Chapter 6

Parkville had a lot of steel mills and other heavy industries. When they shut down, our business dropped too. Grace kept just Shirley, Beverly, and me. The other girls slipped away to other towns.

One night when I got into the car, John slapped me. It snapped my head against the door post and the sting brought tears to my eyes. He hit me again, right in the mouth with his open palm. I tasted blood. He slapped me with his other hand.

"Don't-don't!" I screamed.

He kept on slapping me. I tried to shield my face with my hands, but he only pulled them down and hit me harder.

"Dirty, lousy, cheating whore!" he yelled. "I'll teach you to step out on me."

He jammed his hand into my face and slammed my head against the door post; lights exploded in my head and the pain drove hot knives into my skull. For a moment, things turned black and dim.

"I-I haven't stepped out on you," I cried. "You're the only guy I care about."

My words only made him worse and he slapped me again. I let out a scream, and a couple of men walking down the street stopped. When I screamed again, they started towards the car. John jammed the car into gear and we took off, tires squealing against the pavement. When we reached the city limits, John pushed the accelerator to the floor boards. The headlights cut crazy swaths through the darkness as we swept around curves and passed everything on the road. I could see his jaw muscles tensing with anger.

"I-I haven't been cheating on you," I stammered. "I've given you every dime that I've made."

"I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about a guy. Some old guy and you have been holding hands in your room."

"Him? Honest, I don't even know his name," I answered. "I was just trying to be nice to him. Honest, he's old enough to be my father."

"Those kind of guys like to steal the factory, too," John growled. "You just give 'em what they paid for. You don't Heed to get friendly with them."

"I'm sorry," I stammered. "I won't do it any more."

"See that you don't," John relaxed and eased up on the foot feed.

We drove in silence for about ten minutes. I had cut my lip on my teeth and it was beginning to swell. John pulled me close to him. At first I was afraid, but he didn't hit me.

"Honey, I love you too much to lose you," John said. "Do you think I want one of those louses to run off with you? I get scared every time I think about something like that."

"They don't mean a thing to me, honest they don't," I said. "Even the guy you're thinking about. He's just lonely and I felt sorry for him. We were just friends-that's all."

"Well, don't take him on any more."

I leaned my head against John's shoulder. Secretly, I was pleased. It made me feel good to know that John loved me enough to get jealous over a customer. The lights from the dashboard shone on my nylons. They were so pretty. John had bought them for me. He had been kind to me, always surprising me with new clothes, and jewelry. He had wonderful tastes in clothes and he knew how to select colors and styles for me.

Grace, Shirley, and the others were always complimenting me on my dresses and they often asked my opinion about their clothes. I never told them that I really knew very little about clothes; that John bought most of mine. I raised my head and looked at him.

"You remember what you've been asking me? Well, I asked Grace about it and she says O.K. We'll be alone tomorrow."

John gave me a shy grin and hugged me. I got to the joint about eleven the next morning and I could feel my heart pounding with excitement. Shirley was asleep on the sofa, but I woke her when I came in. We spent sixteen hours apiece on the turf, sometimes more, and Beverly just hustled whenever she felt like it.

Shirley rose and stretched, then slumped into the chair beside the window, patting a yawn with her hand.

"Jeez, what a lousy place. I wish my old man would put me in a joint where there's some action. I've only had two dates since you left!"

"Take off whenever you feel like it," I said. "You need the rest."

"It suits me. I just hope the mills start up before long." She leaned back in the chair and stared out the window. 'There's a couple more guys going to Margie. Doesn't that broad ever sleep?"

I peeked out the window. Across the street and two houses down, two men were standing on the porch talking to a tall blond. It took me a moment to place her; she was the girl I had seen on the bus.

"If you were as popular as she is, you wouldn't get to sleep either-that girl is a real hustler," Grace said. "She takes on twice as many men as any girl on this street"

"Who is she?" I asked.

"Margie Johnson," Grace answered. "Her old man's doing time for White Slavery. I just wish she was hustling for me."

I had heard men mention Margie, but I hadn't paid very much attention. Shirley changed into a street dress and left John was waiting in the vacant lot and I motioned to hint. He hurried across the street.

"Hi Grace," he said with a nervous little laugh.

She took him into my room and she had a grin on her face when she returned. She picked up her sewing basket and started working. Finally, she gave a little laugh; "These crazy men!"

It was over half an hour before I hustled another date. It gave me a funny feeling to take a customer into my room, knowing that John was hiding in my closet. It was all that I could do to keep my eyes away from his hiding place. In a way, it embarrassed me, yet I like it, and I really tried to put on a show for him. But as soon as the guy was through, I almost beat him out of my room. I hooked two more dates within the next hour and after the third one had left, I couldn't stand it any more. I peeked into my closet. John was sitting on my suitcase. He came out and glanced around the room, his eyes dancing with excitement.

"You really put out for those guys, don't you?" he exclaimed. "That big guy sure wooled you around, didn't he?"

"Which one was that?"

"The last one. The first one acted like he didn't know what the score was."

I started to say something, but I happened to glance down. I looked up into his face and smiled. His face turned red and he fumbled with his hands.

"You really got excited, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I tried not to-I-I thought that I might,-we-," his voice choked up and his eyes sank to the rug.

"You've ruined your pants," I said. "Let me take care of it."

I filled my wash basin and started to get a towel; then I remembered the coat, so I used a paper towel. John stood very still, and I tried to pretend that it had been he who had just slept with me, but I couldn't even begin to choke that pretense down.

I couldn't help but think that this was the first time in almost a year that I was this close to him. He had tried a number of times, but he hadn't been successful. To have relations with a woman only disgusted him and the only way his desire could be satisfied was to watch me with other men.

"It's no use, Wanda, I-I just can't," John shook his head. "Don't you think I wish I could-that I could be like the men who take you on?"

"It doesn't matter, honest it doesn't. We have each other and that's all that matters." I put my arms around his neck and kissed him, "I'm glad you're not like other men."

I waited until he had left before I returned to the parlor. I stared out the window for a moment and started bawling. Grace came over and put her arm around me. I held onto her dress the way I used to hold my mother's. It was a long time before I could stop crying.