The Charmer

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘Eddie’s not a stranger,’ Beth said, glancing back at him with a smile. ‘He’s really nice.’

  ‘He is a stranger,’ Maria muttered under her breath. ‘And we’re not going anywhere with them. Do you even know what a blues is?’

  ‘A party?’

  ‘Yeah, but not the kind you’ve ever been to. And in Moss Side.’ Snorting softly, Maria shook her head. ‘Sorry, Beth, but I’m pulling rank on this one. There’s no way we’re going to Moss Side with those two. It’s dangerous.’

  Beth looked at her for a moment, then sighed. ‘You’re right,’ she said, remembering that she was supposed to be the sensible one. ‘I got caught up in the whole gorgeous man fancies me instead of you vibe. I’ll just ask him if he minds staying here instead.’

  ‘And then what?’ Maria tipped her head to one side and gave her a pointed look. Beth wasn’t a virgin, but she wasn’t experienced in the ways of horny men by any stretch of the imagination. And Maria had the feeling that this one would come on hot and heavy when the mood took him; he was too good-looking and cocksure.

  ‘Okay, so what we going to do?’ Beth asked, biting her lip. ‘We can’t just run away.’

  ‘Oh, can’t we?’ Maria said, gripping her arm. ‘’Scuse us,’ she said to the men, pulling Beth away. ‘We need the ladies’.’

  ‘Don’t be long,’ Eddie called after them. ‘We’ll be waiting.’

  ‘Well, you’ll be waiting for ever,’ Maria muttered, smiling widely.

  ‘You’re terrible,’ Beth laughed when they were safely in the toilets. ‘How are we going to get away now?’

  ‘Easy, we’ll sneak out in a minute and go round the other side. There’s another bar over there. We’ll get our drinks there and keep out of their way.’

  ‘You’re such a spoilsport,’ Beth scolded. ‘I really liked Eddie.’

  ‘No, you didn’t,’ Maria scoffed. ‘He looked like Rio Ferdinand on a bad day.’

  ‘He did not!’

  ‘Here, you’re not talking about the cocky cousins, are you?’ a girl who had just come in and was retouching her lipstick asked. ‘One of them’s really big?’

  ‘Yeah, why?’ Maria asked.

  ‘They’ve just tried copping off with me and my mate,’ the girl told her. ‘I’d watch your drinks if I was you. I’m sure they tried to spike ours.’

  ‘Oh, shit,’ Beth said, looking at the bottle in her hand with horror. Then, shaking her head, she said, ‘No, they couldn’t have. They paid for it, but I took it straight off the barman.’

  ‘I’m not taking any chances,’ Maria said, snatching the bottle off her and tipping that and her own down the sink. ‘You left it on the ledge when you went to dance, and I wasn’t watching it. And let that be a lesson to you!’ she scolded then.

  ‘What do we do if they’re still waiting for us?’ Beth asked, nervous now.

  ‘I don’t think they are,’ the lipstick girl told her. ‘I came in after you, and they were just chatting up a couple of right tarts.’

  ‘Bastards!’ Beth squawked indignantly.

  ‘That’s men for you,’ Maria said.

  ‘Well, I hope they get the clap,’ Beth snarled. ‘I’m never going near another man again as long as I live!’

  All the girls crowded around the mirrors retouching their pulling make-up laughed.

  Making their way outside at the end of the night, still swaying to the ghost of the music ringing in their ears, Beth saw Eddie and Carlton walking out with the tarts. Sticking her fingers up at them, she stumbled out onto the pavement.

  Groaning when the chill night air bit into her flesh, she leaned her head back and stroked the sweat off her goose-bumpy neck.

  ‘Oh, that’s nice.’

  ‘You’ll catch pneumonia,’ Maria warned her with a giggle, rubbing at her arms as her teeth began to chatter. ‘God, I’m starving,’ she said when two girls teetered past sharing a bag of chips, the sweet scent of hot vinegar trailing in their wake.

  ‘Me too,’ Beth said, peering down the road in the direction the girls had come from. ‘There must be a chippy down there. Shall we go and look for it?’

  ‘Yeah, why not? Fancy sharing a fish?’

  ‘How about a burger?’ Beth suggested greedily, slipping her jacket around her shoulders as they set off. ‘Double cheese with salad and relish. Or a pizza!’ She inhaled deeply as her imagination took off. ‘Seafood special with prawns and tuna.’

  ‘Twelve-inch stuffed crust, with garlic bread and—’ Stopping dead in her tracks, Maria’s heart leaped into her throat and pushed out a little gasp.

  A group of people were spilling out of another club a few feet ahead. And Joel was among them, looking every bit as devastatingly gorgeous as she remembered.

  ‘What’s up?’ Beth asked, wondering why they’d stopped.

  Pulling herself together, Maria shook her head. ‘Nothing. Come on, let’s go.’

  Joel turned around at that exact moment, and their eyes met. Frowning, he tipped his head to one side and squinted at her. He knew he’d seen her before, but he wasn’t immediately sure where from. Not that it mattered. She was an absolute babe.

  Then he remembered.

  The hotel . . . The credit card . . . Ah . . .

  But she wasn’t giving him evils, so maybe she hadn’t associated him with the card. Anyway, it was Linda Carr who’d almost been caught with it, not him, so she shouldn’t think it had anything to do with him.

  And she did look incredible in her short, tight dress, with her hair all loose and shiny, her face flushed and glowing . . . Well worth another shot.

  All of this took less than a second to flit through Joel’s head, then he was smiling and walking towards her, preparing for another fine performance.

  But what was her name again . . . ?

  Oh, who cared?

  ‘I thought it was you,’ he said, reaching her and hugging her. ‘God, you look good.’

  Immediately flustered when she inhaled the scent of the aftershave she had smelled in her dreams so many times, Maria pulled herself out of the embrace.

  ‘Hello, Joel.’

  ‘You didn’t forget, then?’

  ‘No.’

  Glad of the masking darkness, Maria cast a guilty glance in Beth’s direction. Beth was sure to ask who he was and how she knew him. But after making Beth shake off the guy that she had fancied earlier because he was a stranger, how could Maria admit that she’d had a one-night stand with Joel last time she was here?

  ‘So, how are you?’ Joel was asking, looking her over with an appreciative gleam in his eye. ‘You look fantastic.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ she said, wishing he’d stop looking at her like that. Beth would be sure to wonder what was going on.

  ‘Aren’t you going to introduce us, Maria?’ Beth said just then, looking Joel over with interest.

  ‘Er, yeah . . . Beth – Joel, Joel – Beth,’ Maria said. ‘We’re old friends,’ she blurted out then, hoping to God that Joel backed her up.

  Eyes dancing with mischief, Joel said, ‘Yeah, that’s right. We go way back, don’t we, Maria? So, why didn’t you let me know you were coming to town?’

  ‘I haven’t got your number,’ she said, frowning. Surely he couldn’t have forgotten taking off without a word after their last encounter.

  ‘Yes, you have. I wrote it down for you last time I saw you,’ Joel said, sounding so sincere that Maria actually wondered if it was true and she had somehow forgotten. ‘It wasn’t that long ago. Don’t tell me you lost it?’

  Beth narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Oh, yeah? Maria hadn’t mentioned anything about bumping into him last time she was here. And he wasn’t the kind of man you would easily forget. So what was going on?

  ‘I really don’t think you did give it to me,’ Maria said quietly.

  Joel peered at her quizzically for a moment, then shrugged. ‘My mistake. But never mind . . . I’ll give it to you now. Got a pen?’

  ‘No, sorry.’

&nb
sp; ‘Store it in your phone,’ Beth suggested, wondering why Maria was being so stand-offish. If she had an old friend who looked like him, she’d be dragging him back to the hotel for a nightcap.

  ‘Yeah, do that,’ Joel said. ‘Then you’ve got no excuse not to call, have you?’

  Having no reason to refuse if they were ‘old friends’, Maria tapped his number into her mobile.

  A platinum blonde who was standing in the doorway of the club Joel had come out of chose that moment to make her presence known.

  ‘Joel . . .’ she called, her petulant voice slicing through the cold air like lemon juice through grease. ‘I’m waiting!’

  ‘Shit,’ Joel muttered. ‘Sorry about that. She’s my, erm—’

  ‘Girlfriend?’ Beth ventured cynically, her opinion of him changing in an instant. If there was one thing she hated, it was players.

  ‘Date,’ Joel corrected her. ‘First date, actually,’ he told Maria then. ‘And definitely the last, because she’s a nightmare. But I’ll have to be polite till I’ve dropped her off. She’s a friend of a friend.’

  ‘I see.’ Maria glanced at the girl.

  Scowling back at her, the girl stuck one long slim leg out in an aggressive pose and folded her arms, enhancing her pneumatic tits.

  ‘I think she wants you to hurry up,’ Maria said amusedly.

  ‘She can wait,’ Joel said, sounding as if he’d rather cut off his own head than go to her. ‘So, is this just another flying visit, or are you staying over?’

  ‘Visit,’ Maria said, mirroring his date’s stance to show the silly bitch that she wasn’t intimidated.

  ‘Joel!’ Silly Bitch snapped. ‘The taxi.’

  ‘All right, I’m coming!’ he called back, not bothering to mask his irritation now. Leaning forward, he kissed Maria on the cheek. ‘Speak to you soon, babe.’ Turning to Beth then, he nodded. ‘Nice meeting you.’

  ‘Well, you certainly kept him quiet,’ Beth said when he’d gone. ‘How long have you known him? Was he your boyfriend when you were growing up, or something? How come you’ve never mentioned him?’

  ‘How many questions are you going to ask?’ Maria said, sighing as the taxi pulled away.

  In the back, the blonde was doing that jerky-head thing that women do when they’re having a good old nag. Then her hand went up in front of Joel’s face in a Save it! gesture.

  First date, my backside! Beth thought, snorting softly.

  ‘I bet he two-timed you, didn’t he?’ she said knowingly. ‘He looks the type.’

  ‘He wasn’t my boyfriend,’ Maria said, trying not to let her disappointment show as they set off again. ‘He’s just someone I knew.’

  ‘Mmmm,’ Beth murmured, not sure whether she believed that or not. ‘Well, he obviously wanted to get reacquainted, the way he was looking at you. How come you get all the gorgeous ones?’

  ‘I wish you’d make your mind up!’ Maria laughed. ‘You were all for Rio Ferdinand when we were in the club.’

  ‘Yeah, but he was a slag,’ Beth reminded her primly. ‘At least you know this one. Then again, he’s a slag as well, so you’re best off out of it,’ she added disapprovingly. Sighing, she gave an exaggerated shiver and quickened her pace. ‘I think I’m sobering up.’

  ‘Good – you won’t eat as much,’ Maria said, pulling a face when they turned the corner and bumped into the back of the queue snaking out of a tiny fish and chips shop. ‘Do you want to wait, or should we go straight back?’

  Sniffing the air, Beth said, ‘Wait. It stinks of all the unhealthy kinds of fat, but you just know it’ll be delicious. Are we being greedy, or are we sharing?’

  ‘Sharing.’ Maria covered a yawn with her hand.

  Hugging her suddenly, Beth said, ‘Thanks for today, babe. I’ve had the best time!’

  ‘Me too,’ Maria agreed. ‘But it wouldn’t have been the same without you, so thanks for coming.’

  ‘That’s what best mates are for,’ Beth said, pushing her forward when the queue moved closer to the shop. ‘That, and weeding out the good guys from the bad. So, next time you bump into any gorgeous old friends, make sure they’re single. Then find out if they’ve got a brother!’

  ‘So much for never going near men again,’ Maria laughed.

  11

  Maria and Beth checked out of the hotel early the next morning and headed into town to buy cleaning gear, and a couple of cheap tracksuits to protect their clothes. Taking a cab to the house, they opened all the windows, pulled off the dust sheets, and set about dusting, polishing, brushing and mopping.

  It was almost three-thirty before they stopped, and they had barely scratched the surface, because it was such a large house and there were hundreds of hidden corners where decades’ worth of dust had gathered and become trapped.

  Maria made a list of all the things she would need if she was going to move in – the most essential for tonight being bedding. They had found a well-stocked linen cupboard in the master bedroom, but there was no way either of them wanted to risk unleashing on the world the ancient dust-mite family that was living in it.

  If the washing machine had been working, they would have shoved it all in there and left it to soak. But the machine appeared to have died of old age, along with the fridge, and the boiler system – which was the make an appointment and wait your turn type. There was none of this newfangled instant hot water business here. No shower, no double glazing, no working radiators – hardly any concession to modern life at all, in fact.

  God only knew how Elsie Davidson had survived her twilight years. Maria and Beth could only assume that she had enjoyed the hardship – like the nuns in those old films, who only felt worthy when their paths were riddled with obstacles and pain.

  Back in town, Maria went to Nigel’s office for her meeting, and Beth headed off to the Arndale Centre.

  It was Saturday afternoon, so the centre was jam-packed, people pushing and shoving and dodging their way around the aisles. But Beth didn’t mind the crush. She loved how cosmopolitan and sophisticated it all was compared to Devon, and she made a point of going into every shop so that she could tell Leanne and Sharon all about it when she got home. They would be so jealous.

  Lugging her bags into the solicitors’ offices when she was finished, Beth went to the reception desk to let someone know she was there. But there was nobody around.

  Putting the bags down, she tiptoed up to the office doors and read the names on the brass plates. Finding Nigel’s, she peeped through the glass panel. He was sitting at the desk with Maria, their heads bowed over the paperwork spread out between them. Leaving them to it, she got a coffee from the machine and sat down to wait.

  Gazing around, Beth was impressed by how plush everything was. The visitors’ couches were expensive designer models in smoky-grey leather, with splayed chrome feet and low rolled backs; the pictures were edgy black and white aerial views of New York; and the carpet was thick and made good soundproofing. The business was obviously doing very well – which was a bit weird, she thought, having met Nigel and seen how humble and unassuming he was. She’d have expected him to be an arrogant look at me-type tosser if she’d seen his office before she met him.

  Maria and Nigel came out a short while later. Seeing Beth sitting there, Nigel frowned.

  ‘Sorry,’ Beth said, feeling immediately guilty for having helped herself to a coffee. ‘I probably should have knocked and asked if it was okay, but I didn’t want to disturb you.’

  ‘No, no, that’s not a problem at all,’ Nigel assured her. ‘I’m annoyed with myself. I must have forgotten to lock the door. That’s the policy when there’s only one of us in the building – for security reasons. Anybody could walk in off the street otherwise. Not you, of course. I’m sure you weren’t intending to do any harm.’

  ‘Absolutely not,’ Beth told him, smiling. Then, pursing her lips thoughtfully, she said, ‘Maybe you should get yourself a Saturday receptionist if you’re worried about it. Maria could do it for you,
’ she added slyly. ‘She can type, she loves talking on the phone, and she’ll probably be looking for a job before too long if she carries on spending the way she has been.’

  ‘Thanks for that, Oh great voice of my conscience,’ Maria drawled, shaking her head at Nigel.

  ‘Did she tell you the good news?’ Beth asked Nigel then. ‘About her staying at the house?’

  ‘Yes, she did. And I think it’s wonderful. Seemed such a shame to let the old place go without giving it a chance.’

  ‘Yeah, well, it might only be temporary,’ Maria said, reaching down for some of the bags. ‘Look at the state of this lot,’ she complained to Nigel. ‘And she reckons I’m spending a fortune. She was only supposed to be getting something for dinner!’

  ‘Don’t be so cheeky,’ Beth protested. ‘You should have seen the list she gave me, Nigel. If I’d followed it, I wouldn’t have been able to move for bags.’

  ‘Oh, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten something?’ Maria moaned.

  ‘See?’ Beth said accusingly.

  Smiling, Nigel folded his arms. The girls were obviously close, and their easy banter was a breath of fresh air in his world, where bitterness and sniping and people trying to screw money out of their nearest and dearest was the norm. He felt so jaded at times from dodging the human venom that he wondered how people ever made friends or fell in love.

  Calling a taxi, Nigel helped them carry their things round to the road at the back of the building to wait for it.

  Helping them load everything into the boot when the cab came, he said goodbye to Maria, then held out his hand to Beth. ‘It was lovely meeting you. Have a good journey home tomorrow.’

  ‘Thanks, I will,’ Beth said, climbing into the back seat. ‘And keep an eye on this one, or she’ll run you ragged. She’s a right slave-driver.’

  ‘I’m sure I’ll manage,’ Nigel said, stepping back to close the door.

  ‘Somebody fancies you,’ Beth teased, smiling widely and waving at Nigel as they pulled away from the kerb.