‘Did you know this place was dry?’ Robert asks me accusingly when they reach my table.
‘Of course not,’ I reply. ‘I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that the prospect of spending ten days without booze to make you even vaguely tolerable is not filling me with joy.’
I glance at Stuart, expecting him to come out in defence of his loathsome friend, but he’s engrossed with his phone. The reason soon becomes obvious.
‘There’s a bar about ten minutes’ walk from here,’ he says to Robert. ‘The Blue Dolphin. What do you think?’
‘Lead the way,’ Robert replies before turning to me. ‘I’d invite you to come with us, but I’d rather spend time with literally anyone else.’
‘Oh, the feeling’s mutual,’ I tell him, plastering my sweetest smile on my face. ‘Have fun, won’t you.’
As they walk away, it’s all I can do not to fire a few hand signals at their backs, but thankfully, my rational self kicks in.Yes, Throbbert may be the most unpleasant person I’ve met, but sinking to his level in the way I just did is not the solution. I need to be the bigger person here.
I’m so busy mentally beating myself up that it takes me a moment to notice that the music has stopped and the pianist looks like he’s packing up. Given that it’s still early in the evening, I’m surprised. I would have thought that this would be the time for the live music to start rather than end, particularly as the bar is now starting to fill up. Out of curiosity, I get to my feet and walk over to the piano.
‘Leaving so soon?’ I ask Gabriel. ‘The evening is just beginning.’
‘Yes, I’m all done,’ he replies. ‘There will be another pianist along shortly. Do you mind me asking where your companions have gone?’
I’m torn. If I tell him, will he turn Robert and Stuart in to the resort management? Despite the happy picture that forms in my head of them both being forcibly expelled from the hotel, I’m not a sneak, and I’m very aware that I’ve literally just given myself a firm talking to about not sinking to their level.
‘Why do you want to know?’ I ask carefully.
‘Just curious why you didn’t go with them, I suppose. It’s none of my business, I’m sorry.’
I study him, looking for any signs that he has a hidden agenda, but his expression is open.
‘The fact is,’ I tell him quietly so nobody else can hear, ‘we didn’t realise this was an alcohol-free hotel.’
Gabriel smiles. ‘If it’s any consolation, you’re not the first. Personally, I think it’s a misguided policy, but what do I know? I’m a musician, not a hotel manager. So I take it they’ve gone in search of a bar?’
‘The Blue Dolphin. Do you know it?’
‘I do, and I’m sorry to say I wouldn’t recommend it.’
‘Why not?’
‘Let’s just say that the business model is totally geared towards tourists like your boyfriend and his pal. The drinks are horribly overpriced, and there’s a suspicion among the locals that the spirits are not everything they seem. It’s not a good reflection of Jamaican hospitality.’
Something about what he’s just said is niggling at me, but my curiosity about the Blue Dolphin is overriding it. ‘When you say, “not everything they seem”,’ I prompt.
‘Cheap substitutes decanted into premium label bottles. Adding water to make the drinks go further, that kind of thing. There’s a good rule to help choose the right places to eat and drink here. If the locals use it, it’s probably good. Needless to say, the locals steer clear of the Blue Dolphin.’
This is useful information and I file it away. Maybe I can share it with Throbbert as part of my ‘be the better person’ initiative.
‘Is there another bar close by that you would recommend?’ I ask Gabriel.
He smiles again. ‘Absolutely. In fact, I’m heading there now. I could show you, if you like.’
Gabriel seems to have a knack for presenting me with dilemmas. The idea of heading to a bar where I could get a proper drink is very appealing, but wandering off with a strange man in a country I don’t know at all is idiotic at best.
‘How far away is it?’ I ask, more to buy time than anything else.
‘Five or six minutes along the beach, no more.’
Oh, God, this just gets worse. A beachside bar. I know it’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but the idea of sitting with a glass of something cold while watching the sun set over the sea is what the Caribbean was invented for, isn’t it?Plus, surely fate must be done kicking me in the teeth by now. It’s time something went right, for a change.
‘Sure,’ I tell him. ‘I’d like that.’
