It probably depended on whether Bea forgave him or not.
But he had taken her home to get ready for work, then to the Nightingale, driving in heavy silence that Vivian was too nervous to break. She felt odd and uncomfortable, sitting alone in the back seat, sure she was costing him a fare that he could have put to good use. But he didn’t protest. And they both knew it could have led to trouble if someone peeked into the car and saw her sitting next to him in the front seat.
It wasn’t until he had parked a few doors down from the Nightingale’s back-alley entrance that Abraham finally spoke. Lighting two cigarettes, he handed one to her and took a long drag of his. “You think she’s going to be okay?”
“Right as rain in a day or two, I’m sure,” Vivian said quickly. She trusted Leo’s assessment, though she couldn’t shake her own worry for her friend. “I’m just worried about what she’s going to want to do afterward.”
All the windows in the car were rolled down, and Abraham slowly blew a stream of smoke out his. “I won’t let her do anything that’ll get her hurt.”
“You’re a good fella, Abraham,” Vivian said, meaning it. Everyone kept secrets. Everyone did things they weren’t proud of. He was no different. And he loved her friend.
He met her eyes in the mirror. “We’ll see if Bea agrees with you.”
When Vivian finally made her way inside, Danny was in the middle of doing inventory. Most of the staff hadn’t arrived yet, but the band was running through a couple new songs. They had a new bass player, a skinny kid with thick glasses who looked extra scrawny next to his instrument but played with plenty of style. Danny listened to Vivian in silence, then wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Damn. Mr. Smith won’t be happy,” he said, glancing at the bandleader. “Bea’s a real draw now; there’s folks who come just to hear her sing.” He shook his head. “One of these days, some big-name place is going to snatch her up.” His gaze sharpened. “Is there more to it than just her being sick?”
“Yes,” Vivian said quietly.
Danny nodded. “Any of that trouble likely to follow you here tonight?”
Vivian shivered. Dr. Harris had as much reason to avoid her as she had to avoid him. If he wanted to make trouble, she suspected he was more likely to wait a few days until she let down her guard. But hisfather had been a cop. And she had no idea whether he knew where she and Bea worked. “Maybe tell the boys on the door to keep an eye out for any plainclothes trying to sneak in. Just in case.”
Danny’s expression grew alarmed. “Kitten, don’t tell me you and Bea were messing around with the police? What were you thinking?”
“Not on purpose,” Vivian said, wincing. “But sometimes it’s hard not to stumble over a crooked cop in this city.”
Danny blew out a slow breath. “All right. Hux has a few friends of her own on the force. I’ll tell her to give them a call and keep an eye on things for us. And I’ll go tell Mr. Smith his star isn’t coming tonight.” He headed toward the bandstand, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze as he passed. “Cheer up, kitten. We’ll keep you safe. It’s what we do around here.”
“Did you see Florence before you came to work tonight?” Vivian asked.
He paused, giving her a worried look over his shoulder. “Is she in danger?”
“No, I just wanted… never mind. We’ve got work to do.” Vivian managed to give him a smile. “Thanks, Danny-boy.”
She didn’t have Danny’s knack for spotting an undercover cop, but Vivian still kept an eye on the door and her things behind the bar, in case she needed to make a quick getaway. But the night unfolded with the Nightingale’s normal playful, sultry energy. She overheard a few grumbles as she wove through the crowd, from folks who were disappointed not to hear Bea sing.Beatrice Bluebird,she heard more than one person call her, with no idea where the name had come from. Danny or Honor, she suspected, trying to capitalize on Bea’s growing popularity.
By the time her second break rolled around, she had relaxed enough to accept an invitation to dance, just as the band struck up an easy foxtrot. It was one they played nearly every night, and it had becomea running game at the Nightingale that every time the chorus rolled around, everyone had to switch partners. It was just the distraction that Vivian needed for a few minutes.
When the last chorus began, there was a wild scramble. Laughing, Vivian’s current partner twirled her toward someone new, who caught her around the waist before she could see who it was. A little dizzy, she blinked rapidly and shook her head to clear it.
And then she froze. The man who had caught her was Bruiser George.
“Hello, there, girlie,” he said, smiling. “Surprised to see me?”
Vivian tried to push away, but he had one arm locked around her waist and the other one holding her hand, and he wasn’t letting go as he steered them back into the dance. With anyone else, Vivian would have been pleasantly surprised by how good a dancer he was, but she wasn’t interested in any more surprises from George. She didn’t like causing a scene, but there were times when it was necessary, and she was confident that Danny would have her back if she did. She planted her feet and took a deep breath.
But before she could say anything, George jerked his head toward the back of the room. “Boss is upstairs waiting for you.”
Vivian stumbled as he pulled her out of the way of another dancing couple, who gave them an odd look as they went past. To her relief, he let go, and she took a quick step back to put distance between them. Bruiser George gave her an amused look. She had the feeling that he enjoyed knowing he had flustered her. “Let’s go, girlie.”
“Not likely,” Vivian snapped. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
He sighed, looking hurt. “Mistrusting girl.”
“You’re damn right I am.”
“Fine.” He was starting to look irritated with her, Vivian was pleased to see. “Then I’ll go sit at the bar, and you can go up on your own. Excuse me for trying to be a gentleman.”
“You’re not, and we both know it.”
