Winter in June Read Online Free

directed her comments to her lap and the floor.
    Rather than calling her on it, Gilda gently tapped her on the knee. “I can tell you have a great voice just from listening to you speak.”
    â€œReally?” Kay looked up at her and smiled. She wasn’t a girl who was used to compliments.
    â€œAnd what beautiful eyes you have,” said Gilda. “The men are going to be in trouble when they set their sights on you.”
    Kay blushed, but she didn’t look down again.
    â€œAnd you, Violet?” asked Gilda. “How did you end up here?”
    â€œThis is actually my second tour with the USO.” I might’ve been mistaken, but Violet didn’t seem nearly as taken with Gilda as the rest of us. Something in her tiny eyes tattled that she wasn’t about to be bowled over by the other woman’s attempts to disarm us.
    â€œReally? Why, I’m sure you’re going to have tons to teach us. Are you a singer like Kay?”
    â€œNope. I’m a comedienne, though I started as an actress. I was being developed at MGM for a while. Until the war broke out. When the work dried up, I decided to join the tour.” Her short, staccato sentences were begging for an interruption that never seemed to come.
    Gilda’s hand gracefully framed her face. “What were you in at MGM?”
    â€œGosh, nothing important. Only bit parts. I never had a chance to become a star like you, though a lot of folks have compared us. In fact, one director I worked with called me Baby Gilda. Isn’t that a scream?”
    Gilda nodded, her face frozen in a grin. Before she had a chance to disguise her surprise, the doors opened and a man and a woman entered the room.
    â€œWelcome, Ladies,” said the man. “I’m Reg Bancroft, Captain of the Queen of the Ocean , and this is Molly Dubois of the USO.” Reg removed a clipboard from his armpit and quickly verified that we were all present and accounted for. “Please accept our apologies for the excitement that’s delayed us. I’ve been informed that the ship is secure, and we’ll be able to get on our way shortly.” My lip curled at his use of the word “excitement.” A women had been murdered. Surely there was a more appropriate way to describe it. “First, a few formalities: your luggage will be taken to your rooms. Regrettably, housing quarters are quite tight onboard, so there will only be two rooms for the five of you. I can assure you that thearrangement is much more generous than what our enlisted men and women are subjected to.” Kay tittered at that. Since the remark wasn’t particularly funny, I wondered if she made a habit of laughing at inappropriate times. “The room you are in now is the primary dining hall while onboard the ship. Over there—” he pointed toward a cordoned-off area. While the tables we were at were bare of anything but scratches, the ones he was directing us toward were set with linens, silverware, and glasses. “That is where you will dine, along with any officers onboard. Your food will be brought to you and will be of a different caliber than what is being served to the general population.” I translated what he was saying: we were the high pillows on this bathtub and that meant better chow and more privileges than everyone else. “When you are not rehearsing, you are welcome to enjoy the amenities, including our sundeck, which is also reserved for the officers, and our canteen, where we will attempt to feature nightly entertainment including, I hope, performances by you.”
    He cleared his throat and flipped the page on his clipboard. “From this moment forward, you are under the rules and regulations of the U.S. Navy. You will obey every order you are given without question. At no time will you be told where you are or where you’re going, nor should you request that any such information be shared with you. While onboard this