RANSVESTIA

real talent to be able to strip. I could teach anyone to bump and grind in a couple of days." He looked at Eddie's horrified face. "Sorry, darling," he said, "but money and good costumes can turn a lousy strip into a good one. There's always an opening for a stripper in an imper- sonation club."

There was a silence for a while. Merrick looked at Eddie. He's ac- tually considering it, thought Eddie.

"O.K.," said Merrick. "Let's work at that." He smiled at Eddie. "I'm afraid you'll have to earn that bonus after all, Eddie. Perhaps we can come up with more for the extra you'll have to put up with now."

Eddie opened his mouth to speak. Trying to remember how Frankie had taught him to speak as a girl, he only made a choking sound.

"She ought to go out in public now," said Darro, "so that she can get used to people looking at her as a woman."

"When were you going to do that?" asked Ward.

Darro shrugged. "Perhaps today," he said.

"Then come on," said Ward gruffly. "I really do need a drink now. Let's go over to the Pump and get a drink."

Without further reply, Frankie handed Eddie a short coat and purse. His arm under Eddie's, he whisked him out of the flat into the bright daylight. Ward and Merrick, in obvious high spirits, escorted Eddie into the Pump, a lounge bar of equal attraction to men and women. The first person they met was Julie Burns.

She smiled brightly at the Tribune men and continued to leave. Ward hustled Eddie into a booth. Looking at the glass-covered wall at the end of the bar, Eddie saw Julie suddenly stop as if she had been jolted. She whirled around and looked in their direction. Eddie could see her mouth forming his name. Then, as he watched, her face dis- solved into an expression of enormous distaste. With a scornful glance at their table, she turned on her heel and almost raced away. Eddie could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. "Don't," hissed Darro, "I can't fix your make-up in here, darling."

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