[center][h2]Last Night at The Lair[/h2][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/FhB1ROY.png[/img] [/center] [center][hider=As We Live][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raC0Hy_k1a8 [/youtube][/hider][/center] The running joke about Desmond’s Lair was that no two of any item were alike, from the barstools and tables right down to the glasses. Everything had been scavenged over time. Even the once grand mahogany bar had been pried out of a shuttered hotel on the eve of the wrecking ball. For Abby, the whole world had gone a skosh soft about tha edges. She followed Lorraine inta tha bar, servant girl to a queen, judgin’ by tha sorta greeting from within. “LO-LO!” came a singsong shout from tha bar’s far end. “Come on!” Lorraine pulled Abby by the hand. “You gotta meet all these LOW RENT [i]CHEONG BAO HO TZE[/i] * SONSOBITCHES!” (* monkey raping) “I SWEAR TO BUDDHA…JUST ONE TIME!” a voice shouted back as Lorraine propelled Abby into the middle of the boisterous group. “This is Cornflakes!” she tossed an arm about the girl’s shoulders. “She’s with us tonight!” If yew was tah ask, ain’t a whole lot more fer her tah remember. Them folk all took ‘er as one ‘o’ their own, laughin’ an’ shoutin’ tah be heard all at once over tha band. They’s a drink landed in ‘er hand, another Vodka Boom Boom what she didn’t rightly recollect tellin’ no one she wanted. Ain’t no way she’d turn it down. That’d jest be rude. She met Miller, a tall woman looked more muscle bound than most men. They’s Iggy, friendly guy what lost ‘is legs in tha war, an’ his giant friend ever’body called “The Scrote.” Then she seen Brit, pretty woman with a sweet smile got ‘er ruminatin’ over both Alana an’ Penny. And then they’s Reginald. Powerful tall, skin ‘o’ chocolate brown, an’ thin dreadlocks touchin’ ‘is shoulders. His eyes was dark an’ soulful, but when he smiled… mmm, mmm, mmm! Had a grin what dazzled, an’ a musical island accent sounded her name as “Obby” tah cut her butter like a hot knife. Could be tha vodka. Hell, prob’ly was. But this boy was purtiest thing she ever did lay eyes on. Mayhaps that’s how he got ‘er out on tha dance floor so quick. [center][hider=Kiss The Ground] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFntiePiN08[/youtube] [/hider][/center] Abby liked dancin’ well enough tah understand she weren’t good at it. But Reg had an arm down behind ‘er waist, an’ he swung ‘er about free an’ easy tah the heavy beat. “Dot’s right,” he give ‘er a smile started a proper quickenin’ inside ‘er. “Just move wit’ me, girl.” She could feel it, heavy thumps in ‘er chest an’ his hips leadin’ hers. Her hands was on his shoulders, feelin’ muscle and sinew ‘neath ‘is shirt. Abby thought by now she’d be wobblin’ on unsteady feet, but not a ‘tall. Instead, she felt nigh on graceful, her body reactin’ tah his lead, and a downright pleasure fer his fingers as they pressed tha small of ‘er back. “Wow!” she blurted all sudden, “this gotta be what sex feels like…wait...I didn’t say that.” Reg threw back his head and laughed, his slender dreadlocks tossing in the warm air. “And I didn’t hear it.” He chuckled, before offering the girl a pull from the smoldering blunt. “Rude of me not to share,” his eyes smiled down into hers. “Care to try?” When she nodded, he said, “I’ll shotgun it to you. Pucker your lips…dot’s right, like you’re about to kiss. Den suck in de smoke when I blow it. Ready?” “Uh huh.” Abby’s all puckered, waitin’, til; Reg leaned in. With his lips jest a hair’s breadth from hers, he blowed a tight cloud right at ‘er. She inhaled, suckin’ in tha smoke, takin’ it through ‘er lips til it landed on ‘er lungs…all afore it set her doublin’ over in a coughin’ fit. “Sorry,” she ‘pologized twixt ‘er hackin’. “Ain’t used tah…” “Nonsense,” Reg killed the joint beneath a heel as he draped both arms around Abby’s waist. “De more you cough, de more you get off,” he laughed as they reclaimed the rhythm. “You feelin’ it, Obby?” “Yeah…yeah!” She’s feelin’ somethin’. Vodka’s doin’ it’s part. She thunk she felt tha chronic connectin’ ‘er tah tha music…which sounded gorram great!...an’ commenced puttin’ all manner ‘o’ thoughts in ‘er head ‘bout how she’d want tha rest of tahnight goin’. Fer a tick, Abby thought ‘o’ Thomas. A guilty pang crossed ‘er mind, afore she put tha kai bosch on that notion. [i]Sumbitch got a dozen messages he ain’t answered,[/i] her rebellious mind pushed back. [i]So does Alana. People come and go in tha ‘verse.[/i] Right now, dancin’ in tha arms of a man she felt might jest show her how it’s all done, Abby conjured them words she done said time and again. [i]People come and go.[/i] She sussed out mayhaps weren’t her place tah keep hangin’ on tah them as went their own way. [i]Let ‘em go,[/i] she figgered, a smile touchin’ ‘er lips as Reg pulled her in against ‘im. [i]Let ‘em go.[/i] Fixated as she was, Abby barely took reconnoiter of Lorraine. The waitress was at tha bar, talkin’ with a man looked right outta place in these environs. Well dressed gent, ‘bout Abby’s height. Thirties. Sandy blond hair an’ a moustache. Fer a tick, they both turned tah look square at her…and she knowed she seen his face afore. A face she should know…but ‘er mind couldn’t track. Reg stopped dancin’. “Sorry,” his lips brushed her ear. “Cortex. I have to take ‘dis.” “Shiny.” [i]Jest as well,[/i] Abby considered as Brit waved her over. [i]I’s right close tah givin’...[/i] “Hey, girl,” Brit shoved a fresh drink into her hand. “Just warning you. Reg doesn’t really speak all ‘island.’ He just uses that accent at the resort he works at for the tourists,” she offered, “and to charm the [i]la shi[/i] outta women he’s tryna bed.” “That so?” Abby asked as Vodka Boom Boom Number Six touched her lips. She was really gonna hate herself tomorrah. “It was workin’, she fessed up, “like a champ.” The two women went all silent, starin’ at one t’other, til all at once they bust out laughin’. She looked about. Ain’t no sign ‘o’ Reg, Lorraine, or that swell she’s chattin’ up. Even drunk as she was, Abby conjured tha business of ‘naughty men slipping about.’ They’s somethin’ bein’ hatched, fer sure. “So,” she asked casual like. “How long y’all here for?” ‘Spring break,” Brit answered right off. “Lots of rich college kids and oldsters. We make good bank, we won’t have to work summer season,” she smiled. “Then it’s families with half pints and empty coin purses. How ‘bout you?” “Here til muh boat goes skids up. Lookin’ like we might git a whole week while Cap’n ties down our next job,” Abby said after a long sip. “Nice yer all a crew, goin’ places tahgether.” Brit clinked her glass to Abby’s. “Just like your crew, really. Safety in numbers. Women like Lorraine and me…hell, even Miller, jacked as she is? ‘Verse is no place for a woman on her own. So we find work, get the job done, and move on.” [center][hider=Raised By Wolves][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_5K97UDUUE [/youtube][/hider][/center] Abby nodded. “I copy that,” she agreed. “Muh Uncle Bob used tah say…” A splash ‘o’ dingy pink caught ‘er eye. There’s Lorraine, grinnin’ out front a’ tha band stage, index fingers crooked up tah beckon an’ tha devil in ‘er eye. Sight made tha deckhand laugh out loud as she dropped off ‘er stool. “Whatchoo want, Bugsy?” she asked all fake innocent as tha waitress reached tah take ‘er hands. “DANCE WITH ME, YOU BITCH!” Lorraine laughed, pulling Abby into her arms. Abby’s none too sure what they done could be called ‘dancin’. It’s more like a couple young’uns, skippin’ an’ flailin’ arms all about, her hair flyin' like she lost her gorram mind. Over time they did make a couple moves, with Lorraine teachin’ her how tah sideslip a hip or rock ‘or wiggle ‘er [i]pi gu[/i]...somethin’ she called ‘twerkin’. What she did know fer certain was they was havin’ a slap good time of it, laughin’ and jumpin’ all over. [i]”You left a child out in the wild, And I was raised by wolves, I was raised by wolves. Aooooo-oooo”[/i] Abby seen Lorraine throw back ‘er head an’ howl…somethin’ she took likin’ to right off. One moment saw the pair leaping in the air, playfully hanging onto each other as they gyrated to the music. In the next, they spun, hands clasped and screaming as the rest of Lorraine’s crew joined in the fun. The floor soon filled with people, all dancing and howling with the joyous recklessness of children. [i]I was raised by wolves. Aooooo-oooo.”[/i] Abby felt Lorraine give ‘er hand a squeeze. She seen a girl she only knowed since lunchtime, eyes all sparklin’ with mirth as they both howled. [i]Folk come and go…[/i] Now she conjured it. Ain’t nothin’ permanent, ‘specially folk yah take up with. Someday hence she’d go her own road. Didn’t mean she couldn’t some bit ‘o’ happy while she’s here, with a damn crazy she called Bugsy. Might be drunk thinkin’, but howlin’ among folk as she was, felt durn near fine with Abby. Fine enough tah howl all night.