Chapter 17

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I started the next night, arriving early, outfit flung over my shoulder, my face already done up. The woman down at Macy’s and I were now on a first-name basis, mainly because her name badge only had her first name printed across it.

“Mary!” bellowed Ray upon my arrival. He pointed at the poster on the wall. My name was on it. Mine! On a poster that was not of the wanted variety!

“Why is the lettering for my name smaller than everyone else’s?”

He grinned. “Auntie does all the marketing.” His grin widened. “Still, pretty neat.”

And that it was. Sure, it wasn’t the same as seeing your name in lights, in mega-watt brightness, but it was a start. They say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I had a feeling that the theywho said it wasn’t wearing six-inch pumps at the time. “Neat,” I echoed, running my well-manicured, albeit fake, nail across the paper. I then turned to look at him, shaking the stage-door key his way. “I’ll let myself in, Ray.”