4.4

As soon as the witch departed, the room exploded into howls of laughter. Zyrdicia disentwined herself from Portia and collapsed into a heavy armchair, tears nearly rolling down her face. "Damn it! I missed seeing her face!" she exclaimed, breathless.

Portia giggled. "Shocking men in taverns is one thing, but women really should know better..." She lost the thought in a wave of laughter.

Anthony walked across the room, mimicking Bethel's feline movement. "Meow, meow! I better run on home with my tail between my legs to get me a saucer of milk!" He put his hands on his hips. "Maybe when she gets there she'll find some clothes that didn't come off a trailer park crack ho."

His antics sent Zyrdicia into another fit of uncontrollable laughter. "Stop it! My stomach hurts!" she giggled, holding her hands to her abdomen. She breathed deeply, trying to stop laughing.

"Maybe when she gets new clothes she'll get someone to fix those nasty, li'l cat teeth, too," Charles remarked. "Did you see that gap? Hello?! There's something called a DENTIST. And don't even get me started on that Farah-Fawsett-wannabe hair." He held his hand with the palm directed out, rolling his eyes. His head bobbed from side to side, "The hair may be brassy, but she sure ain't sassy!"

Portia stopped laughing long enough to look at Zyrdicia seductively. She opened her lips and ran her tongue slowly along her upper lip.

"True love. Definitely true love," Anthony mocked.

Charles quipped, "Love? No, it's lust, baby. Definitely lust. Did you see their tongues?"