Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) -- Fiction; El Paso (Tex.) -- Fiction; Prostitutes -- Fiction
Juarez Avenue, better known as Lysol Lane, extends from the Sixteenth of
September Street to the Santa Fe Bridge, and all traffic, pedestrian and
otherwise, must go down this street and across this bridge to return to
El Paso, as both bridges are one way, the Stanton Street Bridge is to
enter Juarez, and the Santa Fe Bridge to leave it. This street, being a
little over half a mile long, even if you were sober when you start down
it, you would be drunk when you reached the bridge, as more than every
other door is a famous bar, others infamous--but bars nevertheless, and
as you near the bridge they are bigger and better and louder and wilder.
So the girls started their trek down this street with the Barrel House,
then to several bars of less importance, until they reached the Castle,
which is known for its wonderful band, its good liquor, and its
wonderful proprietor and his wife, who, when she has been drinking a
little too much, does a strip dance on the floor that causes the Cholos
to fly for the river, to keep from burning the seats out of their
pants.
"Hi, everybody," yelled Evelyn, as she threw the swinging doors open and
strode in. "I crave whiskey and lots of it. Come on, Pearl, the night is
just beginning--Everybody, this is Pearl, a friend of mine I've known
for years--come on, everybody, drink to her--W-h-ee-ee," screamed
Evelyn, throwing her arms around the nearest man, and everybody moving
and milling around the bar. The band in the cabaret struck up a hot
number, with everybody screaming and dancing and drinking, for the night
was starting its mad, hilarious orgy, which always ended with anyone
going to bed with anyone they happened to be with, regardless of who it
might happen to be, sometimes even their own husbands.
Pearl found herself swept along by strong arms, on to the dance floor,
before she had time to see his face, and when she did get a real look at
him, she wasn't displeased. He was a tall fellow, about twenty-five or
less, in laced boots, riding pants and leather sport jacket, and grey
slouch hat.
"I'm hot for you, baby; I could use you plenty," were his first words to
Pearl.
"Well, you're not hard to take."
"That will be for you to decide later," he smiled with his eyes.
"My car is parked just back of this place. Shall we go out to it, or
would you rather go elsewhere?"
"Your car is as good a place as any--let's go."
"Oke," he answered, as he put his arm around her waist and lifted her
off her feet and carried her out of the crowd to the swinging door. "How
much is this deal going to cost me, Baby?"
"Just five bucks, big boy."
"Oke, Baby," as he slipped a bill into her hand, "There's ten. If you're
good for five, you ought to be a pip for that."
In the dim light Pearl uncrumpled the bill he had slipped into her hand.
"Nuts, big boy, what's the gag? This ain't no ten--this is a fifty."
"I know it--see if you can make the next fifteen minutes worth it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account