Turning Point

by Georgia Hamilton

  “Sure bloody, lets blow this place”

  I love this bar! It’s fun, with good food (always) great music and amazing cocktails.

  We skim our way to the bar, the bar tender knows us so well, he’s got two glasses of wine in front of us before we even speak. He nods to a table by the window – “that one is all your lady” Paige winks at him and leads me to our seats.

  “Ooh, that feels hella good” I take a gulp of my wine – its dry, cold and strong. Perfect.

  Paige is twisting her glass in her hands, something behind me catches her attention.

  “hello sailor!” She’s got someone locked in. The one thing with Paige, she is a vixen. Men fall at her feet, most of the time she stops to help them up and sometimes she steps over them; However, when she sets her sights on someone, there is no escape, she’s like Poison Ivy, men take one breath of hers and they are trapped in her spell. It is hypnotising to watch.

  I turn to see who she is looking at – “Oh My God that is Leo” I don’t know if I am excited or nervous to see someone associated to Connor.

  Paige leans in “Which one is Leo”

  I point him out to Paige, “The slighter shorter one, with the Jet-Black hair”

  “He is hot, his friend however, hotter” Paige’s presence as ever, is felt and both men look in our direction. Leo breaks out into a huge smile. He is at our table within moments, I stand to greet him “Hiya Rayne!” I kiss him on both cheeks “Leo! What are you doing here?”

  He laughs and twists his mouth into a grin “Sorry your highness, didn’t know I had to ask permission to venture to your side of town”

  “touché! I haven’t seen you around here before that’s all, I didn’t mean you couldn’t be here!”

  “Just messing with you Rayne!”

  He smiles and clinks his bottle of beer to my glass “here’s to accidental meetings and new friends”

  “Cheers” I say absently

  “Oh no, we’ve got to do that again, you didn’t look in my eyes that’s 7 years bad sex and Connor would never forgive me”

  “Chance would be a fine thing”

  Oh shit. As the words come out my vocal cords scramble to pull back into my mouth but it’s too late they’ve rolled off my tongue and are out in the world

  A smug, I think I’d call it smug, look crosses Leo’s face, he quickly retrieves it, replacing it with a concerned face, it happens so quickly but I see it.

  “All not fun and games in paradise?” The surprise in his tone comforts me, maybe I got the wrong end of the stick, Maybe Connor wasn’t binning me off. I test the water a little to see what he knows

  “I wouldn’t call it paradise, he’s difficult to read sometimes”

  Leo snorts “he’s a closed book, I did wonder if you were more business than pleasure the first time we met. You don’t seem like that kind of girl. Aunty Bea said you were a nice young lady, made me wonder what you were doing with the likes of Connor”

  I stop dead when he says that.

  “What do you mean the likes of Connor?”

  “He’s no good Rayne. He’s a criminal always has been always will be. Have you ever been to his house? Met his friends? He’s going to end up back in prison sooner or later. Bea is worried sick about him. He tried to get me involved in the drugs but”

  “Drugs???” My stomach has bottomed out. I don’t want to believe him, he’s just jealous I know Connor. Don’t I?

  “I shouldn’t have said anything, please just ignore me.”

  He looks away, the idea is to act ashamed. I don’t buy it. He meant to tell me, there is no doubt in my mind.

  I look around us, and Paige is just off to the right talking to Leo’s friend, there isn’t anyone else in close proximity. This wouldn’t usually bother me, but Leo is sitting between me and my exit. There’s something off about this whole situation, I should leave but I need to know what he means

  I put my hand on his leg, just to get his attention, help gain his trust.

  “I won’t hold it against you, please just tell me the truth”

  Leo moves closer to me, his leg touching mine, inadvertently the motion moves my hand farther up his leg, more his thigh than his knee. Now lest we forget, I flirt for a living, I spin situations to suit my clients and pay me more money. I have to seduce the truth for a dollar (ok, ok for a pound, but pound doesn’t sound as snazzy as dollar. All together now, I need a dollar, dollar, a dollar is what I need hey hey) where was I? that’s right, I am used to using my feminine wiles to get what I want, but this feels deceitful. It is deceitful

  When his too hairy, too clammy hand slaps down on mine, I retch internally. I pull in the deepest breath and instead of blowing chunks all over him, I dazzle him with a smile, I sniff, yes sniff a “hmm” his way. (My teeth are clenched so tightly, it was supposed to be a repulsed “urgh” but I swallowed it down and a strange noise came out my nose instead, hence the ‘sniffed a hmm’)

  He’s too stupid to work it out, or the bars to loud for him to hear clearly, either way he smiles back and rubs my hand.

  I don’t say a word and he continues

  “Please don’t think bad of me Rayne, it’s just I have seen him do it so many times before, I am fed up of the lies”

  I keep quiet, he needs to keep talking. He rubs the back of my hand, like I am enjoying it or something.

  “You see, Bea has always known he was bad, but she is a caring woman, the very best. I found out the extent of his betrayal when he tried to get me involved. The motives are always the same, money. He kept his current job because it was easy for him to smuggle the drugs in with the cars that he ‘imports’ it’s all a front, he gets the cars in and then he seduces women, successful women, women with good social standing, he goes out of town for a few days, comes back – his car breaks down, he asks the women to drive the drug ridden car so he can collect his, the next thing, she’s done the deal and he’s been paid.”

  It sounds ridiculous, who on earth would one fall for that and two as if you could smuggle drugs into the country in a car – surely it would be found at the border, wouldn’t it?

  If, IF! What he is saying is even partially true, it would involve Aaron. I need to get him away from me, so I can text Aaron.

  “Wow, that’s a lot. I didn’t know whether to believe you at first, but it sounds so plausible…”

  I pause, he looks smug again – yep he has brought it!

  I drain my glass and ‘angrily’ slam it down on the table. Leo looks at the glass. “Let me get you another one, you’ve had a nasty shock”

  He leaves to get me a drink at the bar I try to get Paige’s attention, but she has got her back to me and is leaning into the guy she is talking to.

  I think about calling Connor, but I need to be careful, as much as I don’t to believe Leo, I need to be sure he is lying. My next call should be Ma or Trent, but they will just be getting back home. I text Aaron and tell him that I need to see him. He texts me back asking if I am ok. I just about manage to tell him where I am before I see Leo on his way back to me.

  “Here you go, hope Pinot is ok?” Considering this guy works in hospitality you’d think he would be able to not only chose a decent wine, but to bloody well pronounce it properly, FYI the T is silent. DOH!

  “hmm! Perfect. Thanks.”

  I knock it back in a few mouthfuls. The bile is back, not sure if it is Leo or what he’s told me.

  The room starts to blur, god that wine must have been stronger than the first one. I can’t believe it’s gone straight to my head. I lean my head a little on the cool window next to me. Leo is closer to me than he was before. His hand is on my waist. I try lifting my hand, so I can move his away from me but I can’t move. Fear and panic start to rise in me, I use all my strength to look behind me, searching for Paige, I barely manage to move. All I succeed in doing is wiping more of the condensation from the window across my brow. It feels good. Soothing. I can’t see Paige, I cannot see anything much at ll. I op
en my mouth, wanting to shout for her, but my tongue is thick and heavy. I haven’t the strength to move it. The fear is coming back again, not in the same slow rising fear but in the washing over me to the point it may drown me kind of way. Leo has leant over me, shielding me from the rest of the bar I suspect, keeping me caged in the corner.

  “That was easier than he said it would be! Now listen to me Rayne. I am going to take you to Connor now, he needs you to play your part in this. So, we are going to get up, I will help you up and we are leaving. Just do as you are told, and this will be over before you know it.

  I cannot do anything but allow him to hold me up. I don’t know what happens next because the world goes completely black

  Connor

  “All you have to do is follow the instructions, you may want to go rogue, but you can’t, it’s not just about you anymore.”

  I relay that conversation in my mind repeatedly as I sit waiting for the delivery. Its 8am on a Saturday.

  I am in my office, looking over a quiet showroom floor. There is one hour until my sales team arrive, one hour left to enjoy everything I have legitimately worked for. After today, I have no choice but to leave Prestige.

  The dangerous position that I have put Michael and Aaron in is unacceptable. I can’t even think about Rayne right now. I didn’t mean to fall for her, that wasn’t the plan, but now I can’t bear the thought of losing her. I promised Fitz that I wouldn’t do anything stupid – to me this isn’t stupid. Its sensible.

  The bell on the gates rings at 8.10. I make my way down to the loading zone at the back and greet the trailer and the driver. He double takes when sees me. I must look like shit, I haven’t shaved in days, my beard, as it is now, looks unkempt. My hair is longer on top than it has been for years. When I went to the barbers a few days ago, I just got him to shape up the back and sides. I wanted to look a little more cultured, guess I wanted to impress Rayne. Show her that I could belong in her world. I know she never judged me and would probably be angry if she knew that’s what I thought, but it didn’t stop me feeling inferior.

  The driver hands me the slip to sign. There it is in black and white. Ford Navigator brought in the name prestige from some car dealer in Belgium. My name is there on the delivery note.

  I sign for the car, take the keys and see the delivery driver out. I boot up my mobile, ignoring the missed calls and the text messages I call M.

  “Benji. Change of plan, my daughters been held up, I need you to drop the car, I’ll text you the address”

  He leaves me no choice, I need this over.

  “yeah fine”

  “You don’t sound happy Benji, you should be celebrating the end of this. Trust me I will be celebrating once you get out of there”

  I don’t trust Madders, he’s setting me up. I know he is, doesn’t stop me though. This is my opportunity to balance the equilibrium. Whatever will be is supposed to be.

  The text follows through not a minute later. I grab my bag out of my car. I leave my phone in the glove box and email my letter of resignation to Michael.

  I blast as many different songs on the way, everything from hip hop, to UKG to Rock. Evanescence is paying loud as I pull up to the address on the text. I drop the car into a spot and grab my bags out of the boot. The uber I called is waiting for me at the end of the street. I call Madders

  “Benji are we square? Everything done?”

  I jump into the uber before answering

  “The car has been dropped off a requested. The extras you had fitted before delivery were removed by the police before they put a tracker on the car. The purchaser has been tipped off that you set him up. And that knock at your door? That’s either the police coming for you or the purchasers. Either way. I’m out. And this time Madders it was me – rot in hell motherfucker”

  I don’t wait for a reply. I take the phone apart, throw the SIM out the window and leave the broken remans of the phone in the door of the car. My uber driver gets me to the airport in record time. I check in and call Bea, her number is only the second number in the world I know off by heart

  “Hey Bea”

  She sniffles as I talk. “No tears Bea, you promised me”

  “It’s not that Connor, Leo was arrested last night, he was one of them involved with the importing cars. It is all over the news. I am so sorry my son, so sorry”

  In true Bea style she tugs on my heart.

  “Stop right now, it’s nothing to do with you. It was all me Bea. Are you going to be OK without me, especially now Leo helping the police with their enquires”?

  Bea chuckles, I fail to see what is so funny but that’s Bea Luiz for you

  “No Connor, I am ok. Mr Fitzgerald sent some people to see me, I will be safe and fine. I promise”

  “and you are so good at keeping your promises”

  “well stay here then I you want to take care of me Connor, don’t leave”

  “I just need time Bea, to heel and forget. When it has blown over…”

  “Have you spoken to her, told her you are leaving”

  “No, I just need time Bea, she’ll forget about me, it was only a couple of weeks, a woman like that has men falling at her feet she doesn’t need a dead beat like me”

  “Don’t talk nonsense Connor! The big question is, if you cannot forget her then don’t”

  I look around at the departure boards. I’ve got ages yet but no matter

  “Bea, I have to go, my plane is boarding – “

  She knows I am lying but she doesn’t call me on it

  “Let me know when you are there safely, I won’t sleep until I hear from you Connor”

  I sigh – she will never stop mothering me. I never want her to stop.

  “Sure thing!”

  The best thing about departure lounges is the duty free. I stop in the electronics shop and buy a laptop and a mobile, I add two bottles of vodka to my pre-departure shopping. I feel like being drunk is the only way to get through the next few weeks, this gives me a head start.

  Rayne

  I feel like I have been hit with a freight train. I woke up at Ma and Trent’s house.

  Aaron and Paige are here, sitting on the other sofa, watching me like hawks. Nobody has said very much.

  Aaron briefly told me what had happened, he got my message and called Trent, alarm bells rang so he headed to the bar. When he got to the entrance, he could see a guy trying to carry me out. Paige said she heard when Aarons fist connected with Leo’s face, he not only broke his nose but also his cheek and jaw. The blood splatters were still on her shoes, she’s keeping it as a memento. Aaron nearly wet himself when she said that, I didn’t realise my Paige was a massive MMA fan, neither apparently did Aaron. Page about it for what seems like hours. I was checked out by our doctor a few hours ago, I have to go to the hospital in a while, we’re just waiting for Ma.

  On cue Rose Sinclair appears at my door.

  “knock knock”

  She’s got a cot a tray in her hands, I know Ma, its Guiso de Miaz (my favourite as a child)

  and manzanilla (Cuban cure for all) she puts the tray down next to me and closes the door.

  “mi hija, lo siento”

  Ma is standing next to the bed, she’s wearing a dark maxi dress, that is bundled at her feet,

  her hair is wrapped in a scarf, her crazy hair poking out at all angles, her eyes are red, heavy

  and puffy. She looks like she has been crying for days. The last time I saw her she was a ray

  of sunshine, gliding around the house preparing for her trip. We’d had the party the day

  before and she was radiant. I don’t think I have ever seen her looking as sad as she does now.

  “Ma stop being dramatic, you barely speak Spanish anymore and your phrasing is shit”

  I try to make a joke of it, but she doesn’t raise the slightest of smiles.

  I slowly swing out of bed, sitting upright is harder than it looks, I am groggy as hell. At some

  point, s
omeone has got me changed and I am in an old grey t shirt and some black leggings,

  my feet are swollen and my face hurts. I can’t imagine what I look like. I try to discreetly

  tame my hair, I don’t know why. Habit maybe.

  Ma sits next to me, turning to face me and holds my hand in hers. Her hands are cold and

  pale, they feel dry or maybe it’s my hands that are dry. I look at them entwined. Me and Ma,

  Ma and me.

  “Rayne, there is something you need to know…. lots you need to know. I wouldn’t usually tell you this now when you have already been through so much but it’s the only way this will

  make sense.”

  I know I am frowning, I wait for her to tell me about wrinkles, but she doesn’t.

  She looks into her lap, at our hands together. I feel her tears before I see them, the cold splash bounces off my knuckle. She draws a breath so deep I fear she might explode.

  “Ma you are scaring me” I try to pull at my hand but she’s gripping it so tightly I stop pulling.

  “No need to be scared Rayne, just hear me out please”

  I nod, and she squeezes me tighter.

  On yet another breath she starts to talk

  “I have lied to you for many years Rayne, and even though Trent has told me numerous times that you needed to know the truth, I always prayed I could shield you from it. The decision has now been taken out of my hands, I can no longer keep you in the dark. I know you have been in touch with Mack, I know you have seen him.”

  “Ma, I am a grown woman, I can make my own decisions, I do not need your approval on everything I do. I don’t understand what there is to do with last night?”

  “I know Rayne, and this is not about my approval, it is about your forgiveness. The reason I know about you meeting you father is because Leilani told me, she had to tell me because the secret we have been keeping from you is now in the open. Rayne your father did not go back to Cuba to further his music career, he went to Prison. He was sent to prison for drug trafficking and other crimes.”