CATHERINE Chicago: 1939-1940 3
The growing winds of war that were blowing across Europe were reduced to no more than gentle, warning zephyrs when they reached the shores of the United States.
On the Northwestern campus, a few more boys joined the ROTC, there were student rallies urging President Roosevelt to declare war on Germany and a few seniors enlisted in the Armed Forces. In general, however, the sea of complacency remained the same, and the underground swell that was soon to sweep over the country was barely perceptible.
As she walked to her cashier’ s job at the Roost that October afternoon, Catherine Alexander wondered whether the war would change her life, if it came. She knew one change that she had to make, and she was determined to do it as soon as possible. She desperately wanted to know what it was like to have a man hold her in his arms and make love to her, and she knew that she wanted it partly because of her physical needs, but also because she felt she was missing out on an important and wonderful experience. My God, what if she got run over by a car and they did a post mortem on her and discovered she was a virgin! No, she had to do something about it. Now.
Catherine glanced around the Roost carefully, but she did not see the face she was looking for. When Ron Peterson came in an hour later with Jean-Anne, Catherine felt her body tingle and her heart begin to pound. She turned away as they walked past her, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the two make their way to Ron’ s booth and sit down. Large banners were strung around the room,“ TRY OUR DOUBLE HAMBURGER SPECIAL”…“ TRY OUR LOVER’ S DELIGHT”…“ TRY OUR TRIPLE MALT.”
Catherine took a deep breath and walked over to the booth. Ron Peterson was studying the menu, trying to make up his mind.“ I don’ t know what I want,” he was saying.
“ How hungry are you?” Jean-Anne asked.“ I’ m starved.”
“ Then try this.” They both looked up in surprise. It was Catherine standing over the booth. She handed Ron Peterson a folded note, turned around and walked back to the cash register.
Ron opened the note, looked at it and burst into laughter. Jean-Anne watched him coolly.
“ Is it a private joke or can anyone get in on it?”“ Private,” Ron grinned. He slipped the note into his pocket.