Bam-booze-led (Day 5, Late Night)

This time, it really was goodbye.

Marisol walked Sister Lyen to the cabaret’s front entrance. Through a veil of tears and laughter, they made the difficult promise to keep in touch and visit. One more embrace passed between the nun and the cabaret performer, before Sister Lyen Giu disappeared into the night.

There was still work to do. Marisol headed back to attend her tables, including the front row, where Captain Keller was riveted to his chair by a predatory Yeva/Kate. What the hell is she up to? the diminutive woman pondered as she floated from table to table.

She’d just returned to the bar with fresh drink orders. “Guy down at the end,” the bartender tilted his head, “says he’s an old friend of yours. Should I get rid of him?”

Marisol glanced down the bar. The figure who stood there was of considerable height, though his shoulders and frame were narrow. Afrikaner, by the tight grey curls on his head and the near pitch black of his fingers upon his glass. “No,” she waved the barman’s offer aside. “I’ll go say hello.”

He appeared even taller as the petite woman joined him at the bar. “Hi,” she greeted his turned back. “I heard we might be old fr….” The words hung in her throat as he turned. Though his tight hair was shot through with grey and those intense eyes now sheltered behind spectacles, she still knew the man in an instant. “General Kau’li.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"One 'whiskey-whiskey-whiskey'....coming up!” Marisol sang out above the din.

Keller cocked his head with curiosity. She had a face he was trying his damndest to place. "You look familiar. We met before right? Charlie Watkin's bar on Valentine?” He remembered her on the bar stool next to him, playing with the straw in her drink that gave him other ideas at the time. Easy, little Keller, down boy.

"You're half right."

"Claire Watkins bar? You know them Watkins, got their thumb in damn near everything on Valentine." He scoffed. Ruttin Watkinses.

"No...it was Charlie's. You hired me there."

Keller nodded with a sly smile that led to a cheshire grin as he eyed the woman over. Rut yeah I did!

"You're getting colder..." She replied dryly.

Huh…. so she wasn’t hired ‘that’ way…. Keller scratched his chin, the five-o-clock shadow bristly beneath his touch and he scrunched up his face thinking. Valentine… that seemed like ages ago. Near a month now since the Skyplex with the plum wine, damn that was good wine.

The short woman gazed on him with a deadpan expression. "You saw my tool bag."

"Oh, Oh, hey, ohhhhh --” The Captain said, pushing himself back on the chair having another drink. “I mean, it was Valentine, everyone’s a little loosey goosey on Valentine. I was drinking, and okay, maybe I was a little curious, but ... wow, you definitely look convincing," Thank you, whiskey, my old friend for not letting me remember that little detour to Slyville.

“I got other tables,” the woma… man… said to the redhead sitting next to Keller. “Would you clue him in for me?"

The captain was still reeling when the pretty redhead squeezed his arm. "She was mechanic...on your boat."

Momentarily relieved, the Captain shook his head."Can’t be, he was taller, wasn’t he that fighty fella?"

"Marisol work for you until boat lands here. You don't remember this?”

The Captain racked his brain, not wanting to look like some sort of over-fermented idiot, He tried to remember if he’d seen her on the ship in that timeframe. .."I don’t much see the crew,” He admitted as Little Keller prompted him on,..”but 'course I remember, I 'm just ruttin' with ya. Like I don't remember Marisol.”

"Silly Captain!" She said in her sultry little accent as she squeezed his shoulders. “ You are not remember!"

"I remember you, don't that count for nothin'?"he asked, flicking his eyes over the woman.

She giggled, the universal green light for flirting. 'My name. What is?"

"Well, I know what I'd like to call you. "

This time it was her turn to eye him over. Keller tried not to show he noticed. "And what are you call me?"

"Firecracker.” He said easily. “You definitely light me up."

That made the redhead laugh, subdued and sexy, like the rest of her., "You are bad! Bad Captain!" with a wry grin, she added: "I like..."

"Nother round over this way please." Keller called, snapping his fingers for a waitress.

The redhead sidled up closer, and Keller shifted in his chair. "Now, I am ask you..." A hand was placed on his knee, and the Captain licked his lips. “Tell me….” she continued with a mischievous grin that tightened his pants. “Which one is Marisol?”

Luckily, Keller was prepared for that. “The one who worked on my boat til we landed here like you said, Beautiful,” he could have hi fived himself for being so quick on his feet.

"Ah! So good!" The redhead rubbed his shoulder blades "Marisol! Come! He remembers!"

"He got it right?" The short Spanic woman asked as she waited a nearby table.

Yeva nodded enthusiastically and Keller offered a thumbs up, Little Keller warning him not to ruin this. Briefly Little Keller also imagined the two women together, and the captain polished off his glass.

'Woohoo! You get a drink!” Marisol replied impassively. “Whiskey-whiskey-whiskey, right?"

"Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey!" he replied back, this was turning out to be a great night, one he hoped to continue back on the ship.

The redhead whispered into his ear, her hot breath giving him shivers. "She was good mechanic to you?"

"Why?” He asked, shifting in his seat again. “Is she bucking for a raise? I can tell you you're givin' me one."

"You try hire her...make me very......very....grateful."

Keller was as confused as he was aroused by the woman sitting beside him. "She don't work for the ship no more?"

Her lips bowed into a seductive pout he found irresistible. "No. She need to quit.” Her hand inched up on his thigh, causing him to inhale sharply, which would have been more helpful had the oxygen been flowing to his upstairs brain. “ But you are Captain. You can fix."

Keller wanted a fix all right, he also wanted that hand a little more to the left. "I don't think Riley's hired another mechanic, be happy to put in a good word, for you, Firecracker"

"You are Captain. You make hire Marisol, and I make..” His eyes went wide as she whispered a lengthy list into his ear.
"Done deal." He replied without hesitation, as the waitress returned with his drink.

"One more whiskey-whiskey-whiskey......here you go, Captain." The redhead nudged him.

"You're re-hired." He said adamantly.

"What? Wait!" Marisol’s startled gaze ricocheted between the pair.

"Heard you quit, lettin' you know you're re-hired." Keller took the drink from her and smiled over at Yeva, placing his teeth against his bottom lip.

"But why would I come back if the problem isn't fixed?"

So much talking, when there should be so much of something better going on! "I'm sure you an’ Riley will work it out." He replied, nuzzling up to Yeva.

Yeva whispered quietly to him. "You are captain. You must fix. I am wear nice underwears..."

"Why don't you come one back to the ship n' show me?" He begged.

"I show you everything....you show me you make fix for Marisol."

Keller dramatically dropped his head back rubbing his temples, there would be no ‘action’ unless he got to the bottom of this, best get it done.. "What is the problem that needs fixed?" He asked.

"Vas Jat never touch Marisol again. You promise.....and I promise you..."
"That skinny rooster kid hooked up with short stack?"

"What is short stack?" The former widow’s seduction had drawn up short.

The captain held up a hand about Marisol's height. "I know a place we can talk about this in private."

"Where? You talk to Mar....Short...stack? Short Stack?"

"I thought I just did. She quit, I rehired?”

"But what you tell her about....Rooster....Kid?"

"Firecracker, I don't know what yer talking about. Mechanic has a job back if she wants it. I know for sure what \*I\* want" The redhead retreated to her chair, pouting. "Come on, now, I'm sure it's just a simple misunderstanding. Once we all get back on the ship, we'll straighten it all out?” He asked, walking his fingers up her arm, but the woman simply folded her arms and flinched away from his touch. "Come on now... I make it my business not to get in the business of my crew's business. If it went south 'tween Rooster and Short Stack, Rooster and Short Stack are the ones gotta fix it."

Yes sipped her drink before checking the time. "Is late. I promise Doktor I take early shift. Goodnight, Captain." she said dismissively.

"I'll talk to Rooster, how's about that?" He said quickly to placate the redhead as Little Keller told him to he better not ruin this or he’d be sorry later on.

"Not 'talk.'. Tell. No touch." Yeva insisted.

"Fine, done. I'll tell Rooster not to touch Marisol." Keller crossed his heart. "So, you wanna come see the ship?"

"I know ship...I work on with Doktor." She purred as her hand returned to Keller’s thigh. "Now, Captain, you are tell Marisol...and we are go."

Keller pushed his chair back and stepped up on top of it, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Marisol, you're rehired. I'll tell Roster no touching!" He shouted, as a few people cat called back . Hopping down to both feet, he waggled his eyebrows and nodded towards the door.

Yeva laughed brightly as she slid out of her chair. "Captain, you are bad!" she giggled, snaking an arm around Keller shoulder. As the captain steered them toward the door, she whispered into his ear, "I am wear you out tonight."

Marisol traded a quick glanced with Kate, who suppressed a triumphant smile. Mission accomplished, I guess, she thought as she moved to another table. Better alert the general.

Keller looks down to Little Keller with a self satisfied smile. "Mission accomplished. Better alert the troops."