She was surprised when she hesitated as she neared her inn and decided she’d like a break instead of going right inside.
She walked onto the patio restaurant next to the shop and decided that she’d like one drink. There was a small empty table and she sat at it. Despite the fact that it was busy, a waitress came her way fairly quickly, and she opted for a whiskey with cola.
Her drink came and she sipped it, watching the activity. Yes, Pirates in Paradise was happening. A trio, dressed as pirates, was playing back at the small bandstand.
She smiled, closed her eyes for a moment and sipped her drink. She opened her eyes, feeling more relaxed and focused on taking in her environment.
The next table was filled with would-be pirates. It was fun to see the different ensembles. Women were fond of the corsets—which could be bought on Front Street or on the grounds of Fort Taylor. The skirts were in a multitude of colors and lengths. Despite the fact that Key West pirates most often appeared to be very authentic, a few women were in short, sexy costumes from well-known short, sexy costume manufacturers.
Some wore them better than others.
Everyone seemed to have a good time, though.
As she casually surveyed a group at a nearby table, a woman turned toward her.
She was a wench.
A well-done wench.
She was a pretty woman with strawberry-blond hair that was wild and curled down her back. She wore no hat of any kind. Her blouse, beneath her corset, was billowing and a shade of off-white that looked to be unbleached cotton. Her skirt was long, but with ties that could hike it up so that it wouldn’t constantly sweep the ground.
She looked a bit tired, a bit worn.
And she looked right at Vanessa.
Vanessa smiled in return.
The woman’s mouth moved as she spoke. She was saying something to Vanessa. The beat to “Joy to the World” was pounding in the distance, and there was a great deal of conversation and laughter all around them.
And yet Vanessa thought that she heard her.
“It’s not what it seems. Help me, I’ll help you.”
She was a stranger; it couldn’t be what she was saying. Frowning, Vanessa rose, ready to walk over to the woman and introduce herself, prove that she was saying something else.
She stood. A heavyset man in a giant frock coat walked between the tables.
Vanessa knew that he didn’t see her; politely, she gave way.
But as she headed for the other table, she stopped. The chair where the strawberry blonde had been sitting was empty.
Vanessa looked around; she had to be somewhere nearby.
She would just ask the people where their friend had gone. The chair she had vacated was quickly filled by the man in the giant frock coat. She approached the group, who looked at her with friendly smiles.
“Hello?” said one of the women, her smile open and generous.
“Hi, all. You look great,” Vanessa told them.
“Thank you,” the man in the giant frock coat said. He stood. “Care to join us? This is great for us—we’re having the time of our lives. Jessy—that’s my wife over there—teaches high school history, so for history buffs, this is just cool.”
“Can we get you a drink?” another woman asked politely. “I’m Gena, Jessy’s sister.”
Introductions went around.
“No, thank you so much on the drink. Actually, I was looking for your friend. She was trying to tell me something, and I couldn’t hear her,” Vanessa explained.
“Our friend?” Jessy asked. “We’re all here. Oh, I mean, we’re meeting all kinds of new friends—this is like grown-up costume-party fun right along with a fabulous learning experience! Like minds and all that. But…our whole group is here.”
“There was a woman…sitting here,” Vanessa said. “A strawberry blonde.”
They all stared at her.
“Oh!” Gena said suddenly. “I think I might know who you mean, but I’m afraid she isn’t our friend.”
“Who are you talking about?” her sister asked.
“Oh, she was around… I don’t know who she is,” Gena explained. “But she sure looked great! Kind of like a prostitute of old. I saw her, but she wasn’t one of our friends.”
“She was sitting right here,” Vanessa said.
They all looked at her blankly, probably regretting that they had asked her over.
At least Gena had seen the woman, too.
She smiled and rose. “Ah, well, I must have been mistaken. Thank you—and have a wonderful time!”
They assured her that they would.
Vanessa turned around, returned quickly to her own table and set money on her check. She picked up her drink, drained it and left. She really needed to wash off the salt. She wanted to shower.
She wanted Sean to come back for her. She wanted to be with him.