Doug
I got into the car with Al and Frank after we arrived back in port. Frank wanted to drop the twenty kilos of cocaine off at Rooster's place. No one knew his real name but we didn't care. He paid us good money and as long as that happened we couldn't be bothered by something as simple as a name. Rooster lived in a villa in the nice part of Cairns which happened to be at the other side of town so it took us a while to get there but neither Al or Frank said anything. I didn't have anything to say either. I still was pissed off for the scolding Frank had given me earlier. He wasn't as much charmed by Kate as I was actually Frank just didn't like anyone who commented on his orders and Kate had quite frankly told him what she thought of our trick with the sleeping pill. I had to admit I agreed with her and Frank noticed that. Even if I didn't agree with her I would have gotten the scolding anyway. I was the one to have brought Kate into the business. I felt bad for her to receive the cold shoulder and Frank wouldn't let me alone with her on our way back. Probably he was scared she would ask questions she shouldn't and in the end I couldn't thank her properly or say goodbye but I would call her later today.
It was busy with lots of cars and trucks at the villa. Even Frank was a bit confused about it all on what was going on. Inside Rooster was ordering some businessmen around but he eagerly greeted us when he we came up to him. "Guys!" he said when we reached him. "Did you have a good catch this trip?" he asked. Frank nodded and Al showed him the bag. "Oh Al, could you bring it to the kitchen while I'll pay your friends," Rooster said. Al didn't really understand why he had to bring the drugs to the kitchen but then Rooster winked at the guy hanging some party lamps in the hallway. "I'm giving a party tonight. Why don't you all come and bring your ladies too," Rooster said as a sort of explanation to Al why he couldn't mention the drugs right now. Suddenly Al understood and took the bag and pretended to go to the kitchen while Frank and I followed Rooster to his office.
"You started glowing when I mentioned ladies," Rooster said to me while he padded me on the back. I couldn't help but started smiling like a little boy. It was answer enough for Rooster who started laughing. "Last time I saw you, you were less fortunate. So, tell me, what's her name? Describe her to me," he invited me. We had reached his impressive office and while he opened the safe and started counting money he urged me to answer. "Well," I started to back off a bit. "she isn't my girlfriend yet but I do see potential." Rooster nodded while making nice stacks of bank notes. "You can do better than that," he joked. "Come on. What does she look like?" he asked again. "Blonde, petite but fiery," I answered with a big smile while imagining Kate in front of me.
I had closed my eyes for a second but when I opened them again I didn't see Rooster's happy face but Frank's disappointed one. Rooster saw it too and gave him the money. "You don't like her?" he asked Frank. Frank shrugged and put the money away. "She's the driver of the boat we hired. I think she's trouble," he answered. Rooster shook his hand and smiled an even bigger smile. "No worries mate. We checked her and the boat. A couple of days ago we took the boat for a spin around the waters. The boat is checked for bugs or mics etcetera. It's clean. The lady has no criminal record and rents her boat out for a living. Don't worry," he said to Frank again.
Frank would worry even more but didn't dare to show it to Rooster. The latter handed me a bank note of a 1000 dollars and reassuringly said: "I saw a picture of her. She's a stunner. Buy her a nice dress and bring her along tonight." He turned to Frank and asked: "Will I see you tonight?" Frank shrugged. "Don't know yet," he said but I could hear in his voice he was declining. I didn't mind. Frank was turning into a grumpy old man and we didn't need him around on a party.
Too bad I still had twenty minutes left together with this man. He was going to drive me home but he didn't waste a second and as soon as I got into the car he gave me an angry glare. "Rooster might like her but I assure you she's trouble," he threatened. I wanted to say something to defend Kate or even my own feelings but before I could say anything Frank continued. "Didn't she say she had to check with her boss if she could sail? How's that possible if she only rents her boat for a living?" I didn't know how to answer that. "I can't stop you from seeing her but if you do I want you to find out who she is. Oh, and be careful on what you say to her. We don't need any leaks," he warned me.
Frank dropped me off but before he drove away he grabbed my arm. "I want to know everything about her work. Ask her! Oh and next week we need the boat again," he said before he let go of me. I knew I couldn't call him before I knew about Kate's profession and the assurance we could use the boat and I shouldn't wait too long to find it out. If not I would be in big trouble and Kate in even bigger trouble. I didn't want to know what Frank would do to her. I shook my head to get rid of a terrible image of Kate, beaten and killed. The game we played was ruthless and a dangerous one. If you were a liability you had to be stopped. I knew that and had never had any problems with the consequences but with Kate it was different. I really liked her and she would be pulled into this game just because of me. I felt a responsibility towards her.
Tonight, I decided, I would do nothing towards finding out about anything. Well, only if it meant finding out if Kate liked me too. I got my mobile and called her. "Hey Kate," I said enthusiastically. "A friend of mine invited me to a party tonight. Do you like to come along?" I asked. I hoped she didn't have anything planned. She sighed and paused before she answered: "Tonight? I actually wanted to put my feet up and do nothing," she answered me. I sighed too. "It's going to be fun!" I tried to convince her. "Your friend," she hesitatingly started. "He isn't Frank by any chance because if so I'm definitely not coming," she stated. "No! And he's not coming either," I replied. Happy I could give her this answer. I already had the feeling she didn't like Frank and for once I was glad he didn't want to come to a party. I already heard Kate's beautiful laughter through the phone and knew she was about to say change her mind. "I'll get you something to wear so don't worry about that," I said and now Kate started to laugh even more. "How are you going to do that Doug? Do you know my dress size and what kind of shoes should I wear?" she asked me. I sighed again. I hadn't thought about that. "OK, I'll come by your house and pick you up. I'll take you shopping," I changed my plan. I heard her swallow something but couldn't understand what it was. Was she going to decline after all? "You don't mind that?" I asked her. "Come on, it'll be fun," I pressed. "Tell me where I should pick you up," I said eagerly.
There was a long silence from her side and I just crossed my fingers she wouldn't decline. I really wanted to show her that I was serious and that my behaviour on the boat earlier today was not like me. I wanted to make up for it! "Please," I said one more time. It sounded pathetic like I was begging. "OK, but no new dress. I've got my own and that'll do, thank you. You can pick me up at the harbour around eight, if that's OK," she finally answered. I was about to do a little dance and she would decline for certain if she could see the stupid grin on my face. "Fine! Fine. I'll pick you up," I answered. I hung up the phone and started to prepare myself to go out. A long shower, some nice after shave and even an ironed shirt to wear. It all had to lead to me asking Kate to go out on a real date. One where we would be on our own, not on work business or at a party of a man connected to work.
When it was about time I drove myself to the harbour. There, waiting for it to turn eight o'clock, I realised it was a bit weird for me to pick her up at this place. Didn't she have a real home to go to? She couldn't be living on the boat, could she? I shook the strange feeling away and told myself it was just Kate's way of protecting herself. She didn't know me that well yet and probably didn't want me to know where she lived, yet. I didn't have to wait long before I saw her walking down the jetty towards the car park. She looked stunning in a cute purple dress and with her hair flowing in the wind. I waved at her and she got into my car not long after.
At Rooster's house there was already a hive of activity going on. The party lights were blinking and a nice beat told me there was going to be a lot of dancing going on tonight. Just for show I linked my arm in hers while we walked up to the house. "Someone's a little bit possessive," she teased me. I smiled at her and guided her further into the house. "Can I get you anything to drink?" I asked her. She simply nodded and said something which I couldn't hear. We had come too close to the live band to have a normal conversation anymore. " A white wine," she yelled into my ear.
Behind me I saw Rooster who smiled and waved at me. He made his way through the crowd and I decided to give him a little bit of a show, make him think Kate and I were this great couple. I looked at Kate again and put my hand on her shoulder, just a little bit more intimate then I would have done. "White wine?" I asked her as a reassurance even though I had heard it properly the second time. "I'll get it, just wait here," I said. Before I walked away Rooster had reached us and padded me on the back. "You did bring her after all. She's gorgeous," he said out loud. Then he moved in closer and whispered: "I do have a room upstairs whenever you're ready for that." It was meant to be a whisper but I wondered how much Kate had heard and understood about it. She did look really uncomfortable. "The drinks," I said, pointing at the bar. It was a good escape and it would give her some time to get over her awkwardness.
When I walked back I saw Rooster just leaving Kate, who by now stood extremely uncomfortable. For a minute I thought she was about to run away and never return but she just stood there and did nothing. I would get to hear whatever Rooster had said to her when I was going to give her her wine but first Rooster tapped me at my shoulder. "What's up with her?" he asked me sounding harsh and irritated. I squeezed my eyes and tried to figure out what he meant. The only thing I had seen was Rooster, smiling and feeling happy, together with Kate. "What do you mean?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't get another person complaining about Kate. "She's a bit nosy," Rooster answered. "Besides that she needs to loosen up a bit. I've got something for you two," he added while he put something in my pocket. "Don't look," he warned me when I wanted to check what he had put in it. "You know what it is. And warn your little lady as well. I don't like it when people ask me questions," he said before he walked away from me.
It all had happened so quickly that I didn't even know what to think of it. Was he angry or was he joking? One thing I knew for sure was to warn Kate not to ask any more questions. "What did you say to him?" I asked her before handing her the wine I got her. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked me in return. I shrugged. "He didn't say," I said. Kate shrugged as well and took a sip from her glass. "I did ask him about his name. I love to hear the stories behind nicknames. I once knew a guy named 'Spider' but his last name was 'Webb' so that makes sense," she explained. It made sense to me now. Rooster wasn't keen on people asking him about his name. "Rooster must come from somewhere," Kate continued with a laugh. I clung my glass against hers and smiled at her. "Best not to ask him that question again. He's a private kind of guy," I told her.
Kate had quickly started another topic of conversation but something stuck to the back of my mind. Rooster hadn't said she had to loosen up just for nothing or the fact that he was irritated by her questions. He had been so elated about Kate earlier today. She must have done or said something to get up his nerves. I tried to forget about it and enjoy the night but it didn't seem to work. Finally I remembered the little gift Rooster had given me and I took Kate off the dance floor and towards a quiet table where I made her sit down. "Are you enjoying yourself?" I asked her. She smiled at me but it wasn't the convincing smile I had seen before. "If you want to go home we can," I told her but she shook her head. "No! Oh no, I am enjoying myself. I'm just a bit tired that's all," she answered. I showed her the little sachet Rooster had given me and smiled. "You won't be tired for long," I joked.
Kate was a bit shocked when she saw the coke I put on the table but she recovered from her initial shock. "Is it the drugs you guys picked up earlier today?" she asked me cheekily. I couldn't do anything else but laugh and nod. "You're too clever little missy," I said while I touched the tip of her nose. "And don't worry. Most people here are very used to using. They won't call the cops if that's what you're scared of," I assured her. She relaxed and waited for me to divide the coke into nice lines. I took a quick line and shove the saucer towards her. She just sat there and did nothing. I had never seen something like that before. Why wouldn't she dive into the coke while it was possible? It was first class stuff, not something you wanted to deny. "Come on. What are you waiting for?" I asked her. She smiled at me and bent forwards. In one go she sniffed up a line before she pushed the saucer back to me. "You can have another line if you want to," I offered after I sniffed my second line. She shook her head and wiped her nose. "You're not the driver tonight. I'll get you home safely," I said to her, giving back her own words while I pushed the saucer across the table once more. She looked around as to see if no one would see what she was doing and then bent forwards again.
It didn't take long for the coke to set in and we enjoyed ourselves enormously on the dance floor. We were about the last persons at the party and I even thought the sun was about to come up when I felt the need to lie down. "Can I bring you home?" I asked her. Kate smiled and put up her finger in the air. "No," she slurred. "I'm not allowed to tell you where I live," she said. I grabbed her hand and kissed her finger. She was drunk and probably stoned. "You're not? So how can I bring you home if you don't tell me?" I challenged her. Her full face turned into the biggest frown I'd ever seen. "I don't know," she answered with a laugh. While I guided her towards my car and let her in I thought about the options available. I didn't want to leave her behind in one of Roosters rooms and I couldn't bring her back to the boat. She would go green of misery if I did that with all the alcohol she had consumed and not to mention the coke. There was only one option I could think of. "I'll take you to my place," I said to her while I fastened her seatbelt.
Kate agreed to everything. She didn't mind going back to my place, she let me help her out of the car. She didn't even mind that there was only one bed in my grubby apartment. "I'll sleep on the couch," I offered. Actually I really wanted to say I wanted to sleep with her in one bed but that wouldn't be fair. She was off her face right now. "But it's your bed," she protested while she slid out of her dress. It was my turn to be nailed to the ground and not be able to say or do anything. She was pretty, standing there in her underwear. "Have you never seen a woman in her bra and undies before?" she teased me while she draped her arms around me. "Come on. Get out of your clothes and into that bed," she said while she pointed at the mattress on the floor which I didn't even want to call a real bed. "Kate," I said sounding seriously while I tried to get her arms untangled. "I really want to sleep with you but I want to wait until you're not drunk anymore. I want you to make a conscious decision. So tonight you'll sleep there," I pointed at the mattress and I'll sleep somewhere there," I pointed to a piece of junk where I knew would be my couch.
I straightened the sheets on the bed and padded at the empty spot. "You can sleep here," I said and Kate crashed down without any hesitation. I covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well," I whispered. She groaned and pulled the blanket up even further. She was amazing and I couldn't believe it yet she was in my house but by the looks of it she was going to wake up with a huge hangover. I just hoped she could remember some of what had happened tonight since it was such a success. Hopefully she wanted to go out with me another time. I swiped away everything from the couch and dropped my tired body onto it. From the couch I could see her sleeping form and with that image I fell asleep not much later.