After the Cabaret by Hilary Bailey Read Free Book Online

and I was getting scared I’d be captured.’
    â€˜So how did you get out?’ asked Vi.
    â€˜His wife paid,’ Sally said.
    â€˜If she wanted to get rid of you, why didn’t she turn you in?’
    â€˜She didn’t want to go that far.’
    â€˜My dad was in the last lot. He used to say the only good German’s a dead German.’
    â€˜People are people, wherever you go.’
    This was when the Spaniard spat on Sally. He was coming past their table with another man, stopped, looked back at her, turned and took a pace back to where they were sitting, said two words to Sally in a vicious tone and spat in her face.
    Then he rejoined the other man and they walked on and out of the restaurant.
    â€˜Filthy pig!’ exclaimed Vi. She opened her handbag and handed Sally a small bottle of cologne. ‘Use this,’ she told Sally. ‘It’ll freshen you up. Why did he do that? Do you know him?’
    â€˜Oh, God – oh, God,’ Sally said. ‘Is my makeup all over the place?’
    â€˜You’re looking a bit the worse for wear,’ Vi said, and handed her a small mirror.
    â€˜I’d better go to the ladies’ and make running repairs.’ She got up and left, with rapid steps. Apparently no one else had noticed the incident. When she returned she was freshly made-up. She sat down.
    â€˜What did he say to you?’ Vi asked.
    â€˜Communist whore,’ she replied. ‘He was Spanish. He must have recognised me from there. I don’t know what his sort are doing here, now we’re fighting Hitler who helped them so much.’
    â€˜Everybody’s here,’ Vi said. ‘French, Norwegians, German spies, Czechs and Poles, Jewish refugees from all over. We’ll sink, at this rate. So, you were in Spain. We’re Catholics – not good ones, but that’s what we are. But quite a lot of the blokes at the docks where Ted works went out there for the civil war to fight for the Reds. Well, I suppose at least that means you’re not a German spy. You had me worried.’
    â€˜I know, darling,’ said Sally, with a laugh.
    â€˜Politics, eh?’ said Vi, dismissively.
    Sally put a pound note on the plate with the bill on it.
    â€˜Let me pay,’ said Vi, ‘if that’s all you’ve got.’
    â€˜No, I insist, darling,’ Sally said.
    â€˜Split it,’ said Vi, fishing out her purse. ‘The point is, Cora won’t open up till September. It’ll take all that time to get the place fixed up, what with the manpower shortage. She’s begging and bribing all over the place, the carpenter’s so old he must have worked on Noah’s Ark and the bricklayer’s an invalid from the Great Warand he’s being helped by his son, and if that boy’s eleven, that’s all he is. And then there’s the band – we’ll end up with a one-armed pianist, that’s my opinion. There’ll be no pay, during this summer. But we ought to work out some numbers. Where can I get hold of you?’
    â€˜I don’t know where I’ll be. Cora kicked me out of the Bessemer. I’ll go and bang on some doors.’
    â€˜Blimey – you
are
in trouble.’
    Sally sighed. ‘I know. I can get a job, I suppose. There’s plenty now they’ve called up all the men.’
    Vi rummaged in her bag. ‘Here’s my agent’s card. Go and see if he can fix you up with something. Say I sent you and I’ll leave messages for you there.’
    â€˜What will you do for money?’ asked Sally.
    â€˜I used to do a summer season in Bournemouth but I don’t know if that’s still on, because of the war. At a pinch we’ll all have to live on my brother’s wages. Well,’ she said, dabbing powder on her nose and scrutinising her face sceptically in a small mirror, ‘I’ll love you and leave you.’ She stood up, ‘’Bye, Sally,