July 4, 1925
Zora glanced through the curtains of her father's apartment to observe the ruckus outside. It was Independence Day, and the city seemed to be filled with the sounds of celebration. Zora wished she could share the feelings of elation that seemed to have spread throughout the city. She was supposed to head out to Daryl's that day to pick up her next order, and the thought filled her with trepidation. She had not seen him since their brief discussion almost a week ago, and he had been plaguing her thoughts ever since. She knew seeing him in person would only provoke her thoughts of him even further, despite how much she tried not to allow herself to think of him.
"I understand that it's Independence Day and all, but I wish all the hootin' and hollerin' would quit," Zora's father complained from where he sat in the living room in front of a checkers board on the coffee table. Zora smiled at him and sat back down in her chair, studying the board for her next move. The pair were playing an afternoon game. Zora claimed that she had come by to keep her father company before his shift started that evening, but in reality, she was putting off going out to Daryl's house.
"This city always finds its own reasons to celebrate, and Independence Day is one of the only legitimate ones they have," Zora mused.
"I hope tonight isn't too crazy," her father muttered. "I'm gettin' too old for this shit."
Zora snickered. "The city would be one big blow without you to keep it in check, Daddy."
Daniel shook his head at his daughter in amusement. "That's what I keep tellin' myself." He glanced at the old clock that sat next to his gramophone and squinted to read the time. "Shouldn't you be headin' out soon? Thought you were goin' out to Daryl's today?"
"I am," she sighed. Her father arched an eyebrow at her tone, and she quickly recovered her facial expression. "Just not lookin' forward to the long drive is all."
He nodded. "You better be careful out there. Gang violence has been on the rise lately. Cermak's crew have been gettin' into lots of brawls with the Cazzola guys, and it's gettin' ugly. Half the time we don't know if it's territory-related or if they're fightin' just to fight."
"None of those guys would ever suspect me, Daddy. I'll be safe."
"The KKK are gettin' bolder, too. They lynched a fella for boozin' with some jigaboos."
"I wish you wouldn't use that word," Zora sighed.
"Hey, their words, not mine," Daniel shrugged. "I'm just sayin', everyone's gettin' more violent lately. Don't know what's gotten into people, and with all the ruckus going on with the 4th today, I'm worried it'll rile people up more. You make sure to take your gun with you out to Daryl's, in case you run into any trouble."
"I always do," Zora nodded seriously. "I take it with me almost everywhere. You never know when trouble will pop up."
"Good girl."
Zora made a move and captured the last of her father's pieces, winning the game. When she had been young, her father had always let her win. Now, he claimed he never lost without a fight of his own, but she never believed him. Daniel grinned at his daughter and made to stand from his chair.
"Well, why don't you let your old man get a little nap in before work, huh?" he said.
"Okay. I should get goin' anyway."
"What d'you say you come over for dinner tomorrow? I got the day off."
"Sounds great, Daddy."
Zora leaned in and gave her father a kiss on the cheek before gathering her things and making her way to the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she called to him, and he gave her a wave. She closed the door behind her and made her way down the stairs and out to where her car was parked on the street. It was about 4:00, but she could tell that people were already drunk on the street. She shook her head with a small smile and hopped in the car to begin the long drive out to Daryl's.
The sounds of the celebrating city faded away as she drove, but she heard the sounds of fireworks in the distance. People often traveled a little ways outside the city limits to light off fireworks on Independence Day, and she had often participated in such an activity. She wasn't sure what the evening would have in store for her, but she knew Molly would have something lined up if she wanted to take part in the festivities.
As Zora pulled up to Daryl's house, she could see him tending to his vegetable garden out back. She climbed out of the car and watched him for a moment before he noticed her, taking in the way the sweat shone on his skin and the dirt that was smudged around his neck and face. He looked filthy, but still ridiculously attractive to her. She sighed and made her way over to him, determined to get this over with.
"Afternoon," she called as she approached. He stood from where he was weeding and wiped the sweat from his brow, greeting her with a simple nod.
"Got your stuff all ready," he grunted, motioning for her to follow him to the shed. The crates of moonshine were stacked neatly by the door, and he immediately grabbed one and began loading up her car. Zora did the same, neither one of them speaking until the crates were stashed successfully in her backseat.
Zora reached for her purse in the passenger seat and pulled out the money for the order. She handed it to Daryl, who quickly shoved it into his pocket. She wondered why he never counted the money she gave him. She would never think of shorting him, but she wondered what prompted him to trust the amount she gave him every time. Maybe he just didn't care about money that much, or maybe he counted it later when she was gone, but it puzzled her every time she saw him do it.
The pair of them stared awkwardly at one another, unsure what to say. Daryl felt that usually he would invite her in for a drink or for dinner, but the invitation felt strange now that they were trying to keep their relationship professional. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Well, I better go," Zora said quickly. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but the tension made her want to flee.
"Yeah, I got a lot of stuff to do," Daryl muttered, looking around at his garden. He didn't really have much to do at all, but he wasn't sure what to say to get rid of her.
"Uh, well, thanks," Zora said awkwardly. "I guess I'll see you next week."
Daryl nodded stiffly. Zora stood there for another moment before she felt her cheeks becoming flushed, and she quickly turned on her heel and walked to the driver's side of her car.
"Happy Independence Day," she said as she opened the door and climbed inside.
"You too," Daryl replied, his voice feeling strained and rough. She flashed him a small smile before closing her door and backing out of the driveway. He watched as her Model T drove away down the gravel road until the he couldn't see the dust from her car anymore.
Zora took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. The interaction with Daryl had been almost painful. She couldn't believe how they had gone from being so playful and relaxed with one another to tense and awkward, and the change in their relationship was entirely her fault. If she hadn't kissed him, things would be as they were, and she would have been looking forward to her trip out to Daryl's that day. Why did she have to complicate things?
As she drove, she realized that even if Daryl had kissed her back, even if he had wanted her the way she wanted him, it would still have complicated their relationship. They were supposed to be business partners, not a couple. Romance and business did not mix well. A lover's spat could negatively affect the business, and the end to such a relationship would most certainly mean the end of the business. But even with those complications, she still wished that she could have Daryl the way she wanted.
"Stop being selfish and get over it," she muttered aloud to herself. She couldn't have everything she wanted, and she needed to stop sulking over Daryl.
As she drove back into the city and headed for Five Points, she suddenly noticed that a car had been tailing behind her for several blocks. She narrowed her eyes and wondered in paranoia if they were following her. She quickly turned down an unfamiliar street, and to her dismay, the car behind her followed. She made another quick turn, only to see her tail copy her route. Her heart began to pound, and she felt for the gun strapped to her thigh. Her father's words from earlier that afternoon echoed in her head. It could be Cermak's men, Cazzola's men, or the KKK. None of those options were good.
Zora took a deep breath and tried to steady her breathing. She made another turn and headed onto a larger road, driving away from Five Points. If someone was following her, she didn't want to lead them to her destination. The car followed her down the road for several blocks, and each time she turned, it mimicked her actions. Zora knew she was no longer being paranoid. She was definitely being followed.
She slowed to a stop at a stoplight, and the car weaved around her to pull up next to her. She tried her best to appear nonchalant and unsuspicious, and she chanced a side glance at the car. Three men were inside the vehicle, and all three seemed to be scrutinizing her and the contents hidden beneath the blanket in her backseat. Her hands were trembling, but she feigned confidence and gave the driver a flirtatious wink. The driver glanced at his companion in the passenger seat, and they seemed to be grinning. The light in front of them finally turned green, and Zora blew the men a kiss before moving on down the road. To her immense relief, the car turned down the next street away from her.
Zora let loose the panicked breaths she had been withholding. She pulled into the nearest parking lot and put the car in park, leaning over her steering wheel and trying to calm herself down. She didn't know which gang or organization the men had belonged to, but if she had done the wrong thing, it could have ended very badly for her. She closed her eyes and forced herself to take deep breaths until her heart rate slowed down to normal. When her hands had finally stopped shaking, she started her car again and began taking a very roundabout way back to Five Points.
"Thank God for being a woman," she sighed to herself as she finally pulled into the parking lot behind Walton's and her apartment. She quickly made her way in the backdoor of Walton's and waved a quick greeting to George and Cecil.
"Happy fourth," George called cheerily. "Cecil, you wanna start unloading her car?"
"You got it," Cecil replied amicably, heading out back to begin storing the moonshine crates inside.
"What's eating you?" George asked with a frown, noticing Zora's less than joyous expression.
"I was followed on the way here," she stated. George's eyes quickly darted to the back door, and Zora held up a hand. "No, it's okay. I lost the tail. But still. I don't like it. Daddy says gang and KKK violence is on the rise, and it makes me uneasy."
"You and me both," George sighed, his eyes full of worry. "Could you tell who followed you?"
"Dunno," Zora shrugged. "Three fellas in a car, they followed me for a while till they pulled up next to me at a stoplight. I winked at them and blew them a kiss and they gave up right after that."
George let out a long breath in a whistle. "Well I have to say that your gender is certainly working to our advantage. I don't like it though. What if they catch on?"
"I don't think it'll happen, but I'm still worried. Maybe I oughta save up for a bigger car, one with an extra row of seats so the crates aren't stacked high. If they can't see the stacks from the windows, I might get by easier."
"I think that's a good idea," George nodded. "With the extra money you're makin' from Dixon's Vixen, it shouldn't be long before you can afford a new car. Especially if you trade in the Model T."
"Yeah." Zora sat down on one of the barstools, deciding she was not in the mood for Fourth of July partying that evening, but that she did need a hefty drink to calm her nerves.
"Mind pouring me a belt?" Zora asked George. He nodded and moved behind the bar, quickly mixing her a moonshine cocktail. Zora knocked it back in a few sips and gave George a grateful smile.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go up to my apartment and take a long relaxing bath. That's about as far as my Independence Day celebrations are going to get."
George laughed. "Okay, sunshine. If you change your mind, we've got a great band here tonight. Came all the way from Birmingham. You should check it out, if you're feeling up to it."
"Okay, maybe I will. Thanks, George."
"See you later, darlin'."
Zora slid from the barstool and slipped past Cecil, who was carrying in the last crate of moonshine. She would make her delivery to the Peachtree Tavern in the morning, as planned. For now, she needed some rest and relaxation alone. Her visit was Daryl had shaken her up enough without the close call of getting followed, and Zora wanted to just close her eyes and forget it all.
Trouble was, every time she closed her eyes, she saw a pair of piercing blue eyes staring back at her in her mind's eye.