Free Red Gardenias by Jonathan Latimer Page B

violin subdued. Delia Young sang:
    "I got a fellow crazy for me,
    He's funny that way...."
    She finished the verse, stood in the spotlight with closed eyes. Back of her the orchestra swung it with trumpets, clarinet and saxophones. It made a hell of a contrast; it was a very fine effect. Then the piano took the break again, very slow, and the husky, magic voice poured from Delia Young's lips.
    Her face was expressionless, sleepy, bored; her breast hardly moved; it was as if she, through no volition of her own, simply opened her mouth and let the melancholy song come out.
    There was no clapping immediately after she finished. Then there was a lot, but she wouldn't sing again. She glided behind the curtains; the lights went on; Dolly Wilson began to tap-dance with more energy than skill.
    Carmel smiled at Crane. "Sings well, doesn't she?"
    "My God!" Crane said.
    After a while he saw Delia Young seated alone at a table diagonally across the dance floor. He had the waiter bring a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket, tied to the bottle a card on which he had written: "If you want help with this I am ready."
    The waiter hesitated. "I'm not sure Miss Young will appreciate this. You know she's..."
    "So I've heard." Crane gave him a five-dollar bill. "Don't let it worry you."
    Ann was also looking at Delia. She turned to Crane, "If you're not too tight will you tell me something?"
    "Darling, I'm not a bit tight."
    "Is that our Delia?"
    He nodded his head. The floor show ended and the orchestra began to play dance music. Ann smiled at Peter March and he took her onto the floor. She didn't look at Crane. The waiter brought a note. It read: "Bring your own bottle."
    He was genuinely amused. That was a smart one. He'd sent her a bottle, but apparently he had no interest in it. "Send Miss Young another battle," he told the waiter. He thought he was going to like Delia.
    He got up and said to Carmel and Dr Woodrin, "Please forgive me."
    "Why?" Carmel asked.
    "I've been invited to a small reception... a very small reception in honor of Miss Young."
    Carmel drawled. "She's said to be the gal of the toughest guy in these parts."
    "Please forgive me," Crane said.
    He had trouble crossing the dance floor. There seemed to be a great many people on the floor, and all of them had to bump into him. Some of them had to bump into him twice. The thing was that if the floor hadn't been tilted up in the direction of Delia Young's table he wouldn't have had to walk bent over and consequently could have avoided the couples who bumped him. But he couldn't avoid them, and for a time he considered getting on hands and knees and crawling under the couples and up the incline. Suddenly he found himself by her table.
    Her eyes were purple and amused. "The sea rough?"
    He sat opposite her. "Would you care to dance?"
    "Do you think you can, mister?"
    He stood up, bowed, caught his balance by clutching the table. "Excuse!" He bowed, caught his balance by clutching a chair. He gave up trying to bow. "Madam, please meet the greatest little dancer of them all."
    Delia Young slid back her chair. "Remember, Arthur Murray, I leave you where you fall."
    They walked to the floor and danced, and it was quite a surprise to everybody.
    It surprised Delia Young because he danced very well, and it surprised Crane because he hadn't expected her to dance with him. It surprised Frenchy Duval, watching from the door and thinking it was a good thing Slats Donovan was not there, because ordinarily when Delia had a snootful she didn't exactly dance that way. It surprised Dolly Wilson, who had taken off her tap shoes expecting to dance with Crane. And it surprised Ann, though not very much.
    When the orchestra stopped, Crane walked fairly steadily back to the table, held the chair for Delia Young. She looked at him curiously as he sat down. "You're not bad, Arthur."
    "No, I'm not."
    The waiter poured champagne. He filled Delia's glass only halfway, but she called him back. "What's the