by Jen Silver
“Yes. I’m just going to the loo. Then we can slip away.” The look on Camila’s face told Dani her desire was reciprocated.
“Right, don’t be long.” Dani gave her a lingering kiss on the lips.
Camila patted her butt suggestively. “No fear.”
Dani watched her go thinking of the night ahead. A hand gripped her shoulder forcefully and she turned to find an angry-looking woman glaring at her—the birthday girl, she thought.
“You keep your filthy hands off her!” the woman screamed and punched her hard in the face, followed by another hard blow to the stomach. Dani doubled over with the pain. “Fucking pervert.”
†
Camila arrived back in the room to see Dani on the floor with Chris kicking her in the ribs. Deborah was trying ineffectively to stop her. Everyone else was just standing, looking on like kids in a playground. Although they weren’t cheering or shouting, “Fight, fight,” they were mostly stunned into inaction.
“Chris,” she said quietly. Chris looked up at her and Camila hit her with full force on the nose. She heard the crack and was satisfied to see the shock in Chris’s eyes as she clutched at her face. Then she crouched over her lover. “Dani! Look at me. Can you stand?”
Dani nodded, as though not trusting herself to speak. With Deborah’s help, Camila was able to support Dani and walk with her to the front door.
“I’ll drive you,” Deborah said.
“Thanks. It’s not far.”
None of them said anything on the drive over to Dani’s house. Camila crouched next to Dani, who was laid across the backseat.
In the living room, Camila carefully removed Dani’s vest and lifted her T-shirt. Bruises were already forming on her torso, and she had the beginning of a black eye.
Deborah had found the kitchen and came back with ice wrapped in a dishtowel. She handed the package to Camila, who helped Dani to apply it and let her hold it against her face.
Deborah pointed to her hand. “You’ll need some ice on those.” Camila looked at her hand as if seeing it for the first time. The knuckles looked red and slightly swollen. “Did I hurt her?”
“Too right. Broke her nose by the sound of it.”
“Good.” Then she realised how that sounded. “Oh my God! I’m sorry, Deborah.”
“Don’t be. I would have hit her myself if I could have.”
“Look, would you mind staying with Dani while I go home and get some things?”
“Sure, take my car.” Deborah handed her the keys.
†
When Camila had gone, Deborah went into the kitchen and found a bottle of whisky and glasses. She poured two generous measures and took them back to the living room.
Dani squinted at her with her good eye. “Sorry about the party,” she mumbled.
“It will be the talk of the town for a few weeks at least.”
“I didn’t even have any cake.”
Deborah laughed. “Come on, drink some of this,” she said, handing her a glass. “How are the ribs feeling?”
“A bit sore, but I’ve had worse. Bad move on Chris’s part, wanting to hurt a masochist. Any more abuse and I’d be asking her to marry me. What was it all about anyway?”
“Oh, I guess you wouldn’t know. And they both think I don’t know. Chris slept with Camila a few times. It wasn’t long after Allison’s death, so maybe Camila just wanted some comfort. I’ve always thought Camila was a bit of a cold fish, but I can see she cares about you.”
“You think?”
“Yes, I think. She really clocked one on Chris. You’ll need to make sure she takes care of her knuckles; they’ll be hurting. I don’t suppose she has any experience with fighting.”
“You never know.”
“No, you don’t.” Deborah knocked back her whisky. “Could I use your phone?”
“Yeah. It’s in the hall.”
Deborah rang her house; it was only twenty minutes since she had left and she guessed people would still be there, revelling in having something exciting to talk about. Nothing like seeing someone get a good kicking to cause a stir.
Someone voiced a tentative hello.
“It’s Debs. Is that Niki?”
“Yes. How is she?”
“She’ll be okay. Some heavy bruising on her ribs. She says she’s had worse.”
“So we’ve heard.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. It seems Sandy goes to some of the same clubs. She’s seen Dani a few times.”
“I didn’t know Sandy was into that kind of thing.”
“Come on! She’s a PE teacher. They’re all sadists in my book.”
“So I guess she passed this info on to Chris.”
“Yeah. Oh, could you remind Dani I gave her my card? She said she would call Monday about a brochure we want a quote for.”
“Great. I’m sure she’s really concerned about work right now.”
“Anyway, since you haven’t asked, Chris has gone to A and E. Sandy took her. A few of us are staying on to clear things away. Are you coming back?”
“In a bit. And thanks.”
“Hey, great party, by the way.”
“Don’t mention it.”
†
Dani took the tea towel away from her face as Deborah returned. “I think the ice has all melted.”
“Looks like you’ll have quite a shiner.”
“Great. Just the thing for a Monday morning.”
“Do you know a PE teacher called Sandy?”
“Tall, dark-haired, loud mouth?”
“That sounds like her.”
“I know of her. She’s not my type and I’ve heard she can be a bit heavy-handed. Not my scene at all.”
“It seems she decided to let Chris know where she had seen you.”
“Figures. Has she cheated on you before?”
“Yes, all the time.”
“Jeez, call me a masochist! Why do you stay with her?”
“Habit, I guess.”
“Come on, Debs. You’re an attractive woman. You don’t have to put up with shit like that. Has she ever hit you?”
“No.”
“Look, it’s none of my business. I’ve only just met you, but I’d say you could do a lot better.”
“Thanks.”
Peering at Deborah with her one good eye, Dani couldn’t make out her expression, but the slump of her shoulders was an indication she wasn’t in a happy place. “It’ll take Camila a while to get to Battersea and back. Why don’t you put some music on? Get back in the party mood.”
“Sure. Any requests?”
“Nah. You choose.”
Dani watched the other woman as she leafed through the record selection on the shelf near her drawing table. She made some appreciative noises before finally holding out an album. “This fits the bill, I think.”
“I can’t see it from here.”
“Lou Reed, Transformer.” Deborah took the record out of the sleeve and placed it on the turntable. “Let’s take a ‘Walk on the Wild Side’. Seems appropriate for this evening.”
†
They listened to the music, mainly in silence, absorbing the hypnotic tone of Reed’s voice and the seductively suggestive lyrics. When the last notes died away, Deborah got up and replaced the record in its cover. She glanced down at the artwork on the drawing table. The top page looked like a rather boring furniture advert. Moving the paper aside, she gasped.
Underneath was a drawing of Camila as she had never seen her, but Dani obviously had. Her head was arched back at an almost impossible angle, and her body arched to meet the disembodied hand cupping her pubes.
“Wow! Has she seen this?” Deborah asked, holding the page so Dani could see it.
“No! Please put it back where you found it.”
“Sorry. I guess you’re right. There’s a lot I don’t know about Camila.” She slid the page back under the pad.
They heard the front door open and moments later Camila came in and handed Deborah her keys. “Thanks. H
ow is the patient?”
“Doing fine. Have you done anything with your hand?”
“I ran it under cold water.”
“You really should ice it for a while.”
“Okay. Is there any left?”
“Another tray. I’d better be going. See how the cleanup crew is doing. Oh, and Dani, apparently you promised to ring Niki about a brochure quote on Monday. She said she gave you a card.” She waved at her and headed out to the hall.
Camila followed her. “How’s Chris?”
“At A and E with Sandy. So she will be gone for most of the night. And after that she’ll be looking for somewhere else to live.”
“Oh, Deborah. I’m sure she will be sorry….”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it. What she did was unforgivable. Dani hadn’t done anything to provoke her, other than being with you. You see, it’s taken me a while to figure this out. None of the others really mattered. But you did. It was okay while you were unattached, but then she sees you with Sex-on-Legs in there and realises what she thought she had with you was nothing….”
“But I never let her think there was anything…and we didn’t think you knew,” Camila finished lamely.
“Yes, I knew. You were the only one she didn’t tell me about, so I should have known you were the only one who meant anything to her.”
“I really didn’t think it meant anything.”
“Didn’t all those phone calls these last two weeks tell you anything?”
“I ignored those. I’ve been rather busy.”
“Anyway, all it took was Sandy telling her about where she had seen Dani before, and seeing the two of you loved up gave her the excuse to attack her.”
“Sandy? Oh, the PE teacher…I saw her talking to Chris.”
Dani appeared in the doorway. “Hey, Debs, thanks for everything.” She stood behind Camila and wrapped her arms around her. “Next time you want a party wrecking….”
“Sure, I’ll call you.” She smiled at Dani and went out the door.
†
Camila leaned back into her. “I’m sorry, Dani.”
“What for?” Dani held her hand, raising it to her face to kiss the swollen knuckles. “You have one hell of a right hook by all accounts.”
“Dani?” Camila turned to face her. “Do you feel up to, you know…?”
“Yeah. I don’t suppose you want to hit me…?”
Camila stroked her cheek gently. “Not tonight. I think you need a bit of tender loving care. Will you let me do that for you?”
Dani nodded. The events of the evening crashed into her senses, harder than the kicking she’d taken and she slumped against the wall.
“Come on, tiger. Upstairs, now.”
†
Camila lay next to the sleeping form of her lover. Getting her fully undressed had taken some time, but Dani hadn’t been much help, flopping onto the bed as limp as a rag doll. Once Camila was satisfied Dani was as comfortable as she could be and had fallen asleep, she went down to the kitchen. The application of ice on her swollen knuckles had offered some relief, but when she returned to the bedroom, lying down next to Dani and closing her eyes, sleep wouldn’t come.
Was she to blame for Chris’s extreme reaction to seeing her with another woman? Deborah’s revelation that she’d known all along that she and Chris had slept together was a surprise but it did explain her coolness towards her. The fact Chris had read more into their brief liaisons than she had was also a surprise. It seemed she really was clueless when it came to knowing people. The easiness of her relationship with Allison had sheltered her from the need to interact with others.
She had the feeling being with Dani was never going to be easy. But did that matter? In their short time together, she felt a connection that was stronger than anything she had experienced with anyone else, even Allison. A pang of guilt shot through her and tears erupted from her eyes.
Dani was different. Remembering the night Dani had walked out of her flat, Camila knew that Dani’s perceptions had been correct. She wasn’t likely to fit in with her lifestyle.
But she wasn’t alone. The talks with Carl during their time in Strasbourg and seeing both him and Eric in a new light had freed something in her. She would be forty next year. So a new life was beginning for her, if she had the courage to embrace it.
She was here, with Dani. She knew in her heart it was where she wanted to be. It seemed like her mind had some catching up to do.
Dani moaned in her sleep. Camila shuffled closer and laid a protective arm softly across her belly.
Chapter Twenty
Saturday afternoon was clear and bright. Dani watched the rowers passing by on the river, enjoying the breeze on her face as she stood on the patio enjoying the scene. Her ribs were still sore, but they didn’t hurt as much as the last time.
Camila had gone back to her flat to do some work. When the doorbell rang she hurried to answer it, not expecting her lover back so soon. She opened the door with a wide smile, but her sunny mood was deflated by the sight of her brother waiting on the step.
“Fuck, what happened to you?”
“Good to see you too.” She looked down at his feet. “No munchkins with you today?”
“No. I only have them every other weekend. Can I come in?”
“Oh, yeah, sure.”
He followed her through the house to the patio at the back.
“So who beat you up this time? Give me a name and I’ll have them arrested.”
“No need for that. It was just a misunderstanding.” She grinned at him. “Drink?”
“Thanks. A beer if you’ve got one.”
“Of course.”
When Dani returned with two cans, he accepted his gratefully and seemed to swallow half of it before she had even taken a sip. She leant against the doorframe and watched his face.
“So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this time?”
“Can’t I just enjoy the company of my favourite sister?”
“Your only sister, and I’ve now seen more of you in two weeks than in the last two years. So what gives?”
Brian sighed and drank some more beer. He put the can on the table between them and looked across the river.
Dani waited. She could play the cop-interview game as well. Finally he looked up at her. “That bloke June’s seeing. I checked him out like you suggested.”
“And?” She didn’t need to be a detective to know this wasn’t going to be good news.
“He has a record. And he’s lied to her about his job. Told her he’s a stockbroker and has to make regular trips to New York. However, he hasn’t left the country since getting out of prison in 1990.”
“Another woman somewhere?”
“Yeah. I had him followed. He spent three days this week at a house in Ruislip. And, this is the worst part.” He paused and drained the rest of his beer. “The woman has a daughter. Looks to be the same age as Lucy.”
“Shit, Brian. What will you do?”
“I don’t know. If I just go and tell June she’s being duped and that I think Lucy’s in danger, she will think I’m making it up to have a chance of getting back with her.”
“But if you have proof…?”
“What do the photos prove? He could say the woman’s his sister or something.”
“But they could be married. You could find that out.”
They sat in silence for a while, both looking out over the river. Another scull passed, the four rowers moving in perfect union.
“This thing with Lucy.” Brian sounded hesitant. “Is that what happened with you and Dad?”
It was Dani’s turn to stay silent, drinking some more of her beer. Brian’s relationship with their father had been so different to hers. He was the treasured son. They went to football matches together, bonded with kickabouts in the garden. She was the awkward daughter who wouldn’t behave like a girl.
“Look, you need to sort this guy out. Lucy’s afraid of him.”
�
�You said that before, but how does that relate to why you left home at sixteen? Why Dad destroyed any evidence of you ever having existed?”
There was no way to make it sound anything other than what it was. Dani looked at him, seeing something in his features of the sweet boy he had been. The innocent boy who couldn’t understand why his sister was always in trouble. “Because I didn’t conform to how a girl should behave. When I was little he was able to control me, make me wear dresses, help Mum in the kitchen when I wanted to play out, but by the time I was eight or nine, I knew this wasn’t what I wanted. I fought him at every turn from then on. It became a battle of wills. He gave in on certain things, like me wearing trousers around the house. But later, when it became clear I wasn’t interested in boys as he thought any girl of fifteen should be, he decided to show me what I was missing. I had to try to avoid him if we were alone in the house. The casual groping was bad enough. This escalated fairly quickly to pressing my hand against the front of his trousers so I could feel his hard-on, whispering, ‘This is what you want, my girl.’ On that last day he told me he was going to make me a woman. He was going to fuck me, Brian.”
“No!” Brian stood suddenly, upsetting the table. His empty beer can rolled onto the path. “No way!”
“See, it’s not easy, is it? Are you going to believe your little girl when she tells you this man is touching her inappropriately? At the age she is now, she won’t know what’s happening really. But she will know it feels wrong. How far are you going to let it go?”
Tears had started in his eyes. He walked away from her, towards the river. The doorbell rang and Dani watched her brother for a moment before going to answer it.
†
Camila noticed it as soon as Dani opened the door. The bruising around her eye wasn’t as angry-looking as the night before, but there was a look in her eyes she couldn’t decipher.