New year's was only a few hours away, he could already feel it in his lungs. He lit a cigarette to banish the cold air, only to feel his numb fingers burning at the tip. He stared sightlessly into the black sky, wishing for a snowflake - even though he was only dressed for October. He tucked his clothes even tighter. He wanted to get into the car, but how would Nucky feel about that? Coming back from France - plus just missing Christmas - wasn't exactly good news to Nucky. Would he play hide and seek with me in his car, as we used to when I was a kid, or would he get angry at his chauffeur burning his gas just to get warmer?
There was a flicker of the light that came through the door. Nucky went onto the podium and started the speech. He could barely make out 'dinner' and 'rats'. Nucky looked kind of funny without his strange voice. But the audience seemed to love him. Because he ate rats once?
He was chomping almost impatiently when Nucky was stopped by the applause. That's his cue. He strode into the gathering, his left leg still dragging behind a little, and went straight for the podium. He pretended to say something in Nucky's ear and Nucky said he was unfortunately needed elsewhere for County business. Booze and broad. These are his most important business.
He asked Nucky about his rats dinner on their way out, only to get his quip, 'Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.' It's just another game. Why am I surprised?
They shared a quiet journey on the way to the Ritz. Jimmy was grateful he finally had some distance from the cold air. Nucky was musing in the back seat. About what? Jimmy began wondering as warmth filled his body inch by inch. What he was going to do to the booze, the broad, or me?
Ritz was only a few minutes' drive away. Nucky went up for a change while Jimmy waited for him in the lobby. Jimmy would like a change, if not to black-tie attire, to something warmer. He had his wool cardigan on, but that felt like a fishnet on this bleak night.
He lit another cigarette while pondering at the chandelier. The lobby felt much smaller now. When he was a little boy, this place was his paradise. Nucky used to take him here for ice cream or to prepare him for their seagull hunting. He still remembered those afternoons, when sunshine polished his hair even fairer when he shouted in excitement at hitting a seagull. Does Nucky?
It took Nucky 20 minutes to take off his double-breasted pinstripe suit and change into a black tuxedo with silk lapels. He kept his beige polo coat, as was his carnation on his left lapel. Before he had any time to look closely at Nucky's oxfords, they went out for a walk to the Babbette's, where the important business took place.
Atlantic City was beautiful at this time of the year. Even more so tonight, with everyone out parading on the boardwalk. So much has changed, now booze is going to be illegal, can you believe that? It was meant to be a sorrowful march, made ridiculous by someone's pathetic attempt at dressing as a whisky bottle. There was this couple who had bottles in their stroller. He could barely make out the label before they passed a giant bottle of barley whisky in a coffin, just out of Babbette's. Do they actually believe that there would be no way to get any alcohol after Prohibition?
Nucky checked his coat with Babbette while Jimmy was still recovering from the numbness. He politely refused to check his jacket and headed for the private room on the second floor with Nucky.