Chapter 5:
Antoinette's
We walked about three blocks before coming to a restaurant that had the word 'Antoinette's' spelled out in yellow lights. We walked inside, Fleur holding the door open for Cass and I. Cass walked up to the host at the stand.
"We have a reservation for three" She said to the man and he nodded looking us up and down.
"The name please?" He asked, looking down towards his paper.
"Nighting, and I would like a soda water, wet." She said and the man looked up at her as she let a smirk come to her face. He grabbed three menus and stepped from behind the stand
"It looks like you are in our VIP section in the back, follow me please." He said and we walked towards the back through a curtain that covered a hallway.
He walked a ways down the hallway before pushing on the wall and opened up like a door. I was shocked, never seeing anything like this before. It opened up to a room with a long table in the middle and a wall of mirrors to the back.
"Someone will be right with you." He said walking back from the way he came. Fleur picked up the menus and placed them in a box in the wall that seemed like something you would get mail from. Cass sat down and lit a cigarette and held it between her pointer and index fingers.
"I have never seen anything like this." I said looking around and checking myself in the mirror.
"Oh darling, this is only the beginning." Cass said and like clock work a piece of the mirror slid open in a small rectangle shape.
Two eyes appeared from the hole "password" a male voice said.
"Oh come on Stevie, it's me," Fleur said, gesturing to herself.
"Sorry Nighting, you know the rules, no nightly password, no entry." He said and Cass stood up with a sigh.
"White Russian" Cass said and the rectangle closed. I looked at them confused and Cass just held up a finger as to wait. The sound of locks unlocking began to click and a pull sound came and went. The middle section of the wall, where a mirror just was, opened up like a door, just like the wall in the hallway.
"Welcome to Antionette's" He said and gestured us inside.
We walked through the mysterious door and were approached with a dark hallway with light at the end. I followed Fleur and Cass into the creepy dark place. Sounds began to creep into my ears as we eased closer to the light and I slowly began to realize it was music.
"Are you ready?" Cass asked me, grabbing my hand. I nodded my head slowly, nerves rising inside of me. We stepped into the light and I was filled with amusement. It was like a carnival. The lights and music filled my body like sunlight. A female singer was placed on stage at the center of the room I was standing in. She had dancers behind her and people danced on the floor in front of the stage. I followed Fleur and Cass as I looked around in amazement at every sight. They made their way to the bar and Cass tapped me on the shoulder bringing me back to reality.
"What do you want to drink?" she asked me.
"Oh a pop is fine." I said brushing her off more excited about what I was seeing.
I heard them giggle at each other and start mumbling something. I walked towards the ledge that was just a step above the floor where people were dancing.
"Here, try this." Cass said, handing me a glass that had a cone shape with a stem. Two olives were on a pick dropped inside and I took a sip of the clear beverage.
"Ugh what is this?" I said making a face "It has such a strong taste." I say before taking another sip trying it again. Fleur snickered, bringing a brown bottle to her lips leaning against the edge watching the people in front of her.
"It's called a dirty martini." Cass said over the music. I raised an eyebrow at her and took another sip starting to like the taste and the hint of olive it left in my mouth.
"It's Olive brine, olives, vermouth and Gin." She said the last two ingredients quickly.
"What!" I said nearly spitting out the drink and wiping my mouth from the drops that fell out. "Its alcohol?" I said whispering the last bit. I take another look around and start to realize that some of the people who I thought were men looked more like women and some of the women looked like men and the female singer was clearly not a woman.
"Oh my god." I said and Fleur burst into laughter.
"She has figured it out!" She says.
I glared at her "This is a speakeasy!" I said excitedly adrenaline started to fill my system and I gulped down the martini trying to calm some nerves.
"Welcome to Antionette's" Cass said gesturing to the place like a palace.
I look around and see two women kissing each other. I gasp a bit and watch a smirk appear on Fleur's face. "We love all walks of people here. Everyone is free to love who they love and be who they are here." She says smiling a bit with the bottle to her lips. I step my feet up on the ledge and lean over the fencing between spaces a bit.
"This is.. AMAZING!" I said turning to Cass who was laughing joyfully. I step down, stripping my fur coat off and grasp Cass's hand. " Come on, let's dance!"
***
I giggle as Cass and I swing each other around. We pranced around to the music before slowing down and hugging each other tightly as the music came to a low hum. I look up to where our table was and see Fleur looking at us laughing and shaking her head with a bottle pressed to her lips. A small blonde girl, who seemed to be one of the stage dancers from the last set, came up to her, snaking her arm around her and placing a hand on her chest. Fleur turns smirking looking down at the girl who looked like that of a model you see in magazines.
I turn quickly feeling a blush rush to my face as if I just witnessed something I shouldn't have. Cass pulls my hand making our way back to our table. We stop and sit across from each other in the red leather seats with the low table in front of us. My back was now to Fleurs and I could feel her brush against my chair ever once in a while as she moved.
Cass waved down a gentleman in black slacks a white button down and a bow tie. He seemed very young to be here and I could only assume he was a server. "Hello love, may we get a bottle of champagne and two glasses please." Cass asked leaning forward to show her chest from the edges of her dress.
The boy blushed saying "Right away" before scurrying off. I covered my mouth, chuckling at her flirtation.
"You might as well have given the boy a heart attack." I said leaning in, laughing, placing my hand on her knee.
"I mean it is probably more than he has ever seen" She said, shimming her breast. I laugh loudly, trying to cover my mouth for modesty.
A different boy brings our champagne over, but this time it was a man. He was tall and tan, clearly muscular, but did not look like a server. He had a navy suit with a vest on and his white button down showed from his vest. His hair was slick back and shaved to the skin and fading in with the long hair on top. He held three glasses in his hand and the ice bucket with champagne in the other.
"Good evening ladies." he said sitting the bucket and glasses on the table "I saw that poor boy shaking carrying this back over this way and thought I might save him the trouble." He said with a small smirk and chuckle.
I look over at Cass with a raised eyebrow. "and you are?" I asked and the man grabbed my hand.
"My apologies ma'aam. I am Leo Floyd." He says kissing my ring finger. Blush creeps to my face a bit.
"Evie, and this is my friend Cass." I say moving my hand gesturing to her. As he turned his head to look at her and greet her, I saw markings show from under his collar and was intrigued by what it may be.
He looks back at me, catching me staring a bit too long. He gives me a smirk and grabs the bottle before putting it into the three glasses. He hands a glass to Cass and the next one to me before pouring one for himself. He sits down in the leather seat across from me but next to Cass.
"So now we know your name, but who are you?" Cass said, taking a sip of her drink. Fleur walks around with the blonde girl on her hip and I roll my eyes at her playboy attitude. She takes the glass from the man's hand and sips it.
"Yeah from those markings I can tell you're no good." Fleur says pointing out the markings showing from his collar with her finger from the hand with the glass in it.
The man looks at his now empty hand before throwing it up to get the server's attention.
"May I get another bottle and two more glasses, it looks like we have additional guests now." He says pointing to Fleur and the blonde.
"Oh no thank you Stanley, I am about to be back on stage." the blonde says, waving off the server before placing a kiss on Fleur's cheek and strutting away. I look over to Cass making a fake gagging face and she giggles at me with the glass to her lips. Leo unbuttons his jacket and moves each side apart making himself comfortable.
"I am the gentleman paying for your drinks tonight." He says relaxed. "nothing more nothing less, Just enjoying beautiful company." he says, sending a wink towards me, blush crawling up my face.
Fleurs plops in the chair next to me sitting with her legs apart like a man. "Well I will never say no to a free drink." Cass says and the boy returns with another glass.
"Please allow them to have whatever they want and I will take care of everything." He says.
"Of course Mr.Floyd" the server says and Leo pours himself a glass.
I take a sip of my champagne and the bubbly hits my throat in a sweet taste. "mm" I say, patting my mouth with my hand "This is delicious." I say in a whisper to Cass.
"First time with champagne?" Leo asks.
"First time with anything." Fleur replies for me with snark. I roll my eyes at her, shaking my head.
"Yes, It is my first time drinking at all, but I clearly like it." I say leaning back in my seat crossing my legs and my dress riding up slightly. Fleur looked at me quickly from the side of my eye and watched her adjust in her seat.
"You still did not answer the question." Cass said, leaning forward against her crossed legs sipping her drink. "Who are you?" she says with the glass pressed to her lips. He chuckles
"You must be some untrusting women." he says, taking a sip of his drink.
"One can never be too trusting when they are female in a group of other females in an illegal establishment selling alcohol." Fleur said with snark and I giggled at her sarcastic comment, the alcohol making its way slowly to my brain. I look at her seeing her smile at me and I cover my mouth hiding my giggle.
I returned my look back to Leo who was now watching me. "I am actually the owner of this illegal establishment." He says leaning back crossing his legs.
Cass spit out her drink but covered her mouth quickly. "What?!" she said with wide eyes after swallowing her champagne.
"I thought the owner was Antoinette?" Fleur said. He shakes his head and laughs.
"No, my sister's name was Antoinette, I named it after her plus no one would think a female owns a speakeasy. No offense." He says and we all brush him off knowing that it is the sad truth.
"Then why all the freedom?" I ask gestures to the many different types of people in the building. "Aren't men supposed to be the ones that are most against this?" I asked with an eyebrow raise.
He places his hand against his chest and gives a fake hurt "are you stereotyping me? What if I was a homosexual man." He said with a gasp and I instantly felt guilt strike my heart not realizing what I said.
"I am so sorry I didn't even think." I said and he started laughing and shaking his hand
"Nonsense I am just kidding, My sister was of the community and she ended up taking her own life because of it, so I created this place as a safe haven for all types of people." He says with a smile, but a hint of sadness.
"I am so sorry," Cass said with a hand to her chest.
"Yeah, that's rough." Fleur said less sympathetic. I look at him with a bit of sadness before taking a sip of my champagne thinking about the amount of people that may have happened to.
"Enough with the sad talk, you guys have free drinks all night! Let's party!" He says holding up his glass to cheers and we all clink our glasses together.
*Wet- a term used in the 1920's politically and as slang. Wet meant to be in favor of the selling of alcohol*