As he left, she was visibly shaking and her bottom lip had curled back under where she was not too gently chewing on it as tears appeared in each of the corners of her eyes.As he left, she was visibly shaking and her bottom lip had curled back under where she was not too gently chewing on it as tears appeared in each of the corners of her eyes. "Problems, Linda?" came a gentle non-prodding question at a very low and subdued level, from the owner of the pale blue eyes next to her. She couldn't handle it any longer and said, "excuse me a minute, I'll be back," and emphasized it by saying --- "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WHILE I'M GONE --- THIS TIME --- PLEASE????" He didn't say a word. All he did was look into her rising eyes and pick up her cigarettes and lighter and put them in her hand after which he squeezed her hand with both of his and ran the tips of his fingers along the edge of her hand, all below the bar level where no one could see it done. Linda turned and walked away. Linda hurried around the bar and past the cash register into the dressing room, closing and locking the door behind her. She sank into the chair and stared at the mirror, tears, still in the corners of her eyes. John had told her, when he had leaned over and whispered in her ear, that she was "on" for this coming Friday and Saturday Night --- the whole way "on" --- $200 per night and had intimated that she'd earn every bit of it. |