Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 25.1: 1967, Georgina

Chapter 25.1: 1967, Georgina

 

It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, night time. As always, we had a crowd here in the club despite the upcoming holiday. Mostly it was guys, old boys, who's wives were at home preparing Thanksgiving meals already. I didn't think there would be so many, but they were out in force.

With a happy face, Paulie had met Cha Cha earlier in the evening when I was teaching Cha Cha how to tie the apron properly in preparation for washing dishes. "You tie around your back and then around your waist so you know its on," I told him smartly, tying it tightly for him. "You don't want that scummy water on your clothes, trust me. There's alcohol in it, its hard to come out."

"Who is this tiny little thing?" we heard behind us, a soft sort of chirp like a bird.

The rest was history. Paulie immediately loved Cha Cha like a little son. And when he found out Cha Cha wanted to sing and dance like us he loved him like a daughter. "Oh I'll fix you up real good," Paulie laughed, holding Cha Cha's scared young face in his hands, studying it. "You've got a face, honey."

I left them to talking in back, and securing my own little black waiter's apron around my front, I walked out onto the floor of the club to take drink orders. First thing was first. I had to visit the old man, out of respect. Everyone else would understand, him being the head guy and all.

As I walked towards him, my eyes glanced at the brightly lit stage and my heart skipped a beat. Playing with the band was Frankie, his eyes closed as he swept his hands over the piano, so into the music he didn't notice anything else. Enchantment spread from my toes to my head and made me off balance, dizzy. Oh, how beautiful he was. I blinked several times, bringing myself to, and walked towards his father waiting in his usual booth towards the back along the left wall.

On my tray was a pair of Manhattans, his favorite drink of course. As I neared his table, he started smiling. It occurred to me right then that Eddie wasn't with him which was different than usual. What in the world?

"Buona...sera," he said in his familiar heavy breathing. I could see he already had a big plate of fettucini alfredo in front of him, the bib around his neck lovingly tied. So Paulie had already been here. 

"Buonasera, come stai?" I greeted him, asking how he was doing this evening. 

"La vita...è bella...molto...bello," he assured me, his eyes like two happy half suns. Life is beautiful, very beautiful.

"Glad to hear it," I beamed at him, setting down his drinks behind his water glass. I saw it was half full. "I'll top off your water glass, one moment," I told him, turning to go.

"Oh...wait..." he said as loudly as he could, which wasn't loud at all. I stopped in my tracks, my eyes going wide. What? This was strange. A flashback to the last time he had told me to wait appeared in my mind and I swallowed my spit. Oh god I hope he wasn't about to ask me to sing another song. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it, especially since Frankie was up there...how wonderful it would be to perform with Frankie in front of his father...but I could not risk it. A prepared answer to such a request was already rolled on the back of my tongue, ready to come out. My face grimaced, but I rearranged it just in time.

"Yes, sir?" I asked.

"Oh don't...call me...sir," he began, going agonizingly slow as to his request. I waited like anticipating for lava to hit me, slowly rolling down a hill. "Call me...Papa..." he beamed at me, his teeth yellow from all the cigars. My heart stopped. I choked. My hand went over my heart but then I acted like I was rubbing away something on my shirt.