Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 27.2: 1967, Georgina

Chapter 27.2: 1967, Georgina

 

"Oh, lord~, won't you tell~ me why, I lo~ve that fella so? He~ doesn't want me, but I'll never never never never le~t him go!"

The men in the audience whooped and hollered over the chorus of "nevers" totally feeling it. A well of pride filled my heart as I belted out the Connie Francis tune. Frankie was behind me playing the piano on stage left, grinning from ear to ear, proud as peaches, too. 

"Sincerely! Oh you know~ how I love you! I'll do anything for you, please say~ you'll be mi~ne?" I pressed my hands to my heart, leaning into the mic. Swaying my hips back and forth, I finished like the song was my story, "please say~ you'll be mine~."

Raucous clapping flew up from the tables. Paulie swam around them collecting their tips in a little basket like church. He gave me a thumbs up and I curtsied to them the best I could in this pink mermaid cut gown. They cheered again and I looked behind me. Frankie was bowing, too. As I exited the stage, I gave him a kiss on the cheek, leaving a bright rose lipstick mark, and people shrieked in glee. He started laughing, a little laugh that only us two could hear at the crowd's reaction.

Paulie passed me on the stage stairs, waving at me for a set well done and I beamed at him. Making my way through the tables, about halfway through I heard Paulie take the mic from the stand and he bellowed, "that guy at table seven! Yeah, you! I've been looking at you all night! Aren't you cute? You're so tubby, aren't you? Those cherry cheeks...wait a minute. Hey Santa, didn't you know Christmas is in two weeks? Its not today! What are you doing in our club? Does Mrs Claus know you're here?" The crowd went up in table slapping laughter. Ah, so Paulie was going to pick on the crowd. But they loved his abuse. He loved them, too. The man yelled something friendly back to him. "Oh-ho ho ho, 'I don't have no Mrs Claus' eh? You cruisin'? You looking for a 'Santa's little helper'? Uh-huh. Yeah, I see you, Santa Claus. You do your thing, Mr. Kringle." I burst into giggles as the crowd roared. Gasping for air, I pulled open the door to the ladies' bathroom.

Inside, little Miss Cha Cha Valentine was teasing his curled pigtails with a long toothed comb, making them puff out as much as he could. "Hello, Miss Valentine. Ready for your debut?" I chuckled. A quick look in the mirror told me 'no'. Who the heck had drawn on his eyebrows, Bozo the clown?  "Come here baby, you look like Howdy Doody a little bit. Who did your eyebrows? I'll do them."

"Carl," Cha Cha said proudly, turning to me.

"Honey, let me tell you. Carl can do hair, but he sure as hell can't do make up. If you need help, come to me or Paulie. Maybe even in crisis, you can go to Carl's daughter."

"Okay," he said seriously, letting me wipe off his ridiculous eyebrows. He handed me his foundation and I patted it on gently. With precision, I started to draw with tiny strokes, making defined yet pretty and natural looking brows for his young face. Thinking about it, I decided next time I'd do his entire make up for him. He had such a young face. There was no need to cake like this. He couldn't even grow facial hair yet. We'd use his real brows next time, but plucked to a nice feminine arch.

"You nervous?" I asked, staring at his new brows seriously as I worked them. 

"Little," he admitted quietly.

"I can tell. You're so quiet," I smiled. A smile formed on his face, changing his face up unexpectedly. 

"Oh shoot, sweetie. Please keep your face still," I gasped.

"Mm," he responded, kindly not opening his mouth which would have changed his face again.

Finally, I had tweaked them enough so I stepped back, holding him by his shoulders to look see. "That's just precious," I grinned. He really was quite beautiful, with lovely cherry red on full lips and boldly wing tipped eyes. "You look like you could be at least eighteen. I don't think anyone will notice how young you are."