COMING TOGETHER
"You reek of popcorn. And sugar," Millie said, curling her nose up in disgust.
"I took a bath," Bessie smiled in objection.
"The smell must be in your clothes, then. Or your room. Or something."
Bessie giggled, unable to help herself. Her mood was so light and happy and she couldn't even think about sleep right now. When the picture show was over, Bessie and Zac had taken the popcorn machine and the trailer back to the feed store and then she had driven Zac home before bringing herself home. Millie had met her there for an impromptu sleepover, and now the cousins lay in their nightgowns, face-to-face, on Bessie's bed.
"I had so much fun tonight," Bessie smiled.
Millie scoffed, her face unamused. "Please. What you did tonight is certainly not my idea of fun."
"But it was fun. And my cookies were a big hit! And, Zac..." Bessie sighed dreamily. "He's so wonderful. I'm so proud of him."
"You're good for him," Millie said, her expression softening. "I've known Zac a long time, since I started seeing Taylor. He used to be...wild. And carefree. Unpredictable..."
Bessie giggled. "Not much has changed, then, believe me."
"But it has. He's different. He went and got a job, Bessie. A real job. I don't know if you know how big a deal that is for him, but it's a pretty big deal. He never looks twice at any other women. And the way he smiles at you...I've just--never seen him like that before."
"Oh, Millie," Bessie whispered. "I love him so."
"Tell me what it's like," Millie smiled, adjusting herself more comfortably on the bed. "Tell me what it feels like to be in love."
A closed-lipped smile crossed Bessie's face. "I'm not sure how to describe it," she said softly. "It hurts--but in a good way. It hurts because--there's just so much emotion you feel like your heart will just burst right out of your chest. It...it feels warm like sunshine. Or that nervous feeling you get in your stomach when you're jumping into the river from that high tree branch. It feels like...absolute heaven."
Millie listened intently, taking in her words, her own dreamy smile across her face. Then she frowned. "What happens when you go to school?"
Bessie's face fell, her heart breaking at the thought of it. "I don't know," she said softly.
"Do you think he'll wait? Do you think you will wait?"
"Yes," she said abruptly, trying to distract herself from entertaining any thoughts that might suggest otherwise. "He loves me."
"Did he tell you that before or after you went all the way with him?"
"Millie!" Bessie scolded in a hiss. "How dare you?"
"I mean it," Millie laughed. "Before or after?"
A giddy grin spread across Bessie's face. "After."
"Oh, Bessie--!"
"He told me that night at the picture show. You know, the night those boys...Anyway, I was too nervous to say it back to him so I pretended like I didn't hear him. But on the inside, I couldn't contain my excitement to hear him say it. Oh, Millie, it was just magical!"
"I'm so happy for you," Millie smiled softly. "My baby cousin is growing up. It feels like just yesterday you were pretending to be sick when Judith and I would talk about boys. And now you're in love with one. I only hope to be as happy as you someday."
Bessie bit her lip, suppressing her smile, as her eyes danced at her cousin. "I think he wants to marry me."
Millie's eyes widened and she propped herself up on her hand. "Bessie! Already? Did he propose?"
Giggling, Bessie shook her head. "No. No, he didn't propose. You see Daddy's still alive and healthy, don't you? No, he...it comes up sometimes in conversation. He'll say things like 'when we're married' or he talks about us having babies someday..."
"Would you say yes?"
"What?"
Millie grinned in excitement. "If he proposed to you, right here and now, would you say yes?"
"Absolutely. Without question."
"Even if he didn't have a ring? Or a job or a house or anything?"
"Yes. Yes and yes. A thousand, million times, yes. We love each other, Millie. And that's all that matters."
As if on cue, the two girls' heads whipped around to the window at the sound of pecking against the glass. Their eyes widened and they looked at each other. "Millie!" Bessie hissed. "Is this a joke? Is that Zac?"
"I had nothing to do with this!" She hissed excitedly. "I can't believe he's here! Oh my god, I can't believe I'm in my nightgown!"
Bessie scowled momentarily at Millie as she scrambled underneath the covers and pulled the quilt up over her chest. Her heart pounding with excitement and joy, she opened the window to let him inside. He'd never been inside her bedroom before. This would be interesting...
Plastering the million-dollar grin on her face to greet him, she shoved the window upward and frowned in confusion as she came face-to-face with Judith Carter. Her heart sank at her mistake, but she recovered quickly as Judith climbed inside Bessie's window.
"Judith?" Millie exclaimed in shock, abandoning the quilt and crawling out of it. "What are you doing here?"
"I went by your house," she stated, matter-of-factly, kicking off her shoes. "But your mother said you were here. And I didn't want to wake the Harlows and I saw the bedroom light on, so...here I am."
With her short, platinum finger curls, dark lipstick, thick mascara, and loose-fitting black dress, Judith looked like an outdated flapper. No doubt she had just come from the speakeasy with Isaac. Bessie stood, speechless, as she rummaged through her drawers. "I need something to put on," she said nonchalantly.
"Top drawer," Bessie directed her in wonder, pointing listlessly at the large, wooden wardrobe against the wall.
"Thanks."
"Judith," Millie said again. "I feel like we haven't seen you in forever!"
Judith laughed it off as she shamelessly stripped off her dress and her stockings and slipped one of Bessie's spare, cotton nightgowns over her head. She, then, tossed herself on the bed, right in the middle, and grinned, resting her chin on her hands. "I know. It's been awhile, hasn't it? What have I missed?"
Bessie joined her cousin and her friend on the bed and the three girls lay lined up across it on their stomachs. "Well," Millie grinned, the atmosphere in the room picking up like it had never left. "Before you showed up, Bessie and I were just discussing her marriage to Zac."
"Your what?" Judith said to Bessie, jumping up. "Are you serious? When's the wedding? Can I be a bridesmaid? Oh my stars, this is so exciting!"
"No," Bessie shook her head in annoyance. "There is no wedding. We're not getting married--"
"Not anytime soon, anyway," Millie interjected.
"But it comes up...sometimes...anyway, if we do ever get married, it probably won't be until after I've finished school. Zac seems to be real fixated on me going to school."
"Jeepers, Bessie!" Judith hissed. "Do you know how old he will be by the time you finish school? By the time you have your first baby, he'll practically be a grandfather!"
"Judith," Bessie spat. "Isaac is four years older than Zac. What is that saying about you?"
"Nothing," Judith replied in a singsong voice. "Because Ike and I aren't talking about getting married--or having babies."
"So you're talking about living in sin for the rest of your lives," Bessie retorted.
"Get off your high horse, Bess, it's no more sin than you and Zac are living in," Millie shot out.
Judith covered her mouth in genuine delight. "Oh, Bessie! Are you and Zac--did you--do you like it? Is it good? Oh my god, this is so exciting!"
Bessie's face turned red as she flipped her hair off of her shoulder. "That's our business, thank you. I don't go asking about yours and Isaac's personal business."
"No, but if you asked me, I'd tell you," Judith grinned deviously.
That sent the girls into a fit of giggles.
"Speaking of sin," Millie directed at Judith, her voice growing more serious. "I want to know what you and Ike do every night at the...you know where."
"Oh, it's nothing, really," Judith said, shaking her head with a wave of her hand. "He deals poker cards and runs the money to my cousin. No big deal."
"And you?" Millie pressed.
"Moral support. I light the cigars, I shuffle the cards...sometimes I get to deal games when some of the men insist that Ike play. That's all." Then she raised her eyebrows and lowered her voice. "Ike taught me all the tricks. All of them. How to shuffle, how to deal, how to cut the cards...creatively."
"You're cheating those men out of their money?" Bessie replied in shock.
Judith shrugged. "It's gambling, that's essentially what you do, anyway. The men love it. Their favorite thing to do is test Ike out. They like to try to catch him in a cheat or they like to try to beat him in a hand. Sometimes he lets them win, but only to give the illusion that he's not cheating. Then he just goes in and wins the money back, with interest. It's so fascinating to watch him work."
"Zac hasn't taught me any tricks," Bessie said, shaking her head.
"Sounds to me like he's taught you quite a few," Judith teased.
Blushing, Bessie picked up a pillow and threw it in her face. As the girls giggled again, she exclaimed, "I meant parlor tricks, silly! But, then, I never thought to ask, either. Oh, it would be fun to know how they do some of their illusions."
"Taylor knows a really good disappearing act. He showed it to me on many occasions," Millie said, raising her eyebrow and biting her lip.
With that, the room exploded into a fit of laughter, so much so that they were interrupted by a knock on Bessie's bedroom door. Mrs. Harlow peeked her head in the door and simply shook her head. "And then there were three," she muttered quietly.
"We didn't mean to be loud, Mama," Bessie said. "Honest."
"I know," her mother smiled. "Just try to keep the sound to a minimum, it's after eleven. Hello, Judith. It's good to see you."
"Good to see you, too, Mrs. Harlow," Judith smiled.
As the girls said a quick goodnight to Bessie's mother, Judith made sure the bedroom door was securely closed before returning to the bed and lowering her voice to a whisper. "There is a reason I'm here, actually. Ike told me there's going to be a party at the gypsy camp in a few days. I told him we would be there."
"Party...Zac never mentioned a party."
Judith rolled her eyes. "Probably because he's been too busy playing shop keep and making it with you. He probably forgot."
Bessie scowled at Judith as Millie's eyes lit up. "Oh, I love parties at the gypsy camp! They're so much fun. You can practically do anything you want and nobody will come snooping around." Then her face fell. "Gosh. It'll be so different since Taylor and I won't be together. Maybe I should sit this one out."
"No," Judith said. "We're all going. I already said we were. So, Millie, you have to come."
Bessie eyed the two girls warily. "You know...the last time you two invited me to a party..."
"You ended up with a hot date who fell in love with you," Judith retorted. "Have we steered you wrong, yet? Besides, Zac will be there. It's not like you're a stranger to the camp or anything."
Judith had a point. Why was her stomach doing flip flops at the notion of this party all of a sudden? Oh, yeah. That's right. Because Bessie was so hopelessly awkward in social situations. Besides the fact that she'd never been to a party where "doing whatever you wanted" had been an option.
"Tell your parents you two are staying at my house," Judith said. "Nobody will come looking for either one of you there."
Bessie and Millie glanced at each other. Judge Harlow would definitely come looking if he knew the both of them were sleeping over in a house inhabited by Judith's father and brothers.
However, the two girls hesitantly agreed to the plan and now the topic of choice was what to wear. The more they talked, the more excited Bessie grew. She was ecstatic at the idea that she would be going to a party with her beau and her best friends. For this brief moment in time, everything was as it should be.
___________________________________________________________________________________
It was still daylight in the early evening as the sun was just starting to set at the gypsy camp. Zac had spent the past three days juggling the feed store and spending as much time as he could with Bessie. Taylor came to work with him every day and every day Bessie and Scout brought the two of them lunch. "You can't keep doing this," Zac had smiled at her. "You're going to spoil me."
She merely smiled at him. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
"Then stop feeding Tay," Zac had pouted.
Now Zac smiled as the camp bustled around in preparation for the night's dinner.
The camp dinners came around about once a month. It was a time when everybody stopped what they were doing, came together, contributing food and activities, and took an evening to relax and let loose. The food was always amazing, the entertainment was fun, and the after-dinner refreshments always seemed to come out of every hiding place and nook and cranny the camp had to offer.
As Zac and Isaac sat across from each other, preparing their fire pit, Zac found himself smiling. He was much too excited for Bessie's arrival, which should be any moment now. He tried to ignore the way Isaac kept glancing up at him and critiquing him. Finally, he said, "If you got your head out of the clouds for two seconds, you'd understand what I was trying to tell you."
Zac glanced at him, annoyed. "This ain't my first fire. Been lighting them for a few years now."
"Yeah, but that one's not lighting."
"Give it time."
They were silent for a few more minutes, Zac glancing behind him now and then to look for Bessie. "Zac," Isaac spoke up again, this time his tone more serious. "She's awful young."
This got Zac's attention and he turned and faced Isaac full on. "What?"
"Bessie. She's young."
"I'm aware of how old she is," Zac replied warily.
"I know. I'm just...not sure tonight will be the right...atmosphere for her."
Zac straightened his spine on the log bench he sat on and narrowed his eyes at his older brother. "You know, that's an awful presumptuous statement coming from someone who's barely bothered to get to know her."
"That's not fair--"
"It is fair. Judith is only twenty-one. You're more years apart from her than I am from Bessie."
"Yeah, but she's different. She's...she's had to grow up pretty fast. She doesn't act her age--"
"Yeah, she acts younger than Bessie," Zac muttered.
Isaac sighed and rubbed his head. "Look. All I'm saying is...you know the kinds of things that can happen at these get-togethers. And Bessie...well, she's kinda naïve and...and innocent. And young."
Zac was so offended by his brother, he wasn't even sure where to start. "Again," he replied flatly. "You don't know her. You've never bothered to get to know her. You've made it clear you don't really like her, and her presence annoys you. I'm sorry you feel that way about her. It's unfortunate. Because you're wrong. That woman is wise beyond her years, she's no little girl. She loves me and she takes care of me much better than a lot of women much older than her would. And I hate it for you, but we're a packaged deal now. Wherever I am, she is. She's the one, Ike. She's the one."
Isaac looked across the fire pit at his brother as if he were prepared with a reply. Instead of replying, however, he just nodded his head in compliance. "Okay," he said simply. "Okay." Then he looked at Zac again. "For the record, I never said I didn't like her. Because I do. She's real sweet. But you're in my better interest."
"You're the one who encouraged me to go after her in the first place, you know," Zac muttered in a pout.
"Don't do that," Isaac smirked. "I'm sorry. Okay?"
Zac's head shot up. "For encouraging me?"
"No. For...you know, passing judgment or whatever."
"Hey, Daddy!" Judith's voice rang out gleefully from behind Zac all of a sudden. His heart leapt with joy. That meant Bessie wasn't far behind.
Isaac's face lit up like the Fourth of July as he stood and greeted Judith. "Hey, princess," he grinned, opening his arms for her. Zac glared at him. What a hypocrite.
Turning around, he smiled at his own cheering team as she approached him in a beige day dress that fell just to her knees. It was covered with an indiscernible gray pattern, with a belt around her small waist. The neck was high, closed with a solid-colored brooch, and the sleeves capped off at her shoulders. The fact that she was daring to show that much leg made Zac's heart palpitate uncontrollably. She was his. She was all his, long legs and all.
He smiled at her hair as it boasted a little extra curl and a few more pins to hold it back. He dared spy lipstick and mascara on her and he longed to see Isaac eat his heart out at what a "little girl" she was. Because she was all woman tonight. Beautiful, classy, and full of style and grace.
"Wow," he murmured as she approached him with a smile. Screw what Isaac had to say about anything. Zac was the luckiest man in the world.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Bessie's heart never failed to flutter in Zac's presence. This evening was no different. He didn't look much different than normal, in his tan trousers and his white button-down with the sleeves rolled up. Tonight, though, he'd buttoned a black vest around his broad chest and she witnessed the hair that peeked out of the unbuttoned portion of his shirt. With his hair loose over his shoulders and his five o'clock shadow, Bessie fought hard the urge to cling herself shamelessly to him.
She smiled at him upon meeting eyes with him, worrying now if she was overdressed or not. After all, Judith had said it was a party and Bessie took that to mean that she should wear something a little nicer than her typical day dress.
"Wow," Zac smiled when she approached him. "You look really pretty tonight. I mean, not that you're not all the time anyway, just..."
"Thank you," she blushed. Then she remembered the plates in her hands and offered them to him. "I made cookies."
He blinked his eyes at her for a moment and he hesitated as he took them from her. "Um...I think your mother's lemonade would have been more appropriate this time, but..."
Bessie was mortified. Of course. Of course, of course, of course. There would likely be an abundance of smoking and drinking tonight and Bessie had stupidly brought cookies. Jeez, no wonder she was never invited to these things. She was the resident mood-killer.
"I'm sorry," she said, the blood rising to her cheeks. "I, um, I didn't really think it through..."
"No, no, no," Zac rushed, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "No, this is perfect. They'll go like wildfire, I promise."
She glanced to the side to see Isaac snickering and Judith slapping him on the arm as if to scold him and Bessie felt like such an idiot. She should have listened to Millie and Judith when they'd tried to talk her out of bringing the cookies. Especially now that she watched Judith pull a flask from the top of her dress and wave it tantalizingly in front of Isaac.
"Hey, Bessie!" Taylor said cheerfully, emerging from behind the trailer, his eyes landing on the plates in Zac's hands. "Oh, please tell me that's what I think it is."
Bessie cheered up immediately at Taylor's enthusiasm, his smile infectious. She was glad at least one person appreciated her contribution and she felt better about herself instantly.
"I told you not to feed him," Zac murmured under his breath.
Ignoring Zac, Taylor leaned over and all but literally stole Bessie away from him. Taking her by the hand, he led her along and said, "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."
"Hey," Zac objected, half-heartedly. "What's the big idea?"
Leaving Zac behind, Taylor nearly dragged her across the entire camp and up to a stationary, covered, brown wagon with a brown, leather top. The woman met them at the door with a smile on her face, arguably one of the most beautiful women Bessie had ever seen. Her stature was smaller than Bessie's, her hair a little shorter, and every part of her darker. The Romani beauty's black hair was shiny and luscious and her perfect complexion was likely natural and something most white women would kill for. Her smile lit up the darkening sky and her eyes glittered against nearby firelight. Even Bessie's breath caught in her throat upon sight of her.
As she stepped down the small steps, Bessie had to blink her eyes at how small the woman actually was. Bessie stood at roughly five foot six and this woman barely cleared five feet. Then she glanced up at Taylor, who towered over the both of them at six foot one and she felt the smile spread across her face. Glancing at the both of them, they had to be the absolute cutest couple she had ever seen.
Taylor's smile said it all. It said everything. Warmly and proudly, he introduced Bessie to Aishe and Bessie was much too thrilled to make her acquaintance. There was a new spark in Taylor's eye that Bessie had never seen before and no doubt that Aishe was the cause of it. Bessie looked forward to getting to know her. After all, they could become sisters-in-law someday.
"I'm gonna walk her back to find Zac," Taylor said to Aishe softly. "And then I'll come back and help your grandmother down the steps. Okay?"
He kissed her lips sweetly and Bessie wanted to melt completely into the ground. Walking with Bessie back to their trailer, she stopped him along the way and looked up at him, the smile never leaving her face, the stars taking over her eyes as she looked up into his. "Oh, Tay," she whispered. "You're in love."
Even amidst the steadily falling sun, she could see his cheeks blush as he ran a hand through hair. "You know, I, uh..."
"It's okay," she said to him. "It's okay to be in love with her."
"I know, I just--I want this to be right. I really care about her--and her family. She has a grandmother and two kid brothers...they're a packaged deal. And I love them all. And it scares the hell out of me."
"But it's a good kind of scary, right?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Kinda, yeah."
She bit her lip and she smiled, so happy for him that she wanted to cry. "You're a good person. I knew you would find your way someday. Just remember on the days that you don't feel like much of anything, you're the entire world to that gypsy woman over there. You are somebody. You're her somebody. And there's no other feeling in the world like it. And I should know."
"You're really something, Bessie Harlow. You know that?"
"I don't know about that. Just passing on my own life experiences."
Shaking his head, he hooked his arm around her neck and walked her back to her own beau.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
The beauty of these little parties was that anything could happen. And something usually did, big or small. This one just kept getting more and more interesting and it had barely even started yet. Especially when Millie Jennings showed up with the tall, spindly, redheaded kid.
Isaac looked over at Judith who had, thankfully, already read his mind. "That's Joey Martin," she whispered quietly. "He's one of Bessie's best friends, but he's been getting closer to Millie lately. He, um, he doesn't like girls."
Isaac looked on, dumbfounded, as the unlikely pair greeted Bessie and Zac. Then he scowled. "I didn't want this to turn into a party for the entire town."
"Oh, he's harmless, Daddy. Joey doesn't...well there aren't a whole lot of places around here where he can...you know, be himself. I think he needs this night. Nobody will judge him here. Please be nice."
He watched as the boy shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around. He looked painfully nervous. No doubt he was one of many who believed the lies about the camp. Isaac found himself growing with anticipation at his presence. Isaac had met his fair share of homosexuals in vaudeville, men and women alike, but he would bet money that Joey Martin was the only homosexual in Tulsa. Which made him think... "We all seem to be coupled up, though..."
"Millie brought him because of Taylor and his new girlfriend. I finally had to tell her about it. I think Millie's nervous to see them."
"I don't know what she thinks she's gonna get out of that boy if he's queer."
"Ike, that word!" Judith scolded. "It's disrespectful!"
"It is what it is. It's just gonna...be awkward."
"No, it won't. Just give him a little drink and a little smoke and everything will be fine."
Isaac looked down at his little blonde companion as she turned around and busied herself by readjusting her stockings. The fact that she could stand there and do that and nobody bat an eyelash at her proved her point and he had to accept it. She was right, after all. If someone wanted to go somewhere to avoid judgment in Tulsa, the gypsy camp was definitely a good place to start.
Straightening his spine, he adjusted his vest and pulled a cigarette from inside his shirt. "Fine," he muttered. Walking over to the small group, he plastered on a smile and offered Joey the cigarette. "I've never see you out here before," he said. "Isaac Hanson, good to know you."
Joey's eyes widened as he looked down at the cigarette and hesitantly accepted it. "Um, thank you. Uh, Joey Martin. Thanks, uh, thanks for having me."
"Think nothing of it."
Isaac chose to ignore the look on Zac's face. He knew what he was thinking. It was no secret that Isaac was wary about new people, especially on his home turf. However, he kept thinking about his conversation with Zac about Bessie and decided that he ought to try being just a little more accepting, difficult as it may be.
"Hi, Joey!" Judith said cheerfully from behind him, coming around and tossing her arms around his neck. "Oh, I'm so happy you're here! You'll have so much fun, I promise! People are real good here."
Poor Joey looked bewildered. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, okay. Sure..."
"She's right," Isaac said with a smile. "Contrary to popular belief, this is probably one of the safest places you'll find yourself in Tulsa. The rumors are a blessing and a curse. Need a light?"
Finally, a shy smile crossed the frail man's face and he motioned with his cigarette. "Uh, yeah, sure. That'd be great."
Lifting the cigarette to his mouth like a pro, inhaling as Isaac lit the end for him, the motion told Isaac everything he needed to know. Joey Martin was no innocent little queer. Oh, no. This young man had stories to tell.
"You know what, Joseph? Can I call you Joseph? Is that your name?"
Joey took a drag of the cigarette and blew out the smoke, his nerves visibly calming on the spot. "Yeah. That's my name."
"You ever light a fire, Joseph?" Isaac smiled. "Looks like I need an extra pair of hands on deck since my baby brother here seems to have found himself otherwise occupied."
Isaac ignored, yet, another glare from Zac.
"Yeah," Joey said. "I know a thing or two about fires."
"Fantastic," Isaac smiled. "Right this way."
Joey Martin intrigued Isaac and he wasn't sure why. He couldn't decide if it was curiosity or suspicion or if he felt sorry for his position or what--he wasn't sure what exactly caused him to want to take the boy under his wing, but he did. Maybe it was whatever Judith had in that flask that was getting to him. Maybe it was the mood or the atmosphere or the perfect weather. But something, somewhere, was warming his icy heart just a little and it was starting with this young fledgling.
Except that he was no fledgling.
Watching the frail redhead with the cigarette hanging from his lip, he expertly tended to the fire without a word and within a minute or two, the flames were blazing. Isaac hadn't had to utter a peep and he placed his hands on his hips to study the transformation that had taken place right in front of him as the boy sat on the log with his cigarette and intently watched the fire burn.
"Who is he?" Isaac asked.
"You reek of popcorn. And sugar," Millie said, curling her nose up in disgust.
"I took a bath," Bessie smiled in objection.
"The smell must be in your clothes, then. Or your room. Or something."
Bessie giggled, unable to help herself. Her mood was so light and happy and she couldn't even think about sleep right now. When the picture show was over, Bessie and Zac had taken the popcorn machine and the trailer back to the feed store and then she had driven Zac home before bringing herself home. Millie had met her there for an impromptu sleepover, and now the cousins lay in their nightgowns, face-to-face, on Bessie's bed.
"I had so much fun tonight," Bessie smiled.
Millie scoffed, her face unamused. "Please. What you did tonight is certainly not my idea of fun."
"But it was fun. And my cookies were a big hit! And, Zac..." Bessie sighed dreamily. "He's so wonderful. I'm so proud of him."
"You're good for him," Millie said, her expression softening. "I've known Zac a long time, since I started seeing Taylor. He used to be...wild. And carefree. Unpredictable..."
Bessie giggled. "Not much has changed, then, believe me."
"But it has. He's different. He went and got a job, Bessie. A real job. I don't know if you know how big a deal that is for him, but it's a pretty big deal. He never looks twice at any other women. And the way he smiles at you...I've just--never seen him like that before."
"Oh, Millie," Bessie whispered. "I love him so."
"Tell me what it's like," Millie smiled, adjusting herself more comfortably on the bed. "Tell me what it feels like to be in love."
A closed-lipped smile crossed Bessie's face. "I'm not sure how to describe it," she said softly. "It hurts--but in a good way. It hurts because--there's just so much emotion you feel like your heart will just burst right out of your chest. It...it feels warm like sunshine. Or that nervous feeling you get in your stomach when you're jumping into the river from that high tree branch. It feels like...absolute heaven."
Millie listened intently, taking in her words, her own dreamy smile across her face. Then she frowned. "What happens when you go to school?"
Bessie's face fell, her heart breaking at the thought of it. "I don't know," she said softly.
"Do you think he'll wait? Do you think you will wait?"
"Yes," she said abruptly, trying to distract herself from entertaining any thoughts that might suggest otherwise. "He loves me."
"Did he tell you that before or after you went all the way with him?"
"Millie!" Bessie scolded in a hiss. "How dare you?"
"I mean it," Millie laughed. "Before or after?"
A giddy grin spread across Bessie's face. "After."
"Oh, Bessie--!"
"He told me that night at the picture show. You know, the night those boys...Anyway, I was too nervous to say it back to him so I pretended like I didn't hear him. But on the inside, I couldn't contain my excitement to hear him say it. Oh, Millie, it was just magical!"
"I'm so happy for you," Millie smiled softly. "My baby cousin is growing up. It feels like just yesterday you were pretending to be sick when Judith and I would talk about boys. And now you're in love with one. I only hope to be as happy as you someday."
Bessie bit her lip, suppressing her smile, as her eyes danced at her cousin. "I think he wants to marry me."
Millie's eyes widened and she propped herself up on her hand. "Bessie! Already? Did he propose?"
Giggling, Bessie shook her head. "No. No, he didn't propose. You see Daddy's still alive and healthy, don't you? No, he...it comes up sometimes in conversation. He'll say things like 'when we're married' or he talks about us having babies someday..."
"Would you say yes?"
"What?"
Millie grinned in excitement. "If he proposed to you, right here and now, would you say yes?"
"Absolutely. Without question."
"Even if he didn't have a ring? Or a job or a house or anything?"
"Yes. Yes and yes. A thousand, million times, yes. We love each other, Millie. And that's all that matters."
As if on cue, the two girls' heads whipped around to the window at the sound of pecking against the glass. Their eyes widened and they looked at each other. "Millie!" Bessie hissed. "Is this a joke? Is that Zac?"
"I had nothing to do with this!" She hissed excitedly. "I can't believe he's here! Oh my god, I can't believe I'm in my nightgown!"
Bessie scowled momentarily at Millie as she scrambled underneath the covers and pulled the quilt up over her chest. Her heart pounding with excitement and joy, she opened the window to let him inside. He'd never been inside her bedroom before. This would be interesting...
Plastering the million-dollar grin on her face to greet him, she shoved the window upward and frowned in confusion as she came face-to-face with Judith Carter. Her heart sank at her mistake, but she recovered quickly as Judith climbed inside Bessie's window.
"Judith?" Millie exclaimed in shock, abandoning the quilt and crawling out of it. "What are you doing here?"
"I went by your house," she stated, matter-of-factly, kicking off her shoes. "But your mother said you were here. And I didn't want to wake the Harlows and I saw the bedroom light on, so...here I am."
With her short, platinum finger curls, dark lipstick, thick mascara, and loose-fitting black dress, Judith looked like an outdated flapper. No doubt she had just come from the speakeasy with Isaac. Bessie stood, speechless, as she rummaged through her drawers. "I need something to put on," she said nonchalantly.
"Top drawer," Bessie directed her in wonder, pointing listlessly at the large, wooden wardrobe against the wall.
"Thanks."
"Judith," Millie said again. "I feel like we haven't seen you in forever!"
Judith laughed it off as she shamelessly stripped off her dress and her stockings and slipped one of Bessie's spare, cotton nightgowns over her head. She, then, tossed herself on the bed, right in the middle, and grinned, resting her chin on her hands. "I know. It's been awhile, hasn't it? What have I missed?"
Bessie joined her cousin and her friend on the bed and the three girls lay lined up across it on their stomachs. "Well," Millie grinned, the atmosphere in the room picking up like it had never left. "Before you showed up, Bessie and I were just discussing her marriage to Zac."
"Your what?" Judith said to Bessie, jumping up. "Are you serious? When's the wedding? Can I be a bridesmaid? Oh my stars, this is so exciting!"
"No," Bessie shook her head in annoyance. "There is no wedding. We're not getting married--"
"Not anytime soon, anyway," Millie interjected.
"But it comes up...sometimes...anyway, if we do ever get married, it probably won't be until after I've finished school. Zac seems to be real fixated on me going to school."
"Jeepers, Bessie!" Judith hissed. "Do you know how old he will be by the time you finish school? By the time you have your first baby, he'll practically be a grandfather!"
"Judith," Bessie spat. "Isaac is four years older than Zac. What is that saying about you?"
"Nothing," Judith replied in a singsong voice. "Because Ike and I aren't talking about getting married--or having babies."
"So you're talking about living in sin for the rest of your lives," Bessie retorted.
"Get off your high horse, Bess, it's no more sin than you and Zac are living in," Millie shot out.
Judith covered her mouth in genuine delight. "Oh, Bessie! Are you and Zac--did you--do you like it? Is it good? Oh my god, this is so exciting!"
Bessie's face turned red as she flipped her hair off of her shoulder. "That's our business, thank you. I don't go asking about yours and Isaac's personal business."
"No, but if you asked me, I'd tell you," Judith grinned deviously.
That sent the girls into a fit of giggles.
"Speaking of sin," Millie directed at Judith, her voice growing more serious. "I want to know what you and Ike do every night at the...you know where."
"Oh, it's nothing, really," Judith said, shaking her head with a wave of her hand. "He deals poker cards and runs the money to my cousin. No big deal."
"And you?" Millie pressed.
"Moral support. I light the cigars, I shuffle the cards...sometimes I get to deal games when some of the men insist that Ike play. That's all." Then she raised her eyebrows and lowered her voice. "Ike taught me all the tricks. All of them. How to shuffle, how to deal, how to cut the cards...creatively."
"You're cheating those men out of their money?" Bessie replied in shock.
Judith shrugged. "It's gambling, that's essentially what you do, anyway. The men love it. Their favorite thing to do is test Ike out. They like to try to catch him in a cheat or they like to try to beat him in a hand. Sometimes he lets them win, but only to give the illusion that he's not cheating. Then he just goes in and wins the money back, with interest. It's so fascinating to watch him work."
"Zac hasn't taught me any tricks," Bessie said, shaking her head.
"Sounds to me like he's taught you quite a few," Judith teased.
Blushing, Bessie picked up a pillow and threw it in her face. As the girls giggled again, she exclaimed, "I meant parlor tricks, silly! But, then, I never thought to ask, either. Oh, it would be fun to know how they do some of their illusions."
"Taylor knows a really good disappearing act. He showed it to me on many occasions," Millie said, raising her eyebrow and biting her lip.
With that, the room exploded into a fit of laughter, so much so that they were interrupted by a knock on Bessie's bedroom door. Mrs. Harlow peeked her head in the door and simply shook her head. "And then there were three," she muttered quietly.
"We didn't mean to be loud, Mama," Bessie said. "Honest."
"I know," her mother smiled. "Just try to keep the sound to a minimum, it's after eleven. Hello, Judith. It's good to see you."
"Good to see you, too, Mrs. Harlow," Judith smiled.
As the girls said a quick goodnight to Bessie's mother, Judith made sure the bedroom door was securely closed before returning to the bed and lowering her voice to a whisper. "There is a reason I'm here, actually. Ike told me there's going to be a party at the gypsy camp in a few days. I told him we would be there."
"Party...Zac never mentioned a party."
Judith rolled her eyes. "Probably because he's been too busy playing shop keep and making it with you. He probably forgot."
Bessie scowled at Judith as Millie's eyes lit up. "Oh, I love parties at the gypsy camp! They're so much fun. You can practically do anything you want and nobody will come snooping around." Then her face fell. "Gosh. It'll be so different since Taylor and I won't be together. Maybe I should sit this one out."
"No," Judith said. "We're all going. I already said we were. So, Millie, you have to come."
Bessie eyed the two girls warily. "You know...the last time you two invited me to a party..."
"You ended up with a hot date who fell in love with you," Judith retorted. "Have we steered you wrong, yet? Besides, Zac will be there. It's not like you're a stranger to the camp or anything."
Judith had a point. Why was her stomach doing flip flops at the notion of this party all of a sudden? Oh, yeah. That's right. Because Bessie was so hopelessly awkward in social situations. Besides the fact that she'd never been to a party where "doing whatever you wanted" had been an option.
"Tell your parents you two are staying at my house," Judith said. "Nobody will come looking for either one of you there."
Bessie and Millie glanced at each other. Judge Harlow would definitely come looking if he knew the both of them were sleeping over in a house inhabited by Judith's father and brothers.
However, the two girls hesitantly agreed to the plan and now the topic of choice was what to wear. The more they talked, the more excited Bessie grew. She was ecstatic at the idea that she would be going to a party with her beau and her best friends. For this brief moment in time, everything was as it should be.
___________________________________________________________________________________
It was still daylight in the early evening as the sun was just starting to set at the gypsy camp. Zac had spent the past three days juggling the feed store and spending as much time as he could with Bessie. Taylor came to work with him every day and every day Bessie and Scout brought the two of them lunch. "You can't keep doing this," Zac had smiled at her. "You're going to spoil me."
She merely smiled at him. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
"Then stop feeding Tay," Zac had pouted.
Now Zac smiled as the camp bustled around in preparation for the night's dinner.
The camp dinners came around about once a month. It was a time when everybody stopped what they were doing, came together, contributing food and activities, and took an evening to relax and let loose. The food was always amazing, the entertainment was fun, and the after-dinner refreshments always seemed to come out of every hiding place and nook and cranny the camp had to offer.
As Zac and Isaac sat across from each other, preparing their fire pit, Zac found himself smiling. He was much too excited for Bessie's arrival, which should be any moment now. He tried to ignore the way Isaac kept glancing up at him and critiquing him. Finally, he said, "If you got your head out of the clouds for two seconds, you'd understand what I was trying to tell you."
Zac glanced at him, annoyed. "This ain't my first fire. Been lighting them for a few years now."
"Yeah, but that one's not lighting."
"Give it time."
They were silent for a few more minutes, Zac glancing behind him now and then to look for Bessie. "Zac," Isaac spoke up again, this time his tone more serious. "She's awful young."
This got Zac's attention and he turned and faced Isaac full on. "What?"
"Bessie. She's young."
"I'm aware of how old she is," Zac replied warily.
"I know. I'm just...not sure tonight will be the right...atmosphere for her."
Zac straightened his spine on the log bench he sat on and narrowed his eyes at his older brother. "You know, that's an awful presumptuous statement coming from someone who's barely bothered to get to know her."
"That's not fair--"
"It is fair. Judith is only twenty-one. You're more years apart from her than I am from Bessie."
"Yeah, but she's different. She's...she's had to grow up pretty fast. She doesn't act her age--"
"Yeah, she acts younger than Bessie," Zac muttered.
Isaac sighed and rubbed his head. "Look. All I'm saying is...you know the kinds of things that can happen at these get-togethers. And Bessie...well, she's kinda naïve and...and innocent. And young."
Zac was so offended by his brother, he wasn't even sure where to start. "Again," he replied flatly. "You don't know her. You've never bothered to get to know her. You've made it clear you don't really like her, and her presence annoys you. I'm sorry you feel that way about her. It's unfortunate. Because you're wrong. That woman is wise beyond her years, she's no little girl. She loves me and she takes care of me much better than a lot of women much older than her would. And I hate it for you, but we're a packaged deal now. Wherever I am, she is. She's the one, Ike. She's the one."
Isaac looked across the fire pit at his brother as if he were prepared with a reply. Instead of replying, however, he just nodded his head in compliance. "Okay," he said simply. "Okay." Then he looked at Zac again. "For the record, I never said I didn't like her. Because I do. She's real sweet. But you're in my better interest."
"You're the one who encouraged me to go after her in the first place, you know," Zac muttered in a pout.
"Don't do that," Isaac smirked. "I'm sorry. Okay?"
Zac's head shot up. "For encouraging me?"
"No. For...you know, passing judgment or whatever."
"Hey, Daddy!" Judith's voice rang out gleefully from behind Zac all of a sudden. His heart leapt with joy. That meant Bessie wasn't far behind.
Isaac's face lit up like the Fourth of July as he stood and greeted Judith. "Hey, princess," he grinned, opening his arms for her. Zac glared at him. What a hypocrite.
Turning around, he smiled at his own cheering team as she approached him in a beige day dress that fell just to her knees. It was covered with an indiscernible gray pattern, with a belt around her small waist. The neck was high, closed with a solid-colored brooch, and the sleeves capped off at her shoulders. The fact that she was daring to show that much leg made Zac's heart palpitate uncontrollably. She was his. She was all his, long legs and all.
He smiled at her hair as it boasted a little extra curl and a few more pins to hold it back. He dared spy lipstick and mascara on her and he longed to see Isaac eat his heart out at what a "little girl" she was. Because she was all woman tonight. Beautiful, classy, and full of style and grace.
"Wow," he murmured as she approached him with a smile. Screw what Isaac had to say about anything. Zac was the luckiest man in the world.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Bessie's heart never failed to flutter in Zac's presence. This evening was no different. He didn't look much different than normal, in his tan trousers and his white button-down with the sleeves rolled up. Tonight, though, he'd buttoned a black vest around his broad chest and she witnessed the hair that peeked out of the unbuttoned portion of his shirt. With his hair loose over his shoulders and his five o'clock shadow, Bessie fought hard the urge to cling herself shamelessly to him.
She smiled at him upon meeting eyes with him, worrying now if she was overdressed or not. After all, Judith had said it was a party and Bessie took that to mean that she should wear something a little nicer than her typical day dress.
"Wow," Zac smiled when she approached him. "You look really pretty tonight. I mean, not that you're not all the time anyway, just..."
"Thank you," she blushed. Then she remembered the plates in her hands and offered them to him. "I made cookies."
He blinked his eyes at her for a moment and he hesitated as he took them from her. "Um...I think your mother's lemonade would have been more appropriate this time, but..."
Bessie was mortified. Of course. Of course, of course, of course. There would likely be an abundance of smoking and drinking tonight and Bessie had stupidly brought cookies. Jeez, no wonder she was never invited to these things. She was the resident mood-killer.
"I'm sorry," she said, the blood rising to her cheeks. "I, um, I didn't really think it through..."
"No, no, no," Zac rushed, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "No, this is perfect. They'll go like wildfire, I promise."
She glanced to the side to see Isaac snickering and Judith slapping him on the arm as if to scold him and Bessie felt like such an idiot. She should have listened to Millie and Judith when they'd tried to talk her out of bringing the cookies. Especially now that she watched Judith pull a flask from the top of her dress and wave it tantalizingly in front of Isaac.
"Hey, Bessie!" Taylor said cheerfully, emerging from behind the trailer, his eyes landing on the plates in Zac's hands. "Oh, please tell me that's what I think it is."
Bessie cheered up immediately at Taylor's enthusiasm, his smile infectious. She was glad at least one person appreciated her contribution and she felt better about herself instantly.
"I told you not to feed him," Zac murmured under his breath.
Ignoring Zac, Taylor leaned over and all but literally stole Bessie away from him. Taking her by the hand, he led her along and said, "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."
"Hey," Zac objected, half-heartedly. "What's the big idea?"
Leaving Zac behind, Taylor nearly dragged her across the entire camp and up to a stationary, covered, brown wagon with a brown, leather top. The woman met them at the door with a smile on her face, arguably one of the most beautiful women Bessie had ever seen. Her stature was smaller than Bessie's, her hair a little shorter, and every part of her darker. The Romani beauty's black hair was shiny and luscious and her perfect complexion was likely natural and something most white women would kill for. Her smile lit up the darkening sky and her eyes glittered against nearby firelight. Even Bessie's breath caught in her throat upon sight of her.
As she stepped down the small steps, Bessie had to blink her eyes at how small the woman actually was. Bessie stood at roughly five foot six and this woman barely cleared five feet. Then she glanced up at Taylor, who towered over the both of them at six foot one and she felt the smile spread across her face. Glancing at the both of them, they had to be the absolute cutest couple she had ever seen.
Taylor's smile said it all. It said everything. Warmly and proudly, he introduced Bessie to Aishe and Bessie was much too thrilled to make her acquaintance. There was a new spark in Taylor's eye that Bessie had never seen before and no doubt that Aishe was the cause of it. Bessie looked forward to getting to know her. After all, they could become sisters-in-law someday.
"I'm gonna walk her back to find Zac," Taylor said to Aishe softly. "And then I'll come back and help your grandmother down the steps. Okay?"
He kissed her lips sweetly and Bessie wanted to melt completely into the ground. Walking with Bessie back to their trailer, she stopped him along the way and looked up at him, the smile never leaving her face, the stars taking over her eyes as she looked up into his. "Oh, Tay," she whispered. "You're in love."
Even amidst the steadily falling sun, she could see his cheeks blush as he ran a hand through hair. "You know, I, uh..."
"It's okay," she said to him. "It's okay to be in love with her."
"I know, I just--I want this to be right. I really care about her--and her family. She has a grandmother and two kid brothers...they're a packaged deal. And I love them all. And it scares the hell out of me."
"But it's a good kind of scary, right?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Kinda, yeah."
She bit her lip and she smiled, so happy for him that she wanted to cry. "You're a good person. I knew you would find your way someday. Just remember on the days that you don't feel like much of anything, you're the entire world to that gypsy woman over there. You are somebody. You're her somebody. And there's no other feeling in the world like it. And I should know."
"You're really something, Bessie Harlow. You know that?"
"I don't know about that. Just passing on my own life experiences."
Shaking his head, he hooked his arm around her neck and walked her back to her own beau.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
The beauty of these little parties was that anything could happen. And something usually did, big or small. This one just kept getting more and more interesting and it had barely even started yet. Especially when Millie Jennings showed up with the tall, spindly, redheaded kid.
Isaac looked over at Judith who had, thankfully, already read his mind. "That's Joey Martin," she whispered quietly. "He's one of Bessie's best friends, but he's been getting closer to Millie lately. He, um, he doesn't like girls."
Isaac looked on, dumbfounded, as the unlikely pair greeted Bessie and Zac. Then he scowled. "I didn't want this to turn into a party for the entire town."
"Oh, he's harmless, Daddy. Joey doesn't...well there aren't a whole lot of places around here where he can...you know, be himself. I think he needs this night. Nobody will judge him here. Please be nice."
He watched as the boy shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around. He looked painfully nervous. No doubt he was one of many who believed the lies about the camp. Isaac found himself growing with anticipation at his presence. Isaac had met his fair share of homosexuals in vaudeville, men and women alike, but he would bet money that Joey Martin was the only homosexual in Tulsa. Which made him think... "We all seem to be coupled up, though..."
"Millie brought him because of Taylor and his new girlfriend. I finally had to tell her about it. I think Millie's nervous to see them."
"I don't know what she thinks she's gonna get out of that boy if he's queer."
"Ike, that word!" Judith scolded. "It's disrespectful!"
"It is what it is. It's just gonna...be awkward."
"No, it won't. Just give him a little drink and a little smoke and everything will be fine."
Isaac looked down at his little blonde companion as she turned around and busied herself by readjusting her stockings. The fact that she could stand there and do that and nobody bat an eyelash at her proved her point and he had to accept it. She was right, after all. If someone wanted to go somewhere to avoid judgment in Tulsa, the gypsy camp was definitely a good place to start.
Straightening his spine, he adjusted his vest and pulled a cigarette from inside his shirt. "Fine," he muttered. Walking over to the small group, he plastered on a smile and offered Joey the cigarette. "I've never see you out here before," he said. "Isaac Hanson, good to know you."
Joey's eyes widened as he looked down at the cigarette and hesitantly accepted it. "Um, thank you. Uh, Joey Martin. Thanks, uh, thanks for having me."
"Think nothing of it."
Isaac chose to ignore the look on Zac's face. He knew what he was thinking. It was no secret that Isaac was wary about new people, especially on his home turf. However, he kept thinking about his conversation with Zac about Bessie and decided that he ought to try being just a little more accepting, difficult as it may be.
"Hi, Joey!" Judith said cheerfully from behind him, coming around and tossing her arms around his neck. "Oh, I'm so happy you're here! You'll have so much fun, I promise! People are real good here."
Poor Joey looked bewildered. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, okay. Sure..."
"She's right," Isaac said with a smile. "Contrary to popular belief, this is probably one of the safest places you'll find yourself in Tulsa. The rumors are a blessing and a curse. Need a light?"
Finally, a shy smile crossed the frail man's face and he motioned with his cigarette. "Uh, yeah, sure. That'd be great."
Lifting the cigarette to his mouth like a pro, inhaling as Isaac lit the end for him, the motion told Isaac everything he needed to know. Joey Martin was no innocent little queer. Oh, no. This young man had stories to tell.
"You know what, Joseph? Can I call you Joseph? Is that your name?"
Joey took a drag of the cigarette and blew out the smoke, his nerves visibly calming on the spot. "Yeah. That's my name."
"You ever light a fire, Joseph?" Isaac smiled. "Looks like I need an extra pair of hands on deck since my baby brother here seems to have found himself otherwise occupied."
Isaac ignored, yet, another glare from Zac.
"Yeah," Joey said. "I know a thing or two about fires."
"Fantastic," Isaac smiled. "Right this way."
Joey Martin intrigued Isaac and he wasn't sure why. He couldn't decide if it was curiosity or suspicion or if he felt sorry for his position or what--he wasn't sure what exactly caused him to want to take the boy under his wing, but he did. Maybe it was whatever Judith had in that flask that was getting to him. Maybe it was the mood or the atmosphere or the perfect weather. But something, somewhere, was warming his icy heart just a little and it was starting with this young fledgling.
Except that he was no fledgling.
Watching the frail redhead with the cigarette hanging from his lip, he expertly tended to the fire without a word and within a minute or two, the flames were blazing. Isaac hadn't had to utter a peep and he placed his hands on his hips to study the transformation that had taken place right in front of him as the boy sat on the log with his cigarette and intently watched the fire burn.
"Who is he?" Isaac asked.