The next night, in St. Louis, the Dreamboats got a warm reception. The band drew a large crowd to the downtown dance hall, and the show was a huge hit.
Though Trudy knew that the band was crooked, she couldn't help getting caught up in the excitement. The Dreamboats were master showmen and cast a spell on the audience from the first note they played to the last.
Couples hurtled across the dance floor, spinning and whooping for every fast number...slow dancing lovingly for every ballad. The applause was thunderous for every song. Whenever the musicians took a break, the crowd chanted and clapped and stomped its feet until they finally started playing again.
Sheila Venus was at the center of it all, showing off her knockout body and natural gift for bandleading. Her pink chiffon dres
