Ashley and Leah's daughter decides to take care of her papa, Ashley.....

            Imani Lyon had not been present when her dad, Ashley, had arrived to find Leah’s note describing her temporary defection from the marital scene.  Ashley had beat a hasty retreat to his parent’s and was now staying in his safari club bungalow which was also occupied for the school break by his oldest son, Arlon Lyon.  Imani, feeling very self-righteous and mature, headed her SUV toward her father’s current residence.  Upon arrival, she leaned on the doorbell.  The insistent ring produced an exasperated Arlon who was watching a soccer game on satellite television. 

“I’m here to take care of Dad,” announced Imani, lugging a robust piece of luggage in with her. 

“He just got off a flight.  He’s in the kitchen.  I’m sure he will be delighted,” cracked Arlon, who, sharing the opinion of many, thought his half sister was a real pain in the ass. 

Imani put the luggage down and made her way to the kitchen where her father was pouring a Scotch that was so stiff it appeared almost maroon in color.  Ashley looked up in surprise. 

“I’ve come to take care of you, Dad.  I am going to replace my bad ass mom,” she announced, paws on hips, expensively shod foot placed forward at a haughty angle.  She might as well be tapping it, thought the unnerved Ashley. 

“I thought you were staying in Roy Lee’s guest cottage with your mother, Imani.”

“No, I’m here to take care of you.  You need help, Dad.  I’ll put my luggage in the spare bedroom and be right back,” she informed him, exiting the room with a decided flaunt and sashay.  If one was familiar with Imani Janice Lyon’s modus operandi, they would immediately recognize the signs of her acquiring a new dominion.

 “Jeez,” groaned Ashley. “That’s all I fucking need.”

            Dr. Trevor Tau was finished with his rounds at the Kenya Medical Facility.  Lucy Cougar, who had accompanied him, held her breath and pumped up her nerve. 

 “Are you seeing someone?” she asked, head cocked at an angle she considered appealing. 

He gave her a cursory glance before riveting his attention again on his paper work. 

“That’s absolutely none of your business, Lucy.  You’re pressing your boundaries with me.  I don’t like it.”

Lucy ran out of his office.  She was off duty and racing for Staci Simba’s town house.  Staci would possibly commiserate with her.  In addition, the President’s daughter was sleeping with Dr. Juma Mnyama, Trevor’s colleague.  Maybe she would have the skinny on Trevor’s love life. 

            Bertram Baboon was filled with enthusiasm when he rang me up.  I had just arrived from a harrowing day of activities at the State House.  Shane was hosting a summit of Pan African leaders. 

“Maurice, Glo and I have taken your suggestion of co-writing an original screenplay seriously.  We want to write a fictional version of Shane Simba’s life,” he chortled. 

“Oh hell no, Bertram - He will recognize it just like he recognized his character in Betty’s potboiler.  He will take grim exception to your doing this.  I’m sure Roy Lee won’t go for it either.”

“Well, he married Betty so he couldn’t have taken too much exception to her exposé.”

“Betty fucked him out of his snit.  You can’t do that.  He’s your brother-in-law now, Bertram.  Please don’t do this,” I begged. 

 “Oh, I quite forget that I am now related by marriage to a lion.  Well, Maurice, you certainly took the shine off our next project.”

With that said, he hung up without further ado or farewell.   

            Leah Lyon stood in the shadowy, faintly dim lamp light of Trevor Tau’s bedroom.  She held a sheer green scarf before her naked body, undulating slowly in a super sexy adaptation of Salome’s dance of the seven veils – only Leah held just the one.  Leah had always been impish in sexual matters but she was amazed at what carnal behavior Trevor called forth in her.  His intense sexuality brought out her own.  She was having the time of her life and, inopportunely, falling madly in love in chorus with her erotic odyssey. 

“Come here, my lovely,” beckoned the supine Trevor, holding out his arms. 

Leah dropped her veil to the floor and straddled his naked body on the bed. 

“Let me get on top this time,” she breathed in his ear. 

“Whatever you wish, my love,” he murmured his voice husky with desire. 

            Ashley Lyon, realizing that his shabby chic wouldn’t work with the sophisticated females that frequented the Watering Hole Pub, went to the new Harrods in the Lewis Lyon Mall.  There he got outfitted with some new, very fashionable duds.  He had called Leah at her dad’s and been told, gently, firmly and very sweetly, that she still needed space.  He was anxious to escape the petulant and often officious Imani who had taken up residence in his safari club bungalow, clashing often and loudly with her sibling, Arlon. 

            He made his way to the bar at the pub, female eyes alight and snapping at his return to the singles’ scene.  Ashley was one of three major male lions that set hearts to spinning.  The other two were off the scene and consisted of Shane Simba and his half-brother, Sloane.  There were the other Simba males, Dick and Simon Simba, who were highly attractive but terribly sexually aggressive.  Of course, there was also Chris Simba, who lacking the ‘Johnny on the spot’ sexual allure of his pride brethren,  would occasionally mope around the bar, getting in his cups. 

            The handsome Ashley was clad in the latest fashionistas' wear from the Armani and Gucci sections of Harrods.  He smelled richly of Dior male cologne.  Six females made their way to him as he ordered a double Scotch and greeted Wally Warthog and his son. 

“Are you just out of my life now, Staci?”

This question was offered up by Luke Leoparde who was in the air and instructing the President’s daughter on her last instrument training flight. 

“Luke, you’re married,” soothed Staci, placing a paw on his leg. 

“I know that, Staci, but we were still seeing each other,” groaned Luke.  “My wife is your father’s mistress and doesn’t mind our affair as you well know. It seems like you’re just all into this Mnyama dude.”

“Calm down, Luke.  I haven’t committed to anyone.  I’m still all about my career.”

“Shit,” spat Luke. “I miss you ---- I miss us.”

            Ashley ended up propositioning Landa Jaguar, Janice’s niece who ran JAGGERS these days.  The pretty jaguar that looked so much like her aunt, gently turned down Ashley’s request.  She felt there was a bit too much interfamilial fraternizing in light of the fact that Ashley was married to Leah and had been the long time lover of Janice.  So with a polite kiss to the cheek, Landa left the pub, high heels clicking on the polished floor as she made her exit.  Sitting on a bar stool was a disheartened Lucy Cougar.  After four stiff libations, Ashley made his way toward the slumped and disconsolate figure. 

“You’re Syl and Bern’s daughter, aren’t you? Lucy? Inquired Ashley. 

“Yes and I know you’re Ashley Lyon,” perked and chirped Lucy who was much revived at this show of attention from a major league hunk.  “My sister is married to your brother, Junior.”

“Has been for years,” chuckled Ashley.  “What does a freshly separated male do to fill his time around here?  I’ve been married so long; I’ve almost forgotten the routine.”

“I have a great house on the river and my kids are with my ex-husband this weekend.  Want to go to my place, Ashley?”

“Sounds like a plan.  I’ll follow you, Lucy.”

                                                       Ashley Lyon runs into Lucy Cougar in the Watering Hole Pub.....

    Wally Warthog stood behind the bar wondering what the pluperfect had gone wrong with Ashley Lyon’s idyllic union with Leah Simba.  Little did he guess the actual muddle behind the collapse.  He's back, he sang to his wife, Jaunita, who was lording it over the kitchen staff.

            “Well, you don’t have to worry, Trevor,” remarked Lucy Cougar the next time she and the malaria doctor had completed their rounds in the new facility on the Mara River.  “I am seeing someone now.  I won’t be bothering you.”

“That’s good to know, Lucy.  It’s best we keep things platonic since ours is a career oriented relationship.”

Don’t you want to know who I’m seeing?” asked Lucy, adjusting her bra from the base and managing a better lift to her ample bosom. 

“I don’t consider that my business, Lucy.  As I have said, you are my assistant-in-training, not my romantic squeeze.”

“I’m going to tell you anyway.  I’ve landed a very desirable male,” bragged Lucy, inordinately proud of her one night stand with the former president’s son.  “It’s Ashley Lyon.”

Trevor controlled, by the hardest, his knee jerk reaction to this statement that Lucy was seeing Leah’s husband.  

“I thought he was married, Lucy.”

“They are separated now.  His wife is living with her parents.”

Trevor felt a rush of joy surge within him, making its way through his entire system, concluding with a thankful and jolting squeeze to his heart. 

“I’ll take you to lunch in the cafeteria, Lucy.  You can tell me more about this exciting affair of yours.  I’m quite happy for you, in fact.”

            Leah had made arrangements to go to Trevor’s river home after all were tucked in bed and asleep in the Roy Lee Simba household where she was occupying her parent’s guest house with four of her children.  Trevor was still in his doctor’s gear after having just arrived from the Kenya Medical Facility on a late night health crisis for a malaria patient.  He held her closely when she crossed the threshhold. 

“You must have been working late,” she sighed into chest. 

“I was.  A patient bottomed out tonight.  How was your day?”

“Normal for my office,” she laughed, tossing her purse on his couch and accepting a white wine. 

“Leah, you didn’t tell me you were living separately from your husband.”

“How did you find out?” she gasped. 

“Through the grapevine at the hospital.  Patients have little to do hooked up to IV’s and the like,” he fibbed.  “They chat wildly.”

“I wouldn’t think your patients would be aware of the goings on between Ash and me.”

“The Mara is one huge over indulgent grapevine, Leah.  You’ve lived here always.  I’m sure you know this,” he laughed. 

Trevor had his back to Leah, concocting a rum and coke for him.  He turned to see her sitting on the couch, her face in her paws.  Her willowy frame shook with what appeared to be silent sobs.  He came to sit by her, putting an arm around her. 

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong, Leah?  Maybe I can help,” he offered. 

“I am so confused about my feelings for you, Trevor.  I am not the type of animal that can live in a household where I am deceiving my mate.  That’s why I had to distance myself from Ashley,” she cried, her weeping at full throttle now. "I suppose I didn't tell you about the separation because I didn't want to face my own emotional crisis." 

He pulled her paws away from her face and held her closely, glued tightly to his side. 

“Which factor is confusing you the most, Leah?”

“I don’t know, Trevor.  I may be falling in love with you,” she sobbed.  “I know it’s not suitable either.”           

He turned her toward him and tipped her face upwards until gold met green in a mutual eye lock. 

“Not suitable for whom, darling Leah?”

“Either, I would suppose.”

“If there is any doubt in your mind as to how I feel about you, let me put it to rest.  I never thought I’d fall in love this way - so swiftly, wholly and absolutely.  But I have and with you.”

“I think I feel the same way about you, Trevor.”

“So, let’s face our dilemma and work to resolve it.  How does that sound to you?”

“I think it sounds good - difficult - but reasonable,” she said, putting her paw on his chest and stroking it. 

“It won’t be the easiest thing we’ve ever done but we’ll take it a day at a time.”

“I love you, Trevor Tau,” declared Leah, pressing her lips to his.

“I love you too, Leah Lyon.  We will be fine and together one day.” 

He picked her off the sofa, carrying her to his room.  They made love until the early dawn's bird song indicated she best return to her dad’s before the household was awake, kicking and highly suspicious.