Part 13 (1/2)

aEvan,a he said. aAn old bandmate of Jeromeas.a aI see,a Clara said. aIam sorry about just now. Itas not youa”itas just, well a Itas been an eventful day. Howad you find me?a aWell, itas a little complicated,a Vera began.

Vera hadnat even realized how long shead been talkinga”about what had happened back in Chicago, about the a.s.sa.s.sin and Bastian and Carlitoa”until she glanced at the clock. It was getting close to five in the afternoon. aWe saved time and just went to the offices of the magazine and talked to a handsome fellow there.a There was only one handsome fellow at the Manhattanite. aThat would have been Parker,a Clara said.

aThatas him. Once we explained that wead known you back in Chicago, he gave us your address and phone number. We tried calling, but you werenat home.a aI was out looking for Gloria.a Vera leaned forward. aThatas why weare herea”weave got to warn my brother and Gloria about Carlito.a aHmm,a Clara said, frowning. aAll I really know is that Gloria is working as the singer at the Opera House. Itas a speakeasy downtown.a She got up to pull a notepad out of her black purse. aIall write down directions. Gloria and Jerome are supposed to perform there tomorrow, but itas a trap set up by Carlito Macharelli andaa”she grimaceda”asome awful person we used to know in Chicago.a Clara tore off the sheet of paper and gave it to them. aIam not really sure what to do except go there and warn her and Jerome.a aThen thatas what weall do,a Vera said.

Clara frowned. aItas a whites-only club, Iam afraid. You wonat be able to get inside.a aWho said anything about getting inside?a Evan said. aWay I see it is that theyare going to have to take Gloria and Jerome out of there. And weall be waiting.a Clara hesitated. aIam not sure you two have the muscle to slow down a bunch of gangsters.a aAnd who said anything about it being just us two?a Evan said. aMe and Jerome? We know a lot of people. And we take care of our own.a As they walked out of Claraas brownstone, Vera looked longingly at Evan, at the way the summer sun bounced off his dark skin.

aWhat are you staring at?a he asked playfully.

She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. aThings are about to get really messy.a She thought of Bastianas dark blood seeping into the planks of that faraway dock, of Evan himself tied up and gagged in a closet. aThings already are messy. Jerome is my brother, Evan, and I have to go and save him. But you a you could leave right now.a She swallowed and looked at their intertwined hands. aYou came with me to New York, and that was more than enough. More than I had any right to ask for.a aNo way,a Evan said. aYou saved my life back there. I owe you. Besidesaa”he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and his fingers lingered on her cheeka”aI donat want to leave. I belong here, with you.a Part of Vera wanted to lean into him, to be as close as possible to this beautiful boy. But another part didnat want him to feel how hard her heart was beating. How she felt about Evana”the wild craziness of their connectiona”was brand-new territory.

aWhatever happens,a he said, aIam going to be here for you.a Then he kissed her. Their lips touched, and it was so pa.s.sionate and intense that Vera could hardly breathe. Whatever happened at the Opera House tomorrow, there was no guarantee theread be more moments like this. So she just gave in and kissed him, holding him and trying to make up for lost time.

GLORIA.

Gloria had never dreamed a speakeasy would become her port in a storm.

But as she descended the Opera Houseas spiral staircase, the knot of dread in her stomach loosened a little. Since seeing the cops outside her apartment, shead walked around the city with the constant fear that someone was following her. The only place where she felt safe was the Opera Housea”there, at least, no one knew who she really was.

Unable to go back to her apartment, she had spent the night in an around-the-clock diner. A waiter had been kind to her, letting her nod off now and again and keeping an eye on her. In the morning shead walked around Central Park until she was exhausted, finally sitting on a bench near the Metropolitan Museum. Once evening rolled around, she freshened up her dress as best she could and went to work.

Spark and Hank the bartender both nodded h.e.l.lo as Gloria climbed the steps and went through the stage door. Tonight was her big debut, and all she was planning to worry about was singing her heart out. Everything else could wait for another day.

For a moment, she thought back to her debut at the Green Milla”the lights, the buzz, the onlookers in their fancy clothes drinking out of mismatched mugs and teacups, waiting and listening just for her. She remembered the exhilaration of standing in front of a microphone and digging deep into her soul and seeing what she was truly made of. There was nothing like singing.

Well, there was almost nothing like singing.

Being in love, Gloria thoughta”that was pretty special, too.

The womenas dressing room was at the end of the hallway, past a foul-smelling lavatory and a mirror hanging over a small table. Gloria sucked in her breath when she saw Jerome standing outside the door. He hadnat changed into his suit yeta”he was still wearing a blue checkered s.h.i.+rt and tan trousers.

Jerome looked tired, too. Still, somehow, in a way that only he could pull off, he managed to look more s.e.xy and bohemian than weary and hungry. But Gloria worried: Was he eating enough? Getting enough sleep? Was he happy?

Then she remembered Marcie. Suddenly Gloria didnat feel so bad. And she certainly didnat care whether he was happy.

aI didnat think youad come,a she said. Head skipped a rehearsala”some of the guys in the band had said he was out looking for a new gig.

aI didnat think you would come.a Jeromeas lips were tight, his jaw clenched. aBand doesnat work without a piano player, but we wouldave been just fine without a singer.a aI donat usually quit things once I commit to them. Unlike you. What do you want, anyway?a Jerome hooked his thumb at the door behind him, directly across the hall from the womenas dressing room. aThis ainat the Green Mill, sweethearta”youare not the only one who gets a room to prepare.a aDonat call me sweetheart,a Gloria said, her voice rising. aDonat evera”a aUh, excuse me?a Spark had come in from the stage. Along with his usual straw boater, he wore a long black coat with tails that seemed to engulf his body. aIam just checkina to see if you two need anything.a aTrust me,a Jerome said, crossing his arms, anothina you offer will be good enough for this one. Some girls are too highfalutin for their own good.a aOh, please! Some men are too full of themselves and proud to ask for help when they obviously need it.a aI never rejected your help!a Jerome said.

aRight, just so long as I didnat help too much. Youad rather just let us starve to death. At least your pride would be intact.a aHeh, heh,a Spark said, straightening his red polka-dotted bow tie. aI see you two are getting along well! Let me know if you need anything.a Gloria huffed. aItad be nice to have a hot lemon tea, something to clear my throat.a aBut be careful,a Jerome said to Spark. aShe might take a sip and decide itas too hot. Then sheall get mad at you for giving her exactly what she wanted.a Gloria glared. aAt least Iam brave enough to say what I want. Unlike some people.a aDonat do this girl any favors, Spark,a Jerome shot back. aSheall only rip your head off for trying. Just like a praying mantis. Lady is lethal.a aAnd you shouldnat talk to him at all,a Gloria snapped. aTell this wet blanket anything serious, and heall run scared. Boo-hoo!a Gloria twisted the k.n.o.b on the dressing room door and opened it. aOh, golly! Look at me, walking inside my room without having to put on a disguise first!a aThereas no disguising that whiny voice!a Jerome replied. aMaybe you could get me something that would block out her yammering, Spark.a aYou wonat be able to hear it from Harlem!a Gloria shouted, throwing up her arms. aMaybe you should do us all a favor and go back there.a aMaybe I willa”a Spark raised his hands into the air. aWill you two give it a rest already? You sound like my parents, for G.o.das sake. I donat care if you get along or nota”just be out on that stage and smiling at ten oaclock.a aOf course,a Jerome replied, breathing heavily. aIam a professional.a aI am, too!a Gloria yelled. aMore professional than you, piano man!a But Jerome had already shut the door to the menas dressing room behind him.

Gloria groaned and walked inside the tiny s.p.a.ce that was the womenas dressing room. The hardwood floors were filthy, but the large mirror with its border of lights came straight out of her singing-to-packed-crowds fantasies. A silver bin on the vanity held tins of powder and rouge, eye pencils in varying shades and thicknesses, and several tubes of lipstick.

Gloria sat in front of the vanity, pulled off her white cloche hat, and checked her hair. She slashed eye pencil along the edges of her eyes and the tiniest bit on her brows, then smudged on a smoky bit of kohl to make the green of her irises stand out. A dash of red lipstick made her lips look more kissable.

At the thought of kissing, a sigh escaped her. How could Jerome make her so angry, yet fill her with the desire to jump into his arms at the same time?

She inspected the clothing rack. There were silky and sequined numbers that must have belonged to previous singers. Spark had given Gloria a box of safety pins and said, aMeet your seamstress. If you got something spectacular at home, you go right ahead and bring it in. Otherwise youare going to have to make do with one of these numbers.a She removed a silk crpe dress from its hanger. It was such a pale shade of pink that it looked almost white. Pearly white beads decorated the bodice and waistline. Gloria pulled on the sleeveless chemise that went under the dress, then the dress itself. She fastened the sides and smiled into the mirror.

Even though her heart was broken and her purse was nearly empty and she had nothing much to call her owna”she had this job.

A chance to sing. A tiny bit of glamour.

However many wrong turns shead taken in the past year, shead kept one promise to herself: Shead become a complete and utter flapper. An independent woman.

A knock at the door, and then Sparkas voice: aI brought some lemon water for you two lovebirds. Try not to kill each othera”at least not until after the show.a Slipping her feet into white satin peep-toe heels, Gloria walked into the hall.

Jerome chose the same moment to emerge. Now he was dressed in a gray suit, a burgundy s.h.i.+rt, and a gray tie, his shoulders looking broad and masculine in the gray jacket. It wasnat fair that he still got to be so d.a.m.ned good-looking when they were no longer together.

Jerome looked more elegant than Gloria had ever seen him. He looked like a man.

They arrived together in front of the table where a pitcher of water was sitting next to a single gla.s.s.

aOh,a Gloria said. aYou go ahead and take it.a He nudged the gla.s.s toward her. aNaw, Iam not the one who has to sing.a She could feel the corner of her mouth turn up. aWho only brings one water gla.s.s, anyway?a Her heart hammered when he smiled back. aWell, between you and me, Iam not sure the cheese is still firmly on Sparkas cracker.a aYou think heas really crazy, or just tanked?a aCrazy. Though maybe he also gets drunk before he dresses himself in the morning.a aG.o.d, I hope so. How else to explain his fas.h.i.+on sense?a Then they were laughing.

Gloria tried to remember how long it had been since theyad done something as simply enjoyable as sharing a joke.

aHow could you leave?a she asked softly. aI tried to apologize so many times a but you just wouldnat listen.a aI didnat want to give you the chance. If I let you apologize, I wouldnat have been able to go. Without me around, you actually have a shot at a normal life. You were righta”youare the one who has to jump through hoops and settle for less to be with me. A man from your a background could offer you so much more.a aWhat about that girl Marcie staying at your boardinghouse?a aWaita”how do you know about Marcie?a aI kind of stowed away on the moving truck yesterday.a At the look on Jeromeas face, Gloria added, aI was worried! And this Marcie girl was in your room, telling the movers where to put your piano.a He laughed. aMarcie Beebe? Sheas Reverend Beebeas daughtera”she helps her father run the boardinghouse. She was just helping out while I was gone.a aAnd you never a with her?a aYou really think I would do that to you?a Jerome asked, looking hurt. aThatas the thing with you, Gloa”you make so much out of nothing, always jumping to conclusions. Like you did at the Cotton Club, thinking I was talking to Evan and Vera behind your back without hearing me out. Why canat you just trust me?a aIam going to work on that, Jerome. But weare still going to fight sometimes. Thatas what couples do. And for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, onstage and in disguise, they stick together.a Jerome broke into a smile. aThat sounds a lot like marriage vows.a Gloria knew her own smile was every bit as goofy as Jeromeas. aHold that thought,a she said.

In the dressing room, she rifled through the contents of her shoulder bag and pulled out the black velvet box. Shead been carrying it around, meaning to return it to him, but now she was glad she hadnat. Even holding it made her hands tremble as she thought about what was inside.

In the hallway again, she held it out to Jerome. aYou need to do this again, the right way.a Jerome opened the box and removed the gold ring. aSuch a little thing makes such a big difference.a aItas not a little thing, Jerome.a Oh, how it s.h.i.+mmered in the light!

aIs that how it works?a he asked. aYou ordering me to propose?a Gloria was about to backtrack, to apologize, but then Jerome went down on one knee right there in the hallway.

His hand shook a little as he took her fingers in his. aGloria Rose Carmody, I love you. I didnat know what love was till I met you, didnat know that I had it in me to care so much for someone else. I donat want to be anything Iad have to be without you, and I donat want to ever be far from your side. These past few days have been miserable.a Gloria was going to have to redo her makeup if he went on much longer. She couldnat hold back her tears.

aI love you, and I love you, and I love you so much.a He was weeping, too, but in the happiest way possible. aNot only are you beautiful and kind and true, but you have the most amazing singing voice I have ever heard, or ever will hear. Make music with me for the rest of my life. Please. Will you marry me?a Gloria didnat even have to think before gasping, aYes!a He slipped the ring onto her finger. The delicate gold band with its tiny, sparkling diamond looked more at home on her left ring finger than Bastianas gaudy iceberg ever had.

Then she was in Jeromeas arms, and he was spinning her in circles. His lips found hers and they stayed locked that way, her hands gripping the back of his neck hard, pulling him closer, but never close enough. His grip was even stronger, clutching her hair, wandering over her neck, shoulders, and back with an almost desperate urgency. He pressed his chest hard against hers, and she could tell he wanted what she did: to be so close that nothing could separate them ever again. She hadnat even realized how much she missed him until right this second.

Too soon, he pulled away. aNow all we have to do is find someone to actually marry us. Where itas not against the law. Or going to get us killed.a She cupped his cheek with her hand. aWe will, Jerome, donat worry.a He took her hand and kissed the back of it, staining it with the red lipstick smeared on his mouth. aAll right, Miss Rose. You better go finish getting ready for your debut.a After one more quick kiss, Gloria returned to the dressing room. He loved her! Only her, as she loved him, body and soul. They would be together. Whatever obstacles they faced, they would face them together. She fluttered her fingers and looked at the tiny glinting diamond on her ring. She was his and he was hers and who gave a d.a.m.n about her makeup?

But there was a show to perform, and they needed the money.

So she set to work fixing the lipstick that had been completely rubbed off, wiping and repainting her eyes. But every few minutes shead forget herself and smile and cry and mess up her makeup all over again.

She was doing her lips for the fourth time when there was a knock at the door. aThis is very unprofessional behavior, Mr. Johnson,a she called as she opened it. Her smile slipped away when she saw not Jeromeas handsome face, but Sparkas ugly one.

aSorry to bother you, Zuleika, but apparently youave already got fans. Some black girl wanted to come back to see you. We couldnat let her in, of course, this beina a cla.s.sy joint. She left, but she came back with this.a Spark lifted a pink hatbox Gloria hadnat noticed he was holding. aItas a present. Girl said it was a memento from the Green Mill, one youad need for your Opera House debut.a Once head left, Gloria placed the hatbox gently on the vanity as if it might explode.

The box had to be from Vera.

Gloria pulled the lid off, bracing herself for whatever was inside. But it was just a hat. A large, ugly black hat not unlike the much-hated hat shead worn as part of her between-buildings disguise. But this hat was cheap. Certainly it wasnat the kind of hat shead normally expect to receive as a gift.

There had to be a note.

There was an abundance of white tissue paper in the box. She dug through it and found a sheet of lined notebook paper. The handwriting on the note looked like a neater, more feminine version of Jeromeas.

Gloriaa”