Mele Kalikimaka Mr Walker (18 page)

‘Jeans and a shirt are all right.'

‘Righto. Do you have to be up early tomorrow?'

‘Not too early.'

‘I got to meet Andrea at nine.'

They chatted and joked while they finished their Bacardis then Mitzi got under the shower and Les ran the iron over a pair of jeans and a dark blue polo shirt; there were a few scratches and welts around his back and if they should start to weep it wouldn't show. He cleaned up a pair of black moon boots as Mitzi came out of the bathroom with towels wrapped all round her, then it was Norton's turn.

He tossed his clothes in the bath to soak and the hot water running over his body felt good. There were a few lumps on top of his head and he had a bit of a shiner, plus some stiffness round his throat. But it was mainly bruising round his ribs and his knuckles could have done with some more iodine. A few different things ran through Norton's mind again while he was shaving, but before long he came out of the bathroom with a towel around him, smelling okay and not feeling too bad at all considering.

Mitzi had changed into a loose-fitting pair of black denim shorts and a grey top cut low enough in the front to show a nice pair of boobs sitting in a delicate black bra. She went back into the bathroom to finish her hair and make-up while Les got changed and when she returned they both looked quite a peach of a pair. Norton wasn't quite sure, but if he wasn't mistaken Mitzi was giving him a few inscrutable once up and downs from
where she was standing by the curtains in front of the sun deck.

‘Les, I'd like to thank you for a very lovely day,' she said.

From where Les was standing opposite her voice appeared to have a ring of finality about it, as if she'd changed her mind and was about to say goodbye. ‘That's okay, Mitzi. I had a pretty good time myself. It was great.' The big Queenslander got a bit of a surprise when Mitzi stepped across the room, reached up and kissed him softly on the lips: twice. Then just as softly stepped back to where she'd been standing.

‘I mean it, Les. Andrea was right what she said about you. You're a good man.'

Norton absently fingered the touch of lipstick she'd left on his lips. ‘I don't quite know what to say, Mitzi.'

‘Why don't you try picking up the phone and telling them at the desk we need a taxi,' she smiled.

‘Yeah, righto.' Les returned her smile. ‘I reckon I can manage that.' Les went to pick up the phone and noticed the red MESSAGE button was on. I reckon I know who that is. Those waxheads. Or maybe Warren. Whoever it is, Les grinned to himself, they can all get fucked. Norton baby is going out on the town.

There was no drama down in the lobby. They didn't see any police around or extra security. The management probably cleaned up the mess then hushed everything up, and it was doubtful that the four big, bad US Marines would say they got beaten up by some bloke and his girlfriend after they'd insulted her. If anyone had said anything Les and Mitzi would have denied it anyway. The taxi ride out to wherever they were going
was quite pleasant and uneventful also. Sitting in the back Les recognised the Ala Wai Canal again and a couple of other streets. He caught Mitzi's eye, smiled at her and when she smiled back she slipped her tiny hand inside his. It felt like a small soft flower and it was hard to imagine something like that doing so much damage earlier. Before long the taxi pulled up outside some sort of shopping centre covered in tiny Christmas lighting with a parking station above. Mitzi paid the cab driver and they walked up a couple of steps past a small fountain bubbling away merrily in a neat, landscaped garden.

Inside was a kind of boutique shopping mall with an open-air bar in the middle and various restaurants, clothes shops and other stores radiating from it. There was a fair crowd drinking at the bar or walking around. Les noticed a glitzy disco called ‘Cadillacs' as Mitzi motioned for them to take the strand going left.

The Green Giraffe was double-fronted smoked glass and had a small area roped off out the front with red velvet where you entered. It was all neon and chrome with naturally a mural of two green giraffes on the windows, a neon sign above saying ‘Green Giraffe' and had a kind of upmarket feel about it, as did the entire mall. Outside was a knot of punters hoping to get past two huge doormen in dark suits. One of the doormen saw Mitzi approaching and motioned her past the waiting punters. She said something to the doorman, who smiled at Les then ushered them straight through the door.

Inside was dark and smoky yet nicely air-conditioned with mirrors round the walls and a circular bar in the
middle surrounded by plenty of plush seating. It was done out in mainly green, blue and black that reflected more shiny chrome. Down one level, left of the bar, was a dancefloor about half full, a DJ pumping out the usual house music, with more stools, tables, et cetera, and a drink rail running round the wall. The place would have fitted more than a hundred comfortably and was about two-thirds full. Mitzi motioned for Les to follow her and as they walked down past the dancefloor he noticed the punters were a mixture of Asian Hawaiians, blacks and whites, all very well dressed, a bit shifty looking and not too young. Seated or standing in the corner, left of the dancefloor, were about ten Asian girls who all looked up as Mitzi entered. There were smiles all round mixed with a bit of hugging and gushing from half of them. They noticed Les and Mitzi introduced him around. Between the noise from the music and the mild confusion, most of the names went in one ear and out the other with Les. But he remembered some of them had western names like Cheryl, Jocelyn and Nevada. Some of the others were called Kop and Liu or Bobi. A waitress appeared and Mitzi ordered a Stinger for herself, and Les decided on a bottle of Millers for the time being. The drinks came promptly and when they did Mitzi excused herself for a moment while she talked about something with some of the girls. While she was talking Les discreetly checked them out.

They were all well dressed in a variety of coloured tops, good jewellery, short dresses and tight designer jeans or stretch pants. They were mostly attractive, but two were absolute stunners with blonded hair and figures like Mitzi's, only better. The rest had jet black hair,
either bobbed or long, and good figures — two were a little taller than the others and one of the taller ones had an exceptionally muscly backside and thighs, which were emphasised even more by a pair of black stretch pants. They seemed like a happy enough lot, moving around to the music while they sipped their drinks. Mitzi must have told her friends about her day with Les and what happened earlier because they kept sneaking glances at him and smiling or laughing and the next thing Les knew he had another beer in his hand and he was one of the chaps. After that, a jolly good night was had by all.

Norton finished his beer, had a Margarita, then switched to bourbon and unleaded. He went to put his hand in his pocket, but Mitzi was evidently running up a tab so he didn't have to bother. If my friends could see me now, Norton smiled to himself. Sucking up free booze and surrounded by glamours. Does it get any better than this? Some of the girls were interested in Australia and asked Les what it was like and as modestly and unparochially as he could, Les told them everything they'd heard was true and it was the best country in the world. A couple more girls joined them and some blokes the girls seemed to know drifted over and had a dance or two. But no mugs hit on them or tried to hang around. The DJ pulled an old disco favourite out of his date. ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love' by Queen and Mitzi looked up at Les.

‘Feel like a dance?' she said.

Les smiled back at her. ‘Mitzi, I thought you'd never ask.'

Most of the punters on the dancefloor were into the
usual disco ducking they'd seen on MTV, waving their hands all over the place, shuffling their feet at a hundred miles an hour then spinning around in circles now and again. Les thought he'd go for a bit of Ciroc. When he'd taken DD out of a night back in Sydney, the girl who worked for her and came down with her generally tagged along as well. She was a Kiwi who'd won a couple of Ciroc contests back in New Zealand. DD was into it and for a joke they got Les going as well. You didn't have to be Fred Astaire. It was just a mixture of rock 'n' roll, dirty dancing and a bit of ballroom thrown in as well. But it was heaps of fun, and Les was half drunk and in Hawaii for a good time, not a long time.

Mitzi was light on her feet and Les had half an idea what he was doing. He'd spin her around, she'd bend over backwards then slide up and down his chest as they'd give it a bit of Patrick Swayze one minute, a bit of Bill Haley the next and all pretty much in time to the repetitious house music beat. Mitzi was rapt. Even the other dancers seemed to be getting a kick out of watching the big, lumpy Australian and the lovely little Korean having a good time. After three songs they went back to the others and Les decided he felt like a beer. One of Mitzi's girlfriends asked Les for a dance, so Norton obliged her and another one. That was fun too. The girls were all stunners and they loved flashing their knickers or shaking their boobs and it was a hoot for Les squeezing their ribs and giving their tight little bums a bit of a pat as he'd bend them over. Then Liu, the one in the black tights with the big behind, came over.

‘Come and dance with me,' she said.

‘Sure, mate. Why not?' said Les, putting down his drink.

Liu kept giving off strange vibes and up close she had these wild eyes that were very rounded for an Asian woman and which seemed to burn deeply with an odd, almost sexual, intensity. Not only that, going by her behind, Les expected her to be a bit soft. But she was firm all over and her backside was as solid as rock. She was also exceptionally light on her feet and when Les spun her back she did two full-on splits then slid back up as if it was nothing. Christ! I don't think I'll be trying that tonight, thought Norton. Unless I want to fly back to Australia on two seats. But Les also thought he wouldn't have minded getting into Liu's pants. There was something about her and with a body as hard yet supple as that you could bet she'd go off like a race riot in LA.

They rejoined the team and another girl asked Les for a dance. But by now Norton figured out they were half pie using him for a chance to show off on the dancefloor, so he politely brushed the idea. Besides, he came with Mitzi and he wanted to stick with her. However, if things didn't work out so good Les was thinking of coming back to the Green Giraffe and seeing if ‘Liu Liu' was back in town.

‘So what do some of your girlfriends do, Mitzi?' asked Norton, over another Bourbon and unleaded.

‘Oh.' Mitzi sipped another stinger and nodded towards the girls. ‘Those three there work for Andrea.' Mitzi smiled. ‘They're hostesses. Nevada and Bobi are models.'

‘What about the one I was dancing with that did the splits?'

‘Liu.' Mitzi smiled again. ‘Liu's a bit of a funny one. She works for Andrea too, as a driver. She wanted to
be a hostess, even had an operation to get her eyes rounded, but Andrea put her on as a driver. Andrea thinks she'd make a good Wahu.'

‘Fair dinkum?' Les couldn't quite believe it.

Mitzi smiled. ‘When she was young she was a geisha girl back in Tokyo. She was also a champion figure skater.'

‘Ah. No wonder she's so…'

Les was about to finish when he noticed all the girls, including Mitzi, seemed to be looking towards the bar. Les turned around to see what had caught their eye. Walking along the side of the dancefloor towards them was a young Asian man flanked by two Hawaiians who could have almost worn Monroe's shirts without too much hanging over. The Asian was good-looking and perfectly groomed, wearing an immaculate, dark blue, double-breasted suit with a grey silk tie. The two men with him wore suits with sports shirts and one had his black hair back in a ponytail. The girls all greeted him with a kind of nervous laugh and he bowed his head politely to each one. But although his manners were impeccable and he appeared to ooze charm, whoever the bloke was he had an air of sinisterness about him you could just about cut with a knife.

Mitzi didn't appear to join in the nervous laughter. She addressed whoever he was by his name, then spoke to him for a short time while the two obvious heavies let their eyes wander impassively around the club, giving Norton a couple of once up and downs as they did. Les stayed where he was, sipped his drink and minded his own business. After he'd finished talking to Mitzi the young Asian man bowed his head again and shook
her hand, had a brief conversation with some of the other girls then moved across to Liu. He was half smiling as he spoke to her although Liu appeared very serious and nodded several times during the conversation like she was being obedient. The young bloke smiled, patted her on the shoulder then bowed again. He nodded what appeared to be a signal to the two heavies to say he'd finished his business here then waved his hand almost imperceptibly to a waitress who happened to be hovering nearby. He said something to her, the waitress nodded her head and hurried towards the bar. The young man turned to a couple of girls and said something that made them laugh politely. A moment or two later the waitress returned with three bottles of Moet in ice buckets, along with a number of tall champagne glasses, which she placed on one of the tables. Blue suit dropped a small bundle of hundred dollar bills on the waitress's tray, smiled at the girls again, said something else to Mitzi, then, with the two heavies flanking him, left as menacingly as he'd entered. The girls all looked at each other for a moment after he'd gone, then started helping themselves to the shampoo. Les stuck to his bourbon while Mitzi poured herself a glass, seemingly just to be in the swing of things with the others.

‘Who was that?' asked Les, nodding towards the champagne chilling in the ice buckets. ‘The Great Gatsby?'

‘Nagoaka,' replied Mitzi. ‘One of Takushi's sons.'