Dancing Queen
Love is when you feel safe in the knowledge that the people around you are loyal and truthful
"Dancing tonight at the local Margaritaville club and bar ladies" Remy one of the guys providing the entertainment at the hotel waved a flyer at Snix and Mercy smiling
"Sounds like fun" Snix grabbed the flyer "Can we?" she turned to Stevie asking
"We'll see" he smiled grabbing his fifth cocktail for the day at only 10am, Sam and he were on some sort of challenge that their wives knew wasn't going to last much past lunchtime
"You know they ain't gonna make it" Mercy laughed glancing at Sam laying there red with the heat and alcohol mix "I'm going for a swim" she told him getting up
"Hey" he opened his eyes startling her "Don't go too far"
"The pool" she pointed at the water maybe 5 meters away from them "Coming?" she asked Snix, watching her get up before they walked off
"Seems they came to drink themselves silly, that's so not my thing" Snix told her sister-in-law shaking her head
"Mine either" Mercy laughed "You know if they don't make it we should still go" she smiled "We're on the coach with people from here, we'd come back on the coach, we'd be safe"
"You know the fucking war that's going to bring when they wake up and find us missing?"
"What if we encourage the challenge, make sure they don't wake up before we get back, we could pull it off couldn't we?"
"Mercy Evans" she laughed
"Snix Evans" she giggled "We can do our team up thing on them if they start"
"I guess we could" Snix smiled "I mean who comes to an island like this and just wants to drink themselves silly?" they walked into the pool and over to the bar
"Ladies" the bartender smiled "Usual?"
"Sure" Snix smiled at him, he'd been keeping them coming at the restaurant last night
"Bubbles for the ladies" the bartender shouted across to the DJ, the pool started to fill up with people, Snix and Mercy stood wondering what was happening
"Shit" Mercy looked at Snix knowing they'd started something but, unsure how or even what, Snix rolled her eyes as the bubble machine started up
"Old Dirty coming up" the bartender tapped his nose and laughed as the DJ pumped out 'Ghetto Superstar' by Pras, Mya & Ol' Dirty Bastard everyone in and round the pool singing along playing with the bubbles
"Come on" the random people in the pool called for them to join in
"It's polite" Snix looked at Mercy smiling awkwardly "It is in our honour"
"Just for a minute" Mercy looked over at Stevie and Sam sound asleep, obviously taken over by the sun, cocktails, and shots "Before they stir"
"A minute" Snix agreed, they didn't need any more encouragement, they were in the pool dancing, rapping along, and throwing bubbles like everyone else
Some got hopes and dreams, we got ways and means, the supreme dream team always up with the schemes
From hubcaps to selling raps, name your theme, my rise to the top floating on this cream…
"Enjoying yourself?" Stevie was suddenly stood in front of Snix asking, she froze, dropped the guys hand she was holding, smiled at him, and turned to take whatever it was Stevie was going to throw
"We ordered a drink" she told him
"Sam wants you" Stevie looked at Mercy stood in an equally compromising situation with another stranger, they stood watching her walk off before he said anything else "Can't leave you alone for a second can I?" he went over to the bar to collect the drinks
"Seriously, we ordered a drink" she told him
"A drink?" he smiled handing it to her "You're going to get me into some serious trouble lady" he grabbed her hand "I've ordered lunch, we need to get going" he walked back over to the lay low smiling
"Mercy said they ordered a drink" Sam laughed as Stevie and Snix approached
"Yeah" Stevie laughed "That's what Snix said, and here's the drink as testimony" he passed it to Mercy
"I'm going to have to tie our toes together" Sam laughed pulling her to sit on his lounger "I asked you to keep a low profile, what happened?"
"We asked for a drink" she giggled holding it up "Honestly"
"Stevie's booked lunch" he sat up giggling, and kissed her
"Can we go get changed first?" Mercy asked
"Yeah, we need shirts anyway" Stevie informed her, all leaving the sun loungers to get ready
Having done most things together Sam and Stevie tended to live their lives in each other's pockets, they were all in the music industry. Sam and Stevie were a country singing musical double act, they'd let off albums every two years or so, but they kept busy between albums, writing lyrics for themselves and other artists. While Snix had recently found her niche in mainstream, popping in and out of various genre's and Mercy was true R&B, dabbling in theatre and film now and again.
Sam and Mercy had met on set, Stevie and he had been booked to play in the band that was backing Mercy on a short tour around Tennessee, it was their first big break, and they were bricking it, but she pep talked them before the gig and it turned out really well. After the three got talking, she remembered them when she did another gig in Dallas, and he took the lead from there, made all the moves, kept things going through time and distance, and proposed four years in.
Stevie and Snix were much more complicated, they'd maybe seen each other a year previous, when Mercy had dragged her on stage following a backstage conversation in which Snix had said she was scared to be on stage alone. They'd been introduced but they weren't free to pursue anything, the second meeting they'd talked, it was all very much above board, even introduced their significant others to each other, but there was something there. She went out of his mind for a while, but six months later she popped up again, and asked him out, he thought about it for about a day before he finally made the call, and two years later he proposed
The couples got married on the same day, the ceremonies were only two hours apart, at two separate church's, making things a real rush around for the parents and relatives, but to make up for all the rush they'd had their reception together and then later that evening separated again for their honeymoon's which was probably the longest time the brothers had been apart since they'd all met.
There weren't very many occasions that all four of them were together, but there was a week they'd pencilled out every year, in celebration of their wedding anniversary, where they'd dedicate time to nothing except relaxation, no work, no writing, instruments, nothing, just rest, and this was it.
"So, who won the challenge?" Snix asked as they sat to eat
"I did" Stevie laughed
"Last I checked you were both on five" Mercy told him "So it's a draw"
"No way" Sam looked at his brother teasingly "This hasn't finished yet it's just gone mid-day"
"You heard the man" Stevie laughed holding his hand up to order another drink
"Got anything planned for later?" Mercy asked
"There's a plan" Sam smiled at her "But if we get through it early maybe we could hit the club, we had fun last night"
"I guess" Snix smiled at him, taking a sly look at Mercy, confirming their agreement to go ahead for their plan later
Lunch was full of the usual conversation, parents drama, planning the next group trip, and pleasantries "Remember we booked that Red Mountain trip this afternoon?" Stevie looked at Snix, leaning in to kissed her "What are you guys doing?" he asked Sam
"We've book the Rastafarian experience" Sam laughed "It's basically riding around the local countryside on one of those all-terrain buggies, taking a dip now and again, seeing how real native's live, it should be good" he rubbed his hands together excited
"Sounds great" Snix widened her eyes at Mercy smiling
"Actually, it's something I've wanted to do for a while, we always end up on resorts, hidden away from the real world, I finally talked him into getting involved" Mercy smiled at him
"What like charity work?" Stevie looked at Sam interested
"Yeah, if we can find one to invest in on the trail, or even something to start ourselves" Mercy told him
"Dark horse" Stevie nodded his agreement
"It's all Mercy's idea, I'm just lucky enough to have been asked to jump aboard" Sam smiled hugging his wife
"Go you" Snix smiled at her sister-in-law
"We should be back for about 6pm" Stevie told him, there was only three years between them, but you could tell Stevie would be lost without his big bro, he checked in with him for everything except private time with his wife, and then there were this unspoken 'busy tonight' thing the two of them had going on, the undertones said more than any of them needed to be saying to anyone other than their wives.
They finished lunch and went off to their excursions for the afternoon, both Sam and Stevie coming back a lot more sober than their wives expected "Do you think they know?" Snix whispered to Mercy
"No" she frowned "I'm going to get a drink" she announced
"I'll get it" Sam stopped her, she smiled at Snix for the game plan to start
By dinner time their voices had gone up a couple of octaves, by 10pm they were slurring, and by 10.30pm it was time for them to find their rooms, "Do you think that's enough?" Mercy asked Snix ignoring her husband's threats of major sexual activities when they got in
"One more for luck when we get in" they pulled them out of the elevator when it stopped and almost carried them to their doors "Shit" Snix hissed when she realised Stevie had the keys "Babe I need the keys" she held her hand out waiting for him to pass them over
"Get them" he grinned like there was a surprise waiting for her when she put her hand in his pocket
"Babe" she rolled her eyes and grabbed for the keys "I'm sweating like crazy, I need a shower" she looked at Mercy having thought up the idea "You have a drink and I'll be with you as quick as I can" she assured him "Half an hour" she mouthed to Mercy, who hadn't even bothered to ask an already sleeping Sam for the keys, she'd just taken them.
They'd booked on the 11.30pm coach which meant they didn't have much time to make sure their husbands were sleeping soundly, before getting ready. However, everything was on their side, the whole thing went like clockwork, Sam and Stevie went straight to sleep leaving them to shower and change at their leisure, giving them a good ten minutes to make their way to the foyer to board the coach.
The journey there was exciting in itself, it seemed even more so because they were doing something they shouldn't be, the singalong on the 40 minute ride put them in the mood to party.
They stopped outside a very vibrant venue, music pumping so hard it made their body shake a bit uncomfortably, the people standing outside were very welcoming, and offered them flags with numbers on "Your tab Lady" one of the men explained as they walked further into the venue. The use of bamboo was excessive for sure, but it was the Caribbean, so they went with the flow, "Drinks?" someone stood in their faces before they could fully get into the venue, they smiled at the offer and took one each
"Thank you, but we'll go to the bar" Mercy smiled at the young woman as she shoved a disc with the number 25 on it, in her hand
"Seems we're number 25" Snix waved the flag at her "Let's get this party started" she waved the flag through the air as they made their way past the colourful plastic tables, up a few steps, into the main dance area, and up to the bar
"I'll just have a juice, better safe than sorry" Mercy told her
"Me too" Snix told the bartender
They were having a good time, dancing with the crowd, cheering as the familiar songs blasted out, even a few of their own got some airtime, they put their heads down and danced the hell out of those too.
"Check you" Mercy giggled as a young man stood behind her rubbing himself playfully against her butt "I'd eat you for breakfast" she turned to tell the boy laughing at him seeming to want to take on the challenge "And I'm happily married" she held her left hand in the air
"Me too" Snix held her hand up when the young man looked like he was moving in her direction "Imagine how that would have ended if they walked in the door right now" she rolled her eyes at Mercy "Two dead husbands" she giggled "We shouldn't stay too much longer"
"I agree" Mercy shouted in her ear before the music changed, and they were moving to fresh sounds, they were looking around trying to catch the dances until a woman decided to teach them. Soon they were dancing like locals, boys backing up on their asses as they sang along to the raunchy songs the DJ played. Before they knew it, the time had slipped away from them and the few minutes more had turned into nearly two hours, they were looking at 3am, nearly time for Sam and Stevie's morning run "Shit" Mercy grabbed Snix's hand "We've got to go"
"Lady" the guy standing behind Mercy called pulling her back into his chest
"Sorry" she turned and pushed him off "I think we've had enough" she told Snix "Let's get the hell out of here"
"Bill Lady" some woman looked up at their flag and pointed to the bar
"I'll get it" Snix told Mercy walking off towards the bar
The drive home was much quieter than the journey there, everyone was moaning about sore, hurting feet, hiked up prices, sleep deprivation or actually sleeping. Mercy and Snix were worried about the fast approaching daylight which was sure to wake their husbands up before they got back
"Maybe we could say we went to enquire about swimming with the dolphins" Mercy suggested
"We're doing that on Saturday" Snix reminded her
"Aren't you worried?"
"They'll be mad for a day, or as long as it takes us to get them into bed, it's no biggie"
"I don't fancy spending our anniversary arguing"
"You're so sensitive, you start the argument before he can, let him sweat"
"He doesn't like games" Mercy whispered
"But you do" Snix giggled
"And god do I need to sleep" Mercy huffed resting her head on the headrest
"I do too" Snix smiled "This is going to be…"
"Be what?" Mercy turned her head to look at her "I know" she smiled
"How free we'd be to go on in life, and fulfil our destiny" Snix sang nudging Mercy to join in
She rolled her eyes, smiled, and joined in "Grudges we bear, only get us nowhere, much better to release, and free your mind free your mind" they knocked heads "Remember the first time we sang that?" Mercy turned her head to look at Snix
"How was we supposed to know the woman was going to be in the audience?" Snix laughed
"I know" she sat up giggling "But we got props"
"Please tell me a time we didn't" Snix looked at her "I'm glad you talked me into it, it was the best move"
"And now we're living our best life"
"With husbands about to burst blood vessels for us messing about"
"They should think themselves lucky…"
"What is that I hear in. your voice, is everything alright with you two?"
"Sure" Mercy smiled carrying on the song "Just as long as, we pull together, I know we can make it through"
Mercy & Snix: If now and then, we looked over our shoulders, maybe we'll find, our way ahead is so much clearer
We'll know to leave behind, all of the fears that, hold us back from, being all we can
How free we'd be to go, on in life and fulfil our destiny 'Our Destiny' by Hinda Hicks
"Okay everyone, you're back at the hotel" the driver shouted interrupting them as the coach swung wide to get through the gates, making everyone rock in their seats
"Poker faces" Mercy remined Snix
"Let's do this" she grabbed her shoes and made for the steps to get off the bus
The two of them walking towards their rooms looking across the pool to see if their husbands were already up. They got to their rooms and crept in smiling at each other at seeing them still fast asleep before they closed their doors behind them.
Snix
"Hum" Stevie jerked at the breeze coming into the room "Alright babe?" he asked without opening his eyes
"Bathroom" she whispered making her way into the bathroom to get undressed before falling into bed
"You're cold" he pulled her in as she snuggled into him to get warm "What time is it?"
"Early" she pushed her back more into his chest "Warm me up" she wrapped her legs around his smiling at getting away with last night
"Who won?" his head popped up to ask
"Lost count" she moaned at sleep taking over, she was more tired than she'd thought
"Happy anniversary babe" he kissed her neck "I'll expand later"
"Promises, Promises" she giggled "Happy anniversary" she cupped his jaw in her hand and blew him a kiss, giggling louder when he started touching her intimately, because she knew there was no way she was getting any sleep just now
Mercy
Mercy crept in and went straight to the bathroom, pinned her hair up and took a shower "Morning" Sam opened the door "I need a wee" he walked in and did what he needed "You're up early, did I piss you off last night?" he turned to ask "I know we went there last night, and it was a bit selfish but…"
"It was fine" she smiled
"Who won?"
"You drank more" she giggled "But" she stopped soaping up to look at him "Stevie was the last man standing"
"Damn" he shook himself off, brushed his teeth and stripped, before stepping into the shower with her "I guess technically I won" he pulled her to him "Happy anniversary babe"
"Happy anniversary babe" she hugged him and took the kiss, knowing what he wanted, she was eager and happy enough to take and give it
Breakfast
"Morning" Sam smiled at Stevie and Snix sat in the restaurant eating fruit
"Morning" Mercy smiled walking past them
"Morning" Stevie and Snix chirped
"I hear I won" Sam sat at the table smiling, turning to watch Mercy walking over to the breakfast bar
"I'll give you that one but…"
"No buts bro, that's not happening again"
"I know, I felt bad I slept on top of the covers so she couldn't get in" Stevie frowned "She was freezing this morning" he rubbed her arm
"Fruit and juice" Mercy sat next to Sam putting the bowl and glass in front of him "What do you fancy?"
"Is that a trick question?" he smiled
"To eat" she nudged him
"Quiz?" he asked, "Are you guessing or am I?"
"Sam" she giggled
"I'll have whatever you bring me and a coffee please babe" he kissed her before she got up
"I'll come with you" Snix jumped up
"Do you think they know?" Stevie asked Sam watching the woman walk off
"No" he laughed "They're going to be so embarrassed and loved up"
"We'll do it when they get back"
"At the pool house, it's all set up" Sam confirmed sitting back to take in the ocean view "Oh that looks good" he complimented the plate of eggs, bacon, plantain, and toasted cornbread, all four talking as they ate
"Pool house?" Stevie announced when they'd finished breakfast "Remember our wedding day?" he got up and held his hand out for her to follow him
"Is this a walk down memory lane?" Snix asked
"Kind of, it's five years today I was bricking it thinking you weren't coming" Stevie laughed
"I was always going to come babe" she hugged him
"I was the opposite" Sam grabbed Mercy's hand to follow them "I was too confident; I couldn't wait for this one to be a part of me" he hugged her
"Is this the baby conversation again?" Mercy asked
"No, it's our wedding anniversary talk" he laughed "And we have a present"
"I thought we didn't give presents" Snix looked at Stevie
"It's just some fun stuff we thought we'd do" he smiled
"Nothing too wild babe" Mercy warned
"You'll love it" he waved to the guys for some privacy as they walked into the pool house
"Shit, you're not going to sing are you?" Snix asked seeing two guys holding instruments
"Low profile?" Mercy looked at Sam asking
"New song for our special day" Sam laughed
"So, I ask again" Mercy looked round "What happened to low profile" she giggled watching them walk towards the music, Sam grabbing a guitar, while Stevie sat at the drums before the music started
"That's why we decided to get this place for a few minutes" Sam told her
"It's just a snippet" Stevie assured them "We've been struggling with the second verse, so it really is just a bit"
"This is for you" Sam smiled at him wife
"And you" Stevie smiled at Snix before looking at the guys to start the into
Stevie: Oh, babe, like a cold, cold hand on the stove, babe, my heart, and my mind on a stoke, babe
Tripped and fell on down the stairs, don't know if I'll find them things again
Sam: Slid in my life like a thief in the night, and you stole my common sense
The sun will never shine, and the wolves will never cry till I'm holding you again
Both: Love how you kiss every tattoo on my face, yeah, it's the time and place, to do what the doctor said, a dose of you a day
By morning what I need, the perks of being a fiend, is that I get to take a dose of you a day ayy, ayy… 'Dose' by Teddy Swims
"That's all we've got so far" Sam strummed an alien chord on the guitar
"I love it" Mercy giggled walking towards her husband
"Serious?" he smiled "I mean it's not our usual vibe but…"
"It's really good" Snix encouraged them
"I think that deserves more than a dose" she giggled "Get a room you two" she laughed looking at Stevie and Snix making out
"You know how easy it is to get carried away" Snix laughed
"You guys are up early" the guy that came in to remove the instruments commented
"Early?" Sam asked him
"The ladies were at Margaritaville till early this morning" he pointed to Snix and Mercy "I thought they'd still be resting"
"You must have the wrong…" Sam turned to look at Mercy "Were you out last night?"
"Yeah" she huffed "We went out for a bit of a laugh, get our freak on, proper pair of dancing queens" she wiggled her butt at him
"We were perfectly safe" Snix added
"Not disputing that" Stevie frowned "It just would have been nice to worry, rather than be oblivious"
"We were fine" Mercy told him
"You need to explain this dancing queen shit to me, because the visuals are going wild in my head" Sam not amused look focused on his wife
"I'll give you the X-rated version tonight babe" she bit her bottom lip teasingly "Promise"
"Yeah" Snix grabbed Stevie t-shirt "We learned some new dance moves last night, might come in handy, if you know what I mean" she whispered in his ear, the two women smiling at each other for having switched the focus so fast "I need to talk to you" she looked into Stevie's eyes "In private" she looked at Mercy and Sam stood watching them
"That's fine" Mercy smiled at Sam "I have something to talk to you about too"
"What's up?" they asked, looking at each other before walking off toward their rooms
Afternoon
"Bro" Stevie sat on the beach next to Sam "I've been looking for you for… what's up?" he asked shocked at seeing his brother's red eyes
"Nothing, and everything" Sam smiled at him
"I know how you feel" Stevie smiled at him and sat next to him
"Just when you think life can't get any better" Sam shook his head giggling to himself
"Mmm" Stevie chuckled in agreement
"Mercy's…"
"Snix is…" Stevie looked at him
"Pregnant" they both laughed saying
"I'm going to be a freaking dad" Stevie laughed
"Me too" Sam grinned "She's asleep, I just took a minute to let it all sink in"
"I had a drink" Stevie laughed "A few actually"
"If I'd ever dreamt that I was going to love someone so much, I don't know" he looked at the sea "It hurts to know she's going to feel pain because of me, even if it is for our child"
"It'll be alright" Stevie grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it "Let's get back to our sleeping dancing queens"
"Yeah" Sam got up "Congratulations man" he grabbed his brother
"Back at you" he hugged his big bro