Chapter 10
To say that Sugar's graduation gown caused a sensation at the commencement exercises next night would have been the greatest understatement in the high school's long and colorful history-especially when she showed up at the auditorium where the exercises were held with no bra on under her see-through top. It wasn't that she was trying to be risque. The gown simply looked better and fit better without a bra.
Besides, for the actual ceremonies the graduates would all wear caps and gowns, which would more than adequately cover her. But according to tradition, just before leaving the platform at the conclusion of the exercises, they would remove their caps and gowns and leave them neatly folded on their chairs before departing. It wasn't difficult to imagine what a reaction the sight of Sugar's breasts through her see-through top would have on the audience when her cap and gown came off.
However, it never quite reached that stage. In fact, for several very anxious moments, it didn't look as if Sugar would be permitted to take part in the graduation program. Until one of her teachers, who liked Sugar and knew how very hard Sugar had worked to receive her diploma with the rest of the class, came forward and volunteered to loan Sugar her bra. Luckily, this sympathetic teacher boasted a 38-inch bust the same as Sugar, so that her white nylon bra fit Sugar perfectly and looked very nice under her lacy white bodice.
While all this was going on backstage, Yale was seeing to it that his mother and father, who had come to see their daughter graduate, were seated far enough back from the platform, where they couldn't make out Sugar's gown too clearly. Sugar, of course, didn't know about this until later. Nor did she or Yale take into consideration that his sister might have visited the boutique, seen the gown and recognized it as the one Sugar was wearing.
In any event, after the business of the bra was straightened out, everything went along smoothly. Then, as rehearsed, after the sheepskins were handed out, off came the caps and gowns while the graduates sang their alma mater song for the last time, then one-by-one they left the platform.
As Sugar came down the short flight of stairs from the platform, she searched the crowd for Yale so that he could take her to the dance, then slip away quietly and return the gown to the shop. But barely did she reach the bottom step, when she heard someone say, "Pardon me, young lady, but I'd like to talk to you."
Sugar turned and looked up into the face of Cal Ordway. She'd never met him, but she'd seen him around town many times. Even if she hadn't, she'd have known him in a moment. While he might not have been as tall as his son, there was a striking resemblance, even though the man standing before her was much more mature-looking. Both had the same wide shoulders, the same strong jaw, aquiline nose, pale-blue eyes and blond hair. Although Cal Ordway's hair was now more white than blond.
After he introduced himself, he said quietly and diplomatically, "Mrs. Ordway and I have been admiring your lovely gown. We were wondering if you'd tell us where you got it?"
Her stomach already constricted and the palms of her hands wet with nervous perspiration, Sugar suddenly pushed the panic button. She turned and started to run away through the crowd. It was a foolish thing to try do to. But she knew she had no answer for Cal Ordway's question, unless of course she implicated Yale. She didn't want to do that because of the trouble it would cause him-and herself.
She took no more than half a dozen steps when the crowd closed in and blocked her way and Ordway caught up with her. It wasn't until then Sugar saw that his wife, a tall, slim woman with a skeletal face and shoe-button eyes, was with him.
"Now, Miss Kane-that is your name, isn't it?" Ordway exacted.
Sugar nodded, wishing for all the world that the floor would open up and swallow her up, or that she'd wake up and find it wasn't really happening.
"Will you please tell me where you got the gown?" Ordway insisted.
Sugar swallowed fearfully. "It... it was given to me."
"That's a bald-faced lie!" Mrs. Ordway suddenly spoke up. "That gown is an original. The only one of its kind in the world."
"That's right," her husband tacked on. "It was designed for me by Pierre of Paris."
"Oh, stop all this nonsense," Mrs. Ordway spat out with aggravated impatience as the crowd, including a couple of special officers, gathered around. "All you have to do is look at the label to tell she's lying."
Ordway sighed and cast a disapproving glance at his wife for the scene she was making, even though he knew she was right. The upshot of the whole thing was that, at his request, the two guards escorted Sugar to one of the little private rooms backstage at the auditorium, where Sugar was asked to take off the gown, so that Ordway and his wife could read the label.
Standing there in only her bra and panties, before someone discreetly handed her a robe to put on, Sugar saw that Yale's father filled his eyes with a lot more than the store label, which, of course, they found inside the dress. After that, all hell broke lose. Mrs. Ordway insisted that the police be called and Sugar hauled off to juvenile court.
Ordway tried to talk her out of it. Since the gown was being returned, he could see no point in causing the girl any further embarrassment, or hardship. But Mrs. Ordway could not be swayed. She insisted that Sugar be prosecuted.
Sugar still refused to implicate Yale, even though she couldn't understand why he hadn't come forward and helped her out of this terrible situation. Sugar had known all along that, like his father, Yale was deathly afraid of his mother. But what she didn't know whas that he'd been present when his sister recognized the gown and suggested to their parents that they have a closer look at it. Nor was she to know that Yale, aware of the scene his mother would make when the gown was discovered, to say nothing of the hell she'd cause if he ever admitted to what happened between himself and Sugar, had decided on the line of least resistance and had taken a hurry-up powder.
At police headquarters, Sugar was taken into a little room, seated in a straight-backed chair and interrogated by a policewoman, as if she were a hardened criminal. Even though the policewoman's questioning reduced Sugar to tears, the girl refused to say how she got the gown, except that it was loaned to her.
Sugar spent the night at police headquarters, awaiting an appearance in juvenile court the following morning. Her mother came to see her as soon as she heard about the mess her daughter was in.
Whether or not Ella Kane's appearance at headquarters helped or hurt Sugar was difficult to say, especially since everyone knew of her unsavory reputation. However, she did bring a dress for Sugar and told her, "Don't you worry, Sugar baby, I've got friends here in the city. You won't be in here very long."
As it developed, it wasn't necessary for Ella to call on her friends, because when court convened in the morning, Sugar was told the charges against her had been dropped and she was released. At first, she thought it might have been her mother's doing. But when the lawyer who arranged for her release spoke to her in the corridor outside the courtroom, she learned the truth.
"I'm Mr. Cal Ordway's attorney," he told her. "He sent me here to straighten things out and apologize for any inconvenience you might have suffered."
Sugar was still a little confused. "Why?"
The lawyer glanced up and down the corridor to make certain no one was within earshot. "Yale told his mother and father the whole truth last night. He admitted that he had been seeing you and that he gave you the gown to wear for your graduation."
Whatever small joy Sugar may have gotten from the fact that Yale had finally mustered the courage to tell his parents the truth was short-lived when the attorney continued.
"I'd say you were a very lucky girl that things turned out the way they have," he said to her. "And if I may offer some free advice, you'll be very wise to make no attempt to see Yale when he comes back."
Sugar frowned. "Comes back? Comes back from where?"
"Europe."
"Europe?"
"His mother and father have made arrangements for him to spend the remainder of the summer over there with their foreign buyers," the lawyer went on explaining. "And from there he'll return directly to college. So I repeat, you'll be a very smart girl to forget all about him. Because next time your luck may not hold out."
"Luck?"
"That's right. I don't know whether you're aware of it, but Mrs. Ordway is a very determined woman, and if you insist on furthering your relationship with her son, you might live to regret it."