Smart Girl!
Andre's POV
Kenjal and I walk hand in hand to the tourist party on the beach. We handed our barge over to a serviceman to tie it up somewhere orderly. Scanning my eyes through the party, I too would like to see Loraine again. I wonder if she recognizes me, we have lived together on the island for years. But if that Danner drugged her, I shouldn't expect much. I'm even curious if she’ll recognize Aziel right away if her love is so strong as to give her subconscious the upper hand.
I sigh deeply.
Kenjal knows who to look out for, I've shown him numerous photos of Loraine. Her black head and gray eyes are unmistakable. Her silver eyes are her best feature, they draw you in to get to know her. These were the ones that also got me the day I first saw her during the sightseeing tour in Barbados. “Kenjal, do you see her yet? Don't forget that especially those gray eyes will grab your attention," I remind him for the umpteenth time. He grins, luckily, he understands my affection for Loraine. Kenjal must have realized by now that we are a close group of friends, closer than family.
When I did a quick video chat with Michelle this afternoon, he first looked at me in surprise. But as he followed the conversation, a wide grin spread across his face. I introduced him to Michelle who is still in Barbados, fortunately, the two clicked right away. Michelle calls me daily, she wants to keep up to date with the events surrounding Loraine and Aziel. Aziel earlier tried to reassure her and Rick that everything will be okay, but she is highly alert to any change in the situation. So, I hid our encounter with the drug lord for a while, when everything is over we will tell the whole story to them while enjoying some booze. And maybe even donate to this group that, although illegal and uncontrolled, is doing a tremendous job at keeping especially the youth in Miami drug-free.
After wandering around fruitlessly for half an hour, we decide to eat something again in one of the tents where local food is served. Loraine loves local food, everywhere she goes she tries the special dishes of the country. Lorrich inherited that, he is crazy about salted food, which is actually not very healthy considering his age. But hey, who can deny that little man anything?!
Kenjal slides onto a bench with no backrest, I sit across him. A waitress soon comes to serve us. “What are the island's special dishes?” I ask the friendly woman. I have to get used to her accent, it is slightly different from English in Barbados but still pleasant. “Salt Fish bake is a common Caribbean dish, and from Suriname we have the Moksi Alesi and typical Costa Rican is the Casado and Arroz con Leche”, she sums up.
When I hear the name Suriname, I freeze. But then I realize that an entire country cannot pay for a scam of one miserable figure. Time to reconcile with the best from Suriname, so I choose the Moksi Alesi or how else they pronounce it. I know from my visit that it is a dish of rice mixed with chicken strips, small shrimps and beans. It is cooked with coconut milk, it was delicious when I tried it the first time in a maroon village in the interior of Suriname.
When I look up to know what Kenjal is choosing, I see him looking at me strangely. Understandably so, I haven't told him Dale's story yet so he must be alarmed by my reaction. I don't know if I will tell him, it takes a lot of trust to confide in someone your deepest feelings.
But then I see his facial expression change. He looks at me warily, then shifts his gaze behind me. I remember this, the old Dale trick when he saw someone he was messing with and struggled to keep his face straight. But this time I'm not going to argue about it, Kenjal is free to go when he's had enough of me. I won't repeat the drama like with Dale, no one will ever get me there again. I've learned my lesson.
But then again I see his eyes shift suspiciously.
“Andre, don't look back right away. But I see a woman with exceptionally beautiful gray eyes. And her facial feature completely matches the pictures you showed me," he whispers to my surprise. “But this woman is blonde,” he clarifies.
"Blond?" I repeat like a parrot, as my body begins to heat up with enthusiasm. “Look again at the photo I sent you on your mobile”. He does that and after a few seconds he looks up again. “Well, I wouldn't be a good lawyer if I didn't have a keen sense of recognition, my love,” he responds dryly. “I'm 100 percent now that it's Loraine sitting at a table behind you. The man opposite her is that Danner, but he has a black head.”
“That bastard!” I scold. “He has tried to make her unrecognizable. Just pathetic”. When the waitress comes back with our order, I take my chance. “Lady, would you like to earn some extra? A thousand dollars or so.” Her eyes go wide. “Of course, who wouldn't?!” she answers right away. “It's only a small effort”, I tell her. “There is a black-haired man with a blond woman sitting at the table behind me. Try to find out which hotel they are staying and if I get the room number from you, I will double the amount”.
She looks at me incredulously.
"So simple two thousand dollars, are you serious?" she asks to be sure. I take a bundle of money from my pocket and count the amount in front of her. Then I take the pouch that is stored in the bill and place the money in it. “Come with the info and your money is waiting for you”, I encourage her. I've never seen someone disappear so quickly, just to get her money. This really is a businesswoman, she won't leave money behind, I think while a smile comes across my face.
Relaxing we start our meal, Kenjal ordered the same as me. If only he knew what the sentiment behind my choice was! But the taste of the food makes up for everything, it is exquisite, almost as if it was flown in from Suriname itself. Totally finished, I let my cutlery fall back into my plate. When I look up I see the waitress standing next to me again, grinning. "Success?" I ask her. She shows me Danner's bill, where he signed and paid with his credit card. And then in the same handwriting, he mentioned the hotel name and room number himself.
I look at the woman approvingly. “Wow, that's great! You need a job with the FBI”, I smile at her. “How did you get him to do this?”
Coquettishly she places her hands on her hips. “I first pretended that his credit card was in trouble. And after two tries, I asked him for his details in case there were problems with the payment”, she says proudly.
Smart girl!
Kenjal puts another two hundred dollars on top of her tip.
She deserves it!..
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