Big Bangs, Prohibition, and a Sugar Daddy

The Next Morning

I woke up in Luke's bed. It smelled of jasmine, spice, sweat, and other scents of love making. I was awakened by the light coming in through the window. Luke had already gotten up and left the room. I was sore from last night's exertions. My muscles were unused to that sort of exercise. But, it did not particularly hurt where I was penetrated. Which surprised me.

I bathed and dressed. Life would continue. I had lost a part of me, but I also gained a new outlook on life. I could be a woman. I could have companionship. I could make love. I might have sacrificed the last portion of who I was to learn this, sometimes in order to survive as a person you had to let go of who you were and embrace who you will become.

"Miss Ellen, you are up. Mr. Luke says that Mr. Henry is at your disposal if you choose to go anywhere." Clara told me as I entered the kitchen. "He said you may want to take today off and go visit your Momma."

"Thank you, Clara. Where is Sara?" I noticed that I hadn't seen Sara, Rita, or Allie.

"It's Saturday, Miss Ellen, they have the day off. Only I work on the weekends, and I just cook the meals." Clara said. I hadn't realized what day of the week it was. "They'll be off tomorrow too. I'll be going to church, but I come back in time to make Lunch. Nothing fancy though."

"I suppose Mr. Mason has taken a day off as well." I imagined that Luke was out with his colleagues drinking or possibly playing some game such as golf.

"I wouldn't know Mr. Mason's plans, Miss Ellen." Clara said.

I ate breakfast. I found Henry outside caring for a black Buick Touring Sedan. I was somewhat disappointed not to be riding in the bright silver Rolls Royce. Henry appeared to have been wiping the car down. I noticed that it looked new.

"I didn't know that Luke had another car." I said as I walked up to the car.

Henry was drying his hands. He picked up a bucket he used to clean the car with. "It's gathered some dust. We haven't used it in a while. Luke bought this in January, before he could afford the 'Silver Ghost'. He told me to take you wherever you want."

I have only met Henry in passing during the last few days. He usually said very little. This is the most I've heard him speak in the time I've known him. All I knew about him was that he was definitely Luke's man. He was not part of the usual staff as far as I knew.

"I'd like to go to a friend's place first." I said to Henry.

"Let me put this up, Miss Cross. Then I'll take you where you want to go." Henry walked off with the bucket.

I stepped up to the car. The interior was leather and looked comfortable enough. Inside was clean as well. It looked quite new. I imagined that Luke had the Buick only for a short time before he bought the Rolls Royce. As I looked into the Buick, Henry returned.

"It's a nice machine, a shame it hasn't had a chance to run much." Henry obviously liked the vehicle.

"It is, I agree it's a shame." Henry opened the door for me and I settled into the back seat. It was comfortable. "Rather plain compared to the Rolls Royce. But I'm sure it's less ostentatious. Should that ever prove useful."

Henry looked at me. There was a hardness that came over his face. For a moment I wondered if I had said something wrong. "What do you mean by that?"

"Only that should the need arise the Buick is less obvious than the Rolls Royce. If that is useful for some reason." I felt that sometimes it might be a good idea not to be in a shiny, rather obvious car.

"Usually, Luke uses Phillip's Model T. when he doesn't want to be obvious about his wealth." Henry said. That must have been why I had only known Luke to arrive with Phillip in his old jalopy.

I had no idea how much money Luke must of had. I only remembered Luke being in wool or Tweed suits before he went down South. It wasn't until that day I met him in the park that I noticed he had a silk suit. Henry said the Buick was bought in January. I began to wonder if Luke came into his money suddenly.

Due to the explosion we had missed Rae North's opening night for her play 'Swishy'. I wanted to see her to apologize for missing her opening night. I also wanted to see Rae because she was thirty years older than me, she had helped me through the changes I experienced at puberty. Teaching me to walk, talk, move like a girl would. I wanted to ask Rae about Luke.

As my body changed at puberty, I was confused, angry, hurting. Afraid of what was happening to me. Rae dealt with me with humor, sympathy, and tolerance. If there was someone whom I could talk to about this, it was Rae.

I had Henry park behind the Highlight Matinee Theater. It had been a vaudeville theater before it turned into a playhouse. Rae had begun her career as a player in a vaudeville company. She was an actress and a writer. Although her plays were known to be a little racy. Rae often had to stay one step ahead of the censors. Her play Swishy was an example.

Afternoon practice for the play would begin soon. If I wanted to talk to Rae I needed to see her before she got busy with rehearsals. I walked into the back door as I usually did when I had the whim or need to visit Rae. All of the actors were backstage listening to Rae as she gave them instructions. All of them turned to stare at me when Rae suddenly stopped speaking.

"If you are here for auditions I have those in the morning. You are late." Rae said.

I was in a printed day dress with high heels that Ingrid had suggested for the dress. I wore a white cardigan sweater over the yellow dress with printed roses. My hair was bobbed, my ears sported diamond studs, only my hat, a white wide brimmed hat with a yellow headband and feather was like something I had worn before. I realized that with the addition of the modern makeup Rae simply didn't recognize me.

"Rae it's me." I said.

"Who are you? What did you do with my friend Ellen?" Rae teased. "You look like the cat's meow, darling."

Rae oozed sexuality through her deep saucy voice. When she moved her body flowed in a way that made men stare. Rae North was experienced with men, she knew how to move, how to talk to manipulate men in a room. She dressed in the previous decade's style, but she wore it well. She added to this a top hat and a gentleman's walking stick. A stick that she often manipulated as well as a man.

Rae circled me like a hungry lioness sizing up her prey. "Look at you, what happened to change you into the ritz, darling."

"I have to talk to you." I managed to get out before the tears flowed.

Swept up into Rae's arms she quickly began maneuvering me to her dressing room. I heard the actors whispering to each other. I didn't care, I needed to talk to someone.

"Now, darling. What is all this about, I haven't seen you cry since you were twelve." Rae said as she guided me to her room.

"It's awful. I'm so ashamed. I need your help." I managed to say.

"You'll have it, darling. You just come in and sit down." Rae sat me down on the divan she kept in the room. Sitting beside me she patted my knee.

Gal Mennas, the lead actor in Rae's play stood by the door. "Is there anything I can do." He said cheerfully.

"Yes, darling. Close the door and give us some privacy." Rae said with a smile at Gal.

Gal was also known as Galvin, but everyone called him Gal, because of his homosexual tendencies. I have no problem with him, but he is a nosy gossip. Rae employed him because her latest play 'Swishy' dealt with homosexuality. Rae was already trying to head off the censors who claimed she was a degenerate for making a homosexual comedy..

"Now darling, tell me the whole sad story." Rae said.

"I committed a homosexual act." Well more than one. "With Luke."

"It's not the end of the world, darling." Rae assured me. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes. It's awful, Rae. What's wrong with me? How could I find pleasure that way?" That night I had done something that had changed my life.