First thing he saw were three seagulls standing close and observing him. As he raised himself to his elbows they flappingly scooped off into the brightening day. He was splayed, shoeless and in a tuxedo on a beach, achy and cold from the unforgiving sand. The thumping started in his temples. As he reached for his head he flashed on scenes of a party, maybe his ex? Certainly of being hit in the head. Maybe twice?
A tiny sound, the curling of water around a conch shell was a gunshot to him and he spun in a blast of terror to find it was only paranoia mocking him.
"Right!" he laughed at himself as he suddenly knew where he was: Key West to attend his brother's wedding on the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Park. Picturing Miss Kentucky with her dress over her head, he laughed. His ex! Still beautiful, still crazy. Despite their respective dates they somehow ended up somewhere semi-private, in a thicket of frog trees with an unimpeded view of the Gulf of Mexico. Striding out of the park of fragrant Australian pines, and easily heaving himself over the padlocked fence by the road, he got his bearings. He vaguely knew his hotel was near the Atlantic side of the island and he set off in that direction. Walking on the street surface hurt his tender feet.
Bars were open with customers slouched on their stools, and music coming from everywhere. Competing strands.
He saw a man 10 feet tall in lime green vinyl thigh high boots and fishnet stockings and tiny green shorts and nothing more than a matching green top hat, stomping and swaying to the tunes filling the airwaves.
He saw a girl on a bicycle decorated with golden tinsel, she was entirely naked with her breasts painted as if she was on fire.
That's when he felt it. Fast paced happy soulful funk was charging out of wide open doors and windows without glass. The name on the awning of the bar said The Green Parrot. He'd read so often about this fabled place. He might have continued past but he couldn't. The music, glorious joyous and rousing dragged him in, escorting him almost, presenting him to the feet of a bunch of dudes blasting out on stage of a room that smells permanently of cigarette smoke and popcorn.
And there, in the crowd of dancers was Miss Kentucky shimmying in her bridesmaid dress. They laughed when they saw each other and immediately they danced as if they were the only two there. The music slowed and she relaxed in his powerful arms, trustingly, which is exactly when he sank his fangs into her white neck.