chicks will think you've been hurt by love and want to heal your broken heart. Come on, let's go."
Ben looked over at the dark-haired beauty at the other end of the bar, glad they had arrived early and gotten seats. She smiled at him and then looked away. He could see the top of her breasts pushing up through her white tank top as she leaned over the bar to get another beer. Her friend said something funny and the brunette flung her hair back. Her breasts poked out in enchanting round mounds as she arched her back and laughed. She looked so clean and white and American.
Usually he came to Hud's to be left alone and drink himself into a slow stupor among hip music. He could always count on ending up in a back room on Hotel Street. There he could get quick relief for $50 followed by a dazed cab ride back to the base. In World War II a night here for sailors involved getting 'screwed, stewed, and tattooed'. But tonight he lusted for sweet sex with an all-American girl.
"Nope," Ben decided. "I'm going to stay here and check things out."
Andy caught him staring at the brunette across the bar and laughed. "Dude, she is so not your type. I thought little Asians wanna-sucky-sucky was more your thing? You know, love 'em and leave 'em in fifteen minutes? That tourist chick won't even give you the time of day. It'd take you fifteen minutes just to get close to her. Forget about it, man."
"Yeah, well, I can dream, can't I? Besides, I'm not feeling the downtown, social scene tonight." He ordered a straight up vodka from the bar and downed half in one chug.
"Okay. But if you keep drinking this fast you won't be able to find a cab to get back to base. You sure you want to stay here?"
Ben smiled at the girl across from him who caught his eye again. She bent down to say something to her friend and looked back up at him. His time here on the island was almost up and he would get ship duty overseas when he re-upped on his next tour. It may be his last chance for a night with an American girl for a while.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Okay, but now I don't have my sacrificial friend with me to offer up to the street trash that jacks me up on the way out of town."
"That kung fu grip of yours will ward 'em off. Now get outta here. I'll catch you tomorrow."
"Okay, later, brah. Stay clean." Andy gave him the Hawaiian hand salute and made his way out through a throng of Marines, locals, aged women, and hipsters. It all created a blended, steamy smell of sweat, stale beer, and perfume.
Andy was Ben's only friend. He accepted his moodiness and didn't ask questions. One night on a drinking binge, Ben found out that Andy had been orphaned, too, when he was seven. He lived in an orphanage for two years until he was adopted. They didn't talk about their past, but Ben felt it connected them. From what he guessed Andy had a rough time of it, too. He gave a final wave to his friend as he left the bar.
The Johnny Cash wanna-be left the stage in a spattering of applause and a new band set up for the boisterous, late night crowd. Ben finished his drink and ordered another vodka, a double this time. He'd make sure it went down slow.
He looked up. A tall man stared at him from across the far end of the bar. It wasn't a passing a glance. He had on a black T-shirt that stretched across his muscular arms and chest. Even in the murky bar light his bright, green eyes glowed eerie in the dim light of the bar. He looked familiar to Ben. He'd seen him before but couldn't remember where. The man nodded at him and then disappeared into the crowd, his massive body pushing through the throng of partygoers.
Ben shook his head in puzzlement and wished he hadn't. The room spun a bit. His drink was almost gone already. Too soon. He sipped the ice in his glass and debated whether to get another. It suddenly reminded him of his foster father's drinking, his empty beer cans around the house. He didn't want to think about him. He wasn't like him.
After watching Frank go up in
Ben looked over at the dark-haired beauty at the other end of the bar, glad they had arrived early and gotten seats. She smiled at him and then looked away. He could see the top of her breasts pushing up through her white tank top as she leaned over the bar to get another beer. Her friend said something funny and the brunette flung her hair back. Her breasts poked out in enchanting round mounds as she arched her back and laughed. She looked so clean and white and American.
Usually he came to Hud's to be left alone and drink himself into a slow stupor among hip music. He could always count on ending up in a back room on Hotel Street. There he could get quick relief for $50 followed by a dazed cab ride back to the base. In World War II a night here for sailors involved getting 'screwed, stewed, and tattooed'. But tonight he lusted for sweet sex with an all-American girl.
"Nope," Ben decided. "I'm going to stay here and check things out."
Andy caught him staring at the brunette across the bar and laughed. "Dude, she is so not your type. I thought little Asians wanna-sucky-sucky was more your thing? You know, love 'em and leave 'em in fifteen minutes? That tourist chick won't even give you the time of day. It'd take you fifteen minutes just to get close to her. Forget about it, man."
"Yeah, well, I can dream, can't I? Besides, I'm not feeling the downtown, social scene tonight." He ordered a straight up vodka from the bar and downed half in one chug.
"Okay. But if you keep drinking this fast you won't be able to find a cab to get back to base. You sure you want to stay here?"
Ben smiled at the girl across from him who caught his eye again. She bent down to say something to her friend and looked back up at him. His time here on the island was almost up and he would get ship duty overseas when he re-upped on his next tour. It may be his last chance for a night with an American girl for a while.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Okay, but now I don't have my sacrificial friend with me to offer up to the street trash that jacks me up on the way out of town."
"That kung fu grip of yours will ward 'em off. Now get outta here. I'll catch you tomorrow."
"Okay, later, brah. Stay clean." Andy gave him the Hawaiian hand salute and made his way out through a throng of Marines, locals, aged women, and hipsters. It all created a blended, steamy smell of sweat, stale beer, and perfume.
Andy was Ben's only friend. He accepted his moodiness and didn't ask questions. One night on a drinking binge, Ben found out that Andy had been orphaned, too, when he was seven. He lived in an orphanage for two years until he was adopted. They didn't talk about their past, but Ben felt it connected them. From what he guessed Andy had a rough time of it, too. He gave a final wave to his friend as he left the bar.
The Johnny Cash wanna-be left the stage in a spattering of applause and a new band set up for the boisterous, late night crowd. Ben finished his drink and ordered another vodka, a double this time. He'd make sure it went down slow.
He looked up. A tall man stared at him from across the far end of the bar. It wasn't a passing a glance. He had on a black T-shirt that stretched across his muscular arms and chest. Even in the murky bar light his bright, green eyes glowed eerie in the dim light of the bar. He looked familiar to Ben. He'd seen him before but couldn't remember where. The man nodded at him and then disappeared into the crowd, his massive body pushing through the throng of partygoers.
Ben shook his head in puzzlement and wished he hadn't. The room spun a bit. His drink was almost gone already. Too soon. He sipped the ice in his glass and debated whether to get another. It suddenly reminded him of his foster father's drinking, his empty beer cans around the house. He didn't want to think about him. He wasn't like him.
After watching Frank go up in
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