Chapter 10: A Night Out

You know what we haven't done? Carlos asked Lou.
What haven't we done? When she looked at him, his teasing eyes reminded her of the answer. That club.

She hesitated.
Carlos, I don't know
He nodded, as if he had expected that answer.
Well yes, it is a place full of buggars. Hardly proper company for a nice young girl.
It's not that. She was telling the truth. After the first sense of disgust, she had been rather intrigued by the thought, and she would have enjoyed to go there just to satisfy her curiosity. I've just been thinking some - when we were captured.
Seems like the perfect time for it, he agreed, and she couldn't help laughing.
Thing is, there's this guy at home. I can't stand him most of the time, he's the most annoying, narrow-minded little prick I've ever met. We have been quarelling terribly lately and I don't know if he can be considered my boyfriend, but She stopped, uncertain of how to but it. But somehow he's the one. I wouldn't feel comfortable dating anyone else.
Who said anything about dating?
This surprised her.
It wouldn't be a date?
Well, to be honest, it was a date I had in mind. But it wouldn't have to be. We could just have a nice night out as friends, celebrating the fact that we're still in one piece.
His grin was contageous.
I'd like that.

We'd better get going, Carlos said to Lou later that afternoon.
She rose from her chair and everyone else in the room looked up.
Where are you going? Buck asked.
Down to that club, Lou answered.
We intend to celebrate our survival among the sexually inverted, Carlos filled in.
Sandy snapped in reproach. What an awful word to use!
He was highly amused by her dislike.
My big sister, the distinguished lady, refuses to let me insult anyone. Even myself. Come on Lou, you're going to love Estrella.
Buck looked thoughtfully after the leaving couple.
You know, celebration isn't a bad idea.
You want to go with them? Sandy asked. I'm sure they'll let you.
Buck looked a little consternated. For Lou, this was the perfect way to get courted for once. For him well, it wasn't.
Isn't there some other place? he asked. You know, ordinary?
There's a restaurant-and-bar thing right here in Reina Isabella, Sandy said. She didn't sound overenthusiastic. You could go there if you like.
Buck looked at Ike, who nodded his content.
Could be fun. Will you come, too? he asked Sandy.
Me? No way.
Her tone surprised them. Buck wondered for a moment if it was his objections to the relationship she was forming with Ike that made her reject the thought of the three of them going out together. He soon turned that idea down. He had tried to bring up the subject earlier, and she had amiably but firmly hinted that it was none of his business. The incident had not strained her treatment of him at all, so why would it now?
What's wrong with the place? he asked instead.
Nothing wrong. A bunch of people eating and having drinks, most of them morons. Just like in any other town, only these are my townspeople and I long since decided I don't like them. She shrugged. If you go I'm sure you will enjoy yourself, but I'm not going.
Just like you're not dating? Ike asked.
This made her at a loss for an answer for a second.
Ike, that is so not the same She silenced. That is the same thing. Alright, have it your way. I'll go. Now get that stupid grin of your face.

Lou didn't know what she had expected from Estrella. Maybe something colourful, like the brothel where she had lived. Maybe a shabby joint hidden in a dark corner of the town, with people sneaking inside, trying to prevent others to see them. She certainly hadn't expected it to be so ordinary. It looked like something between a restaurant and a sitting room. People were sitting about in chairs, eating, talking, reading or playing games. Not necessarily card games; this was probably the first time she saw people play backgammon in a public house. It was cosy.
She was also surprised to find a few women there. True, at closer sight one of them turned out to be about as much woman as she was a man, but the others seemed genuine enough.
Everybody, this is Lou, Carlos said as soon as they had entered.
A chorus of hellos and friendly smiles met her.
, she said, not knowing quite how to continue. You might want to know that I'm a girl.
This caused no surprise what so ever, but one young man asked:
When you say 'girl', do you mean only physically or
I'm a girl in every possible way, she assured him. I just wear these clothes because I have to. I'm an express rider and they don't allow women.
She even has a boyfriend, Carlos added.
Lou looked anxiously around. She didn't know what the rules were for this place, if they would even let her one step further when she had admitted that she was just an ordinary girl in extraordinary clothing.
, said a pretty young girl with a smile that showed she wasn't serious. She reached out her hand to the rider. I'm Laura. Have a seat!
Lou sat down next to Laura, unsure of what to do. She noticed that Carlos sat down in another part of the room to talk to some friends, and she felt a moment of panic. Laura noticed her bewilderment and was very amused.
Nobody will bite you, you know, she said amiably. These charming young gentlemen are Victor, Steve and Gary.
The 'charming young gentlemen' shook hands with Lou.
Steve and Gary are lovers, Laura continued. Does that shock you?
Gary, who seemed to have a year or two left before he had to enter the twenties, blushed and moved a few inches away from Steve. Lou looked at them and thought that she had rarely seen something so affectionate. It made her suddenly long for the Kid, and she shook her head.
Not at all, she said.
Laura smiled widely at her. It was like moving into warming sunlight.
she said. I'm sure we will become friends. Have you read 'Vanity Fair'? I'm reading loud for the guys.
Afraid not, Lou replied.
Oh. Well, it's a very funny book, I think you'll like it. What has happened so far is that this young girl, Becky
Lou listened as Laura explained the plot to her. She found that she was really enjoying herself. When Carlos had finished his conversation and sat down next to her, she could honestly answer 'great' to his whispering question how she liked the place. She stopped thinking of Laura as a tribade - no, that wasn't quite true. It just didn't matter. Her mixed feelings before coming to this place had included a fear of not feeling comfortable because she was different than the people there, but she found that she wasn't. Who you fell in love with was after all not very important. If anything, she felt more at home here than anywhere else, because she didn't have to choose between Lou and Louise. She could be both, and that felt so wonderful. At first had been a disguise she was forced into, but nowadays it felt more and more natural, so that the girl's clothing, the part, made her feel like an even bigger fraud.
But here she could be one of the guys and one of the gals at the same time. She realised that even if she wore pants that shouldn't have to stop her from being courted. It was a pleasant and unexpected discovery, and she decided that she would never forget it. And she'd make damn sure the Kid didn't forget it either.

Meanwhile, Buck's Ike's and Sandy's night out in Reina Isabella turned out very differently.
Buck was used to steeling himself whenever he walked into a place full of people, certain of the comments that would follow. It was always the same old story. It took people a while to notice that Ike was different, but him they saw right away. His muscles and senses tensed automatically. He had done it so many times that he had stopped thinking about it, which is why it took some time for him to realise what was wrong. There were no comments. Nobody looked twice at him. When he looked around, he noticed why. More than half of the people here were of Mexican origin, and quite a few of them didn't look very different from himself.
He also noticed something else. Sandy kept the same kind of caution, waiting for the first blow. She had said that she didn't like the townspeople, and now it hit him that the feeling might be mutual.
We can leave if you like, he said to her.
She immediately straightened her back in queenlike pride.
We came here to celebrate, and so we will, she answered.
Ike glanced at her with some surprise. Unlike Buck he hadn't noticed how strained she was. Now he put his hand on her shoulder, and she gave him a somewhat offish smile.
There's a table. We'll take it, she said and walked with determined steps to the chosen place.
They sat down called for a waitress who gave Buck a radiant smile but disappeared to another table; it was a busy night. Still, after a while she managed to get a minute free for them.
Hi, Sandy, she said, and then turned to Buck. You're the anglos that help the Giróns, aren't you?
That's us, Buck said with an appreciative smile.
Sandy sighed.
Guys, this is Montserrat. Montse, these are my friends Buck and Ike.
Nice to meet you, said Montserrat politely. Then she remembered her professional duties and took their orders. She seemed reluctant to leave, but as the calls from other customers got louder she had to go.
Ike grinned at his best friend.
Looks like you have a new admirer, he teased Buck.
Buck didn't seem to mind.
She was pretty, he answered.
You could do a lot worse, Sandy admitted. There's no harm in Montse. She's not very interesting, but she's a nice girl.
For the first time she seemed more relaxed. The conversation began to run smoothly. Then a man from the table next to theirs leant towards them.
Hey, Fernandez, he said. I heard you guys were kept prisoners by those gun smugglers they caught.
We were, she said shortly. The smile disappeared from her face and she got a suspicious wrinkle between her eyebrows.
Damn ugly story, a companion of the first man said and shook his head to emphasize his words. I never thought Mateo would do something like that. Just shows how little you know about people.
Pretty mean bunch he was involved with, too, weren't they? a third man asked curiously.
Sandy got a scornful expression.
Now, what makes you say that? she asked. I thought they were perfect gentlemen.
So I heard, the first guy said with a grin. Her face was blank as she turned to him.
What did you hear exactly? she asked him.
Well, I heard they let you go 'cause you were at their service, so to speak, he answered.

Don't be silly, the third man said. He wasn't to pleased with Sandy's treatment of him before and saw his chance to pay back. Why would they want a cold hearted bitch like that?
Ike rose in anger, but Sandy held him back.
Don't bother, she said, and her steely eyes met the men's. What were you saying?
The first man valued her slowly.
I know some people claim you're frigid, he said. But maybe you just need to play it rough. Those men ought to know the trick just as well as Duncan. He saw with pleasure how her face went pale. Did you give them pussy so they would play it rough with you? Now, don't take me wrong. I don't blame you if you did. I've said more than once that this crazy little Fernandez slut could use a good fuck. I know you're not that hard to melt. You threw yourself at Duncan Campbell's feet, didn't you? And then you lost your mind over him. Your mind and a whole lot more, I guess. You wanna give me pussy, Fernandez? I'll play it rough with you, I promise.
Seeing how Sandy sunk stunned into her chair, Ike just couldn't stand it anymore. His fist hit the man's jaw with the weight of iron. The man fell upon the table with a crash that seemed to wake Sandy up again. Without a word, she rose and went straight through the gathering crowd. Near the door, she was stopped by a shocked Montserrat.
What happened? she asked.
Sandy looked at the girl as if the question was completely irrelevant.
Cancel my order, will you, she said in a low voice. I'm going home.