Rafe/Gabe - Cabanas - 7:45 p.m.
Rafael lounged beneath the gauzy awning of a cabana, a drink—mostly gin—in one hand and a cigarette in the other. The smile on his face was as beautiful as it was unnatural. Earlier he had found his spirits flagging, brought down by undue contemplation of recent events. So in the quiet of Alice's bathroom, in between stripping down and donning the small black trunks he now wore, he had bolstered himself with a few fine lines of white powder. Now, as the gathering slowly grew, Rafael felt increasingly certain his decision had been a good one. He was able to greet those who came within his orbit, to smile and offer conversation to those who lingered for any length of time. And as his second drink began to disappear, he found it easier to even reach out, to wave as he saw newcomers arrive poolside, and pretend that all was well.