The Back Room

“Oh, Johnny! This doesn’t feel like such a good idea.”
“You’re just being paranoid, Daisy.”
“But what if the bulls find out about this joint and we get caught?”
“And what if the bulls don’t find out about this joint and we miss out on a swell night?”
“Oh, honestly. You’re impossible! And do you even know where we’re going?”
“ ‘Course I do!”
“Then why are we just strolling down this street?”
“We gotta find the right alle- ah! Here we go! Right down these steps, ma’am.”
Daisy huffed as he took her hand and escorted her down an unremarkable set of steps leading down into a dank alley. She really didn’t like his idea of a good time, she felt nervous and fidgety and a tad nauseous. Daisy was always the good girl, obeying the rules and keeping her nose clean. The only thing she had ever done was wrong was to ‘dress like one of those ridiculous girls in their showy knee-highs’ as her mother said. Of course Daisy hadn’t listened to her about that, she was her own woman and loved the slinky dresses and make up. She had even gone so far as to get her hair cut in a bob; her mother sure had a fit over that one.
Yes, she was a good girl. Most of the time, at least.
“Daisy!”
She was jolted out of her musings as Johnny tugged the arm of her jacket and motioned towards another set of steps. They were old and gray and practically falling apart, she fleetingly wondered if they were safe. But before she could really get thinking on the topic, Johnny had half-pulled her up the first step. She made a little indignant noise and shook free of him; really, she could do it herself! They climbed up the stairs and Johnny knocked on the unmarked door in front of them. She jumped when the door opened a crack and a brown eye looked at them from beyond it, Johnny just straightened his coat and nodded at the eye.
“Who’re you?” Daisy assumed the voice came from whoever the eye belonged to.
“Johnny Roberts.”
“And who’s your little bird?” He pronounced ‘little’ as ‘lit-el’ and Daisy cringed at the blatant slaughter of the English language.
“Daisy Brown.”
“Whus th’ word?”
“Lights.”
There was a moment of silence as the rough voice belonging to the brown eye withdrew and whispered to someone else concealed behind the door. Then there was the click of a latch and the door swung open to reveal a large man who poked his head out into the alleyway and frantically waved at them to come inside. Once the two were safely inside, the large man clapped Johnny’s back and grinned at him. “Good to see you again, John! Haven’t been here in a while, eh?”
“Nope, but I’m back.” Johnny grinned right back at the man, and then motioned to Daisy, who was awkwardly standing next to him. “Daisy, this is a good friend of mine. Dan Fields, meet Daisy Brown. And vice versa.”
Daisy hesitantly smiled at him and shook the large, meaty hand he held out. She let out a long breath as the man, Dan, lead them to a small table in the back of the establishment. Once they were sat down at their table, Daisy took a good look around the place and decided it was really quite a classy place. The space was lush and swanky, with large crystal chandeliers and velvet-brocade wallpaper.
She didn’t notice her companion looking at her, a small smile playing across his lips. She really is quite beautiful, he thought. All big eyes and soft skin. Doesn’t even need to be all dolled up, like the girls in magazines, he thought. She was naturally lovely, although she’d never think so. Too stubborn.
“Sir? Miss? You two ready t’order?” Now it was Johnny’s turn to be startled out of his thoughts; he looked up at their waitress with a sheepish smile and told her they’d like two Bronx’s, please.
As the waitress left (her above-the-knee skirt flashing up against her thighs as she went, Daisy noted and then laughed to herself, because honestly if her mother thought she was bad…) Daisy raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Johnny and quirked her head to the side. “And what, exactly, is a Bronx?”
“Just a drink, Daisy. Gin and wine and orange juice, that’s all.”
“Don’t you think we’ll get caught, Johnny? Drinking’s illegal, and this is dangerous and stupid and-“
“Calm down, Daisy. I told you, nothing’s gonna happen. Everything’ll be Jake, just fine and dandy.”
“Well…” He certainly sounds convinced of it, she thought. But something was off; something wasn’t quite right with him. He looked… drawn? Tense? Anxious? What? She just couldn’t pin-point what it was. “Johnny? Are you alright?”
“Just fine, Daisy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Quite.”
“You know you don’t have to be such a bimbo around me.”
“M’not.”
She sighed and they sat, both nervous for no particular reason and picking at the table cloth spread out between them. When the waitress brought them their drinks they both smiled, although a little strained, and began to sip at them. It finally got to be too much for little old Daisy, she just had to break the horrible tension that seemed to be weighing them both down. “Johnny… thank you. For taking me here. It’s really spectacular, just the bee’s knees.”
“You’re welcome. I’ve always thought it was pretty neat.”
And still he had that peculiar look about him, like something was wrong and bothering him. Maybe it was her? Was he having second thoughts about bringing her, perhaps? Oh, I hope not, she thought. How awful would that be, for him to take me to this fancy place and then decide it wasn’t time well spent?
“… Daisy?”
“Hmmm?”
“Could I tell you something?”
“Of course you can! What is it?” Her voice was just a tad worried, a trifle scared. What would he tell her? That he’s moving to someplace exotic and exciting? That she’s done something bad? Or worse… that he’s got a girl?
“I… Daisy, I’m…”
“Yes?”
His face contorted just the slightest bit, giving him a look that was both endearing and frightening in its passion. “I’m goofy for you, Daisy!”
“You’re…”
“I know you probably don’t feel the same, but I thought I should tell you anyway and-“ He was cut off as Daisy threw back her head, laughing and shaking as though she was about to burst.
“You silly boy!” She leaned across the table and kissed him, softly and sweetly and with as much love and adoration as she could put into one kiss. “Silly boy, I’ve been goofy for you for the longest time!”