Nora was dusting the keys of the piano with her fingers. A descending scale of noise filled the room. She looked around, self-consciously, to see if she had an audience.
Up front, near the door, sat Jenny. She was in the perfect position to run, but her body was trembling. Another night, and Jenny cried. Her beau was gone, running ahead of the law, supposedly on his way to Mexico. She was another girl who’d been abandoned without so much as a ‘will you marry me?’
Sarah sat at the bar, talking to Roland, the piano player. Neither of them looked Nora’s way. They were building a pile of cards between them. Red, she kissed him. Black, he kissed her. The winner chose where. Usually, this was played behind closed doors, naked. Roland wasn’t allowed upstairs anymore.
Darlene sat at the other end of the bar, drinking her whiskey. It was dark brown, an aged bourbon that Nick let her have before big nights. She had recently cut her hair short but wouldn’t talk about it. Her dress had the hint of a stain on her back. Nora had tried really hard to get it out on her laundry day. It still looked like a pink cloud.
Nick went outside. He walked quietly in his buckskin moccasins. Eventually, he came back in and straightened up some bottles. Labels out. He put his elbows on the bar and asked Sarah something. He cursed and pushed the cards onto the floor. Roland bent down to pick up the cards, but Nick yelled at him to get to the piano.
Nora stopped her song and went over to Jenny. She put her arms around the grieving girl.
“Come on, hon. One more night.”
Everyone heard heavy footfalls. They were coming.
