trusted and loved.
Ada didnât think she could live with that.
CHAPTER FOUR
Pickings were slim at breakfast the next morning. Apparently the cook had decided to take the day off. Saint was sitting alone at one of the tables in the club, staring into a coffee cup. Corinne and Ada ignored him, sitting on the opposite side of the room. It was a surreal experience for Corinne. Just a few weeks ago the three of them had been sitting at this same table, cutting up about something inconsequential. Ada was teasing Saint about one of the new delivery boys, and Saint was blushing to the tips of his ears. Corinne remembered laughing until she couldnât breathe.
Today she and Ada ate their breakfast without saying much. Ada was sitting with her back to Saint, but Corinne could see that his presence had stiffened her shoulders and tightened the corners of her mouth. Corinne couldnât help but peek past her to gauge how Saint was doing. She had never gone this long without speaking to him before. His expression wasnât as forlorn as she expected, and he was staring hard across the room. She followed his line of sight to the stage, which was empty except for a couple of chairs and a forgotten microphone stand. There was also something white in the center of it that looked like an egg, of all things. It was still too early in the morning for Corinne to wrap her mind around that particular oddity, and when Ada noticed her staring, she looked back at her food without a word.
Gabriel came in at precisely half past ten, looking more awake than anyone else. Corinne couldnât understand how he managed to be clean-shaven at this hour, with his slacks and shirt neatlypressed. He nodded at Corinne and Ada but went straight downstairs, no doubt headed for Johnnyâs office.
Jackson sauntered in a few minutes later, trailed by Tom Glenn, a drifter whom Johnny had hired a few years back to help with the shipments at the wharf, when they had started coming nightly. Glenn and Jackson were laughing raucously about something. Jackson tipped his cap to Corinne, but she ignored him. He didnât take the hint and came over to their table, resting both his hands on the wood.
âMorning, ladies.â
âMorning,â Ada said, managing a smile.
Corinne chose to maintain her stubborn silence.
âYou look like youâve recovered from your stint at the asylum,â he said to Ada. âI accept gratitude in cash or check.â
He winked at her, and Corinne coughed loudly.
âGratitude for what?â she said. âI recall being the one in the ridiculous nurse getup, pulling off all the stealth and subterfuge. You just waltzed in at the last minute with your vaudeville imitation of Knox.â
Jackson shrugged, unaffected. âAda was fooled.â
Corinne gave Ada an expectant look, and her lips twitched.
âThe eyes were wrong,â Ada said.
âExactly,â said Corinne.
Jackson looked between them, but both were stone-faced. A united front.
âYou two are hard ones to crack,â he said at last, moving away from the table.
âThat might be the first real compliment youâve ever given,â Corinne told him.
âMy pleasure.â Jackson flashed his toothy grin and gave a parting wave.
âI still donât like him,â Corinne said to Ada, once he and Glenn were gone.
âIâm not sure youâve ever really liked anybody,â Ada said, taking a sip of coffee.
âThatâs not fair. I like you. I like your mother. I likeââ Corinne barely stopped herself from saying Saint. Old habits. âI like that baker who gave me a free cupcake that one time.â
âHe gave
me
that cupcake, and you stole it.â Ada was smiling, giving no indication sheâd noticed Corinneâs near slip. âJackson doesnât seem all that bad. Kind of reminds me of you, actually.â
Corinne searched for something to throw at her, but she
Ada didnât think she could live with that.
CHAPTER FOUR
Pickings were slim at breakfast the next morning. Apparently the cook had decided to take the day off. Saint was sitting alone at one of the tables in the club, staring into a coffee cup. Corinne and Ada ignored him, sitting on the opposite side of the room. It was a surreal experience for Corinne. Just a few weeks ago the three of them had been sitting at this same table, cutting up about something inconsequential. Ada was teasing Saint about one of the new delivery boys, and Saint was blushing to the tips of his ears. Corinne remembered laughing until she couldnât breathe.
Today she and Ada ate their breakfast without saying much. Ada was sitting with her back to Saint, but Corinne could see that his presence had stiffened her shoulders and tightened the corners of her mouth. Corinne couldnât help but peek past her to gauge how Saint was doing. She had never gone this long without speaking to him before. His expression wasnât as forlorn as she expected, and he was staring hard across the room. She followed his line of sight to the stage, which was empty except for a couple of chairs and a forgotten microphone stand. There was also something white in the center of it that looked like an egg, of all things. It was still too early in the morning for Corinne to wrap her mind around that particular oddity, and when Ada noticed her staring, she looked back at her food without a word.
Gabriel came in at precisely half past ten, looking more awake than anyone else. Corinne couldnât understand how he managed to be clean-shaven at this hour, with his slacks and shirt neatlypressed. He nodded at Corinne and Ada but went straight downstairs, no doubt headed for Johnnyâs office.
Jackson sauntered in a few minutes later, trailed by Tom Glenn, a drifter whom Johnny had hired a few years back to help with the shipments at the wharf, when they had started coming nightly. Glenn and Jackson were laughing raucously about something. Jackson tipped his cap to Corinne, but she ignored him. He didnât take the hint and came over to their table, resting both his hands on the wood.
âMorning, ladies.â
âMorning,â Ada said, managing a smile.
Corinne chose to maintain her stubborn silence.
âYou look like youâve recovered from your stint at the asylum,â he said to Ada. âI accept gratitude in cash or check.â
He winked at her, and Corinne coughed loudly.
âGratitude for what?â she said. âI recall being the one in the ridiculous nurse getup, pulling off all the stealth and subterfuge. You just waltzed in at the last minute with your vaudeville imitation of Knox.â
Jackson shrugged, unaffected. âAda was fooled.â
Corinne gave Ada an expectant look, and her lips twitched.
âThe eyes were wrong,â Ada said.
âExactly,â said Corinne.
Jackson looked between them, but both were stone-faced. A united front.
âYou two are hard ones to crack,â he said at last, moving away from the table.
âThat might be the first real compliment youâve ever given,â Corinne told him.
âMy pleasure.â Jackson flashed his toothy grin and gave a parting wave.
âI still donât like him,â Corinne said to Ada, once he and Glenn were gone.
âIâm not sure youâve ever really liked anybody,â Ada said, taking a sip of coffee.
âThatâs not fair. I like you. I like your mother. I likeââ Corinne barely stopped herself from saying Saint. Old habits. âI like that baker who gave me a free cupcake that one time.â
âHe gave
me
that cupcake, and you stole it.â Ada was smiling, giving no indication sheâd noticed Corinneâs near slip. âJackson doesnât seem all that bad. Kind of reminds me of you, actually.â
Corinne searched for something to throw at her, but she
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