Free Place in the City by Howard Fast Page A

else.
    When he came to Shutzey’s house, he was trembling with nervousness and anticipation. In front of the house, he stopped and cast anxious glances up and down the street for his father. He jingled the money in his pocket, hunched his shoulders, and rang the bell. Minnie the storage vault opened the door. At first she couldn’t recognize him, the way he was all bundled up in his overcoat, his hat pulled down over his face.
    â€œLemme in, Minnie,” he said.
    Then she saw who it was. Closing the door, she turned around to look at him, her hands on her hips, smiling and shaking her head. The parlor was warm. It was the first time he had ever been in there, and he looked around curiously.
    It was warm and cozy, not at all the way he had expected it to be. He took off his hat and coat, still shivering a bit, and then looked anxiously at the puddle that had formed around his feet. When he opened his mouth to speak, he realized that he was trembling. He had to get over that, act like a man and just the same as if this was an everyday business with him.
    â€œI’m sorry,” he said to Minnie the storage vault.
    â€œAwright, Tommy. That don’t do no harm. Look, the other day I seen you on the street, an’ I said, ‘Just any time now Tommy’ll be around, just the same like any of the other young men.’”
    â€œYeah?” Tommy grinned.
    â€œSure.”
    Thomas was a tall, thin boy with sandy hair, a nice smile, and the long, north-Ireland nose. When he grinned, he looked younger than he was. Minnie thought it was something of a shame; he wasn’t tough, and you had to be tough. But still and all, everyone had to get it over with. She would see that he was treated right, and she wouldn’t clean him out of all his money, the way some madams would have with a kid like that.
    â€œGimme your coat, sonny,” Minnie said, “and sit down on that couch. I’ll hang ’em up, and be right back.”
    He sat down, crossed his legs, and lit a cigarette. All in all, it wasn’t bad; you just had to make out like you knew what it was all about.
    Minnie came back, sat down next to him, and laid an affectionate hand on his knee. “Now you don’t worry,” she told him, “because I’ll fix it up for you. I know what you want, don’t I, Tommy?”
    â€œYeah—I guess so.”
    â€œI know how you feel, too. Geesus, I seen enough kids like you in my time to know just how you feel. So look, if I wasn’t madam, I’d fix you up by myself. But I know like this you’d like to have some nice young girl. Ain’t that right?”
    â€œYeah—”
    â€œSo now you sit here, and I’ll get the girl, and then she can take you up to yer room, and it ain’t like you got to be ashamed about anything. When you get through, I’ll be sitting here, and you can give me a dollar and fifty cents, just like that.”
    â€œYeah.” He crossed his legs, uncrossed them, while she patted his knees with her hand. Her hand fascinated him, it was so plump and pink, with so many brilliant rings on it. There was one that looked like a diamond, only it couldn’t have been, it was so big.
    â€œNow make yourself comfortable,” she said.
    While she was gone, he puffed upon his cigarette carelessly, trying to erase his mind of everything but the pleasures waiting for him. Then he thought of how he would tell about it the next day. Not all at once. He wouldn’t boast, as if it were the first time he had ever done anything like it. During school, he’d let hints drop. Then, later, he might advise one or two of the boys to drop around the house and mention his name. Confession bothered him a little, but he knew such things were a commonplace at confession; you got it off your chest. He might even come around with a few of his friends.
    When Minnie came back, he started, burnt himself with his cigarette. The girl with