls (so to speak) to not give a flying feather what I thought and to let me know it to my face. That’s why I liked her. Her deep blue eyes lit up and she trotted over to me, sitting back on her haunches and spreading her hooves wide and smiling dramatically.
“Ok, so I’m in Las Pegasus right, and there these two-bit sluts everywhere. I mean, I could barely see the sidewalk there was so many of them. I didn’t want any of that, so I rent a room in one of the ritzy places. They even gave me a magical physical to make sure I wouldn’t infect their girls and or guys with anything. Pfft, as if. They just wanted to feel me up I bet.”
She rolled onto her back and squirmed around like a cat in heat. I couldn’t help but crack a small smile. There was the Bastet I knew. Not the stranger who came in announcing a lifetime commitment to a stranger. Announcing her betrayal. Chocolate Kisses came from behind the bar to stand beside Variety, her milky chocolate-brown coat complementing Variety's creamy orange one. Bastet continued with her tale.
“Then I went down for the late show and the theme was Full Moon Isolation, all the plots you can imagine with a cheesy starlight sky backdrop. So I’m sitting there trying not to laugh too loud as they prance around on stage trying to be sexy. I bet half those mares slept with the manager to get up there because it sure wasn’t talent that got them on stage.”
“Well if anyone knows good dancing it would be you Bastet.” Chuckled Kisses.
“Oh that’s absolutely true!” Piped in Variety. “She can shake her money maker like no other mare in Manhattan, and apparently Las Pegasus too!”
The three of them burst into laughter. I could see amusement in Desire’s cat-like eyes but she continued to quietly sip her drink. She is slowly making her way over to me, I notice absently.
“Then the announcer is like, I think we have a special moon coming tonight! And all the mares turn and look at the stage with their ears pricked forward. So I’m like damn, this mare coming up must look like a million bucks to grab the mare’s attention. Then he stepped out of a cheesy spaceship made of cardboard and I….”
….”Saw a tall blue buck with a white-silver mane and fetlocks step out and start shaking his groove thang?” Finished Variety.
Bastet blinked at her in surprise. “How did you….” Variety bounced up and down excitedly pointing behind Bastet. Our heads turned and sure enough, there was a stallion matching that description leaning against the doorway. He grinned cockily and widened his eyes, feigning embarrassment.
“Oh please, don’t stop on my account” he joked.
“I told you to wait outside babe” Bastet growled at him. There was no mistaking the love in the tone of the growl though.
“Oh, but then I’d be obedient and no fun for me later.” He replied cheekily. Variety and Kisses were trying not to laugh at or drool over the, admittedly, handsome specimen.
I, however, was beside myself with rage.
“Get out” I said clearly and loudly.They all looked at me in surprise, except Desire. She regarded me coolly, with her cat-like eyes.
”Oh I didn’t’ mean to….” He began, that smirk still on his muzzle. This arrogant, stupid homewrecker.
“GET OUT OF MY ESTABLISHMENT” I replied sharply startling the Variety and Kisses. Desire looked taken aback by my tone but not afraid.
“Of course, madam” he said, looking unruffled. With a wink at Bastet, he ascended the stairs and went back outside. As soon as the door closed, Bastet turned and looked at me, a questioning and yet somehow knowing look in her eyes.
“There was no need to…” She began.
“Bring him here.” I finished coldly.
Kisses motioned to Variety and they slunk off towards the other side of the room. Desire chewed an ice cube as Bastet stood up, closed the personal space between us, and looked me in the eyes.
“Be RUDE.” she snorted. Her own anger infuriating me further.
“Oh I’m sorry!” I cried dramatically, fluttering my eyelashes at her and placing a hoof on my chest. The last time I checked, this was my property!” I raised my head superiorly. “I can treat anypony, anyway I want here.” I turned around pointedly, wonder if i should walk off to emphasize the point...perhaps put her on probation...
“Whatevs” she said, rolling her eyes and muttering softly under her breath, but she was still close enough to know i could hear her.
“Prende got lucky...” she grunted “...leaving before you became an insufferable, clingy bitch”.
Something inside me snapped and I rounded on her. “HOW DARE YOU!” I roared. “YOU UNGRATEFUL WHORE!”
I saw movement out the corner of my eye but didn't turn to look.
“You come here bearing a mark of betrayal on your hoof, tell us you’re in a relationship and I’m the bitch!? How dare you betray this family! How dare you betray me Prende!”
I reared up, noting the surprise in those blue, no, golden eyes? I was suddenly bumped roughly on my left flank, so hard, in fact that I was turned around as I stumbled back and land on all fours again. Desire’s silted pupils bore into my dilated,round ones. Her expression held a silent warning.
She grunted at me in her purr-like voice. “This is not Prende Ms. Hot Trot”.
I sat down, stunned at what I’d been about to do. It had been her...I could almost swear. The grey coated earth pony had briefly been somepony else. A white coated mare with golden eyes….Prende. I swallowed hard.
Desire looked over at the bewildered Bastet. “You’re not going to quit…are you? She stated, matter of factly. “He’s perfectly fine with your work isn’t he?”
Bastet laughed, her voice a bit shaky. “He’s more than ok! He was an exotic dancer, he was practically in the same business and I made it clear that this is what I love to do. I’m not going anywhere! In fact, I was hoping he could work here too.”
She peeked past Desire to look at me. Our eyes met and I blinked slowly.
“Yes, of course he can dear.” I said quietly.
I’d taken it out on Bastet. I knew very well she could take care of herself. She did this as a side job. She had a business. She wasn't a precios mare who needed protecting. She wasn't the one I’d taken in when her mother rejected her. She wasn’t Prende.
“Wait WHAT?” She shouted. “What happened to all that anger just a moment ago…?”
Desire looked at her sternly and she cleared her throat, avoiding the gaze.
“I mean uh, thanks” She got up and trotted towards the stairs. “That’s what I thought” she added smugly, going outside to share the good news I assumed. Any sign of the shaky voice from moments ago had vanished.
“Wait, what’s his name?” Called Variety from across the room.
Bastet beamed at her. “Moonlit Shuffle!” She called back.
Desire looked at me calmly. “You have to let her go Hot Trot.” she said in a low, even voice.
I looked away. “I just told her he could work here didn't I?” I huffed. Knowing very well that she wasn’t talking about Bastet.
“Can’t you be happy that she’s happy?” She gave a small, hopeful smile.
She definitely wasn't talking about Bastet. I looked her in those cat-like eyes and turned away, heading back towards my private quarters. I thought about it, if only for a moment.
“Of course I can, dear…but that doesn't mean I will.” I whispered softly to myself.
Author's Note
Please do point out any errors and if you think something could have been worded better, feel free to let me know!
