by Jade Winters
‘We could always start a petition?’ Kirsty said. She had only been working at the centre for a month, tirelessly manning the phones each evening.
‘What, like the one that tried to get a second vote for Brexit?’ Richie replied. ‘Those things are a waste of time and energy.’
‘In that case we might as well start packing today,’ Mel said miserably.
‘How about we picket their building? I’m sure they won’t like having us in their face day in, day out until one of their lot talk to us,’ Harry suggested in his usual shrill voice. He was an excellent counsellor and appeared to be a decade younger than he was. He dressed with casual flair and knew all the trending styles and music, which made him popular with the teenagers he counselled.
‘Hey, that’s not a bad idea, Harry,’ Simone said.
Heidi reached across the table to grab a chocolate biscuit from the plate.
‘Bang goes the diet,’ Simone said, grinning.
Heidi returned her smile as she nibbled on the biscuit. ‘Protesting outside their offices could be something to think about I suppose. I’m just worried it will have the opposite effect. If we really piss them off there’ll be no comeback for us.’ And no doubt security would be quick to move us on.
‘So what do we do?’ Mel asked.
In her heart, Heidi knew their fate. She had tasted defeat in her mouth the minute her eyes met Vanessa’s. When she wasn’t drowning in them that is.
It was time for Heidi to lay her cards on the table. ‘I think we need to face reality. We either find new premises or—’
‘—Or?’ The group said in unison.
‘Or …’ Heidi’s voice broke with emotion. ‘We admit defeat and … and close the centre down.’
Chapter Five
Vanessa arrived at Channel Five News TV studio for her interview with Priscilla Jones, only to be mobbed by a myriad of tabloid reporters. She hadn’t counted on the journalistic grapevine to divulge her whereabouts so quickly. As they crowded around her car, she spotted the weekly tell-all mag reporters that had tried to get an insight into her private life and failed. That hadn’t stopped them inventing stories to fill their gossip columns. She also saw writers from the Architecture Journal and LonProp, both prominent publishers of the latest news in London’s property markets.
‘Unbelievable,’ she said at the sight. How can the closure of the centre be so bloody important?
She couldn’t believe the attention Heidi Cross had garnered with her one humble clip on the local news. Taking care not to hit any of the vultures shouting out questions, she drove her car into the VIP car park and lost them in her rear-view mirror.
‘Scandal, Ms O’Neil?’ the parking manager joked with her as she hurried for the lift.
‘Soon will be, if they can help it. It’s ludicrous, isn’t it?’ she said, wondering if he secretly agreed with Heidi and her views.
‘It certainly is. I’ll make sure they stay away from the stairwells. Sneaky buggers, journalists.’ He chuckled, but sounded sincere.
‘Thank you,’ Vanessa said quickly and stepped into the first vacant lift.
The maroon-carpeted cubicle was so peaceful. As the lift ascended she looked in the mirror, using the time to give herself a once-over. Having a well-known face and a prominent family name had its drawbacks. She always had to look her best, and even for her, it took a lot of work.
The face in the mirror was the same one that had been staring back at her for three decades, just a little fuller. It irked Craig—and even angered him unreasonably—that she had inherited her delicate features from their mother’s side of the family, whilst he had inherited their father’s thickset genes.
Perhaps his resentment for her was also down to the fact that a few of his girlfriends ended up falling for her when he brought them home; this happened so often that he stopped inviting her to his ‘love me I’m rich’ booze-fuelled parties. Unlike Craig, Vanessa stayed away from too much alcohol. She’d made martial arts about more than just defence training, turning it into a weekly fitness regime that kept her fit and healthy.
Just as the doors clicked open, Vanessa tucked in the last ear of shirt that had come loose from her belt as she’d raced from her car; away from the cameras still trying to catch a shot of her. She shook her head as she remembered being listed as one of London’s Rebel Rich.
‘Young up-and-coming women who live life by their own rules’ was the tag line in the article, which had run in the business section of The London Times the year before. Well, rebel rich girl, time to use your charm.
Vanessa trotted along the carpeted corridor. She loathed being late for anything, even for something as mundane as a dentist appointment, let alone a television interview.
‘Ms. O’Neil,’ Priscilla called from her left as she scanned the room for the tall blonde woman with the sexy voice. ‘Over here.’
After brief introductions and a quick chat, Vanessa sat hooked up to a microphone under glaring lights, ready to be interviewed. Priscilla gave her a reassuring wink, obviously under the impression that Vanessa was nervous. The very thought made Vanessa want to laugh. She dealt with much more intimidating situations in the boardroom on a daily basis; this interview was going to be a walk in the park in comparison.
If she did seem off balance, it was because Heidi Cross’ appearance had taken her by complete surprise. To make matters worse, she had insulted her too. Yes, Heidi was as gorgeous as she looked on TV but that’s where the attraction ended. To think I thought she was compassionate. Judgemental more like. Saying I was worse than Craig—the cheek of it.
‘Are you ready?’
Vanessa gave Priscilla her best smile and pushed all thoughts of her encounter with Heidi out of her mind. This was business. She needed to be focused. ‘Yes. Whenever you are.’
‘Okay. So, tell me, Ms. O’Neil—’
‘Please, call me Vanessa,’ she offered amicably.
‘Uh, yes. Right. Why the Young Mind’s building?’ Priscilla asked, clutching a piece of paper covered in illegible writing.
‘Why that building in particular?’ Vanessa repeated her question because she needed time to formulate an answer that the viewers would accept. In all honesty, it was just down to money. Craig had been ecstatic at the price he had knocked the owner down to.
‘The owner regrettably passed away and left the building to his son, who approached us for a possible sale. After inspection, we found the location of the site ideal which, to an astute business owner, is key to sound investment.’
Priscilla’s static smile and strategically crossed knees remained frozen in time for the camera. ‘And what will Berkley O’Neil do with the building?’ Priscilla asked politely. ‘I mean, why demolish an entire building when you have four others with better potential?’
‘What we at Berkley O’Neil strive to do with these developments is create jobs and prosperity for the local communities of the properties we procure,’ Vanessa replied smoothly. Her mind wandered back to Heidi. Vanessa hoped she was watching this interview, so she could see how wrong she was about her. I am not like Craig.
‘And in doing so, you intend to take away the valuable service that Young Minds is providing for young people in need,’ Priscilla retorted instantly. The bite in her tone felt almost personal.
‘That is not what we are doing ….’ Vanessa needed to concentrate. Thoughts of Heidi had free reign in her brain and were distracting her. ‘Sorry, can you repeat the question?’
‘I said by closing down the centre you’re taking away a service for vulnerable young people.’
‘Admittedly, it’s difficult for people not in our line of business to understand how we operate, so let me explain it for you and the viewers.’
It was time to do some spinning. Get the viewers on her side. ‘There are people who need to find jobs, qualified people, who worked hard for their accreditations and are now left unemployed because unproductive institutions are occupying buildings like these. How is th
at fair to hardworking students and professionals?’
‘But do you ever consider those who lose their livelihoods through your acquisitions?’ Priscilla persisted.
Vanessa smiled as she steered the conversation away from what she knew was a sensitive subject. Priscilla was using ‘acquisition’ as a synonym for ‘ripping off the poor’. Heidi had done the same with her corporations-are-heartless-bastards speech.
‘Once the building has been demolished, we will establish exciting new businesses like restaurants and coffee bars to make this part of London thrive even more,’ she said, trying not to sound like a game show host. ‘This amazing transformation will be complete within the next two years, vastly improving the status of Kentish Town and helping local businesses attract a more high-end clientele.’
‘Progress, then,’ Priscilla reiterated.
‘That’s correct,’ Vanessa said. ‘Berkley O’Neil sees the potential Kentish Town offers and the new life it can attract once the neighbourhood is put to better use.’
‘Like ultimately pushing up property prices as well as rental rates?’ Priscilla came at her from nowhere.
The amicable woman who was sitting there only five minutes before was gone, replaced by a cobra slowly constricting her body before finally going in for the kill.
‘Eventually, all the working-class people and students who now call Kentish Town home will have to leave their beloved neighbourhood because they’ll have been pushed out,’ Priscilla said. ‘The very people who make Kentish Town what it is—a cosmopolitan area—wouldn’t be able to afford to live there anymore.’
‘I disagree,’ Vanessa pushed back. ‘As with all new builds in this area, a proportion of the apartments we build will be affordable homes.’
‘I think our ideas of “affordable homes” are probably worlds apart, Vanessa,’ Priscilla said with her frozen smile and a cheerful tone. ‘So, tell us what you think of leaving the hardworking people at the Young Minds Centre unemployed? Is your company aware of the good work they do there?’ she continued. ‘We recently spoke to their manager, Heidi Cross, who issued a public plea for the charity’s survival. Do share with us your thoughts on the situation. And how, as a prominent lesbian, evicting a gay charity doesn’t seem like a stab in the back to those in your own community.’
Why the hell does my sexuality have to define who I am? But Vanessa knew she had to say something that would appease her, as Priscilla clearly wasn’t going to let it drop.
‘Priscilla, believe me the last thing I would do is stab anyone in the back. As it happens I share Heidi’s concern about what the future holds for the charity.’ She smiled without parting her lips. ‘And that’s why I’ve postponed all of my engagements for tomorrow to pay them a visit to see how I can help,’ she added quickly.
Of course she hadn’t really, but she was losing ground and needed a quick get out clause. Now Vanessa would have to grant Heidi Cross a face-to-face meeting. I hope she’s satisfied. This is the first and last thing that woman will ever get from me.
Chapter Six
Lying bitch.
Kelli switched off the TV and threw the remote control down on her bed. She’d just watched the news segment about the closure of Young Minds and the uproar from the community. Some opposed it but others wanted the closure if it meant bringing jobs into the neighbourhood. Kelli pitied the idiots. The tactics Berkley O’Neil used were typical: send in the ‘hot woman’ to win the public over then, while no one’s looking, do whatever the hell they want. She’d seen this game played out so many times and it sickened her. Kelli couldn’t believe that anyone with more than one brain cell could be taken in by the claptrap these news outlets were spewing. And people say teenagers are thick.
Kelli was considering what to do with herself for the rest of the day, when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She wasn’t expecting anyone. It was way too early in the day for it to be Vanessa. Knowing her, it would be midnight before she finally managed to drag herself away from the office. Not that I give a damn.
Before Kelli could ask who was there, the door pushed open and Jason stood in the doorway. Thick, dark hair framed his round face.
‘Hi, Kelli,’ he said quietly.
‘Jason,’ she said, gesturing for him to come in. She wasn’t rude about his unexpected intrusion but she wasn’t exactly welcoming either.
Unfazed, he strode into her room, which thankfully she had tidied that morning. Normally she left things until it was a battle to enter or exit, but that suited her fine; it kept Vanessa at bay.
Kelli flopped down on the bed and looked up at him. ‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing much,’ he said, lowering himself onto the edge of her bed.
They were both silent for a few moments before Jason spoke again. ‘I came round to see if you’d told your aunt you’ve been suspended from college.’
Kellie frowned. Jason knew how she felt about sharing things with Vanessa, so she knew straight out he was lying. Adults weren’t the only ones guilty of it.
She ignored the question and took out a can of beer from her stash under the bed. ‘Do you want one?’
Jason shook his head and averted his gaze. For a guy as good-looking as Jason, he didn’t have much confidence, whereas scrawny, spotty teenagers walked around like they were God’s gift to women.
‘Did you mean what you said in your text? About, you know ….’
Yes, she knew. The text she’d finally sent in reply to him about Evan. Kelli cracked open a beer and drank deeply. The can was half empty by the time she looked at Jason to address his question.
‘Of course I didn’t sleep with him. I wouldn’t have sex with Evan if he was the last boy on earth,’ she said, with meaning in her voice because it was true.
Jason glanced over at her and a slight smirk touched his lips.
Booze-fuelled, Kelli was going to tell him she wouldn’t date him either but managed to stop herself in time. Why should I hurt him just because I’m hurting?
Instead, she jerked up into a sitting position and said, ‘Wanna play Xbox?’
Jason didn’t look like he was leaving any time soon and Kelli wasn’t in the mood for talking, so if he stayed he’d have to be content with her playing her game.
‘Okay,’ he said, slipping out of his jumper. As he lifted his top he exposed his well-toned stomach. He gave her a knowing look and Kelli’s eyes widened and her eyebrows rose. If he only knew.
Kelli turned away but not before she saw the disappointment in his eyes.
She drained the rest of her beer and threw it under the bed, making a mental note to put it in the bin before she went to sleep. The last thing she needed, on top of everything else, was for her aunt to have a go at her about her drinking habits.
Kelli pushed herself to her feet then went over to the glass TV unit and switched on the game. Two hours later, with hundreds of zombies killed and just enough points to move to a level she’d never reached before, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Spooked, Kelli jerked forward. She’d been so wrapped up in her game that she’d almost forgotten Jason was there.
‘I’m gonna make a move,’ he said, standing.
‘All right,’ she mumbled as she turned back to the screen.
‘Aren’t you going to walk me to the door?’ he asked.
‘Oh shit!’ she cried out as a zombie rounded on her character and bit greedily at its neck. Lack of concentration had got her killed.
‘All right, let’s go,’ she said, hiding the irritability from her voice. Kelli wouldn’t mind acting the perfect host if she’d invited him round, but she hadn’t.
Kelli trailed behind Jason as they made their way downstairs. Once outside, they stood awkwardly on the doorstep. Jason shifted from foot to foot and looked at everything but Kelli.
A slight wrinkle formed between his eyebrows and a minute later, he asked, ‘Don’t you like me, Kelli?’
Kelli stalled. She wanted to tell him the truth but the words caught in her throat. A
t that moment, she realised she was just like all the adults in her life after all.
Jason closed his eyes for a brief moment as if steeling himself for her response. The last thing Kelli wanted to do was hurt him. She actually liked him, just not in the way he wanted. If only things had been different. Her stomach twisted as she leant against the doorframe and crossed her legs at the ankle.
‘You’re a great guy, Jason. I’d just prefer to take things slow,’ she lied. She leant forward, and kissed his cheek then retreated indoors … before she was forced to lie again.
Chapter Seven
‘Go on try it.’
‘Try what, Natalie?’ Vanessa asked.
‘Say Heidi Cross without that faraway look in your eyes.’
‘A faraway … What? You’re kidding me right?’
‘Nope, she rattled you in a good way. I can tell.’ Natalie swept her long dark dreadlocks over her shoulder in one swift movement. ‘Go on. Admit it.’
Sitting in Raffles Wine Bar at a table overlooking the bustling streets of Soho, Vanessa was now reminded why she shouldn’t have mentioned her earlier encounter with Heidi to Natalie. If she’d known Natalie would read more into it than there was, she would have kept her thoughts to herself.
‘I’m beginning to wish I’d have come out alone with Kay tonight,’ Vanessa said gesturing to Natalie’s sister, whose back was turned to them.
Although Natalie and Kay were twins; they were polar opposites. Natalie was gay, Kay was straight and married with two kids. Natalie dressed immaculately in designer clothes, Kay felt more at home in jeans and a football shirt. Natalie was organised in every area of her life to a point of obsession while Kay took each day as it came, much to Natalie’s annoyance. Yet, despite their differences, the bond between them was undeniably strong.
‘Oh my God, that was a bloody foul!’ Kay’s gaze was locked on the football match showing on a large flat screen TV. The whole bar was enthralled as Arsenal battled it out with Bournemouth. It was 2-1 to Bournemouth with only minutes to go until the final whistle. ‘Come on ref, what the hell are you doing?’