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Big Al 11
Contributed by
ramfire
on
Friday, 15th June 2007 @ 11:46:15 AM in AEST
Topic:
Lifepoems
|
Miss DuPreys house on Lakefront Drive was in an affluent part of town with real estate values in six digit numbers. Jean and I were there at ten oclock sharp.
Her home was French Tudor of brick stone and stucco. There was a double arched entry with sloped roof and copper roof bay window. To the far right was a triple car garage joining the house at a forty-five degree angle. The whole thing reminded me of the French countryside.
After a couple of rings of the door bell Miss DuPrey greeted us. She was wearing an old brown stripe apron over a white blouse and black slacks. A smudge of dirt was on her forehead. I guessed shed been working in the garden. Her smile was warm showing beautiful even white teeth.
Come on in, she said holding the door wide for us to enter.
We stepped into a bare foyer with an encaustic tile floor. We immediately went to the right into a gallery leading to a large room with a fireplace at its far end,. Stairs to the second floor were to the right midway in the room. We stopped by the fireplace where she spoke.
Thanks for coming. I see youve brought some catalogues. Good. Maybe we can look at those after Ive shown you around a little. Would that be okay with you?
Fine, you lead the way. Well follow.
It half an hour of looking and talking about rooms before we came back to sit on the fireplace hearth to look at the catalogues. Jean made penciled notes of things liked and dislikes. When finished, I closed the catalogues saying, Ill give you a complete written estimate of whats available and their costs within a week. You can come by my office and pick it up.]
I knew youd have some good ideas and you certainly did. Contact me at the Colony Club
when youre ready.
Ill do that. Anything else we can talk about before we leave?
I dont think so. She gestured with her hands taking in the whole room and house. It looks awfully empty now, but itll be a fun project and I think my father would be happy if he could see the end result.
Im sure he would be. But weve taken up enough of your time and youve other things you probably want to do.
Nothing more important than decorating this house. Thanks again for coming and giving me your ideas.
Ill get back to you.
She stood offering me her hand. I shook it taking Jean away as Miss DuPrey showed us out. All in all, it had been an interesting morning. We stopped off at Flukys hot dog stand at Maxwell and Halsted Streets for a couple of their best.
Entering the lobby of the Jergins building, Willy caught my eye motioning for me to come over to his shoe shine stand.
Whats up, Willy?
There was a guy here asking me about you.
What did he look like?
He had a brown suit.
Did he have a hat with a brown band?
Yup, he sure did.
What did you tell him?
I said you had an office up stairs someplace. I didnt know where your office was.
Did you tell him anything else?
No, Mister Berger. When he wanted to give me a dollar for more information about you, I told him I knew nothing else.
You did the right thing, Willy. Next time I get a shine, you get another porthole.
You dont have to do that, Mister Berger. You and I are good friends. You dont treat me like dirt.
You could treat me a little better, Jean half chided.
If I did, you wouldnt like it. Besides auburn hair isnt my favorite. I like small platinum blonds with plenty of curves. You got it all, baby, and that Miss Gloria DuPrey doesnt hold a candle to you.
She had no answer for that, just a self satisfied smile. We went up to the office. When we got there I spread the catalogues out on her desk by the telephone. They were the Furniture Dealers Reference Book, 1928, the Hartman Furniture & Carpet Co., Chicago, Il., and the Victorian Furniture Company.
I want you to telephone these companies and get the information we need. After that, type it out on an invoice sheet with cost. When you done, let me have it.
You want that next week, right?
Wrong. I want to call Miss DuPrey by Friday and get all this antique business over with. Monday night were going to a hockey gave and I dont want to be thinking about antiques.
I dont like hockey. Take me another club where I can be a flapper again.
If things work out right at the game, Ill take you Bennys blind pig where there arent any small round wooden table, just white table cloth booths with velvet drapes that can be close. If you want to be seen, theres the dance floor.
Her eyes lit up like blue lights on a pin ball machine. A thought seemed to cross her mind.
How much are you betting on the game?
Now thats none of you business.
Come on, Big Al. Tell me.
A few bucks.
I dont think so. How much?
Enough to buy you a diamond tennis bracelet if the Blackhawks win.
Why dont you pay me more than a measly fifty bucks a week to work in this crummy office?
The fifty a week makes your employment here legit. Havent I already bought you a mink coat and clothes at Hudsons in Detroit?
She smiled, caressing my earlobe with a red fingernail. My sugar daddy, she whispered softly into my ear. Youre so good to me. I love diamond tennis bracelets, daddy. You know what, daddy, Im going to keep my fingers crossed the whole time at the game for good luck.
Copyright ©
ramfire
... [
2007-06-15 11:46:15]
(Date/Time posted on
site)
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