Excerpt from "Paydays" short story:World War II was going on and everyone was contributing to the war effort, including lady steelworkers. Many of these lady steelworkers were from small towns around Pittsburgh so they would rent a room in Christy Park to live in during the work-week and then return home on the weekend.

Beautiful Miss DiMartini rented a room in my house. On paydays, she would dress up, and go out dancing in a downtown night club.

One payday, my mom and dad were out. Music was playing in Miss DiMartini's room so I knocked on her door and asked if she needed anything.

She opened the door, looked at me and smiled, and said no thanks but then asked if I knew how to dance. She was dressed in a shiny black dress and looked like a movie star.

I remember getting so flustered that I told her "I love dancing but I don't know to do it. " She said she would show me, kicked off her heels, put her arm around me, and started to teach me in the upstairs hallway.

A slow song was playing on her radio and I was melting out of her arms and onto the floor. .