"Alright ladies," Logan clapped his hands together, "anyone know where Virgil's got to?"

"Think he's at a petting pantry." One piped up.

"Yeah, with his police dog." Another added and they all burst into fits of giggles. Logan blinked.

"In English please?"

"He's at that new-fangled talkie with his fiance." Rose put in, fixing her hair in the mirror. She glanced around at Logan. "You know, The Jazz Singer?"

Logan sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Well, we can't start without him. Janus, go watch the door, would you?" Janus sighed but left.

"We might as well go over what we can." Joanna said, fastening her shoes. "We're all here." She grinned. "And Logan, you can sing."

Logan flushed with embarrassment. "Absolutely not. We'll just use a record."

"Aw, shame." Silvia said. They all laughed as Logan grew even redder. He pulled on his blazer harshly, smoothing it down, and stormed into the backroom.

"You shouldn't tease him so, girls." Patton put it, glancing up at them all from the orchestra pit. "He tries his best."

"Mm, doesn't he just?" Patton glanced up at Joanna.

"Are you insinuating something, Jo?" He asked. Joanna laughed.

"No, nothing at all." She lied. "I'm simply saying the bank's rather closed with Logan."

Patton harumphed and turned back to his notebook, light pink brushing his face. Rose laughed.

"Ooh, Pat don't like that, Jo." She teased.

"Shush!"

"Why d'you like him so?" Silvia asked, leaning back in her chair. "He's so blaah, such a dud."

"Damn, I've lost a stocking!" Someone called from the dressing room.

"You can borrow my rogue and eyeliner!" Rose called back. "Don't sweat it, Eve."

"Anyway, what about you, Rose?" Joanna asked slyly. "Your Eric gonna get you a handcuff any time soon?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "He's done nothing of the sort so far." She shook her head. "If he doesn't ask me soon, I'll have to do it myself."

"Well, won't that be a fluke." Patton said. He pulled himself up onto stage. "You'd better calm down your habits after you're married, though, Rose."

Rose tipped her head back and laughed. "Only if he does it first! Honestly, if I didn't know him any better, I'd say he was a cellar smeller. He loves going to bars more than me."

"Alright, ladies, stop with the gossip." Logan called. Patton slid down off the stage before Logan could notice him. Logan brandished a record above his head. "Patton, grab a gramophone, would you?"

Patton jumped and swallowed. "Sure." He squeaked and hurried off into the wings.

"Thanks!" Logan called after him. "Right, ladies..." he trailed off. "Why're you looking at me like that?"

Rose tried to hide her smile. Everyone else turned their heads away. Silvia glanced at them and rolled her eyes.

"He's utterly goofy about you, Logan." She said. Everyone shushed her hurriedly. "What?"

"We promised Pat-"

"You promise him." Silvia crossed her arms. "I never made no such vow. 'Sides, look at Logan." She grinned. "He's kinda goofy too."

Logan did look completely lovestruck. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. He looked completely frozen, the blood rushing to his face the only sign he was still alive. He was still holding the record aloft.

He blinked and swallowed. "M-Me?" He repeated shakily.

Before anyone else could speak, Patton staggered back on with a gramophone. Logan dropped the record and hurried over to help him. A ripple of giggles passed through the crowd.

They set the gramophone down on the table. Logan muttered something to Patton that none of the girls could hear but by Patton's reaction, it was probably something good. Patton nodded before hurrying off, hiding his face in his sleeve.

Logan glanced back at the dancers. "Alright ladies, first positions!"

Janus leaned against the wall next to the stage entrance. Why did he get stuck with babysitting duty? Virgil wasn't a baby, why did Janus have to be responsible for him?

He pulled his newspaper out of his pocket and flattened it out, flipping to a page that contained a juicy-looking police case. Two murders and a theft, all connected but with no culprit. Sounded like something out of the pages of a Conan Doyle or a Christie.

Virgil's laughter pulled him out of his reading. He rounded the corner, being pulled by a rather handsome man.

"C'mon, I've already made you late! If your boss ever finds out, he'll have my head." He insisted. So that was Virgil's blue serge. Virgil definitely had taste.

"Oh, shut up." Virgil wrapped his arms around his sweetheart's neck. "Logan won't care. Besides, the girls'll back me up. They love me."

"Hm, not as much as I do, I hope." Virgil's sweetheart grinned at him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Then I'm in real trouble."

"It's your ring I'm wearing, isn't it?" Virgil laughed before leaning forward and kissing the man. Janus rolled his eyes, stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

"Hey, necker!" He yelled, successfully breaking the couple apart. "You're late for rehearsal."

Virgil sighed. "Coming, Jan." He called. He pressed a quick kiss to his sweetheart's lips and pulled away. He ran inside with Janus.

As soon as Virgil was inside, Janus gave him a smack around the head. "If you're ever late like that again, Logan's going to stone you to death!" He insisted.

"Shut up, Logan won't care."

"Oh no, he will." Janus said. He sighed, cursing his curiosity. "Is that your guy?"

"Roman?" Virgil asked.

"No, the wall." Janus said sarcastically. Virgil shoved him.

"Yeah, it is."

"Looks like an apple knocker." Janus commented. Virgil laughed in surprise and shoved him again.

"Well, he's not." He said. "He's city born and bred. He may be a Johnnie Walker but he's a kluck and he earns an honest living - which is more than I can say - and he's mine. So," Virgil shrugged, "I'm content. And if I'm going to burn in Hell because of it, might as well go out having lived with him."

"You're so goofy about him." Janus said, rolling his eyes but smiling. "C'mon, let's see the stone."

Virgil held out his left hand and wiggled his fingers. "Jeeze, how'd he get a rock so big?!"

"Got some hush money."

"You've met his folks?!" Janus asked in surprise.

"Course not." Virgil scoffed. "They think I'm a sweet factory worker called Virgina Smith who's never even seen a speak-easy stage." He laughed. "They're nearly twice as gullible as he is."

"You're really gonna go through with him?" Janus asked. "You could have anyone-"

"But I want him." Virgil finished. "Like you said, I'm completely goofy about him. Now," he clapped his hands, "let's get to this rehearsal before I'm crucified."

This was a lot longer than it needed to be but fun.
Bye,
Blaize