Sugar House (9780991192519) (35 page)

"Attention! Ms. Bow has had a long trip and
needs to freshen up. If you will kindly gather in the waiting room
she will be happy to oblige all autograph requests in a few
minutes. Please allow her a few minutes to gather her wits
together." Joe crossed his fingers, hoping the crowd would
acquiesce. He grabbed the beautiful star's hand and pulled her
toward the ladies' powder room; her companion followed. The crowd
hurriedly moved toward the waiting room, and as Joe reached the
entrance to the ladies' room he turned to the actress and said,
"Run!"

The three ran toward the front entrance of
the train station and down the steps to a waiting cab. Joe pulled
the back door open and gently pushed Clara Bow into the back seat.
The tall man with her ran to the other side and jumped in. The rain
had finally stopped, and the sun was trying to peek through the
gray clouds.

"Jump in, brother!" Clara yelled. Joe opened
the front door to the cab and pulled himself in as the cab took off
down the drive. He almost fell out as the driver made a quick turn
onto the avenue, but he managed to shut the passenger door. The mob
had seen the trio making a run for it and had chased after them,
but they made it safely away.

"Hot socks—that was terrific!" Clara praised Joe from
the back seat in her strong Brooklyn accent. "What's your name,
brother?"

"Joey O. Sorry I pulled you so hard, Miss
Bow. I hope I didn't hurt you, but that crowd was getting a little
wild. I was worried you might get trampled." Joe told the cabbie to
drive toward downtown. "Where you headed, Miss Bow?"

"Where we staying at, Gary? Some sorta
library, I think."

Suddenly, Joe realized who Bow's companion
was. Sitting in the backseat was Gary Cooper, the western movie
hero; six foot four, sandy blond hair, handsome, with the body of
an Olympic athlete, America's leading man.

"The Book-Cadillac Hotel," Cooper responded,
almost so quietly that Joe had a hard time hearing him. For despite
all his horsemanship ability, outward virility, and fame, the actor
was extremely shy. Joe directed the cabbie to take them to the new
hotel. The Book-Cadillac had opened only two years before, and it
was the largest hotel structure in the world.

"What brings you to town, Miss Bow?" Joe
asked.

"Please call me Clara, Joey O. 'Miss Bow'
makes me feel like a old maid. Gee whiz, that was awful smart of
ya—fooling all those people. Wasn't it Gary?"

Bow leaned into her companion and Cooper put
his arm around her. Joe watched as she reached up to embrace her
costar. Her short dress moved, revealing her upper thigh. She
didn't seem to notice and didn't reach down to cover herself. Joe
could barely move his eyes away from her porcelain skin. Joe was
star struck.

"Sure was. Thanks, Joey," Cooper said. "I
hate all these crowds. They make me feel like a nun in a nightclub.
The studio should send security for Clara. One day she'll get
mobbed, and they'll kill her out of love. Man, I hate these press
junkets."

"Oh sugar, don't be so dramatic." Bow
responded. "We's fine as wine." Clara gave him a kiss on the cheek,
leaving a dark red lip print, and turned her attention back to Joe.
"We're here to open our new movie tonight at the Fox Theatre. Why
dontcha come and see it? I'll leave a ticket for ya at will call."
Bow reached into her handbag and pulled out a flask. "Sure could
use a drinky-poo after all that hullabaloo." She took a quick drink
and offered it to Gary Cooper, who took a swig and then handed it
to Joe. Joe took a sip and spit it out on the floor of the cab.

"That's some awful rotgut, Miss—I mean Clara.
You shouldn't be drinking that cheap imitation. Why don't we make a
quick stop before I drop you at the hotel and get you some real
stuff?" Joe felt more at ease now… bootleg liquor was his life.

"Why sure, Joey. That's awful nice of him,
isn't it Gary?" Bow pulled off her hat, shook her bright red hair,
and fluffed it out with her hands. "Didn't know folks were so
hospitable in Detroit, did we, sugar?" Cooper only smiled and
nodded and looked out the window of the cab at the busy city. Joe
gave the cabbie the address of the Sugar House and turned back to
look at the beautiful woman-child in the back seat. Bow moved and
fidgeted, constantly in a state of motion. Her tiny hands dotted
the air as she spoke, and her wide eyes looked about the cab and
out the windows, never stopping to rest long on any item or
person.

"I saw you both in
Wings
earlier this
year. You were both terrific. Actually saw it twice." Joe was
referring to the aerial war movie that had played to sold out
houses all over the country.

"Isn't that sweet of ya? That's where sugar
and I met, right, Gary? Them was some hot nights filming in Texas,
wasn't they?" Bow pulled on Cooper's collar, unbuttoning his top
button. He blushed and pulled away slightly.

"Clara, let's get somewhere a little more
private before you start all that." He smiled and, taking his arm
from her shoulders, held her hand.

"Always so proper… keeps me in line, he does.
Can't stand all the attention, but he became a movie star. Funny
baby." She pulled on Cooper's ear and sat back in the seat to look
at Joe. "Course you're a mighty fine looking kid yourself. I could
get you a bit part in my next movie if you wanna come out to
Hollywood, Joey O."

"Aww… no thanks, Miss—I mean Clara. I'm not
the acting sort. I'm just your average working Joe."

"I'm jest a working girl myself, Joey O." The
cab pulled up to the Sugar House. "This where ya work?"

"Kinda… you wanna come in? I'm sure my bosses
would get a kick outta you coming to the office. They don't like
visitors ordinarily, but I'm sure they'll make an exception in your
case." Clara looked around at the street and thought for a
moment.

"Why not? Seems like the least I could do,
seeing as ya saved my hindquarters back there and you're getting us
some good hooch. Come on Gary, baby— let's give them a thrill."

Joe gave the cabbie a five dollar bill to
wait for them, jumped out of the cab, and opened the door for Bow
and Cooper. He led them up the narrow wooden stairs to the small
waiting room outside the office. Joe told them to wait there for a
minute while he told his boss about their visit. He opened the door
and saw Charlie and Shorr bent over the desk discussing profit
margins.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I brought you a new
customer," Joe said, shutting the door behind him.

"Whadda ya mean, you brought us a new
customer? We don't bring customers here, you ignorant immigrant."
Shorr stared at Joe angrily.

"I think you'll make an exception for this
one." Joe smiled. Charlie looked at Joe's flushed face and bright
eyes.

"Who is it, Joey O?" Charlie asked.

"No one but a Miss Clara Bow and Mr. Gary
Cooper… saw them getting off the train at the station, and they
almost got mobbed to death so I helped them grab a cab. They're in
need of some good hooch, so I thought you might like a personal
appearance. Seeing as all of her movie characters encourage
drinking, dancing, and jazz, she's been awful good for our
business, I'd say." Shorr and Charlie stared at Joe, unbelieving.
Then Charlie sorta snapped out of it and told him to bring them
in.

Clara sashayed into the office followed by
Gary Cooper. Her perfect hourglass shape was set off in a tight
ivory dress of lace and satin. "How do you do, boys? Thanks for
having me. This boy of yours is all right… got us out of a tough
spot." Clara walked over to Shorr and put her hand on his forearm.
She twinkled her enormous eyes at Shorr, and Joe thought he almost
blushed.

"Have a seat, Miss Bow," Shorr said, pulling
out a chair. "Mr. Cooper?" he asked. Gary declined, and Joe leaned
his back against the wall and laughed to himself as he watched his
two tough bosses dance around the room, pulling out glasses and
bottles of whisky. Ten minutes later, kisses planted on the cheeks
of Shorr and Charlie and Joe carrying a case of whisky labeled as
fruit, they headed back down to the cab. Clara Bow had charmed,
teased, and flirted with the Sugar House bosses, and Gary Cooper
had not appeared the least bit jealous. Perhaps it was an act or
the handsome actor was just used to Clara's way with men, or maybe
it was the several shots of good whisky warming his belly, but Gary
appeared to take no notice of Clara's brazenness.

The bosses gave Clara Canadian Club whisky
just the way it came from the distillery. But the Sugar House had
begun cutting their liquor at various spots across the city to
increase their profits. Only the highest end (and highest paying)
customers received the unadulterated whisky.

"See ya, baby," Clara called when Joe dropped
them at the front door of the Book-Cadillac Hotel. Clara leaned in
the passenger window and gave Joe a big kiss on the cheek. "I'll
leave that ticket at will call, Joey O."

The taxi pulled away from the curb into the
traffic. Joe could still smell the Chanel No. 5 she'd worn. He
fantasized about being with a woman of such great beauty and verve.
The cab felt empty now, as if a tornado had sucked the air out of
it, and there was the eerie silence that followed all fantastic,
violent storms.

***

He ate dinner in silence as his brothers yammered,
argued, and fought for his attention. Occasionally he'd nod or
grunt, but Frank and Stephan didn't notice that his attention was
elsewhere. He ate two fried pork chops, washing down the greasy
meat with a large glass of milk, and thanked his mother for the
meal. After his brothers were excused from the table to play
outside, he stood next to Matka at the sink, drying the dishes she
washed.

"Uncle Feliks said he'd be happy to go to
Poland to find Anna," he said, wiping a small bowl with the
towel.

"Really, Joe? Oh my! I can't believe I'm
going to see Anna again." She dropped the dish she'd been washing
and hugged him with glee.

"He's leaving on a train in the morning for
New York." Joe smiled with pride and then stopped as he looked into
Matka's face. Her eyes dimmed as if the sun had passed behind a
cloud.

"Why are you upset, Matka?" he asked, as he
picked up the shards of the broken dish and threw them in the
rubbish bin.

"I'm just surprised that he's leaving in the
morning. I would have liked to buy Anna a present and something for
your Uncle Feliks's trip. The stores will be closing, and there
isn't any time now."

"Sure there is, Matka. I'll run down the
street and find a cab to take you to Hudson's. Take this money and
find a nice present for Aunt Anna." Deliberately not mentioning
Uncle Feliks, who was costing him half of his savings, he held out
a fifty-dollar bill.

"Thank you, Joe, but no. I have money saved
from my sewing. I'll walk down to Woodward and find a cab myself.
Oh dear, I'm such a mess," she said patting at her hair and her
simple dress.

"You look beautiful. Hurry now. I'll keep an
eye out for the boys and grab a quick shower while you're gone."
Matka pulled off her apron, grabbed a small hat to pull over her
golden hair, and darted out the door.

After a cool shower, Joe stood in front of
the bathroom mirror examining his face. The shave from a few days
before appeared to be holding up fine. Apparently his beard hadn't
heard that the rest of him was doing the work of a grown man. His
shoulders had widened though, and the muscles on his arms and chest
were defined and tight from the years of lifting cases out of
boats. Joe flexed his biceps several times and laughed at himself.
Hair combed back with pompadour oil, cologne applied to all the
right areas, and dressed to the nines, he decided that a little
facial hair didn't make a difference one way or another. After all,
the most beautiful woman in the world had asked to meet him at the
theater. Who cares if her boyfriend would be there too?

Joe left for the Fox Theatre when his mother
returned from her shopping trip. All smiles and worrying how to
wrap her gifts, she sent him out the door without even a question
as to his plans. The marquee lights shining from the Fox could be
seen from half a mile down the street. An enormous crowd had
gathered in front of the majestic theater. Joe worried that Clara
might have forgotten to leave a ticket for him. But the ticket
agent handed him an envelope containing the ticket and a note from
the star.

For Joey O, the real McCoy! Thanks for the giggle
water… hope you enjoy the show!

Love, Clara

The note was written in big, loopy letters at
the bottom of her picture. Joe carefully rolled up the picture and
placed it in his front coat pocket. A dark-skinned man in a sharp
red uniform opened the door to the theater and ushered him inside.
The lobby was more like a ballroom in a castle than a theater
lobby. Gold leaf gleamed from every surface, accented by stones
that appeared to Joe to be rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. Dashing
men and pretty ladies traversed up and down a great staircase that
led to the balconies. The top hats and tall, feathered headbands
bobbing through the masses on the heads of the movie goers made it
look as if exotic animals were performing a mating ritual.

An usher led Joe to a seat on the left side
of the balcony. A great gold lion peered down at the rows of seats
from above the stage curtain, and a fifty-piece orchestra played a
lively rendition of "She's Got It," a song inspired by Clara Bow's
movie, "
It,"
released earlier that year. The lights dimmed
twice, and the young crowd took their seats. The great scarlet
curtain slowly opened and Clara Bow appeared, sans Gary Cooper, in
the beam of the spotlight. Sparkles of light reflected from the
thousands of silver beads that hung from her backless dress, as if
she were the origin of all the constellations in the sky. Her fiery
red hair had been smoothed and curled, and she looked almost demure
as she stood alone on the large stage waiting for the applause to
quiet down.