Chapter Seven
SEVEN
Vivian was halfway through her shift at the Nightingale when she spotted Bea.
It was a beautiful night outside, fluffy clouds flirting with the moon and glowing silver in its light.
And it was a wild night inside, the smell of smoke and champagne hanging in the air.
The sultry, humid heat of the night had made its way onto the dance floor, in spite of the electric fans.
More than one person had tried to prop open the back door to the alley, hoping for a breeze to find its way in, but each time some member of the staff kicked it closed.
Everyone wanted a breath of fresh air, but no one wanted to risk a curious or stupid policeman coming to see what all the music and fuss was about.
The band was playing Charleston after quickstep after Charleston, almost daring the dancers to keep up. White shirts were plastered to broad backs, and Danny had already called for a second case of gin to be brought up from the cellar.
A pretty redhead at the end of the bar had been smiling at Vivian for most of the last half hour.
Vivian wasn’t opposed to asking the girl for a dance when she had her next break, but things were so busy she could barely take time to breathe, let alone flirt.
While she waited for her order of drinks to be shaken up, she glanced around, meaning to catch the redhead’s eye.
Instead, she saw a familiar figure on the dance floor.
Bea was dressed to the nines, her hair perfectly styled and pinned in place with sparkles and feathers, her dress cut to perfection with eight inches of indulgent fringe that leaped and spun as she danced.
She was partnered with someone that Vivian had never seen before, but she didn’t lean into him as she danced, didn’t look for comfort or closeness like she had with Abraham.
He was just another fella at the club, someone nameless and forgettable, there for a dance and never again.
Vivian met Bea’s eyes as she spun away from her partner, and they stared at each other for a heartbeat before Bea was caught up once again and disappeared into the swirl of bodies.
When the song ended, Bea was nowhere to be seen. Vivian wanted to go looking for her, but she held back. If Bea had wanted to talk, she wouldn’t have made herself scarce. Vivian worried, but she understood.
Some days, it was just too much to look real life in the face. Some days, the only thing to do was to lose yourself in the music for as long as you could manage.