Eliza's radio glowed in the dimly lit room, and the fuzzy voice of the announcer rumbled in the background. She stood in her kitchen, making herself a small meal to fill herself before she'd leave for work. Not the job she felt she had to do, but the job she loved to do. The food wasn't anything much, it was all she could afford.

She found it difficult to concentrate on the beans sizzling in the pot, she was far too distracted. Her mind burned with curiosity around William, and where exactly he was. She hadn't seen him as of late, and she'd begun to worry. Was he once again inattentive, or was he somewhere with a bullet in his head?

She didn't understand why he was always away. She didn't know what his job entailed. She often read about men like him. The horrid things they'd do in the name of bootlegging. Did William do those things? It was hard for her to conceptualize him doing anything to cause harm to anyone.

The William she knew was sweet and gentle. A man who made love slowly and deeply, his thrusts matching the Long Island Sound. His kisses were warm and tender, and his caress enthralling. How could anyone look into his blue eyes and see a criminal? All she saw was love.

She knew it wasn't only his job that caused issues in their relationship. His color did as well. They couldn't go out together as they wished. They couldn't be seen by most. Their love could only be expressed in whispers, in the shadows of the trees in Washington Square, or the shade of an alleyway, or in the safety of her small apartment where his men would never be too far away.

She walked to her small table that sat in the corner of the kitchen area. As she was setting her plate, she noticed a figure on her fire escape. Her hand shook with such might that it slipped through her fingers, shattering on the floor. She backed away, frightened nearly to death. But then her eyes focused, and she realized it was only William.

She unlocked her window weights and swiftly opened the window. She was more than willing to once again allow him back into her apartment, despite his absence for all that time. William, who stood nonchalantly on the fire escape gave her a salute. "Hey there, lovebug."

"Must you climb up the fire escape all the while?" Eliza asked.

"I wanted to surprise you." William hopped into the apartment and shut the window behind him. Eliza was still shaken by the surprise, but he kissed away her worries on her forehead. She held her stomach as she walked over to her counter, resting her hand on the surface as she caught her breath. He tried to uplift her mood. "Oh come on, I've got good news."

"What could that possibly be?" Eliza asked cautiously. William reached into his pocket, and he removed a wad of money. He often had a substantial amount of money on him, but this time it was extensive.

"Where did you get that William?" Eliza asked. "Who did you have to kill to get that?"

"Does it always have to be that someone dies?William asked Eliza, hoping to relax her. "I'm okay. I'm better than I was before. And that means I can support you. Get you out of this neighborhood."

"Who says I need to 'get out' of this neighborhood? My father is a doctor." Eliza crossed her arms.

William was dumbfounded. "I— I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't." Eliza answered. "I live in this neighborhood because it was my choice. Not because I have to."

"I just want to give you the world." William told her. "That's all I ever wanted to do. To dress you in the kinds of clothes a girl like you deserves, to put you in the kind of house you deserve."

"I have to go to work." Eliza cut him off, beginning to take off her chemise in favor for actual clothes.

"Come on, stay in. Matter of fact, quit that job. You won't need it if I'm taking care of you anyway." William extended his arms as he watched her change.

He watched as the chemise straps slipped down her shoulders, then inch by inch more of her back was revealed. He tense when it went over her ass, and prayed that he'd focus on the conversation.

"I began performing because I wanted to." Eliza told William as she began slipped on her dress. Then she turned to him and stepped right in front of where he stood. She looked him directly in the eye. "It wasn't because I had to."

He reached out to grasp her waist, but she turned away and walked past him. She collected her things and headed for the door. After opening it, she turned and looked back at him. "Make sure you shut the window on your way out."

Then she locked her apartment, leaving him all alone inside.

"How much money did he have?" Bessie asked with widened eyes. She ate and apple as she watched Eliza put on her makeup.

"Too much." Eliza said. "I'm really starting to worry he's getting a little too deep in this thing."

"What are you gonna do?" Bessie asked as she leaned her hand against the back of Eliza's chair. She ate her apple ravenously, eager to hear the story.

"All I can do is cut him off if it gets too bad." Eliza told Bessie. "But when is it too bad."

Out on the stage, a voice boomed that announced the Chorus Girls. "And now, please welcome to the stage, Harlem's Delight!"

"That's me." Bessie smiled as she ran off. Muffled jazzy music began to fill the room. In the distance you could hear the synchronized patter of their tap shoes on the stage.

The audience looked in awe as all of the girls came out with large feather fans concealing their bodies. Eliza knew exactly when they removed the few the fans when the crowd began shouting. The drum hit every time a girl popped a hip or shook her breasts. With each movement and beat of the song, more and more clothes were thrown off.

The crowd sounded like they'd tear the place down in reaction to the performance. The girls all walked into the audience, dancing in front of a few people. But the excited audience got worse. Whether it be the dancing women or the alcohol, they began getting reckless.

Men in the audience began to fight one another, throwing punches with girls only inches away. Fern quickly told the girls to go backstage, cutting the number short.

Eliza, who still sat in her dressing room was startled when Fern rushed in. "Come on. We need a calming voice out here."

"I'm not entirely done with my makeup." Eliza told her.

"It doesn't matter, we need you now." Fern insisted. Eliza exhaled and stood up, walking through the cramped corridor to the stage. The announcer called out.

"Welcome to the stage, Gigi!" He announced.

Out came Eliza, who stepped out onto the stage as the crowd got settled. She could see in the distance a few men were being dragged out. In front of the microphone, she shut her eyes. Then she turned to the band on the side of the stage, exchanging a few words with them on what song to play.

Eliza sweetly sang "You're Driving Me Crazy" in ballad form. The people in the audience stopped to listen intently, her voice moving all of them.

Yes you, you are driving me crazy!

What did I do?

Did I do to you?

As she looked out, she noticed one particular figure. It was William. Her heart swelled as she looked directly at him, the lyrics resonating with how he made her feel. Toward the end of the song, a smile spread across her face. The audience began to applaud, all but William. Applause from him wasn't needed, because his affection for her was already clear. After the song, he stood up and placed his hat on his head. Then began making his way backstage.