He took off in the direction of one of the Roulette tables where he immediately was absorbed in deep conversation with a tall redhead in a green dress and a pearl choker who towered over his shining black helmet of hair by half a head.
'Nice guy your boss,' Lisa said as her eyes skimmed the room.
'Told you so. Come on, let's have a drink and you can fill me in on what's happening in the big town.'
For the most part Louie Alfono had the monopoly on the conversation at dinner. He assailed Toni and Lisa with an amusing flow of stories about gamblers, gangsters, show girls and himself. Occasionally he would pause for breath, stop long enough to swallow a piece of rare roast beef for a little background on Lisa. In spite of this somewhat disconcerting infatuation with the sound of his own voice he was an easy person to be with. The club generated a continuous hum of music, laughter and buzzing dialogue that left Lisa's head spinning.
'I think I'm going to make it an early night,' she told Toni after coffee and brandy, 'It's been a long day.'
Toni gave her the keys to her apartment and specific directions on how to get there. She was in a half sleep when she heard Toni enter the apartment at four o'clock.
'That you Toni?' she said through dry lips fluffing the pillow under her head. 'Who else,' Toni replied from the kitchen. 'You always get in at this hour?'
'Certainly. Occupational hazards. We always fly by night. What's the matter? Can't get to sleep?'
'A bit restless that's all.'
'You really made an impression on Louie.'
'How could I, he didn't stop talking for two minutes to find out what I had going on inside my little pea brain-not that I had much going on tonight.'
'Oh he's always like that but he's very shrewd with people and it doesn't take much for him to know where people are at. Truthfully he really thinks you're great.'
'You mean he'd like to fuck me… '
'Most likely, but your cunt aside, he thinks you're pretty sharp.' 'For a show girl.'
'Oh come on now, you have more going for you than you tits and legs.' 'Sure I've got my mouth and my ass and my face and… ' 'Lisa!' Toni said in exasperation, 'What's with you?' 'Oh just feeling sorry for myself that's all.' 'Sorry? For what?'
'Well, just seeing you wheeling and dealing and holding that whole place together like that made me wonder if I'll ever get anything worthwhile for myself.'
'Come on now get off that number. Of course you will. I was just lucky. I was in the right place at the right time and it could just as easily have been you or someone else that got the job.'
'But it wasn't.'
'You want to know something?'
'Tell me.'
'Louie asked me if I thought you'd be right for the club I told you they're opening in Tahoe this spring.'
'Conversation, huh?'
'No! I mean it. He called me into the office and asked me in his roundabout fashion if you would be interested and I told him what a smart girl you were and of course you were looking around for something to latch onto because you didn't want to go riding the merry go round forever. He's a very sincere person and I'll tell you something else-he never mixes business with pleasure. He's never put the make on me. It's bad business and of course he's the one who is really responsible for this place and if he makes any of the wrong choices the chips go crashing down on his head. He's very much for women running these operations. He's told me a lot of times that women have just the touch that's needed for keeping all the kids in line. Don't forget it was on his say so that I got this job. He did a lot of talking to the boys with all the bread to convince them that I was what they needed. He asked me not to say anything to you about any of this because if it didn't come off he would feel bad about building up your hopes and then letting you down with a lot of bullshit. But I know him and the wheels in his shiny little head are turning at this very moment. There's nothing to do right now about it except sit back and wait and see what happens.'
Toni walked into the bedroom with a tray with hot chocolate and toast, barefoot and looking a bit pale but very beautiful. She was growing up in the nicest way, Lisa thought as she set the tray down beside the bed.
'So you're in Reno for your vacation and that's exactly what you're going to do-vacation. Louie is giving me a little flexibility with my working hours so that we can spend some time together. What do you think of that?'
'It's all right with me. You look like you could do with a vacation yourself-at least a
little sun.'
'That's the truth,' Toni said pouring Lisa a cup of the steaming chocolate. 'I'll tell you one thing. I don't need sleeping pills when I get finished at that place.'
'Did you ever?'
'Not often.'
'So what's the story on the Tahoe place?' Lisa asked sitting up, her breasts looking rosier and firmer than ever to Toni.
'Well, for starters it's a lot classier than this place because they're after a higher class of clientele and as you know Tahoe is more like that anyway because there aren't all those hick cowboys running around. You know you don't have to play it down. I saw the architect's sketches and it's just beautiful. Not as big as the one here but a lot prettier. More like the English part of this place. They've already got a lot of top name talent booked. It's going to be one of the top places up there. Shit, the profit they're making down here is incredible. I'm up for a raise in six months time and I started at four hundred so just imagine. There's also a large incentive bonus in the works. Everyone that works here from the dealers to the busboys have nothing but good things to say about us.'
Lisa spent a relaxing two weeks in Reno with Toni clearing her head of all the late nights, cigarette smoke and sore leg muscles that made up so much of her time in Vegas. Louie Alfono escorted the both of them around town a few nights and was his usual outgoing self. He didn't say anything to Lisa directly about the Tahoe operation, but she got the feeling that his mind was hashing something over that could prove worth while.
A month after her Reno sojourn Lisa received a telegram from Toni: 'Call me tonight collect.'
'So what's shaking in Reno?' she asked long distance. 'You remember we were talking about the Tahoe club, Lisa?' 'Did y'a think I'd forget so soon?'
'Never mind the wise cracks. Louie wants you to run this place.' 'But I thought you said he wanted me to work at Tahoe… '
'Well that might come later but for the moment they want me to go up and organize things because I'm familiar with the operation. All I need is two weeks coaching you here in Reno and then I'll be ready to take off. What do you think? Want to do it?'
'I can't Toni.'
'What do you mean you can't! I thought you wanted to get out of that end of the business. I thought, well you said you wanted to do something else and now's the time. Lisa… '
'Look, I've become a singer.' 'A singer?!? Since when?'
'Since the last time I saw you. I've got an act together and a band and starting in two weeks I'm going into one of the small lounges here to break it in and I'm really excited about the whole thing and as a matter of fact I sound great!!!'
Lisa could sense Toni's confusion across the miles and in a strange way it made her feel very good that she was able to turn down the job offer and not feel any pangs of regret.
'I don't quite know what to say Lisa. Isn't all this a bit sudden. I mean I never knew that you had thoughts about singing, I… I don't know what I thought.'
'Well babe, it is a bit sudden but I thought what the fuck. I've had a go at acting, at being a mistress, at dancing and soft core hustling so why not give the old voice box a try. I've been working out with a singing coach who's really very good and he says I'm a natural. I got this guy who's managing me and we've got a few dates lined up if the first few shows turn out OK. It's strange and all, but that's what's happening. If there's anything you can do Toni to get me work don't forget your old pal Lisa. By the way, my stage name is Lisa Veranda and the Verandettes. What do you think about them cookies?'
'I'm floored! How did you get that all together in a month!?!'
'Sweat!'
'Lisa, you're not putting me on are you?'
