Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 72.1: 1968, Georgina

Chapter 72.1: 1968, Georgina

There was a book next to my head. Getting up slightly, my covers crunched all around me. Inspection of the blanket showed me it was a stiff linen comforter, but how it got here I wasn't sure. But it was chilly outside of the blanket. Too chilly. 

My eyes peered over the book's worn cloth cover, and the words told me the story. 

He'd been here. This book was one of his favorites. The one he wanted to read to our children, a Winnie the Pooh book from his childhood. Gentle like waves, the memory came back of him reading to me from this book earlier this afternoon. He'd read to me, then told me he had to go to work - to the club. 

My head rested back down on the pillow. The book smelled like robust cigars. Breathing in totally, I closed my eyes. I wondered if that was what his family's home smelled like. In this comforting thought, I fell asleep again.

The next time I awoke it was to strange, yet familiar steady clicking sounds. But strange here, out of place. A woman's scream outside the door made me realize that yes, it was out of place but not out of place to me. The next voice told me who it was, and my heart settled.

"What, you never saw a drag queen before? Get out of my way. I just got out of work, so sue me." 

The next instant was whom I would assume was the same woman, a nurse probably, telling Paulie he had to leave. That he could not be dressed that way here, this was a hospital, a hospital, goddammit. 

I knew he didn't listen because my door opened and in came Paulie dressed like a sailor California beach bunny with long, wavy, big, bumped up black hair and big yellow sunglasses in that hair like a headband. His bathing suit was magnificent, yellow and black like the sunglasses with a little sailor collar and a belt across the bikini bottom like Honey Ryder from Dr. No. His magnificent midriff was showing uncensored unlike Barbara Eden's. No wonder the nurse had screamed. 

"That's new," I said, smiling instantly. I tried to prop myself up on my elbows but Paulie made a gesture telling me to stay down. I happily obliged. As he walked around to the chair near my head, I kept talking in a daze. "That is one tight tuck you've got going there." He still didn't seem real to me. 

"I learned from the master. That would be you, darlin'." He booped me on the nose. It made me blush for more reasons than one. The comment, though so innocent, had reminded me of why I was here, like a flash of a nightmare I was having imprinted on my mind from a sleep too quickly whisked away. I knew what he was referring to. My swimsuit looks were legendary at the club, because Marilyn was known for looking too good in a swimsuit. It just stung. A lingering stinging. 

"I was going to bring you some cake, my darlin', but I didn't know if you could tolerate it. If you want some I could bring you some tomorrow."

Cake? My eyebrows scrunched. What was he talking about? Why would there be cake- and then it dawned on me. 

"Oh, god, Paulie," I sighed, shame folding over myself. 

"Hm?" He was taking off his sunglasses and they'd gotten tangled in his wig. He wasn't looking at me as he tried to separate them. 

Shame. Because it had to be April 13th. April 13th... Paulie's birthday. I'd missed what sounded like a birthday party. Cake. I betted it was red velvet, his favorite. Red velvet and cream cheese. I hadn't been there for my best friend and it was his birthday. 

I tried to suck in my sad feelings. "Happy Birthday, Paulie," I said, trying to smile for him even though he wasn't looking at me still. His tongue was out as he tried without much success to untangle the middle of the glasses from the wig's fibers. But my words made him look at me.