A/N: Thanks for reading everybody! I love feedback and appreciate the time you take to give it. Here's chapter two!
Temperance and Hattie walked along the quiet streets as the wind abused their hands and faces. Hattie began to fall farther and farther behind as the night wore on. A nasty hangover was quickly grasping her. Tempe was becoming desperate. They needed somewhere warm to stay the night or they would surely freeze. She cursed herself out loud as they walked.
Why had she been so stubborn? They could have waited the night in the relative warmth of the dressing room instead of facing this cold. One more night would not have made a difference. She thought back to the fight in the bar and realized that is what pushed her over the edge. If it hadn't been for that they might still be warm.
Temperance was desperate now. If any building had a light on, she would knock. They needed somewhere to stay desperately. However the wide streets of New York were empty. Tempe had seen the streets bustling so often that the quiet silence of the night wore on her ears practically to the point of madness. The only sound was their footsteps and Hattie's almost constant complaining.
"Tempe, where are we going? I'm tired. Why couldn't we have stayed at the theatre?" She asked, her feet dragging as her bag scraped along the dirty street. Tempe had had enough. She spun around to face Hattie. She took a step back in surprise as Tempe's eyes became like ice.
"If you really want to go back there, fine, I'm sure you'd be welcomed with open arms, but I'm not going! I will do whatever it takes to keep us alive out here, but your complaining is making nothing easier!" She said, spinning around to continue walking. She wanted to appear as if she didn't care if Hattie followed but never the less her ears strained to hear her stumbling footsteps. Confident Hattie was still behind her she returned to her mission. All she needed to do is get them through until the sunrise. Then she could buy a paper and find someone who wanted a maid or something of the like.
After crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, they stumbled into the higher class neighborhoods. A grand and lavish hotel soon came into view. If only they had the means to stay there. Tempe stopped and had a brilliant idea. She turned to face the dark brick front of the hotel. Her mind turned as she thought this through. It has almost no chance of working, but what if it did? They could stay in a warm bed tonight. Hattie, not looking where she was going, bumped straight into her sister.
"Temperance, what are you doing?" she said in exasperation. A smile lit of Tempe's face as she looked down to her sister's bulging carpet bag. It was weighing her down far more than Tempe's was.
"Hattie, did you take any of the theatre's dresses?" She asked quickly, practically grabbing for the bag. Hattie looked down guiltily. Instead of the scolding her sister expected Tempe hugged her.
"Oh thank the Heavens for your greedy ways! Hand it over, I need it." She said, reaching down and pulling on the bag's clasps. Hattie pulled back in surprise.
"Whatever for?!" She asked, dropping the bag as Temperance began to rifle through it. Tempe pushed belongings and skirts aside until at the bottom she found what she was looking for. She held up a dress she had seen many times. Luckily it was floor length. It was pale blue with light purple trimmings. It wasn't the right color for high society in November but it would have to do. It had a tight waist and off the shoulder sleeves that reached her wrists. Now all she needed was a place to change.
"Okay Hattie, now here's the plan. We're getting into that hotel tonight if it kills us. We may be dancers but because of that we are also actresses." She said, slinging the dress over her arm and looking around for someplace to change. Hattie shot her a questioning look.
"I'll dress in this and then you'll be my servant or something, because I can tell you still have that hangover." She started, seeing a lit building down the street.
"We'll go in and pretend we have a reservation, and when they don't find it we'll drop some big names and somehow swing a room. Don't worry; I'm sure it'll work." She said pulling Hattie down the street towards the large building. She hoped she could find somewhere to change inside.
"Are you sure Tempe? We could get kicked out." She said, catching up to her sister. She knew once Tempe had an idea in her head, she couldn't shake it. Tempe nodded.
"Yes and that would put us right back here, nothing really lost." She said as she walked up the stairs to face a brick building. She could hear the East River from here and smell the scents of the docks. She knocked on the door quickly, trying not to lose her nerve; she thought she heard a party inside. The chipping brown door swung open and a tall boy blocked the entrance. He was smiling widely, had a hat pushed back on his black hair and wore only trousers with suspenders, yet no shirt. Temperance flushed madly and looked down, knowing this was entirely improper.
"Can I help you ladies?" He asked his accent strong, though decidedly not from Brooklyn. Temperance stammered, still not sure if she should look up. Then Hattie's voice sounded from behind her.
"Yes sir, we were just wondering if you had a powder room we could use." She asked, lacing her voice with sweetness. Temperance took a deep breath. Hattie taking the lead was a nice surprise, her many nights with men obviously paying off. Tempe lifted her eyes and attempted not to blush at the sight of the shirtless boy. At closer inspection is was obvious he was right around their age, 18 at the oldest. A mess of black hair fell into his green eyes. She glanced at Hattie and could tell right away that she was enamored with him. The boy smiled again.
"Well sure thing, follow me." He said taking Hattie's arm like a gentleman. To Temperance's relief he payed her almost no mind. They were led into a large room, where boys of every age were talking, playing cards, and running around. It was a mad house. They were led up a flight of stairs and passed a few closed doors into what seemed to be a bunk room.
"Um, excuse me sir, but do you mind me asking what this building is?" Temperance asked, trying to lace that sweetness into her voice and failing miserably. The boy turned and raised an eyebrow, looking back at Hattie, as if realizing for the first time that they were twins. He was about to answer when a different voice traveled from across the room.
"Well all be. If it isn't the reluctant dancer." She turned, confused, once again mistaking the voice for Silas, though it had an undertone of smugness that Silas' never held. She saw a boy walking towards her that she did not recognize right away, and then when she caught sight of brilliant blue-gray eyes that danced with a sign of drink, she realized that it had been the boy from the saloon, the one who had called himself Alexander Conlon.
"Oh, this is…" The other boy started, trying to introduce him.
"Alexander." She said, finishing what she thought was the end to the boy's sentence. She saw Alexander's eyes flash with warning and a hint of anger. Temperance raised her eyebrows, she had only met him momentarily but he did not seem the type to anger easily.
"You must be confused. The name is Spot Conlon." Alexander said. Temperance raised both eyebrows and bit her lip. His name was Spot? She stifled a laugh. His eyes became slits, as his hand went to rest on a gold-tipped cane laced through his suspenders. She realized he was not kidding around, but truly looking at her with rage in his eyes. He turned to the other boy.
"And this is Sailor. Who never asked if it was okay if he brought two…ladies into our lodge house." 'Spot' said slowly, pausing on the word ladies to look at Tempe. He was obviously alluding to the fact they were dancers. Temperance's cheeks grew hot, not from embarrassment but from anger.
"Excuse me?" She asked, her eyes wide. Spot turned to her once more. He gripped the end of the cane and pulled it out to lean on.
"I called you a lady. Was I mistaken?" He asked, his icy eyes never leaving her green ones. She looked down, fumbling for a comeback. She glanced back up at him to see him raise an eyebrow, look at Sailor and smirk in that way of his. She looked past him and saw an open door she was sure led to the powder room.
"Excuse me, but we only came to use your powder room, and if you'll excuse us, we'll go ahead and go there now." She said, walking past Spot and pulling Hattie away from Sailor by the arm. They were just about to reach the door as she heard Spot call out behind her.
"And by the way, it's called a wash room." He said with a laugh as Temperance slammed the door. She didn't understand why he had been very pleasant earlier in the night, but now he was being down right obnoxious. They were leaving as soon as possible.
"Do you know him Tempe?" Hattie asked as she tied one of Temperance's scarves around her hair.
"Hardly. He was at the theatre earlier but I only talked to him for a moment's time." She remarked as she pulled on the blue gown. She was not going to let 'Spot Conlon' deter her from her goals of getting them a warm bed. She fixed her hair in the small mirror as Hattie pulled some make up from her bag. Just a little would make her look far more refreshed and put together than she felt. Soon they were changed and looking their part.
"He's kind of full of himself, not that I mind Sailor, he was kind of attractive." Hattie said, a smile spilling across her features.
"I'm sorry you feel that way because we are going to that hotel." She said, taking one more look at the mirror, picking up her bag and walking out into the bunk room. Spot Conlon was leaning against a wall, Sailor by his side. A smirk spread across Spot's face, his eyes dancing.
"Now where could you possibly be going dressed like that?" He asked, his arms outstretched in fake exasperation. Hattie immediately went to smiling at Sailor who boldly flirted back.
"I'm going to get us a hotel room for the rest of the night, and if I must lie to get us in, that's what I'll do." She said straightening the front of her dress. Spot shook his head.
"It's almost three in the morning, why don't you grab a bunk here tonight, rather than…begging." He said leaning close to her. Temperance swiftly slapped him across the face.
"How dare you! We are ladies, not night crawlers, and I beg for nothing!" She said as he put a hand to his cheek laughing. Sailor and Hattie were silent, mouths agape as Temperance stared daggers and the grinning boy. She picked up her bag and looked at Hattie.
"Let's leave, shall we?" She said, making her way across the bunk room and down the stairs, the other boys taking off their hats as she passed, Hattie at her heels. As they stepped into the cold street once more Tempe fought the urge to cry. She looked to Hattie and knew that she had made a mistake. A warm bed had been at her fingertips, but her own pride had gotten in the way.
"We'll get in. Don't worry." She said, looking down the street at the lavish building on the docks. She was not about to be put down by Alexander Spot Conlon. Not on her life.