The Charmer

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘See?’ Spinning around, Beth pointed an accusing finger at her. ‘You can feel it. I can see it in your eyes. And you should hear yourself talking about it. It’s like you’re really proud it’s yours.’

  ‘Well, I am,’ Maria admitted, wondering where this was heading. ‘Sort of. But it’s not really mine in the true sense, is it?’

  ‘Course it is.’ Pursing her lips, Beth nodded. ‘It likes you.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Maria scoffed, folding her arms as a weird tingling sensation tickled her spine. ‘How can a house like you?’

  ‘Don’t ask me.’ Beth shrugged. ‘I’m just going by what it’s saying.’

  ‘You’re freaking me out now,’ Maria said, tutting loudly and shoving her sleeve back to check her watch. ‘Anyway, hurry up and look around. I want to hit the shops while we’ve still got time.’

  In the Britannia bar later that afternoon, they sat at a table opposite the door, waiting for Nigel. Every now and then, Maria found her gaze drifting to the corner where she’d been sitting when she’d met Joel.

  She’d thought about him a lot since that night – with anger and shame, at first. Then she’d felt relief when a woman was found with her credit card. But, desire aside, she still had to remind herself that Joel wasn’t the charming gentleman he’d made himself out to be. He had taken off without saying goodbye, and that stung, because she’d thought there’d been a real spark between them. But he’d obviously thought differently, and if there was one thing she’d learned, it was that there was no point yearning after could-have-beens.

  ‘Excuse me . . .’ Beth said, waving a hand in front of her face. ‘I was talking, you know.’

  ‘Sorry, I wasn’t listening,’ Maria admitted.

  ‘No kidding,’ Beth said. Then she repeated in a bored tone: ‘I asked why you’re not willing to even consider keeping it.’

  ‘Because there’s no point.’ Maria rolled her eyes. ‘Can you shut up about the damned house now? You’re doing my head in.’

  ‘Not as much as you’re doing mine in, you cheeky cow!’ Beth retorted good-naturedly. ‘Stop pretending you didn’t feel it, because I know you did. You liked it, and it liked you.’

  ‘Will you quit with the weird stuff,’ Maria moaned, folding her arms.

  ‘All right,’ Beth said, coming at her from a different angle. ‘You don’t need the money, so why not just keep hold of it for a bit? Stay there for a holiday, and think about what you really want to do with it.’

  ‘I live by the sea,’ Maria reminded her tersely. ‘That’s where normal people take holidays – not in grotty old cities like Manchester. Now, please shut up!’

  Shaking her head, Beth sat back. She knew her friend well enough to know that she had made a connection with the house. But if she pushed too hard, Maria was likely to dig her heels in and take the first offer made on it – however low that might be. And that would be a shame, because if there was one thing Maria needed after the childhood she’d survived, it was to find somewhere that she really belonged. And, much as Maria was resisting it, Beth had a strong feeling that this house was it.

  ‘Here’s Nigel,’ Maria said just then. ‘Be nice.’ Standing up, she waved him over.

  Turning to look, Beth saw a tall, slim man with neat reddish-blond hair and a lovely open smile coming toward them.

  ‘Sorry I kept you waiting,’ he said, shaking Maria’s hand. ‘I got a bit held up.’

  ‘You’re not late,’ Maria assured him. ‘We’ve not been here all that long ourselves. Anyway, let me introduce you. Beth – Nigel. Nigel – Beth.’

  ‘Hi.’ Still sitting, Beth reached up to shake his hand.

  ‘Pleased to meet you.’ Nigel smiled shyly.

  Maria hadn’t said anything about having a friend with her. But Nigel wasn’t put out by it. In fact, he was quite pleased, because he’d been concerned that he would blush and fumble his way through dinner, but a third person might take the pressure off. And it certainly wouldn’t hurt his credibility if one of his associates were to come in and see him dining with not just one, but two beautiful women.

  ‘Can I get you a drink?’ Maria asked. ‘Or would you rather go straight in to dinner?’

  ‘I really don’t mind,’ Nigel said, shrugging self-consciously. ‘Whichever you’d prefer is fine with me.’

  Watching the exchange, a lopsided smile crept onto Beth’s lips. Oh, yeah . . . So, he was just business, was he?

  ‘What do you want to do, Beth?’ Maria gave her a funny look, wondering what the smirk was about.

  ‘I really don’t mind,’ Beth replied nonchalantly. ‘You choose.’

  Sensing that she was making fun of Nigel, Maria shot her a warning look as she reached down for her handbag. ‘We’ll go straight in, then, shall we? We can get a bottle of wine when we order.’

  Beth amused herself during dinner by watching how raptly Nigel listened when Maria talked; and how he seemed to trip over his words when she held his gaze when he talked. But she was particularly amused by how Maria seemed completely oblivious to it.

  She’d never met anyone as pretty as Maria who was so totally unaware of herself. And it wasn’t just living in care that had stripped her of vanity, because Beth had met other care girls who were so self-obsessed it was criminal – and none of them were a patch on Maria.

  It was a shame, because Nigel seemed like a genuinely nice man, but Beth knew that he stood a cat in hell’s chance with Maria. Not because she’d think herself too good for him, but because she had a type that she fancied, and he wasn’t it. She was incredibly insecure in many ways, shying away from commitment in order to protect herself from getting hurt. Consequently, she went for the typical handsome, sexy, smooth-talking charmer types, who wouldn’t put her at risk by giving more than she expected. Nice as Nigel was, he was far too polite and gentlemanly to spark a flame in Maria’s heart.

  ‘Well, that was interesting,’ Beth teased when dinner was over and Maria had walked Nigel out to the pavement. ‘No wonder he was so eager to help. He’s got the raging hots for you.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Maria scolded. ‘His uncle dealt with the estate for years, and he’s known about me since he was young, that’s all. Anyway, I don’t know why I’m bothering telling you all this again. Just take it from me, he’s a thoroughly professional man whose only interest is the house and the money.’

  ‘Yeah, well, I wish I’d had a camera,’ Beth persisted. ‘If you’d seen the way he was looking at you.’

  ‘Right, stop it!’ Maria held up her hand. ‘I’ve got to see him tomorrow to work out an investment plan. I can’t do that if I’m watching him to see if he’s watching me.’

  ‘Isn’t that a song?’

  Shaking her head, Maria reached for her wine. ‘You’re such a bitch sometimes. There’s no way you’re staying at my house with an attitude like that.’

  ‘Excuse me?’ Beth narrowed her eyes.

  ‘I know you think I don’t listen,’ Maria said, smiling slyly, ‘but I like to mull things over in my own time before I make a decision. Anyway, I have been thinking, and I reckon it might be worth holding on to the house for a while. Nigel’s still advising me to renovate it and let it out, but he says I should wait until I’ve had a return on my investments and use that instead of cutting into the original. He’s going to talk me through it all tomorrow.’

  ‘Wow, you really are serious, aren’t you?’ Beth said approvingly. ‘So, what are you going to do with it in the meantime?’

  ‘No idea.’ Maria shrugged casually. ‘But there’s no point paying for another night here when that’s going spare, is there? So I thought we might stay there tomorrow.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Fancy it?’

  ‘Too right!’ Beth squawked. ‘But only if we share a room.’

  ‘Don’t tell me you’re scared?’ Maria gave a mocking smile.

  ‘Er, didn’t you see the old lady in the kitchen?’ Beth drew her chin in.


  ‘Shut up!’ Maria half laughed. Then, frowning, she said, ‘You’re joking – right?’

  ‘No. She was standing by the window when I was over by the door,’ Beth said, grimacing as if recalling something terrible. ‘And she was all sort of haggard and . . . Oh, hang on . . .’ She slapped her forehead. ‘That was you!’

  ‘Oh, very funny,’ Maria said, breathing a sigh of relief.

  ‘No, but seriously,’ Beth said, no longer teasing. ‘I’m really glad you’ve changed your mind. You might absolutely hate it, but at least you’ll have given it a shot.’

  ‘And what if I love it?’ Maria asked, finishing her drink.

  ‘Move in.’ Beth shrugged.

  ‘On my own?’

  ‘Why not? I’ll come and stay in holiday times. And I’m sure the girls would jump at the chance of the odd weekend away.’

  ‘And what about Australia?’

  ‘Bugger that,’ Beth said, pulling a face. ‘To tell you the truth, I went off the idea ages ago.’

  ‘You never said.’ Maria frowned.

  ‘Well, I didn’t want to ruin it for you if you were dead set on it,’ Beth admitted sheepishly. ‘But I honestly don’t want to go. Especially not since you quit the job and I went full-time. It’s a big responsibility. Please don’t be mad at me,’ she said then. ‘I’ll still go if you want to, but I’d really rather not. I’d rather see you settled and making a fantastic life for yourself.’

  Maria pursed her lips thoughtfully. This had started out as a let’s spend the night and see what happens-type scenario, but she could actually feel herself being drawn in by the idea of moving back to Manchester. Her roots lay here, after all. And as Beth had pointed out, there was nothing so great about Teignmouth. She’d tried to make the best of her life there, but it had never really been anything but the place she’d been sent to when other people were still in control of her life – the place she’d been too lazy to leave when she was holding the reins.

  But things were different now. She’d already quit her job and given notice on the flat. And if Beth really didn’t want to go to Australia, there was absolutely no reason to hang about. She didn’t even have to go back for her stuff if she didn’t want to. Most of it was already packed; she could just give the keys to Beth and have her send it on.

  The more she thought about it, the more she could actually see it happening. She just didn’t like the thought of doing it alone.

  ‘Will you move in with me if I decide to stay?’ she asked.

  ‘Oh, I’d love to, you know that,’ Beth said regretfully. ‘But I can’t. My parents are—’

  ‘Dying to get rid of you,’ Maria cut in.

  ‘They are not,’ Beth protested. ‘They love having me at home.’

  ‘Rubbish!’ Maria chuckled. ‘You’re a total drain. Anyway, I bet they can’t wait for you to go, so they can run round naked, and have mad sex in the conservatory.’

  ‘Don’t be disgusting!’ Beth pulled a face. ‘Anyway, I’m not a drain. I pay rent.’

  ‘Yeah, and they pay you an allowance.’

  ‘Not now I’m full-time. I only get my clothes allowance.’

  ‘It’s all right, baby girl,’ Maria said, laughing now. ‘I think it’s quite obvious that you’re not ready to leave home yet.’

  ‘I will come and stay, though,’ Beth assured her. ‘Every school holiday.’

  ‘You’d better,’ Maria said, smiling sadly now, because Beth was the one thing she would miss.

  Finishing her drink, Beth put her glass down and peered out through the door. The foyer was getting busy as people arrived for a night in the bar, where the music from the disco below was starting to filter through, sending a throbbing vibration up through their feet.

  ‘Fancy a drink in there?’ she asked.

  ‘Not really.’ Maria pulled a face. ‘I’m shattered. I just want a cup of hot chocolate and an early night. Let’s go and see if there’s any old black and white films on telly.’

  Drawing her head back, Beth gave her a horrified look. ‘It’s eight-thirty on a Friday night – my first night in Manchester, I might add. There is no way I’m going to bed yet. My name’s Beth, not Death! And what was the point of buying that new dress if you just wanted to look at it hanging in the flaming wardrobe?’

  ‘I’m joking,’ Maria laughed, standing up. ‘Come on, party girl . . . Let’s go get ready.’

  Dressed to the nines – Maria in the sky-blue suedette minidress and long grey boots she’d bought that afternoon, and Beth in a clinging white halter-neck top, tiny skirt with huge silver belt, and stiletto heels – they dropped into the hotel bar and asked Rex, the young barman, for the name of a decent club. Looking them over admiringly, he recommended a place called Scarletts, assuring them that the music was the best in town.

  Scarletts was packed when they got there, the pounding bass vibrating up their legs as they dropped their jackets off in the cloakroom. Beth was almost dancing as they made their way to the bar, her head whipping from side to side, like a kid on her first trip to the fair.

  Shouting to make herself heard, Maria said, ‘What do you want to drink?’

  ‘Vodka,’ Beth yelled back, her teeth as Californian white as her top in the flourescent light. ‘This is fantastic. Look at all the gorgeous guys!’

  ‘Probably with their girlfriends,’ Maria said cynically, sidestepping two specimens who were weaving their way towards her with leering grins on their sweaty faces. ‘Don’t bother!’ she snapped when one of the hopeful Casanovas paused and opened his mouth to speak. ‘I’m a lesbian.’

  Wondering why the man gave her a funny look, Beth said, ‘What did you just say to him?’

  ‘I told him you were my girlfriend,’ Maria said, stepping up onto the foot-rail and yelling her order at the barmaid.

  ‘Cheeky cow,’ Beth gasped. ‘I thought I told you it was over between us. You hardly ever take me out, and you never pay me any attention.’

  ‘Shut up, you idiot,’ Maria laughed, shoving a bottle of vodka-and-cranberry Blastback into her friend’s hand. Once she’d got her change, she stepped down and pushed Beth away from the bar. ‘Let’s go dance.’

  The dance floor was packed with girls in full pulling gear, dancing in small clusters and gazing flirtatiously out at the men congregating around the edges. Creating a bit of space for themselves, Maria and Beth whooped and cheered with the rest of the crowd when the DJ announced that it was Old Skool time and started playing all their favourite old beach-party tracks.

  It was almost an hour before Old Skool gave way to R’n’B Breakdown. Wiping her sweaty brow, Beth shook her empty bottle.

  ‘I need another drink.’

  ‘Me, too,’ Maria said, standing on tiptoe to peer around. ‘And I need a wee. Did you see a sign for the ladies’ when we came in?’

  ‘I think it’s over there.’ Beth pointed back towards the bar.

  ‘Show me,’ Maria said. ‘And hurry up, ’cos I don’t think I can hold it.’

  ‘Not wearing your Tenalady?’ Beth shouted back loudly over her shoulder.

  ‘Shut up,’ Maria hissed when a couple of girls smirked at her. ‘Here,’ she said, thrusting some money into Beth’s hand. ‘You get the drinks. I won’t be a minute.’

  Lucky enough to find an empty cubicle, Maria went to the loo, then retouched her make-up and fluffed her damp hair before going out to rejoin Beth.

  Frowning when she found that Beth was nowhere to be seen at the bar, she looked around for her. The frown deepened when she spotted her chatting to two men on a raised area overlooking the dance floor.

  Turning around just then, Beth saw her and waved her over.

  ‘That’s Eddie, and his cousin, Carlton,’ she said, stepping forward to meet Maria with a mischievous sparkle in her eye. ‘They insisted on buying our drinks, so I’m just having a little chat. They want to know if we’ll dance with them.’

  ‘Aw, do we have to?’ Maria moaned under her breath.

  ‘
Be nice,’ Beth said through a smile. ‘Eddie says he’s been watching me since he came in. And Carlton’s just come over from Kingston. And guess what? He fancies you.’

  ‘Great,’ Maria muttered, glancing at the men over Beth’s shoulder.

  Beth’s admirer was good-looking, she had to admit, but she didn’t like the look of his cousin. He was huge and muscular, with dark slit-like eyes, which made him look dangerous. But even if he hadn’t looked like an extra from a bad gangsta movie, Maria wouldn’t have been interested. She had no intention of wasting her night out getting to know someone she would never see again.

  Not after last time.

  Nodding politely when Beth introduced her to the men, Maria lit a cigarette and used the smoke as a barrier between herself and the big guy.

  ‘Me and Eddie are going for a dance,’ Beth said after a moment. ‘You’ll be all right, won’t you?’

  ‘Yeah, fine,’ Maria muttered, looking daggers at her as she trotted off with her man.

  Folding her arms, she gave Spare Man a tight smile, frowning when he leaned his elbow on the rail and gazed right at her. She hoped he wasn’t expecting her to dance with him, because there was no way. He was so big, he’d probably stand on her foot and break it.

  ‘Y’ all right?’ he drawled in a heavy Jamaican accent.

  ‘Fine, thanks.’ Another tight smile.

  ‘You’re not from round here?’ he said – stating, not asking.

  ‘No,’ Maria replied – uninterested.

  ‘So, where, then?’ Persistent.

  ‘Why?’ Irritated.

  ‘Jus’ mekkin conversation.’ Fuck you.

  Silence.

  Coming back after her dance, Beth whispered excitedly to Maria, ‘They’re going to a blues in the Moss, and Eddie’s asked if we want to go with them. What do you think?’

  ‘No way,’ Maria answered quietly. ‘I’m not really comfortable with them.’

  ‘Not because they’re black?’ Beth frowned.

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Maria hissed, hoping the men hadn’t heard. Fortunately, they were having a conversation of their own and didn’t seem to be listening. ‘I just don’t want to go anywhere with them. They’re strangers. It’s not safe.’