Bye Bye Blackbird
A Night on the Town
"Like it?" John asked, gesturing to the small apartment we would be sharing with Hamilton and whomever he would be bringing home later that night.
"It’s simply marvelous." I smiled and set down the bag I was holding.
"Go get all dolled up. We’re going out tonight and I want to show you off."
"Only ugly men like to do that Mr. Dillinger. You shouldn’t think so negatively of yourself." I chided.
"Get in there." He swatted my behind and I ran squealing girlishly to the bedroom. I dug out my best dress, emerald green with a plunging neckline. I found my rubies and draped them around my neck. I was struggling with the clasp when I felt calloused fingers take it from me and I jumped a bit.
"You are silent as the grave!" I whispered with shock.
"I certainly hope not." He murmured as he lightly ran the tips of his fingers from my hairline to the bottom of my shoulders. "You look lovely, Sugar." He said more focusedly as I turned around.
"Thank you." I blushed nervously and slipped on my heels.
"Come on. Get your coat." He motioned to the door.
The six of us walked to a club a few streets away from our apartments. We walked in and went straight to the bar. Then we found a table with a couple men they apparently knew. The group on stage was called "Frida Rose and The Heartbreakers". They were doing all the classics. You’re my Thrill by Billie Holiday struck up.
"Dance with me?" I asked him. "I love this song."
"I... I don’t know how."
"Nobody does. Come on." I pulled him out to the middle of the floor and grabbed his hands, placing one on my waist and taking the other in my hand. We slowly swayed to the song.
"So... how are you liking Chicago?" He asked conversationally.
"Well, I haven’t seen much of it, but the parts I have I like very much." I grinned.
"Good." He grinned back and gracefully dipped me. I came back up surprised.
"I thought you said you couldn’t dance."
"I’m a fast learner." He shrugged. The song ended and placed his lips lightly on my cheek before leading me back to the table by my hand.
"John, Frankie Jane," Homer motioned us over. "He says he’s got a big job for us." He nodded to the man I didn’t know.
"How big?" John asked pulling out my chair for me.
"The kind you go away on."
"What is it?" I asked. I already knew this was shady.
"A train’s carrying the payroll for 7 factories..." I just laughed and got up to get another drink. A train! As in totally metal and doesn’t exactly stop easily. That should like something Nelson would cook up.
After I got my drink I headed back to the table and another song started up.
"Someone come dance with me." I mildly whined. All the men rolled their eyes but Hamilton still got up. I smiled at him as he offered me his arm and I caught the warning look John shot him. We stayed closer to the edge of the floor. I could hear snippets of people’s conversations around us.
"We’re having too good a time today. We ain’t thinkin’ about tomorrow." John had said in response to something the man had said. He eyes never left me. No doubt to make sure Hamilton’s hands stayed in appropriate places. I noticed another man staring intently at him. He leaned over to the man sitting next to him. And very lucky for us I’m an expert at reading lips because I saw his mouth form the words ‘public enemy number one’. The man nodded and got up and started walking towards where the phones were next to the bathrooms.
"We need to get out of here." I said urgently to Hamilton. He looked at my questioningly. "The police are here and they’ve recognized John." He nodded and we quickly walked back to the table. He leaned in to tell Homer and Pierpont and I casually walked behind John. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered in his ear trying to make it look seductive.
"The cops have seen you and are calling for reinforcements. We need to get out of here now." I stood back up dragging my fingers across his chest.
"Sorry, Herman." He spoke to the man, giving him a look. "I seem to be needed at home. We will talk some other time." Herman just winked at him and John stood up and clutched my hand. We briskly walked from the building and headed quickly down a near by ally as we saw Police cars rounding a far corner.
"Let’s go home Sugar." He pulled me along. "Your little act made me... hungry." He growled and I couldn’t help but giggle.
"It’s simply marvelous." I smiled and set down the bag I was holding.
"Go get all dolled up. We’re going out tonight and I want to show you off."
"Only ugly men like to do that Mr. Dillinger. You shouldn’t think so negatively of yourself." I chided.
"Get in there." He swatted my behind and I ran squealing girlishly to the bedroom. I dug out my best dress, emerald green with a plunging neckline. I found my rubies and draped them around my neck. I was struggling with the clasp when I felt calloused fingers take it from me and I jumped a bit.
"You are silent as the grave!" I whispered with shock.
"I certainly hope not." He murmured as he lightly ran the tips of his fingers from my hairline to the bottom of my shoulders. "You look lovely, Sugar." He said more focusedly as I turned around.
"Thank you." I blushed nervously and slipped on my heels.
"Come on. Get your coat." He motioned to the door.
The six of us walked to a club a few streets away from our apartments. We walked in and went straight to the bar. Then we found a table with a couple men they apparently knew. The group on stage was called "Frida Rose and The Heartbreakers". They were doing all the classics. You’re my Thrill by Billie Holiday struck up.
"Dance with me?" I asked him. "I love this song."
"I... I don’t know how."
"Nobody does. Come on." I pulled him out to the middle of the floor and grabbed his hands, placing one on my waist and taking the other in my hand. We slowly swayed to the song.
"So... how are you liking Chicago?" He asked conversationally.
"Well, I haven’t seen much of it, but the parts I have I like very much." I grinned.
"Good." He grinned back and gracefully dipped me. I came back up surprised.
"I thought you said you couldn’t dance."
"I’m a fast learner." He shrugged. The song ended and placed his lips lightly on my cheek before leading me back to the table by my hand.
"John, Frankie Jane," Homer motioned us over. "He says he’s got a big job for us." He nodded to the man I didn’t know.
"How big?" John asked pulling out my chair for me.
"The kind you go away on."
"What is it?" I asked. I already knew this was shady.
"A train’s carrying the payroll for 7 factories..." I just laughed and got up to get another drink. A train! As in totally metal and doesn’t exactly stop easily. That should like something Nelson would cook up.
After I got my drink I headed back to the table and another song started up.
"Someone come dance with me." I mildly whined. All the men rolled their eyes but Hamilton still got up. I smiled at him as he offered me his arm and I caught the warning look John shot him. We stayed closer to the edge of the floor. I could hear snippets of people’s conversations around us.
"We’re having too good a time today. We ain’t thinkin’ about tomorrow." John had said in response to something the man had said. He eyes never left me. No doubt to make sure Hamilton’s hands stayed in appropriate places. I noticed another man staring intently at him. He leaned over to the man sitting next to him. And very lucky for us I’m an expert at reading lips because I saw his mouth form the words ‘public enemy number one’. The man nodded and got up and started walking towards where the phones were next to the bathrooms.
"We need to get out of here." I said urgently to Hamilton. He looked at my questioningly. "The police are here and they’ve recognized John." He nodded and we quickly walked back to the table. He leaned in to tell Homer and Pierpont and I casually walked behind John. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered in his ear trying to make it look seductive.
"The cops have seen you and are calling for reinforcements. We need to get out of here now." I stood back up dragging my fingers across his chest.
"Sorry, Herman." He spoke to the man, giving him a look. "I seem to be needed at home. We will talk some other time." Herman just winked at him and John stood up and clutched my hand. We briskly walked from the building and headed quickly down a near by ally as we saw Police cars rounding a far corner.
"Let’s go home Sugar." He pulled me along. "Your little act made me... hungry." He growled and I couldn’t help but giggle.