Three Ball Salsa

[WebMistressGina]

So the Counters Ed said he would like to see some 3 Ball, so Edders, here's your three ball!




Sunny days and birds started a bright Wednesday morning in the heart of Mid-City, a suburb of Wilshire in Los Angeles, California. The city itself was bustling with activity, as the middle of the week gave way to thoughts of the weekend and the end of the work week.

For one Scooter Grosse, his morning began with the smells of breakfast.

On any other day, this would be a familiar sight in his little town home – him standing in the kitchen, in front of his stove, and standing in his pajama pants – but for the redhead business Muppet, this day was the greatest day of his life. To be technical, this was actually the second best day of his life, with the night before cementing his growing relationship with his girlfriend, Amanda Cosgrove.

A few weeks earlier, the couple had taken a trip up to Northern California where Scooter had continued to keep a cabin from his late uncle’s estate. The plan was to obviously spend time together, however the truth in the matter was that the couple wanted to move their relationship to a more physical level, thus cementing their love for each other in a more intimate setting. That plan had been foiled by the unexpected arrival of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, who had their own plans of a romantic getaway in the cabin, only a week later.

And while both Amanda and Scooter had been disappointed in the extra arrivals, their trip was still a special one and for Scooter at least, it had brought about a revelation from his subconscious on where he wanted this relationship to go. And that revelation was to have his girlfriend move in with him and then one day, he was going to marry her, that was an absolute certainty.

In fact, the night before he had plans on inviting her over in order to discuss the idea, especially when they seemed to share the same thoughts on life, love, and their togetherness.

It was the night before – Tuesday – that Scooter returned home to discover that his table had been set, with two candles, the smells of delicious food, and a beautiful redhead dressed in nothing but one of his dress shirts.

On seeing that, food had been the last thing on his mind.

So for this Wednesday morning, Scooter was in quite the mood. In another hour, he would be heading to the Beverly Hills home of his boss for their usual morning administrative meeting, which would no doubt be attended by the frog’s girlfriend, their resident diva. But as far as the page was concerned, nothing could possibly go wrong today, not when he had woken up with a beautiful woman by his side.

And speaking of said beautiful woman, the manager felt her arms wrap around his middle and felt her lips graze the junction between his shoulder and neck. “Good morning.”

“Good morning to you,” he whispered, turning slightly to punctuate the greeting with a lingering kiss. “Sleep well?”

“Better than ever,” Amanda cooed. Leaning in, she whispered, “Though it wasn’t the sleep that was so enjoyable.”

“I second that emotion.”

The couple kissed again and would’ve been happy to just stand there in the kitchen if it wasn’t for the slight burning smell of the French toast Scooter was making. With that, the manager had to scoop up the pieces and plate them while they were still hot. “For an excellent dinner,” he said, handing her a plate. “A hopefully excellent breakfast.”

“Only if you show me a good time.”

“Then I’ll never want to leave.”

“And there’s a problem in that because…”

“No problem at all,” he chuckled, leading them both to the table, plates and toast in hand. “Well, actually…there is a problem. See, I only see you when you come over or when I go over to your place. I want to see you all the time.”

“What’re you saying?”

“I want you to move in with me.”

“When?”

“Whenever you want,” he said. “If you want, I mean…this is a pretty big step and I’ll understand…”

“Scooter,” Amanda interrupted, placing a finger against his lips. “Just tell me when to start. I wanna be with you, too, and nothing could be better than to come home to you.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her then and there to marry him, to spend the rest of their lives together, but just as when he realized he was in love with her, his brain stopped his thoughts and reigned them in. This type of decision and question needed to be special, just as when he declared he loved her and he was hers, if she wanted him to be.

“I have a meeting with the frog and most likely the pig,” he said. “But when it’s done…”


“I’ll be waiting.”

 

[The Count]

*Explodes with happiness. sweeps up all the little pieces after counts to make sure they didn't miss any.

Alls I can say, is... About time. Hope for more soon, as this could be your best stuff yet.

Er, would you accept cinnamon-spiced coffee cake muffins? Mom made some yesterday... If not, that's okay. Thanks for getting the 3-ball rolling.
*Watches that 3-ball roll along on the wire construct track Frank Oz made for that Sesame Street film, the one where the ball lands in a metal crank-box, turned into three cheeries for three sundaes. Of course, there's the alternate ending where the ball got turned into three handfuls of red dust.
But red Himalayan salt dust not taste that good on its own.
Oh? And where have you seen it used? Oh yeah, Iron Chef America.

*Finishes cinnamon-spiced coffe cake muffin.

 

[The Count]

*Leaves a choc chip 3 cookie for Gina from the initial batch baked by as part of our annual MC Christmas tradition.
More story please?

 

[WebMistressGina]

Big apologies, y'all for not updating this when I wanted to. I had the first section done a while back, but got a bit busy. But plans are to not only get this chapter up and the next, but with the Christmas season in swing, I think it's a perfect time to update New York Minute, yes?

Sorta short, but here's more 3 Ball!


I.


Wednesday mornings were usually dubbed the admin meetings, as this was the day in which Scooter and Kermit usually did the books for the show, the theater, and the studios as a whole. It was more of an excuse to sometimes just catch up with each other; despite seeing each other throughout the week, they were usually working or trying to corral the inmates into behaving or at least, making sure they weren’t killing themselves.

For these meetings, the two had used to go out to their favorite coffee shop, but ever since Miss Piggy had built a lavish home in Beverly Hills, their meetings now took place there. It was the perfect atmosphere, with the large back patio in which they could sit and enjoy breakfast while taking shop; when it actually got cold, they could sit inside and enjoy the warmth that was afforded by the fireplace in the living room and the warmth that came from drinking hot coffee or chocolate in the morning.

In many of these meetings, Piggy was present as an observer only, however that never stopped her from giving advice or comments on whatever topic they were discussing at the moment. For this morning meeting, both pig and frog were in the kitchen, getting their coffee and awaiting the arrival of Scooter, who was usually prompt when it came to arriving on time.

True to his word, the page walked through the door, entering by way of the key that Piggy had given him once the house had been complete.

On most Wednesday mornings, Scooter was in a good mood, usually attributed to seeing his girlfriend the night before, but on this morning, he was in the most incredible mood ever. Having spent the night with Amanda and waking up to her beautiful face was something that would happen on occasion, but that night and this morning was something new for the both of them, a new step in the relationship that seemed to be growing every day. So when the redhead entered the house, he was full of spirit, happiness, and overall pleasure with the state of the world.

“Good morning world and all who inhabit it!”

Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, as was their custom most mornings, were in the kitchen enjoying the first cup of coffee. Kermit, who was known to have a drip line for his caffeine intake, sat at the round table booth that was set up in the kitchen, right across from the kitchen island where Piggy stood, getting herself a cap on the half cup she already had. While the two were used to Scooter’s arrival, they weren’t exactly used to hearing him exclaim such a greeting to them as he entered.

Both director and leading lady looked at each other before turning to view the new arrival in their midst; Scooter walked in, all smiles and heartfelt glory, and gave the frog a squeeze on his shoulder. “Good morning, friend Kermit,” he said as he passed, dropping his bag near the patio door. Heading towards Piggy, he delivered a hello kiss to her cheek, saying, “Good morning, darling Piggy.”

Continuing his trek, Scooter reached the fridge, pulling out the cream, before going back the way he came; he stopped at the cabinet, reached for a mug, and then turned to the kitchen island where the coffee was, all while Kermit and Piggy watched him suspiciously. “You’re quite chipper this morning,” Piggy replied, watching as he poured himself a cup.

“And why shouldn’t I be?” Scooter replied, giving her a dazzling smile. “The sun is shining, the air is crisp, plants are blooming -” Seeing the vase of flowers that sat on the counter as a decorative piece, the redhead waved slightly to them. “Hello, plants. The world is such a magnificent place, with wondrous things in it, and wonderful people and places. It doesn’t seem like I even have the words to describe how magnificent this day truly is!”

Giving the page a strange look, the diva asked, “Is this a song cue?”

Lighting up in only a way that signified receiving the best gift ever for Christmas, Scooter turned to once again look at the pig and did exactly that.

He started to sing, as though a song had just been waiting in his heart.

Today is a great day,
It’s a beautiful day,
There’s nothing that seems to be better in any way

Going around the corner, Scooter turned in a wide circle, arms open, and sang –

What is this feeling?
That could happen only to me,
That could grow inside a regular being

Actually sliding across the floor, past Kermit, and stopping at the patio door, Scooter exclaimed, “Sing it if you know the words!” before stepping outside to continue the song that had just come to him a few minutes ago, leaving the frog and pig to stare after him in confusion.

“I don’t…even…”

“Yeah,” Piggy agreed. “Not feeling it. How long do you think he’ll be out there?”

Kermit shrugged. “Depends on how long this song is,” he said. “What is he talking about anyway?”

“We’ll have to see when he comes back inside,” Piggy replied. “Assuming he does, indeed, come back. Wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to just dance around the neighborhood.”

“That would really push our meeting back.”

Still deliriously happy, Scooter came back in from his impromptu sing-a-long, stilling grinning like a fool. “Sorry,” he said. “I finished without you.”

“We noticed,” the duo replied.

The two looked at each other before walking over towards the now standing still Scooter, watching as he seemed to be off in a world of his own.

“What do you think, Nurse Piggy?”

“Oh, he’s definitely showing signs,” Piggy replied. “Observed the goofy grin, the glazed over eyes, the constant heartfelt sighing, the hearts and faces of Amanda circling above his head -”

Piggy pointed to the circle of little Amanda Cosgrove faces and hearts that were slowly going around the redhead’s head.

“He is definitely hooked.”

“As the Doc would say,” Kermit said. “The boy has a major case of the L-O-V-E.”

“Duh,” the diva huffed. “We knew that months ago. No, this is something new, something we haven’t seen yet.”

“Such as?”

“Well, obviously their relationship has changed somehow.”

Both frog and pig stared at the young assistant, each trying to figure out what could’ve been the change that had put Scooter in such a mood. While Kermit was still trying to decipher what had happened, the solution immediately came to Piggy.

“Why Scooter Grosse,” she said, a grin slowly appearing on her face. “You little minx.”

Scooter snapped out of his wondrous world to grant Piggy a look that clearly explained what exactly had happened. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Please,” the diva chuckled. “Like I haven’t seen that look before.”

“What look?” asked Kermit.

“That same look I put on your face last night, baby.”

“Please,” Scooter groused. “Say no more.”

“Well, well,” Piggy said, watching as the page went passed her to the refrigerator for some breakfast. “Congratulations, ma Cherie.”

“Where was that congrats eight years ago?”

“I was talking about Amanda.”

“Sure you were.”

“Honestly!” Kermit exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “Is there nothing sacred?”

“No.”

“Joke if you want,” Scooter said. “But nothing you say is going to bring me down. This is the best day ever!”


[hr]


While Scooter was reveling in his new found relationship step, Amanda was heading down towards Cosgrove Cool Pool for a little bit of paperwork catch up. She often came in on Wednesdays in order to do some administrative work, especially when she could be the only person in the office, away from distractive co-workers and employees.

Amanda was in the same euphoric high that her boyfriend was, her mind repeatedly going back to their night together; in all honesty, she had been trying to seduce Scooter Grosse since the day she had met him, hoping that he wasn’t too much of a star to not take an interest in her. Luckily, Scooter was very much a down to earth guy who kept a good head on his shoulders, despite being a high profile member of a high profile group.

Their recent discussions in regards to spending not only more time together, but perhaps their lives together had her mind in a whirl with all the possibilities and she would be lying if she wasn’t happy and looking forward to the prospect of spending the rest of her life as Mrs. Andrew Grosse.

That thought alone kept her on a high cloud as she drove to the pool hall and began her normal workday. It even came close to making her miss a phone call that came in around an hour after she had arrived; it was an unknown caller, from an unknown caller and Amanda had half a mind to not bother answering it at all, however knowing that sometimes her man could call from other phone lines if he wasn’t near his own phone caused her to answer on the off chance that it was Scooter.

“Hello?”

“Mandy?” asked the voice. “Mandy Cosgrove?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t recognize the voice, do you?” asked the voice, which was clearly male in origin. “Gotta say, I’m hurt, Mandy Pandy.”

It took nearly a minute before the nickname registered with the Whatnot, but when it did, a smile graced her lips, bigger than the one she had been wearing for most of the day.

“Scottie too Hottie!” she exclaimed. “How is that hot bod of yours?”

“Getting hotter talking to you, sweetness,” Scottie replied, a deep chuckle coming from his lips. “Guess who’s back in town and wants to see you?”

“Well, then you better get over here,” Amanda said. “I’m at the pool hall, door’s open.”

“Your dad around?” the caller questioned. “I remember that gun and that dog you used to have.”

“I’m sure there’d be no problems, hot and sexy,” Amanda giggled. “Get your hotness down here. We got a lot to catch up on.”

“Sure do, sweetness,” Scottie said. “Not every day you get to see your old boyfriend.”


“No it’s not,” Amanda said. “And I most definitely want to see you out of all of them. When can you get here?”

 

[The Count]

Thankees for the update.

It's good to see Scooter happy like that from time to time.
You know, comprehension would have come much quicker to Piggy if Amanda were in her presence, cause then you'd be able to get away with that line always used about how the diva would notice the pool heiress's glow.
Sorry Scooter, we don't know that song.
*Wonders if Robin is staying his aunt and uncle at that fancy lavishly built home of theirs with the K+P on the electrified fence.
" Throw me over!"
"Concern: Throw me over too, I love the smell of singed fur!"

Ooh... Why you gotta add the drama with Mandy's former boy-toy? *Insert Comedy Misunderstanding 101 AV tape.
Hope you be okay in the 16º heatwave that assaulted Denver yesterday, happy holidays.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Thankees for the update.

You're welcome, mon amie!

It's good to see Scooter happy like that from time to time.
Sorry Scooter, we don't know that song.
*Wonders if Robin is staying his aunt and uncle at that fancy lavishly built home of theirs with the K+P on the electrified fence.

Yes, we do enjoy seeing a very happy Scooter. And the song I made up or tried to anyway; kept getting "Life's a Happy Song" in my head, so take your cue from there.

Um.....yes to Robin? Actually hadn't figured him in this, but I can....

*thinking* Sure, why not?

Ooh... Why you gotta add the drama with Mandy's former boy-toy? *Insert Comedy Misunderstanding 101 AV tape.
Hope you be okay in the 16º heatwave that assaulted Denver yesterday, happy holidays.

Well, Counters, that's where the 3 in the 3 Ball comes from (and one other place).

Silly boy - don't you remember that recent unpleasantness that sent me from Denver back to my home town of Tucson? But you'll be happy to know that in about two weeks, I'll be in Peoria (sub of Phoenix) until 2015 and THEN I can be back in Denver.

That's the hope anyway.

So W to the M to the G, what's up next, huh?

Well, I guess you'd like to know who this Scottie guy is, as would Scooter. And there's gonna be a fight that will tear our little couple apart.

And Kermit and Piggy discuss.

All on 3 Ball!

 

[The Count]

Huh, didn't know you'd traded the snowy slopes of Denver for the rock canyon hole in the ground of Arizona. Maybe you'll hopefully meet up with biggest fan who is dearly missed around here.

Funny thing is, I'm waiting to see what you're thinking of Muppet/character-wise for Scottie because that entire nickname was used by a former wrestler known for getting the crowd to chant his spelled-out WORM! mantra.
Okay, I'm sorry for the obscure reference, like I've said elsewheres I've watched waaaaaay too much TV and retain a whole bunch of it in my steel trap mind.

Looking forward to the next update.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Funny thing is, I'm waiting to see what you're thinking of Muppet/character-wise for Scottie because that entire nickname was used by a former wrestler known for getting the crowd to chant his spelled-out WORM! mantra.

*clap* I didn't think anyone would've gotten that reference - though it was just a thought; I do admit that I loved him and was mad that I never got the Too Hot baseball jersey like I wanted

Guess what? I'm checking out another story I have on here...

 

[The Count]

You mean your reply in Once in a Lifetime? Unless you mean Ch 153 of KG.

Fight? Trouble? Bad times for the new power couple?
Nope, I'm not worried, not until we get to 1-Ball or Q-Ball. Whichever you decide.

But what will we do tomorrow night?
The same thing we do every night, wait for these Muppet fics to be updated.

 

[WebMistressGina]

Lo Muppeteers! Sorry for the lateness, but here is your new chap of 3 Ball. We're about to meet Scottie 2 Hottie in the flesh and the seeds of the green eyed monster are laid in place.




II.


Scottie Coulter was a good ole boy from North Carolina who had found himself in the great state of California a few years ago. Wanting to experience sun and surf, Scottie had ventured out from his humble roots to the west coast to find his own adventure; he had certainly worked in the business that was Hollywood, first as a busser than as an assistant in an office.

Scottie had since been to several places – Texas, Michigan, New York, and even back home, but he could still feel the calling of the west, so he decided to take a two week vacation back to his stomping grounds of LA. And one of the first people he wanted to see was one of his old girlfriends, Amanda Cosgrove; Scottie had plenty of girlfriends, but his Mandy Pandy was special. He had never believed those people that said their sig O was their best friend until he met Mandy and she truly was a special friend to him through his life.

In fact, Mandy was the person he had come out to, feeling confident in the knowledge that if she could accept him for who he was, everyone else would fall in to place.

It didn’t exactly work out that way – with the others he had told – but Mandy had been supportive, his figurative rock so to speak, and he had never forgotten it. They had kept in touch off and on, but as it was with life, sometimes you just don’t have the time and then the days pass, then the months, then years before communication is reestablished.

But Scottie was in town this time and he definitely wanted to see his Mandy Pandy.

They had talked a little bit – about the pool hall, business, her dad, etc – before setting up a time for meeting for lunch. Mandy apparently already had a date set, but she cheerfully announced that she wanted Scottie to meet the man she planned on marrying one day. That put a definite smile on his face, as he had always hoped she would find a guy that was worthy of her and this Scooter Grosse sounded exactly like that.

He couldn’t wait.


[hr]


Lunch time on a Wednesday could sometimes be a crowded affair, especially at the Muppet Theatre. Scooter and Kermit always made a point of staying away during lunch, when the cantina would be crawling with everyone and their mothers – often the case with their ever growing rat population – and when the Swedish Chef was dishing out whatever he could find in the kitchen.

It could also be crowded if Piggy decided she needed to speak to someone who wasn’t always tied up in the business of Muppets; that’s when she would insist on inviting Amanda over for lunch, just the couples or even steal her for lunch with the girls. Either option always made Scooter wary and just a bit apprehensive, as he never knew what the end result could be, nor did he ever want to know.

Today however, he had managed to score the day with his girlfriend, just the two of them, at a little tiny bistro. He was hoping to make the suggestion that maybe instead of going out, maybe they could stay in and have lunch of a…different sort; the thought alone put a smile on his face, along with a faint blush on the scandalous nature of it. As he had mentioned to Piggy, Amanda certainly wasn’t his first, but she was definitely the first one that he really, seriously, and truly felt this way about and the first that had made him seriously consider sharing a living space and his life with.

His meeting with the ‘rents ran long, as they usually did sometimes, so Scooter made his way back to his townhome, headset on so he could tempt his girlfriend into spending lunch with him at his place and possibly in bed. The phone only rang before he heard her melodious voice.

“Was just talking about you,” she cooed.

“Hoped it was all good,” he said, smiling as soon as he heard her tone.

“Definitely,” she said. “Is it okay if a friend of mine joins us for lunch?”

The immediate image his mind came up with the opposite of what he had wanted it to conjure up and he mentally berated his thoughts on going there in the first place. “Um…sure. Right, ok, yeah that’s ok.”

Amanda smirked before asking, “Why? What exactly did you want to do for lunch?”

“Something that did not include a third person,” he jibed. “Like that new waitress Wendy.”

“Oh ho,” she chuckled. “I see where you’re thinking now. And for your info, it’s a man and his name is Scottie.”

“We have not discussed that.”

“We hadn’t discussed Wendy either,” she retorted. “So, is it okay? Scottie coming to regular, boring, food eating at a public restaurant lunch? Promise I’ll make it up to you. Just little ole me.”

“Little ole you is all I need,” he said. “Yeah, Scottie is good to go. Who is he?”

“Old boyfriend,” she stated. “You’d really love him, handsome…”

While her words were being heard, Scooter had stopped listening after the boyfriend part of that sentence. Why was an old boyfriend calling on his girlfriend, seemingly out of the blue like this? Or had Amanda and this Scottie been in contact previously? It wasn’t that Scooter didn’t allow Amanda to have male friends, of course she did and he certainly had female friends, but none of his female friends were exes and that’s what was bothering him.

“Babe? You still there?”

“Yeah,” he answered, realizing he had tuned her out during his thoughts. “Sorry. Um, yeah, Scottie can join us, no problem. Uh…same time and restaurant?”

“Yep,” Amanda replied. She was silent for a moment before asking, “You’re okay with this?”

“What?” the redhead choked, before he managed to turn it into a chuckle. “Of…of course I’m okay with it! No worries! Why…why would I not be?”

Amanda matched his chuckle with one of her own. “Crazy thought, that’s all,” she said. “I’ll see you in bit, sweetie. Love you.”

“Back at cha.”

The conversation over, Scooter continued on his way home, however his thoughts couldn’t stop from returning back to this Scottie person. He knew he was being irrational and that there probably was nothing going on, but his heart was thundering in his ears and throat; this had happened before. The seemingly nice ex-boyfriend came around and before he knew it, he was single again, though in those cases, his romantic life was only a blip and lasted just as long. But Amanda was special, he loved her, wanted to marry her, and if this turned out the way his panicked mind was headed, it would devastate him.

Shaking his head clear, Scooter took a deep breath. He was over reacting. This was just a friend from the past, stopping in and saying hi, nothing more and nothing less. This was fine. He could handle this.

He was pretty sure anyway.


[hr]


Lunch was a more crowded affair than Scooter would have liked.

Scott Jamison Coulter was a hunky, hulky piece of man meat – blonde hair that ran to his ears when not in a ponytail, arm and chest muscle bulging in a tight t-shirt, perfect figure of both working out and attractiveness. Scooter couldn’t ignore the way the women in the bistro, both customers and staff, looking at the man as he walked in, hugged and kissed Amanda before turning to him and shaking his hand in a tight grip.

“I’ve heard so much about you from Mandy Pandy here, I feel like I know you!” the blonde replied, holding out a chair for Amanda before sitting down himself.

And I so little about you, Scooter thought, but kept it to himself. “Well,” he said. “I hope it was all good.”

“Of course,” the Whatnot said, reaching over and giving his hand a squeeze. “Nothing but praise all the way.”

The three sat around having lunch, but Scooter found it was having a hard time trying to concentrate on his food. He couldn’t help but watch the interaction between Scottie and Amanda, noting the closeness that they had shared in the past; Scottie didn’t seem to mind the extra, lingering touches that he initiated, nor did Amanda seem to bat an eye with the way the blond flirted with her. They had pet names for each other, seemed to look into each other’s eyes at every shared joke, that Scooter had trouble keeping up and adding his own boyfriend jokes to the conversation.

And the worse thing was, Scooter actually liked the guy; he wasn’t a jerk or stuffy or uptight. He was very personable, upbeat, outgoing, etc, that it would’ve been hard to find something about him that would register as dislike and the redhead just couldn’t do it. And he really, really tried to, but he couldn’t, he just couldn’t.

And right then, his best day ever became his worst.


At least until the next week.