Jean-Jacques Tibor - The loser_s wife

The lights in the cabaret lounge brightened again and the spots centered on the casual figure on the stage. As Johnny Dutton finished another number the applause was spontaneous and enthusiastic.

The lounge was almost completely filled, though more with middle-aged women than others and the young singer had a way of capturing the audience completely. His delivery was ultra-casual and the smooth richness of his voice was a portent of the great star many figured him soon to become.

As the orchestration behind him launched into a Bossa Nova medley, the man singing in the center of the stage had the total attention of the women in the audience, but many of the men had settled on a different attraction.

To these men the stunningly beautiful girl seated alone at a small table held more fascination for them than any male singer could ever have.

Even in the dimness of the showroom it was evident that the leggy brunette was extraordinarily lovely. Her glossy ebony hair was very long and draped casually over one shoulder, so black and glistening that it seemed to be a deep royal purple. The darkness of her hair was strikingly contrasted with the china white of her skin and the light grey-blue eyes.

She sat oblivious to the stares of the men in the audience, intent only on the singer, and as he finished his song her applause was even more enthusiastic than any other.

Johnny, if he hadn't been blinded by the spotlights and could have seen the distraction the girl was causing, might have been filled with a combination of annoyance and pride. He wouldn't have liked the influence she had on his audience, he wanted them to see and hear no one but him – but the girl was Laura, his wife. And there were times when he wanted to stand and shout, "Look, you unfortunate people! Look at what's mine, all mine!"

At the small table the same desire was passing through the girl's proud admiring thoughts.

He's so wonderful, she thought silently, so talented and handsome. Oh, Johnny, they all love you so much, but no one can ever love you the way I do! No one can ever want you the way I do, from the moment I first saw you…!

She was jolted suddenly from her silent reverie by the scrape of a chair that was moved out from her table. She looked up into the oily slickness of the man's face who was joining her without invitation and felt a chill of revulsion pass quickly through her.

Deke Vito! Johnny's boss, and the man who controlled the hiring of all the talent that was booked into the cabaret shows in the three major clubs in downtown Reno.

Anyone seated nearby would immediately have noticed the distaste on her face, but it went unseen by the swarthy man as he joined her. He wasn't unhandsome in a Latin sort of way, but the small sharply trimmed mustache and his slick oiled appearance caused an unpleasant reaction in almost anyone who met him.

Perhaps he had sensed this so many times in his fifty two years that his subconscious had built in an automatic screening device and he no longer even noticed the adverse reactions.

Laura slid her chair to the side slightly to make more room for him only to have him move closer still, until their thighs were touching.

He's so repulsive, she thought. So Goddamned sneaky! But, for Johnny's sake I can't offend him.

She nodded at him, trying to affect a warm smile, and returned her attention to her husband as he began another number. Deke Vito glanced at her half-filled drink and snapped his fingers at a passing waitress.

As he gave the girl the order, Laura watched him fondle the woman's leg.

That pig! He'd never get away with it if he didn't have so much control in this casino. And he thinks the girls let him touch them because he's so attractive!

"Laura, baby… that chick's got nice wheels, but they ain't nowhere as gorgeous as your legs." He leered at her in what she thought he figured was a seductive glance. "Yes sir, Johnny's got himself a nice little thing going hasn't he?"

He leaned over to pat her hand as he spoke, and she had to fight the desire to jerk it away from him. She reached for a cigarette, using it as an excuse to remove her hand, and tried to change the direction the conversation was definitely heading.

"Deke. What do you think of Johnny? Isn't he great! He sure has this crowd wrapped around his little finger, doesn't he?"

"What, oh yeah. 'Course they're just a bunch of frustrated ol bags hungerin' for a young guy." He chewed on his cigar as he gazed contemptuously around the people filled room. "Hey, don't get me wrong. Your boy's alright. Someday he might just get somewhere. Yeah, someday, if he's got the right influence behind him." He nudged her painfully. "Yeah, I might just decide to give the kid the right push… if I had a little cooperation. Know what I mean…?"

Good God! she thought. He's finally come right out with it. She tried frantically to think of something to say that would avoid acknowledging his question.

"Come on, Deke," she laughed hesitantly. "You know we'd both appreciate anything you could do. Johnny thinks you're the greatest manager in the world." She paused. "Hey, listen, Deke… he's going to do that song everyone likes so much…"

But the man just leaned closer, ignoring her. "Johnny? No, baby, I'm thinking of a way you and I can help his career… you and me."

Just as she started to pull away from him they were interrupted by the waitress with their drinks. In the moments that it took him to find his pen and sign the drink tab Johnny finished the last number in the set and the house lights came on.

She watched her husband finish the song on his knees like Al Jolson, bowing his head to the standing applause of the audience. He's so terrific, she thought. I can't hurt his career with Vito. Please, God, get him over here before Deke gets a chance to continue!

The man at her side turned disappointedly from the waitress to watch Johnny Dutton thread his way through the milling crowd toward the table.

"Hi, honey… Hey, Deke, how'd you like the show! Boy, these people are great. Man, what a great set! Hey, how did you…"

Laura watched her husband's excited gesticulations, heard him rattling happily to his manager. Her relief at having him break up the conversation that Vito had started was spoiled by the realization that Johnny was loaded again.

Whenever he finished a set with a good audience he was always wound up, but again tonight she recognized the glassiness in his eyes, the soft slurring in his voice when he spoke, and knew that he'd been drinking heavily again.

It was strange. He could get up on the stage completely smashed and it never showed in his singing but as soon as he got away from the lights and the music it became very obvious to anyone that knew him.

Even Vito saw it. "Johnny, baby… you're on the sauce again. Man, you gotta cool it." There was a cold harshness in his voice, enough to make itself known to the singer.

"Hey, no Deke, I just had a couple," he said soberly. "My throat was kinda' sore."

Then he grabbed his manager by the arm. "Come on," he said cheerfully. "Let's hit the tables, tonight I feel lucky."

Laura reached out for him and he saw the movement, the apprehension in her eyes. "Don't worry, honey. Have a quick drink at the bar and I'll be right back." She started to protest, but before she could answer him, he shouted to the bartender at the lounge bar. "Hey, Harry, fix this lovely young lady up with another daiquiri and keep an eye on her for me, willya."

"Sure thing, Mister Dutton. Great show!"

As she was led to the bar Laura got a little consolation out of the bartender's remark. She knew everyone was impressed with Johnny and perhaps she was being a little unfair to him. Every entertainer had to unwind a little after three hours of constant work. Besides, if Johnny really was lucky tonight it would make up for some of the money he'd lost during the past few weeks.