James Chase - Get a Load of This

The young man said: “I know you want to. You’re just being superior. For God’s sake, don’t sit there looking like a graven image.”

Jason couldn’t hear what she said, but the back of her head interested him. She had very beautiful, soft brown hair.

When the band stopped playing, the young man went over to them and had a long conversation with the pianist. The pianist shook his head and then whispered to the other three players. They all looked across at the girl and whispered some more. Then the pianist stood up and the young man went back to his table.

Jason was quite interested. He saw the girl take four rings off her fingers and give them to the young man, then she got up and went over to the band.

Jason thought, “Social butterfly inflicts talent on the joy-weary,” and prepared to be critical.

She sat down at the piano and the rest of the band stood up and grouped themselves round her. Jason could just see her tiny hands on the keyboard.

The trombone player turned his head and called to the young man: “Miss Gellert would like a drink first.”

The young man got rather unsteadily out of his chair and brought over a glass of champagne. “Do get on with it,” he begged; “people will think you’re showing off.”

The glass of champagne disappeared behind the group of musicians, and a moment later reappeared on top of the piano, empty.

Then, with her two tiny hands, she hit four chords all in the bass. Jason sat up in his chair, and people stopped talking.

She played for exactly five minutes, then she got up and went back to her table. People clapped very loudly and shouted, but she wouldn’t play again. Jason was so impressed that he said to the young man: “That was simply terrific. Pass on my congratulations.”

The girl turned and looked at him. Jason thought how like Hepburn she was. She said, “Thank you, very much.”

The young man scowled at Jason and broke in: “Will you get your things? We ought to be moving.”

She got up and went away to the ladies’ cloakroom.

Jason said to the young man, “Do you know her very well?”

“A lot better than you are likely to know her,” the young man said angrily. “Will you keep your snout out of my affairs? She’s my girl and I’m a very tough guy.”

Jason smiled. “I don’t think so. You just smell strong.”

The young man got unsteadily to his feet.

Jason said hurriedly: “Not here. Let’s go to the toilet.”

“O.K., I only just wanted to show you that I can take you and think nothing of it.”

Jason settled his check. The waiter glanced at the uneaten meal, but didn’t say anything. He seemed quite pleased with the tip Jason gave him.

“Come along,” Jason said to the young man, “let us see who is the better man.” He had to support the young man, who seemed to have considerable difficulty with his legs.

The toilet was empty, and Jason had no difficulty in overpowering the young man. He tied his hands and feet together with towels and put him in one of the closets. The young man wept with humiliation, but Jason really couldn’t be bothered to console him.

He hurried back to the restaurant, but he couldn’t see the girl anywhere. However, after what seemed to him to be hours of suspense, he caught sight of her waiting in the lounge.

He went over to the cloakroom and gave up his hat check. The girl found his hat and asked him how he was getting on.

Jason gave her five dollars. “You were absolutely right,” he told her, “everything is building up beautifully.”

He went over to Miss Gellert. “I’ve just left your escort in a room of meditation,” he said. “He asked me to look after the rest of the evening with you.”

She didn’t seem very surprised. “Did he?” she said.

“My name is Howard Jason,” he went on. “I have a lot of money and this is my first night in New York. What shall we do?”

She thought for a moment. “Have you really got a lot of money?” she said at last.

Jason assured her gravely that he had.

“Have you plenty on you right at this moment?”

“At a rough guess I have about a couple of thousand bucks, all in very nice new notes.”

She sighed. “It must be nice to have as much as that.”

“Can’t we get off money?” Jason asked. “Why the interest in money? Don’t you think it is a trifle sordid talking about money as we are?”

She said: “Oh no, because where we are going you have to have lots of money or else they get very fierce and throw you into the street.”

Jason smiled. “Now that sounds exciting. Let’s go.”

In the taxi he said: “You play the piano awfully well. What else do you do?”

She looked out of the window at the bright lights as they flashed past. “Oh, things, you know. I don’t do anything so well as the piano. I’m lucky there, I suppose.”

“I wouldn’t say that. You must have worked hard at the piano to be able to play like that.” He twisted round in his seat so that he could look at her properly. “I think I’m going to like you quite a lot,” he said.

She leant her head back against the side of the cab. “I suppose you’re now laying the foundation?” she said.

Jason considered that. “Isn’t that frightfully cynical and elderly?” he asked.

“I don’t think so. You see, I often go for rides in taxis with men I don’t know very well. It interests me to see the first initial moves.”

Jason felt in his pocket for his cigarette-case. “Strictly, from your angle, it must be interesting,” he said, offering her his case. “Do you go to bed with any of them?”

She took a cigarette and leant forward as he thumbed his lighter. “No,” she said, “it’s ethically wrong, I think.”

Jason filled his lungs with cigarette smoke. After a moment he said, “I see.”

“You can take me home now if you like,” she said. “I mean, there is still plenty of time to find someone else. If this is your first night in New York, perhaps you want that sort of thing.”

“You know you’re being awfully superior,” Jason said severely. “I’m enjoying myself enormously. I wish you would tell me where we are going.”

“Oh, you’ll see in a moment, we’re just there.”

The cab drew up outside a tall building that looked like a private dwelling place. Jason paid off the taxi and together Miss Gellert and he ascended the crescent-shaped steps to the front door.

She rang the bell and after a moment’s delay the door was opened by a short, dapper little man wearing heavy hornrimmed spectacles. “Why, hello, Mary,” he said, “aren’t you very late?”

He stood on one side to let them in.

Miss Gellert said, “This is Mr. Howard Jason.”

The little man shook Jason’s hand cordially.

“Dr. Kaufman works harder than any other man in New York,” Miss Gellert said to Jason. “May we come in for a few moments, Doctor?”

“Why, sure, come in. Take your things off, young man.”

Miss Gellert said seriously: “I want him to see everything. Will you take him round? You will find he is very intelligent.”

Jason stood frowning slightly. “Could you explain what all this is about?” he asked politely. “I really believe I could appreciate things so much better if I knew.”

Dr. Kaufman took his arm. “Of course,” he said; “Mary is so impulsive. She brings all sorts of people here. I am very grateful to her, but sometimes I feel she brings them on false pretences.”

Miss Gellert said: “Take him round, Doctor, then we can have a talk. I’ll wait in the library for you both.”

Kaufman said: “Will you be patient? I want to show you the work I am trying to do. Will you come?”

Jason said, “Why certainly,” and went with him, feeling somehow that the little man was too sincere to be refused.