while the rest of them discussed it and Melinda
pointedly hogged the mirror. It quickly proved impossible to line up a date and
time they were all available until Vi suggested supper and it was agreed they’d
go right now, tonight at closing, in case Reid backed off the offer.
After
that there was much coming and going from Vi as she negotiated with Reid and
much yelling from Lou for someone, someone, anyone to please make love to a
pole before he had another birthday, and for Vi to get her tush back on the
floor or find another club to hostess at. Lou was all talk, he’d never sack Vi,
she was as much an institution here as he was.
Reid wasn’t
all talk. He didn’t throw up an excuse or leave and not come back. Lizabeth
knew a place open twenty-four hours with a whatever you liked menu. Reid sent
back a message to say he was delighted they’d taken up his offer and would Lux
please reconsider.
“He
actually used the word delighted?” Kathryn asked Vi on one of her many
backstage flits.
“He
did. He’s a little weird. Not a regular Joe. He has that glowering thing going on
and I’m not sure if he has a sense of humor.”
“Think
he’s married?”
“No
ring.” Vi shrugged. They all knew that didn’t mean anything.
“You’re
really doing this, even though it will only encourage him and that’s not what I
want,” Zarley said, while around her the girls were changing into their street
clothes, taking a little more care with their makeup and hair than usual.
“It’s
free pancakes and bacon, Zar. We don’t like him we walk away. We don’t want him
out the front, we tell Lou to bar him,” said Vi. “He drank nothing but Coke
tonight. Lou will bar him anyway if he keeps that nonsense up.”
Zarley
shook her head and shouldered her bag. She quit the club with Melinda, leaving
the others to their primping. Reid was waiting on the street when they emerged
from Lucky’s. His face lit up with a smile that made Zarley stop dead so
Melinda walked into her.
Melinda
grunted and sidestepped. “Damn, it’s going to rain,” she said, looking up as if
the thunderous, low-hanging sky was the reason Zarley had two lead feet.
But
Zarley had never seen Reid smile before. It took ten years off his face. He
looked almost boyish. It made her wonder for the first time how old he was, not
as old as she’d thought judging by his usual scowl.
“I
hoped you’d change your mind. I’ve got a car coming,” he said, then stuck his
hand out to Melinda. “I’m Reid.”
“I’m
delighted, but I’m going home,” Melinda said, playing up his word, avoiding his
hand.
Reid
didn’t appear to care. “Let me pay for your cab.” He strode to the curb and
flagged one down.
Melinda
stood there as the cab pulled up. “Why would you do that?”
“It’s
late and you’re tired and I want to,” he said, but he wasn’t looking at
Melinda. He was looking at Zarley and he was further gluing her feet to the
pavement with this new manipulation.
Melinda
looked Reid up and down. “I guess it’s no different from a tip, okay then.” He
opened the back door of the cab and Melinda scrambled in, then he handed the
driver a couple of bills and by the time Melinda’s ride pulled away, the others
had piled out Lucky’s front door.
They
crowded Reid, Vi handling the introductions. Reid smiling like he’d entered the
candy store and had an unlimited budget and a genius metabolism. He’d hired a
car for them. Who would do that? Crap . She could be halfway home by now.
“Goodnight,”
she said, and it stopped their chatter. Any minute now the sky was going to open
up and wash the world. “Have fun.”
“You’re
seriously not coming,” said Kathryn.
“Nope,”
she said.
“Let me
get you a cab,” said Reid. She might’ve expected that, but she’d been braced
for him to pressure her into going with the group. Before she could decline his
cab offer, his car pulled up, a big black SUV.
“We can
drop her off,” said
pointedly hogged the mirror. It quickly proved impossible to line up a date and
time they were all available until Vi suggested supper and it was agreed they’d
go right now, tonight at closing, in case Reid backed off the offer.
After
that there was much coming and going from Vi as she negotiated with Reid and
much yelling from Lou for someone, someone, anyone to please make love to a
pole before he had another birthday, and for Vi to get her tush back on the
floor or find another club to hostess at. Lou was all talk, he’d never sack Vi,
she was as much an institution here as he was.
Reid wasn’t
all talk. He didn’t throw up an excuse or leave and not come back. Lizabeth
knew a place open twenty-four hours with a whatever you liked menu. Reid sent
back a message to say he was delighted they’d taken up his offer and would Lux
please reconsider.
“He
actually used the word delighted?” Kathryn asked Vi on one of her many
backstage flits.
“He
did. He’s a little weird. Not a regular Joe. He has that glowering thing going on
and I’m not sure if he has a sense of humor.”
“Think
he’s married?”
“No
ring.” Vi shrugged. They all knew that didn’t mean anything.
“You’re
really doing this, even though it will only encourage him and that’s not what I
want,” Zarley said, while around her the girls were changing into their street
clothes, taking a little more care with their makeup and hair than usual.
“It’s
free pancakes and bacon, Zar. We don’t like him we walk away. We don’t want him
out the front, we tell Lou to bar him,” said Vi. “He drank nothing but Coke
tonight. Lou will bar him anyway if he keeps that nonsense up.”
Zarley
shook her head and shouldered her bag. She quit the club with Melinda, leaving
the others to their primping. Reid was waiting on the street when they emerged
from Lucky’s. His face lit up with a smile that made Zarley stop dead so
Melinda walked into her.
Melinda
grunted and sidestepped. “Damn, it’s going to rain,” she said, looking up as if
the thunderous, low-hanging sky was the reason Zarley had two lead feet.
But
Zarley had never seen Reid smile before. It took ten years off his face. He
looked almost boyish. It made her wonder for the first time how old he was, not
as old as she’d thought judging by his usual scowl.
“I
hoped you’d change your mind. I’ve got a car coming,” he said, then stuck his
hand out to Melinda. “I’m Reid.”
“I’m
delighted, but I’m going home,” Melinda said, playing up his word, avoiding his
hand.
Reid
didn’t appear to care. “Let me pay for your cab.” He strode to the curb and
flagged one down.
Melinda
stood there as the cab pulled up. “Why would you do that?”
“It’s
late and you’re tired and I want to,” he said, but he wasn’t looking at
Melinda. He was looking at Zarley and he was further gluing her feet to the
pavement with this new manipulation.
Melinda
looked Reid up and down. “I guess it’s no different from a tip, okay then.” He
opened the back door of the cab and Melinda scrambled in, then he handed the
driver a couple of bills and by the time Melinda’s ride pulled away, the others
had piled out Lucky’s front door.
They
crowded Reid, Vi handling the introductions. Reid smiling like he’d entered the
candy store and had an unlimited budget and a genius metabolism. He’d hired a
car for them. Who would do that? Crap . She could be halfway home by now.
“Goodnight,”
she said, and it stopped their chatter. Any minute now the sky was going to open
up and wash the world. “Have fun.”
“You’re
seriously not coming,” said Kathryn.
“Nope,”
she said.
“Let me
get you a cab,” said Reid. She might’ve expected that, but she’d been braced
for him to pressure her into going with the group. Before she could decline his
cab offer, his car pulled up, a big black SUV.
“We can
drop her off,” said
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