quickly as she could.
“ Going somewhere?” Romano asked with annoyance in his voice.
Harmony smiled. “Sure am, it’s late. Best be getting to my side of town before the sun catches me. You understand.”
“ The agreement was you stay.” Romano closed the door. He sipped something dark from a glass. She thought she heard a glass shatter against a wall down below. Did he go around breaking glasses for sport? She could smell its potency from across the room. Harmony dropped her hands to her hips. She had managed to put her dress on. It remained unzipped.
“ You hear anything on my brother? Any news?”
“ Nothing new. Kid’s either lost or dead.”
Harmony’s smile dipped. She never considered for a moment that Willie could be dead. Romano’s hard edge seemed to soften over her state. “I’m only saying that he’s not easy to find. We don’t know anything yet.”
Harmony nodded. “Right. Like I said. I best be on my way.” Now that Romano thinks Willie is tied to his missing hooch he was no longer an ally. This she knew as plain as she knew the nose on her face.
“ Stay.”
Harmony grimaced, but kept her expression free of the tension building inside of her. Suddenly she wanted distance. No. She needed distance from this man and what they shared. She tried to run up her zipper and stopped. “I’d rather not. I… sun will be up soon. I need to get home.”
Romano set his glass down. “It’s a long walk back to Harlem.” He stepped to her and took her hand. “I can have a car take you home… after.”
“ After?”
“ After.”
A soft chuckle escaped her. “Sounds tempting. But how would that look? You sending me home in a chauffeured car in broad daylight. I don’t need no trouble.”
“ You make it hard for a man to be nice Harmony.”
She pulled her hand from his. “You have been nice.” She replied, her voice tight and firm. “You agreed to help me. I’m no fool honey. I know you didn’t do it for my singing.” She cleared her throat. “I also know that you have no intention on flaunting some colored jazz singer around your nice tidy white neighborhood. I’m saying it’s best I leave on my own terms while the leaving is good. The after will have to wait for another time.”
Romano stood silent. She turned and he stepped forward and ran her zipper up. Harmony didn’t figure him for a man to beg. Though she did consider he’d force his will. Instead he withdrew and watched her with a piercing stare. She collected her stockings and garter and wished she had kept her purse. She caught a glimpse of her tussled hair in the mirror and averted her gaze. She’d pull her hat down low on her head. Sugar Hill didn’t sleep at night, but dawn was relatively quiet.
“ And if I hear anything on your brother?” Romano asked? His gaze tracked her every movement. Would he stop staring! It made her nervous as hell, and clumsy.
“ You can send word to the club. Right?” Harmony headed for the door. When Romano didn’t move from the window she stopped. “Thank you for… everything. Your help, I appreciate it.”
He dismissed her and returned his attention to the window. She couldn’t catch her breath until she was halfway down the stairs. To her dismay the maid waited for her by the door. She held her purse, coat and hat out to her. Harmony accepted them both avoiding the older woman’s eyes. She barely crossed over the threshold before the door slammed behind her. She fast walked down the steps to the street. There was no way she’d catch a cab or anything in this neighborhood. She looked down the sidewalk realizing the walk ahead of her with the sun rising to her back wasn’t quite wise. She really hadn’t thought her exit through.
“ Mr. Romano wants me to take you back into Harlem. To The Cotton.” A man appeared out of the shadows. Harmony nearly jumped from her skin. Was he there the
“ Going somewhere?” Romano asked with annoyance in his voice.
Harmony smiled. “Sure am, it’s late. Best be getting to my side of town before the sun catches me. You understand.”
“ The agreement was you stay.” Romano closed the door. He sipped something dark from a glass. She thought she heard a glass shatter against a wall down below. Did he go around breaking glasses for sport? She could smell its potency from across the room. Harmony dropped her hands to her hips. She had managed to put her dress on. It remained unzipped.
“ You hear anything on my brother? Any news?”
“ Nothing new. Kid’s either lost or dead.”
Harmony’s smile dipped. She never considered for a moment that Willie could be dead. Romano’s hard edge seemed to soften over her state. “I’m only saying that he’s not easy to find. We don’t know anything yet.”
Harmony nodded. “Right. Like I said. I best be on my way.” Now that Romano thinks Willie is tied to his missing hooch he was no longer an ally. This she knew as plain as she knew the nose on her face.
“ Stay.”
Harmony grimaced, but kept her expression free of the tension building inside of her. Suddenly she wanted distance. No. She needed distance from this man and what they shared. She tried to run up her zipper and stopped. “I’d rather not. I… sun will be up soon. I need to get home.”
Romano set his glass down. “It’s a long walk back to Harlem.” He stepped to her and took her hand. “I can have a car take you home… after.”
“ After?”
“ After.”
A soft chuckle escaped her. “Sounds tempting. But how would that look? You sending me home in a chauffeured car in broad daylight. I don’t need no trouble.”
“ You make it hard for a man to be nice Harmony.”
She pulled her hand from his. “You have been nice.” She replied, her voice tight and firm. “You agreed to help me. I’m no fool honey. I know you didn’t do it for my singing.” She cleared her throat. “I also know that you have no intention on flaunting some colored jazz singer around your nice tidy white neighborhood. I’m saying it’s best I leave on my own terms while the leaving is good. The after will have to wait for another time.”
Romano stood silent. She turned and he stepped forward and ran her zipper up. Harmony didn’t figure him for a man to beg. Though she did consider he’d force his will. Instead he withdrew and watched her with a piercing stare. She collected her stockings and garter and wished she had kept her purse. She caught a glimpse of her tussled hair in the mirror and averted her gaze. She’d pull her hat down low on her head. Sugar Hill didn’t sleep at night, but dawn was relatively quiet.
“ And if I hear anything on your brother?” Romano asked? His gaze tracked her every movement. Would he stop staring! It made her nervous as hell, and clumsy.
“ You can send word to the club. Right?” Harmony headed for the door. When Romano didn’t move from the window she stopped. “Thank you for… everything. Your help, I appreciate it.”
He dismissed her and returned his attention to the window. She couldn’t catch her breath until she was halfway down the stairs. To her dismay the maid waited for her by the door. She held her purse, coat and hat out to her. Harmony accepted them both avoiding the older woman’s eyes. She barely crossed over the threshold before the door slammed behind her. She fast walked down the steps to the street. There was no way she’d catch a cab or anything in this neighborhood. She looked down the sidewalk realizing the walk ahead of her with the sun rising to her back wasn’t quite wise. She really hadn’t thought her exit through.
“ Mr. Romano wants me to take you back into Harlem. To The Cotton.” A man appeared out of the shadows. Harmony nearly jumped from her skin. Was he there the
Similar Books
All or Nothing
Belladonna Bordeaux
Surgeon at Arms
Richard Gordon
A Change of Fortune
Sandra Heath
Melody (THE LOGAN FAMILY)
Stacy-Deanne
Witness to a Trial
John Grisham
The One Thing
Marci Lyn Curtis
Heartland Courtship
Lyn Cote
Y: A Novel
Marjorie Celona
Leap
Jodi Lundgren
Shark Girl
Kelly Bingham