[h1][center][b]Sena Knight[/b][/center][/h1]

Heavy footsteps carried a disheveled pace across a finely manicured walkway. The sort of soft step generated by Berluti leather alternated somewhere between a brisk business stride and apprehensive caution. The man that they carried was little different than his current predicament: Heavy-set, short with large framed glasses and a quickly retreating hairline, but with an expertly tailored tan suit just as debonair as the shoes. Predicaments were a good thing, he always told himself. People paid money to have predicaments solved. When you were the best at it, Marcus Knight paid the best money. He retrieved a monogrammed handkerchief from his pocket and padded the sweat of an ever increasing morning humidity level. The initials simply read “[i]DB[/i]” for Danny Broom, “the Sweeper” as they called him. He had worked for Marcus for many years, hotel after hotel, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Paris and through all the marriages. Setting up the Diamonds in Delta were to be the capstone of an illustrious career in one of the world's premier hotel names and the stadium deal was just another feather in his hat. However, he would have done ten more hotels and worked another whole decade past his guaranteed retirement if it would have gotten him out of his current assignment. He huffed and shook his head, taking a firmer grip on his briefcase as he strode the long pathway to the rear of Marcus’ Pace island estate, though he wasn’t there to see Marcus- he was there to see his [i]daughter[/i].

He stepped over what was left of an overturned buffet table and looked around the after-action battlefield of another wild party. His glasses fogged and he again retrieved his handkerchief to clean them, squinting briefly before putting them back. A large “Happy Birthday” banner wafted daintily from a stone column amid the scene. His nose curled slightly. He knew it wasn’t anyone’s birthday. He knew [i]all[/i] of their birthdays: Sena, Karina, Tony, Aaron and even that smartass Levi. It was his job to know. Marcus demanded the best and that’s what he got. In hindsight he knew he had done it to himself. The birthday banner was just an ironic reminder. He could remember, years ago, Marcus had him organize Sena’s eleventh birthday party and it had been a [i]grand-slam for his career[/i]. Sitting Presidents, Turkish Sultans, Japanese Emperors, royalty through the ages had rarely beheld such a spectacle. He thought about it briefly as he stepped up onto the ornate pool patio. [i]That was where it all started[/i]. He thought with the tiniest of sighs. [i]That was where the seed was planted[/i]. He winced as he stepped in something, but just kept walking. Sena was stretched out in a heavily padded lounge chair, still in her bathing suit apparently from the night before, black with an electric yellow stripe. She had on an absurdly large sun hat that covered most of her upper body. 

“[i]Sena![/i]” He hissed, trying not to be too loud as he approached. He looked around again, finding Karina tucked into another lounge with a plush comforter taken from inside the house worth several thousand dollars that had been apparently dragged across the yard to keep her warm. He wiped his brow once more. There was at least hefty shade on the backside of the property and the air temperature was considerably cooler around the pool; however he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of two, angled, furry ears pointed in his direction from behind the older of the Knight daughters and he dared not move another step. He swallowed a dry gulp and tried to lean forward to give his voice even a few more inches to carry. “Sena!” She didn’t move, but the two ears stayed locked in his direction. He gripped his briefcase tightly with both hands. “Sena! Wake up!” The sweat that formed was no longer from the heat. 

Sena Knight groaned groggily from beneath her hat. Her tanned slender legs shifted slightly from the interruption of her pleasant slumber, but the realization that she was rather cold caused her to tread her feet and unhappily roll over into the warm spot she’d been asleep in for several hours. The hat shifted clumsily with her over her shoulders and she exhaled in a long huff that seemed to cause her to sink further into the cushions. 

“Sena, we’ve got an interview at the station, [i]remember![/i] The Sweeper pleaded. “It’s [i]Wednesday![/i]” He kept his eyes on the ears that continued to be angled straight at him like some sort of beam antennas on a jet.   

After what felt like an hour of stone silence, Sena’s arm finally moved and she shifted over on her side. It was impossible for Danny not to look away from her ample backside- not a tan line in sight. He relaxed a bit seeing the ears fold back to accept her gentle reach. 

“[i]Tibsy[/i]…” Sena said playfully through dry, cracked dehydration. “[i]Tiiiiiiiiiibsy[/i]” 

Danny slowly stepped closer. The muscular neck of a full-grown [url=https://floridawildlifefederation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/florida_panther-e1594753278852.jpg]Florida Panther[/url] craned upward to let her scratch under its chin. It seemed to grin happily as her perfectly manicured nails worked around behind its ears. Around its neck was a diamond studded collar with gold name plate: “MR TIBBS”. 

“Such a handsome boy…” She said, almost whimsically. The large cat leaned into her arm and nudged against her adoringly before settling back down next to her. 

“Sena!” Danny continued. “We gotta get goin-”

“No.” She said, rolling onto her back again. The hat still covered her face and she relaxed back into the cushions once more as if he wasn’t even there. 

“This is a big deal!” He shot back, leaning forward as much as he dared. “This is how we get your big signing, you gotta get out there, you can’t just sit here by the pool and party every single day, my God, it’s only Wednesday!”

“Then get the helicopter.” Came the flat reply.

“Your dad is using the helicopter, and it’s not even that far.”

“No he’s not, I just talked to him.” She knew he was lying, so she was obliged to submit an even bigger lie. Mr. Tibbs rested peacefully on his massive front paws. 

“Ugh, I wanna come too…” Karina said emerging from underneath the comforter, her black hair splayed all over from a mix of static and sweat. “But only for the helicopter.” Also still in her bathing suit, she propped her head up on one hand tiredly and yawned. 

“Karina, honey.” Danny said. He felt relieved and could sense opportunity. The interview was only set for Sena, but he knew he could easily get Karina in as well. “You don’t have to come with us, relax and enjoy…”

Sena began snoring. 

Danny reached for the edge of the chair to give it a gentle shake which instantly prompted Mr. Tibbs to set up, arrow-straight, looking directly at him. “Oh God, Jesus and Mary…” He said, frozen, looking the stone-faced creature directly in the eyes. He glanced back to find Sena glaring at him from beneath her hat. 

“Get the helicopter or I’m gonna have Tibsy give you a kiss.”