hadn’t let it happen. If she had Bonventre would have demoted her long ago or else fired her altogether.
It did seem though that Jessie’s dental problems were more major than usual, even having to have novocainewouldn’t make her cry up a whole box of Kleenex, which she had practically done.
“On top of that my overbite’s getting worse,” Jessie added. Harmony gave her Francois to hold, hoping that would cheer her up.
Gary was looking like he had had a little too much depression for one day.
“Nobody ever died of an overbite,” he said. “Nobody ever died of having an insurance check stolen, either. What we need around here is a little perspective.”
“I’ve already got a prescription,” Jessie said, misunderstanding completely. “Who stole the insurance check?”
“Well, Denny, I’m hoping it’s a joke,” Harmony said.
Both of them looked at her as if to say who do you think you’re kidding, she didn’t particularly think she was kidding anybody, maybe she just didn’t want to admit he was a total criminal yet.
Jessie had never been able to work up much outrage. Her view was that Denny probably needed to see a minister. She herself had been brought to Christ a few months ago and had been baptized in the swimming pool of a little motel whose owner was quite religious, but she was timid about trying to get other people to find Jesus, she felt it had to be a personal need and had never pressed Harmony or Gary very much about it.
Then Gary noticed it was nearly seven, they all had to get to work. It was not until they were driving along the Strip that Harmony remembered to tell Jessie about Bonventre offering to audition Pepper to understudy Monique. Jessie was a lot more surprised by the information than Gary had been.
“Goodness,” Jessie said. “Then if Monique quits Pepper might be making more than you.”
That was an aspect of the matter that had not so much as dawned on Harmony, it would certainly mean Pepper would have a lot more money to spend on clothes. Thatdidn’t necessarily make it a good idea, though, Pepper had plenty of clothes.
Meanwhile the sun was setting but they were only a block from the Stardust, she wouldn’t get to see the whole sunset. She loved driving and looking out the window, it was too bad there wasn’t time for a little drive, she had sort of a tiny fantasy which was that Denny was waiting for them in the parking lot in the blue car, he gave her back the check and they made up. Harmony took her time walking in, giving the fantasy every chance to happen, but it didn’t, basically she was just out thirteen hundred dollars and late for work too. She could only take about three seconds to flirt with Billy, the sweet young cop who sort of kept the traffic moving in front of the Stardust. Gary practically cried every time he saw Billy, Billy was so beautiful, but he was married to an English girl, a dancer at the Trop, Gary was just out of luck in that instance.
Still, Billy was sweet, he gave Harmony one of his wonderful little shy smiles that you had to look quick even to catch, but she caught it, he was a beautiful kid and it was pretty cheering, by the time she got backstage her spirits had risen, she was feeling okay and was not the least affected by the fact that Rodney tore into her for checking in five minutes late.
6.
W HAT WAS actually more bothersome than Rodney was the fact that the backstage smelled of elephant fart, probably for the very simple reason that one of the elephants had recently let one. A couple of younger stagehands waved brooms around pretending it would make the smell go away, but it didn’t.
“Rodney, is the elephant sick or what?” Harmonyasked. Rodney was one of Gary’s protégés, he was only twenty-two and seemed to think it was his duty to bitch if anyone in the show was a few minutes late.
“Do I look like an elephant doctor?” Rodney asked, he always liked to have a comeback. In fact he just looked like a slightly
It did seem though that Jessie’s dental problems were more major than usual, even having to have novocainewouldn’t make her cry up a whole box of Kleenex, which she had practically done.
“On top of that my overbite’s getting worse,” Jessie added. Harmony gave her Francois to hold, hoping that would cheer her up.
Gary was looking like he had had a little too much depression for one day.
“Nobody ever died of an overbite,” he said. “Nobody ever died of having an insurance check stolen, either. What we need around here is a little perspective.”
“I’ve already got a prescription,” Jessie said, misunderstanding completely. “Who stole the insurance check?”
“Well, Denny, I’m hoping it’s a joke,” Harmony said.
Both of them looked at her as if to say who do you think you’re kidding, she didn’t particularly think she was kidding anybody, maybe she just didn’t want to admit he was a total criminal yet.
Jessie had never been able to work up much outrage. Her view was that Denny probably needed to see a minister. She herself had been brought to Christ a few months ago and had been baptized in the swimming pool of a little motel whose owner was quite religious, but she was timid about trying to get other people to find Jesus, she felt it had to be a personal need and had never pressed Harmony or Gary very much about it.
Then Gary noticed it was nearly seven, they all had to get to work. It was not until they were driving along the Strip that Harmony remembered to tell Jessie about Bonventre offering to audition Pepper to understudy Monique. Jessie was a lot more surprised by the information than Gary had been.
“Goodness,” Jessie said. “Then if Monique quits Pepper might be making more than you.”
That was an aspect of the matter that had not so much as dawned on Harmony, it would certainly mean Pepper would have a lot more money to spend on clothes. Thatdidn’t necessarily make it a good idea, though, Pepper had plenty of clothes.
Meanwhile the sun was setting but they were only a block from the Stardust, she wouldn’t get to see the whole sunset. She loved driving and looking out the window, it was too bad there wasn’t time for a little drive, she had sort of a tiny fantasy which was that Denny was waiting for them in the parking lot in the blue car, he gave her back the check and they made up. Harmony took her time walking in, giving the fantasy every chance to happen, but it didn’t, basically she was just out thirteen hundred dollars and late for work too. She could only take about three seconds to flirt with Billy, the sweet young cop who sort of kept the traffic moving in front of the Stardust. Gary practically cried every time he saw Billy, Billy was so beautiful, but he was married to an English girl, a dancer at the Trop, Gary was just out of luck in that instance.
Still, Billy was sweet, he gave Harmony one of his wonderful little shy smiles that you had to look quick even to catch, but she caught it, he was a beautiful kid and it was pretty cheering, by the time she got backstage her spirits had risen, she was feeling okay and was not the least affected by the fact that Rodney tore into her for checking in five minutes late.
6.
W HAT WAS actually more bothersome than Rodney was the fact that the backstage smelled of elephant fart, probably for the very simple reason that one of the elephants had recently let one. A couple of younger stagehands waved brooms around pretending it would make the smell go away, but it didn’t.
“Rodney, is the elephant sick or what?” Harmonyasked. Rodney was one of Gary’s protégés, he was only twenty-two and seemed to think it was his duty to bitch if anyone in the show was a few minutes late.
“Do I look like an elephant doctor?” Rodney asked, he always liked to have a comeback. In fact he just looked like a slightly
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