I sashayed closer to the dark figure, my bare feet barely touching the ground as if not to scare him off. A smile curves on my lips as his face becomes clear in the moonlight. He is a weathered man with shoulder-length chestnut hair and brown eyes. His attire suited to a man of the sea. Not one that would naturally attract me, but I react as if he is the only man in the world who could.

"Enchanté." I finally make it to his table and lower my head in greeting. My parents do have French descent, but this is one of the few French sayings I know. The others are mostly dirty. I twirl a lock of loose hair behind my ear and again meet his gaze. His mouth is agape and his eyes are wide. His shock leads me to think he often feels looked over, discarded. I tuck this assumption away like Nina taught me. "This is your first time to Port Royal?"

"Uh, yes darlin'," the man breathes, clearing his throat. "I've never done, uh, business ye'd say in Port Royal before now." His face was flushed and he took a large swig of the ale he had in front of him. "I thought so, I would've remembered you." I blush and grab a glass of wine from a serving woman passing by. The man grinned and laughed salaciously while stroking his light beard with the most disgusting fingernails I've ever seen. Actually, that's a lie, most men's hygiene here is about the same.

"May I sit down?" I feign a hopeful tone and glance at the wooden chair beneath me and back to the pirate. "Aye, by all means," he extends a claw-like hand emphatically. "I thought ye'd never ask."

I laugh and melt into the seat, leaning into the table so that my mysterious stranger understands my attention is all his. "Thank you, Kind Sir. It's about time for a small break." I sip my wine, the sweetness of the drink and hypnotic pull of the music hang heavy in the air. "This be all the world's offerin' to a goddess such as yerself, dancin for a lot of old drunks?" The man asked inquisitively and leaned in closer to me, eyes shining with intrigued curiosity. I smiled deeper allowing myself to laugh. "It isn't all bad, I hear tales from all over the world every night, it almost makes up for not being able to see it myself." I felt a touch of sadness in my eyes as I had just told him the truth. This job does have it's monetary benefits, but, adventure is my true calling. Pirate genes, I suppose.

The pirate suddenly caressed my free hand in his, stroking it with those nasty nails. I felt the instinct to jerk away in repulsion. I didn't show it; I never show it. "What if I were to tell ye, I can get ye a way out? Show ye the world?" I look down and stroke a calloused finger. "How am I to take the word of a stranger? I don't even know your name." I eyed him coyly. The key piece of information that I needed was coming. "Why excuse my manners, Miss. Captain Hector Barbossa, of the Black Pearl." My head snaps up and I shoot him a genuinely surprised look. "The Black Pearl, it exists?" "Ah..." Barbossa breathes a low chuckle, "Ye've heard of it?"

I had heard of it. My friends at Mary's and I swap stories of pirate acquaintances of ours. Some claiming some sort of connection to the mythic ship. Now, I appear to be sitting across from her captain. Though I'd heard from stories that the captain's name was related to a bird or something. "Only from stories," I ponder, "I'd love to hear more about it, but it is getting rather late." Barbosa's expression melts into disappointment. "Are you staying with us at Mary's this evening? We book a few rooms for important travelers such as yourself, Captain Barbossa." I raise an eyebrow and pout my lips. His lascivious smile returns when he understands my meaning. "Me Lady, that sounds delightful." He drug the word out as if playing out everything he hoped would happen that night. "If only I have the honor to share it with me very own siren that has caught herself in me trap." We both laugh, understanding one another. I smiled curtly, it's quite the opposite really.

Don't worry, I won't sleep with him. I haven't gotten anything yet. Here is a notorious pirate right here on Port Royal, quite literally near Admiral Norrington's nose. But first I need to prove it.