The Glittering Life of Evie Mckenzie Page 9

  Roger paused, answering the question wordlessly. ‘Well, yes, but …’

  ‘So it seems the Mouse was right.’

  ‘But not “canoodling,” Evie! It wasn’t a date. She was asking about a job here in Manhattan.’

  ‘I didn’t realize Connecticut show girls were so upwardly mobile.’

  Roger stopped them walking. ‘Don’t be like this,’ he said. ‘You know that I’m running a business. And since Tug’s gotten these grand ideas, it’s taken a lot more effort. I was talking with a dancer about coming here to lead the girls at Evie’s. She’s the lead in a show out there.’

  Roger looked sincere, and the story did make some sense. ‘I see,’ Evie sniffed, trying to decide how to let him off the hook without seeming too weak. ‘Well, I don’t like hearing about these things in the paper. It makes me doubt you,’ she said.

  ‘Of course,’ he said, looking relieved. ‘We just need to talk to one another. What if we have a standing phone call when I’m away?’

  Evie hesitated. She didn’t like that either, because then she was tied to the phone on evenings when she might need to be out digging for her column. ‘Some nights I have to be on campus to study,’ she said.

  Roger’s mouth tightened, but he said, ‘That makes sense. Well, we’ll just take it a day at a time, then.’

  ‘All right, darling.’ Evie didn’t feel much better, but she wanted the conflict to be over. The less time they spent discussing any potential attraction to other people, the better.

  Roger leaned down and brushed her lips with his, his arm wrapping around her shoulder. Evie let Roger hold her; he seemed to be reassuring himself that she was still his. She found comfort in the warmth and solidity of his embrace. But she couldn’t help noticing that she didn’t feel the tingle of excitement or immediate clench of her innermost muscles the way she did when Jack Taylor so much as looked her way. Of course it was unfair to compare. Jack was only interesting because he was off limits.

  The couple walked quietly together back toward Evie’s house, and went inside.

  ‘My mother’s going to give you the third degree.’

  ‘I think I can handle it,’ he said, the warm eyes dancing once again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tug

  Tug’s date with Derek Mulroney had developed into much more than she had expected. For one thing, she genuinely liked the man. He had a quiet modesty that she hadn’t expected, based on the bravado he seemed to display at the club. But it was possible, Tug thought, that his boisterousness at Evie’s was all an attempt to get her attention. As he’d kissed her goodnight in the quiet cab of his car, he’d confided that the only reason he visited Evie’s night after night had been in hopes of gaining her notice. Her new hair and personality had given him the confidence to act. ‘I liked the old Elizabeth, too,’ he told her. ‘But this version…’ Derek’s voice trailed off and he grinned, looking embarrassed.

  The admission had shocked and befuddled Tug, who prided herself on being rarely surprised. But no man had said to her the things that Derek had. No one had shown her the sweetness or genuine affection that he seemed to feel for her. It was hard to remain neutral. Especially when she found herself liking him, too. He wasn’t the type of man she had been raised to consider, that was for sure. But since the woman who’d given her those lofty expectations had disappeared, Tug supposed it was time to form expectations of her own. Derek was a good man. Good enough for her, certainly.

  Tug hummed to herself as she set up for business the week following her evening out with Mulroney.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Chuck asked, placing himself in front of her and regarding her with narrowed eyes.

  ‘What do you mean? Nothing’s going on.’

  ‘Baloney.’

  ‘Baloney yourself. Get out of the way, Chuck.’ Tug pushed past him and continued setting up behind the bar.

  ‘No, you’re different.’

  ‘Yeah, smart guy. I dyed my hair. That was a week ago.’

  ‘Something else.’

  ‘You’re nuts.’

  ‘Okay,’ Chuck said, letting it go for the time being. ‘But you seem different. You seem … happy.’

  ‘Yeah?’ Tug cocked her head at him. ‘Well, maybe I am.’

  Sal bounded down the stairs just then, his heavy boots drawing their attention. ‘Delivery next door, Tug!’

  ‘Were we expecting a delivery?’ Chuck asked.

  ‘We weren’t,’ Tug told him. ‘But I am.’ She followed Sal up the stairs and to the corner, where a car idled at the curb.

  ‘You Elizabeth?’ A dingy-looking man asked, his face smudged with grime.

  ‘I am.’ Tug was beginning to have second thoughts about Derek’s connection. This man looked like a criminal.

  ‘I got some tea for you.’ The man emphasized the word ‘tea’ in a way that made Tug cringe and look around the sidewalk, hoping no one was nearby.

  Sal helped the man unload the back of the truck onto a dolly and wheel it toward the entrance of the apartment building next to the club. The three maneuvered the heavy boxes into the vestibule and down to the garden-level apartment. Tug unlocked the door and Sal pushed the boxes inside, stepping in after them. Tug and the dirty man went in after him and they stood looking at one another for a moment.

  ‘Boss usually takes a look and a taste,’ Sal whispered to Tug.

  She smiled at him gratefully. She’d never accepted a delivery before. That had been Roger’s territory and sometimes Chuck’s. ‘I’ll just have a quick look,’ she told the man, who huffed and crossed his arms.

  ‘Go ahead, then,’ he said.

  Tug pulled open a box and removed a bottle of clear liquid. It was unmarked and slightly cloudy, unlike any of the booze they currently had on hand. She raised an eyebrow and unscrewed the cap, taking a quick sniff over the bottle. An unfamiliar, but certainly alcoholic, odor assaulted her. She took a quick sip and commenced coughing and sputtering. ‘What the hell is this supposed to be?’

  ‘It’s for mixers,’ the man said, looking amused. ‘Ya don’t take it straight.’

  Sal looked uncertain as he watched Tug recover herself.

  ‘All right,’ she said, beginning to question the transaction. She’d tasted the cheap hooch that Roger had brought in, and this was far worse than even that. But she was looking to make money, and she trusted Derek, who had set everything up. ‘Come next door and we’ll settle up.’

  The threesome made their way back to the street and over to Evie’s, Tug pulling money from beneath the counter to pay the delivery man.

  ‘One for the road?’ he asked hopefully, eyeing the bottles behind the bar.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Tug told him.

  The man grumbled and his face reddened, but Sal and Chuck stepped up beside Tug and the man put his rumpled hat atop his head and left, stuffing cash into his vest.

  ‘High quality hooch, was it?’ Sal smiled at her.

  ‘Not even close,’ Tug admitted. ‘But it oughta do the job.’

  She spent the rest of the afternoon concocting various cocktails that would cover the pungent scent and alcoholic burn of the cheap booze she’d acquired.

  *****

  Evie’s was busier than usual that evening, as word about the show and the new drinks had made its way around town. There was a whole new contingent of flappers and college boys that flowed through the door, drawn by the more glamorous offerings. A few of the long-time patrons – older gents who dropped in to have a quiet slug – had stopped coming, but their money was hardly missed.

  The atmosphere was lively and Tug could barely hear her own thoughts over the sound of the band and the conversation of those screeching to hear one another around the bar.

  ‘Mix up a Fuzzy Bear for my girl!’ one man called, waving money at Chuck.

  ‘Two Brooklyn Dodgers!’ another man called.

  ‘I can’t keep all these straight, Tug,’ Chuck complained, reaching for the various fruit juices tha
t Tug had lined up behind the bar.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she assured him. ‘Just mix in the bubbles and juice, and they won’t care anyway!’

  The dancers were moving seductively to the music, and Tug took a moment amid the chaos to smile at Janie, who had become a completely different person in her skimpy costume and feathers.

  When they had a break, Janie wound her way to where Tug stood by the bar.

  ‘You’re amazing, Jane!’ Tug laughed. ‘Who knew you had it in you?’

  ‘Certainly not me,’ Jane said. ‘Thanks for talking me into it.’ The smaller girl looked around the club, smiling and nodding at men who grinned and winked at her. ‘But I need to talk to you if you have a minute.’

  ‘Sure, Janie, what’s up?’

  ‘Well, this is gonna be my last night here.’

  ‘What? Why, Janie? You’re doing so well!’

  ‘I’m moving,’ Jane said, grinning. ‘I’m going to Paris, Tug!’

  Tug felt her jaw drop open. Of the friends she had, Jane was the least adventurous. She was sure she’d heard this wrong. ‘What?’

  ‘I’m moving to Paris! I have an aunt there who needs some help, and she has a room for me.’

  ‘I can’t believe it! When do you go?’

  ‘Tomorrow,’ Jane smiled.

  ‘Were you keeping this a secret? Does Evie know?’

  ‘No, not at all. It just came up. She’s sent me a ticket, and the boat leaves tomorrow!’

  Tug felt both sad to lose her friend and jealous at the adventure that lay before her. She tried to hide the latter. ‘I’ll miss you, Janie!’

  ‘I’ll write, Tug. I can’t imagine not talking to you and Evie.’

  ‘You’ll have to tell us everything! How romantic!’

  ‘Maybe I’ll look for a job as a dancer there.’

  ‘Ooh, give me tips on Frenching up the club!’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Janie grinned.

  The music started up again, and Jane gave Tug a quick hug before winding her way back to the stage and joining the line of dancers who were now holding up huge yellow feathered fans.

  Tug watched her friend, feeling momentarily shell-shocked by her news. She was distracted after a moment, though, by a warm firm hand landing on her backside.

  ‘Hello, Elizabeth,’ Derek said, leaning in close to kiss her cheek.

  ‘Hi there,’ Tug said, smiling up into his face. She realized, as she stepped into his embrace, that she’d been thinking about him all day. She wondered if it was possible that she was truly smitten with Officer Mulroney.

  *****

  Evie arrived late in the evening, surprising Tug, and looking surprised herself.

  ‘Isn’t Roger here?’ Evie cried over the din. The customers had gotten raucous and rowdy, and even Tug was ready for the night to be at an end. Derek had left an hour ago, headed off to work.

  ‘No,’ she shook her head. ‘I only wish he were. Evie, our own popularity will be the end of us!’

  Customers were waving money over the bar and couples were in states of compromise at tables around the dance floor. The dancers were slinking through the crowd, and the band seemed to be riding the general euphoria that had taken over to some kind of ebullient crest.

  ‘My lord, Tug, this place has certainly evolved!’

  ‘You can say that again,’ Tug agreed. ‘Evie, I have to go help Chuck. What can I get you?’

  ‘Just a scotch, please. And maybe a seat.’

  ‘Good luck with that. The scotch I can do.’

  Tug ducked back behind the bar and watched Evie work her way through the dense crowd to the mahogany bar top. A man still sober enough to remember his manners stood and waved her into his seat. Of course, once she had a drink in front of her, he proceeded to whisper into her ear as if they were the most intimate of acquaintances.

  Evie looked distraught and confused, gulping her drink as she scanned the crowd.

  When things calmed a bit, Tug leaned across the wooden surface, refilling her friend’s drink. ‘It’s something, isn’t it, Evie?’

  ‘It is. You have to help me remember to tell Janie about that dancer!’ Evie pointed at Janie on the stage. ‘It looks just like her!’

  ‘Evie,’ Tug said, giving her friend a frank look. ‘That is Janie.’

  ‘No!’ Evie appeared scandalized and then turned back to the stage. ‘My God, it is!’

  ‘But not for long,’ Tug said.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘She’s leaving, Evie. She’s moving to Paris.’

  ‘We’re talking about Janie, right?’

  ‘I know. I was shocked, too. But I think I created a monster. I suggested she dance and the next thing I knew she was announcing that she and her fan are moving to Europe.’

  Evie’s face took on a dreamy look, her eyes misting. ‘That’s so romantic, Tug! Anything could happen!’

  Tug nodded, fighting her jealousy again. ‘Hey, you wanna try one of my new fancy cocktails?’

  Evie pointed to her scotch. ‘I’ll stick with what I know, but thanks.’

  The two friends watched the scene around them for a few minutes, both of them sipping as the crowd danced and shrieked.

  ‘We might be too popular for our own good,’ Tug said.

  ‘Where is Roger?’ Evie asked. Her tone was conversational, but Tug picked up on the confusion in her face.

  ‘I guess he went back to New Haven early,’ Tug said.

  ‘Did you see the column?’

  ‘I did. I’m sorry.’

  Evie stared into her drink for a moment. ‘I spoke to him about it. He was in town Thursday night. I thought he was here for the weekend. He said he was hiring a new dancer to lead the girls.’

  ‘He mentioned that,’ Tug nodded, maybe too enthusiastically. She didn’t know why she felt compelled to protect Roger, but the words slipped out.

  ‘That’s good,’ Evie muttered.

  Tug hadn’t given much credence to the Mouse column until Evie appeared in the club looking for him. Now she wondered if Roger could be two-timing her friend. And she hated herself for feeling some small satisfaction at the idea. She didn’t want Evie to be unhappy, but it was hard watching her be happy, too.

  ‘I might be seeing someone, Evie,’ Tug said, her voice low. She was trying to contain her enthusiasm for the copper-eyed cop. She had little practice with girlish gossip and it wasn’t entirely comfortable now, but Evie’s response helped.

  ‘You are?’ Evie sat up straight and leaned forward, grinning. ‘Tell me!’

  ‘He’s a police officer,’ Tug said. ‘An Irishman with just the most dreamy brogue.’

  ‘Really?’ Evie said. ‘Oh, that sounds wonderful, Tug!’

  ‘He’s sweet to me,’ Tug said, letting the warmth that she felt toward Derek color her words. ‘Oh, Evie … I don’t think I’ve felt this way before!’

  Evie’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Really? Are you in love, my tough Tug?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Tug admitted. She smiled to herself. Maybe she was.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Evie

  Evie drank more than she’d intended the night she went out to her namesake club alone. Buck had waited in the car for her, though she’d tried to just get him to escort her in. In many ways, Buck was the one who maintained the formal separation between himself and the McKenzie family. He was so much more than a servant – Evie hoped he knew that. She vowed to do something special for him when she came up with an idea.

  Inside the club, she’d expected to find Roger busy with management, but he was nowhere to be seen. Even Tug didn’t seem to know where he was, which bothered Evie no end.

  She chatted with her friend when Tug wasn’t rushing around taking care of things, and eventually got to talk with Jane, who seemed to have metamorphosed into something altogether different overnight. Evie was stunned by the low-cut dress and high heels her friend wore in her alternate dancer persona.

  ‘Paris, Janie? That’s
so exciting!’

  ‘And terrifying,’ Jane said, inclining her head to whisper to her friend.

  ‘You’ll be fine,’ Evie said, though in reality she wasn’t sure she could picture her demure friend Jane among those sophisticated Parisian women. ‘What do your parents say?’

  ‘I think it’s a relief for them,’ Jane said. ‘They’ve never really known what to do with me anyway.’

  Evie nodded. She’d always felt sorry for Jane in her over-sheltered life. At least her own parents seemed to understand the way the world was progressing instead of trying to hold it back.

  ‘I hope you’ll keep in touch with us.’

  ‘I will. I’ll write. I’m going to miss you girls so much!’ Jane threw her arms around Evie’s neck and the two girls hugged for a long minute.

  ‘Maybe I’ll visit,’ Evie said, knowing that the chances of her going to Paris were very slim.

  Jane gave her a dazzling smile before rejoining the other dancers on the stage.

  Evie was left to mope about Roger’s mysterious absence. She sipped her drink and listened to the chatter and gaiety around her, but didn’t feel very gay herself. After a while, she smiled at Tug and Chuck and excused herself back out to the street.

  ‘Good night, Miss Evie?’ Buck asked when he met her on the sidewalk. ‘How’s Mr White?’

  ‘I guess I wouldn’t know,’ Evie sniffed.

  Confusion passed across Buck’s features as he opened the car door for her.

  Evie slid inside and found tears coursing down her cheeks by the time Buck came around to the other side.

  ‘That bad?’ Buck asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Evie said. ‘I think he’s seeing someone else.’

  ‘I can’t think why he would.’

  ‘That’s why I love you, Buck.’

  They drove home in silence, the street lights creating pools of brightness at regular intervals as the big car slid through the darkened streets.

  When Evie was ready for bed and Buck had disappeared into his rooms, she went to the telephone in the hall and rang Roger at school. Of course no one answered, but she’d had to try. She went to bed feeling confused and angry. Where was he? Wasn’t he the one who had said they just needed to talk more? Tell each other what they were up to?