16: Conflicting Emotions

Pointing in the cat-woman's face with fury, her other hand on her hip, "Get your troglodyte, snaggle-tooth, cock-eyed, "grandma's goodies" ass away from my husband!" Spit sprays between them,

"Harper!"

Clyde steps between them, grabbing Harper's shoulders with cane in hand. Trying to escort her away, she fights to shove past him.

Unsuccessful, Harper ducks and dodges instead to keep her eyes on the -slightly- older woman. "I catch that grisly face even lookin' at him again," she grabs his shoulders to prop herself up when he lifts her off the ground by her waist, "I'm slicin' you inta cat food an' feedin' you to mountain lions!"

Wriggling free, quick to run in on the girl before Clyde swiftly scoops her up and throws her over his shoulder, he spanks her with his cane.

"They the -only- men that'd want a piece of THAT sickly puss!"

Carrying her away, he steps from the smooth, decorated patio to a narrow sidewalk that leads through a garden, "Damn it, Harper Marie Constantine!"

She pounds away at his back, telling him to put her down before she claws at the air. Grumbling, carrying on shouting obscenities until her view of the patio is blocked entirely by flowering trees, "Put me down you cheatin' son of a–!"

He sets her down with his hands up in defense, quick to take a step back; watching her struggle to get her footing, he grabs her arm to keep her from falling on her butt when she steps from sidewalk to grass in her heels.

Flipping her hair out of her face, "Get the fuck off me," blowing strands from her lips, she shakes out her dress.

Struggling to stand comfortably, balancing between solid path and soft grass, "I need you to unstrap these. I don't want to break my neck out here," she mutters, glancing helplessly from him to her feet.

Growling, ruffling his hair, he struggles to force his wolf mask up his face until it rests on his forehead so he can look her in the eye. Visibly frustrated, he balls his fists at his sides before kneeling to do as she asks.

Undoing the first shoe from her foot, "Damn it, Harp," he looks up at her, "You -promised- me! Before you stepped foot in there," he points to the building surrounded by hazy lights under the darkening blue sky.

"You promised me," shaking his head, unstrapping the other shoe to remove it, "That you wouldn't get shit-faced."

This was the first time she can remember hearing -him- sound disappointed in -her-.

Squatting barefoot to meet him at eye level, holding onto his shoulder for balance, "I only had one!" She puts her solitary finger in his face and he pushes it away.

His forehead wrinkles, "One what?"

Rolling his eyes, "One -bottle-?"

Chortling, "Pfft," she stands up straight, throwing her hands around, "You know it'd take more than a -bottle- to get me fucked up."

Turning her back to him, crossing her arms, "You're the one swapping spit with a filthy cigarette."

Sneering at him from over her shoulder when he stands behind her, "I'm not the guilty one in this!"

She puts her foot down.

"Hn," he cocks his head back, the sensation of his skepticism boring a hole into the back of her head.

"You didn't do -anything- wrong?"

Harper swallows hard, searching the depths of her soul for a good response.

"I didn't say I didn't do -anything- wrong," she faces him, stabbing him passionately in the chest with her index finger, "But -I- sure as shit wasn't entertaining some hoochie-coochie in a spandex, whore-suit!"

The side of her fist lands on his chest and he grabs it, holding her hand still and she freezes.

"Harper," he sighs heavily, scratching his shaking head before laughing weakly, "She's not even interested in men!"

Harper's fist falls from his chest as she listens, watching Clyde pace back and forth, "We went to high school together. I set her up with her girlfriend."

Facing Harper and clutching air, "She loves "kitty" in -all- the senses."

"Oh…"

Gently tapping an itchy part of her face-jewelry, Harper suddenly bursts out laughing.

"Then nothing I said should hurt her feelings," she shrugs it off, already at peace with her actions and ready to move onto the next thing.

Staring at her incredulously with his head cocked to the side, "What?"

He palms his face before spitting off to the side and looking at her with sternness, "That's not how it works."

Placing his hands on her shoulders, she follows his arms up to his face.

"You owe her an apology OR I'm sending you to bed and tellin' folks you can't handle your liquor."

Smacking his hands away, "What. Ever!"

Crossing her arms, staring him up and down, "You couldn't even threaten that with a straight face. You've seen me get out of tickets while piss drunk!"

"YEAH," he shouts and she cringes, his tone quick to soften as he closes the distance between them, "While I was in the passenger seat now knowing how messed up you were because you REFUSED," he whisper shouts unintentionally then looks around for any listeners.

Squeezing her shoulder, "You -refused- to let anyone drive the graduation gift from your daddy."

Dragging his foot back in the grass, "As if that's something to be proud of."

Letting her go, stepping back onto the path, he shakes out his blazer and inhales sharply, "I trusted you with my life then," he huffs, "And I'm trustin' you with it now."

Pointing in her face, Harper dramatically inches her face back while he scolds her, "YOU have to make this right."

Tapping his cane on the stone path as she remains in the grass, "Otherwise, no one's gonna want to invest in this place if it's not selling wine."

Rolling her eyes, throwing a micro tantrum like a toddler, "But the wine is so good! Are you sure that's a good enough reason to never make it again?"

Covering his face with both hands and staring up at the sky through parted fingers, she continues, "That's like saying guns are the problem when it's the irresponsible people holding them."