GRINGA (56 page)

    
             
Paris
is asleep in Tongue’s arms. Both she and Tongue are naked.

    
             
‘Eeewww!’ I shriek. ‘
Paris
! What the hell?’

    
             
Troy
laughs quietly and shakes his head. Then he pops his head out the room and shouts out to Diago.

             
Elaine stands at the door clutching her chest and muttering, ‘Ummgghhh.’ 

             
Paris
stirs sleepily, but neither of them awake. They’re sleeping really soundly considering the commotion around them.

             
I look around the room. There’s an empty bottle of whisky and vodka lying on the floor. On the table is a plastic bag with white powder. On the bed are a couple of sex toys.  was one of those nights. 

    
             
Elaine appears to be going into shock.

             
Diago and a few of the men appear and start laughing.

             
‘Is no apocalypse but she let him fark her,’ Pedro laughs.

    
             
‘They fuck all night,’ Digger says and thrusts his hips obscenely. ‘Look at dose tiiits ... Ooooh!’

    
             
‘Shut up!’ Elaine snarls, emerging from her trance. ‘Just shut up!’ She storms over to
Paris
and shakes her hard. ‘Get up, you stupid bitch!’ When that doesn’t work, she slaps her several times. ‘You dumb, stupid bitch! Get the fuck up!’

    
             
Everyone is roaring with laughter at Elaine’s profanity. I myself have never heard her use profanity before and I laugh so hard, I can’t even summon the strength to yank her away from drugged
Paris
.

    
             
‘You bitch!’ Elaine yells. ‘Look at you! You’re drunk and lying with a Mexican druggie. What the fuck’s come over you?’ she screams, then yanks a sheet over
Paris
’s naked body.

   
             
Paris
just rolls over and snores louder, kicking off the sheet and exposing her naked ass to everyone. I cover her with a sheet again and drag Elaine out of the room, shutting the door behind me.

             
‘She needs to sleep it off, Elaine. Talk to her later.’

             
‘I can’t leave her there. You don’t know what he’ll do to her.’ Denial can be an ugly thing.

             
‘‘Oh please! Elaine, she’s
snuggling
in his arms - she will be okay.’

    
             
The laughter continues around us and the
stricken look
on Elaine’s face makes me wonder if she is going to have a stroke right now.

    
             
I look at Diago. ‘You really find this funny, eh?’ 

    
             
He laughs harder.

    
             
‘Payton! Payton!’

    
             
Austin
’s voice.

             
Without looking at Diago, I race down the stairs to meet him, praying he’s here to get his wife. If it’s anything else, I’m fucked.

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

After his encounter with Christa the last time, I don’t know how
Austin
could dare
show up here. Maybe he’s
too
drunk to
remember
.  

    
             
‘
Austin
!
Y
ou looking for Paris
, right
?’ He’s bleary eyed and unkempt, as if he slept outdoors. ‘You drunk? It’s
only,’ A quick glance at my wrist watch, ‘It’s just past nine in the m
orning
,
Austin
!’

             
‘
Hello beautiful!
I’ve been celebrating my freedom
,’ he says, a smile on his face
.
‘
Man, it feels so good to finally lose the chains.’

             
‘God Austin
,
what’s come over you?’  

    
             
‘It’s you – just can’t live without you, Payton.
I’m
not a happy man if I can’t have you.’

             
Diago’s obviously listening so my stress levels are soaring.
‘
Austin
stop
, will you?
’

             
‘I tried, but I can’t do it, Payton.
It’s you. It’s always been you.
?’

             
‘
Austin
shhhh!’

             
‘I fucked up when I left you and I got
her
. That’s a short straw. I got short
-
changed Payton. Come back to me. Without you life is
… bland.
’

     
             
I put my hand over my eyes and groan.
Paris
was right;
he did come looking for me. He’s saying all the words I longed to hear; all the words I dreamed he would say, but at the wrong time. Any other time, this would have been music to my
rejected
ears. For more than two years I fantasised about this day, dreamed of it, never believing it would ever come true.
When
I let go of
Austin
,
I finally g
ot
my touchdown. So why do I feel this way then
- r
epulsed and annoyed? Why
am I not
joyful and triumphant at his declaration, his confession?

             
Okay, so he’s reeking of alcohol and his hair is standing in all directions and he’s indecisive and ... unfaithful, really. I don’t
dig
infidelity. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he now has a baby, or maybe it’s because I do care about
Paris
, or maybe it had something to do with the fact that
I’m
courting another heart these days. Instead of finding
Austin
’s behaviour romantic, all I see
in front of me
right now is a weak, blubbering, two-timer. What a dream crusher. 

    
             
In fact, his weakness reminds me of someone - my father. Yuck! The thought of me loving a man resembling m
y inept and thoughtless father scares
me. How could I have
possibly loved someone like this
? Where the hell was
I thinking
?

    
             
‘
Austin
shaddup!
You have a baby for Christ’s sakes!’

    
             
‘Payton ... Payton ...  my darling, love of my life,’ he sings and places both hands on his heart, ‘ask me to live without air, ask me to live without food, ask me to live without water, but
don’t
ask me to live without you, Payton.’ 

    
             
Oh God! H
e’s saying all those
things in front of Diago? Diago will consider it disrespectful.
I’m
his woman, for Pete sake. I don’t think any man will tolerate
Austin
’s declaration of undying love
for his
woman
,
especially if they’ve read my diary.

    
             
As usual,
I feel rather than see Diago bristle behind me
.
I twist to look at him. As expected
,
he’s sidling slowly towards
Austin
, a
dangerous
glint in his hooded eye
s
.

      
             
‘Diago wait!’ I say, stepping in front of him and blocking his path to
Austin
. ‘He doesn’t realise what he’s saying. Leave him alone
!
’

    
             
Diago side-steps me and creeps towards
Austin
, reminding me of the
Big
Cats
you see on
Discovery
Channel
.

    
             
‘Diaaago!’ Again, I move in front of him and again, he side-steps me. We play this game for a while until he gets frustrated and grabs my arm.

     
             
‘Payton,
de salir de mi camino
.
Now
!’

       
             
I refuse to get out of his way.
‘Diago just st
op!’ I grab his shirt.

    
             
He jerks out of my gr
ip and shoves me out of the way.
I stagger back but recover and lunge at him, grabbing him by the waist.