Troubled Seas
Land Ho!
Jack looked about, his eyes scanning the crowd. The unfamiliar faces were a safe bet that he wouldn’t be found out. Jack smiled, it was a slow smile the started on the left side of his long mouth and moved smooth to the right until he was grinning devilishly. Things aren’t always what they seem and Jack was no exception to this rule.
“Bonny, my love,” he drawled to a passing maiden.
She glanced up in surprise and blushed deeply. “You must be mistaken sir, none by that name here,” she cast her eyes back to the ground and rushed onward.
Jack laughed deeply, his eyes ogling the young girls behind. “It’s been long since I’ve been to port. Got to get me a miss before I drown myself in this here filth they call the sea,” Jack spoke to himself as he strolled about the bustling streets.
A swinging wooden sign caught his eye and he paused to read it more thoroughly. “The-Drunken-Sailor,” Jack’s slow smile spread once more across his darkened skin. “Sounds like the place for a … “Sailor”… like me.” He pushed open the heavy oak doors and a chaotic tumble of voices and music meet his ears.
Jack meandered over to an unoccupied bench and table. His eyes cast around the rowdy atmosphere taking in the ladies in red and the drunk men vying for their attention. “Homey sort of joint,” Jack pounded on the table and only had to wait a moment or two before one of the ladies in red appeared before him.
“What can I getcha Love?” she hiccuped slightly at the end of her greeting. She giggled and wiped her lip to get rid of the remaining ale.
“I’ll have the strongest stuff you’ve got Lass, and maybe a conversation with you,” he winked at her. The girl, for that’s what she was, let out a squeal of delight and rushed towards the overly full bar.
“My kind of place,” Jack repeated again, nodding to himself approvingly. Jack leaned forward and watched a drunken brawl break out before him. “Hit him in the jaw! Hit in the jaw you blasted fool!” he chanted excitedly.
“Enjoying the locals?” a distinctly feminine voice asked beside him.
Jack cast a quick glance over his shoulder to put a face with the voice. His eyes widened and he turned quickly in his seat. “And who might you be love?”
The female raised her dark eye brows slightly, she looked him squarely up and down. “You’re not a sailor that’s for sure.”
“Were you asking?” Jack began to feel slightly uneasy.
“No, just noticing,” She looked beyond him at the dirty bar and the dirty people who filled it. “Kind of a rough joint, not a place true sailors deem fit for them to step in.”
“That’s the problem with true sailors, to proud to mix with people who don’t wear shiny new clothes and silly frilly hats,” Jack looked around for his girl in red, hoping his drink was coming soon. He was ready to be rid of the blond beauty next to him. She was up to no good, he could sense it.
“Bonny, my love,” he drawled to a passing maiden.
She glanced up in surprise and blushed deeply. “You must be mistaken sir, none by that name here,” she cast her eyes back to the ground and rushed onward.
Jack laughed deeply, his eyes ogling the young girls behind. “It’s been long since I’ve been to port. Got to get me a miss before I drown myself in this here filth they call the sea,” Jack spoke to himself as he strolled about the bustling streets.
A swinging wooden sign caught his eye and he paused to read it more thoroughly. “The-Drunken-Sailor,” Jack’s slow smile spread once more across his darkened skin. “Sounds like the place for a … “Sailor”… like me.” He pushed open the heavy oak doors and a chaotic tumble of voices and music meet his ears.
Jack meandered over to an unoccupied bench and table. His eyes cast around the rowdy atmosphere taking in the ladies in red and the drunk men vying for their attention. “Homey sort of joint,” Jack pounded on the table and only had to wait a moment or two before one of the ladies in red appeared before him.
“What can I getcha Love?” she hiccuped slightly at the end of her greeting. She giggled and wiped her lip to get rid of the remaining ale.
“I’ll have the strongest stuff you’ve got Lass, and maybe a conversation with you,” he winked at her. The girl, for that’s what she was, let out a squeal of delight and rushed towards the overly full bar.
“My kind of place,” Jack repeated again, nodding to himself approvingly. Jack leaned forward and watched a drunken brawl break out before him. “Hit him in the jaw! Hit in the jaw you blasted fool!” he chanted excitedly.
“Enjoying the locals?” a distinctly feminine voice asked beside him.
Jack cast a quick glance over his shoulder to put a face with the voice. His eyes widened and he turned quickly in his seat. “And who might you be love?”
The female raised her dark eye brows slightly, she looked him squarely up and down. “You’re not a sailor that’s for sure.”
“Were you asking?” Jack began to feel slightly uneasy.
“No, just noticing,” She looked beyond him at the dirty bar and the dirty people who filled it. “Kind of a rough joint, not a place true sailors deem fit for them to step in.”
“That’s the problem with true sailors, to proud to mix with people who don’t wear shiny new clothes and silly frilly hats,” Jack looked around for his girl in red, hoping his drink was coming soon. He was ready to be rid of the blond beauty next to him. She was up to no good, he could sense it.