[h2][b][center][color=ed145b]Taryn Rogers[/color][/center][/b][/h2]

This was not Taryn’s first Azul Days. If there was nothing else she learned at [i]the[/i] University of Miami, it was how to run an excellent pregame and arrive at the party just fashionably late enough to be on the borderline of over the edge. The revelry kicked off with the jolly roger going up the mast upside-down and the three day refined contents of the T500 “Drunkinator” being dispersed liberally among the other yachts, cruisers and dinghies that had tied up or dropped anchor around [i]’Donna[/i]. She coughed as the first cap full of purified spirits was passed around. A creation that burned the nostrils and scented somewhere between paint thinner, jet fuel and isopropyl before it was diluted. Not unlike a tailgate party on the water, music played into the night as the entire assemblage of friends and strangers steadily moved onto shore for the customary bar crawl that would follow: A formidable route of indulgence designed to move ahead of the incoming parade through the center of town with the challenge being to hit all the bars and still be standing by the time of the Pot Breaking ceremony. Bonus points were awarded for arriving ahead of the parade. This year she wasn’t going to lead the shore party in her usual fashion because this year was different, [i]this year she had a date[/i].  


Still cognizant enough to lock the hatch her stance swayed a bit as she turned the key. Throughout the festivities, she had done a “fair” job at pacing herself which was enough to go unnoticed, but not perfect. She blinked and stared at the lock for a moment pulling herself back together for the ride to the dock. Part of her wished she had invited him out to the party. She wanted to, but that also needed to be paced. She and Bobby had hit it off really well, [i]too well[/i] even. Thankfully the presence of the other two, his business partner and security guard apparently, made it easy to pump the brakes. He wasn’t the vapid corpo she expected and it caused her to put her guard up more, not dismissively though, just being careful. Bobby was handsome and older, but even better he had [i]purpose[/i] and [i]drive[/i]. He was outside the paradigms of Azul and his own man. She swooned a little at the thought. In the span of just a few weeks she had gone from locked-out status quo to having real cards on the table in a big way, though her schemes felt a little childish compared to his business acumen. If she couldn’t maneuver her way around the Cardenas and Flores, then Bobby could potentially be a very smart backup plan, maybe even a main plan… 

She let out an unheard sigh as the dinghy skipped along the water beneath her, not even really paying that much attention to the carousing among the others around her. Her hair was down and she tried to hold it together so as not to look completely windblown. Behind her to the west the last vestiges of the day were slipping away and beyond the island in the far eastern distance she could see a ripple of lightning beneath the stars. She watched it for a moment, always beautiful, and so much of her longed to be underway again. Her eyes came back down though and glancing across the lagoon she saw the mayor’s yacht still dark and unoccupied and she thought about Cori for a moment.  

When they tied to the dock, Ronaldo was waiting with a cart. A small chorus of teasing scandal flowed from the group, but she waved it off taking some pleasure in detecting jealousy among some of the other women. She sat in the back seat of the cart and Ronaldo regarded her for a moment, but didn’t say anything. That was a good move for Ronaldo.

Arriving at Casa Del Sol, Ronaldo went ahead upstairs to fetch Bobby leaving Taryn to wander the lobby alone. The rush of crisp air conditioning combined with the smell of flora and fine linen reminded her of the other world that existed on the islands. The [i]tourist world[/i]. She gave a huff of derision and made her way quietly to examine herself in a corner mirror before Bobby came down. 

When she was rummaging through her collection of mostly shorts, tees and bathing suits trying to pick out an outfit for the evening, she [i]almost[/i] picked out a dress, but thought better of it. Instead, she decided to test him and judge his reaction to see if he would be embarrassed of her. She wore a black Hank Jr tee that she had deeply cut the sleeves and sides away from and at the right angles gave a glimpse of her toned midsection and the matching black string bikini top underneath. Frayed jean shorts just covered the hint of the second piece that arced up her hips. She knew her best best angles and carefully scrutinized herself while no one was looking. A metallic arm bracelet curled around her right arm, polished black stainless that reflected in a deep blue under light and resembled two sharks swimming opposite of each other at the ends- Custom made, it was one of her favorite pieces of jewelry. Her wrists carried similar adornments of bracelets tied and metal, cheap and expensive. Around her neck was a simple chain necklace with a single black stone that was cut and shaped into a flat oval and had once been ballast onboard the [i]Twilight Sonnet[/i], though it hung under her shirt. She adjusted her hair again, just not [i]too much[/i]. It was still a little disheveled from its natural wave. Looking casual, classy and messy all at once took a certain amount of finesse. 

[color=ed145b][i]Meeting a man at the hotel, Taryn you absolute skank.[/i][/color] A voice teased from the back of her mind. It was funny when she thought about her friends back in Miami or Ft. Myers saying it, but when her mother’s voice came through she frowned and turned from the mirror, picking up her bag to wait at the bar.

[@AndyC]