Cosmopolitan

Chapter 9

After they had finished their activities and the sun had risen already, Alex asked Maisie: "Just out of curiosity, what actually made you decide to take up this profession?
Maisie smiled pensive. Now that her make-up was almost completely gone and her light brown hair was falling in gentle waves over her shoulders, she looked somewhat innocent. "Oh, ya know, Pa left us, got a new squeeze, I think, and as the bloody oldest of five, I had to look after the others. Ma's not in the best of health, ya know? But me job ain't the worst. Most of the time I get sugar and spice gentlemen who give me a lil' more than I would actually get. Bobby, there 're the big ones, but when I have jam tarts like you..."

She sighed.

Alex was enchanted. He sensed that his life was taking a turn he had not foreseen. Before, he wouldn't have had the chance to see people like Maisie even from ten yards away, and now she was sitting next to him! He wondered how old she might be. Eighteen? Nineteen? Maybe, but he didn't want to ask her. Sometimes he forgot that he himself only counted twenty years.
"What?" she asked when she saw him looking at her dreamily. "Don't you dare fall in love with me. I'm in enough trouble already. Besides, I'm not worth it. I'm just a slag."
"Don't sell yourself short," Alex said. "You're the sweetest thing I've ever seen."
"Oh, you're just saying that. You're not as green as I thought ya were."

He didn't say anything, but he was smiling.
"What time is it, anyway?" he asked.
"A little past seven," she replied after looking at the golden alarm clock beside her.
"Well, I should be going. My friend is probably already worried about me. After all, I just left him sitting with that rather unfortunate composer chap last night."
"Oh, already?", she asked disappointedly.
"Comfort yourself, my girl," he said imperiously. "It's not the last time I'm here."

After he got dressed, he asked, "How much do I owe you?"
"How much do you have?"
"Thirty bob."
"Then give me twenty, will you?"
Alex willingly gave her the money.
"See you soon, Maisie," he said and wanted to kiss her.
"Now, now, no sentimentality," she rebuked him, suddenly all business woman. "You paid and that's it."

And so Alex left her.

The Cosmopolitan was strange in the morning. Dust particles danced in the rising sun shining through the high windows and the chandeliers threw tiny splashes of light in all directions. A curious milky glow covered everything. As he stood on the wide stairs leading to the exit, Alex thought he could still hear the laughter and music of the previous evening, but now everything was empty and deserted. Not even the busy waiters could be seen.
A funny feeling, he thought. Everything was quiet, the front door seemed to almost completely shield the sounds of the street.
Alex let his gaze wander through the room. Back there was his regular table, where they had been sitting last night.
Anger rose in him and outraged, he stepped up the stairs. He would now go and look for Clarence and have a serious talk with him. What was this brute thinking of just dumping him. Him, the great Alexander!
He fought tooth and nail against the oppressive feeling that was rising in his chest. A few days ago he had received a telegram from Daniel Gainsborough saying that he would henceforth study English History and Latin at Oxford. This news affected him more than he admitted to himself, for he realised that his old friends were scattered in all directions, and that he was the only one left without a degree and now almost without money, a foppish shadow of his former self.
At all costs he wanted to prevent his already crumbling heart from breaking completely, for he did not know what he would do then.

After some searching, he found Clarence leaning against a lantern not far from Cosmopolitan. He seemed to be half asleep, for when Alex took him by the arm, he flinched and shoved his hat down his neck. When he recognised Alex, he made an annoyed face.
"You're finally here," he snapped. "I spent half the night hanging around that bloody lamppost."
"Was it nice with your new friend?" Alex asked coldly.
"Oh, that's why you were so offended! Really, my dear fellow, you are so childish!"
"Am I?" Alex replied snooty.
"What have you been up to anyway? You were gone all the time!"
"Well," Alex said, "I've... made some new acquaintances."
Clarence snorted.
"Well, you rascal, are you hungry?"
Suddenly Alex became quite subdued. "Yes, but I have no more money."
"Oh, God, how much did she cost?"
"Not because of that, but I need my last shillings or I can't afford to drink tonight."
"All right, it's on me. Champagne breakfast?"
"Champagne breakfast."
"Where's your hat?"
Alex shrugged. "I'll look for it tonight."
Needless to say, the hat was never seen again.