The Golden Room

When he saw her face, he gasped audibly.

This was no whore named Margo.

This was Cathleen, his Cathleen Lester, the virgin he was engaged to marry in a matter of days.

He jumped to his feet just as she realized that a young man was present in the room, almost undressed, and then she gasped too. 'Alan!' she exclaimed in a strangled voice.

Momentarily stunned, he found his voice. 'Cathleen! What are you doing here?'

'What do you mean what am I doing here? I'm living here with my aunts in their home until our marriage.' She stared at him. 'The question is what are you doing here – and in my room?'

'Cathleen, this isn't your aunts' home. This is a famous house of prostitution. It's the Everleigh Club.'

'You must be crazy. It isn't. It can't be. Where did you get the idea that this is a…?'

Alan broke in on her. 'It is. It's a brothel, a house of prostitution. It's known everywhere. Whatever your aunts told you, they are running this place. They are madams.'

'Don't you dare say that -'

'I'm saying it because it's true. Listen to me, Cathleen. For heaven's sake, listen to me. My father decided I must have some experience in sex before our wedding night. It's an old-fashioned idea. Take your son to a sporting house and make him learn what women are all about. The biggest brothel in Chicago is a house called the Everleigh Club, run by two sisters named Minna and Aida Everleigh – not Lester, but Everleigh. He brought me here against my will. I don't want to be with any woman but you. But my father insisted. He dragged me here for dinner and drinks tonight – I mean, what would a restaurant be doing in a private home? – and then he sent me upstairs to consort with a prostitute named Margo. The person who escorted me sent me into the wrong room. Now do you understand?'

Cathleen was pale, shaking her head. 'I can't believe it, I just can't believe it. You mean my Aunt Minna and Aunt Aida are actually madams, and they've been lying all these years? My father sent us here in good faith, to stay with our aunts before the wedding. He doesn't know…'

'Nor does my father know about Minna and Aida. He must never find out that his future daughter-in-law has been living in a house of prostitution.'

On her bare feet, Cathleen had moved closer to Alan. She said in a low voice, 'Alan, it's not important what your father thinks. To me, it's only important what you think.' She hesitated. 'Because I'm here, surely you don't think I'm a prostitute?'

'Of course not!' He shook his head vigorously. 'I know who you are. I know you're not working here.'

'But maybe you're not sure.' She reached out and touched Alan's chest. 'Darling, you've got to be sure before we go ahead. You've got to know I'm not one of those girls. Everything that I've told you is true. I'm a virgin, Alan, and I can prove it.'

With that, she unfastened her peignoir and let it fall to her feet. She faced him, utterly nude.

'Let me prove it, Alan,' she said, and then turned, walked to the bed, threw back the cover, and lay down.

Dazzled by the sight of her, Alan swayed on his feet, choking. His eyes feasted on her body as she lay on the bed. He felt the swelling hardness in his crotch. Suddenly his thick penis came straight up and burst out of his underwear.

He could see Cathleen's eyes widen.

For Alan, there was nothing more to hide or hold back, no longer a need for modesty.

He ripped off his union suit and tossed it aside.

Trembling with excitement, he tried to contain himself as he approached her.

He settled on the bed and dropped down beside Cathleen, so close that their bare hips and thighs touched.

Rising, his lips went to her firm nipples, kissing and licking them, then he was kissing her mouth. Their tongues met, and gradually her breathing heightened.

He was lifting himself, coming down between her legs, as her own legs came up to encircle him.

He was entering her, gradually entering her, slowly, with difficulty, as she moaned. 'Oh, Alan, I love you.'

'And I love you,' he whispered.

And through the joyful minutes that followed, their marriage was consummated without a wedding.

Downstairs, in a corner of the restaurant, Edmund came upon Karen Grant.

'Well,' he inquired, 'did you take care of young Arm-bruster?'

'You mean did I take him up to Margo's boudoir? I did. I put him into bedroom nine, and left him on his own with Margo. By now he knows the facts of life.'

Edmund was blinking at Karen. 'What did you say? You put him in room nine?'

'That's right. You told me to put him in room nine.'

Edmund was shaken. 'No, I didn't. I told you to put him in room six. Margo's in room six.'

'Oh, no…'

'Never mind,' said Edmund harshly. 'Do you know who's in room nine? Stay here. I've got to get to Miss Minna at once!'

Edmund whirled about, hastened through the restaurant, and raced for the Everleigh office.

He flung open the door without knocking.

Minna and Aida were on a sofa, chatting. Minna raised her head. 'What is it? Did old Armbruster leave yet? I didn't hear the Professor's song.'

Ignoring the question, Edmund entered the office, and propelled himself across the room to face the Everleigh sisters.

'Miss Minna,' he panted, 'I have some terrible news. There's been a terrible mistake. I just heard about it.'

'What is it?' Minna asked worriedly, rising.

'Someone escorted Alan Armbruster upstairs to – to be entertained by Margo in bedroom six. There was a mistake. Alan was led into bedroom nine, instead.'

'Nine!' Minna exclaimed, aghast. 'That's Cathleen's private room. I don't believe it! Are you sure?'

'I'm positive, Miss Minna.'

Minna's hands went to her head. 'Oh, my God, what a disaster. By now he knows Cathleen's Aunt Minna and Aunt Aida own a whorehouse, and by now he must believe Cathleen is a prostitute in this house. It's the worst thing that could have happened. I must put a stop to it -I must explain -'

Aida was on her feet. 'Minna, don't go out there – Arm-bruster's there -'

But Aida's warning came too late. Minna had already dashed out of the office.

To get to the entry hall quickly and up the staircase, Minna cut through the restaurant. She ran up an aisle, oblivious to several guests who tried to greet her as she raced past.

She was approaching the far end of the restaurant when she came on a lone diner, a hefty man puffing on a cigar as he watched her. He narrowed his eyes, then stared at her.

He threw down the cigar and leaped to his feet, stepping into the aisle to block her.

'Miss Lester!' he exclaimed. 'Can this be Minna Lester? What in the devil are you doing in this house of assignation? What are you doing here?'

She stopped in her tracks, confronted by his bulk. For seconds she was speechless. At last she spoke. 'I own it,' she said. There was simply not another thing to say.

'You own it?' Armbruster bellowed. 'You own this whorehouse?'

'I own it, my sister and I own it,' she repeated. She tried for an explanation. 'My brother in Kentucky doesn't know a thing about it. That's why he felt he could safely send Cathleen and Bruce to stay here before the wedding. I could never tell him. And Cathleen doesn't know. We changed everything, almost everything, so she wouldn't know. So, please…'

'This is unthinkable!' roared Armbruster, grabbing Minna by the arm. 'Come on, I want to get my son out of this