me wrong, I’m just as star-struck as you. But everybody has their idols and it’s nice to know that they all probably feel the same way that you and I do. That’s what's so cool about Brandy’s. Everybody comes here to do a little stargazing, even the stars.”
“I think I’m going to like having a celebrity for a brother.”
Gary hooked his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “You just want an autograph, don’t you?”
With her hands over her heart, she swooned, “Oh please, Mr. Rose, could I?”
“Hey, we gotta get moving,” Vince said. “Are you going to watch from backstage, Scarlet?” He shyly looked down as if he realized how desperate he sounded. It had been more of a plea than a question.
She looked from Vince to Gary and then scanned the crowd. Backstage wouldn’t provide nearly as much action as the balcony offered. Much as she wanted to encourage Vince, she couldn’t resist the temptations up here.
“No, I’ll be fine up here. I’m going to get a drink. Maybe I’ll meet some real stars.”
***
There were certainly at lot of women visiting this establishment. And the way they dressed. When had the long skirt gone out of fashion? Francesco ogled the ladies in their skinny heels and skin-tight clothing as they pranced by him giggling, some glancing his way and smiling to reveal perfect teeth. Some even blew a kiss.
“Marvelous,” he muttered to himself, and then looked to Matthias. The boy was pouting behind the wheel of the limo. So be it, he thought, and nodded at a passing lovely.
She returned his smile and then her gaze faltered as it traveled down his shoddy frock coat and torn breeches. As she passed by, Francesco looked over his clothes, wondering what had caused her distaste. The silk he wore had been imported from Belgium. Nothing finer. Stupid wench, she knew nothing.
“Anything yet, master?” Matthias stuck his head out the window and inquired sweetly.
“Huh? Oh yes.” Francesco frowned as he gazed at the gray brick building. The neon Brandy's sign flashed in hideous shocking pink. “He’s in there, I know it. But I don’t want to go any farther. I don’t want to reveal myself until the time is right. But let’s hope that he’s in there with his lovely Scarlet.” He pushed her name through his mouth like sausage through a grinder. “I want to see her tonight. I need to put a face with the name.”
***
Scarlet spotted the blue neon bar against the back wall and made a beeline for it. She ordered vodka, just a touch of grenadine please, and remained to survey the darkened corners of the hazy upstairs room.
A pool game went on nearby under a heavy cloud of smoke colored purple by slashes of neon light. Rough-looking men of all shapes and sizes, dressed in leather and tattered jeans, hung around the smoky game area, watching, and placing bets as the night grew darker. One of them tilted his beer mug and downed the whole thing, leaving his bushy red beard glistening with alcohol.
And then Scarlet saw him.
He sat in the far corner beyond the pool tables.
Trying to be as casual as possible, she observed Sebastian out the corner of her eye while sipping cautiously at her drink. A halo of light outlined in dirty silver metal hung over his head, casting a smoky haze over his hands, which rested casually on the Formica table.
His hair slipped out from beneath a dark bandanna tied across his forehead, and large gold hoop earrings dangled near his face. Dark sunglasses encircled his eyes, though it was really much too dark for shades, but in keeping with the coolness factor of the crowd they went unnoticed. As usual, he looked incredible and she felt her breath grow shallow with anticipation.
Three women surrounded him; two sitting across the table, and the other standing over him trying desperately to get his attention by swaying her ample hips close to his face in time to the music.
But his attention was directed at the neon bar and Scarlet.
She could feel the
“I think I’m going to like having a celebrity for a brother.”
Gary hooked his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “You just want an autograph, don’t you?”
With her hands over her heart, she swooned, “Oh please, Mr. Rose, could I?”
“Hey, we gotta get moving,” Vince said. “Are you going to watch from backstage, Scarlet?” He shyly looked down as if he realized how desperate he sounded. It had been more of a plea than a question.
She looked from Vince to Gary and then scanned the crowd. Backstage wouldn’t provide nearly as much action as the balcony offered. Much as she wanted to encourage Vince, she couldn’t resist the temptations up here.
“No, I’ll be fine up here. I’m going to get a drink. Maybe I’ll meet some real stars.”
***
There were certainly at lot of women visiting this establishment. And the way they dressed. When had the long skirt gone out of fashion? Francesco ogled the ladies in their skinny heels and skin-tight clothing as they pranced by him giggling, some glancing his way and smiling to reveal perfect teeth. Some even blew a kiss.
“Marvelous,” he muttered to himself, and then looked to Matthias. The boy was pouting behind the wheel of the limo. So be it, he thought, and nodded at a passing lovely.
She returned his smile and then her gaze faltered as it traveled down his shoddy frock coat and torn breeches. As she passed by, Francesco looked over his clothes, wondering what had caused her distaste. The silk he wore had been imported from Belgium. Nothing finer. Stupid wench, she knew nothing.
“Anything yet, master?” Matthias stuck his head out the window and inquired sweetly.
“Huh? Oh yes.” Francesco frowned as he gazed at the gray brick building. The neon Brandy's sign flashed in hideous shocking pink. “He’s in there, I know it. But I don’t want to go any farther. I don’t want to reveal myself until the time is right. But let’s hope that he’s in there with his lovely Scarlet.” He pushed her name through his mouth like sausage through a grinder. “I want to see her tonight. I need to put a face with the name.”
***
Scarlet spotted the blue neon bar against the back wall and made a beeline for it. She ordered vodka, just a touch of grenadine please, and remained to survey the darkened corners of the hazy upstairs room.
A pool game went on nearby under a heavy cloud of smoke colored purple by slashes of neon light. Rough-looking men of all shapes and sizes, dressed in leather and tattered jeans, hung around the smoky game area, watching, and placing bets as the night grew darker. One of them tilted his beer mug and downed the whole thing, leaving his bushy red beard glistening with alcohol.
And then Scarlet saw him.
He sat in the far corner beyond the pool tables.
Trying to be as casual as possible, she observed Sebastian out the corner of her eye while sipping cautiously at her drink. A halo of light outlined in dirty silver metal hung over his head, casting a smoky haze over his hands, which rested casually on the Formica table.
His hair slipped out from beneath a dark bandanna tied across his forehead, and large gold hoop earrings dangled near his face. Dark sunglasses encircled his eyes, though it was really much too dark for shades, but in keeping with the coolness factor of the crowd they went unnoticed. As usual, he looked incredible and she felt her breath grow shallow with anticipation.
Three women surrounded him; two sitting across the table, and the other standing over him trying desperately to get his attention by swaying her ample hips close to his face in time to the music.
But his attention was directed at the neon bar and Scarlet.
She could feel the
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