“Really?”

“Assuming you like what I do, of course.”

“I’m sure I will.”

“Alice thought we might be able to, uhm, do it in private,” Bette says, blushing slightly.

“Did she?” Tina asked, interested.

“Yes. You kow, uh, a private poetry reading.”

“Oh!” Tina smiles in a conspiratioral way. “Mmm, a poetry reading. I love a little poetry after supper,” she wiggles her eyebrows. She now turns to the dancing and singing rakes and shouts: “Hang onto your hats!”

The diamond dogs kick off the hats of the rakes. Hats fly into the air everywhere. The men catch their hats as Tina, back on her trapeze, launches into the finale of ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’ and she makes her exit.

Diamonds! Diamonds!

The rakes and diamond dogs, holding hands, form a circle around her trapeze as it ascends, dancing.

Square cut or pear-shape,
These rocks don’t lose their shape

Bette is back sitting with the bohemians who are overjoyed.

“Fantastic!” Alice shouts. But Bette can’t take her eyes off Tina, she can’t believe that Tina is really willing to listen to her poetry. She has never met a girl this shining.

Diamonds are a girl’s best…

But as Tina reaches the final chords of the song and the crowd beneath her raises their arms in anticipation, she suddenly gasps for breath. Bette is spellbound, Wischnia looks on in concern and the crowd throws their arms in the air for the big finale, but Tina can’t catch her breath and faints, falling from the trapeze.

“No!” Wischnia screams.

Tina is saved by Sam – artist name: Chocolat – who catches her and looks at Wischnia. Wischnia motions for Tina to be taken backstage. As Tina is carried off, Bette looks worried. The crowd looks uncertain, but Wischnia starts clapping, as tough it had all been planned. The crowd follows suit.

“Tina! Tina! Tina! Tina!” Joyce Wischnia claps.

The crowd also cheers. “Tina! Tina! Tina! Tina!”

+++

Sam carries Tina backstage and places her on a couch. The diamond dogs look on.

“Don’t know if that Duchess is going to get her money’s worth tonight,” Candace said.

“She fainted, just fainted,” Brenda shakes her head.

+++

Back in the dance hall, the stage manager motions to Wischnia that Tina won’t be coming back. The crowd is still calling her name. Wischnia motions for the crowd’s silence.