Chapter Text
It was such a sweet gesture really. Taking her to see his favorite comic he had been talking up for weeks now, the only problem was the location of said comic. Joel had taken her to "Lucky's Inn" which was really just a bad name for a truly down on it's luck strip joint that happened to have one Lenny Bruce as the MC.
When Joel first told her about his plans for that night, Midge really thought he had been joking, hoped he was joking really because what girl wants to spend her night with a guy she's only really been on a few dates with, at a strip joint (and a bad one at that) watching some guy she doesn't even know preform.
Not this girl.
However, sitting here listening to Mr.Tall Dark and Charming, she's really not having the worst time. It certainly helps that Midge can safely say she's never heard the jokes he's making before, and that's saying something considering how many bits she's heard redone by twenty different comedies.
After the last series of applause, Lenny waves the crowd off humbly and makes his way down a dark hallway off the side of the stage.
"So?" Joel looks positively eager, "He's the best right? I mean come on Miriam, that was hilarious, you can say it."
He leans back in his chair with a very self assured smirk that tell her he's positive he nailed date night. Surprisingly she really doesn't want to deny him, can't really because that really was good work, and she tells him so. "Alright yes, I will admit I was nervous at first, but that was good."
"Really good"
She rolls her eyes, "Sure Joel, really good."
"Thank you very much" As he's looking past her to the bar something catches his eye and for a second Midge is sure it's a girl, they are at a strip joint after all. But no as she turns her head Midge can see a group of guys waving him over, looking properly and proudly plastered.
In the group she can see Archie, Joel's best friend and begins fearing for the rest of her night.
She turns back around to him only to see Joel holding up his hand with his pointer finger raised toward them. As he turns to look back at her Joel looks a mixture of hopeful and apologetic, like he's asking permission but has already made up his mind.
"I'll only be a second, really-"
"Uh huh"
"Really five minutes tops, I'll grab ya another drink too."
Before she knows it Midge is left alone in a trashy club, abandoned by her date and looking stupid. She spends too long really tearing up a labeled napkin on the table and trying to look like she knows what she's doing there.
By the time it's 12:30, fifteen minutes past when Joel left, and with him nowhere in sight, Midge collects her bag and coat and begins to walk out before she's stopped by someone.
"Hey, wait up!" He catches up with her at the bar, careful not to grab onto her at all but leaning against the bar and, in a room full of mostly naked strippers, only looks at her.
"Whoa there tough guy, I don't work here, just visiting. If you're lookin' for company that lovely lady over there might be able to help you better."
Midge points over to a girl in a very small bikini and at least seven inch heals, she turns to look back at the man and just then releases he was the comic they had come out to see, Lenny Bruce.
Lenny never looks away from her still and his strong gaze is piercing.
"Well i'm sure she has her hands full over there,"
His smile is playful, the kind that brings you in on the joke.
"Besides I'm just visiting too, I was hoping maybe we could visit together?"
"I don't know..."
Midge looks around the room for Joel and is only a little surprised when she can't find him.
"Come on, I promise to be on my best behavior. Some people even say i'm funny sometimes."
"Only sometimes?"
Lenny just shrugs his shoulders at that.
"Alright, I came all this way I might as well stay a while longer."
Lenny clapped his hands together once and moves to sit at the bar, motioning for her to join him, and as she does he asks her name.
"Miriam Weissman, but my friends call me Midge."
He nods the bartender over and orders and bourbon on the rocks for himself and another martini for her, he then turns to once again put his full attention on Midge and asks "And do I count as a friend Miss Weissman?"
"Well after you saved me from looking very embarrassing and from having my night cut short," she pauses to pretend to think it over,"I think you've earned the right to call me Midge."
The bartender drops their drinks off and she is pleasantly surprised to see the extra olives added without her having to ask.
"Well then Midge, if you don't mind my asking, who was that guy who was sitting with you earlier and how much of a shmuck is he for leaving you here alone?"
Lenny still only has eyes for her and it's unclear whether it's that or the beginnings of a third drink that encourages Midge to be as honest as she wants.
"That would be Joel, this was our fourth date and the first one he planned."
"The first date the guy takes you on and it's to a strip club?"
Lenny looks incredulous as he's speaking and Midge quickly tries to come to Joel's defense.
"Well you see the only reason we came here was because this was where you've been preforming as of late."
"Oh Midge don't tell me that shmuck brought you all the way out here to see little old me?"
Lenny leans his head to the side and winces, like someone rubbed salt in his wound. Frankly Midge is just glad for the split second reprieve from his attention. It feels as empowering as it is almost overwhelming, to have a man like Lenny giving her his whole focus. She suddenly understands, in a way she hadn't before, why people become shy or awe struck when they meet a celebrity. He seems larger then life, like he's made for something important, and midge wonders if he's always been like that, or if it's something everyone develops after to long on stage.
"Well as a matter of fact, he happens to be a fan."
"At least tell me he had a good reason for leaving you here to get conned into hanging out with someone like me"
Midge chooses that moment to take a long sip from her martini.
"Oh for Christ's sake Midge-"
"How was I supposed to know how the date would end?"
"You weren't you weren't," He had taken a second to shake is head at her, "What'd ya say to getting some air for a bit? This place is filling with cheap cologne faster than my lungs can handle."
Going outside would mean taking a step she's not sure of. Not sure of being that she hasn't reviewed the ways it could go right or wrong, she doesn't know Lenny well which could lead to a thousand "not great" scenarios. Worst of all, Midge really couldn't picture herself ever saying no to this man. Yes, that was the worst of all.
"Sure," Oh god above that was not what she was supposed to say. "Lead the way."
All Midge got back was a small, sweet smile and Lenny grabbing her hand in his and leading her to a side door she hadn't noticed before.
xxxxx
Once they got outside Lenny leaned against the rough brick wall without letting go of her hand, there was still snow on the ground, even though it had been unseasonably warm that February the New York winter prevailed. And even with her cold biting at her exposed legs and neck, that small, soft smirk looking down at her, making her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world felt as warm as sitting next to a roaring fire.
After a few moments of silence, Lenny breaks it with a small shake of his head, "I am sorry that your date bailed on you tonight, he didn't know what he was losing."
And maybe it was the sweet words of a man who had shown he cared-even for a little- or the thoughtless rejection of the guy she thought she might have something more with, or maybe it was just the multitude drinks she had that night.
Whatever the case may be, it was what led to Miriam Weissman leaning up and kissing Lenny Bruce after his performance at Lucky's Inn that late February night in 1952.
It was what led to more than just kissing later at Lenny's apartment. And even though Joel came groveling back, and she never did get his number, Midge was sure she would never forget that night with him. She couldn't.
Not when the test at the doctors a few weeks later told her she was going to have a baby.
His baby.