In which I ramble for a bit...

I'm not sure, but this segment feels a bit rushed. But I have good reason for it to be. You see, I was trying to get this week's post out of the way in time to watch a very interesting show.

You guys may not know, but I am a historian.  More specifically, I am a classical historian. And I just found out that researchers may have found Atlantis. How cool is that? Okay, I admit, the likelihood of it actually being Atlantis is slim, but just imagine... a whole new city just waiting to be uncovered. So I was racing to finish my story, which I admit is a bad way to go about it, but I was dead set on watching this show.

And I'm not merely interested because of the historical significance, but finding out that in this over crowded, modern world there are still ancient places that haven't been found... my word but that is just plain exciting. It makes the mind race with possibilities. It sets the imagination ablaze and gives it fuel. And after watching that show, I'm feeling creative. I haven't felt this inspired since I drove through a thick fog in Louisiana and found my beloved François.

But enough rambling. You came to see what was happening to Mickey, didn't you?  

Part Six: Maraschino


It is safe to say that no one’s plan came to fruition that night.

All Mickey wanted was to take his girl out for drinks and some pleasant conversation. Pearl was hoping for a proposal after the cocktails and Ianto certainly expected to be in possession of the elusive shoes after his signature rum and sleeping pill had taken effect. Even sly Lulu would have her schemes foiled.

While Mickey never noticed the Mickey Finn he had been slipped, Lulu’s keen eyes saw everything. With perfect timing, Lulu finished her last routine just in time to step off the stage and into Mickey’s path. There was a sharp tinkling of ice and glass as the two collided. Miraculously, nothing spilled on Lulu’s fine feathered costume, but the same couldn’t be said for Mickey.

“Oh, sweet mercy! I’m ever so sorry.” Lulu cooed in her impeccably innocent voice and unleashed a flurry of batted eyelashes at the unsuspecting Mickey. “I’ve just ruined your nice suit. Here, let me clean those snazzy shoes before the Coke dries.” Poor Mickey was powerless against her light touch.

Pearl, not having seen the collision, spied her beau being lead away arm in arm with the sprightly dancer and, being the jealous sort, naturally assumed the worst. She stormed out of the club, narrowly avoiding a run in with what could only be described as three walking brick walls. The patrons closest to the doors fell into a revered hush; Rudy’s heavies had just walked it.

Ianto, who had been watching Lulu and muttering swift curses under his breath, caught sight of the enforcers and felt a pang of panic. Abandoning rational thought, Ianto dashed to the end of the bar to intercept Lulu and her victim.

The events of that night varied greatly depending on who was telling the story, but most would agree on what happened next. Several of the more underhanded and desperate customers of Rita’s figured that Ianto was making a pass at the shoes and quickly followed suit. The heavies, thick slabs of men not gifted with much intelligent thought, could spot trouble when they saw it, and started bulldozing their way through the crowd toward Mickey. Those who hadn’t been interested in Mickey or the shoes and who merely wanted a drink after a long day suddenly found themselves in the path of three human shaped locomotives.

Chaos would be too light a term for what ensued. Mickey had heretofore been completely oblivious of what was happening around him; Lulu had that kind of affect on men. The growing tumult behind him finally caught his attention and, being a gentleman, he thought of Lulu’s safety first. He grabbed her arm and whirled her toward the bar at the same moment that Ianto was pulling on Mickey’s shoulders to get him safely out of the stampede.

The combined momentum produced a very impressive pirouette on both Mickey and Lulu’s part not to mention a rather spectacular twisted ankle as Mickey’s heel slid out from under him when they all landed behind the bar. While the other two started to shout at each other, Mickey reached for his rapidly swelling ankle and was surprised at what he saw. The heel of his shoe had become detached from the rest of the sole and hidden inside the small compartment was a neatly folded piece of paper.


Mickey was beginning to see the big picture and he suddenly wished that he hadn’t left the house that evening.