Everyone stopped what they were doing when she walked in. Her kind of beauty was rare around these parts, a mixture of animal sensuality that made you want to throw her over a table and fuck her silly, crossed with a hard look that let you know it would be the last thing you ever did in this world. Her mother had almost that same look at the same age, but motherhood had tempered hers a bit. I didn't say anything. Just stopped to gawk like the rest of the locals. Despite my forty pounds, bushy grey beard, and tattered dirty t-shirt she came over and sat beside me at the bar, ignoring the eleven other empty seats beside us. She ordered a Jack, on the rocks, and drank it silently beside me.
Despite the hard façade, I could see she wasn't as cool as she wanted to be. A little tinkle of ice in her glass as she held it, staring at it. Willing her hand to stop shaking but not quite succeeding. And her cigarette hanging out of her mouth, the tip jiggling just a bit. I was glad to see she was as over wrought as I was. It was almost ten years since I'd seen her last at her trial. She wouldn't see me when I went to visit her after so I moved on. 'Course I had nothing to hold me there anymore so I moved way the hell on. But she found me. Deep down I guess I knew if she wanted to look, she'd be here eventually.
I was still nursing my Rusty Nail. Down to one a day now. Not like it was, all those years where I'd drink myself into oblivion. At least I hadn't squandered the money on whores. One whore was enough and she was long gone. The angel was on her third Jack before she opened her mouth. "Hey" she said. Her voice was already hoarse from too many cigarettes and when she went to light another one I took it from her and crushed it out. Everyone was watching and all the noise stopped as they waited to see what this tough bitch was gonna do to the old man.
"Not many men would even try that, Daddy." She dropped into a whisper and people strained to hear.
"You're not too big for me to tan your ass, bitch." Was my reply.
With a cry she was on me and out of the corner of my eye I could see people jump. Her arms went around my neck and she didn't stop crying for at least five minutes. I closed my eyes and smelled her stinking body, certain I'd never smelled anything so heavenly. Finally after she settled down I helped her up and we went back to my hotel. Not my hotel room. As seedy as I looked, I owned the only hotel in town. A small four room place, neat, clean, and simple. No TV, no internet, no room service. People came here to really get away from it all. The office was a separate building and was attached to my cabin. I did have my own internet but still no TV. I led her home and pointed her towards the shower.
As Cristina cleaned herself up I went to one of the vacant rooms and showered. I shaved off my beard and put some clean, neat clothes on. When I got back to my cabin she was still in the shower so I started some dinner. I usually ate at the bar but I had some canned chunky soup and things. She came out of the bedroom just as I was putting the food out. She had a few scratches and what looked like bug bites on her bare shoulders. Her whole aura screamed forty one, not thirty one. She just stared at me as she sat and ate and I stared back. I'd always hoped we'd see each other again but I wasn't sure if I would and until now I never realized how much I missed her.
