The orchestra had
started up again after their break. The bar, after sitting through 20 minutes
of silence, other than the sound of light conversation, was once again filled
with the wonderful sound of jazz. Mick was there alone, fidgeting and awaiting
the bartender to acknowledge his presence. The bartender approached him
after a few moments.
“What
can I get you, Mick?” he asked.
“The
usual,” responded Mick.
“All
right, just give me a second.”
The bartender broke out the scotch and poured it over
ice, handing it to Mick.
“Thanks,
Walt,” said Mick.
“No
problem. So how’ve ya been ya rat bastard?” Walt asked jokingly. “I see you’re
still wearing those ugly suits that look like ya pulled ‘em outta the garbage!”
“Damn
you, Walt!” Mick snapped back but still in a somewhat joking matter. “You know
I can’t afford any new clothes right now.”
“Hey,
I’m just yankin’ your chain man,” Walt exclaimed quickly. “By the way, have ya
seen some of the flappers in this place?”
“Yeah,
what about them?” asked Mick in an unimpressed tone of voice.
“A
lot of good ones, eh?”
“I
really don’t care. I never really liked the flappers. They always seem dirty to
me,” explained Mick.
“Well,
have you seen the blonde one in the corner?”
“I
don’t think so. Why do you ask?”
“Because
she’s been staring at you since you walked in.”
Mick
turned around to take a look. He scanned the bar until he finally turned his
head to the corner that Walt was talking about. Standing in that corner was the
most beautiful woman that Mick had seen in all his 28 years of life. She was a
very thin woman. Her hair was a perfect blonde which was short and curly and
seemed to wrap around her rosy cheeks. She was wearing a white, skin-tight
dress that barely reached passed her knees and was wearing high heels that made
her look at least four inches taller than she actually was. Her skin looked as
white and as soft as snow, however, at the same time, she did not look pale.
Though she was dressed as a flapper, her face gave away the amount of maturity
she had gathered over the years which made her more beautiful to Mick than any
flapper he had ever seen. Mick turned back to Walt.
“Has
she really been looking at me this whole time?” he asked.
“As
soon as you walked in, and she’s on her way over here now.”
By
the time Walt told him that, Mick had no time to look over. She was already
there sitting next to him. Mick’s heart was in his throat. His brain started to
scramble as he tried to muster up some courage to talk to her. However, she was
the one to break the ice.
“Hi,”
she said with an adorable smile.
“Hi,”
responded Mick nervously. “How are you?”
“I’m
very well. My name’s Margot, and you?”
“I’m
Mick,” he said.
“Well,
it’s very nice to meet you,” responded Margot.
There
was a brief, awkward silence before Mick started to talk again.
“Can
I get you a drink?” he asked.
“No
thank you. I’m really not much of a drinker.”
“A
beautiful woman like yourself shouldn’t drink anyway. I believe it would
eventually ruin your complexion.
“Don’t
lie to me. You don’t think I’m beautiful.”
“Of
course I do,” Mick said quickly, trying to reassure her. “But don’t ask me to
describe it, for it would be agony to comprehend your beauty in a glance.”
“Fitzgerald?”
she asked.
“Pardon?”
“You’re
quoting The Beautiful and Damned
by F. Scott Fitzgerald, correct?
“Oh,
uh…yes I am. How did you know?”
“I
love F. Scott Fitzgerald! He’s my favorite author!”
“That’s
amazing! He’s mine as well!” Mick exclaimed. “Is The Beautiful and Damned your favorite by him?”
“While
I do love that book dearly, I have to say I like This Side of Paradise just a bit more.
“I
remember getting that book five years ago when it was first published,” said
Mick.
“It’s
come a long way since then,” said Margot.
“It
has indeed. I want to get his new one that just came out. The Great Gatsby I believe it’s
called.”
“I
don’t know about that one,” she stated disappointingly.
“May
I ask why?”
“It
just seems much smaller than his other novels. I don’t really believe it will
achieve any historical significance in the future.”
“Yes,
I suppose that makes sense.”
There
was another brief silence before Mick said
“Would you like to get out of here? We could go to my
apartment.”
She
gave him an attractive smile. “I would love to.”
They
got up to leave. Mick left the money for his drink on the bar and signaled a
goodbye to Walt.
“Do
you know how to get out of here?” Margot asked. “These speakeasies can be
difficult to remember how to get out of sometimes.”
Mick
laughed to himself and explained the exit as they were walking. “Yeah, it’s
past this door, up the ladder, and through the door in the ceiling that leads
to the abandoned restaurant. “
“Do
you ever get scared that you might get caught coming here, Mick?”
“I
don’t really worry about it. I doubt the pigs’ll ever find this place.”
He
led Margot out of the speakeasy. His heart was beating a mile-a-minute and his
mind was racing. He was actually going to make it with this amazing woman whom
he found beautiful and seemed to have much in common with. However, she was a
flapper. He had never been fond of flappers. He knew it, as well as everyone
else. If anyone was to find out about this he would be a laughing stock. His
thoughts, however, were delayed by the gust of wind that hit him as he walked
outside. Margot turned to him.
“Listen,
what’s about to happen is nothing personal. I honestly had a very pleasant time
talking to you tonight.”
“What
in the world are you talking about?” Mick asked. Margot began to shout.
“Ok
guys! I got someone out! There’s definitely a speakeasy down there!” Just then
a large group of cops ran out of an ally way and surrounded Mick.
“All
right, boys!” shouted one of the policemen. “You all go find the speakeasy,
I’ll take care of this one. Put your hands where I can see ‘em!” he said
turning his attention towards Mick.
Mick
turned to Margot as he was being handcuffed. “You b**h!!! I thought we
could have started something!” Margot looked at him with an upset and
sympathetic look on her face, yet, she did not say anything. It would have hurt
her too much. She simply turned away as Mick was cursing and being put in the
back of the police car.
“How
could I have been so stupid?!” Mick thought to himself. He felt ashamed and
humiliated. “I never should have trusted a flapper.”
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