The Cupid Tree

August 17th, 1923 Chicago, Illinois

"Joey, get in here!" Jack Delancey yells from his desk.

A disheveled and shaking Joey enters almost at a run.

"Y-Yes, boss," he manages to get out.

Delancey pops a cigar in his mouth and throws a stack of cash across the table.

"Lou Simon. 34th Street. Go."

Joey dashes out of the office with the wad of money clutched tightly. Jack leans back in his armchair and sighs, having just completed his fifth and final payment to his dealers.

The infamous Jack Delancey roots through his files, making sure everything was under wraps. He was "Mr. Delancey" to strangers, "boss" to his workers, "Jack" to friends and family, and "Jackie" to anyone who wanted to wind up dead in an alley.

Jack removes his fedora and runs his fingers through his thickly gelled hair. The silence in the room is broken as a figure bursts through the doorway.

"Sammy! Get outta here! And don't come running in my office unless I call you!" Jack shouts.

"Terribly sorry, boss. It's an emergency! It's Evelyn."

Jack Delancey had never left his office so quickly.

Evelyn is the closest thing to heaven that Jack Delancey would ever have. They had met at the Sunnyside Cafe, which is ironically named considering it's a bar and the owner never bothers to pay the electric bill. Evelyn had been a flapper girl who performed at the bar and Jack, being the person he is, was there at the time. The two were proof that love at first sight might not be such an insane idea after all.

"Where is she, Sam?" Jack demanded.

"In here, boss."

Delancey walked into the small doctor's room where Evelyn sat on the table, a bandage covering her forearm.

"Evelyn!" Jack gasped, running to her.

"I'm fine, calm down," she sighed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I was carrying some glasses of beer on a tray and I tripped. The glass shattered and a piece cut my arm. The bleeding has almost stopped now, so I'm okay."

Jack sighed with relief and took her hand.

She was going to be okay.

Morning came early the next day, Jack rising with it. He insisted that he and Evelyn go out to the park for a picnic in the premature daylight.

"Why are we doing this, Jack?" Evelyn asked curiously.

"Well, I think every once in awhile we should do something special together," Jack responded, carrying the basket of food in his hand.

Evelyn nodded and continued walking towards the park.

Jack found a shady area under a tree and sat down, Evelyn following close behind. He pulled out his pocket knife to cut some bread he had taken out of the basket, then stopped. Taking a look at the tree behind him, he turned his knife and cut through the bark.

"What are you doing?" asked Evelyn.

"I'm making a public statement. Everyone should know that you are mine, and I am yours."

And in the bark of the tree were the words, "Delancey + Evelyn".