A Lady Newspaperman's Dilemma by Eileen Joyce Donovan

Author:Eileen Joyce Donovan [Donovan, Eileen Joyce]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Woodhall Press
Published: 2022-07-26T01:28:23+00:00

Chapter 25

I told Jimmy I’d rather meet him at the theater than have Edna making judgments about my dating two men.

As I walked down the street, I saw Jimmy pacing in front of the Palace Theater. He looked very handsome in his gray flannel slacks and Western-style blue shirt. His boots shined and he held a dungaree jacket over his shoulder. I had chosen a white sailor top blouse and a navy-blue pleated skirt for our first date. Jimmy was taller than me, so I was able to wear my black T-strap heels. I also brought along my navy checked blazer in case the night got cool.

I stopped on the corner before he spotted me and smoothed my hair one last time.

“Hi, Jimmy,” I said, walking up behind him.

He spun around, gave me a quick once over, and said, “Gee, you look swell.” He gulped a little and tossed his cigarette on the ground.

“So do you,” I said.

He stood fiddling with his jacket for a minute, then said, “Well, I guess we should go in, huh?”

Jimmy bought our tickets, two at twenty-five cents each. As soon as he opened the door, I was bowled over by the smell of popcorn. Even though I had just eaten dinner, my mouth watered. Jimmy asked if I’d like a box and I instantly said yes. While he left to get our snacks, I looked around.

The theater was beautiful. Velvet ropes marked off both the concession stand and the padded doors that led from the wide-open foyer to the orchestra section. Huge cloth tapestries depicting bucking broncs and bulls covered the walls. The rich red carpeting with tiny gold squares looked brand new, even though I was sure it wasn’t. But since the Palace had only been built a few years ago, it didn’t have a lot of wear and tear. Beyond the foyer was the main lounge, filled with sofas and easy chairs in small groupings with vases on the occasional tables. White on black silhouettes of dancers and crooners decorated the walls. It looked like a sitting room in a Hollywood home.

Our seats were in the orchestra section, more expensive than the loge. At least Jimmy wasn’t going for a cheap date night. Wood panels covered the walls with floor-to-ceiling vertical lights every ten feet or so. I picked two seats in the center of the theater. I didn’t like to be too close to the screen. Jimmy thought they were perfect.

We settled into the comfortable red velvet cushioned seats and munched on the popcorn for a few minutes before the show started. I wanted to save some for the movie, but Jimmy said he’d buy more if I ate it all.

I had just asked how he’d spent his day off when the lights dimmed, the curtains parted, and the screen lit up with Pathé News: a rodeo in California, society news, a glamour girl contest, and a healthy baby contest. Finally, a report on sporting events.

After the news came a Walt Disney cartoon, Kansas City Girls Are Rolling Their Own Now.

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