The Showgirl and Mr. Riley

~

It was 1934, October. It was the first week of the month, the best time of the month. All the high rollers came in with money to blow after their bills had been paid. Waving stacks of cash at the girls like little flimsy fans as they elegantly danced on stage for them.

One of the girls, the best girl, Dovie was always front and center. Her movements were hypnotizing, her smile enchanting, but it was a facade. Sure, Dovie adored the attention, she was a natural born performer. But the whistles made her grow weary, the cheers and grotesque applauds of the men in the audience. There was nothing like the first time she received applause, back when she was green.

This made Dovie sound like she was old, jaded, aging out of the business, but Dovie was only just entering her prime. She lied about her age and joined the club when she was only sixteen. Some fat old man was in charge, so he didn't question things too much when this young girl came in asking to dance for him and make him money. Mr. Riley was notoriously a creep, as Dovie learned all she needed to from the other girls, that if you just kept your head down, made no eye contact, and gave him a girlish giggle, you would have no problem.

All the girls hated Mr. Riley. He was old, didn't care about them, and made them uncomfortable. It was just like having a husband, but without the financial stability, so knowing Mr. Riley was worth nothing.

It was ironic that Mr. Riley was like having a husband to some of the girls, because he was one himself. Not only did he have a wife, but he had a son. The other Mr. Riley. The better Mr. Riley.

No one called either of the Mr. Riley's by their first names. It was forbidden. Even in private, the girls always referred to them both as Mr. Riley.

The other Mr. Riley was named James. He was sweeter on the girls, but not in the way his father was sweet on them. James Riley was more professional, more business focused, and less conversational with the girls. He barely acknowledged them, but when he did, he always addressed the girls by their names. It meant something to some of them that he actually bothered to learn their names and faces. A lot more of the girls paid attention to the fact that James Riley was much younger, only twenty-five. A bachelor too.

The backstage talk changed starkly from girls grumbling about the older Mr. Riley and others telling them not to complain to the girls commenting on how cute James Riley was at times.

"I'm just saying, Mr. Riley can be awful handsome looking when he's watchin' us in the dark. A little crush don't mean a thing!" Helen said. Helen was one of the newer girls. And it showed.

"Oh shut it, Helen! You know damn well if your boyfriend heard you now he'd never let you leave the house again!" Dovie retorted, swatting her affectionately.

Helen laughed. "He still thinks I'm working nights with the newborns at the general hospital." All the girls teased Helen because her boyfriend wasn't much to look at. Helen said that he was very sweet and came from a steady family, so it didn't matter much to her. Helen and her boyfriend were gonna be leaving town soon to find a better place to grow their roots.

Dovie liked Helen. She always thought she was funny and bold, but not nearly as bold as herself. Sometimes it made Dovie sad to watch everyone come and go over the years. It also made her sad to think that she now has to train all the girls who come in to dance for Mr. Riley.

Speaking of him, whenever anyone said a word about Mr. Riley, Dovie kept her lips shut. She didn't think anything of him. Or didn't want to. But secretly, she had a quiet appreciation for Mr. Riley.

Backstage, Dovie never had to turn her body away from him to avoid an ass pat when he passed by them. Dovie never had to give him a girlish giggle to make him feel like a man. Dovie never had to bat her big brown eyes at him to help remind him he was the one in charge. Dovie had no opinion on him and in her mind that was better than a negative one.