by Alex Kane
‘Not having enough time to eat because I’m so busy. I’d highly recommend the “soup and sandwich whenever you get a spare second” diet.’
Arabella was beginning to like Scarlett. She wanted to build a friendship, make Scarlett see that she wasn’t going to be one of those bosses who clicked their fingers and barked orders while she sat back and did nothing. For this to work, Arabella wanted to roll up her sleeves and show Scarlett that she could be useful.
‘You look after the boys all on your own while you run this place?’ Arabella asked.
‘Well, my mum helps. And so do my ex-partner’s parents. But he’s not around at all. And I was seeing someone for a while there, but he broke it off with me.’
Arabella frowned. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. The guy is a total dickhead.’ They laughed together and Arabella relaxed more. ‘I want to give my boys the best life I possibly can. I don’t want them to be fucked up because their parents couldn’t get it right. If I can get things right for them then I’ll be happy.’
Arabella liked hearing that. It was far more than her own mother ever did for her.
‘So, you pretty much do everything around here?’ Arabella steered the conversation back to business.
‘Yeah. This place is like my home. I’ve worked here since I was a junior. When Rory decided to sell up and move abroad, he did give me first refusal. Like I said, I couldn’t afford it.’
A feeling of guilt and sympathy washed over Arabella then. As much as she had no intention to, she felt like she was pushing Scarlett out.
‘Look, I don’t want you to think that I’m here to push you out of your job. Truth is, I’ve had a shitty couple of years and Eddie and I just want something good to focus on. I’m not here to take over.’
Scarlett nodded. ‘That’s reassuring. Thank you. However, this is your business so anything you want to change, I can get on board with and help out. I’ve got almost fifteen years of service with this place.’
‘And that will continue, Scarlett. I can tell just by looking around that you run a tight ship. I’d probably run this place into the ground. Fancy a cuppa?’
Scarlett nodded and Arabella followed her into the small kitchen at the back of the salon. Eddie was standing by the counter, already boiling the kettle as if he’d heard their conversation. Knowing Eddie, he’d probably been listening in. Arabella wouldn’t blame him. He’d be worried that she would quickly end up back on that path of self-destruction. Well, not this time.
‘You making some for us then?’ Arabella smiled and raised a brow at Eddie.
‘I was. And I’m just about to go back to the office. Got loads on this afternoon,’ Eddie replied as he made up two mugs of tea without bothering to ask how Scarlett liked it.
‘I’ll stay here for the day then, see how things work around the salon. You can come back to pick me up later,’ Arabella said.
Scarlett stood in silence as Eddie kissed Arabella and headed out of the kitchen and through the salon. ‘Glad you two got to meet. Think you’ll make an excellent team.’
As much as she knew he hadn’t meant it to, his words made him sound like a cocky bastard. Like he was in control of how things were going to go.
‘Ignore him,’ Arabella said. ‘He likes to think he’s in charge.’
Scarlett cleared her throat. ‘I think he’s right, though. I think we’ll make a good team. Us girls need to stick together, eh?’ She smiled, before turning her attention to the door and moving towards the chairs.
Arabella and Scarlett sat down and chatted about the salon and how it ran. Scarlett had only been sixteen when she started working there. That was impressive. When Arabella was sixteen she was getting into all kinds of trouble at school. Mixing with the wrong crowds and falling into an alcohol and drug-fuelled spiral. Even though this woman had two young children, she was still able to get her shit together enough to provide a life for herself.
Arabella cringed inside at the thought of how easily manipulated she could be without even noticing. That particular trait had always been her downfall.
‘Scarlett, I want you to know that nothing will change here. I want you to keep running this place as you are. I want you to make this salon the best in the city and for people to come from all over the place to get their hair and beauty treatments done here. I want us both to gain from this. Does that sound all right to you?’
‘Sounds perfect.’
‘I’ll be here to oversee things, so that when you need time off I can step in to cover your side of things. Except doing hair, obviously. I’m qualified but I’m no stylist.’
Scarlett seemed happy at the prospect and Arabella was equally happy to have something to focus on. It would keep her mind from wandering to other things. Reflecting on darker times was something that would have a negative impact on Arabella if she allowed it to, so being here with Scarlett at the salon would hopefully stop that from happening.
‘You don’t have to look so nervous, Arabella. You’re my boss, not the other way around,’ Scarlett laughed.
Arabella glanced at Scarlett and felt her face flush. ‘Shit, sorry. I just feel a bit in the way, you know. But maybe if I just shadow you today, you can go about doing your job and I’ll observe. Show me everything you can.’
Scarlett smiled and her brow furrowed. ‘Yes, but we can have a laugh, get to know each other. I want to know who I’m working for and the best way to do that is to start by just chatting.’
Arabella felt herself relax. She really couldn’t have asked for a better person to be running the place.
Being in prison had altered Arabella’s views on life. It was about living, doing the best for herself so that she could continue to be free and happy. The one good thing to come from being locked up at Kirktonhill was finding Rox. And she was excited to be able to meet up with her soon so they could build on their friendship in freedom. It had been three weeks since Arabella had been released, which meant Rox would be getting out today. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was ten thirty in the morning, and wondered if back at Kirktonhill, Rox would be going through the process of being released.
Arabella wanted to show Rox the salon, introduce her to Eddie and meet Jake.
‘So,’ Arabella said as they sat down together at the front desk; the gushing sounds of the hairdryers and the clients chattering away eased her even more. ‘Tell me more about yourself.’
Scarlett sipped at her tea and nodded. ‘Well, like I said, I’m a mum of two young children. No dad. He left. Safe to say he couldn’t cope with family life or sleepless nights. So, I’m doing it on my own. My mum helps out with the boys. They’re pretty hands on. But it’s a good distraction for her.’
Arabella frowned. ‘A distraction?’
Scarlett’s eyes seemed sad then and Arabella instantly regretted pushing. ‘My brother Johnnie died, just last year. Drug overdose.’
Arabella felt her stomach drop at that point. ‘Oh shit. I’m sorry to hear that, Scarlett.’
‘I mean, I can’t say I was surprised that it happened. He’d been on drugs for years. Started off on the softer stuff, if you can even call it that. Cannabis, pills. That sort of thing. But as time went on, he ended up becoming a heroin addict. We tried everything to get him off the stuff but when I had the boys, I had to distance myself from him. I only went to see if he was okay because my mum said she hadn’t heard from him in a few days. He only ever contacted her for money so he could buy his fix. When I went to his drug den of a flat, I found him lying on the floor in his living room. Dead. He’d overdosed.’
Scarlett’s face hardened then, as if the memory was too much to process and she had somehow managed to shut it out even when she was reliving it.
Arabella didn’t know what to say. What could she say? Nothing that would make the situation better or less awkward.
‘That must have been horrific, Scarlett. I’m so sorry for your mum, and for you.’
‘I’m more angry than sad about the
situation. Johnnie was a good lad growing up. A good brother. But then he fell into the wrong crowd and things just spiralled.’
Arabella nodded. She knew exactly how that went.
‘So, tell me about you. Eddie hasn’t said much about you.’
Arabella thought about whether or not to tell Scarlett the truth and decided that she had nothing to hide and that she shouldn’t be ashamed of her past. Those decisions had brought her to where she was standing right now.
‘Well, there’s not much to tell, really. I’m just an average girl, trying to get through life without any dramas. At least that’s how I try to live now. The biggest thing in my life is that I’ve just come out of prison.’
Scarlett’s eyes widened in surprise and Arabella waited for it to pass. ‘You were in prison?’
‘Yes, unfortunately I was one of those people who was swayed by the crowd and I got myself into a bit of trouble with the police. I did ten months. But I’m a good person, Scarlett. I’m not one of these people who is going to use this place as a front for criminal activity.’
Scarlett laughed. ‘I know that, Arabella. That’s not where I was going. Eddie, your man. He seems… like a good guy. Like he wants to look after you.’
Arabella smiled. ‘Yeah. He really is.’
Scarlett sipped her tea again, her eyes fixed on the computer screen in front of them. Arabella felt bad for her. Here she was, just out of prison and her life was in a better state than Scarlett’s.
The phone rang, and Arabella glared at it before turning her attention to Scarlett. She was smiling.
‘Go on then, answer your first call.’
‘Oh god, no, I wouldn’t know what to say.’
‘Just answer with the name of the salon, your name and then when they start talking, pass them on to me. Honestly, it’s a doddle.’
Arabella bit her lip and reached for the phone. Lifting the receiver, her heart pumped hard in her chest.
‘Good morning, Hair Envy. Arabella speaking.’ She waited, not even listening to the caller properly before asking them to hold so she could pass them on to the manager. Suddenly, her stomach began to churn. But she was proud of herself, as stupid as it was to be proud of answering a simple phone call. She was here, in her own salon answering the phone.
Maybe the salon was the distraction Arabella needed. It was more than a distraction. It was a way to show the foster kid still inside that she really could make a life for herself, and actually be proud of the person she could become.
Chapter Twenty-One
Roxanne had been released just two hours ago and already she was on her way into the city for a business meeting with a man she’d never met but had heard a lot about. Cole Woods was a dangerous man but a man in the know when it came to the underworld, not just in Glasgow but up and down the country and, she was led to believe, abroad too. She wasn’t sure she believed that the rumours about him were all lies. Drugs, robbery, murder. Roxanne had dealt in drugs before, of course she had. There was real money to be made there, but it had always been a territorial game with her and Jake. Work within the area, make your money there. But murder? She’d gone as far as to beat someone to a bloody mess and it hadn’t bothered her, but she wasn’t sure she was willing to work with a man who would shoot you as quick as look at you. Cole was a bit of a loose cannon, everyone in this game knew that, but she had to admit to herself that she was a little intrigued by him. Maybe Cole’s proposal was going to be much bigger than either of them expected. Was this Roxanne’s chance to make a real go of her life?
‘You’re quiet,’ Jake said, pulling the car into a space on the side of the road.
‘I don’t have much to say.’ She paused. That wasn’t a lie. This wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind for her first day of freedom. She’d thought Jake would have sat her down and shown her everything he’d done for the business since she’d been away. Now, she was walking into the prospect of a new deal, with a new gangster. Walking straight into danger almost immediately. The thought was scary, but there was no way she was going to voice her thoughts to Jake. Instead, she said, ‘Not a lot has happened for me in the last ten years. I’ve been in prison, remember.’
Jake smiled. ‘You don’t have anything to worry about, Rox. Cole’s an alright guy, once you get to know him.’
‘I’m not worried about Cole.’ Rox raised a brow. ‘But you’ve heard the rumours, Jake. People are saying he’s linked to some unsolved murders down in London. Just because I was in the jail doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on. Is he stable enough for us to go into business with him?’
‘And we’re angels, are we?’ Jake said, ignoring her question.
Roxanne sighed. Jake was right but it didn’t shift the feeling of unease that weighed heavy on her chest right now. But she had to remind herself of who she was before she went inside. She was Roxanne McPhail and she had her own reputation. She might not operate as far and wide as Cole Woods, but in her patch, she was someone to be reckoned with. Jake had kept things going. The shoplifting operations had been working fine up until recently, a nice little side earner on top of the drug operations. However, Roxanne wanted to build her empire and maybe Cole had turned up at the right time, to offer something far bigger than she and Jake had done before.
‘I know we’re not angels. But I know us, how we operate. I don’t know much about him or how he runs things. The only thing I’ve heard about him is that he’s brutal. And how do you know we can even trust him?’
‘Okay, firstly I don’t understand why you’re so concerned about brutality. Secondly, I don’t know for sure that we can trust him, Rox, but that’s what this meeting is all about. To see what he will bring to the table and what the margins will look like. If things don’t look good, then we walk. And I’ve already told you, those rumours are exactly that.’
Roxanne could tell that last sentence was half-hearted, but she chose to keep her mouth shut about that for now. Jake opened the door and stepped out of the car and Roxanne followed. They crossed Duke Street and entered the Old Duke Bar on the corner. As soon as they were inside, the smell of stale beer hit Roxanne in the face. The place was packed with older men, all sat around the edge of the bar sipping pints and reading papers. Some watched the dog racing on the television on the wall in the corner of the room. As Jake approached the bar, Roxanne turned to find somewhere for them to sit. As she moved towards a table just by the door, she was stopped by a man slightly taller than her. His dark hair and transparent skin made her stare into his eyes. He smiled widely at her and she knew who he was.
‘Roxanne McPhail. It’s a pleasure,’ he said in his loud, thick cockney accent while holding out his hand. ‘Where’s the main man, then? Getting us all a beer, I hope?’ His eyes moved away, searching the room for Jake before quickly resting on hers again. He smiled again, more gently this time. ‘Cole.’
Roxanne regarded him with a smile that slightly raised the corners of her mouth. In her thirty-eight years, she’d only met two men with that same grin and charm. He reminded her a little of someone from long ago. Jez, her first love and heartbreak. That charm never lasted in any man; it always fizzled out into something else. Deceit, lies.
‘Good to meet you, Cole. Jake’s just getting us a drink,’ she replied, noting how he hadn’t yet let go of her hand or broken his gaze. Roxanne quickly rectified that and pulled her hand away before sitting down at the table. Cole sat across from her and she tried to study his face without staring. His features were dark, mysterious. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the rumours of his links to the unsolved murders of various gang members down in London, or because he reminded her of Jez, but Rox had to remind herself that Jake was present and that ultimately, Cole’s stare wasn’t something she wanted to linger on for too long. She had to admit that he was handsome, but he had a snake-like stare that was almost predatory as he took in every inch of her.
‘Cole,’ Jake said as he placed the beers on the table and brought Roxanne ou
t of her thoughts. ‘Glad you could make it, mate.’
Cole stood up and the men shook, each placing the opposing hand on the other’s shoulder. Roxanne glanced up at them and raised a brow. The embrace and enthusiasm was forced on Jake’s part. She knew him well enough to know when he was playing someone for his own gain. That was what worried Roxanne about this whole situation. Cole Woods was not someone to be played, she could tell that just by his presence alone.
They sat down and Roxanne could feel the tension, along with Cole’s eyes on her. Shrugging it off, she turned to Cole and smiled. ‘So, what’s this proposition you’ve got for us then?’
‘Ha, I do like a woman who gets straight to the point.’
Roxanne smiled and glanced at Jake. His expression was hard and she could sense that he was feeling put out. She’d bet most men would feel put out by Cole, in business and otherwise. He was charismatic, she’d give him that.
‘Right guys,’ Cole started. He sat forward and lowered his tone. ‘I’m looking to expand. The demand for my supply is higher than it ever has been and I need team leaders. People who can run a team of distributors, keep them in line, you know how it goes. You’ve both done this for a long time. Glasgow is a city we can make real money in but then, every major city is full of junkies crying out for supply,’ Cole said, eyeing Jake. ‘Jakey boy here worked on a couple of runs for me a few years ago when you were inside. Made himself a pretty penny so I know he’s trustworthy.’
Roxanne frowned and turned to Jake, a fury building inside her she’d never felt for him before. ‘Is he now?’
‘Ah,’ Cole interrupted, sitting forward and focusing all his attention on Roxanne. She took a breath and wondered what he was going to say next. ‘You served a fucker of a sentence. What was it? Ten years?’
Roxanne drew her eyes from Jake, angry that he’d failed to mention his previous dealings with Woods. Cole didn’t seem to notice. ‘Yes, ten years. Got out this morning.’
‘This morning, and you came straight here to meet me?’ He held both his hands against his chest, eyes and smile wider than Roxanne would have thought possible. ‘I’m fucking honoured, mate.’