The Peacock 1929

"Did you used to perform in drag?" wonders Carey. "I was a hooker." "You mean sex worker." "I mean hooker." "Here we go again", mutters Carl to me from his side of the table. "That word is offensive", says Carey primly. "Not to me it ain't." Carl jumps in. "Kenny is right. I was never a sex worker either. I was a hooker. Or ho. On the canals of Amsterdam", and he pauses for effect, "When I was a teenager." "You're a retired rent boy", says Kenny. "You bet I am." "So you both used to do sex work", says Carey. "We were not sex workers", says Kenny patiently, "We were prostitutes. I worked as a gal, Carl worked as a boy. But we were not sex workers, we were both hookers", he concludes, raising his voice a little for emphasis. "Well", if you don't mind", says Carey, her lovely face embellished by a very wide and very fake smile, "I have some paperwork to do." "No you do not", enunciates Tommy, blocking his lovely wife with his arm. "I already did it, and you, dear wife, are not going anywhere." "You can sure say that again", she grumbles with a beautiful pout.