Page:Jay Little - Maybe—Tomorrow.pdf/197

 be themselves. The place they could scream, love and find new conquests.

Every few minutes the door of the club swung open to admit more men, more service-men, women with too much muscle and youths with too little.

"Think I'd forgotten you?" It was Freddie with their drinks.

"No … I didn't think you'd forget us, Freddie," said Paul.

Gaylord smiled and took a puff from his cigarette.

The waiter continued. "I thought you'd be at Miss Limbeaux's party, Paul." He placed a small glass in front of each. "I hear it's going to be a mad affair. I'm going over after we've finished with these bastards here. The place is full of tourists tonight. Don't know why they come to a place like this … Guess they like to see the freaks. I told Pete he ought to rename the joint Freakland or The Sand Pit …" He took the bill that Paul handed him.

"Keep the change," Paul said.

"Thanks, doll … Some broad asked me if I was 'gay' a while ago." Gaylord heard the word but didn't interrupt … "Just came right out and asked me … 'Are you one of those 'Gay' boys I've heard so much about,' she says to me. Looked like a sex-maniac. You know the type … Lays back and wants you to do all the work … not the normal way either, honey … Well, I certainly shut her up. You should have seen the expression on her fat face when I told her I had six children, been married and divorced three times and sleeping with a Negro whore now. She put her paw on her fat tits and almost swallowed the cherry out of her drink."

Gaylord glanced at Paul for some hint, found none in the frowning face, and dropped his eyes. Freddie kept on talking in a way he could not understand or intelligently shape to his own ends. The thought of sleeping with a Negro whore was degrading to him. He gnawed the inside of his cheek nervously a few seconds, glanced at Paul again, and then mashed his cigarette into the tin ash tray. Freddie continued but Paul's voice stopped him.

"Shall we try our drink, Gay?" he asked, raising the glass from the table.

They clicked their glasses and took a sip. Freddie left them alone.

Inside Gaylord, a continuous flicker of excitement like electric 187