Everybody Loves My Baby

Matthew rushed over to his fellows. It was a hot night and they were taking air in the garden just outside the dance hall. Their jackets on the railings, their shirtsleeves rolled up, they were smoking and talking in low raspy voices when he appeared.

”What is it, Matty? You look like you just seen the devil himself."

"It’s nothing, I have to get back in there,” he was smiling, his cheeks were red. “I asked the band leader to play Everybody loves my Baby. I’m gonna ask Louise to dance with me."

"Easy there, Matty, you’ll huff yourself to death,” and they all laughed at their own youth an  vigor. But all he could think about were her black hair and brown eyes.

It was the last night of summer. The next day they would all ship off to Berkeley, Brown, Harvard, and West Point.

Posted by: Paweł Kowaluk