7. Port Royal
At dawn, Jack quietly tip toes into his cabin to wake me from my brief slumber. He is about to wake me when he suddenly stops himself.
"She's too beautiful to wake just yet," he softly says aloud to himself. As he turns to leave, he hears me roll over in the bed.
"Jack?" I ask sleepily, rubbing my eyes. He turns around and smiles.
"I wasn't goin' t' wake ye just yet," he says, sitting on the bed. I sit up and smile at him.
"And why not?" I ask, a grin forming on my lips.
"Ye looked like ye could sleep longer," he says.
"Well I could sleep longer if you joined me," I reply, pulling him down with me.
"Luv, if I sleep now, I'll never be able t' wake up!" he exclaims.
"True. I guess if you're gonna pull an all-nighter you gotta go through with it," I reply with a yawn.
"There is a change of plans, though, luv," he says.
"And what is that?" I ask, lying back down.
"We're no longer heading to Nassau Port. We're heading directly to Port Royal," Jack states.
"And why the change, Captain?" I ask, yawning again.
"Because I've figured our location and pin pointed it t' be closer to Port Royal than Nassau Port," he explains, trying to show me with his hands.
"You're so smart Jack," I say sleepily, turning over in the bed and closing my eyes. Jack just sits on the bed looking at me. Finally, he takes off his hat and places it on the table next to the bed.
"I guess I could rest with ye for a little bit. I left Gibbs at the wheel," he says, removing his jacket and kicking off his boots and laying down next to me. He places an arm around me and closes his eyes…
0 0 0
"Cap'n!" Gibbs calls from outside Jack's door. He bangs on the door loudly and abruptly wakes Jack. He jolts up and glances around, noticing that daylight no longer lights the cabin, but that the sun has set beyond the horizon.
"Aye, Mr. Gibbs!" Jack jumps to his feel and pulls on his boots and his overcoat and opens the door.
"Cap'n! We've made Port in Port Royal," Gibbs explains to Jack.
"Ah! Splendid!" Jack exclaims with a husky voice.
"Sir, were ye sleepin' all day?" Gibbs asks, as he sees me still asleep in the bed.
"Uh, I, er…aye, Gibbs," Jack says with a nod of his head.
"Well I half expected ye to do so!" Gibbs exclaims with a laugh. Jack smiles and then turns back into the room and kneels by the bedside.
"Lindsey, it's time t' wake up. We've docked in Port Royal," Jack whispers to me, stroking my hair back from my face. I open my eyes and smile up at him.
"Okay, I'm awake," I say sleepily, sitting up and throwing the covers off me.
"I'm goin' t' make ready the boats. Meet me on deck in fifteen minutes," Jack instructs and a smile.
"Aye, captain!" I exclaim, saluting him. Jack leaves the room and I rummage through some of my older pirate clothes. I change from my modern clothes into the pirate clothes, fix my hair and makeup and then run out of the cabin to the main deck where the crew is ready with the boats.
"Finally," Matt says when he sees me, "wait, you're dressed like a pirate!"
"Yeah, I have clothes here from last time I was on the Pearl," I reply with a smile.
"What am I gonna do?!" he asks, gesturing to his layered Polo with its popped collar, his ripped jeans and construction boots.
"We'll find you something to wear ashore," I reply. Matt shrugs and slings his backpack into the boat.
We row the boats to shore and tie them up at the docks.
"So where are we?" Matt asks as we walk through the candlelit streets of Port Royal.
"Port Royal," Jack says.
"This is where our friends Will and Elizabeth live—and this is where I owned a music store when I first came to this century," I explain.
"Ye still own it, luv," Jack recalls as we head down a few side streets and finally stopping at my store.
"So I take it we'll all be sleeping here for the night," I say, opening the door and letting everyone inside. Jack just stands outside for a moment.
"Why aren't you going in?" I ask.
"Let's go somewhere," he says finally.
"Um, okay," I reply, quizzically raising one eyebrow. "We'll be back!" I call in to the others, "make yourselves at home!" Matt then runs out and joins us.
"I'm coming with you," he says.
"Sweet!" I exclaim, "so, where to?" I ask Jack.
"Tavern—The Running Gosling," he replies.
"The Running Gosling?!" I exclaim in laughter.
"What?" he asks.
"That name is ridiculous for a tavern!" I laugh, almost in tears. Matt and I crack up laughing the whole walk to the tavern. Jack stops outside the tavern and looks at us both.
"When ye two finish yer, sport making, I'll be inside drinking a pint o' rum," Jack says and he walks inside.
"Wait! We're finished, we're coming too!" I call after him, still chuckling.
"I want a pint of rum," Matt says as we walk inside. Matt and I walk up to the bar and ask for two pints of rum. I hand the tender some money and we move through the crowd of people in search of Jack.
"Jack?!" I call out into the crowd.
"Over 'ere, luv!" Jack calls back from a table in the back of the tavern. Matt and I make our way over to him and sit down.
"So this is a tavern—a real tavern," Matt says, looking around him and taking a swig of rum.
"Aye—but keep a sharp eye. Things get rough in taverns," Jack warns, finishing up his rum.
"Damn, you can put em back!" Matt exclaims at Jack's drinking ability.
"Jack can drink anyone under the table," I say finally.
"I challenge that," Matt replies, gulping down the rest of his rum.
"Yer on," Jack responds, getting up and getting another two mugs of rum. Matt joins him in getting two more mugs. When they return, they both sit down, serious eyes and faces.
"So is this a race?" I ask. There is no answer from either man. "Okay, I'm gonna assume it is a race,"
Matt and Jack lift their mugs and gulp down as much rum as they can—finishing one mug of rum. They put the mug down and grab the other one. They gulp down the mug of rum.
"You both are gonna be so sick tonight," I say, shaking my head.
"Join us!" Matt says as he and Jack get up to get more rum.
"Get me one," I tell Matt. They return with more mugs of rum and place one down in front of me.
"Drink it like a pirate, dahling," Jack says with a smile.
"Will do!" I reply, taking the mug and down the entire mug of rum before either of them even begin to drink. Matt and Jack just look at me raising their eyebrows, then finish off their mugs of rum. I watch them finish off their other mugs of rum and I got to stand up.
"I think I'm about ready for another!" I reply as they join me.
The three of us end up drinking rum the rest of the night and I almost keep up with Jack and Matt, courtesy of my time spent with Anne Bonny. After my 8th mug of rum, I get up from my chair, swaggering like Jack. My eyes are glazed over and shining as I smile holding my empty mug of rum.
"I think I'm about ready for another!" I slur. I step away from my chair and then collapse to the floor unconscious.
Jack and Matt drunkenly carry me out of the tavern and bring me back to my store, where everyone else is sleeping scattered about. Jack and Matt step over the sleeping crew members and bring me upstairs and lay me down on my bed.
"I believe there's another bed in the room next t' this," Jack drunkenly whispers to Matt.
"Okay," Matt nods and staggers out of the room and closes the door behind him. Jack sits on the bed next to me and kicks off his boots. He kisses my forehead and then removes his jacket and hat and climbs into bed with me.
"Ye almost drank me under the table," he whispers into my ear, "but ye ended up under the table," he kisses me again and closes his eyes to sleep.