Summer Wine

Jack strode from the docks and into the town centre. The bustling community seemed to have endless stalls selling products, proving how fruitful the Caribbean island was. It was located far from any other island, and welcomed any ship to its docks to restock its supplies under the promise that the goods were paid for. Despite the potential to charge unreasonably high prices, Jack noticed that the goods were all at competitive prices and he was making note of what he believed to be the best deals. Gibbs and a few pirates for the heavy lifting followed Jack a few steps behind, their pockets full of gold to spend. However, nothing they carried in their hidden pouches compared to the displays of necklaces and rings that Jack wore to flaunt his importance.

The pleasant sound of a soft voice singing caught Jack’s attention and he walked closer to the stall where a young blonde woman was sweetly singing about a summer wine. He stroked his beard while examining the stated prices for barrels of the wine, pondering why this stall had the audacity to charge double than the stall closer to the docks. Instead of ignoring it and moving on, Jack found himself lured in by her gentle voice and approached the woman.

“What makes your wine so good?” he asked and the woman stopped singing.

“Did you not hear what I was singing?” she replied while nervously running her hands down the front of her pale blue dress. Jack’s eyes couldn’t help but follow them and wander across her exaggerated curves. “Strawberries, cherries, and an angel’s kiss.”

“An angel’s kiss?” Jack repeated with a raised eyebrow.

“Our secret ingredient,” the woman smiled playfully. “Would you like to try some? It’s the best in town.” Jack casually shrugged and the woman bent down to turn the tap on the open barrel. His gaze strayed as she poured a small sample into a mug before passing it over to the wealthy stranger.

“What’s your name, love?” Jack asked before he took a sip.

“Sally,” she answered as Jack swirled the wine around in his mouth.

“Captain Jack Sparrow,” he proudly told her before setting the empty mug down on her wooden bench. “And that, Sally, is the best wine that I have ever tasted.” A blush crept across Sally’s cheeks and she coyly glanced down.

“Thank you, Captain,” she muttered before meeting his dark eyes. “Would you like to buy some for the sea?” Jack knew that he would want to taste the beautiful drink again and he gave in to the woman’s charm.

“Of course,” he agreed and Gibbs stepped forward with a pouch of gold. Sally quickly counted the coins and then pointed at the barrels behind her stall, all of the men grabbing a barrel each apart from Jack.

“I uh… I should be able to get off work soon…” Sally said quietly to Jack, diverting his attention from his men to her light blue eyes that matched her dress. “Maybe we could take some wine and I could show you the island?” Jack detected her nervous tone and he guessed that she had never been with a man before, but he had previously learned how irresistible he was to women.

“Of course, love,” he agreed, eager to drink with the beauty. Sally shyly nodded with a cheeky grin before she disappeared inside the building behind her. Jack read the sign hanging above the door, Rose’s Summer Wine, and figured that the wine was actually made in the building. He turned to Gibbs and his men. “Stock up on food. I’ll return to the ship before dusk.” The men nodded and scurried off, leaving their captain to his personal business.

Jack lay propped against a boulder with a fire crackling near his feet. Sally was tucked beneath one of his arms, giggling and tipping the cup upwards to drain the sweet summer wine into his mouth. The night insects called around them and their spot was perfectly sheltered from the harsh winds of the coast. Jack shook his head as Sally filled the empty cup once more.

“Love, I have already had enough,” he slurred, reluctant to drink any more. It was becoming difficult for him to speak and his head was feeling awfully drowsy. Jack tried to stand up, but instead fell back to his spot against the rock, wishing that he had not drank so much. Sally watched the wealthy man struggle and welcomed his presence by leaning back into his arms, attempting to convince him to stay. She pushed aside a gold chain that hung around his neck and began to untie his shirt, gently trailing her fingers across his skin as she did so. Jack’s breath caught in his throat as she pulled away, blonde hair swinging across her long back as she leant away from him. Sally returned with the cup and faked taking a sip of the wine herself.

“Have some more,” she whispered seductively, bringing the cup back to Jack’s lips. He quickly swallowed it all before swooping Sally in his arms and falling to the ground with her in a fervent kiss.

When Jack woke, the sun was shining strongly into his eyes. He groaned and rubbed his aching eyes before he pushed himself up on his elbows to take a look around at his surroundings. First he saw the ashes of the fire, and then his pile of discarded clothes. Memories came back to him of the sweet summer wine and the beautiful young woman who had fulfilled every wish he had. Jack glanced around the clearing and saw no sign of her, and his stomach sank with disappointment. It then hit him that he was missing his gold. Jack, still naked, hurriedly searched the general area for any sign of his jewellery but found that every single piece had been taken. His throbbing head forced him to sit down again, and he let out a frustrated yell.

Jack dressed and followed the path until he found himself back in the town’s centre. He passed through most of the market until he found the familiar building that was selling Rose’s Summer Wine. He strangely craved for the taste and the woman’s company again, despite what she had done to him. Gibbs spotted his captain staring at the building and rushed to his side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Where have you been?” he questioned with worry, noticing that the gold was gone.

“She took it all,” Jack answered as he looked across at the woman behind the stall.

“What? Her?” Gibbs asked with a squint. He had never seen the brunette before, and neither had Jack. The woman sang the same song, a tale of strawberries, cherries and an angel’s kiss that made her summer wine, but she looked nothing like Sally. Her voice was just as sweet and alluring to Jack, though. “So you were robbed by a woman, let it go so the story doesn’t haunt you.” Jack listened to Gibbs’ advice and walked past the building, heading down the hill to his ship.

Inside, Sally stopped washing cherries and took a look out of a dusty window. She saw the captain watching the building with a confused and distraught expression, but she had to ignore her sympathy for the man. Sally continued to stare as Jack walked away to board his ship and return to the seas. She would never see him again, and he clearly had more gold to spend if he could afford to flaunt it like he did.

To take her mind of her guilt, Sally turned around and watched as Rose finished evaluating Jack’s jewellery. The straggly-haired woman could barely hold the small ring with her pudgy fingers, and though her face was creased with age and stress, Sally still felt herself warm at the sight of the woman who had cared for her when her parents had died.

“Well done, Sally! This will keep us and the rest of the girls fed for a whole month!” Rose exclaimed right before the door opened. The brunette who had been singing outside hurried to Rose’s side.

“I have a captain of a merchant ship outside,” she informed Rose, and the older woman gave her a dismissive nod. Rose got to her feet and grabbed a cask of unsealed wine and sprinkled a white powder in it. The young brunette sealed the cask and took two cups with her as she left the building to lead the merchant captain away to a secluded spot on the island.

“Ellen, it’s your turn,” Rose ordered. Another young woman stopped crushing strawberries and started to wash her hands while warming up her voice to sing the seductive song. Rose simply packed away Jack’s gold, preparing herself for yet another pay day.