“A notebook,” Virginia answered.
Clara laughed. “Are you always this organised?”
“Yes,” Virginia admitted.
“Right. So, will the delightful Ella be honouring us with her presence today?”
“I think so,” Virginia answered.
Clara took out the new notebook and copied her kitchen-towel notes into it. “I’ll call it our mission book,” she announced. Virginia nodded, and felt like a fool.
Shortly afterwards Ella turned up.
“Sorry I’m late. I took the tube but I didn’t know how slow the fucking thing was.” She walked past Clara, sat down and poured a glass of water, ignoring Virginia.
“Virginia, can we call you Ginnie?” Clara asked.
“Why?” Virginia hated the name Ginnie.
“So you can sound like one of her jolly-hockey-sticks friends,” Ella said sourly.
“No, it’s just that I have a problem with the name Virginia. It sounds like Vagina.” There was silence.
Virginia blushed yet again and Ella tried not to laugh. “It’s my name, and I hate Ginnie,” she said.
“Fine. I’m really glad we had that discussion, can we get on with it.” Ella cut in.
“Who has any ideas, then? Vir-gin-ia?” Clara asked. Virginia shook her head. “Neither have I. Ella?”
“Shit, this is ridiculous. I mean, what are we really doing here? So, we put itching powder down Isabelle’s back, we write a letter to Tim’s wife telling her what a cheating scumbag he is and we get Liam to put Superglue on Johnny’s chair. What the hell are we going to achieve?” Ella had spent all night thinking and she’d got nowhere.
“No, Ella, that is not what we’re going to do. Shit, this is far more serious than itching powder,” Clara said.
“Right. But that’s the only idea I came up with. I knew this revenge stuff was stupid when we started.”
“Christ, Ella, I thought you were with us. Look, I don’t know what you really think but this is what I think. It took three people to destroy our careers. Those three people have to pay, and we are going to make them pay by destroying their careers. There are three of us, Ella, we’ve joined forces and we can do this, we really can. But you have to start taking it more seriously and you need to stop being such a fucking pain in the arse.”
“Fine,” Ella said.
“What?”
“You’re right. I’m just frustrated. I have no idea how we even start.”
“Neither have I, but that doesn’t mean we give up. Not yet.”
“No. OK, Clara, count me in.”
“At long last”
“I might have an idea.” Virginia’s voice was barely audible.
“Well, then, speak up, for God’s sake,” Clara snapped.
“It’s really about money, I think. The thing that motivates her most of all. I don’t know how, but I think perhaps we could set her up to lose money.” She was as red as Clara’s lipstick, but at least she had said it.
“Like insider trading,” Ella said suddenly. Virginia nodded.
“What’s insider trading?” Clara asked.
“It’s where you get information about a company, a takeover or something like that, and you buy into a company on the basis of that information. Of course, the information isn’t public so you get it before everyone else. It goes on a lot.”
“Is it legal?” Clara asked.
“No, of course it’s not fucking legal. Christ, Clara, are you sure you worked in the City?”
“Yes, but I was still learning. OK, so we set her up with an insider trading deal. But I don’t understand how we can do that without breaking the law.”
“Neither do I,” Virginia admitted.
“Well, it’s a start. What we have is the outline. We set Isabelle up so she buys shares in a company because she thinks it will go up. But, really, it’s going to go down. Right?”
“Right.” Virginia felt quite excited.
“Perhaps she could have sex with a guy who owns a company and he tells her – you know pillow-talk that something’s going to happen.” Clara offered.
“Clara, why does it always have to come down to sex with you?” Ella asked.
“This is the first time I’ve mentioned sex,” Clara defended herself.
“You got sacked because of sex, remember?”
“OK, but I like sex. I’m quite good at it. Do you like sex, Vir-gin-ia?”
Virginia was beacon red.
“I bet you’ve never had sex, have you?” Clara taunted.
“Clara, leave it. It’s none of your fucking business,” Ella cut in.
“Do you like sex, Ella?” Clara asked.
“As I said, it’s none of your fucking business. Are we going to do this or not?” Ella was increasingly losing her patience and Virginia was crying.
“What is it?” Ella asked her, not quite able to get concern into her voice.
“You’re being so horrible and I don’t think I can do this.” Virginia jumped up, grabbed her coat and fled the flat.
Clara and Ella looked at each other.
“Look what you did!” Ella shouted.
“Oh, God. She needs to loosen up,” Clara moaned.
“But why did you have to upset her like that? Christ, Clara, just because she’s not a loudmouth like you or confident enough to hold her own like me doesn’t mean you have the right to treat her like shit.”
“But you don’t like her any more than I do.”
“I don’t like either of you. But if we’re going to go through with this – and don’t forget you’re the one who is insistent that we do – then we have to try to get along. That means you don’t tease her in that condescending way of yours and you behave like an adult.”
“Oh, I’ll behave like you, shall I? I’ll just be cold and calm and I won’t try to have any sort of conversation with either of you.”
“Clara, you can have a conversation when you learn how to have one. You’re just a spoilt brat.”
“I’m not. You don’t know anything about me.” Clara was shouting now.
“No, and I don’t want to either. So leave her alone, leave me alone, and we’ll get on fine. Otherwise, we leave it here. Is that what you want? You want Tim to get away with it? Because when I arrived today I was ready to walk, and although I think we should take our revenge, I still can.”
“She brought a notebook,” Clara said.
“Have you got her address handy?” Ella asked.
“Yes, it’s here. Somewhere in Maida Vale.”
“You better call a cab. We’re going to apologise.” Ella was firm.
Clara looked stricken. “Fine, if I have to. But tell me, do you think she’s a virgin?”
“Of course she’s a fucking virgin, but that’s just another reason for you to leave her alone.” Ella wished she had never walked into that damn pub.
***
Virginia drove herself home. When she got there, she cried some more. Why was Clara so mean? Why did she have to do this? Why was she in this position? She lay on the bed and cried hard. Her life was a mess.
***
In the cab Ella ignored all Clara’s attempts at conversation, so Clara gave up. The cab took for ever to get through the traffic to Maida Vale. When they reached their destination, Clara spoke. “OK. Here goes. I’ll say sorry, then we can get back to the plan.”
They rang the door buzzer and Virginia’s snivelling voice came over the intercom. “Hello?”
“Hello, Virginia, it’s us,” Ella said.
“Come in.”
When they stood in the hall, neither of them knew what to do: there were several doors, the wallpaper was peeling, the carpet worn. Clara had never seen a place like this; Ella hadn’t been to one in a long while.
“What number?” Ella asked.
“Six.”
Ella started to climb the stairs with Clara hot on her heels. They reached the door and knocked. Within seconds, Virginia answered. When Ella saw her, with
bright red eyes and in her old-fashioned jeans, her first thought was to leave. Clara would have been right behind her.
“Come in,” Virginia muttered. Before they could change their minds they were propelled into the bedsit. Clara tried to hide her horror. The room was a rat-hole, small, poky and badly decorated. It was nothing like she was used to. She didn’t think anyone apart from refugees had to live like this.
They stood awkwardly as Virginia cowered on the bed. “What do you want?” she asked, between sobs.
Ella nudged Clara. “I’m sorry,” Clara said lamely.
“For what?” Virginia said.
“I didn’t mean to be nasty. I just didn’t think.” Clara looked at Ella; Ella rolled her eyes.
“You were mean.” Virginia sniffed.
“I know. I just apologised, didn’t I? I had no reason to be nasty to you.” Clara could not help but feel pissed off. She didn’t intend to be such a bitch, she just hadn’t thought before she spoke. But Virginia was so wet she wanted to shake her into action. She was being cruel to be kind.
“OK,” Virginia said, and blew her nose.
“So, I’m forgiven?” Clara wanted to get the hell out of there. This room made her feel claustrophobic. She wished she had taken another line of coke before she left.
“Yes,” Virginia said.
“So can we go?” Clara asked.
“Go where?” Virginia asked.
“Back to mine, headquarters. We were getting somewhere before I started ... well, you know ... and I think we should get back to that lovely notebook you brought round.” Clara smiled.
“Are you taking the mickey again?” Virginia asked.
Clara threw her hands in the air. “I just can’t win, can I?”
Virginia wanted to drive round but they persuaded her to get a taxi with them. Clara said that as she was the one who had caused the argument she would pay. Ella promised she would drop Virginia home when she got a taxi back to Camden. Since they were being almost nice to her, Virginia didn’t like to argue. She began to feel silly as they drove back to Clara’s. She shouldn’t have stormed out, but Clara had been so horrible and she had felt so out of her depth, so unsophisticated, so alone. She wondered for the millionth time why she was doing this, but something was telling her she had to see it through to the end.
They arrived at Clara’s after a silent journey, and resumed their positions round the table.
“I guess we should go back to talking about Isabelle,” Ella said.
“Yes, absolutely. Now, where were we?” Clara tried to sound enthusiastic.
“Well, we were talking about her love of money and how we could get her on some sort of insider trading thing,” Virginia said.
“Mm. But how?” The trio lapsed back into silence.
Clara lit a cigarette and Ella did too. Virginia looked uncomfortable.
“You don’t mind if we smoke?” Clara asked.
“No,” Virginia said, although she hated the smell.
“Good,” Clara said, a little harshly. “I don’t suppose you’d like one?”
“No, thanks.” Virginia could see that Clara wasn’t going to give up baiting her altogether. She decided she would have to grow a thicker skin.
“Clara, stop. Now, back to Isabelle. Christ, I didn’t realise this was going to be so hard.”
“I need the bathroom.” Clara made for her bathroom and her cocaine.
Ella looked at Virginia. “Don’t mind her. She’s just a bit... well, you know.”
“Yes, she’s horrible. But she’s right, I don’t say much.”
“No, but if we all went on as much as Clara, we’d be in trouble.”
“I suppose.” Virginia wished she could talk the way Clara did. She didn’t spend hours worrying that whatever came out of her mouth would sound stupid, or that she would be laughed at, or not even heard. Neither did Ella. Virginia wanted some of their confidence.
Clara took two lines of cocaine to fortify her. She was losing enthusiasm. She had thought it would be fun to plan and plot, but she hadn’t thought out the details. She would have to spend more time with the two girls than she wanted, and she didn’t want to spend any time with them.
She went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine out of the fridge. If she was going to get through this, she needed alcohol as well as coke. She also hoped that the others might become more interesting if they were drunk.
“Drinks time,” Clara announced, and poured out the wine.
“Isn’t it a bit early?” Virginia said, and immediately wished she hadn’t.
“No, it’s six o’clock, which is a respectable time for drinking. Anyway, I think we need the inspiration.”
Ella leant over and took another cigarette as she sipped the wine. “Sorry, Clara, I haven’t smoked in years. I just fancy it. I’ll buy you some.”
“Don’t be silly. Help yourself – I’ve got loads.”
“Thanks.”
“Cheers, girls. Let’s hope the wine gives us some idea of what we can do about Isabelle.” Clara prayed to the god of alcohol.
Again, silence ensued.
Ella knew what she thought they should do; she just didn’t know how to figure out the logistics. They needed to give Isabelle some information saying that a company about to go bankrupt was to be taken over. Then she would buy stock, recommend it to clients and think herself very clever. The stock would go up briefly, then down before the company announced bankruptcy. It was simple, but it was also complicated. First, the information had to be rock solid: Isabelle wasn’t stupid and it had to come from a source she would trust. And the company had to be going bankrupt: it was unfair to cause an innocent company to go out of business. That sort of information wasn’t easy to get hold of. It was impossible to mastermind.
Virginia was thinking the same as Ella. If they could find a dead company with worthless stock and start the rumour, Isabelle would fall for it. She was so greedy and hungry for power that she would not only recommend it to her clients but she would personally buy it. And she would talk to the bosses about it. However, it seemed that putting this plan into action would be difficult, if not impossible.
Clara was wondering how they could use sex in the plan. She thought Isabelle looked as if she didn’t get it very often. What man would be brave enough to try to seduce her? She was one scary woman. The others might have been thinking about insider dealing, but Clara thought sex was the answer.
The bottle was almost empty before anyone spoke again.
“Are you sure this insider trading thing is the way forward?” Clara asked.
“I don’t know,” Ella said.
Virginia felt things slipping away. “It is. I know it. But we need to figure out how to do it.” Virginia sounded surer of herself than ever before.
“OK. Let’s review what we have so far.”
Ella looked at Clara, who took a gulp of wine, lit a cigarette and glanced at the notebook. “She plays squash in Ella’s club, so we have a venue for getting to her: Mind you, I can’t play squash, can you? No, I don’t suppose you can. She likes money, craves power and probably doesn’t have much of a sex life. We want to set her up to lose a lot of money, but we don’t know how. Shit! This is shit!” Clara jumped up and fetched another bottle of wine.
“There has to be a way.” Ella felt a challenge coming on and she loved a challenge. She was beginning to embrace the idea of revenge. She knew there would be a way around this, but after a couple of glasses of win,e she didn’t think she would be coming up with it.
“I agree. We’ll think of something.” Virginia looked pleadingly at Ella.
“OK. Perhaps if we talk about something else, we’ll be able to come up with an idea,” Clara suggested, as she poured more wine. The others looked at her warily. “It’s OK. I don’t expect you to talk, I mean, you two have nothing of interest to say. Or, if you do, you keep it quiet. I’ll tell you about Tim Pemberton, managing director of SFH.” The others exchanged glances.
Ella thought Clara was a drama queen. She had told the story with glee. She had enjoyed telling it. And the sex addiction? Ella didn’t believe it for a minute.
Virginia had never met a sex addict before. “You’re really addicted to sex?” she asked Clara.
“Yes. If I meet a man, I sleep with him. I can’t control it. Something comes over me and I’m powerless. That’s my problem.”
“Why don’t you go into therapy to cure it?” Ella asked.
“I don’t really mind being addicted to sex,” Clara admitted.
“Even if you sleep with fat old men?” Virginia asked.
“Well, I don’t care who I sleep with as long as I get it. And some girls only get to sleep with fat old men.” Clara shot Virginia a look, which she missed.
“Clara, are you sure about this?” Ella asked.
“Yes, of course. I think I’d know if I was addicted to sex, wouldn’t I?” Clara drained the rest of her glass and went to the bathroom again.
“I don’t know what to think,” Virginia said to Ella.
“She’s mad, that’s all. Shit, I’m hungry. Are you?”
“Yes, I am.” Virginia was a little tipsy, and she felt braver. “Shall we get a takeaway?”
“I was thinking more about going home,” Ella said, but instead she lit another cigarette. God, she loved how it felt. The first puff, the taste in her mouth ... she loved everything about smoking. “OK, why not? I guess if we’re going to spend time together, and it looks as if this could take a while, we should eat together.”
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