The Previous Night

One of the other girls who lived in the boarding house left her room to knock on the far bedroom door and ask for help with one of the curling rags in her auburn hair. As she passed Eliza's room, her attention snagged on the hat on the floor in front of her door. She leaned her ear closer to the door, and her eyes went wide as she covered her mouth.

She scuffled to the door she'd first meant to go to and quietly tapped on it, whispering as she tried not to squeal. "Maude! Get out here! Hurry!" She tapped over and over again.

"What in the heavens, Susie?" Maude yawned and rubbed her eyes as she opened the door, her brown hair in a loose tie at her neck.

"Eliza's got a man in her room!" Susanna whispered.

Maude's eyes went wide. "What?"

"Look!" Susanna pointed at the hat.

"What's the commotion?"

The two of them looked in the direction of the other bedroom as Cleo opened her door and stepped into the hall in her nightgown, her raven black locks swept over her shoulder.

"Hey! Eliza's got a man in her room!"

Cleo slowly grinned. "You're joking."

"Look at that!" Susanna pointed again at the hat. "And listen for yourself!"

The three of them leaned closer to Eliza's door and immediately heard the unmistakable truth.

"Well, I'll be," Cleo said folding her arms and leaning back. "Goodie-two-shoes finally bit the bullet. Good for her."

"Oh, Eliza…" Maude sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.

"I can't believe it!" Susanna whispered. "It's just…beyond belief!"

"Don't hurt yourself," Cleo whispered, her eyebrows coming together as she looked at her from the corner of her eyes. "What's so hard to believe about it? She's a woman, ain't she?"

"Sure, but she's not just any woman. She's so careful, she's so…Eliza."

"There's time enough, Susie. She'll come to regret it someway, I'm sure," Maude said.

"Goddamn!" Cleo guffawed. "They're both really goin' at it!"

"I wonder if he's a looker," Susanna said.

"He'd have to be, for Eliza to open her legs to him. That and a real charmer," Maude said.

"I'd like to meet him," Cleo smirked. "Sounds like he's the master of his craft."

"That, or Eliza don't have no experience. We know that's the case," Susanna said.

"Why can't it be both?" Cleo said.

"I hope he does right by her," Maude said. "She deserves nothing less after all she's been through."

"Mm-mm. Listen to that," Cleo said. "Been a while. I've played the good girl too long. What I wouldn't give to be her right now."

"This is silly," Maude said. "We really shouldn't be out here listening to th—"

"Oh, no! No, no!" Cleo whispered, causing Maude to stop and turn back. "We're committed now! Who's gonna stay out here so we get a good look at him when he comes out?"

"What's going on?"

They all turned to see Delia come to the top of the stairs.

"Eliza's got a man in her room."

"What? Oh my god. It's the man from the bar, ain't it?" she said.

"What!"

"You saw him?!"

The three other girls went into a hushed frenzy.

"What's he like?"

"Tell us about him!"

"I never seen him before. Don't know anything about him, but he's a real tough cowboy, that's for sure. Real mountain man," she said.

"My god! Eliza with a mountain man?" Cleo said. "Who knew she had it in her? Well—" she caught herself, fighting a laugh. "I guess he does now."

"Oh, you!" Susanna snickered, swatting her. "Stop that!"

"Is that his hat? Yup, that's him, all right," Delia said. "Oh…" she put a hand to the side of her face, her expression sliding into a remorseful frown. "I teased her about him at work. I guess I didn't realize how much she actually liked him."

Cleo reached down to pick the hat up and studied it.

"No, don't touch it!" Susanna said.

"Delia, how could you?" Maude said. "She's the youngest of us, and she ain't got folks no more. I told you all we had to watch out for her."

"I know, I know! I'm sorry!"

"She's a grown-ass woman, Maude," Cleo said putting the hat on, "makin' grown-up choices. Ain't nobody could stop it if they tried."

"No, put it back!" Susanna said.

"That's a pretty cynical point of view," Maude said. "I'd hate to be your sister."

"She ain't my sister!" Cleo whispered, shrugging. "Anyways, sounds to me like she's havin' her a grand ol' time in there."

The four of them leaned closer to the door and listened for a few moments. Cleo watched as the faces of the other girls fell white, and they tried to swallow.

She grinned as she replaced the hat where it had been on the floor and whispered, "So, I take it we're all campin' out in the hall to make sure we get a good look at him?"

After a moment they broke apart and staked out their territory.

"I'll sit here against the rail!"

"I'll sit right here!"

"I've got this spot."

The next morning when Eliza's bedroom door creaked open, Cleo swatted the other girls awake.

"Hey, it's open. Get up. It's happening," she whispered.

They all hurried to their feet as the door opened wide and he stepped into the hall.

They whispered and shared low oohs and giggles when they saw his tall, sturdy form and rugged getup. When he bent to pick up his hat and rose to put it on his head, they fell silent as they stared at him, his presence filling the hallway. He quickly headed down the stairs, his spurs jingling and his strong steps counting out the stairs as he went.

When he was halfway down the stairs Eliza appeared at her open doorway, her golden hair and bodice in disarray, and she was greeted by a round of whooping and clapping from the girls. She immediately turned red and smiled, covering her face in her hands.

"Oh, well done, Eliza," Cleo said loudly as she clapped.

Eliza heard them giggle and gasp, but she immediately went to the guard rail and looked down.

She watched as Arthur took the last step.

"Just where did you come from?!" she heard Mrs. Kessler shout when she saw him. "And just what the hell are you doin' in my house? Get out! Get!"

"Don't worry, ma'am. I'm gettin'," he said calmly as he made for the front door. And just like that he was gone. He hadn't looked back.

"Quick! Kessler's comin' up! Close her door!" the girls said, scrambling to shut Eliza's door.

When Mrs. Kessler made it to the top of the stairs, they all stood side by side and looked at her.

"You can't know," Cleo said. "You can't know which of us it was, you old hag. You'd have to toss us all out."

Her eyes narrowed, and she huffed. "If I ever do…you'll be sorry."

When she was downstairs again, they converged on Eliza, firing chatter at her. Eliza noticed a black neckerchief on the floor of the hall. Knowing Arthur had dropped it on his way out, she knelt to pick it up.

"Thank you all, for what you did," she said quietly with a smile.

"Aw, don't mention it. We gals gotta stick together," Cleo said winking at Maude. "How was he, for your first time?" she asked with an easy grin.

"He stayed the whole night! He must really like you!" Delia said.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Susanna said.

"I thought you were more careful than that, Eliza," Maude said.

"I'm fine, Maude. Really," she smiled, swiping her hair out of her face.

"Better than fine, I'd say, from what we could hear last night," Susanna snickered, and the rest of them started hooting and cackling.

"Oo, Susie! What a comment!" Delia giggled.

"Oh, he was a firebrand of a looker, he was!" Susanna said, fanning herself. "Stopped us cold dead in our tracks, he did. You sure know how to pick 'em when you get around to it, Eliza."

"Yeah, you gotta be careful," Cleo said with a relaxed grin, "fella like that, get ya pregnant just by lookin' at ya."

Their giggles halted, and Eliza's smile fell as she swallowed.

"I mean… I mean, I'm sure it won't happen to you," Cleo said shaking her head and waving. "I'm only makin' a joke."

"How old is he, do you know?" Maude asked.

"I don't know exactly," Eliza shook her head, "but I think he's in his twenties."

"Well, what does he do for a livin'?" Delia asked.

"He's, um…" Eliza caught herself before she answered honestly. "Well, actually, I couldn't say."

"Where does he come from?" Susanna asked.

"I don't know," Eliza said quietly.

"Well, what do you know about him, silly?" Susanna giggled.

Eliza went quiet.

"Do you at least know how to get in touch with him?" Maude asked.

Eliza slowly wagged her head. "Wait…you don't think… He'll come back, won't he?"

None of the girls said a thing.

Eliza's face went white.

.

"I am a prisoner of your heart.

I was takin' it slow, but then I locked up hard.

I am a prisoner of your heart.

I was takin' it slow, but I got caught off guard."

- Needtobreathe, "Prisoner"