Beebo and Paula

Beebo Brinker stood on MacDougall Street in a light drizzle, partially sheltered by an inset doorway, her hands shoved into the sleeves of her windbreaker, waiting almost an hour for Mona. Far from being cold and wet, she was burned up. She began to think she had been taken for a royal ride; that Mona and her lover were having the last laugh. Or perhaps, in fairness to Mona, her jealous lover had really locked her up in retaliation for Beebo's laughing

arrogance.

Beebo consulted her army-issue Elgin: one thirty-six in the morning. She looked at the fuzzy wet sky and then at the apartment building where Mona's friend lived.

Paula, Beebo thought. Well, what the hell. She said Paula was alone. I might as well go in and warm up. She stepped inside the foyer and looked over the row of mailboxes till she found Paula Ash, Apt. 103. Beebo pressed the buzzer, and got an answer in a few seconds. She let herself in the inner door.

Paula's rooms were on the first floor and Beebo had hardly entered the hall when a door opened ahead and a girl looked out. "Are you Beebo?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes." Beebo, still full of her conquest, sauntered down the hall, looking Paula over candidly.

"Please come in," Paula said. She seemed a bit shy and Beebo obeyed her without any horsing around. The

living room was small and neat and

warm.

"Feels good," Beebo said. "I might have frozen out there in that rain."

"Seems like fall already, doesn't it?" Paula said, reminding Beebo that Jack Mann was due to fall in love again. He always did in September. And when he did, he'd have to kick favorite female-Beebo-out again.

"Won't be long," Beebo agreed quietly, the sass going out of her. She slipped her jacket off and Paula took it while Beebo sat down and put her feet up on the coffee table. "You mind?" she asked, nodding at her feet.

"No, that's what it's for."

Beebo looked at Paula's face. It was delicately pretty, different from Mona's slick good looks and much more appealing to Beebo.

"I have a confession to make," Paula said uneasily. "Mona called. She woke me out of a dead sleep." She looked guiltily at her small bare feet. "She said she told you to meet her here at twelve-thirty, but she couldn't make it. I was supposed to go out and tell you and make another date with her for you on Monday night. But I fell back asleep."

Beebo gave her a wise smile and laughed a little, mostly at herself. "I guess I deserved that," she said, playing idly with a pillow tassel under her hand.

"She really wants to see you, Beebo," Paula added earnestly. "If

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