Out of Time (Book 1)

Jobs and Jitterbuggin'

1938

May

"I'm not takin' no for an answer, Betty. It's for your birthday, you'll be 21, we're goin' out on Friday!"

"Dot, c'mon. Finals are only two weeks away. I can't let up now," Betty protested, but her resolve was weakening.

"Finals that you don't need to worry about. Me? Yes. You? Never. We're going out dancing and that's the end of it!" Dot folded her arms across her chest with finality. Betty let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine, I'll go. But I'll..."

"Nope, nuh-uh, no ifs or buts. I'll come round to your place on Friday after class and we can get ready together. It'll be a blast, I promise." Dot jumped up and down, clapping her hands together in excitement.

"OK, OK. We really do have to go now though. Class is about to start." The pair headed into the classroom and took their seats for one of their last lectures before finals began and their nursing school journey ended.

Friday came around quickly. Betty and Dot had hurried home from school and were now in the process of getting dressed for their night out on the town. Whilst Dot hogged the mirror in the bedroom, Betty wandered into the sitting room and sat next to Steve on the couch, bumping his shoulder with hers.

"You sure you don't wanna join us, Stevie? It'll be a fun night."

"I'm fine here Bets, honestly. My chest's playin' up again at the moment anyway, so I don't think goin' to a smoky dance hall is the best idea."

Betty put her hand on his forehead and scanned his face. "I can stay home with you, you know that," she offered in concern.

"Quit it!" Steve batted her hand away. "I'm fine. Just feelin' a little under the weather is all."

"Well, if you're sure. There's sandwich fixin's in the fridge if you get hungry." 

Steve just rolled his eyes at her so Betty huffed and got up from the sofa, heading back into the bedroom to finish getting ready. She wore a cobalt blue dress that tied at the neck above small pearl buttons. The colour complemented her sandy hair, which for once hung in curls that fell to the base of her neck and framed her face instead of being neatly tied underneath a nurse's cap. Mascara, rouge, and a slick of red lipstick completed her look.

"Betty, can you fasten my dress at the back?" Dot asked, her dark curls shining as she swept them over her shoulder. 

 Betty moved behind her and fastened the two small buttons at the back of Dot's neck and caught her eyes in the mirror in front of them.

"Well, aren't we a pair of cookies," stated Dot, confidently. "We're gonna knock em dead at the dance hall tonight." 

 Betty just grinned and grabbed her sweater and purse, before pulling on her shoes. The pair headed off, shouting bye to Steve as they left and, arm in arm, strolled through the Brooklyn streets towards their rare night of dancing.

The dance hall was filled with a smoky haze as the two friends entered and scanned the space for a table. They spotted one close to the edge of the dance floor.

"I'll grab the table and you go to the bar?" Dot asked Betty, who nodded in agreement. Winding her way through the crowd, she spied a familiar tall figure leaning on the bar. Sidling up behind him she raised herself on her tiptoes to speak into his ear.

"Well, hello there, handsome. What's a dish like you doin' in a place like this?" She'd tried to sound sultry but cracked up as she finished speaking, ending her line on a laugh.