Be kind, my friends...If you want more, REVIEW! Now that that's all said and done, enjoy the chapter!
Roxie went back to tending the two pots of boiling water, and Velma walked over to the dresser. "Velma, you can switch clothes behind that wicker pull out screen of mine. When you're done, just put the wet clothes over here on the rocking chair." Roxie offered not looking up from her water.
Velma pulled out the screen and opened up Roxie's pajama drawer. "ROXIE!" She called over to her cohort in the kitchen as she pawed through the drawer. "EVERYTHING'S IN PINK! I hate pink!" Roxie laughed. "Velma, hon, have you ever heard that saying: Don't bite the hand that feeds you?" Velma couldn't help but smile. "You're right, Rox, but PINK?!" She shouted.
By now Velma's coffee was ready and Roxie was just adding the cocoa to her hot water, when she heard frustrated grunts and groans coming from behind the wicker screen. "Velma, you okay?" asked Roxie. "I am, but I don't know if I'll be able to say the same for your nightgown in a minute." Roxie burst into giggles.
"I'm not coming out there!" called Velma from behind the screen. "Oh come on Velma, I bet you look cute!" exclaimed Roxie. "I feel like a bloated ballerina. This thing is about five sizes too small for me!" she cried.
"OK if you don't come out here within three seconds, I'm coming to get you! And besides you don't want your nice hot coffee to get cold on you, do ya?" Velma was very thirsty and still rather cold from the rain. "Fine, Roxie. You're cynical though you know that?" said Velma. "Oh I know that, Vel. But I could only strive to be as bad as you." She joked.
Velma poked her head out from behind the wicker screen. "Don't make fun of me or I'll smack you so hard your mama will feel it." threatened Velma. Roxie shook her head in a sign of peace and Velma slowly but surely made her way out from behind the screen. When she was finally out in the open, Roxie's eyes widened as they combed over Velma's voluptuous figure in her tiny pink nightie. 'Oh my God, she's so beautiful. She looks better in my nightie than I do.' Thought Roxie. 'I can now understand how some one like Velma can posses nothing but the utmost self- confidence.' She looked down at her own skinny little figure, the nightgown she wore hung so loosely that it barely touched her skin. Roxie felt all the blood rush to her face. She was embarrassed and she knew that it showed.
"Velma, you look so beautiful." Roxie stated honestly. She could feel her cheeks turning red. She cringed as she realized that she had just given the upper hand to Velma, who now would surely gloat until she was blue in the face.
"Are you kidding, kid?" retorted Velma who made her way over to the body-length mirror standing next to the desk. She winced as she viewed herself in the mirror, then changed directions to view her profile. "I look like a heifer in her fifth month." She laughed as she smacked her behind silently gesturing to Roxie she was unhappy with her shape. "Boy when you're right, you're right." She said. "What are you talking about?" asked Roxie. "About that whole me laying off the caramels thing you said a while back. You know what? The day after you said that to me, I tried to stay away from 'em, I really did. But as you can see, I failed miserably."
"Oh Velma I only said all that stuff because I hated your guts and wanted you to feel like shit." said Roxie. "Oh is that all?" laughed Velma sarcastically. "Well I don't anymore, Vel. You know that." She added.
"Anyway," said Velma. "As long as we're being all out in the open with everything, let me just say that I've always very much admired your petite little figure, Rox. You're small, slender...You have the classic physique of a Vaudeville girl. All in all, Roxie, you're quite dainty...and for some time I was a bit jealous of you...though, I would have rather cut off my right leg than reveal that to you back then." Professed Velma never once taking her eyes off of her reflection.
Now it was Roxie's turn to be surprised. 'Velma Kelly, jealous of me?!' she screamed in her head. 'This must all be a dream.' She thought. Roxie felt her mouth go dry, she was barely able to speak. "Thanks, Vel." She finally uttered.
Roxie was finally knocked out of shock as Velma walked over to the dresser and picked up her soaked dress, stole, and stockings and tossed them onto the rosewood rocking chair by the icebox. They both glanced down at the same time to see the shaggy soaked little fox head stole peering up at them.
"I hate to say it, Vel..." said Roxie handing Velma her coffee. "But I think you're little friend is no longer with us." She kidded. "Yeah, and that little friend of mine cost $250." Said Velma.
"My God, Velma! Where'd you get that kinda money?" Roxie went on between sips of her hot chocolate. "I mean I thought you were budgeting since the goddamn Depression started." " I am, Rox. It was this guy I was with, another bootlegger ya know? He bought me the stole, not to mention a whole new wardrobe! He was just about to buy me a car too, when tonight..." She trailed off.
"Oh Velma, I'm so sorry." Said Roxie putting her hand on Velma's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Roxie. I was a lot more upset about it earlier. But well, since I been here with you, you've been so nice to me that you made me forget all about that two-timin' son-of-a-bitch. You're really not a bad broad after all."
"Thanks Velma. That's a real sweet thing to say." Roxie whispered earnestly. She blushed. "Well that's just what you are, isn't it...Sweet?" said Velma putting her hand to Roxie's cheek. "You're so pretty when you blush." Velma noted. This unexpected comment made Roxie's cheeks redden even more.
Roxie closed her eyes. She liked the feel of Velma's hand on her. She put her hand on Velma's as the tall brunette still cupped her face. But in all of five seconds Roxie was shot with an idea and immediately withdrew from the other girl's touch.
"Velma, you're not tired are you?" She asked. "Roxie, you just fed me a very tall glass of the strongest coffee in the free world, with more sugar in it than liquid. I feel like I could dance all night long and into tomorrow, and then still be able to go run the Boston marathon!" "GOOD!" Chirped Roxie. "'Cos that's exactly what we're gonna do!"
"Go run the Boston marathon?" asked Velma confused. "No, dummy! DANCE!" exclaimed Roxie excitedly, as she ran to her phonograph to put on some tunes.
"Jeez, Rox, mind if I ask why the sudden enthusiasm?" Roxie smiled. "I know this may sound stupid, but when I was a little girl, my mama never let me have or go to any sleepovers with my friends. It was like she was always afraid I might catch something. Tuberculosis, pneumonia...I dunno, some disease I guess." Velma eyed her curiously. "Anyway, it'll be fun. It'll be like reliving our childhood! We can even practice our numbers tonight or something." 'What a crazy little thing.' Velma thought. 'Crazy, but cute.'
Suddenly the Charleston came on, and Roxie squealed with delight. As she started dancing, she motioned for Velma to join her. "Come on, Velma! I CAN'T DO IT ALONE!" Velma chuckled as she went to join her "new" friend. "Whatever you say, kid...Whatever you say."
TBC very, very, soon...