by Alexa Kang
“Oh no,” Henry said.
“What?” She steered their car to the side. “Who are they? Do you know them?”
“It’s Don and Lester.” He shrank into his seat.
“Don and Lester?”
“The fat one’s Don and the skinny one’s Lester.” He lowered his voice to a whimper and his ears turned red. “They always pick on me at school.”
She glanced at the boys in the other car. They shouted something at Henry, although they were too far away and she couldn’t make out what they said. Henry looked to the side away from them, his earlier excitement vanished.
Without thinking, she turned their car around, stomped on the pedal, and slammed into the side of the car Don and Lester were riding in. Shocked, Henry’s mouth dropped open. Don and Lester too were stunned and sat frozen in their seats.
She didn’t stop there. Reversing backward, she pumped the pedal again with all her might and jammed hard into them.
Don was the first to recover. He pulled his car back and drove it head-on toward them. Rather than backing down or driving away, Tessa looked him in the eyes and drove the car forward on a collision course.
“No!” Henry shouted and grabbed his seat. Don would not stop, and neither would she. The fronts of the two cars collided in a huge bang. Simultaneously, Henry and Lester both screamed.
Reeling from the crash, Don squinted his eyes at her, looking confused. He went at her again, but that only incited her even more. They chased and smashed into each other over and over, each ramming against the other as hard as possible to try to claim dominance. Neither would give up. Next to her, Henry started to pray.
When the ride was over, Don and Lester jumped out of their seats and raced for the exit. Tessa rubbed her knee, which she had bruised during one of the crashes.
“I can’t believe you did that,” Henry said. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. Don’t be.” He smiled. “You were nuts, but you were an ace nuts.”
They got out of their car, unaware they were being watched. At the exit, Don walked up from behind them and knocked Henry over. Henry almost tripped. Luckily, Tessa caught him in time and stopped him from falling.
“Watch where you’re going,” Henry said before he saw who had bumped into him. When he saw Don, he shushed.
“What’s the matter, fat-head? You dare to tell me to watch it?” Don moved closer and hovered over him. Behind Don, Lester snickered. Ruby ran up to Henry and Tessa and stood by them.
“Ruby! You’re here too,” Lester said. “Why the dour face? Aren’t you happy to see us? Well, good to see you too.”
“Leave us alone,” she said.
“Who do we have here?” Don asked, looking at Tessa. “Who are you, doll? What are you doing with this dunce? I like how you rode your car. Want to ride with me next time?” He tried to touch her face. She slapped his hand away.
Incensed, he scowled. “Nobody does that to me.” He pushed Henry out of the way to grab her shoulders. She glared at him, ready to defend herself when someone else shouted, “Leave them alone, Don.”
It was Jack, returning to them with Carmina. “Knock it off. All of you.”
Don took a hesitant step backward.
“You two should leave now,” Jack told Don and Lester.
The two bullies exchanged a glance. Don muttered something under his breath and walked away. Lester followed. But before he left, he wrinkled his nose at Carmina. She turned her head away, clearly uncomfortable.
Still angry, Henry, Ruby, and Tessa stood together stone-faced.
“Who else is hungry?” Jack asked. “I’m getting one of those famous foot-long hot dogs. Anyone else want one?”
The three of them suddenly realized they were starving.
“Well, let’s go then.” He took Carmina’s hand and started walking. Subdued, they walked slowly behind them.
“Thank God Jack showed up,” Ruby said to Tessa.
“I don’t understand,” Tessa said. “They pick on Henry but they’re afraid of Jack?”
“Don and Lester are cowards. They only dare to pick on Henry when he’s alone. Jack’s different. He’s older and he knows a lot of folks who can get them into serious trouble. Besides,” she lowered her voice, “Benny likes Jack. They wouldn’t dare mess with anyone Benny likes. But then…” She gazed proudly at Jack.
“But then what?”
“Everybody likes Jack.” They had now come upon the hot dog stand. Ruby pulled her arm to hurry her along, but her mind was on something else.
Everybody likes Jack.
But he only liked Carmina.
Chapter 19
The jitterbug competition was coming up in less than a week. At the youth center, Tessa practiced with Jack for the last time. Their performance drew a group of onlookers clapping along as they danced.
Considering his busy work schedule, Jack sure was setting aside quite a lot of time to practice with her. The competition meant a lot to him, it seemed. Not wanting to disappoint him, she practiced as hard as she could. By now, she had mastered their routines and learned to match her steps to his fast-paced footwork.
Swinging to the music, he picked her up in one swift move, threw her onto his back, and let her roll right off him. Their fans cheered. Without missing a beat, she grabbed his wrist, landed perfectly and hopped into the next set of kicks.
She could still see his winning smile through their rapid speed and blurred vision. His face glowed with excitement, all from their dancing.
When they finished, the group gave them a resounding round of applause.
“That was fantastic, Tessa,” one of the girls who had watched them said.
“Great job, Jack. Good luck this weekend,” said one of his friends from the dispersing crowd.
Still catching his breath, he waved and thanked them. “We’re going to win this thing, right?” he asked Tessa.
“I hope so. Do you think I’m good enough? I only learned this dance two months ago.”
“Don’t worry. You’re a natural if I’ve ever seen one. If we mess up, we can always improvise.” And then he told her. “Carmina’s coming.”
“She is?” She didn’t know Carmina would be there. This was the first time he mentioned it.
He nodded. “I want her to see me win. Promise me we’ll try to win?”
She lowered her eyes, then mustered up the best smile she could. “I promise.”
“We’ll win.” He tapped her lightly on the forehead.
# # #
A large gathering of spectators filed into the ballroom, all buzzing with anticipation. Long before the contestants started to dance, the band had already begun to rouse the crowd. So much energy filled the air, Tessa thought that the roof might burst.
For tonight, she wore a new dress she had bought especially for this occasion, a short-sleeved white dress with black polka dots and a round neckline. It fit snugly around her waist and accentuated the shape of her body. The skirt ran longer than what she usually wore and fell below her knees. It billowed when she danced and flared out like a peacock spreading its feathers when she twirled. It was perfect for accentuating their moves.
Originally, she had planned to wear her special scarlet red dress, but she changed her mind after Jack told her Carmina was coming.
Everyone started cheering and clapping as soon as the competition got under way. The contestants surrounded the dance floor, each pair awaiting their turn. During the elimination rounds, she sized up each team. None of them did anything she and Jack could not match or outdo. In fact, Jack was way more nimble and attractive than all the other guys competing. They easily advanced to the final round.
When their turn came in the first heat, they started off with a series of rapid steps. He followed with several sets of pulls and releases, drawing her close, then releasing her while she waved her hand in the air and twisted her hips to the beats. He then grabbed her waist, lifted her into the a
ir on his side, and rolled her off his back to let her slide off his other side. The crowd whistled.
In the next heat, they started off with a series of hops. Next, he lifted her and swung her body horizontally sideways one hundred and eighty degrees around his body several times. Everyone watching went wild. He continued to swing her into the air in between steps, exciting the crowd. With each heat, they raised the bar another notch, adding more spectacular and racier moves to stir the audience and the judges.
They saved her favorite routine for the final heat. He started by pulling her body up against him and they stepped into a long series of back kicks. Their movements were fast, clean, and crisp. Impressed, the crowd gave them a lengthy round of applause. Then, from behind her, he picked her up from her waist and threw her over his head. As soon as she glided down his back, he pulled her through from the bottom and she slid between his legs back to the front. He twirled her around while she spun to a blur with her skirt flying in the air. The move electrified the room.
To close the dance, she tugged his tie and pulled him toward her. He leaned forward, pretending to be led by her while he flailed his arms and kicked his feet back up high. Laughter broke out. Finally, he swung her body around him one more time. When she landed, he slid into a split on the floor in front of her. The comical but sensational final move sent the audience into frenzied cheers.
There was no contest. They were the decisive winners. He grabbed her hand and held it up in the air to clinch their victory.
As soon as they came off the dance floor, he rushed over to Carmina, embraced her and gave her a deep kiss on the lips. Tessa held her first place ribbon. A bittersweet smile hung on her face.
“You two were amazing,” Carmina said.
“I said I would dance for you tonight. It was a special dedicated performance.” He pinned his first place ribbon onto her dress. “Happy birthday,” he said softly to her.
“Jack!” She touched the ribbon gently with her hand. “This is the best birthday present.”
“And special thanks to Tessa for being the most fantastic dance partner.” He looked to Tessa.
“Today’s your birthday, Carmina?” she asked. Jack never told her his dancing today was a birthday gift to his girlfriend.
Without answering, Carmina confirmed it with a shy smile.
“Tessa! Jack!” Henry said. “Do you know what this means? This means you’re both going to see Duke Ellington live at the Edgewater.”
“That’ll be pretty amazing,” Jack said. “Too bad we can’t all go.” He turned to his girlfriend. “Do you want to go with Tessa instead? You can have my ticket.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You worked hard for this. You deserve to go. Besides, it’ll be quite an experience to dance at the Edgewater. I don’t dance well. Don’t waste the chance on me. You can’t leave Tessa in a bind without a dance partner.” She smiled at Tessa, and Tessa smiled back.
“Tessa will have no problem finding dance partners.” Jack dismissed her worries. “She dances so well, all she’ll have to do is walk onto the dance floor and people will line up out the door to dance with her. You’re the one who’ll be sitting alone all night.” He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Maybe I’ll have to sneak in to keep you company.”
“For the love of God.” Henry rolled his eyes. “Don’t you two ever get sick of this?”
“I heard the Edgewater’s outdoor dance floor is very romantic,” Ruby chimed in. “They call it dancing under the stars.”
Tessa had heard that too. She wanted to dance there with Jack more than anything. But what was she thinking? He and Carmina were so in love. Any talk about romantic outdoor dancing felt pointless and awkward.
“It’s not romantic at all,” Jack said, interrupting her thoughts. “There’ll be more than a thousand people there. I just hope it won’t rain that night or we’ll get soaked. Right, Tessa?”
She tightened her lips and smiled, then turned her face away so he wouldn’t see her disappointment.
# # #
There was only one right thing to do.
She had never been to Murphy’s Tavern before. It was five in the afternoon and the place was almost empty, too early yet for the dinner crowd.
Jack was there. He was talking to a couple while he cleaned the glasses. Off toward the back, Henry was cleaning up a table.
She took a deep breath, then walked up to the bar and sat down.
“Tessa? What brought you here?” Jack asked, surprised to see her.
“I came to see where you and Henry work. Is it all right for me to be here?”
“Of course. Can I get you something?”
She gathered her nerves and asked, “Would you get me something from the bar?”
“From the bar?” He had never seen her drink before. “Okay. What would you like?” he asked, a bit hesitant.
“Would you make something special for me? Something you’ve never made for anyone else?”
“All right.” He eyed her with a curious smile, but nonetheless obliged. He scanned the alcohol on the shelf behind him and picked out several bottles. With expert hands, he mixed the liquor together and returned with a beautiful cocktail garnished with berries. “Try this.” He put the glass in front of her.
“What is it?”
“It’s the sum of what I think of you. Apple cider with cranberries, cinnamon, bourbon, and lemon juice. Sweet and spicy, with just a tiny hint of sour.” This was the first time he had ever told her what he thought of her. She could almost feel her face turning red. “How about we call it the Sugar Tuck?”
Sugar Tuck. Of course. So he did notice when her skirt swirled. She smiled to herself and took a sip. The alcohol burned her throat and stung her stomach, but it didn’t matter. He created this just for her.
He watched her on the other side of the bar.
“You don’t approve of me drinking?” The sweetness of the drink grew on her. “I only wanted to try it because you mix drinks.”
He leaned casually back against the shelf of liquor. “I don’t disapprove. I started drinking when I was fifteen. Besides, I’m an Irishman. Who am I to tell anyone not to drink?”
She rested her chin on her hand and laughed. The alcohol gave her a head rush.
“If you’re going to drink, then better that you do it here where I can keep an eye on you.” He gave her a glass of water. “Is this why you came? To learn how to drink?”
“No.” She took a card out of her purse and gave it to him. “This is my ticket for the night at the Edgewater. Why don’t you go with Carmina instead?”
He looked at the certificate in her hand. “That wouldn’t be right. You won it. Don’t you want to see Duke Ellington?”
“It’s nothing, really,” she lied and put the certificate on the bar. “If I want to go, I can always ask Uncle William and Aunt Sophia to go with me. Take Carmina. It’ll be my present to both of you for her birthday.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. He took the gift. His eyes brightened and he broke into a huge smile. “This means a lot to us.”
“I know.” She smiled to mask the hurt she felt inside. Of course Uncle William and Aunt Sophia would take her to see Duke Ellington if she asked, except the band and the musician were not what she wanted.
But Carmina was the one he wanted to go with.
“On one condition,” she said.
“What is it? Anything.”
She finished her drink. “I want another one.”
He laughed. “Of course. As long as you can handle it.” He took her empty glass and turned it upside down. “Look at that. Not a drop left. I do like a woman who can handle her liquor.”
“Tessa, what are you doing here?” Henry came up next to her.
“Having a drink.” She began sipping her second glass of Sugar Tuck.
She didn’t stay long. When she walked out of Murphy’s Tavern, a cool breeze blew by and swept away her tipsy feelings along with it. The smolderin
g summer heat had tapered off. The air felt lighter now. Next week would be her last week of work at the Montmartre. School would be starting again.
It had been an incredible summer in many ways. She didn’t expect to enjoy herself so much in America.
But somehow, a tinge of loneliness tapped against her heart.
PART SEVEN
Star-Crossed Lovers
Chapter 20
As it turned out, sacrificing her chance for a night dancing with Jack at the Edgewater Hotel had its own reward. If she hadn’t given up her prize, she might have never set foot in Murphy’s Tavern.
When summer ended, Henry stopped working there and took a weekend job at the YMCA, but he still went there to play darts and billiards with Murphy’s waiters and regulars. And if Henry was going, how could Tessa resist? Besides, Jack still bartended there three nights a week. Too bad Ruby couldn’t join them most of the time. She had returned to her after-school job at the post office.
Murphy’s attracted a young crowd. Residents of the Irish neighborhood and students from nearby colleges and universities alike found their haven here. Mr. Murphy, the tavern’s owner in his fifties, mingled with the guests all the time. “See you in church,” he would say to them every night by the door when they left.
Once, Tessa asked him, “Which church?”
“This is the Church!” He laughed.
Everyone loved Mr. Murphy, but Nadine Kelly was the one who ran the place. Nadine bartended full time and managed the tavern. A beautiful, fiery redhead in her mid-twenties, she took no nonsense from anyone. She didn’t have to. Her godfather, Benny Flannigan, saw to that. If anyone caused trouble on the premises, she would boot them out before anyone else, and they were lucky if that was all she did. At Murphy’s, everyone knew not to cross Nadine.