by Loy Holder
As soon as they left the table, the two men in the suits grabbed their spot. While the older man waited at the table, the younger one went to the bar and ordered a large pizza and a pitcher of beer. When Sam delivered their order, the older man with slightly graying hair and a well-manicured beard commented, “This pizza looks great. Did you make it yourself?”
“Yep.” Sam nodded with a grin. “And I guarantee it’ll taste as good as it looks.”
“So what’s your name, sweetheart?” the younger man asked.
“My name’s Sam. You’re too dressed up even for Aerojet engineers. Where’re you from?”
The gray-haired man spoke. “Glad to meet you, Sam. We’re from Las Vegas, just checking out the night scene around here. I’m Bud Wilcox and”—he gestured toward his friend—“this is Wayne Morris. Do you dance, Sam?”
“No, I just make the pizzas. Better start eating yours before it gets cold.”
Sensing she was about to leave their table, Bud said, “Say, before you go, when does the blonde dance again?”
“She should be back on in a few minutes. Her name is Liz.” Before Sam turned to leave their table, she smiled and said, “Nice talking to you. Enjoy the show.”
Bud and Wayne had just finished their pizza when they heard someone shout, “Hey Liz. What took you so long?” Bud turned his head toward the shout and spotted Liz laughing and joking with the customers on her way to the stage.
As she passed by their table, Bud gently touched Liz’s arm and said, “Excuse me, Liz. It is Liz, right?”
“Hello, strangers,” Liz said with an easy smile as she paused at their table. “How’d you know my name?”
The older man chuckled and pointed in Sam’s direction. “From your friend back there. My name is Bud Wilcox and”—he patted his friend’s shoulder—“this is Wayne Morris. After you dance, would you join us for a drink and a little friendly conversation?”
“Sure. I like friendly conversation.” She winked, gave Bud a sultry smile, and walked to the jukebox. Bud surveyed the audience as she danced, incredulous that most of the crowd stopped eating, drinking, talking, and maybe even breathing. They were captivated.
When Liz stepped down from the stage, Bud stood to pull out a chair for her and motioned for her to sit. Bud shook his head in astonishment and asked, “Where did you learn all those dance moves? Do you have a teacher or choreographer?”
Liz laughed and tucked a curl behind her ear, “No, I just sort of taught myself. Wow, I’m not used to that kind of flattery.”
“How long have you been dancing, Liz?” Wayne asked from across the table.
“Not quite a year?” She wrinkled her nose at Bud. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”
Bud chuckled and rubbed his beard in a thoughtful pause. “OK, I’ll get to the point. Wayne and I work for the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas, and we’re always looking for new talent. We think you’d really liven up the hotel lounge. Are you interested in coming to Las Vegas?”
“You mean dance in your lounge? Are you serious?” Liz looked surprised.
“Yes. What do you say?” Bud was serious.
“Uh…I’d love to just say yes, but I have kids and this job.”
Bud frowned. “So you won’t consider it?”
“I might, but when, and what’s the pay? I work here Monday through Friday evening until two in the morning, and the pay is good.”
“How about Saturday and Sunday nights from six p.m. to two a.m.? We’d pay you five hundred dollars a night plus round-trip airfare and free lodging at the hotel.”
“Christ, that’s unbelievable,” Liz said. “Can you give me a couple of days to see if I can make some arrangements and get back to you?”
Delighted with her obvious enthusiasm, Bud smiled, reached into his suit pocket for a business card and a pen, and wrote two phone numbers on the card. He pointed to the numbers, and said, “I’m staying in Folsom with friends, so you can call me at this number until Sunday. After that, you can reach me at the Stardust.” He studied her face as she picked up his card from the table and tucked it into her top.
Liz winked at Bud and smiled as she stood. “I’d better get back to work. Thanks for your offer, Bud. You’ll be hearing from me soon!”
Liz swallowed hard, her mind racing. She had Saturday and Sunday nights off at the Jet, and Josie would probably keep the kids. Somehow she’d make it work. As she left their table, she glanced at the clock over the bar; it was almost closing time.
She hurried to the kitchen, reached into the bottom cupboard where she stored her things, and placed the card in her duffel bag. Sam came in carrying a stack of pizza trays and set them on the counter near the sink. She gave Liz an inquisitive look. “Well, what’s up? Those guys looked, uh, important.”
“Yeah.” Liz stood and waved a hand. “Let’s close up, and then I’ll tell you about it.” She wasn’t ready to talk yet. She wanted a few minutes to savor the magic and excitement of dancing at the Stardust before she dealt with the details of making it happen.
Later, leaning against her car in the parking lot, Liz filled Sam in. Sam shouted, “I knew it! I just knew it.” She threw up her hands, her eyes wide. “So are you gonna do it?”
With a deep sigh, Liz moved to open her car door and glanced at Sam. “I’m gonna try.”
As Liz pulled out of the parking lot, the enormity of what she was contemplating swept over her. I won’t have weekends with my children, and Ronnie’s birthday is in a few days. What’s Lucille going to say? Can I handle the schedule? What will Bill say? She had a lot to work out, but she also felt in control, and that gave her a sense of power.
Dancing had provided her with a better understanding of herself. I believe in Liz now. She’d made a real home for her children, her bills were paid, and maybe with the extra money she earned in Vegas, she could stop dancing. Is it possible that my dream of having a real career might come true?
Before she got ready for bed, she sat at the kitchen table with a cup of chamomile tea and wrote out a “to do” list for Saturday. She always slept better when all her worries were in black and white.
Ron ambled along the path between the trees. The tightly furled leaves waited to blossom. They looked stark against the thick, damp fog of early morning. The air smelled of wild mushrooms and murky river water. A faint whiff of cigarette smoke drifted from the person ahead of him on the trail. His only hope for getting warm was that perhaps the sun would soon burn through the fog and lift the chill from his bones.
He’d been released from jail early for good behavior. When they gave him back his clothes and wallet, he’d had enough money for a bus to Rancho Cordova, but he’d waited an hour in the cold and the bus hadn’t come. He didn’t have a coat, and he needed to move, so he started walking and ended up along the American River. He was headed to Joe’s house, because Joe had invited him to stay. To hell with the bus.
He strolled along, thought of Liz, and cursed her under his breath. Once he got settled at Joe’s house, he’d find her.
* * *
Chapter twenty-two
Liz went through the motions of her Saturday morning routine. Once the kids were outside playing, she called Lucille.
“Hello.” Lucille sounded annoyed and out of breath.
“Hi, it’s me. You sound rushed, but I need to talk to you. Got a second?”
“Not really. You caught me on the way out. What’s up?”
“I have something to tell you. Can you come over for lunch?”
“Not gonna happen today. Can it wait until tomorrow morning? I could come over for coffee.”
“All right. Around nine?” Liz asked.
“Yeah, I’ll see you at nine. Gotta run.”
When Lucille hung up, Liz was left chewing her lip. What if Lucille objected to her taking a second job dancing? She’d decide to cross that bridge Sunday morning, and moved on to the second item on her to-do list.
She called Western Airlines for flight sche
dules. There was a 1:30 p.m. flight to Las Vegas on Saturdays and a returning flight Mondays at 9:00 a.m. The Monday-morning flight might be a little tough to make, but she’d just have to suck it up. She grabbed her coffee cup and headed for Josie’s house.
Josie poured coffee into Liz’s cup, handed her a plate with a chocolate doughnut on it, and said, “OK, come sit at the table, and tell me what’s got you so fidgety.”
“I need you to watch the kids on Saturdays and Sundays, too.” She looked Josie in the eye and told her about the offer to dance in Las Vegas. “Please,” she pleaded. “If you don’t, I can’t do it.”
“Why do you want to ruin your health and deprive your children of that precious weekend time you spend with them?” Josie’s tone reminded Liz of her mother.
Liz raised her voice in frustration. “Josie, I can’t dance forever. It’s good money right now, but I’m gonna get old, and then what? With that extra money, I could save up, maybe go to school. I’ll pay you extra.”
“Go to school for what, Liz?” Josie asked, her short, black eyelashes batting with each word.
Liz shook her head. “I don’t know, but there’s no future in what I’m doing now.”
Josie cleared her throat and rubbed her forehead. “OK, let’s see if I understand. You want me to watch the children over ninety hours a week.” She paused for a moment and then continued, “That’s double the time I watch them now. Right?”
“Yes.” Liz nodded and frowned. Where is Josie going with this?
“I couldn’t do it for less than two hundred fifty a week.”
Liz was encouraged and countered, “How about if I pay you an even three hundred dollars a week?”
“Well, OK. I’ll talk to Frank when he gets back from the store. I’m sure it will be all right with him. But you need to hear me out. I don’t think you realize what you’re taking on. You do a lot on the weekends, shopping, cleaning, laundry, spending time with the children. You’re gonna have to cram all that into your weekdays. I’ve seen what you look like when you come get the kids Saturday morning. By then you’re already beyond exhausted. Have you really thought this through?”
Liz didn’t answer right away. She stood and walked to the window. She saw the children were playing contentedly. She turned back to the table, sat down, and sampled the chocolate doughnut before she spoke. “Josie, I can’t think about all that negative stuff, and besides, I’ll just catch up on sleep Sunday instead of Saturday. I need to do this.”
“OK, I had my say. It’s a deal, but I hope your body can take it. Now finish your doughnut.”
Liz finished the doughnut while she and Josie made small talk. Then Josie walked her to the door. After Josie gave her a long hug, Liz placed her hands on Josie’s shoulders. “Thanks for helping me with this. I feel good about it.”
When Liz left Josie’s house, she mentally checked item number two off her list. Her phone was ringing as she opened the front door, and she ran in to answer it, “Hello.”
“Hi, pretty lady. Happy Saturday.”
Her heart did a tango. “Hi there. Where are you?”
“I’m home.”
“Where’s your wife?”
“She’s sleeping. Listen, I need to talk to you, in person. It’s important. Somewhere public if you like.”
“Yeah, I have some news for you, too. You could come here. We could sit and talk on the front porch.”
“That’s dangerous. One hot look or wrong move on your part, and I’ll take you inside.”
“I’ll behave. How about two, tomorrow afternoon?”
“OK, pretty lady. I’ll see you at two, tomorrow.
Liz hung up the phone and tried to focus as she chopped carrots, celery, and potatoes, browned some meat, and put a stew on the stove to cook. Her libido continued to accelerate as she struggled to hang the wet laundry on the clothesline. Let’s face it. I want him. How on earth am I going to hide it?
Later, as she sat on the couch mending clothes, she heard Ronnie yell, “Hey, Dad.”
Instantly her mind shifted from erotic musings to fear, and she ran out the front door. She paused on the porch and watched Ron kneel on the lawn close to Ronnie and Regina. A motorcycle was parked a few feet away. She stepped down from the porch and walked toward him. He’d had a haircut, and he wore a clean shirt. When she got close, he looked up, “Hi, Liz. You look good. Got yourself a nice little house.” His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were cold.
She turned to Ronnie and Regina. “Why don’t you go play, so Dad and I can talk.” They gazed at her with a faint look of disappointment, but ran off without a word.
Her fear in check, she turned to Ron. “How’d you find me?”
“You’re in the phone book, sweetheart.” He ran his tongue slowly over his bottom lip as he folded his arms across his chest. He seemed to be enjoying her discomfort.
“What’re you doing here? The restraining order’s still in effect.” She swallowed, hoping that was still true.
“I missed my kids, Liz. I missed you. I’ve had time in jail to think. I want us to be a family again. Why don’t you drop the restraining order?”
His stare made her squirm, so she focused on the toe of her shoe, taking courage that he seemed sober. “Ron, I’m not going to drop the restraining order, and the family thing’s over.” She looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction.
The muscles in his face tightened, “Oh, come on, Liz. We’ll always be a family.”
Liz recognized that familiar edge in his voice and the steel glint in his eyes. She moved a few steps back. “Ron, I gotta check on my stew.” She called to the kids playing in front of Josie’s house, “Come on home, kids; dinner time!”
They came running, hollering that they were hungry. Liz took each one by the hand and said, “OK. Say good-bye to Dad,” and she pulled the children back even farther.
Softening his expression with a smile, Ron said, “Bye-bye kids. You mind if I come see you again sometime?” Then looking directly at his son, he snapped his fingers as though he’d just gotten a great idea. “Hey, Ronnie, your birthday is next Thursday. How about then?”
“Can he, Mom?” Ronnie’s bright blue eyes flashed as he looked at his mother.
“We’ll see, Ronnie. Now you and Regina run in and wash your hands.” The tension increased tenfold in the back of her neck.
Before the children turned to go into the house, Ronnie smiled at Ron. “Yeah, Dad, come on my birthday.”
“Yes, and you can see my new dolly.” Regina clapped her hands, her face hopeful.
“It’s up to your mom, kids. Just remember I love you.” Ron chuckled and mounted his motorcycle.
Liz swore under her breath. He’s using the children to get to me. She shooed her kids into the house and frowned at Ron. “You’ve gotta prove yourself before you can spend any time with the kids. That’s gonna take a while. So, no birthday visit. Stay away!”
The motorcycle rumbled as he revved up the motor. He raised his middle finger to her as he rode slowly down the graveled road toward Sibley Street.
* * *
Chapter twenty-three
Sunday morning, Lucille was early and demanded coffee as soon as she got in the door. Liz poured her a cup, and before she could join her boss at the kitchen table, Lucille asked, “So what’s up? You look tired.”
“Yeah, I didn’t sleep well last night.” Liz paused to pour herself some coffee. “Ron showed up here yesterday, and he was talking to the kids out front.”
Liz sat down at the table, and Lucille raised an eyebrow. “Was he drunk?”
“No, but he asked me to drop the restraining order. I let him think it’s still in effect, but I need to verify that with my attorney.”
“Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”
“No.” Liz shook her head and stalled a second, sipping her coffee. “OK, I’ll just spit it out. I’ve accepted an offer to dance weekends in Las Vegas.”
“What?” Lucille spewed coffee o
n the table. “You’ve got to be kidding. Which dive?”
“It’s not a dive. It’s the Stardust Hotel lounge. I’m working six to two in the morning, Saturday and Sunday, catching a nine o’clock flight Monday morning back to Sacramento.”
“Have you lost your ever-lovin’ mind, Liz? How on earth are you gonna do that?”
Liz leaned back in her chair with her arms folded her arms across her chest, ready to do battle. “It’s good pay, plus they’re paying for my airfare and hotel room.”
Lucille’s fist hit the table. “That’s not what I was asking. When are you going to catch up on sleep or do anything else life requires? I don’t like it, Liz, and knowing how I feel, are you still gonna do it?”
“Yes. I’ll sleep in on Sunday. I’ve decided to go back to school, and I need the money.”
Lucille stood, one finger in the air. “OK, Liz. I’m only going to say this once, and I mean it. If you call in sick at the Jet, you’re fired, and with that crazy Vegas schedule, it’s bound to happen.” After they exchanged a few more angry words, Lucille slammed out the screen door and drove off, leaving Liz more determined to make it work.
As soon as Lucille’s car was out of sight, Liz went to the phone and left Bud Wilcox the message that she was accepting his offer and that she could start work the following Saturday. He called her back right away and promised to pick her up at the Las Vegas Airport. With Vegas settled, her thoughts returned to Bill.
He arrived on time, and when she stepped next to him on the porch, his aftershave captured more than her attention. She couldn’t resist stroking his chiseled face and giving him one of her come-hither smiles. “Hi there, handsome.”
“Hello, pretty lady.” He smoothed a loose strand of her hair. “There, now I can see those beautiful blue eyes.” He grew still for a second, and then he bit his lower lip and slowly shook his head. “We’d better get to talking, or I’m gonna take this inside.”