The Studio Girls by Lisa Ireland

Author:Lisa Ireland [Ireland, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781761345456
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Chapter 22

Peggy

Peggy returned to the Studio Club feeling flat after her dinner meeting with Billy. It was a sultry June night and after almost a year being the support act at Ciro’s, she’d just accepted an offer to be the headline for the next month, so she had no reason to be glum. She inwardly chided herself, knowing she should feel excited or, at the very least, grateful, but she couldn’t honestly say she was even pleased about this latest development.

After kicking off her heels and removing her stockings, she flopped down on the bed and sighed. She was too wound up to sleep or even read. What she wanted was someone to talk to about all of this. Where was Julia when she needed her? The French Riviera, filming her next smash-hit movie, that’s where.

And that was the problem.

Not Julia being away, but that she wanted to be the one off filming in an exotic location. She didn’t want to be a nightclub singer. She wanted to be a star like Julia. She’d paid her dues, hadn’t she? But where had that got her?

Maybe Sadie was around. She would understand. Sadie knew what it was like to have dreams that hadn’t started to come true yet.

Peggy washed her face, slipped on her pyjamas and robe and headed off down the corridor. She heard the sound of Elvis Presley singing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ as she neared Sadie and Vivienne’s room.

She tapped on the door. ‘Sadie, you in there? I’ve got news.’

‘Come on in,’ Sadie called.

Peggy pushed the door open and her nostrils were immediately assaulted by the smell of cigarette smoke. Sadie and Vivienne were sitting on their respective beds facing each other. Sadie had a glass in one hand and bottle of gin in the other.

‘Vivienne,’ Peggy said. ‘I didn’t expect you to be here. Didn’t you have a date tonight?’

‘We broke up.’

‘Ah.’ That explained the music. ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Oh, don’t be, honey. He’s not worth mourning. Sadie and I are celebrating the end.’ Vivienne’s voice was bright, but her eyes were red-rimmed and her cheeks were tear-stained. ‘In better news, Sadie has finally finished her screenplay!’

‘Really? Wow! That’s quite an accomplishment. Congratulations!’

‘Thanks. But it’s not really finished. It’s only a draft. I need to rework it before I can show it to anyone.’ Sadie’s words were slightly slurred. Obviously, they’d been drinking for a while.

Vivienne beckoned for her to come in. ‘Shut the door behind you, before McGovern hears the music and comes to investigate.’ She got up from the bed and went to the record player to turn the music down a notch. ‘So, what’s your news?’

Peggy pulled the door closed. ‘Oh, nothing important. Just, well . . . Billy has asked me to be the headline act at Ciro’s after Margaret Whiting’s show closes.’

Vivienne flopped back onto her bed and grabbed a teacup from her nightstand. ‘Wow! I think that news deserves a toast.’ She looked down at her cup. ‘I’m empty, though.’

‘No. It’s not a big deal.

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