The Cat's Meow [OPEN]

[Brennan Malone]

Fix his tie, brush off his suit jacket. Then muss up his hair. A smile came over his face as he pulled open the underground door, the bright lights sweeping over his vision and temporarily blinding him. The noise was a symphony. There was nothing he liked better than the sound of drinking, pool, music, laughter, and rebellion. Mr. Malone gave a suave nod to a passing guest who had a delicate woman on his arm, passing her a glance before moving past another group of people to head toward the bar. To check up on his most trusted employee.

"Pardon me, sir," he mumbled apathetically, as if he was some troubled drunkard coming in to waste another few dollars on bottles and bottles of liquor. "Don't s'pose you could whip me up a little something?"

His eyes lifted to Benji with a smile. A tiny voice made him look up further, and he touched little Mattie on the nose. "Hey, bearcat. When can you take me out for something other than a..." He trailed off, peering into her bubbly glass. He finished, "Rootbeer float."

[Benji Jakeman]

All the Gin Joints...

"Pardon me, sir, don't s'pose you could whip me up a little something?"

Benji looked up from the conversation with his daughter. Seeing that it was Brennan before him he shot the other man a lopsided smile. "Hey there, bossman," he greeted. "Y' finally decided to show up for the job, eh?" He smirked, knowing only he could get away with that kind of talk.

Lifting a clean glass from under the bar, he tilted it toward Brennan. "But seriously, you want somethin'?" Benji was nothing if not an attentive bartender.

"Hey, bearcat. When can you take me out for something other than a..." He trailed off, peering into her bubbly glass. He finished, "Rootbeer float."

Benji groaned at that, shaking his head. "Already hittin' on my dame, Bren? Doncha got like four of your own at any given time to take care of?" He chuckled though, to show he was only joking.

[Mattie Jakeman]

Just a Little Dame

Mattie kicked her feet happily as she rested her chin on her hands, drinking happily from her rootbeer float. She giggled at Daddy teased her about her bow, tweaking it a little. "Daddy," she whined teasingly, smile not dropping from her face.

Uncle Brennan appeared then and Mattie's smile brightened by about fifty watts. "Hi Uncle Brennan!" She called happily, sitting up striaight. At his proposal, she blushed and giggled. "I'm too little t' have any of the hooch that you an' daddy drink."

A second later, after he complained to Uncle Brennan about flirting with her, Mattie felt Daddy's towel snap over her shoulder. It sting only a little, didn't really hurt. "Hey!" she protested, facing him with a pout.

Daddy's face was stern as he leveled with her eyes. "Don't say 'hooch,' Mattie. It's uncouth."

Mattie's eyes shined as she giggled. "Guess I'll just be uncouth than." Daddy just groaned jokingly, dropping his head to a hand.

[Audrey Carleone]

Let's get Jazzed

Her eyes trailed around the room, as she walked in the door. The first thing that hit anyone coming it here was the music, the laughter, and the smell of cigarettes. Her hair was tied up into a nice french bun, loose strands handing down her neck.

"Guess I'll just be uncouth than."

Audrey perked a brow as she leaned on the bartop next to Mattie. "And why on earth would you want to be uncouth?" She smiled brightly over at her. Her eyes flicked to Benji and Brennan, giving them both a warm smile.

"So what's a gal gotta do to get a little white lightening around here, hm?"

[Brennan Malone]

Bossman[/b][/url]

Jerking his head up as a sort of nod to Benji's offer, Brennan only had eyes for the glass before a fine lady came up beside him. He suddenly corrected himself as he saw who it was and immediately turned away whatever compliment he'd been waiting to dish out to her. She should know she was beautiful without him having to say it.

"Pay up, that's what," he replied with a wry smile. Turning on his own words, he dug into his breast pocket and pulled out a quarter. "That's for her. Give her whatever she wants." Benji was his best friend, and he treated him like that whenever he could, but when there were guests and paying customers for illegal booze, he needed to have his business face on.

His head was thrown back as Mattie demonstrated her matured tongue. "Kid, you better stop growing up. You're makin' me feel old, y'know that?" Ruffling her hair, he tweaked her hair ribbon.

[Benji Jakeman]

"That's for her. Give her whatever she wants."

Benji lifted a brow, nodding with a lopsided smile on his face. "You got it, Mr. Malone." Teasing with the last name but the customers wouldn't know that. Brennan would get it though and know that he was jibing. Pouring a few fingers of moonshine for Brennan and sliding the glass across the counter to him, he set his sights on the dame before him.

"So what can I get you now, Moll?" he asked Audrey, flashing her a bright smile.

"Kid, you better stop growing up. You're makin' me feel old, y'know that?"

Benji scoffed, wiping up some of the rootbeer Mattie had spilled. "Makin' you feel old?" he repeated softly. If anything, Mattie's growing older was a constant reminded of his own age. He passed a gentle smile to his daughter as he finished with his cleaning.

[Mattie Jakeman]

"And why on earth would you want to be uncouth?"

Mattie looked up, brow furrowing. But then she saw that it was Audrey and her eyes lit up. She loved that jazz babe; everything about her was so glamorous and free-wheeling. "Heya Miss Audrey," she said, smiling. "And why wouldja wanna be couth? Couth's boring."

Benji lifted his eyebrows at that. "Oh, that's what a father wants to hear his seven-year-old daughter sayin'." He snapped the towel at Mattie's hands again and she just smirked up at him.

"Kid, you better stop growing up. You're makin' me feel old, y'know that?"
"Makin' you feel old?"

Mattie giggled at that and fixed her bow a little. "That's a-'cause you are old, Uncle Brennan!" With a nod to solidify her statement, she noisily drank the last of her drink.

"Listen to the mouth on this one..." Benji joked, taking the empty glass away. "Disrespecting her elders like it ain't nothing." He stopped to rub his nose against Mattie's. "That's your Uncle Jesse's influence, eh?"

Mattie only giggled and nodded. "Can I have another, Daddy?"

Benji scoffed and shook his head. "Naw, that's enough soda and ice cream for you." Mattie pouted softly at that but quickly recovered.

[Audrey Carleone]

"Pay up, that's what," he replied with a wry smile. Turning on his own words, he dug into his breast pocket and pulled out a quarter. "That's for her. Give her whatever she wants."

She perked a brow over at him, a wry smile crossing her face. She was just about to comment back on it when he paid for her drink. "Why thank you." She smiled, tilting her head slightly. That Brennan, sure would love to make him my sheik--

"So what can I get you now, Moll?"

Her mouth popped open slightly before she reached over and hit his arm playfully. "You pipe down." She laughed softly, shaking her head, showing she was only joking. She tilted her head towards Brennan. "I'll have what he's havin'."

"Heya Miss Audrey," she said, smiling. "And why wouldja wanna be couth? Couth's boring."

"How are you tonight Miss Mattie?" She smiled, looking down at the girl. "Says you." She grinned, tapping the girl's nose gently. "That's your Uncle Jesse's influence, eh?" She smirked down at Mattie, perking a brow before turning to look back at Benji.

"Yeah, and where is that live-wire of a bother of yours?"

[Scarlett Windall]

Shine

The poker table was alive tonight. She had come in about 15 minutes ago and already won about ten dollars in quarters. A smile played across her lips as she scooped the money in a pile towards her. All the men groaned as the dealer dealt once again. Her cigarette was on the tip of her lips as she picked up her hand. Placing a bet down she kept her face as straight as possible.

The fattest one, Tony, chuckled. "Oh Scar you think you have me lil' gal, but I would keep my bets to a minimum if I w're you." Scarlett shook her head tipping the ashes off her cigarette onto the floor. "Keep talking Tony." Was all she said. The flop came around and her mind was second guessing herself. He raised her bet, and she matched it. The other's had folded like the smart people they tried to be.

"Last bet Scar?" Tony teased as she weighed her options. "All in." She said a smirk climbing across her lips. His face went pale, but he saw her bet and matched it. He laid his cards out with a proud grin. "A straight. Beat that dear..." She held her face steady as Tony already started huffing to his friends about how women should stick to cleaning. That tugged her nerves, but she gently placed her cards face up on the table. "Royal Flush." She said smirking.

Tony's jaw dropped. He started groaning. "Scar how do you do it..." His face drained off all color as she scooped all of the change and dollar bills into her clutch. "The luck of the cards I s'pose." She said grinning as she turned away from the table and made her way to the bar. Seeing Auddrey there gave her a warm smile. A woman like her who thought about the things she did, but so much more strong willed than her.

Slinking up to the other side of Audrey she grinned. "Well hello everyone. Place is looking rather hotsy totsy tonight...." She smiled looking back to where a few couple were dancing to the fast paced jazz. "Can I get a glass of that smooth hooch?" She asked placing her heavy clutch on the bar table pulling out a quarter. Looking up at the bartender she smiled softly. What could she say the eldest Jakeman was a looker himself.

Scarlett was a shy one at that. Talking to men was not her strongest point so though she had a tad of a crush on him and maybe even his brother she had never really spoken to him outside of ordering a drink. She was ure he didn't even know her name though she was praying that was soon to change. She was on the rise to fame and it was only a matter of time before people would start swarming her for autographs when she came here. Or atleast that's what she fantasized....

[Brennan Malone]

"Makin' you feel old?"

Another smirk played at his lips and he shrugged one shoulder, straightening his jacket, swerving on his seat to face the crowd, leaning his arms back on the counter. Benji was younger than him, yet he had a little thing--Brennan couldn't honestly say whether or not he ever wanted a small person following him around, calling him Pappy. He prefered the beat of his own drum, not everyone else's.

"That's a-'cause you are old, Uncle Brennan!"

"Hey now, you," he eyed her, pointing a reckoning finger. "Dry up and keep them gams o'yours closed and we'll be on the same page, got that? Don't need you growin' up too fast. You'll catch up t'me in no time."

Then he chuckled, eyes still on the crowds as he shook his head to Audrey. "You don't want what I'm having. You'll be upchucking by morning."

His eyes drifted up to the newcomer, a woman, who he thought he might've seen somewhere during a night on the town, but he wasn't sure. "Well hello everyone. Place is looking rather hotsy totsy tonight...."

"That's this juice joint fer ya," he replied in a regular mumble."May be hooch but it's served on the level."

Pretty sure that he looked like a drugstore cowboy sitting like this, he turned back to Benji and smiled. "Come on, boy, can't you work any faster? We're dyin' of thirst over here."

[Benji Jakeman]

Benji kept a close smirk on as he watched Brennan play Audrey like a fiddle. Not that he begrudged his boss for it. Brennan was a big boy and could do what --or who-- he wanted. Benji just wasn't allowed quite the same luxury with Mattie about. But that was fine with him.

He filled the lady's order, passing the drink across the counter to her. He chuckled at Brennan's comment, head shaking. "Yeah, all right. S'the point of comin' to a joint like this on' though, ain't it? Get all jazzed?"

"Dry up and keep them gams o'yours closed and we'll be on the same page, got that? Don't need you growin' up too fast. You'll catch up t'me in no time."

Benji let his eyes closed softly as he felt a blush come to his cheeks and a groan escape his lips. "Aw, well that's swell, Brennan. Y'mind not giving my girl ideas 'fore her time? This tomato ain't nowhere near being ripe yet." Jeez, as if raising a kid wasn't hard enough without her Uncle Brennan corrupting her to kingdom come...

Before he could warn Mattie not to pay any attenion to what Brennan was saying, Audrey spoke up, asking after Jesse. Benji raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Passing a hand through his hair he glanced around the bar inconspicuously, hoping to catch sight of the man in question. "Hell if I know." Where was Jesse though? Hopefully not doin' something stupid that would leave Benji holding the bag.

Some unfamiliar dame showed up then and took Benji's attention. He shot her a quarter glass, happily taking the money from her and putting it away. "Here y'are," he murmured, shooting a smile back to Brennan at his joking chastisement. "You wanna get behind the counter here and serve something yourself, Malone?" His tone and smile were easy though. Benji knew he was good at what he did and that there wasn't no better this side of the Miss'ippi.

[Mattie Jakeman]

"How are you tonight Miss Mattie?"

"Peachy keen," Mattie replied smiling. "How 'bout you? How'd you get your hair to do like that? Daddy can't do hair for spit."

"Ain't a Daddy's job to do hair," Benji countered with a grin before returning to his tending.

She giggled as Audrey tapped her nose and nodded. "That's right, says me. Ain't never been a couth woman who had an int'resting life, huh? And I don't want no unint'restin life."

"Mary, Jesus and Joseph," Benji sighed out at hearing his daughter make such a statement. That's it; he was locking her in her room and she wasn't coming out until after she was married. And no, that didn't make sense, but he was a father so he didn't need to make sense.

"Dry up and keep them gams o'yours closed and we'll be on the same page, got that? Don't need you growin' up too fast. You'll catch up t'me in no time."

Mattie wrinkled her frequently-tapped nose and cocked her head at Brennan. "What's that mean, huh? Why'd my gams be open in the first place?" Her brow furrowed. Sometimes her Uncle Brennan just didn't make no sense.

[Audrey Carleone]

"You don't want what I'm having. You'll be upchucking by morning."

Audrey smirked. "That sounds like some kind of dare, Mr Malone." She jabbed back at him, her smile increasing. "Yeah, all right. S'the point of comin' to a joint like this on' though, ain't it? Get all jazzed?" Audrey snickered softly. "And how."

"Well hello everyone. Place is looking rather hotsy totsy tonight...."

Audrey's head turned, looking to the woman beside her. "Ab-so-lute-ly." She grinned, offering a hand to her. "Audrey Carleone." Her head turned as Mattie began to speak.

"How 'bout you? How'd you get your hair to do like that? Daddy can't do hair for spit." "Ain't a Daddy's job to do hair,"

Audrey chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Anytime you want yer hair done, you come find me." She smiled gently. "Dry up and keep them gams o'yours closed and we'll be on the same page, got that? Don't need you growin' up too fast. You'll catch up t'me in no time." Audrey's mouth popped open again. "Brennan Malone, don't you start puttin' thoughts in that poor kids' head."

"And Miss Mattie, I am just copacetic."

[Jesse Jakeman]

Butt me.

Futz, he was late. Wasn't his fault, and he was stickin' to that. Sweat beaded down his neck as he came to the door that entered the speakeasy. Pushing it open, he tumbled slightly forward, quickly catching himself and the trunk he was carrying.

His eyes quickly flicked around the room. He knew Malone and Benji were here somewhere.. Finally, he spotted them at the bar, typical. He smirked, walking up from Brennan's side. "Heya big shit. He smirked, placing the trunk behind the counter. "First delivery of the night." He sighed, wiping at his neck with a hankerchief.

"Is it just me or is it stuffy in here?" He sighed out softly, throwing the hanky back into his hip pocket. His eyes caught the sight of Mattie, and grinned. "Heya kid." He said, leaning over and plating a kiss on her forehead.

He patted Benji's back before offering a smile to Audrey. "Miss Audrey, look at y', all dolled up."

[Scarlett Windall]

Scarlett watched the young girl a smile crawling acroos her lips. That youngin' would be a handful to control, but a cute one at that. Audrey was all dolled up, and Scarlett looked like a rag compared to her. Taking a sip of the drink that was passed to her her attention gazed back to Benji. Clearing her throat just quiet enough for no one to hear over the music.

Knocking back the thick smooth liquid she placed the empty glass on the bar counter. She bit on her bottom lip trying to think of something snarky to say to get someone's attention on her. That's when jesse waltzed in. Everyone's attention jumped back and frth between the small girl, Mattie, and Audrey.

Scarlett held her breath. Why was she so shy? "Another one?" She spoe softly her gaze on the empty glass. Looking up to catch the eye of Jesse. "Well...well look what the cat drug in." She laughed softly. She had played Jesse in a few games of billards. Most of the time she won, but ended up lettng him sweet talk his way out of giving her the money.

"Up for another beatin' Jakeman?" She grinned softly. Maybe he would remeber her maybe her wouldn't.