Coralee’s eyebrows went up.
“It’s an okay place,” Kent said. “And busy. Almost like a station or something.”
When Ben stopped in front of the popular nightspot, which was already filling up, Coralee let Celeste out of the truck to say goodbye.
“They’ll take care of you,” Kent said as he took Celeste far enough away so they couldn’t be heard.
“I’ve taken care of myself since I was eleven,” Celeste said.
“I know, but you need somebody. I wish you needed me.” He curled a strand of her hair around the tip of one finger.
“I do need you, Kent.”
“I don’t think you do, not yet. Not like I need you.” He kissed her forehead. “But I can wait.”
“Promise me you’ll stay away from Daddy.”
“Him and Claudia both. I sure hope you’re right about her leaving after I do.”
“She can’t do anything more to me than she’s already done.”
“Don’t count on it.” His lips drifted down past her bruises to her chin. “I promise I’ll see you before I take off for good.”
“I’m coming back before you leave the base, if I can find a place to stay.”
“That might not be so easy.”
“I’ll find something.”
“You looking for a ride, soldier?” An older man in a thick twill jacket and sweat-stained felt hat motioned to Kent.
“Yeah, thanks. Just a second.” Kent held Celeste against him. “Gotta go, Velvet. I’ll see you. I’ll see you every night in my dreams, wearing that blue velvet dress and smiling at me.” He brushed her lips gently, trying to avoid the bruise that had spread almost to her chin. “I’m meant to have you, just like you were meant to have that dress.” He kissed her again, harder this time. “You take care, you hear?”
Celeste wanted to cry as she watched him sprint for the battered truck where the other man waited. But, though it occurred to her that watching him hanging out the window, waving as the truck rattled away, might be the last time she’d see him, something inside her hurt too much for tears. She waved once more before she walked back to Coralee and Ben.
Chapter Eleven
No one talked much on the drive to Sterling City and not at all about what had happened to Celeste or about Kent. Pearl put her lips together in a tight line when she saw Celeste, but she didn’t say anything except, “Your room is ready, honey.” Coralee went up with her and saw her settled, kissed her goodnight, and left.
At breakfast the next morning, Big Ben weighed in. “You can’t go back, Celeste, at least not to live in your father’s house. We’d all like for you to stay here.”
“I have to work.” Celeste didn’t meet his eyes.
“Understood, but it’s not like you’ll go without if you don’t work for a while.”
Pearl kept Celeste busy all day, helping with the cooking in progress, sorting quilt squares, ironing pillowcases, tablecloths, and napkins, even dusting the little-used dining room. No one said anything else about her going or staying.
Kent called that night. “I got the number from information. Hope nobody minds.”
Celeste noticed that the kitchen emptied out, leaving her alone to talk. “Nobody minds.”
“How’re you doing, Velvet?”
“Okay. How about you?”
“I found out we’ll be graduating at the Roof Garden, and there’ll be a dance afterward.”
“I wish I could be there.”
“I do, too. Maybe it’ll work out.”
“What am I going to do, Kent? I don’t want to lose my job.”
“That’s one of the reasons I called. One of the guys in my squadron—his wife came with him and has a room over on Preusser that she’ll be giving up next week.”
“There’s probably a long waiting list.”
“Well, there is, but he called his wife and sort of explained the situation and she talked to her landlady.”
“Oh, Kent, I didn’t want it spread all over town.”
“Wait a minute, Velvet, it’s not all over town. No names, no details, just that you need a place. Anyway, it’s all arranged. You can have the room if you’ll call the landlady first thing in the morning and send her the first week’s rent. Seven-fifty a week.”
“That’s a lot.” She thought of the five dollars she gave her father each week and did some quick calculations.
“Yeah, but you get kitchen privileges. You can eat cheap and not starve.”
“I don’t know.” Celeste, her knees wobbling out of control, sank into the nearest chair.
“My friend says it’s a nice room, furnished and all that, and the landlady’s friendly, too. The city bus stops at the end of the block.”
“I don’t know,” Celeste repeated.
“Velvet, it’s a sweet deal, and it’s the only one you’re going to get. There’ll be a new class coming in here right after graduation, and there aren’t enough rooms in town to hold all the wives coming along with their husbands. My friend says that women are already sharing four deep around town.”
Celeste almost dropped the phone as the necessity of making a decision, the biggest decision she’d ever made in her life, swept over her, leaving her weak.
“Look, I can give her the seven-fifty tomorrow if you want the room.”
“I…”
“What are you going to do? Sit in Sterling City for the rest of your life? Go back home and let your father beat you up again?”
“Don’t yell at me.” Celeste burst into tears.
“I’m not yelling. Well, maybe I am, but I love you, Celeste. I want you to be happy, but right now, I just want you safe. I hate the idea I can’t stay here and take care of you.”
“I ought to talk it over with Coralee.”
“Why? It’s not her life. She’s doing okay.”
“Why are you being so mean to me?”
“You think I’m being mean just because I found you a good place to stay so you can keep your job? Listen, I talked to a guy from Sterling City. He says there aren’t any jobs there. Come on, Velvet, this is a good deal.”
“It’s a big decision.”
“You’re a big girl now, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. I guess so. I…”
“Yes or no, Velvet?”
Her breath came faster, and she could feel her heart beating beneath her sweater. Kent was right. There were no jobs here, and she didn’t know anybody except Coralee and Ben and his parents. It was a dead end, like Kent said, so why was it so hard to decide?
I’ve never been on my own before, not really. Daddy didn’t take care of me, but he was there. I like my job. I’d miss the church and Veda and Marilyn and the rest. I know I’m welcome here, but I don’t want to be the poor relation. I don’t want to depend on Big Ben and Pearl for what I need.
Her fingers began to cramp from clutching the telephone receiver so tightly. “Okay. Yes.”
“Good girl.” The approval in Kent’s voice warmed her. “I’ll tell the woman you don’t know exactly when you’ll move in, but she won’t care, not if she’s got her money. Listen, there’s a line waiting to use the phone, so I’ve got to go. I’ll call you again tomorrow night.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Love you, Velvet.”
“I love you, too.” She wasn’t sure she’d spoken the words aloud before she heard a click breaking the connection.
****
Only Coralee expressed reservations about Celeste’s decision. “I was counting on having you here for a little while,” she said, her mouth trembling.
“She’ll be back for Christmas,” Ben said. “Won’t you, little sister?”
Celeste nodded.
“Are you sure Kent didn’t talk you into something you don’t want to do?” Coralee said.
“He… No, it’s the only thing to do…isn’t it?”
“You know you’re welcome here,” Big Ben said.
“I know, but my job… I don’t want to lose my job.”
“And there aren’t any here,” Ben said, cutting off Coralee’s reply. “She’ll be fine, Coralee sweetheart. August Riley isn’t going to risk his job by breaking and entering. Besides, he won’t even know where she is.”
“Preusser is pretty close to Spaulding,” Coralee argued, “and who knows what he’ll do when he’s drunk.”
“Don’t borrow trouble,” Pearl said. “I think a chance to be on her own is exactly what Celeste needs. And we’re not that far away if she needs us.”
Maybe she’s right. Kent thinks I’m doing the right thing.
Celeste took a deep breath. “I’ll be okay, Sister. Really, I will.”
****
“I’m proud of you,” Kent said when he called the next night. “You’re going to like being independent. It’s a good feeling.”
“It’s scary, if you really want to know.”
“I’ll be here a while longer, and your sister’s only a phone call away.”
****
Ben and Coralee drove her back to San Angelo and helped carry her things upstairs to the small back room overlooking a trashcan-filled alley. Coralee stripped the bed and remade it with the sheets, blanket, and chenille spread Pearl had packed. Ben took down the empty curtain rods over the venetian blinds so Celeste could hang the sky-blue sheers Pearl had helped her sew just the day before.
“It’s all right, I guess,” Coralee said as she put four hooked rugs on the bare hardwood floor. “It’s clean, anyway.”
“I could go get her furniture,” Ben said.
Celeste shook her head. “No. Daddy might say you stole it.”
“He wouldn’t dare,” Coralee snapped. “But we’ll talk about that later. You might find something better than this.” She opened the box in which Pearl had packed half a dozen thick towels and washcloths.
“Those were for Barbara’s hope chest,” Celeste murmured.
“She’s five years old,” Coralee said. “She’ll have more than she needs when she gets married.”
“Which won’t be until she’s thirty-five,” Ben said and grinned.
Their laughter broke the tension. A few minutes later Mrs. Clay, the landlady, came upstairs. “Your young man called. He was in a hurry but wanted to make sure you got here all right. He said he’d see you at the Canteen on Saturday night.”
“Thank you for taking the message,” Celeste said.
“Can’t do too much for our boys,” Mrs. Clay said, her face suddenly shadowed. “I lost a brother in the first big war, and his sons are in this one. You need anything?”
“She’s fine,” Coralee said. “But I’d like to leave you my name and telephone number, just in case.”
****
Everyone at Woolworth welcomed Celeste back. If the girls on the floor, besides Veda, knew why she’d been gone, they didn’t mention it. Claudia kept her distance, but Celeste thought she looked pleased with herself.
“I’ve already given Miss Peters a warning,” Mr. Thomas said after greeting Celeste in the upstairs office.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re not to come in early to avoid her.”
“I think she’s already figured that out.”
“How’s your young man?”
“He’ll be graduating soon.”
“What about your new room?”
“It’s very nice.”
“You’ll be all right, Miss Riley. Please don’t forget that Mary and I are here if you need anything.”
Celeste sat down and opened the daybook. “Thank you, Mr. Thomas. I’ll be fine now.”
Chapter Twelve
Veda helped her shop for a formal to wear to the graduation ceremony and dance. “I shouldn’t spend the money,” Celeste protested while she tried on dresses at Levine’s.
“Sure you should. You admitted you had some saved up. This is exactly what you were saving it for.”
“Kent likes for me to wear the blue velvet dress.”
“It’s not formal enough.” Veda said as Celeste emerged wearing a black dress with a lace bodice that came to a V just below the waist. “But this one is. You look terrific.”
With something akin to fear, Celeste looked at herself in the full-length mirror. “I don’t even look like myself.”
“You look grown up.”
“Have you been talking to Kent?”
“No, why?”
“He said I needed to grow up.”
“Well, that’s exactly how you look. We’ll pull your hair back and up on each side with some eighth-inch velvet ribbon, and I have some mid-length black gloves.” Veda adjusted the neck and short sleeves. “This is very modest, too.”
“I didn’t dare look at the price tag.”
Veda reached for the piece of pink cardboard dangling from the back of the bodice. “Thirty-eight ninety-five.”
Celeste stiffened. “Veda, that’s…”
“Do you have that much in the bank or not?”
Celeste nodded.
“Is your Christmas layaway paid out?”
“One more payment.”
“Do you want to make Kent proud?”
“You know the answer to that.”
Veda squared her shoulders in triumph. “She’ll take it,” she said to the saleswoman waiting near by.
****
The instant she glimpsed Kent in his dress uniform, waiting with the other members of his class, Celeste put away her last regret at dipping into her nest egg to buy the dress. He signaled her with his eyes—eyes shining with pride for her as much as for his own accomplishment. As she slipped into a chair and folded her gloved hands in her lap, her lips relaxed in a smile.
When the ceremonies were over, Kent found her in the crowd. “You look beautiful, Velvet.”
“Veda said the blue velvet dress wasn’t formal enough for tonight.”
“You look so grown up I can hardly realize it’s you.” He touched one lace sleeve and let his hand slide down her arm to circle her wrist.
“I wanted you to be proud of me tonight.”
The way you’re looking at me is worth every penny I took out of my savings account.
He leaned closer. “I love you, Velvet. The dancing will start as soon as they clear the floor. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms, hold you like I can’t do at the Canteen.”
She shivered and dropped her eyes.
****
Kent had arranged a ride for both of them back to her boarding house. “I can’t stay,” he said, as he walked her to the door. “And I have to leave tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Oh, Kent, I thought you’d be here another few days.”
“We have to clear out to make room for the next class. But I’ll call you from Brownwood.”
“I’m sorry your family couldn’t come tonight.”
“I’m not. Neil is taking exams, and Mother doesn’t drive on the highway. Anyway, I didn’t want to have to look after them instead of being with you.” He folded her in his arms. “I love you so much, Velvet. I wish we were married, and this was our house so we could go in together…go upstairs.”