She looked at him and smiled. ‘You ever been to a night club?’

‘Not the ones in New York. I used to go to one in Queens with Fred. He’s my neighbor I was telling you about.’

‘A Queens night club,’ she said.

‘There’s some pretty fast places in Queens.’

‘What’d you do there?’

‘Oh, we’d have a drink and dance.’

‘You have a girl with you?’

‘Not usually. Usually I’d dance with Fred’s wife. But I don’t enjoy dancing very much. I find most women are pretty dumb. I mean they’re not serious,’ he added quickly.

‘Do you drink a lot?’

‘Not much. Just on occasion.’

They said nothing for a few moments. She kept staring across the avenue at the hotels.

‘A penny for your thoughts,’ he said, pretending to chuckle.

She turned deliberately to him. The drinks had worn off. ‘You going to keep taking me out?’ she asked, weightily.

‘Would you like me to?’ he fumbled.

‘Say yes or no. I’m not the harpooning type,’ she said with a strange tinge of annoyance.

‘Well, of course I’d like to. I was just wondering how you felt.’

She held his gaze relentlessly.’ Why do you take me out?’

‘I like your company. That’s the truth.’

‘Nothing more?’

‘Sometimes you’re …’ he started to reprimand her gently.

‘I know all the answers, don’t I?’ She turned her head away as though worried about herself.

‘That’s all right,’ he managed. But she kept her head turned away.

After a moment he said, ‘Tell me more about yourself, Gertrude.’

‘Why?’

‘I guess I want to know you better. You mentioned you’d been in Hollywood. How’d you like it there?’

‘Oh, it’s all right.’

‘Were you trying to get in the movies?’

‘Uh huh.’

‘As an actress?’

‘I’m a singer.’

‘Really? Professionally?’

‘Sure. I’ve had over two hundred engagements.’

‘What kind of singing?’

‘Any kind. Hot, blue, or for weddings.’

‘What happened? Lose your voice.’

‘Unfortunately, no.’

‘Why do you say that?’

‘I still want to sing. I still can.’

‘Why don’t you?’

‘You don’t make the same mistake twice if you can help it.’

‘Like what?’

‘I don’t want to just go around with a band. I want to be seen. Like in the movies.’

‘Why didn’t they take you? I’ll bet you sing beautifully.’

‘I got the wrong type of beauty.’

‘Oh.’

‘I got the test but I looked too tragic for a singer.’

‘Oh,’ he repeated quietly.

‘Then where’d you go? You stay in Hollywood?’

‘Stayed there for the weather.’

‘You were out of work long?’

‘I didn’ t feel well … You want to hear about it?’

‘I do. Really, Gertrude.’

‘All right. I got this test and they didn’t take me. Then I got to realize that it wasn’t any use, you know? So I quit the profession. I’d made some contacts, though, and I thought maybe I could pick up some pits. But my contacts were all after the same thing and I got so I couldn’t even stand to have a bus driver touch my hand to put the change in. So I stayed there two years working for a man who had a dog-manicuring place. You know, washing and clipping …’