He picks Astryd.

Vinny thanked Bernice for the first dance and told her he’d catch up with her later for another one. Setting off into the crowd of people Vinny went looking for someone else. He couldn’t get past the fact that he thought Astryd and him had really been vibbing earlier and decided he wanted to take his chances with her. She knew he was sleeping with Alexa and yet still seemed flirtatious towards him. He wanted to see if Astryd would considering going with her friends fuck-buddy.

Making his way through the now crowded dance floor Vinny found Astryd just finishing a dance with Christopher, Daniel’s old room mate from college. Chris had come out as gay in recent years so if Astryd was looking for the right sort of male company tonight Vinny would be the better companion.

“Mind if I take over?” Vinny asked as he attempted to cut in.

Chris smiled. While he may not be attracted to women anymore, he could tell when a male was on the prowl. Chris bowing out graciously to let Vinny have free reign with the still beautiful to him, Astryd.

Astryd gave him a bit smile as he took his place opposite her on the dance floor. Vinny starting some cheesy dance moves. Little bit of hips shaking, little bit of shoulder grooving as he snapped his fingers. Astryd laughed at him and took up his dance, taking what he was doing and making it a hundred times better looking. Her hips swaying and rotating all at once as she undulated her stomach. Vinny moved up closer into her personal space. Their foreheads almost touching; noses centimetres apart, lips parted and breathing quickly.

“Is this how you dance on your island?” Vinny asked after he tried to lean in and kiss her to two failed attempts.

“No, no, no, no,” she told him off laughing.

“What?” he grinned.

“Start talking about my island and dancing and your going to come off as some racist fool. I’m not just some pretty savage,” she chided him playfully, putting him back in his place.

“We’ll you are pretty. I got that much right,” he said enjoying the game they were playing.

“Really want to know what I do on my island?” Astryd asked.

“I want to know all about you,” he told her.

“OK. Come with me.”

Vinny followed Astryd off the dance floor and over towards the open bar Alexa and Daniel had put on. About ten metres away she stopped him from coming any closer for now.

“What are you drinking?” Astryd asked him.

“Whiskey.”

“Nope not going to do. On my island it’s Rum.” Turning to look at the young college aged kid working behind the bar Astryd thought for a moment, a plan forming in her mind. The kid was dressed in a white business shirt with a green and gold trimmed waistcoat over the top in The Treasury colours. “When I give you the signal, swipe us a bottle and meet me where the wedding ceremony was.”

“How will I know the signal?” Vinny asked.

“Don’t worry. You’ll know it,” Astryd said as she went forth to put her plan into action.

Vinny hung back to watch her work. Astryd strutted up to the youth behind the bar and started to dazzle him with her big gorgeous green eyes. She dipped her head coyly as she played with a soft curl of her hair that had fallen lose from her swept up wedding hairstyle. The boy, barely turned into a man, was powerless against her, trapped in her eyes. Vinny started to sidle up closer to await the mysterious signal when Astryd reached over the bar, grabbing the bar tender by the lapels of his waistcoat and pulling him to her. She planted her lips on him, kissing him, the boy shocked to say the least.

That was definitely the signal! Vinny sprung into action. At the other end of the service bar was where the bottles were kept. Looking over Vinny saw the dark brown liquid that he thought was rum and leant across to grab it while the staff’s attention was well and truly taken with Astryd. He tucked the mostly full bottle of spirits under the folds of his jacket and headed to the walled courtyard that where Alexa and Daniel had exchanged their vows.

Vinny was waiting about ten minutes when Astryd made her way to him in the inky darkness of the courtyard. He’d been sitting on the steps leading up to the landing Father Tobias had been officiating on.

“Over here,” Vinny called when Astryd couldn’t see him in the dark.

“Did you get it?” she asked as she followed the sound of his voice.

Vinny picked up the bottle he’d placed on the floor and gave to her. In the dark she was just able to see that it was a bottle of Plantation Rum.

“You did it! And its from Barbados too. I’m very impressed,” Astryd congratulated Vinny as she pulled the cork out with her teeth before taking a solid swing and handing it back to him.

Vinny did likewise. He expected it to burn going down but was surprised by the smoothness and molasse-y sweetness. He swallowed the swig as Astryd stepped close to him. Her lips moving closer to his mouth.

“I know whose mouth those lips have just been kissing,” Vinny said, playing with her now as he swung his hips away just as she had on the dance floor to him.

“Like I wont taste Alexa on yours?” Astryd countered as she reached for his mouth again. Vinny returning the kiss this time as their lips parted and their tongues explored each other.

Vinny murmured his satisfaction after their first breath-catching kiss had ended, “mmm… what else do they do on your island?”

“Come up to the walls and I’ll show you,” Astryd said as she stepped past him and started climbing the steps up to the battlements. Bottle of rum held in one hand as she didn’t bother to look back to see if he would follow. Vinny would follow.