The Cayman Islands were so beautiful this time of year, and the weather was really perfect. Much better than in the heat and humidity of the summer. Or so Christina had been told by the hotel staff, anyway. The weather was great, true...a nice cool breeze came in right off that perfect azure-blue glassy sea, and it blew through her hair as she sat quietly at the outdoor hotel bar. The bar was typical for an island resort; covered only by a thatched bamboo-and-palm roof, but otherwise totally open, it sat right on the edge of the sand. But, it seemed, that the other thing about coming to the Cayman's during this time of year was that it was dead as a doornail.
She looked around the big bar area. On a hoppin' night, this place probably could hold two hundred party-mad souls. Tonight, it held two. Well, two, other than Christina. They were a couple sitting alone together at a table in the middle of the big sunken floor, and they had eyes for no one but each other. Probably honeymooners, she thought, or at least two people madly in lust. She sighed. She sipped without much interest at her Mai Tai.
I mean it was early, just like 7:00 or so, but this was ridiculous. And Kelly, her roommate, would be of no help tonight; she had found an 18-year-old Dutch girl that afternoon out on the beach, and they disappeared at like 5. Christina knew that Kelly would be munching happily throughout the night.... she knew that this one was a "keeper", one that Kelly wanted for herself, at least for the night. Maybe she'd bring her 'home' tomorrow, but not tonight. So, tonight she was on her own, and nothing at all was happening here. She guessed she'd probably order some food at the bar, down maybe another Mai Tai, then take a cab into the city. The clubs had to be hotter than this. Anything had to be hotter than this. Heck, Cayman TV in the bungalow was hotter than this.
"An Appletini, please," she heard the soft, sultry voice say from next to her.
Christina didn't turn to look at the woman at first, because she didn't believe her ears. She just stared straight ahead like a deer caught in headlights, and waited to hear more words. The bartender mixed the Appletini, and when he gave it to the woman, she heard her say, "Thanks very much".
It was the voice.
Her voice.
Turning slowly, Christina looked to her left. The woman was in profile. Those lips...those full, pouty lips that every single man and woman on Earth wanted to kiss...those lips were now giving their sacred blessings to the martini glass. That was the luckiest glass on Earth. If only Christina were that glass right now.
The woman turned toward Christina, still sipping her 'tini. She set the glass down...and those lips that everyone would die to have touching them....those lips smiled utterly warmly at her.
"Hi," the woman (whose first name Christina believed to be Angella) said to her.
Christina swallowed hard. Her eyes blinked rapidly. She looked around the room to see if there was anyone else there. Just the couple, and they too were staring at the movie star. So, that proved that Christina hadn't lost her mind. THAT Angella really was sitting right next to her. And she'd just said hi. And Christina was still just...gaping.
Angella's eyebrows lifted, as if to say, "...and...?"
Christina coughed, then mumbled, "Um, oh, yea, sorry! I mean, hi!"
If it wouldn't have made her look even stupider, she would have smacked herself in her forehead.
Angella chuckled a little, and took another sip of her drink.
Christina said, "Um." Like it was a whole sentence, filled with meaning.
Angella chuckled again, and said, "So true, so true."
At that Christina broke down and laughed, and so did Angella. Wow. What a woman. Not just to look at either. What a woman.
"It's really quiet here," she said to Christina.
"Yea, I know, crazy quiet," Christina said. "I was thinking of just having some quick food and then going into town to see if there's a club that is hoppin."
"Oh, don't do that," she replied, "then I'd have no one at all to talk to."
Christina gulped. "Err, no, then, right, I won't do that." She grabbed her Mai Tai and drained the remaining half. Before she could say anything, Angrelina said, "Please get this sweet girl another of whatever she is having."
The bartender smiled and said, "Yes, miss."
When the fresh Mai Tai came to her, Christina said, "Thanks," and sipped it and almost gasped. It seems the bartender had stiffened this one...a lot! She took a deeper sip, and made a little face.
Those magic lips smiled at her, and said, "Good?"
"Uh, yea. They make them really...good...here," Christina replied. She tried to marshal her forces, and get her head back in the game. So, she said, "So, do you come here often?" And then she wanted to whack herself in the head instead.
Angella laughed while sipping her drink, and Appletini sprayed out of her nose. She was grabbing a napkin and her eyes were watering when Christina gave her another bunch of napkins and said, "Sorry, sorry," she was laughing too. "Sorry, I just meant, like, is this one of your regular places or something and that's why you are here. That's what I meant!"
Wiping laughter-tears from her eyes, she replied, "No, it's not. I came here for a photoshoot just today, and tomorrow I leave to go back to the hubby and the kids."
Wow. The hubby and the kids. Wow.
Angella, recovering, said smiling wryly, "How about you? Do you come here often?"
Christina blushed. "Oh, no. First time. I'm here with my roommate Kelly."