“You Americans give us a bad name. Be a man and tell her what the plan is. You shouldn’t have a woman telling you what to do in your relationship, or you’ll end up at home watching the kids. They won’t respect a weak man,” Luis said.
Yep, Cassidy was going to kick his ass before this was over.
“How many girlfriends have you had?” I asked.
“He’s got you there,” Tony said, laughing at his friend.
Luis just glowered at both of us. I could tell that he wasn’t willing to listen to any words of wisdom. Then again, I didn’t have the best track record when it came to actual girlfriends.
I had to get going, so I told them I would see them again soon.
◊◊◊
Paul drew the short straw and had to go with me tonight. Cassidy still didn’t feel great, but I was glad to see she had found her own room. Paul and I split a steak because I was starving, and he was scared about eating out. The front desk called to let us know that our ride was here.
Once we got downstairs, I found Sarita had two girls with her, Chari and Risa. Chari and Sarita could be cousins, based on their looks. Chari was a little over five feet tall and light-skinned. What stood out about her was that she had a nice round butt. Risa was a little shorter with a darker complexion and a ready smile.
Sarita wanted to go to a club where a famous dancer was supposed to be tonight. Chari and Risa tagged along because they also wanted to see this celebrity. In Cuba, dancers were more famous than baseball players and actually made more money.
I agreed, and we all climbed into a cab. Paul took shotgun, and Sarita ended up sitting on my lap.
Chari and Risa only spoke broken English, so it was no surprise when they began to talk in Spanish as soon as we got in the cab. I don’t expect they thought I could speak Spanish, and they were a little free in their discussion of Paul and me. While I still had some trouble constructing a sentence, I could now understand quite a bit.
“
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Well, shit. Tony and Luis had warned me.
◊◊◊
Getting into the Turro Club wasn’t cheap. It cost me the equivalent of $50 per head, and then Sarita wanted a bottle of their best rum for the table. Paul gave me a look as if to say I might want to watch these girls. I had to agree; I was feeling a little put out. If I hadn’t enjoyed Sarita’s company, I might have bailed on the night.
We did get a great table, and the club owner came out shortly after we sat down to see if we were okay.
“Paul and I need to get something to eat. Do you think we could get something from the kitchen?” I asked, and Sarita waved to our waitress.
She was over in a flash. It looked like we were going to get the VIP service tonight. We ended up getting a boiled chicken thigh and leg over rice. Not great, but filling. I also had them bring us bottled water. I sent it back when I saw it had been opened. Tony had warned me that probably meant it was tap water. I didn’t need stomach troubles on top of everything else tonight.
All was forgiven when the band started, and they introduced the dancer. She reminded me of Sage, the former dancer turned model from LA.
This dancer was the best-looking woman I’d seen since I arrived. She was all legs and had the lithe body of a true professional. When she began to move, I was mesmerized. Her movements exuded passion and grace. I’d never seen someone move like she did. I instantly understood why she was a star here.
When the song ended, everyone was on their feet. Her smile lit up the room. She scanned the crowd, and her eyes locked on mine. She walked up to me, took my hand, and pulled me out onto the dance floor.
