The Prince and the Player

“Then we do it again!” Ava cries, and I hear the impatience in her tone.

For a moment I’m quiet, looking at her stretched out in the sun smiling. My sister is smart and attractive. I might have saved her from abuse in the foster system, but what have I done for her?

“I’m going to burn,” I mutter, pushing up and walking low to the back of the boat, my empty silicone glass in hand.

Miguel, our captain, is stretched out smoking a joint. “Sexy Zee,” he says smiling. “Have a hit?”

“No thanks.” I shake my head and give him a wave. “I’m not in the mood for grass.”

“Drinks in the cabin.”

Nodding, I start down the ladder, but I pause midway. “Thanks for taking us out today.”

He shrugs. “I didn’t have anything else to do. Beautiful day, beautiful view.” He winks and nods toward the bow.

“Yeah.”

Miguel is harmless, and he’s always been nice to us since we arrived in south Florida. Our first few days, I snooped around the docks looking for scraps and easy work. He hired me to be first mate on a few of his snorkeling charters, and in return, I’ve sent him business pretty regularly. Him being at the dock today looking for tourists was a stroke of luck, and now three lucky breaks in a row has me looking over my shoulde

r.

I spray sunscreen on my chest and arms then lean down and coat my knees again. A little more lotion on my face, a refill of rum punch, and I’m headed back up front to where my sister is sitting cross-legged, looking into the breeze.

“I didn’t ask if you wanted anything, sorry,” I say, sitting on my towel again.

“It’s okay. I’ll get something in a minute.” She’s looking up and down the shoreline. “One goes down, and another, bigger one springs up in its place.”

Following her gaze, I think about where we are and where we’re headed. “We should try to get a job at one of those places.”

“A nine to five?” She looks at me like I just sprouted an additional head.

I trace a path along the frosted edge of my glass with my finger. The pink beverage inside is thick and sweet. “We gotta do better than this, Ava-bug. This is no kind of long-term plan.”

She growls softly and stretches her legs in the sun. “You always get like this after a big job. You’re small-time, Zelda Wilder.”

Her carnival barker voice makes me grin. “What are you talking about?”

“The more zeros you bring home, the more you fret about changing the way we live. How we gotta do better than this.” She’s imitating me now.

I think about how I’m feeling. “We are better than this. At least you are.”

“Better than the cheating husbands who grab my ass? Okay, sure.” Scooting closer, her voice gets a little harder. “Better than the casino owners who rig the games to dribble out a little money at a time so the addicts keep coming back for more? I guess I’m better than them.”

Lifting my glass, I smile as I take a drink. “See how smart you are? You should be in school somewhere learning how to run a business.”

Ava eases back onto her towel, tilting her head to the side. “I’m no smarter than you are. I’ve learned everything I know from watching you.”

I groan a laugh. “That’s not encouraging.”

We’re still again, listening to the sounds of the ocean, the waves splashing gently as the catamaran cuts through the water, the birds overhead, the occasional tug of a cruise ship passing in the distance, taking off for some Caribbean voyage.

In my mind I replay last night, my time at the table, the old man who slipped up behind me and tried to pull a fast one. My little sister at the bar touching security guards, leaning forward to give them a teasing glimpse of her cleavage as she steals their gold bracelets.

“It never ends,” I answer. “Or it ends badly.”

“Which is why you love it.” Her forceful reply snaps me from my melancholy thoughts. “You would be miserable doing anything else. You live for the adrenaline rush of going in there, taking chances, not knowing what might happen from one moment to the next.”

“Maybe.” I can’t deny what she’s saying, but I can’t let her win that easily. “Still… Momma would’ve expected me to do better by you.”