“Remember that time we worked that club in Pittsburgh?” Richie asked Cee Cee, and he launched into some story about a guy who owned a club they’d all worked in years ago, as Hal laughed along remembering the character Richie was describing. But Cee Cee wasn’t
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listening. Her eyes were glued to the ladies room door, and after what seemed like an eternity she started away from the circle of people nervously, and made her way down the hall with what she hoped looked like a casual gait. Something was wrong. She heard her heels tap-tapping against the marble floor, or maybe it was the sound of her heart pounding as she pushed the door to the ladies room open hard,
and when she didn’t see anyone she shouted.
“Nina!”
The silence was long, and then there was a flush, after which the door to one of the stalls opened and Nina emerged.
“Are you okay?” Cee Cee asked, walking to her and looking up into the girl’s eyes. Thank God. They looked normal.
Nina held her gaze knowingly. “| am okay,” she said. “For now. But I had to get away from everybody for a minute because my stomach felt funny. I think it was just butterflies from all the excitement.” Then she went to the sink and washed her hands, pulled a paper towel from the holder and dried them. She was wearing the emerald ring. She was a beautiful young woman, even prettier than Bertie had been, but it was clear by the way she glanced at herself in the mirror that, for her, the beauty still hadn’t begun to reflect.
“I guess I’ll always worry when I see you slip away. Even if it’s just to go to the ladies room,” Cee Cee said now, looking at their two faces together in the mirror over the sinks, thinking how changed they both were since this same day in 1983.
Nina turned away from the mirror now, looked at Cee Cee, then lovingly took her arm. “I guess you will,” she said, and the two of them turned, their arms linked just the way they used to be long ago when they walked on the beach in Carmel, and together they walked across the wide hall of the courthouse to join the others.
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IRIS RA INER DA RT
The author is grateful fur pertnission to quote from the following copyright material:
A Guy What Takes His Time by Ralph Rainger. Copyright 1932, 1933 by Famous Music Co. Copyright renewed 1959, 1960 by Famous Music
Baby, It;” (2old Outside by Frank Loesser. Cupyright 1948 by Frank Music Co. Rcuewcd 1976 by Frank Music Co.” International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Fame by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. Copyright Š 1980 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. All rights assigned to CBS Catalog Partnership. All rights administered by CBS Affiliated Catalog Inc. International copyright secured. All rights reserved.
My Buddy by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. Copyright 1922 (renewed) Warner Brothers Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
On the Boardwalk by Mack Gordon and Josef Myrow. Copyright 1946 (renewed) WB Music Co. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Sheik of Araby by tlarry B. Smith, Francis Wheeler and Ted Snider. Copyright 1921, renewed 1949 by Mills Music Inc. International copyright secured. All rights reserved.
The Glory of Love by Billy Hill. Copyright 1936 (renewed) Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc. Used by permission.
Toot, Ibot, Tootsie, (Goodbye[) by Gus Kahn, Ernie Erdman and “Fed Fiorito. Copyright 1922, Copyright Š 1955 by Leo Feist Inc. All rights of Leo Feist Inc. assigned to CBS Catalog Partnership. International copyright secured. All rights reserved.
You and Me Against the World by Paul Williams and Ken Ascher. Copyright Š 1974 by Almo Music. International copyright secured. All rights reserved.
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