crybaby ghost writer

Aunt Mildred would be scandalized to see Nick strolling through town looking a bit unkempt, with a girl no less. Even back home Nick had a hard time caring what his aunt thought was scandalous, and he definitely didn’t care right now. The bustling little town was full of colorful shops and people haggling over prices of everything from fabric to spices to fish. The port seemed to be a popular place for trading and selling goods. Nick and Tara moved further into the town, finding an assortment of other shops. The ones closer to the harbor mostly carried sailing and fishing supplies and the like; the ones in this section sold trinkets and art and clothes. There were also some small vendors selling street food and assorted fruity drinks.

“This place is certainly colorful,” Tara remarked as they carefully avoided getting mowed down by the crowds jostling for a place in line to buy some kind of roasted fruit. A group of little kids ran past her and one of them dropped their sticky fruit drink, causing it to splash all over Tara’s skirt.

“Seems the color here is leaking into your outfit,” Nick remarked. Tara sighed, trying to shake some of the drink off her dress.

“We’ll get you a new one,” Nick said and she looked startled.

“I couldn’t possibly ask you to get me a dress,” she frowned.

“It’s no trouble. After paying for a ship I think I can handle a dress,” he replied, lips quirking up. “Come on, I see a dress shop right there.”

He pulled her arm gently when she just stood there looking unsure. He led her into the shop and the friendly shopkeeper was quick to give Tara assistance once she saw the stain on her skirt.

“Right this way, dear. I have some lovely things right over here. They’re a much lighter fabric than this, you’ll be much more comfortable.”

Tara said she’d take a plain cream colored one, but the shopkeeper shook her head.

“Nonsense, a pretty young girl should wear some color. This one, in the purple. It’s just the right color for you.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Tara said quietly but the woman insisted and finally Tara relented. Nick waited up front, leaning against the counter and watching people pass by out the window while Tara changed in the back. She emerged in a plum colored dress in a gauzy sort of fabric. When the shopkeeper came over to collect payment, Nick realized he was staring a little and he quickly turned away. His ears turned red when the shop woman smiled at him a little.

“Sweet of you to buy your wife a new dress,” she remarked. The redness spread from his ears to his whole face but Nick figured the woman would just turn disapproving if he said that they weren’t married. He just stammered a thank you and he and Tara left the shop. Nick adjusted his glasses, still feeling a little awkward.

“It’s a bit warm,” he said. “Would you like to actually try a drink instead of wearing one?”

Tara laughed. “That sounds nice.”

They sipped some sweet drinks from cups made out of coconut and people watched. Nick found that he enjoyed talking with Tara, and that was a rare thing for him. It was even rarer for a girl to tolerate his conversation for long. He tended to put them to sleep or offend them by not focusing enough on flirting his way into their favor. One girl had gotten so irritated with his explanations of the building’s architecture that she informed him he was going to die alone.

But as he started rambling about a famous sailor who had once stopped in this very port nearly three hundred years ago, Tara actually seemed interested. And when he spoke to a few people in foreign languages; he knew quite a few, between his exploring and his linguist mother; she laughed in delighted surprise.

“How many languages do you know?” she asked.

“Fluently? Four. I’ve picked up scraps of others.”

“That’s amazing.”

“I can teach you a bit, while we’re traveling together,” Nick said, feeling shy again. “If you want, that is.”

“I’d love that,” she said, and her enthusiasm seemed genuine. She beamed up at him and his stomach did a weird somersault so he fiddled with his glasses again. They explored for so long that they got hungry again, so they popped into a tavern to grab something to eat. They sat in a corner booth and continued to talk while the tavern filled up. Soon it was crowded with laughing, drinking people and a band began to play a lot of lively music. A lot of the people trickling in seemed to be couples there for a night of dancing; a lot of giggling girls in pretty dresses were hanging off the arms of nervous looking young men. At least the atmosphere here was much more laid back and fun than the parties back home.

“Would you like me to get you some more cider while you finish eating?” Nick asked, gesturing to her empty mug.

“Yes, please,” she said. Nick wove through the crowd of dancers and tipsy patrons to the bar, practically having to shout at the waitress over the noise. As he returned to the table, he found a man leaning against it and trying to chat up Tara. At first Nick hung back a little, wondering if Tara wanted to talk to him. But it became clear pretty fast that she seemed a little uncomfortable. She had scooted a little further down the booth’s bench, as if trying to get away from the guy.

Nick stepped closer, in time to overhear the guy trying to convince Tara to dance with him.

“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be just sitting here all alone.”

“She’s not alone,” Nick said calmly. The man turned around, looking annoyed. He seemed like he was going to say something snarky but he paused when he saw Nick, who had a few inches on him.

“It seems to me that she’s not interested in dancing with you,” Nick added and the man scoffed.

“Is that so? Maybe she was about to say yes before you interrupted us. What girl doesn’t want to be asked to dance?”

Nick arched an eyebrow. “Sure, girls like to be asked to dance. But not by sweaty booze hounds who come on too strong. Besides, her dance card is full.”

Nick set down the mugs of cider and offered a hand to Tara, none too gently shoving Mr. Drunky out of the way. Tara’s cheeks were pink but she seemed to be holding back a smile as she got up and took Nick’s hand. He kept himself between her and the scowling man as he led her into the throng of dancers.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. If you don’t really want to dance, we can go.”

“I wouldn’t mind dancing for a bit,” she said, turning pinker. While Nick wasn’t great at social things, his aunt had at least successfully made sure he could dance. She probably wouldn’t have approved of the fast paced dance numbers happening in the tavern, but Nick was just glad he wasn’t stepping on Tara’s toes or accidentally elbowing strangers in the face. They danced through a couple of songs, Tara laughing slightly when Nick spun her. She was flushed and some of her curls had come loose again.

“Maybe we should get some air,” he suggested and Tara nodded. They squeezed through the crowd and out the door of the tavern. The fresh air was a relief. They walked away from the center of town and up into the green hills that overlooked it, perching on a fallen log to take in the view as the sun began to set.

“It’s quite beautiful here,” Tara said. “You must see a lot of places like this, with all your travels.”

Nick nodded. “I’ve seen some pretty amazing things,” he agreed. “I really don’t know how so many people in Pinehaven have no interest in going anywhere else. Not when there’s so much more to see than fancy parlors and ballrooms.”

“You don’t like parties much, then?”

“I’m not very good at them,” he admitted. “Maybe I’m harder on high society people than I should be, but I don’t fit in with them very well and they don’t mind making that clear to me. My books and old places seem much less judgmental and don’t mind that I’m…well, the way I am.”

“What way is that?” Tara asked, scrunching her nose a little in confusion. Nick shrugged, a little embarrassed he’d even said anything.

“I’m just not much suited to parties. And other people,” he said.

“Oh. Well I think you’re very sweet,” Tara said quietly. Nick glanced over at her and they both turned a bit red.

“I’m sorry if I seemed rude or anything, back at the tavern,” Nick blurted. “I just got the sense that you didn’t really like that guy.”

“I didn’t. And I didn’t think you were rude. I thought it was gallant, to be honest.”

Nick laughed self-consciously. “Well when we get home, I wouldn’t tell whatever suitor is there waiting for you about it though.”

“Suitor? You must be teasing me.”

“Not at all. I was surprised not to see an engagement ring on your hand.”

Tara was gaping at him with her face flaming red and he shifted, suddenly awkward again.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “Did I say something wrong?”

“N-no,” Tara said. “It’s just, I don’t have any suitors at home. I suppose I’m not quite suited to other people and parties, either.”

“I find that difficult to believe.”

“You do?”

She was looking up at him with that wide eyed gaze again and Nick felt so flustered his brain stopped working, because he didn’t stop to think about what he was doing when he cupped her face in his hands and leaned forward to kiss her.