An Exception To Be
Made
Ten minutes after leaving Jack
at the front step of her humble abode, Aiden made her appearance in the town's
market square. For the disorderly and
crooked place that Port au Prince was, its day time activities and amenities left
little to be desired, as everything one's heart could possibly desire was
accounted for.
"Oy Aiden", someone called loudly from one of the stands.
"'Llo Sills", Aiden waved back.
This greeting was only the first of many as Aiden made her way down the street and in and around the masses of stands that cluttered the market place. Dodging those selling fine fabrics and silks, pottery and jewelry, she headed straight for the largest section toward the far end where all of the food sellers were gathered. Stopping firmly in front of one of the first counters, which was covered with several kinds of foul and poultry, she waited patiently while the owner finished business with another lady before turning his attention to her.
"Ah Aiden me dear", he greeted her with a warm smile. "Bit late today aren't we?"
She shrugged lightly, "Who's keeping track", she laughed in reply. "Anyway, just stopping by to see that me boys were 'ere earlier to pick up their goods for the day."
"Aye, Conlon stopped by only but an hour or so ago. And before ye waste the energy askin, he hit up Smithy, Allan, Dinsley, and Campeau before he left."
"Me thanks Lucas, yer always so dependable."
"Just as long as ye keep them boys coming 'ere instead sending em down the way to Potter, I'll be as dependable as ye damned well please."
Leaving the grocers, Aiden made her way from the main center of the market to its farthest edge where the spirits vendors were located, unable to hide the confident little strut that so often emerged when she was up to no good. Coming to a stop at the end of the row, she surveyed the mass of stands, carefully and methodically calculating in her mind as she scanned the contents that each vendor had on display. Her presence however did not go unnoticed for long, for within minutes several of the sellers caught sight of her and began calling to her hoping to lure her in their direction.
"So what can ye do for me today boys", she called out to the lot of them.
"Ova 'ere Aiden. I'll give ye three barrels o' Southern Brew for the price o' two", one yelled above the others.
"Forget about him luv", another shouted in response to the first. "I'll give ye four barrels o' the Southern for the same price."
"Oh come now Crank", she said back to as she approached the stand of the last man who had spoken. "Surely ye can do betta than Southern."
"Ye want betta", a third man called over to her, "I've just got a lovely new shipment of Trinidad's finest, fresh for the takin."
"Och, don't listen to him", Crank chided. "Ye know that's just an old barrel he changed the label on o' that shit he gets up along the coast."
"Hey, ye watch yer mouth ova there. I'll not 'ave ye slanderin me good name to customers."
Aware that this slight confrontation was very likely to lead to an all out brawl, Aiden easily avoided such a situation with a wave of her hand and a snappy comment. "Honestly boys, how d'ye expect me to get any shopping done with the way yer all carrying on? Pipe down and let a lady go about her business."
At this, each of the vendors quieted down significantly. The fact of the matter was, regardless of their personal feelings about Aiden herself, due to her position at the tavern, she was responsible for making the biggest liquor purchases of anyone on the entire island. Which meant quite a nice sum of money for whomever was lucky enough to land her business on any particular day. Aiden was well aware of this fact, and using it to her every advantage made the afternoon's wheeling and dealing with the liquor vendors was one of her favorite tasks of the day.
Satisfied with their compliance to her request, she now spent a few minutes moving from stand to stand, examining each man's product and listening with a half-interested expression as he tried to impress her with an offer or two. After making the rounds she returned to those from whom she wished to buy, purchasing liquors of various quality from those with whom she had made the best deals, and a few whom she particularly favored. Exchanging invaluable sums of money for a receipt, she assured each man that she would send Conlon, her kitchen supervisor, down to pick up her purchases within the hour.
Leaving the liquor quarter, Aiden returned in the direction she had come, making for the pottery and dishware section she had avoided earlier. She had been thinking about buying some new dishes for the tavern, as it was getting about time to replace those that were so often broken during typical bar activities. Keeping mostly to herself as she carried out the task of pricing, she did not even notice when a scruffy older man came up behind her.
"A bit late to be shopping wouldn't ye say", the man asked in a suspicious tone.
"Jesus God", Aiden exclaimed in surprise as she whirled around to face him. "What the hell do ye want", she sneered when she saw who it was who had spoken.
"Wouldn't 'ave anything to do with that Sparrow now would it?"
"I don't see how that's any of yer business", she shot back smartly.
"I wouldn't say that's entirely true, after all…"
"Well I would", she cut him off in mid-sentence. "Now get the hell out o' 'ere Murphy, I'd sure hate to 'ave to tell Nikolai ye were the reason the tavern opened late tonight."
With that last remark, Aiden ended the conversation by turning on her heel and stalking away leaving Murphy standing alone staring after her.
"Just don't forget yer purpose wench", he called after her as she left.
To that Aiden only turned and shot him a glare that would have surely resulted in his death if looks were to kill. Turning back around, she shook her head in disgust before continuing on her way for the Dark Horse.
***
By all accounts by the time Aiden reached the tavern some fifteen minutes later it was indeed very late compared to her usual time of arrival, even though it was still two hours until opening time. She cursed herself silently for the transgression she had allowed Jack Sparrow to cause her as she stepped inside and hurried behind the bar to drop her things. Heading for the kitchen she called in to Conlon about picking up the evening's liquor then returned to the bar to set things up for the evening.
As the minutes passed by, slowly the other bar maids who worked at the Dark Horse made their way in after a long night of god only knows what. After signing in on the pay sheet, they each went about their business taking chairs down from tables and wiping everything clean, occasionally trading remarks about the previous night's business ventures.
"And what about you Aiden", one of the other women asked in a sly tone as she and a few others approached the bar once they had finished their tasks.
"What about me Dori?" Aiden returned with raised eyebrows and a knowing grin.
"Playin innocent are we", Dori replied with a laugh. "Well no need cause I saw ye leave last night with a certain captain trailing behind ye."
"Who's to say that means anything?" Aiden questioned while trying to suppress an amused grin.
"Then why'r ye late today?"
"I had some things to take care of. Market took longer than usual."
"Oh you are so full of it Aiden Moran. I know ye better than anyone else on this island and there is no way you and that Sparrow weren't up to something."
"What ye all writing a book or something?"
"No. But its not like ye to leave with a customer so when it does happen, its worth taking notice", she answered matter of factly. Leaning in close, out of the range of the other women she asked in a low voice, "does Nikolai know?"
It seemed that question was the end of the jovial tone that had previously befallen the conversation, as Aiden's smile disappeared. "Get back to work", she ordered them all. "We've not got but an hour 'til open."
That seemed enough to get them up and moving and with slight annoyance the other women obeyed and returned to their work, muttering their disapproval of her lack of details concerning what they perceived as a night worth mentioning. Behind the bar Aiden continued working on her own to-do list, a wrinkle of frustration now creasing her previously lit up pretty face. Chewing her lip unconsciously, as was her custom when something was plaguing her, she ignored their gossip and welcomed the tavern's opening, glad to have something else to focus her attention on.
Hours passed by and the night drug on as usual in the Dark Horse. Against her better judgment, Aiden could not refrain from constantly checking the door every time she heard the bell ringing indicating that someone had entered or exited. She had hoped that no one noticed, but in her distraction she failed to keep up her usually fluid conversation, not to mention the obvious looks she received from her curious and disapproving co-workers. Shaking her head frequently in disgust, she scolded herself for allowing any customer to weasel their way into the depths of her thoughts, but try as she might, she could not keep Jack Sparrow off her mind.
At 11 o'clock she had all but given up hope that he would come and break up the banality that appeared to have befallen her since meeting him. Sure she had often been bored with her current commonplace existence since the loss of her life on the sea, but never before had everything seemed so horribly mundane. There was something about Jack, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but something that made one crave to be around him. It was as though he knew the very secret of life, a secret which he carried around with him and that was only accounted for by the glimmer of light that always sparkled in his eyes.
"AIDEN", Dori's voice tore into her thoughts and once again she scolded herself for thinking such absolutely ridiculous things.
Rubbing her forehead as though to clear her mind, she looked to her friend expecting to receive an order to fill. What she got instead was Dori nodding her head hard toward the door where Jack had just made his grand entrance, followed by several of whom Aiden guessed were members of his crew. Making their way toward a large round table at the back of the tavern, Jack gave her a slight nod in hello as he passed which Aiden returned with an unimpressed smile. From the look of it, not one who saw the casual exchange of greeting would ever have guessed the wild array of images or ideas that were playing out across the bartender's mind.
"Just don't forget yer purpose wench", Murphy's earlier words rang out against the backdrop of horribly indecent scenarios Aiden was currently imagining, which promptly caused her to get herself together and grab a tray to fill the big order which would undoubtedly result from the recent party's arrival. Grabbing several mugs she quickly set them down on the tray and gave a few refills while Dori made her way to the bar with a rather large grin plastered on her face.
"What are ye all smiles about", Aiden asked through pursed lips.
"I'll be needin five grogs and one large mug of our finest rum", Dori answered her.
"Let me guess, the rum's for Jack?"
"Jack? Oh, you must mean Captain Sparrow", Dori's grin widened. "I wasn't aware you two were on a first name basis."
"Oh shut up will you", Aiden snapped in fake irritation at her comment. "Here", she continued after a few minutes, slamming the 6 mugs down on the tray and handing it over.
"Any message ye'd like me to deliver to yer new friend?" Dori continued to tease, receiving another forced glare that was not so effective as Aiden grinned as well.
Thinking a moment to herself, Aiden searched for a smart-assed remark but came up empty handed.
"Just get out o' 'ere would ye", she huffed and turned back to her work, even more irritated that the good captain was causing her to lose her usual wit.
Trying her best to concentrate on her work, Aiden still could not help herself from occasionally glancing towards the back corner at Jack. As it were, she could not help but smile to herself when a few of those times she caught him doing the same to her. Each time she gave a sheepish smile then quickly averted her gaze.
Another two hours went by and eventually Aiden found herself so overwhelmed with the orders she had neglected in her distraction that she no longer had any time to be distracted. Filling mugs and taking money left and right, she was fairly sure that most of her regulars had noticed how much of an off night she was having. However, whenever the annoying little scolding voice rang out in her head, she was quick to quiet it in favor of more pleasant daydreams.
By 1:00 o'clock Aiden was so entirely caught up in the work she had allowed to pile up, she did not even notice when Jack's little party all stood and headed for the door. Nor did she notice that when they left Jack was not among them, but instead had taken up his seat at the end of the bar which he had occupied the previous night. All that she saw was another body at the counter. Another body for whom she quickly and thoughtlessly filled a mug, carried it down to him, and took his money without even glancing in his direction.
"Now luv, is that anyway to treat a handsome customer", Jack asked in his charming drawl as he grabbed her lightly by the wrist.
Eyes wide at being touched, it took Aiden a moment to register that it was him. "Oh, sorry Jack, I thought you'd left with yer crew."
"Naw", he brushed off her suggestion. "They're all lightweights the lot o' them. Though tis nice to hear ye finally callin me Jack."
"Funny, I'd always heard ye were one to enjoy being addressed by his title."
"And typically I do," he answered with one of his trademark golden grins. "But there's always an exception to be made."
