Zana

Goodbye London, Hello Manhattan

It is raining outside the Stockings and Garter Club.

Red umbrella and roller skates weather.

Sophia is devouring warm apple donuts.

Dusted in cinnamon.

Served with scandalous secrets.

Written on the pretty pink paper bags.

By the prim and proper Polish lady.

Who works her stand on the street with well practiced precision.

"I'm terribly confused by this story of yours, Velv."

Sophia searches for an answer in his twinkling eyes.

"Oh, it's a terribly confusing story. The pages ripped up, tossed into the air, and landing out of sequence." He replies smiling.

He watches Miss Fly's sugary fingers pick-pocket a wallet in the flutter of a false eyelash.

The mark is a well dressed gentleman wearing a white leather suit.

He is oblivious to the theft.

Too busy bragging to the unlucky blonde chained to his wrist.

Who is attached to the trappings of St. Tropez.

Boring Bentleys and blood diamonds.

Mischief is covert.

A sly wink from Miss Fly as she opens the wallet.

Kitty sees it and laughs.

Sophia lights a cigarette.

Gamma is black storm clouds.

Pacing furiously.

Venom leaking in short bursts.

Hunting down a Gypsy Cab.

Lashing the lethargic operator on the phone.

Her tongue a barbwire whip.

Velvet smiles again.

He has seen this movie many times before.

A black comedy.

The Romanian cabbies are unreliable.

Like the rusty cabs they drive while reading tealeaves.

Telling scarily accurate fortunes.

Loaded with menace.

Freaking out their nervous fares while hopelessly lost down some dead end street.

Velvet checks his watch.

Peeping Tom's waits for no one.

Outrageous.

Outspoken.

Open now.

Its legendary owner a blonde in a bombshell.

The bee's knees.

Guaranteed to please.

Proudly presenting the ultimate tease.

The one and only.

Miss Roxy Delight!

The Gypsy Cab arrives.

Tyres screeching to a stop.

Smoking up the sidewalk.

Horn blaring.

Dented doors creak and open.

Gamma, Kitty, Sophia, Miss Fly and Velvet jump in.

In a flash of blinding light the cab vanishes and reappears on another street.

Where steam rises from smelly vents.

Another strange stage is set.

The second act.

Goodbye London.

Hello Manhattan.

Gamma throws a nickels and dimes tip.

Kitty and Miss Fly stumble out the Gypsy Cab.

Sophia wraps her arm around Velvet's waist.

She whispers into his ear.

"I love it when magic just happens, Velv."

Her pretty words falling like raindrops from lips sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

Breaking Velvet's broken heart.

Not for the first time.

Nor the last.