some semblance of a
family. Tortuga though was nothing but women, drinking and cards,
which sounded good in theory. The women were boring and frivolous,
only spending time with the men for money, and the entertainment
was often drinking and bar brawls—which was good for a few laughs
until it landed you in lock up for a night.
Brant spent
most of his time with the men in his crew, throwing away all their
money on rum and cigarettes. Many of the men had some girl on their
arm that they had paid for, but Brant mostly ignored them. He had
no interest in a girl that was merely giving away her body and not
her heart.
Women weren’t
in his future. He didn’t live a life he could bring one into and
he’d come to terms with that about when Corbin gave up his position
to look after his family. He was lonely, but he refused to lower
his standards for a one night lie. He’d seen what that did to Leo,
and he didn’t want that.
Brant finished
off his glass of rum and noisily dropped it onto the wooden table.
He was sick of hearing the girls in this bar laugh and flirt,
pushing themselves on inebriated men. Was this how girls had been
around Leo? He could remember thinking they were pathetic, but they
were looking for a life change. These girls were just looking to
make a pound.
Brant played
with the idea of taking one up to his room… It would be so easy,
just one night of reckless abandon that he could forget about the
next day. Sooner or later a girl would come up to him if he watched
them long enough. There was one girl who looked younger than the
rest, wearing a dress that barely covered her chest. She was
laughing at something another girl was saying to her. She was
blushing… Either she was incredibly good at what she did or she was
new enough to still have a little bit of innocence about her. She
looked over and caught Brant’s eye. It was just a second, but it
was enough. She sauntered over.
“ You’ve been watchin’ me.”
“ You aren’t like the other girls. What’s your
story?”
“ It’s long… I got the time to tell it if you got the
money.”
Brant smiled
“I got money. Sit, let me buy you a drink.”
She sat and
Brant waved over a serving girl and ordered two rums. “I’m
Brant.”
“ Clarice.”
“ You’re too young to be working this job, Clarice. Too
pretty.”
“ Mayhaps, but it’s good money and I need it. My father died a
little while back, he was a sailor, and me mom and baby brother are
left with nothing. We don’t have two shillings to rub together, so
I do this. It’s the one thing us women can do to make a decent
penny and I ain’t gonna let my momma and baby brother go out on the
street.”
“ Is that your real story or is that the one your mistress told
you to tell?”
“ You think men around here give a lick about women being put
out of their own homes? That’s the truth. For every other man I
just pretend like I’m not a working girl. That’s what they
want.”
“ I’m sorry you have to do this.”
“ Tis life, Brant. Don’t tell me yer so naïve you think this is
a choice. Now, are you gonna take me upstairs or should I look for
business elsewhere?”
Brant smiled
and shook his head. “I’m not looking for that. I just want some
conversation. Sit here with me, talk, that’s all I’m asking for and
I’ll pay you good.”
“ I do believe you’re one of the good ones, Brant.”
“ So are you. Don’t forget that.”
So they
pretended. He told her about his life on the ship, about his father
and brother back home and she listened. She laughed in all the
right places and took the coins as he slid them over. For just one
night, Brant could pretend that he had someone waiting for him
whenever he was out to sea, wanting to hear his stories of
adventure. But when he made his way up to his room alone in the wee
hours of the morning, reality came back. He was just a sailor and
he would grow old and alone like most of the men on the crew.
For the
family. Tortuga though was nothing but women, drinking and cards,
which sounded good in theory. The women were boring and frivolous,
only spending time with the men for money, and the entertainment
was often drinking and bar brawls—which was good for a few laughs
until it landed you in lock up for a night.
Brant spent
most of his time with the men in his crew, throwing away all their
money on rum and cigarettes. Many of the men had some girl on their
arm that they had paid for, but Brant mostly ignored them. He had
no interest in a girl that was merely giving away her body and not
her heart.
Women weren’t
in his future. He didn’t live a life he could bring one into and
he’d come to terms with that about when Corbin gave up his position
to look after his family. He was lonely, but he refused to lower
his standards for a one night lie. He’d seen what that did to Leo,
and he didn’t want that.
Brant finished
off his glass of rum and noisily dropped it onto the wooden table.
He was sick of hearing the girls in this bar laugh and flirt,
pushing themselves on inebriated men. Was this how girls had been
around Leo? He could remember thinking they were pathetic, but they
were looking for a life change. These girls were just looking to
make a pound.
Brant played
with the idea of taking one up to his room… It would be so easy,
just one night of reckless abandon that he could forget about the
next day. Sooner or later a girl would come up to him if he watched
them long enough. There was one girl who looked younger than the
rest, wearing a dress that barely covered her chest. She was
laughing at something another girl was saying to her. She was
blushing… Either she was incredibly good at what she did or she was
new enough to still have a little bit of innocence about her. She
looked over and caught Brant’s eye. It was just a second, but it
was enough. She sauntered over.
“ You’ve been watchin’ me.”
“ You aren’t like the other girls. What’s your
story?”
“ It’s long… I got the time to tell it if you got the
money.”
Brant smiled
“I got money. Sit, let me buy you a drink.”
She sat and
Brant waved over a serving girl and ordered two rums. “I’m
Brant.”
“ Clarice.”
“ You’re too young to be working this job, Clarice. Too
pretty.”
“ Mayhaps, but it’s good money and I need it. My father died a
little while back, he was a sailor, and me mom and baby brother are
left with nothing. We don’t have two shillings to rub together, so
I do this. It’s the one thing us women can do to make a decent
penny and I ain’t gonna let my momma and baby brother go out on the
street.”
“ Is that your real story or is that the one your mistress told
you to tell?”
“ You think men around here give a lick about women being put
out of their own homes? That’s the truth. For every other man I
just pretend like I’m not a working girl. That’s what they
want.”
“ I’m sorry you have to do this.”
“ Tis life, Brant. Don’t tell me yer so naïve you think this is
a choice. Now, are you gonna take me upstairs or should I look for
business elsewhere?”
Brant smiled
and shook his head. “I’m not looking for that. I just want some
conversation. Sit here with me, talk, that’s all I’m asking for and
I’ll pay you good.”
“ I do believe you’re one of the good ones, Brant.”
“ So are you. Don’t forget that.”
So they
pretended. He told her about his life on the ship, about his father
and brother back home and she listened. She laughed in all the
right places and took the coins as he slid them over. For just one
night, Brant could pretend that he had someone waiting for him
whenever he was out to sea, wanting to hear his stories of
adventure. But when he made his way up to his room alone in the wee
hours of the morning, reality came back. He was just a sailor and
he would grow old and alone like most of the men on the crew.
For the
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