All Aboard

Princess. And when Lou is six skulls into a buzz it is his ideal woman.

The evening rolls on. Our table looks like a New Years Eve party threw up on it. We have downed enough booze, food, and hand rolled Walkers to light this whole place up. But it is only our select few that have been allow behind the ropes.

There is no one but our group left on the deck, or the restaurant for that matter. Our bartender Gilly and his sisters have joined us. We would be horrible hosts if it weren't for the bitter-root we drank. I am in awe of its powers. It seemed to take twice as much booze and smoke to catch a buzz after that. But we did.

Our hostage showed up with this girl when I was passed out... before I drank the bitter-root. He apparently had booked a cabana and restocked his wardrobe. Everything he had, luggage, passport and other erronious documentation was lost on the Menton/Montoya's boat. He did, however, have a money belt... first one I have ever seen. It was enough to get him refitted, but not quite enough to get him back to the states. But this is too much of a story on a party night, so we start pouring tequila down him and his date until he is intelligible and she is down right wasted. We leave him to observe the others at the gathering. She, on the other hand was a sight to see.

This girl, I call her Princess, comes along with her own fifth of Cuervo and is rather content to drink it. Lou is fucked up beyond belief, but still charming in his way. He talks to the girl in mother tongue and gets her to smile, then giggle. Pretty soon she is on his lap. Justin just watches from behind his glasses with a slack jaw and almost catatonic state. It is nice not to hear his voice, not right now anyway. I ask Lou how many shots he has thrown back. Lou tells me, "Just the one."

The conversation turns to home and where we hang our hats. Lou claims El Corazon, as do Jerry and I. Justin, our hostage, manages to say he is from New York, a claim we all scoff at until he corrects himself and claims upstate New York to be his home. Princess claims to be from El Salvador, up here visiting her sister who works at one of the resorts. Her sister is the religious sort, not up to partying... especially at this hour and never with a woman who has her own bottle of tequila. She met up with Justin while he was in one of the small shops buying some clothing. She helped him with his purchase and they spent the rest of the day together. Apparently he speaks the language as well as I do... and that isn't saying much.

Somewhere in the early morning, Princess and Lou are in a heated discussion that Jerry tells me involves knifes and self defense. At some point the debate grows silent and the glint of moonlight off of steel catches my eye. Princess has produced a blade and with a quick twirl she has it gripped the way she wants it. With her other hand she has grabbed Lou's left hand and holds it to the table. Lou is like stone, doesn't move an inch. He has a little bit of a smile... it almost looks like pride. He reaches in his pocket for a twenty to lay up for the bet, but comes up empty. First he looks at me, but knows I gave my money up for the party.

"Jerry, loan me twenty bucks."

Jerry's hands go into his pockets but come up empty.

"Allow me." Justin, our hostage, pulls a twenty from his pocket and lays it on the table.

Princess grips Lou's wrist tightly.

"Wait." Lou pulls it away, "What do I get if you lose?"

Princess gave him a sly smile. "I take care of you and your friends, okay?"

We all look at each other with feined interest. The corner of Justin's mouth turned up in disgust... just for a moment.

Princess places her hand atop Lou's, fingers open. Then with a methodical rhythm starts her roll, popping the blade between each of the fingers in a crossing motion, skipping this finger and that criss-crossing the opened hand with marked precision. She got going fast enough to bring Lou up off his chair just slightly.

"GOOD... you're good, Princess. You win, you win."

I give Lou a look, "I don't think I have seen you scared Lou."

"I'm not scare, asshole. I got shot in that arm and it started to hurt like hell."