The Most Important Part
An Oilfield Love Story
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The rig was broke down and it wasn’t our job to fix it, so Tommy and I were sitting around drinking coffee and talking to Shorty about his whore. Tommy drove the loader. He’d called Shorty over when he found out I hadn’t heard the story.
“It was right after I got laid off in 2016 when oil tanked,” Shorty said. “I already had the ticket bought so I said fuck it and went anyway. I wouldn’t be able to afford the trip if I waited.”
“To Puerto Rico,” Tommy said.
“Yeah, Puerto Rico,” Shorty said. “The first night my brother bought me some random whore because it was my birthday. She gave me a blowjob with no rubber.” He laughed. “I figured I better find a rubber before I fucked her because my buddy had just fucked her.”
“Good thinking,” Tommy said.
“I met Sarah the next day,” Shorty said. “We really hit it off. She charged me for the first time, but that was it.”
“Love at first sight right there,” Tommy said.
Shorty flipped him off with the hand that wasn’t holding his coffee.
“I never asked you,” Tommy said, “How much does a whore cost in Puerto Rico?”
“Hundred bucks.”
I asked Shorty, “What’s her name?”
“Sarah.”
“Sarah,” Tommy said, putting it in quotes with his fingers.
“It’s her name, man. Sarah Dominguez.”
“Bullshit,” Tommy cut in. “It’s like when you call tech support cuz your email is fucked up and get some guy in India you can’t understand and he says his name is Nathan or some shit like that and you’re like, motherfucker, if your name is Nathan my name is fuckin’ Abdullah.”
“Her name is Sarah,” Shorty said.
“I believe it,” I said. “It’s biblical. Hispanics are into the Bible.”
“Sarah’s in the Bible?” Shorty asked.
“Old Testament. Abraham’s wife.”
“No shit?” Tommy said.
“No shit. What’s weird is that if you read it close, she’s his half-sister, too. I don’t know what to make of that.”
