Ruby laughed. ‘Probably the same way you copped for all your designer gear and gold. Hustling.’
Her two cousins couldn’t resist joining in with her laughter. ‘Nice one, cuz,’ said Calvin. ‘It looks as though you’ve done well.’
Ruby felt a sense of pride when she thought about all the times her cousins had put her down as a kid and now, here they were, admiring what she had achieved.
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘It pays anyway, and I enjoy it.’
‘How’s the family?’ asked Calvin.
‘Good. Ellis and Jarell have left home now and got their own places. There’s only Tyler still at home with my mam.’
‘Is she alright?’
‘Yeah, fine. Same old, y’know. What about your mam and dad?’
‘Yeah, they’re great,’ said Calvin.
‘All this talk of their families suddenly put Ruby on her guard. ‘Please don’t let any of them know about my job, by the way. I’d hate it to get back to my mam. Y’know what she’s like.’
Calvin smiled, cheekily. ‘Sure. We wouldn’t want any of the oldies knowing what we get up to either.’
‘I think they’ve already got a good idea,’ laughed Ruby.
She couldn’t help thinking what her mother’s reaction would be if she knew she was running a brothel and her two wayward cousins had just called in as customers.
‘You ever get any bother?’ asked Josh.
Ruby shrugged. ‘Sometimes, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.’
‘Must be hard for a woman though,’ he commented and Ruby felt that familiar irritation from her childhood at his dismissive attitude.
‘I manage OK,’ she said. ‘Anyway, come on; let me introduce you to the girls.’
‘Oh, we’re only here to suss the place out,’ said Josh, and Calvin looked at him pointedly.
‘It’s OK,’ said Ruby. ‘There’s no shame in visiting a brothel, y’know. You’d be surprised at the men we get in here, and they’re not all seedy old men in anoraks either.’
‘Come on then,’ said Calvin to Josh. ‘What are we waiting for?’
*
Sometime later when her cousins were ready to leave, they came across to the reception desk to have a few words with Ruby before they went. Calvin had a smile on his face but Josh was looking sheepish.
‘We’re off now, cuz. See you around some time,’ said Calvin.
‘Sure, feel free to call in any time. It’s no problem,’ Ruby replied.
‘OK,’ said Calvin and, as he turned to go, Josh leant into the desk and said in a low voice. ‘If you ever do have any problems, you can always give us a ring. Let me give you my number.’
Ruby remembered her irritation of earlier. There was no way she would have them thinking she needed their help! It was about time they knew she was just as capable as any man.
‘No, it’s fine,’ she said. ‘Like I said before, there’s nothing I can’t handle.’
Overhearing the conversation, Calvin said, ‘Come on, cuz, you never know. Besides, even if you don’t need any help you can put our numbers in your phone and let us have yours. Then we can always ring and let you know if we’re coming by so you can save your best girls for us.’
He grinned lasciviously and Ruby felt a sense of revulsion, but she passed him a slip of paper and a pen. Business was business, after all. Calvin scribbled both his and Josh’s numbers down and passed the paper back to her.
‘Cheers,’ she said before they said their final goodbyes and left.
After they had gone she reflected on their visit. How times had changed! They were no longer the annoying boys she had grown up with. Instead they seemed to respect her and all she had achieved, although Josh still seemed to think her abilities as a woman were limited. Nevertheless, it was good that they wanted to help her, which was more than they had done when she had been attacked as a child. Perhaps they were growing up at last.
She punched the numbers into her phone; maybe it would be good to keep in touch. They were her cousins when all said and done. And besides, although she was loath to admit it, there might just be a time when she would need them. After all, this was a high-risk business and Ruby knew as well as most that she had been lucky up to now not to encounter any serious problems.
45
April 2011
Ruby greeted Victor with a smile as he walked into the waiting area where she was sat chatting with two of her girls. Today he wasn’t here just to discuss business. He was here for a session with Ruby and his face lit up when he noticed that she was already dressed in her dominatrix gear of black rubber catsuit and thigh-high boots.
Ruby’s Massage Parlour had now been open for over three and a half years and, although Victor paid occasional visits to the other girls, it was the sessions with Ruby that he enjoyed the most. Ruby knew exactly what she needed to do to satisfy Victor’s particular urges and her ability to meet his requirements kept him coming back for more.
Ruby got up from her seat. ‘You ready?’ she asked.
‘I need to have a chat with you first,’ he said, his expression grave.
‘OK, can’t we chat upstairs?’ asked Ruby.
‘I’m afraid not, no. I wouldn’t want anything to distract us from business.’
Victor smiled but it looked forced, unlike his usual eager expression just before a session. She led him to a spare room, guessing that he had something serious to discuss.
‘Well, what is it?’ she asked.
Victor came straight to the point. ‘We need to start charging the girls more for the rooms so we can maximise profits.’
‘But why?’
‘Like I’ve just said, we need to maximise profits.’
Ruby noticed that his whole persona had changed; instead of the meek, subservient man that entered her dungeon, he was forceful and determined, his features rigid, his shoulders back and his chest puffed out. It made her realise how he must appear to others when he was conducting business. ‘But we’re making enough,’ she said.
‘Enough isn’t what I’m looking for. That’s not what business is about.’
‘But it’ll upset the girls.’
‘Never let sentiment cloud your judgement, Ruby. That’s one of the first rules of business. I thought you were strong-willed, not someone who the girls can walk all over.’
‘I am!’ she snapped, insulted at his implication that she was a soft touch.
‘Then do as I say. Oh, and I want us to start charging the clients for coffee and tea. Some of them are taking advantage. I’ve noticed how much we’re going through. In fact, the girls will have to pay too.’
‘That’s ridiculous! And how would I do it anyway? It’s not a coin operated machine.’
‘For heaven’s sake! Use your imagination. Why do you think I put you in charge? Stick some signs up and a box to collect their money, or something. Oh, and make sure the girls know.’
Ruby wasn’t happy. ‘I don’t like this, Victor. It’s like you’re winding people up for no reason.’
‘I’ve told you, Ruby, it isn’t about sentiment, it’s about business, and many businesses fail because the owners are too soft with their employees and customers. I thought you were strong, that’s why I chose you.’
Ruby wanted to retaliate but the backhanded compliment had floored her. She knew that to continue arguing would make him think she was doing it for the wrong reasons; because of sentiment or whatever. And she needed to prove that she wasn’t soft. So, even though the anger was festering inside her, she kept her temper and agreed to his wishes.
When they’d finished their meeting, she led him upstairs and into Ruby’s Dungeon where she soon adopted her fierce Mistress Ruby persona. Victor had changed too. Gone was the ruthless businessman and he had once again become the subservient little man who would do anything she demanded. But Ruby was still annoyed; she hadn’t forgotten the way he’d spoken down to her and almost forced her to agree to his wishes. Twenty minutes later she had him tied to a s
tool wearing a gimp mask and chastity device with his hands strapped tightly behind him while she smacked his back with a wooden paddle.
As she increased the strokes of the paddle Ruby could feel Victor’s mounting excitement and, after a while, he struggled to grasp his genitals and release his pent-up frustration. But the bonds around his wrists and the metal chastity device prevented him.
Ruby smiled to herself in amusement; she enjoyed this part of the job where she had complete control over the clients and at the moment it was giving her an outlet for her anger. She would time it just right, till the clients felt they could stand it no longer then she would release them from their shackles and allow them to masturbate.
But Victor was nowhere near ready yet, and she still hadn’t started with the leather whip. She finished with the paddle, allowing him a few moments to recover while she walked tantalisingly around him and selected a whip from the rack, running it through her fingers while he watched in keen anticipation.
Victor was still struggling, his hands pulling against the bonds that held them tight, and he was murmuring as though he was trying to tell her something. But the gimp mask made his words sound distorted and she couldn’t tell what he was trying to say. Ruby didn’t care anyway; he deserved to be punished after the way he’d spoken to her. Then he started rocking backwards and forwards, his hands still pulling against the restraints.
‘Well, well, Victor. You are excited tonight, aren’t you?’ she teased as she brought the whip down on his backside.
Victor’s rocking became more frantic, and Ruby wondered for a moment whether she had overdone it. Normally she could gauge how far to go by his level of twitchiness but this rocking was a new thing and it unsettled her for a moment. But then she realised she was overreacting. She couldn’t have overdone it. She’d hardly got started yet. Usually she would increase the intensity of the lashes till she felt the client had had enough. And with Victor, this would generally take a while.
But as his reaction became more intense, she stopped for a moment, shocked. Ruby realised she had a problem just as Victor’s rocking became so frenzied that he lost his balance and keeled over onto his side. Then he tried to bring his knees up to his chest as though he was in pain.
In a panic, Ruby rushed to remove the gimp mask. ‘Are you alright, Victor?’ she cried.
Victor was struggling to breathe and he couldn’t get his words out. He was still trying to prise his hands from the bonds so Ruby untied them. As soon as his hands were freed Victor clutched his chest.
‘Oh shit!’ muttered Ruby, worried that her temper had perhaps made her go harder on him than she realised.
By the time she suspected that Victor was having a heart attack, it was too late. He was already unconscious.
*
In her panic, Ruby left Victor where he was, and locked up the dungeon while she dashed to the reception desk to see Tiffany.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Tiffany, concerned when she saw the alarmed expression on Ruby’s face.
‘We’ve got a big fuckin’ problem!’ said Ruby, panting and looking around to make sure nobody was listening. Pammy was the only girl now sitting in the waiting area and Ruby hoped she couldn’t hear as she leant in to Tiffany and whispered. ‘It’s Victor. I think he’s had a heart attack.’
Tiffany was so shocked by what Ruby was telling her that she spoke louder than Ruby would have liked. ‘What? You’re joking!’
‘Shush,’ said Ruby, whispering, ‘I wish I fuckin’ was!’
‘So, where is he now? Is he alright?’ asked Tiffany.
Ruby shook her head, feeling tears cloud her eyes as she said in a shaky voice. ‘I think he’s dead. He keeled over. And then he couldn’t breathe. Then he stopped breathing altogether. And now, I don’t know what the fuck to do!’
Ruby was normally the one in control, but now she was in a total panic about Victor and she was glad she had Tiffany to lean on.
‘And where the fuck is he?’ Tiffany asked again.
‘I’ve left him upstairs.’
‘You’re joking! He might need medical attention.’
‘I didn’t know what the fuck else to do! And I think it’s a bit too late for a doctor…’ She could feel a sob catch in her throat as she added, ‘I think he’s dead, Tiff… seriously. What the fuck am I gonna do?’
Tiffany placed a reassuring hand on top of Ruby’s. ‘OK, let me think,’ she said, glancing over Ruby’s shoulder to see Pammy walking up to the desk.
‘Is everything alright?’ she asked.
‘Yeah, sure,’ said Tiffany, but Ruby gave things away when she burst into tears. ‘She’s just had a bit of a shock, that’s all,’ Tiffany added.
‘What kind of a shock? Is it something to do with Victor?’ asked Pammy who knew Ruby had taken Victor up to her dungeon. ‘He hasn’t tried to harm you, has he? Because, if he has, me and Tiffany will help you sort him out, Ruby. I don’t give a shit if he owns the place. I know you’d do it for any one of us.’
Pammy’s compassionate words were only making Ruby more upset so Tiffany spoke for her. ‘No, it’s nothing like that.’
‘Well, what’s wrong then? And where’s Victor? I didn’t see him leave.’
Ruby didn’t know whether it was because of Pammy’s sympathetic approach, or the fact that she already knew too much but, for whatever reason, she decided to share what had happened.
‘It is to do with Victor,’ she sobbed while Tiffany flashed her a warning glance. ‘I think he’s dead, Pammy. And I don’t know what the fuck to do!’
‘Oh shit!’ said Pammy. ‘What happened?’
‘Heart attack, I think. And now the bloody cops will be all over the place.’
‘But it’s not your fault, Ruby,’ said Pammy. ‘He could have gone at any time.’
‘The police aren’t gonna see it like that though, are they? Especially when they see what I’ve got upstairs.’
‘OK,’ said Pammy, managing to stay surprisingly calm in the midst of Ruby and Tiffany’s panic. ‘Here’s what we’ll do…’
She leaned conspiratorially towards Ruby and Tiffany but, just at that moment, Rose emerged from her room with a client. Tiffany bid him goodbye while Rose went back to the waiting area, but Ruby remained with her back to them, afraid they would see her tears and wonder what was wrong.
‘You stay and manage the desk, Tiffany, so it doesn’t look as though anything’s wrong,’ whispered Pammy. ‘Ruby, you come to my room while we have a chat. I’ll fill you in on it later, Tiffany.’
At a loss for what else to do, Ruby followed Pammy to her room and listened while she outlined her plan.
46
April 2011
After Pammy had spoken to Ruby about the situation with Victor, she went back to the waiting area and chatted to the other two girls who were now there. She was doing her best to act normal. Meanwhile, Ruby went to join Tiffany at the reception desk and quietly filled her in on their scheme.
But before Ruby had chance to act on Pammy’s scheme, Crystal came into the club. She was wearing a grave expression and Ruby guessed that she hadn’t come with good news. She watched Crystal as she approached the reception desk looking shifty, her eyes flitting around.
Crystal’s lips were clenched tightly, her eyes narrowed, as she took a deep breath and then said. ‘I need to have a word with you, Ruby, in private.’
Ruby sighed. ‘Is it important, Crystal? Only it’s a bit full-on here tonight.’
‘Oh yeah,’ said Crystal. ‘It’s something you’ll definitely want to know about.’
Ruby turned to Tiffany. ‘Will you mind reception while I go and have a word with Crystal?’
‘Sure, no problems.’
‘Oh, and tell Pammy we’ll sort that problem out as soon as I’m back.’
‘Come on, we’ll find a room that isn’t being used,’ said Ruby.
As they made their way to the vacant room, Ruby’s mind flashed through a few different scenarios. Knowing th
at Crystal still worked the streets, she wondered if she might have encountered a problem that she needed help with. Her brain hadn’t focused on many other possibilities in the short time it took to get there.
Once they were inside and sitting down on the bed Crystal sighed and pursed her already tightened lips. ‘It’s Gilly. He’s got a parole hearing soon. He thinks he’s got a good chance of being released cos he’s kept his nose clean while he’s been inside.’
‘Shit!’ said Ruby, and her mind flashed back to the look of hatred Gilly had given her on the day he’d been sent down for GBH against Crystal. She knew he’d be released eventually and, if she was honest with herself, she’d been dreading it. Ruby wasn’t frightened easily, but there was something evil about Gilly that disturbed even her.
‘The thing is,’ said Crystal, looking even more ill at ease if that was possible, ‘I went to visit him a couple of days ago, and he’s still saying he’ll get you back for grassing him up.’
Ruby felt a chill but she put on a brave face. ‘Will he?’ she demanded. ‘Well, we’ll soon fuckin’ see about that! You tell him that if he takes one fuckin’ step near me I’ll cut off his balls and feed them to him.’
Crystal shifted in her seat. ‘OK. I’m just giving you the message,’ she said. ‘It’s not my fault.’
But Ruby’s emotions were bubbling up inside her. Fear. Dread. Anger. And, at the moment, some of that anger was directed at Crystal as Ruby thought about how foolish she’d been to stand by Gilly after what he’d done to her.
Ruby got up off the bed they’d been sitting on so that she was now towering over Crystal. ‘I don’t want that fuckin’ head-case anywhere near me. And, if you’ve got any sense, Crystal, you’ll stay the fuck away from him too!’
She stormed out of the room, leaving Crystal with her mouth hanging wide open. Ruby hadn’t waited for her response. She knew too well that, no matter what Gilly had done, Crystal would still be foolish enough to be waiting for him when he was back on the outside.
Ruby arrived back at the reception desk, relieved to find that Pammy was the only person now in the waiting area. She watched Crystal walk past on her way out of the club and she and Tiffany said their goodbyes.
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