Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 64.2: 1968, Georgina

Chapter 64.2: 1968, Georgina

"Is this your card?"

"I told you. No."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is this your card?"

"Not that one neither."

"Oh shoot. Wait a minute. What's that under your glass?"

"Huh?"

Sasha, dressed elaborately in a tuxedo-like dress and top hat with long dark crimson curls cascading down his back, swiped his white gloved hand forward and lifted the man's beer glass up. Sure enough, masked by the dark liquid there was a folded up card. Beaming, he unfolded it and presented it to the man. 

The man's face went up in shock. "How you do that?!" he gasped, taking the card in his hands and gaping at it.

"Because I'm Sasha Salem. Its what I do. Please remember to tip your dealer," Sasha grinned, fluttering his fingers greedily as his hand stretched out again.

The man stared at him with happy child-like wonder and reached into his suit jacket, producing his wallet. Sasha merrily departed holding two dollar bills. I'd been watching him as he steadily tricked and entertained nearly every patron along the bar individually, finding myself smiling for the first time in two days. That must have been the true magic in what he did as an artist, bringing joy in the simplest of things.

Genesis appeared in front of me holding an empty tray. I loaded a few glasses on to it, two Martinis, and dropped the no. six table tag between them to tell him where to go while removing the no. seven from his tray. But he wasn't about to leave, which miffed me a little bit. Instead, he grinned and leaned in to Sasha who had started making another mint julep for the customer in front of him. 

"Tell me how you did that trick earlier. I swear if you tell me I have another card stuck to my forehead...How do you even make it stick? I have to know how you did that," he said in a low tone so it would be hard to overhear. 

"A magician never tells her secrets. Do you have drink orders for me?" Sasha beamed at him. 

"Aww, come on. I won't tell anyone. It was so good. I have to show Felix."

"That's telling someone."

"Aww, man."

Sasha started laughing which made Genesis start, too. I sighed and leaned against the back of the bar, watching them, trying to keep my eyes from wandering again to table one, where Ganya had been sitting with Frankie all night, talking to him. I couldn't bear to look at them again. The last time I had, Frankie had his face in his hands as Ganya spoke and I couldn't tell if he was crying or tired. It was obvious he knew what had happened yesterday with his cousin. 

I wanted so much to know how he was feeling, how he was doing. But more so, I wanted to comfort him. Draw him close, never let him go. I needed comfort, too. But I couldn't bring myself do that. I was too scared. It broke my heart and the pieces just laid on the floor over and over again every time I chanced a look at him.

"Table one wants another Guinness," Genesis told Sasha in his laugh and this made my heart blip. Guinness. That was Ganya's drink. But what about Frankie's Heineken? Was he drinking it? I wanted him to drink it. 

"Of course he does. I'll get that in a minute," Sasha continued to giggle. 

"And I got an order from table fifteen, right there up front. They wanted you to break this bill into singles. Can you go in the till for me?" Genesis asked, holding up a ten dollar bill.