Tales of the City 02 - More Tales of the City

“We can talk about it back at the house,” she whispered.

Company’s Coming
    T HERE WAS SOMETHING EERIE ABOUT THE SUDDEN change of mood at the Blue Moon Lodge. Mona sensed it immediately, watching the tension mount as Mother Mucca mobilized her girls for the arrival of the big customer from Sacramento.
    “Bobbi, you get the 409 outa the kitchen and clean the crapper in Charlene’s room. It looks like a goddamn truck stop! Marnie, you straighten up the parlor. Get rid o’ those movie magazines. Bonnie, you and Debby take the Ranchero into town and pick up that costume at the Chinaman’s. Wouldn’t ya know it! He shows up here the only goddamn week of the year we sent the costume to the cleaners!”
    Mona kept clear of the eye of the storm, wanting to help but certain she’d only be in the way. Observing her discomfort, Charlene winked and handed her a dustcloth. “Crazy, huh?”
    Mona nodded. “Who is this guy, anyway?”
    “I … You better talk to Mother Mucca first.”
    “Where do you want me to dust?” Well, Mona, you stumped the panel! Arlene, Bennett, I think you’ll be surprised to learn that the lovely Miss Ramsey … dusts whorehouses for a living!
    “Over behind the bar. And that Kennedy statue on the TV.”
    “O.K. Charlene?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Mother Mucca said he wanted a new girl. Is she gonna trade with another house or something?”
    Charlene continued to dust. “Yeah. I guess she could.”
    “You mean … she’s never done that before?”
    “He’s never asked for a new girl before.”
    “Oh. Well, then, how come she’s not—”
    “Don’t talk so much. We’re wastin’ time.”
    Moments later, Mother Mucca charged into the parlor, saw Mona at work, and snapped at the head girl. “Charlene! What’s Judy doin’ cleanin’ for?”
    “Well, you said for everybody to—”
    “Judy is my receptionist, Charlene! She ain’t got no business dustin’—”
    Mona interrupted. “Really, Mother Mucca, I don’t mind helping out a—”
    “Course you don’t Judy. But it just ain’t fittin’ for you to be doin’ housework, when I hired you as a receptionist.”
    Mona shrugged at this breach of protocol and smiled her apologies to Charlene, who frowned and skulked off.
    “C’mon,” said Mother Mucca, taking Mona’s arm. “We’ll have a nice big glass of milk in the kitchen.”
    The old woman’s request hit like a sledge hammer.
    “What?” gasped Mona, almost choking on her milk.
    “He’s a piece o’ cake,” said Mother Mucca.
    “Well, let them eat cake! I’m a receptionist, remember?”
    “I’ll pay you extra, Judy.”
    “You’ve gotta be … Oh, no … Ohhh, no. Got that? No! ”
    Mother Mucca reached across the table and grasped Mona’s hand. “He wants somebody with class, Judy. Nobody in Winnemucca’s got your kind of class.”
    “Thanks a lot.”
    “You don’t have to fuck him.”
    That threw her. “Well, what the hell does he …? Never mind. Spare me the gory details.”
    “Judy, do you think ol’ Mother Mucca would …? Judy, you’re like my own flesh and blood. I wouldn’t do nothin’ to make you think less o’ yourself. I swear, it hurts me a heap to think …”
    The old woman let go of Mona’s hand and fumbled in her grizzled cleavage for a hanky. Turning away, she dabbed at her eyes.
    Mona was shaken. “Mother Mucca, look …”
    “You hurt me, child!”
    “I didn’t mean to.”
    “I’ll tell you the God’s honest truth. I’ve been runnin’ this place for sixty years, and you’re the first girl I’ve ever felt was … Judy, I’d adopt you, if you’d let me.”
    This time Mona reached for the madam’s hand. “You’ve been really good to me, Mother …”
    “Did you know I used to have a little boy?”
    “No.”
    “I did. He was the sweetest little thing you ever laid eyes on. He used to sit right here on this floor and jus’ laugh and giggle, and me and the girls, we’d do anything for that little tyke, and I never thought …”
    “Please don’t cry.”
    “I never thought in a million years that little darlin’ would run off an’ leave his mama when he was sixteen. I never thought nothin’ like that. I trusted him, Judy, jus’ like I trust …”
    She silenced herself when Bonnie and Debby appeared with the important bundle from the laundry.
    “Take it away,” ordered Mother Mucca.
    Bonnie frowned. “But didn’t you say …?”
    “Take the goddamn thing away!”
    “Wait a minute,” said Mona.