Muddy Waters

Sweating Bullets

Chapter 3

The next morning was much too easy to wake up to for Lorraine. She had so much to look forward to. She thought about all the things that waited outside of the hotel walls. Betsy and Rhyan were still asleep, audibly asleep. Who is snoring like that? Lorraine thought to herself. Neither of them normally snored that loud. She stood up out of bed.

Lorraine walked over to Rhyan and Betsy's bed. The loud noise wasn't coming from her. So she moved on to Betsy's side of the bed. It wasn't her, either. What the hell? The snoring was coming from the bathroom. Lorraine began to worry. Who the hell is in the bathroom? She grabbed a small statue off of the nightstand. It looked to be of a woman. She didn't study it much, just knew it seemed heavy enough to knock someone out cold.

She walked toward the bathroom very slowly and easily, making sure not to make much noise, although the floorboards creaked with each step. The hotel was old, and the floor was no exception. Once she reached the door, she slowly opened it, scared to see who was in there. She took a deep breath and swung the door open.

A very attractive middle-aged man was lying in the bath tub. Snoring. Loudly. More than likely, a new friend of Betsy's seemed like her type. Looked rich and snoody. But he clearly couldn't hold his liquor. Lorraine wondered if Betsy cleared out his wallet. She was known to do that. She felt bad for the man and decided to let him sleep. She closed the bathroom door and placed the statue back down on the nightstand.

Lorraine gathered her shampoo and body wash and made her way down to the bathroom by the pool. She wanted to get a hot shower before starting her day. She walked around the pool and saw a couple kids in it with their mother sitting in one of the chairs by the poolside sipping on coffee. She smiled at the lady as she made her way to the shower house.

After her much-needed shower, Lorraine went back to the hotel room. She found Betsy sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, laughing. Rhyan was applying her make-up in the bathroom with an agitated expression beaming from her face. The man was no longer occupying the bath tub.

“I see our guest has found his way out,” Lorraine said, directing it to Betsy.

“Yeah, he sure did. Not long after, Rhyan kicked his ass out, screaming and carrying on like a mad woman,” Betsy said through her laughter.

“It's not funny, Betsy. I don't enjoy waking up to a stranger in the bath tub when I'm half asleep and trying to take a piss,” Rhyan said, rubbing foundation into her skin. She really didn't need it, though. Her complexion was flawless already. She never had acne or blemishes. Lorraine always envied her perfect skin.

“Oh, but it was, Rhyan. It was hilarious to see the look on his face as he was searching for his trousers on the way out and then giving up running out the door,” Betsy replied.

“Weren't you with her last night when she brought him in?,” Lorraine asked Rhyan in confusion.

“We came in fairly early last night. She must have went back out and lured him in here. Robbing his ass, no doubt,” Rhyan huffed and puffed.

“You went back out by yourself?,” Lorraine questioned Betsy.

“Why do you say it like it's a bad thing? You went out on your own last night, too,” Betsy argued.

“Yeah, but I've got common sense and no urge to sleep with every man I see, Betsy,” Lorraine struck back.

“No, you just can't get any man you want like I can. There is a difference,” Betsy said with one brow raised. She must have struck a nerve.

“Oh, you mean that I'm not easy, like you,” Lorraine spit right back. She never let Betsy's comments get to her. But she didn't want Betsy to think that she could continue to talk to her and try to bring her down all the time like she did. It had to be stopped.

“Girls, that's enough. Let's not get off to a bad start,” Rhyan tried easing them down.

Lorraine went back over toward her bed and opened her dresser to find something to wear. She tossed the night clothes and panties to the side. Once she found the perfect, off-the-shoulder t-shirt and denim capri pants, she closed the dresser drawers.

“So I went to the jazz bar down the street last night and had a drink. The owner there invited me to his café and asked me to bring you guys along, you down?,” Lorraine asked as she slid her shirt over her head. She was comfortable getting dressed and even undressed in front of them because she had known them for years. Even though she hated her body and all the extra pounds she carried on it, she never felt like she had to hide it around them. Even though Betsy was a stone-cold b***h, she never stooped low enough to ever make fun of Lorraine's weight. At least not to her face.

“Sure, I want to get some coffee anyway. Sounds like a plan, Raine,” Rhyan responded immediately.

“Is he hot? Is he single? How old is he?,” Betsy asked before making a decision.

“He is older, and very attractive. I'm not sure of his relationship status, Betsy. He was just being friendly and invited us,” Lorraine responded, not hiding her irritation.

“Oooh, I'll have to evaluate this once we meet him,” Betsy said, being her normal self. Lorraine made no further comment, but noticed herself becoming very agitated, very quickly.

The trio made their way down Bourbon Street on the far end away from all the bars and tourist life. The café was next door to the police station of the French Quarter. It was a beautiful little café. In the outdoor seating section, there were trees and plants everywhere, some overflowing on the tables. All different kinds. The feeling that the café brought Lorraine was incredible. It felt so familiar in a way, it was kind of weird. She felt so comfortable there.

“Look at all these beautiful plants, Raine!,” Rhyan exclaimed, also finding beauty in the café.

“I know, it is amazing,” Lorraine responded. “Let's go inside and try one of these world-class beignets,” she added.

Betsy was the first one in the door, as usual. She strutted herself around the entire café searching for someone who matched the description I had given them. Once she circled back to us, she stopped and put her nose in the air.

“Well, Raine, I don't see your friend anywhere,” she said with an attitude.

“Okay. We can still try the beignets, Betsy,” she said back, walking around her toward the counter.

There were several different types of pastries and breakfast bars and breads. All of them looked so good, but Lorraine really wanted a beignet. She asked for three orders of them so each of them could try their own.

“Does the owner come here often?,” Betsy asked the cashier. The young man looked worried. He probably thought he was in trouble.

“Not really. Only on occasion,” he responded. “Is everything okay with your order?,” he added.

“Oh, yes, I just was supposed to meet him here today. Also, can you add 3 iced coffees,” Betsy barked.

“Yes, ma'am,” he replied quickly.

“Thank you,” Lorraine said to the boy, smiling.

The girls took their baked goods and iced coffees outside to the seating area. The sun was already warming up the seats quite well. It was a beautiful day in the Quarter. Lorraine thought about how she could get used to life like this. It could be a long-term goal for her to end up moving down here.

“These are seriously the best thing I've had in a while,” Rhyan said with powdered sugar falling off of her lip.

“Yeah, I know. They are so damn good,” Lorraine agreed. “Just a little messy but very good,” she added.

“So, Raine, you must not have made a very good first impression on your friend, after all,” she said with her head c****d to the side.

“Why do you have to be like that, Betsy?,” Rhyan asked, standing up for Raine. She was just as annoyed with Betsy as she was. She just had to be a b***h. It was like an addiction for her.

“Seriously, though. Just don't,” Raine added.

“You guys are just pansies and can't handle it when I call things as I see them,” Betsy tried to argue.

“No, you're just being rude and trying to hurt her,” Rhyan said. “That's not what friends do,” she said before taking a swig of her coffee.

“Let's just all get along and have a good time while we are here. I don't want to waste our trip being mad at one another,” Lorraine said, hoping to initiate a truce.

“Yeah, okay. Until one of you runs your traps,” Betsy said.

“Oh my god, Betsy, stop,” Rhyan said, with powdered sugar flying out of her mouth and onto the table everywhere. Lorraine looked at Betsy and couldn't help but laugh. As much as Betsy wanted to stay mad and hold a grudge, she couldn't. She started laughing, too. And just like that, everything was fine.