This was her fourth trip here, and hopefully her last. The three previous times she had been here looking for the same site, however she had come up empty. But she was sure this time she would find what she came here for (conveniently forgetting that she had been just as sure the previous times as well).
She sat at the bar with her back to the "entertainment", or she should say what passed for it in this town. It was some god awful band with a lead singer who couldn't seem to keep in rhythm with the music and had a voice so raspy that it could only come from smoking several packs of cigarettes a day. She didn't expect they could book the likes of Katy Perry or Taylor Swift, but there had to be someone better. Heck, she'd even be willing to listen to Vanilla Ice if he showed up. 'Not like he probably had a lot of gigs right now anyway, and he could probably use the cash,' she thought. And out here in the middle of nowhere, where no one knew him and most didn't speak English, he might actually do well!
She wasn't really here for the music anyway, she just came for the tequila. Well, it wasn't really tequila, but something similar she had discovered on her last visit here. She could only read a few words on the label so she wasn't exactly sure what was in it, but it was surprisingly good, and she didn't mind helping herself to a second bottle when she drained the first one faster than expected.
Turning around on the barstool, she scanned the room while sipping from her bottle. The room was evenly split between locals and those from different archeological parties. The locals in the establishment were all men and appeared to be miners enjoying their off hours by smoking, drinking, and playing games such as Seega, Mancala, and Dominoes, the only pastimes that seemed to be available in this desolate town.
The archeological teams were easy to spot. The ones coming in from the field were well-tanned and weary looking, anxious to be returning home. They mostly sat in small groups, chatting quietly amongst themselves. The groups just going into the field were much more boisterous, excited to be there. They had not gotten their tans yet from working in the open desert and stood out amongst the crowd. Most were what looked to be grad students, probably on their first dig, eager to get into the field and unearth something of vast importance that would bring fame and fortune. She hated to burst their bubble, but they would be little more than cheap labor on the trip, cataloging items, carrying supplies, and doing chores around the camp, just as she had done when she was in their position. If there were any grand discoveries to be made, they accolades would be going to their professors, with nary a mention of them.
As she sat there observing the crowd, she sensed someone sit down at the barstool beside her. Cutie let out a sigh and waited for the inevitable pick up line to be used on her, knowing that was their intention, otherwise they would have picked one of the many other empty stools at the bar. This was the fourth time someone had approached her already this evening. While usually one for small talk, and possibly a little flirting if she was in the right mood, she really didn't feel up to it tonight. She just wanted to enjoy her drink... now drinks... in peace, and then retire to bed early--alone, much to her suitors' dismay.
The first two gentlemen to hit on her were both professors setting out on archeological digs and a conservative estimate would put each at least fifteen years her senior. They tried to impress her with stories of their past exploits in the field, what papers they had published, and awards they had been granted. Cutie politely, but firmly, dismissed them, making it clear she was not interested this evening, or any other for that matter. Both had gone off in a huff.
The third had been a still wet-behind-the-ears grad student. He was cute, but too young and cocky for her taste. Having no accomplishments to impress her with, he tried a couple of pick up lines that she was honestly offended that he thought they could possibly work on her. She wondered if they worked on the college girls wherever he was from back in the States, and if so, her respect for future ladies following in her footsteps diminished just a bit. She told him if he wanted companionship, go hit on one of the girls in the digging parties his own age in the cantina, but this thirty-six year old woman didn't want his company. He seemed honestly surprised when she stated that she wasn't ten years younger, which did make Cutie feel good for a moment.
He, however, wasn't understanding her lack of interest, even though she had made it crystal clear. He babbled on for a few minutes, in which she completely ignored him. It wasn't until he made a comment about "How come all you cougars always have to act so hard to get?" that she paid him any attention.
Without hesitation, she whirled around on her barstool to face him. Cutie's foot came up, and her work boot connected squarely between the surprised grad students legs, dropping him to the floor in a fit of agony. Others in the bar seemed to notice, but no one came to his aid. She'd like to have said the band didn't even miss a beat, but they seemed to miss about every other one--though she didn't think her actions had anything to do with it. Before the young man could recover, the owner of the cantina, Babafemi, stepped out from behind the counter and picked the young man up off the floor. The barkeep was a large man, nearly as wide as he was tall and probably in his mid-fifties, and Cutie had gotten to know him well over her four trips here to El Nerfu. He not only supplied knowledge of the surrounding area, but provisions as well for her explorations, including food, water, tools, and a jeep.
Cutie watched him carry the young man to the door and outside, returning moments later empty-handed. He said nothing to Cutie as he passed, but did offer up a little wink and an amused grin. She just returned his grin with one of her own and a nod of thanks and went back to her drink.
She had hoped her little demonstration would keep away any would-be beaus, but the person beside her seemed to be unfazed. She had every intention of ignoring them until she heard a female voice say, "Can I buy you a drink?"
Cutie slowly spun around on her barstool, catching a glimpse of Babafemi behind the counter, one eyebrow raised as he had obviously overheard the woman's remark. When she finally rotated enough to see who was sitting beside her, she was shocked to find Jessica Alba sitting beside her!
Chapter 3
Cutie sometimes fantasized about women, and when it came to celebrities, Jessica was one that definitely sparked arousal in her. She didn't think she was truly bisexual, but rather preferred to think of herself as bi-kissable. Yet Cutie couldn't help but stare at the lovely woman beside her and let her gaze travel up and down her fit body.
Okay, it wasn't Jessica, but the resemblance was uncanny. The woman was probably in her mid-twenties at the latest and Cutie knew Jessica to be thirty-something. They both had the same complexion, same hair style, and the same bright, sexy smile. As her eyes wandered downward, Cutie couldn't help but notice she also sported the very same perky 32B's that Jessica had once sported before her pregnancies. The woman was braless, and considering the cantina only had one old rickety ceiling fan to cool and circulate the air, Cutie was sure it wasn't a chill that caused her nipples to strain enticingly against her tight t-shirt.
The woman had to ask again before Cutie was able to stutter out a "ssssuure, tthanks!" Babafemi popped the top off a pair of the same bottles Cutie had already consumed two of, left them in front of the women, and walked to the other end of the bar to give the ladies some privacy.
The woman introduced herself as Katia, which was Greek meaning 'pure' (owing her dark complexion to her father's Greek heritage), but everyone just called her Kitty. She said she was a grad student on her first real dig and really excited to finally be doing something instead of sitting behind a table in some lecture hall. Cutie simply nodded as she spoke, realizing she too was excited that the woman was here, and was hoping she wasn't just interested in delving into places that were musty, old and full of cobwebs.
When it came time for Cutie to introduce herself, Kitty cut her short. She said she already knew all about her, and when she saw the famous archeologist 'California Cutie' sitting here at the bar, she just had to meet her!