Born to Dance (11 page)

The death of the young boxer made the front pages again. There was to be an autopsy, of course, but the general consensus of opinion was that Charlie Black had taken his own life. Mickey O’Halleran and Foxy Gordon thought otherwise, but their hands were tied without proof.

‘Poor little sod,’ said the champ. ‘He didn’t stand an earthly, did he?’

‘Now you listen to me, Mickey He had the best chance in the world. He had the makings of a world-class boxer; it was his gambling that ruined it all and that was down to him!’

‘I can’t believe you are so heartless. Don’t you have any pity at all for him?’

‘No! To get anywhere in this game you have to be ruthless. I’ve no time for losers.’

‘Well, I will be at his funeral when the time comes. Gambling is a sickness, Foxy, and he just wasn’t strong enough to fight it.’

‘You’d be better off getting back to your training than wasting time worrying about Charlie,’ snapped the trainer.

‘You don’t have to worry about me, but I do worry about you, Foxy. A man without compassion is a sad person.’ And Mickey rose from his seat and left the room.

Bonny read the news of Charlie Black’s demise with a heavy heart. She had felt a great deal of sympathy for him, listening to him and Mickey talk. The fact that he said he feared for his life made her wonder if his death was indeed suicide, as was rumoured, or something far more sinister, and she realized she had inadvertently become involved with dangerous people.

Giles Gilmore called a press conference to explain that his star had just happened to be at Charlie Black’s last fight, purely by chance, and had nothing to do with the young fighter whose death was such a sad loss to boxing.

He parried questions about her being seen with Mickey O’Halleran so often, and was there an engagement in the offing?

‘Certainly not! Miss Burton is far too busy to be seriously involved with anyone, now and in the future!’ He then called an end to any more questions.

After, he had a talk with Bonny and told her that hopefully he’d stemmed any fall from grace for her from the public, but no way was she to contemplate going to the funeral of the young boxer, as the press would be out in force. ‘I do not want to see further pictures of you that involve you in any way with this whole mess. Do you understand?’

‘Yes, totally, but don’t you feel sorry for the young man?’

‘He’s not my business but you are. His career is over, yours is just starting, you’d be wise to remember that!’

As Giles predicted, the funeral was covered in all the newspapers. The coroner had brought in a verdict of accidental death, which had allowed the Black family to bury their young son. True to his word, Mickey O’Halleran was at the funeral, as was Foxy Gordon as the boy’s manager. The two of them hardly spoke. Both gave separate interviews after the funeral, saying the boy had been a rising star with great potential, and how sad they were at the loss to boxing, and expressing their condolences to the family.

After the funeral, Foxy Gordon made a visit to the Four Feathers pub in the East End of London, where he knew he’d find Wally Cole.

He walked up to the bar and ordered a large brandy. Glancing around he saw Wally seated with a couple of his hard men, and picking up his glass, he walked over to the gang leader.

Wally gazed at the promoter. ‘Hello, Foxy. How are you?’

Foxy returned his gaze and coldly remarked, ‘I was surprised not to see you at young Black’s funeral this morning.’

Cole’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why would I be there? I didn’t know the boy.’

Foxy sat beside the man. ‘Now, we both know that to be a lie. He was a regular at your poker school and your dog fights. He was into you for a bundle.’

The villain just raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment.

‘But, of course, he settled his debt when he hit the canvas in the sixth round, didn’t he?’

‘Did he?’

Foxy felt his anger rising. He knew he had to tread carefully,
but he was here to make a point and make it he would. ‘Don’t arse about with me, Wally. You had that lad over a barrel. He was too terrified of you to come to me and tell me what was happening – until it was too late. How convenient that he went into the Thames!’

‘Convenient for whom?’ asked Cole with a smirk. ‘Certainly not for him. Such a waste of talent, don’t you think?’

Foxy could hardly contain himself. He wanted to swipe the smile off the man’s face, but he knew to do so at this moment would be hazardous. But he too had come up the hard way and was no slouch.

He glared at Cole. ‘You just keep away from any of my boys in the future or I’ll have you, I give you my word! You will forever be looking over your shoulder – wondering when.’

Knowing Foxy as well as he did – after all, they had grown up together – Wally Cole knew that this was no idle threat. But he couldn’t be seen to be backing down by his men. ‘How’s the champ’s training going?’

Foxy rose to his feet. ‘Just remember what I said.’ He downed his drink, put the glass on the table and walked out of the bar. He then made his way to his gym, changed into a loose pair of trousers and a singlet and worked through his anger with a punchbag.

Mickey and Bonny didn’t meet again for some time, as he was in training and she was appearing in the closing weeks of the show, which was still being performed to packed houses.

The atmosphere between Bonny and Rob had been somewhat cool for a few days after the scandal, but as time wore on, their love of the dance and the theatre brought them closer together once again, and they relished the performance and the adoration of their audience, who gave them a standing ovation each night as the final curtain fell.

The photographs in the papers were now of the two of them, appearing at various prestigious venues. Always together and smiling. All arranged, of course, by Giles Gilmore, but thoroughly enjoyed by Rob.

The press had a field day.
Has
the
champ
lost
his
lady?
printed one paper. And others headlined in a similar vein.

When once Bonny protested, fed up with the public speculation about her love life, and said she’d rather have an early night and go
to bed, Giles snapped at her. ‘Once you are established, you can. At the moment I’m building you for stardom. Keeping you in the public’s eye. It’s necessary!’

Rob was happy because O’Halleran was out of the picture. What he didn’t know was that flowers arrived for Bonny at regular intervals, and letters, telling her what he was doing and how much he was longing to see her again.

It was the final performance and the theatre was packed. It had the feeling of a gala night, and the men dressed in evening clothes, the ladies in their finery and jewellery. Adrenalin was flowing back stage and the atmosphere was electric.

Bonny’s dressing room was filled with flowers from various admirers. Rob had sent some with a card thanking her for her hard work, saying how he was looking forward to working with her again. Mickey had sent a bouquet and said he would be in the audience, and a magnificent basket of wonderful blooms arrived from Jack Buchanan, saying he wished her a happy future.

Shirley walked in and looked around the room at the floral display. ‘Bloody hell, Bonny. It’s like a funeral parlour in here! When you open the door the scent of all this nearly knocks you off your feet!’ She walked over to her friend and gave her a hug. ‘You are already on that staircase to stardom … Didn’t I tell you you’d make it, way back in Southampton at the Palace Theatre?’

With a happy smile Bonny looked at her friend, her eyes glittering with excitement. ‘That seems so long ago, doesn’t it? Oh, Shirley, haven’t we done well?’

‘Yes, love, we have. And – I have some great news. Rob has told me he’ll want me for the new show that Giles Gilmore is producing. He’s doing the choreography for it, apparently’

‘That’s wonderful. Oh, Shirley, what would I do without you!’

Shirley was reading the card that Mickey had sent. ‘It seems to me you are doing well on your own. Is this serious?’

‘I really don’t know. Mickey is such a lovely man. I could do worse.’

With a frown Shirley looked at her friend. ‘If you are really going to get to the top of your game, you won’t have much time for Mickey O’Halleran, I’m thinking. Rob Andrews will make sure of that.’

The ‘overture and beginners’ call came through and stopped any further conversation.

There were so many curtain calls at the end of the show that Bonny wondered if the cast would ever leave the stage, but eventually the curtain fell finally and the cast gathered as Peter Collins came on stage, thanked them all for their hard work and invited them to an end-of-show party at the Cafe Royal.

When Bonny returned to her dressing room it was to find Mickey O’Halleran waiting for her. He took her into his arms and kissed her. ‘Oh I’ve missed you, princess. You were terrific tonight, I was so proud of my girl. I’ve been invited to the party, so I’ll wait for you and we can go together.’

At that moment there was a knock on the door.

‘Come in,’ called Bonny, still held in Mickey’s embrace.

Rob Andrews walked in. The smile on his face changed as he saw the two of them. ‘Hello, O’Halleran. I didn’t know you were here.’

‘I’ve come to take my girl to the party,’ Mickey declared in such a tone as to defy an argument from Rob.

‘I see. Well done tonight,’ Rob said to Bonny. ‘You were superb. We have two weeks free and then we start rehearsals for the new show, so I would advise you to get as much rest as you can.’

As Rob left the room, the boxer smiled to himself. ‘That man thinks he owns you. Don’t let him run your life, darlin’, or he won’t let you breathe.’

‘Rob only has a professional interest in me,’ Bonny protested.

‘That’s what you think. Come on, get changed and we’ll go and celebrate.’

The party was a huge success. The cast, now free, let their hair down and enjoyed the food, the drinks and the dancing. In a corner, Rob and Giles Gilmore were in deep conversation about the new show. ‘I’ve been working on some new dance routines for Bonny and me,’ Rob told Gilmore.

Giles looked at him and said, ‘I want you to be more concerned with routines for Bonny alone. This is my opportunity to make her the star she should be.’ At the look of consternation on Rob’s face he added, ‘We will have only one or two numbers of you together, as you will have enough work on your hands as it is as the dance director.’

As Rob made to protest, Giles interrupted. ‘This is going to be a mammoth production and you can’t wear two hats. I need your expertise and originality. Don’t disappoint me. I’ll see you in my office on Monday morning to discuss it.’

Giles walked away to greet one of his backers. He knew that, with his grandiose ideas, the new production was going to be very expensive to finance. He needed to keep all of his angels sweet because he knew he would have to find more money to stage the new show.

Knowing Giles and his ambitions, and after seeing the show that had just closed, Foxy Gordon knew that Giles would go all out to better it … and that would cost. He had already planned to buy more shares in the company, which would suit his plan admirably. It was going to work out just as he hoped. Revenge was going to be very sweet.

Bonny packed her bag and caught the train to Southampton. She was looking forward to spending time with her parents during her two-week break. She was really tired and welcomed the fact that she didn’t have to perform, although she did exercises every morning to keep supple.

She and Millie went shopping together in the town and Bonny treated her mother to lunch, giving her a chance to tell her how excited she was about the new show. ‘According to Giles, I’m going to have several big production numbers.’

Millie looked surprised. ‘What about your Astaire dances with Rob Andrews?’

‘Giles says there are to be just a couple of those, as he wants Rob to concentrate on choreographing the show. As dance director he’ll be very busy.’

‘Won’t he mind?’

Laughing, Bonny said, ‘I wouldn’t think so. He loves his work, and until we danced in the last production, he hadn’t danced on stage in quite a while.’

Millie looked thoughtful. ‘I thought he looked as if he loved performing and I’m surprised he doesn’t want to continue. Anyway, how’s Mickey, have you heard from him?’

Bonny felt her cheeks flush. ‘Yes, he writes all the time and sends me flowers, but, of course, he has to be really fit for his next fight. Defending his title means a great deal to him.’

Mickey O’Halleran was now back from the training camp and working out in Foxy Gordon’s gym. He’d trained hard and was in great condition. His sparring partner was giving him a good work out in the ring when Foxy called a halt. ‘That’s enough for today! Take a shower and then get a good massage. I don’t want you overdoing it at this stage. You’ve three weeks to go and Jake Forbes, your next opponent, is looking good. You need to be in tip-top condition to face him, he certainly is no pushover.’

Mickey was well aware of this fact. He knew he’d have his work
cut out to beat this man, who was as hungry for his title as Mickey was to keep it. It had been billed as the fight of the year and would be a good money-earner for them all.

Foxy himself knew that it would be even more of a money earner if Mickey remained champion, and he needed the cash to invest further in Giles Gilmore’s show.

For his part, Giles, soon realized, as he pored over the plans for the scenery and costumes for the spectacular numbers Rob had choreographed, that he would have to go to his backers for even more money. He had no qualms about this. He was convinced that he had the West End show of the year, and when it opened, his fellow investors would make a small fortune. But he was equally convinced that if he tried to cut back in any way, he could ruin the whole production, and he was not about to do that. If he couldn’t persuade the investors, he was prepared to sell his own properties. He sat down in his office and dictated letters to his secretary to be sent to those involved.

Foxy Gordon tore open the envelope that had dropped on his mat that morning, having read the address of the sender stamped on the back, and grinned broadly as he read the contents.

So Gilmore was asking for more money. Splendid! He lit a cigar and thought about the dilemma that faced him if he was to achieve his goal. All the cash he could raise was already invested in the project; he would need to see his bank manager to raise more. Fortunately for him, the man was a great fight enthusiast and Foxy didn’t think there would be a problem. After all, he had Mickey O’Halleran as collateral!

He walked back into the gym just as Wally Cole wandered in with one of his henchman. The men hadn’t met since Foxy had faced the villain over Charlie Black’s death and the fight promoter was not pleased to see him. ‘Out of your territory, aren’t you?’

Cole just smiled. ‘I was in the area and thought I’d look in and see how the champ was doing now it’s so close to the big fight.’

‘He’s doing just fine.’

‘Glad to hear it, because I’ll be putting my money on him and I wouldn’t be happy to see it go down the pan.’

‘You don’t have to worry; my boy will win, so your money is safe.’

‘Always looking for a good investment, Foxy. You know me. In fact I’m thinking of branching out. I hear that Giles Gilmore is looking for more money to finance his new show.’ He smiled softly, ‘I thought I might get involved.’

This was not what Foxy wanted to hear, but in no way was he going to let this man know he was financially involved himself. He started to laugh. ‘You don’t look out of place seated near a boxing ring, but really, Wally, dressed up to the nines in the audience at a theatre – you’d be out of place. A bit too classy for the likes of you. Not your thing at all, I would have thought.’

Cole’s eyes flashed angrily. ‘If I owned a brothel, it wouldn’t mean I’d have sex with any of the brasses, but I
would
collect the takings!’ And he stalked out of the gym.

The promoter frowned. He needed to get to see his bank manager quickly. No way was Wally Cole going to take a share in Gilmore’s production. That was not part of his plan at all.

When he eventually left the bank, Gordon was in a cold sweat. Although the bank manager was a fight fan, he was first a businessman and Foxy had had to put up his gym – his livelihood – as collateral for the loan he required. As he was told, there was never a guarantee of a winner in the fight game, but bricks and mortar were always solid. But at least he would have the cash to buy more shares in Giles Gilmore’s production. He would be the largest stockholder, apart from Giles himself, and that was just where he wanted to be.

Rehearsals began. Rob had been inspired, it would seem.
Broadway
Melody
was to be a sumptuous affair, with incredible scenery depicting all the famous parts of New York, familiar to the general public: Broadway, Times Square, with all its neon lights, the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building, were among them. Street scenes in Harlem, Tin Pan Alley with a jazz band, and the famous St Patrick’s Day Parade would be other production numbers, with the full cast on stage.

The man in charge of building the scenery had made the city come to life, and Bonny, looking at the drawings and partially built flaps and backdrop, was astonished at the skill of the team. It was like stepping into another world. But the rehearsals were exhausting.

‘One – two – three – four – five – six – seven – eight!’ called Rob, keeping the dancers in time as they filled the stage, twirling and whirling to the music.

‘No! No! For God’s sake, can’t you keep in time?’ Rob stopped the music and leapt up on the stage. Standing with his back to the dancers he signalled for the music to begin. ‘Follow me,’ he called and started to dance.

With all eyes on the dance director, the dancers sweated and worked until they ached as they followed his new routine.

At the end he called, ‘Take a break and then we’ll go through it all again.’

Shirley and Bonny sank to the floor. ‘Bloody hell!’ exclaimed Shirley. ‘By the time this show is finished there won’t be anything left of any of us. I’ve lost so much weight already!’

Bonny stretched her aching back, reaching down to hold her toes and then slowly sitting up. ‘Well, I’ve aged ten years, I swear. When I get back to the digs this evening I’ll sit in a hot bath and then fall into bed.’

‘We must eat first,’ Shirley insisted, ‘even if we are too tired. If we don’t, we won’t have the strength for tomorrow.’

As Bonny and Shirley rested, Giles was in his office, poring over the bills heaped on his desk. Even with the added money from his backers, it was going to be tight, meeting all the costs. It wasn’t that he hadn’t been in this position before. Every show seemed to cost more money than was first budgeted for but this was an enormous investment. His biggest by far. If it wasn’t a success, he was ruined and his career would be over in the theatre. He ran his hands through his hair in desperation. Apart from the costs of the scenery and costumes, there were the wages of the cast and those working behind the scenes to be covered, and he was robbing Peter to pay Paul, keeping what money he had in circulation. He was a past master at this but it caused him many a sleepless night.

He had one saving grace and that was Bonny Burton. In her he knew he had a star. Rob Andrews’s choreography had been inspired throughout, but in the numbers featuring Bonny, Rob had been particularly clever, showing her versatility. Some had featured her tap dancing; others were show numbers, with modern dance; and some with him in their Astaire production, yet another style. Oh yes, she would be his key to success, if he could only make the money go round until opening night. Then, please God, he would make a fortune.

When Bonny staggered out of her dressing room at the end of the day, she saw Mickey walking down the corridor towards her. With a cry of delight, she ran towards him and threw herself into his arms.

Lifting her off the ground, he held her tight and kissed her. ‘Hello, princess. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.’

‘Oh, Mickey darling, I’m so pleased to see you.’ Tears of happiness welled in her eyes.

‘Hey, what’s this all about?’ he asked with a worried frown. ‘Are you all right?’

She smiled up at him. ‘Of course I am. I’m just so tired.’

He walked her out of the theatre his arm around her shoulders. ‘I know what you need,’ he said as he called a taxi. ‘I’m taking you to a hotel. You need a Turkish bath and a massage. It’ll take all your aches and pains away. Then we’ll have something to eat and I’ll take you home.’

Later in the dining room of the hotel, the two of them exchanged their news. As he held her hand, Bonny felt almost renewed. Her body was relaxed after the massage and now, having eaten, all she wanted to do was sleep, but she didn’t want to have to leave this lovely man. When she told him how she felt, he just smiled.

‘That can be arranged, darlin’.’ He booked them into a room after having a quiet word with the manager, who promised Mickey his complete discretion as he handed over the room key.

Once inside the bedroom, Bonny got undressed without embarrassment – somehow it seemed the most natural thing to do – and climbed into bed. As Mickey walked towards her, she marvelled at his toned frame, his broad powerful shoulders, his muscular arms, which held her so gently as he climbed into bed beside her.

He gathered her to him, kissed her softly and said, ‘Now go to sleep.’

Seeing the look of surprise on her face, Mickey smiled softly. ‘There will be plenty of time for love, darlin’, but now you need to rest.’ He felt her body relax and saw her eyes close and then he watched the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed. He knew he would love this girl for the rest of his life.

Three hours later, Bonny stirred. She could feel the warmth of Mickey’s body, which seemed to be like another skin as he matched the curve of her body from behind. His arms around her. She stretched and he woke.

He nuzzled the back of her neck. ‘Feel better?’

‘I feel wonderful.’ She turned within his hold and kissed him.

Their love-making was slow and gentle as Mickey stroked and caressed her without haste, feeling her passion mounting as his fingers explored her supple body. Kissing her neck, her breasts, telling her how much he loved her and wanted her.

Bonny’s head was swimming with all the strange and new sensations she was feeling. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own as it responded to the touch of the man beside her. As he climbed on top of her she automatically spread her legs as if she knew what she was doing and had done it all before.

‘Relax, darling,’ Mickey told her. ‘I want you to enjoy this as much as I will.’

And she did.

After, as they lay in each other’s arms, bodies entwined, Bonny let out a deep sigh of contentment. ‘I never knew it would be like that.’

Mickey looked concerned. ‘What on earth did you expect?’

She laughed as she saw the worried look on his face. ‘I don’t know, but it was lovely. When can we do it again?’

He burst out laughing. ‘Are you trying to kill me? I have to keep fit for the big fight.’

‘You seemed pretty fit to me,’ she said with a chuckle.

‘You, young lady, have the makings of a hussy!’

‘Oh, I do hope so, it sounds so naughty.’ And she snuggled down into his embrace.