This was a project for my broadcast writing class. We had to read the first chapter of Puerto Vallarta Squeeze by Robert James Waller and rewrite it. Honestly, it's been so long, that I can't remember the whole premise behind the assignment. I found it on an old school disk and thought that I'd put it here. Actually, now that I think about it, I think my teacher gave us the first few paragraphs and then we had to take it from there. Oh well, I don't suppose it matters. I never finished it and I never turned it in. I ended up dropping out. Go fig.
It was hot and humid. It had been raining for what seemed like forever. The passing clouds and breaking sun made the humidity that much worse. There was a rhythm about her. He couldn't put his finger on it and he couldn't describe it either. It had something to do with her soft, pale complexion and her long, flowing brown hair. The way she moved like liquid. Like the way that the river gently flows over the rocks and through the hills. It was a combination of those things and definitely more he had yet to learn. The only thing he did know was that there was a certain way Maria shyly sipped her Strawberry Daiquiri that drove him crazy. And of course, there were the small beads of sweat running down her neck from where her hair was loosely pulled back into a ponytail. He walked into the bar and watched her, taking in her unspoken beauty. She was sitting at the bar awaiting his arrival.
Danny plowed through the swinging doors of La Casa Buena like he owned the place. Bronco played loudly on the jukebox while you could hear a low rumble of laughter and happy voices in the background. In the corner there was a small dance floor with four couples dancing and having a good time. The rest of the bar was filled with small, cozy, round tables. Spanish vines and potted plants filled the room and gave it a relaxing outdoors atmosphere. The sweet smell of Tequila, Rum and Cuban tobacco filled the air.
Danny had gone down to Puerto Vallarta to check out the scene as he watched his royalty checks slowly dwindle down to next to nothing. He was always on the lookout for something big to happen, the perfect something that would lead to a New York Times Best Seller. He had been there for six months so far and nothing yet. Of course, he was disappointed, but being there with Maria seemed to make up for it.
Maria casually glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes immediately found Danny waltzing through the crowd towards her.
"Danny, you're late!" she yelled with a half-joking tone.
Danny smiled, nodded and glided towards her as if he was floating on a pillow of air. He put his hand softly on her shoulder and sweetly kissed her cheek.
"Hi sweetie. How are you today?" he said in a deep, soothing voice.
"It's hot as hell, but other than that, I'm fine." She paused for a moment with a smirk on her face. "You'll never guess what I heard while I was at the market earlier!" She exclaimed.
Danny gave her a puzzled but interested look.
"There were these two Mexican women talking about how some hit man was going to off some American GI today at La Taberna. If we just happen to be there ... maybe this would be a break for you Danny."
"No, Maria! That is out of the question! From what I've heard, that place is trashy. It's too dangerous. Besides, it could be a set up or just a rumor. You know how people gossip. I've heard bad things about that place. It's not the place that people like you and me go."
Danny was quickly searching for excuses. He wanted to do this, but didn't know if he still cared enough to deal it with or if he had it in him. Of course, there was Maria, he couldn't drag her into this. It would put her in a world of danger, but he would feel bad if he didn't bring her along. It was her idea and she seemed so into it and so willing to help. He can't stand being away from her and something like this could bring them even closer.
"Danny, quit making excuses! You know you want this. Let's go! This could be it! Come on!"
"I ... I ... I don't know, Maria. I appreciate you thinking of me and being on the look out for me. I know you mean well. Of course I want to know more, but I wouldn't feel right about dragging you along and risking putting you in danger. We could get in big trouble for this. We would really be taking a risk."
"See, Danny, I knew you'd come around. Don't feel that way at all. This was my idea and I'm not about to stay here while you go off on an adventure without me. You can't get rid of me that easy. This was my idea and I'm going to see it through. Besides, you need me! Now come on."
Maria grabbed Danny's arm and yanked him off of his barstool. He tried to object but soon stopped himself. Maria was strong willed and Danny could scream at the top of his lungs and it still wouldn't slow her down.
She held his hand tightly as she drug him along the dirt road and through the peasants selling handmade crafts and flowers to La Taberna. When they arrived, they casually stood in the doorway and scoped out the crowd.
Maria leaned over and whispered to Danny, "Let's not look too obvious, follow my lead."
Danny could tell by the ambiance of this joint that he was really in for an interesting evening.
Maria playfully leaned over and kissed Danny on the lips and grabbed his hand even tighter. This took Danny by surprise, but this was the chance he had been hoping, praying and waiting for. He always suspected that Maria felt the same way about him as he did her. However, he was afraid of taking the risk to find out. He had been waiting for her to make the first move. Now he was just wondering if this act was just a playful cover up for her feelings or if it was just that ... an act.
He really didn't care at this point; he was going to take advantage of the moment and go with it.
The smell of sweat, bad Whiskey, cheap cologne, and stale cigars filled the air of La Taberna. Everything was run down and broken. The place needed a fresh coat of paint and a good scrubbing. There was broken glass and dead cockroaches on the floor. In one corner, there was an old wino passed out on the floor. In the other corner, blood stains along the wall and on the floor from the last knife fight. A bad mariachi band was playing on an old, distorted sounding jukebox that looked like it had been in a few fights itself.
They carefully walked over to the bar. Danny ordered a straight Tequila shot for himself and for Maria, her favorite - a Strawberry Daiquiri. They took their drinks and sat at a small round table with two chairs in the middle of a large empty room.
They pulled their chairs next to each other. They were sitting so close that they might as well have been sitting in each other's laps. Maria was laying it on thick and Danny was having no problem following her lead.
While the playfully flirted and made goo-goo eyes at each other, they would casually comment about the people throughout the bar.
Suddenly, Maria stopped, leaned over and whispered in Danny's ear.
"Look! Over there! Well, don't look ... anyway, those women, over there, flirting with that guy in the Khaki pants and Safari hat. Do you see them??"
Danny nodded.
"Those are the two women from the market!"
"Damnit Maria! I knew this was a bad idea! What if they saw you at the market and what if they recognize you here??"
"Danny, I am not a fool! They did not see me at the market. I made very sure of that!"
Danny didn't like it but he trusted Maria and knew deep down that she knew what she was doing. She did have experience with this type of stuff. Her ex-boyfriend was a member of the elite force of the federales. She had seen this stuff all the time and was around it. In fact, she probably would have become one herself in time. The only thing that stopped her was the stress. She saw her ex crack under it. He killed two of his own and was executed last year. That's one reason Danny's taking it slow with her. He knows deep down she's not ready. He looked at her and sighed after casually glancing at the women and the man in the Khaki pants.
"Well, do you think that's our man?"
Maria shrugged.
They watched the man in the Khaki pants get up and leave the two women sitting there at the table. Maria and Danny looked at each other as they watched him walk out of the bar and into the busy street. A few moments passed and Danny rose from his chair.
"Hey babe, you stay here. I'm going outside for a bit. Remember; whatever happens, stay cool."
"Be careful and hurry back!" she shouted at him as he turned away from the table.
She didn't like the thought of being left alone in the bar, but there was nothing she could do. She knew Danny knew what he was doing.
She continued sipping her Daiquiri as she watched Danny float out of the bar. There was a certain way he looked when he walked away from her. Like he was leaving for the first time. Like he was unwilling to leave. She watched him walk away from her so many times. She hoped that this wasn't the last time she'd watch him walk away. She couldn't bear to lose him, especially not after what happened to Roberto. She was doing everything in her power not to, but she was falling in love with Danny. She spent most of her time wondering if he felt the same way. This was her chance to find out. She just hoped that this little act wasn't confusing him.
A good ten or fifteen minutes passed, but it had seemed like forever. She glanced over at the table where the two women from the market were sitting. They were gone. She quickly scanned the room for them but they were no where to be found. Maria began to panic. Awful things began running through her head. She hadn't seen them get up. She was really beginning to worry, but she had to remain calm.
Meanwhile, just up the road, but still in plain sight of the terrace to the bar where the man in the Khaki pants was standing, Danny had found a little cart ran by a little peasant man selling the sweetest, freshest roses.
Since this was his chance to get Maria for good, he thought he'd buy her a dozen. The only problem with his little plan was if Maria would be able to tell if it was sincere or a part of the act.
Danny knew the rose stand was a great cover up for watching their man. It couldn't be more perfect. To everyone, he was just buying roses for his girlfriend when really he was on a mission. Well, really he was on two missions. The first mission was watching the man in Khaki pants, the second, getting Maria.
Another five minutes or so passed. Maria was this close to getting up and going outside to find out what was going on. The only thing stopping her was Danny's words as he got up and left the bar.
Just as Danny turned from paying the peasant man he saw the man in Khaki pants pull what looked like a gun out of his vest. Danny kept an eye on him while looking as casual as ever. Danny quickly scanned the street for someone who fit the description of the American GI that Maria had heard from the Mexican women.
Maria stayed fixed on the door watching for Danny to waltz in as he always did. She had seen the American GI walk in and didn't really think anything about it until she saw the man in the Khaki pants following him. In a way this relieved Maria because she knew it would only be a matter of minutes until Danny would be back in sitting at the table with her.
A few more moments passed, and still no Danny. She began thinking awful things. She tried to calm herself by remembering how dramatic Danny was. She knew deep down it would only be a few more moments until he walked through those doors.
She was busy trying to concentrate on her surroundings. She could take her mind off of Danny and she could watch the men this way. She saw the man in the Khaki pants and the two women back in the corner where they were before this little mouse chase had started. She looked at the bar to see the American GI drinking a Corona Extra and sighed. She then caught herself yelling for another Daiquiri. Her shy way of sipping them had quickly turned into a drunken gulping.
He walked in the bar casually to find Maria still sitting where he had left her. This took him by surprise because usually Maria finds someone to talk to. She has always been fluttery and outgoing.
He caught her while she was looking away. He gently put his hand on her shoulder as he always did.
She gasped but knew that touch. She wasn't really expecting it at that moment.
He was holding one hand behind his back - the hand that held the dozen red roses he had bought for Maria.
She stood up and without thinking grabbed him and held him tightly. She kissed him hard and quick; pulled away and asked where he had been.
Thinking quickly, he pulled away and presented the roses to her.
"Well, love, here you go! I looked all over for something as sweet as you, but these roses are all I could find. I hope they'll do."
She looked surprised but very happy. A big, toothy smile came over her face instantly.
"Oh ... Oh! Honey! How sweet! You shouldn't have!"
"I know, but I wanted to show you how much I care about you."
He leaned over and gently kissed her on the cheek. This time he kissed her it felt different. This confused Maria, but somehow she knew exactly what was going on. They didn't say anything. They were too busy deeply gazing into each other's eyes.
So busy, in fact, that they didn't even notice that one of the Mexican women had strolled over to the GI and began flirting with him. The GI was a little wasted now after his fifth Corona, so he was flirting right back.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a lot of yelling and whooping. The look they were giving each other quickly changed into a look of excitement. Their eyes immediately went to the blood stained corner of the room where there were two smashed chairs and new broken glass on the floor.
Danny was beginning to get excited. He never doubted Maria, but he just didn't think this would be that big or that it would even happen. People in Puerto Vallarta gossip. He was actually glad that Maria had drug him here.
All of a sudden, the banging and yelling stopped. The bar got really quiet. No one even noticed that the jukebox was no longer playing. Everyone was watching to see what would happen next.
"Let's take this outside, gringo!" yelled the man in the Khaki pants.
The GI followed the man in the Khaki pants out of the bar and into the dirt road.
Maria and Danny looked at each other and knew exactly what was about to happen.
"C'mon honey! Let's go home now!" Danny exclaimed.
He grabbed her hand and they walked out just in time to hear the gun go off and see the GI fall to the ground grasping his side with one hand and his chest with the other. His tan shirt was soaking up the blood quickly and just as he hit the ground, his dog tags slipped out from under his shirt and laid to rest on the ground next to his head.
Danny grabbed Maria's hand tighter and they quickly walked down the road to the small cabana where they had been living together the past four months.