Only a Man

From where she currently sat, she could hear the swoop and crash of the salty ocean waves as they beat a deep, steady rhythm against the ancient concrete water levy.

Unmindfully, her fingertips traced the rim of her glass causing it to sing a low mournful tune, while her left hand kept her sagging head from hitting the smooth granite tabletop. Her creamy blonde head was turned to the window she sat beside, but her gaze went further than the pedestrians on the other side of the stained glass. Her mind only heard the sea and its whispery call.

“Hey girlie, that’s a dangerous look to be sporting around here you know.” A tall brunette haired woman announced in a half serious half teasing tone as she carelessly flipped a white towel over her shoulder after drying the last glass.

The young blonde haired girl was snapped out of her daze and turned her attention towards the older woman behind the bar. “What look, Loria? It’s a slow day and I’m on break.” She answered with a curious tilt of her head, her blue-grey eyes soft and distant. Loria gave the younger girl a stern knowing look, before she hopped over the counter with one smooth motion.

“Oh, don’t even pull that crap with me girl, you’ve been nursing that drink for two hours now and your gaze hasn’t left the dock since you took a seat.” Loria huffed and pulled out a chair opposite her younger friend.

The blonde hummed softly in response, neither denying nor agreeing with the older woman’s statement. There was no use in disagreeing, but the young blonde was too stubborn, or possibly afraid, to verbally agree.

“I know that look, girlie. I know it all too well.” Loria sighed heavily, almost longingly and propped her chin on her open palm, her violet gaze hooded by her long sweep-cut bangs. A lazy, wistful smile curled on her lips and Loria turned her attention away from the rolling waves that had her friend’s full attention.

“Say, how long have you been here with us Devereux, three, maybe four years now?” Loria asked. The blonde’s gaze flickered over to her friend and boss.

“Since I was thirteen,” Devereux answered easily without a pause.

“Five years, then.” Loria whistled, thinking how time sure did seem to pass her by much too quickly. “Seventeen years old now.” Her voice was matter-of-fact and touched on gloomy, regretful even. They were breaching on a touchy subject that neither really wanted to discuss, but had to. It could no longer be pushed aside.

Devereux confirmed Loria’s statement with a nod of her head.

“Huh, well, I guess that means I don’t have any hold over you anymore. You lucky, lucky punk,” The brunette chuckled darkly. A hint of deep jealousy and ruefulness flashed in her violet gaze but vanished just as quickly as it appeared.

“Well,” She sighed and pushed herself up and out of the chair. “You’re a grown woman now and certainly no fool, if what we taught you actually took, so do whatever you want.” Loria’s tone was casual, as if she really didn’t care what path the blonde choose to take, but Loria would make that decision for the blonde. Because Loria knew Devereux would choose to stay if she made any small notion that she wanted the younger girl to stay.

Devereux watched her mentor with warring emotions in her heart. A part of her didn’t want to leave the safe haven of the bar and the women who had become her second family, but another part of her strongly wanted to break loose from the shackles of the sandy beach that had held her down for so many years.

She really shouldn’t have such opposing emotions about this. It was what she had always wanted, it was the whole reason why she had searched out the older brunette and undergone her often brutal tutelage for four and a half years. Really the decision shouldn’t have been so hard to make. Stay and live the life of a barmaid, or leave and become a pirate like she had always wanted.

“The girls and I can handle this place by ourselves, we did it before you and we can damn sure do it without you. Now get out of here before I boot you out the front door on your skinny ass myself.”

Devereux’s eyes lit up like gasoline on a fire and a brilliant smile settled on her lips despite the crude words and cold tone her mentor had used. The seventeen year old jumped from her seat and fought the urge to hug her stern mentor, who wouldn’t have appreciated the gesture.

“Well, what are you doing dancing around here for? Get your shit packed and get gone already!” Loria barked as the squirming teen gnawed on her bottom lip like it was the world’s tastiest candy.

Devereux startled at the sudden loudness of her mentor’s voice, but that ridiculously wide smile was still on her face. It was a wonder that her face didn’t hurt, Loria mused with an eye roll.

“You won’t regret this Loria, I promise!” The teenager raced away from the table and up the stairs, taking them two at a time in her rush. The brunette shook her head at her still somewhat childish apprentice and slumped down into the recently vacated chair.

“Damn kid, giving me such problems.” She grumbled with a smile, before she laughed at herself and the roaring motherly instincts she thought she had smothered out years ago. Her expression tightened and returned to her stern mask when the overeager blonde jumped over the railing of the upstairs level, her stuffed duffel bag slung carelessly over her shoulder.

“You better have made sure you got all your shit, because I won’t let you come back for it.” Devereux’s smile dulled slightly, but she nodded in confirmation, not sure what to say to the older woman she had come to love and respect.

“Well, there’s the door, now get out of here.” Loria lazily motioned over her shoulder with her thumb to the double-doors and blue-grey eyes followed the movement intently. Devereux straightened her bent posture and moved towards the door with excitement sparking in her wide eyes, but paused in front of them as if suddenly afraid of what awaited her on the other side.

Loria stood from her seated position, curious to see if she would actually go through with it. Some could take that final step and then some couldn’t. Slowly, Devereux turned her head around to face the brunette. What Loria saw made her gasp openly in awe. The maturity that suddenly took over Devereux’s whole being was shocking and instantly set the brunette at ease.

“Tell the girls that I said bye, and when I come back, I’ll show you that your time with me wasn’t a waste.” With one last smile Devereux turned and pushed open the doors to her freedom. The aged doors creaked as the teenager confidently strode out of them, her head held high and not so much as a glance backwards as she walked away.

When the doors swung closed Loria slumped back into the seat and after the shock wore off she tossed her head backwards and grinned proudly yet sadly up at the ceiling. There was nothing to worry about; Loria and the rest of girls had trained her well. If Devereux could give her that smile so easily and not even give a backwards glance then there was no telling what she would make of herself in the near future. But she would certainly leave her mark on the word for all to see and remember.

Loria chuckled, picked up the half full glass the blonde had forgotten to pay for and moved behind the counter. As she dumped the contents of the glass, she smiled and spoke her thoughts aloud to herself. “I look forward to seeing your face on a wanted paper very soon, Valancy J. Devereux.”