That was the fantasy, but the reality couldn’t have been more different, and her heart sank into her sexy boots when, ten minutes after setting off, Jake pulled up outside a mid-terrace house on a scruffy road in the heart of Old Trafford.
‘Why have you brought me here?’ she asked, hoping against hope that he would tell her he was only calling in on a friend before continuing on to the real house.
‘This is it,’ said Jake, taking off his seat belt and climbing out. ‘Come on, I haven’t got long.’
‘Didn’t someone get murdered round here a few weeks back?’ Sally asked, reluctantly following him out.
‘No idea,’ he lied, unlocking the front door and ushering her in.
Sally clutched her handbag to her stomach as Jake unlocked the door to the ground-floor flat and led her inside. It was a lot smaller than she’d been expecting, but the neutral colour scheme made it seem a little roomier. And the carpets and furniture were obviously brand new, which was a definite plus, because she’d been dreading the thought of having to use someone else’s cast-offs.
After showing her around the flat and giving her a quick tour of the rest of the house, Jake led her back down the stairs.
‘So what do you think?’
Sally had already decided that she was going to take it, because anything was better than staying at her parents’ place now she’d set her heart on leaving. But she didn’t want to appear too eager, so she pursed her lips and gazed around as if she wasn’t sure.
‘It’s a bit dark, isn’t it? And it’ll be really creepy living down here on my own with all those empty rooms up there.’
‘Well, you’re the one who insisted you didn’t want to share, so there’s nothing I can do about that,’ Jake reminded her bluntly. ‘Anyway, you won’t be on your own once the baby comes. When’s it due, by the way?’
Delighted that he was taking an interest, Sally smiled and placed a hand on her still-flat stomach. ‘May. But they reckon it can be a couple of weeks either way, so it’s not definite.’
‘Let me know when it’s born so I can get a DNA test lined up,’ said Jake. Then, glancing at his watch, he said, ‘Have you decided yet? Only I need to get moving.’
Irritated that he still thought she was lying about him being the father, Sally folded her arms. ‘I suppose it’ll do – for now. When can I move in?’
‘Whenever you like.’ Jake handed her a set of keys. ‘I’ll pop round sometime next week with the tenancy agreement. And I’ll give you a copy so you can start your claim for housing benefit.’
Sally nodded and slipped the keys into her handbag. Then, giving Jake a sheepish look, she said, ‘I don’t suppose you’d be able to help me bring my things over, would you? My parents aren’t talking to me at the moment, so I can’t ask them. And I can’t afford to hire a van.’
‘Have you spent all that money I gave you already?’ Jake asked. Sighing when she admitted that she had, he said, ‘Okay, I’ll get Ben to do it.’
‘Ben?’ she whined. ‘Why can’t you do it?’
‘Because I don’t want anyone to see us together and jump to conclusions,’ said Jake. ‘Anyway, his car’s an estate, so he’ll get more in.’
Sally had really wanted Jake to help her, because it would have given them more time together. But she supposed this would give her an opportunity to quiz Ben. He knew Jake better than anyone, and it was obvious from the way he’d kept eyeing her tits when they’d been waiting for Jake in his flat that day that he fancied her, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to worm the name of Jake’s mystery girlfriend out of him. And once she knew who she was up against, she’d do whatever it took to eliminate the bitch from Jake’s life.
‘All right, I suppose it’s okay if Ben does it,’ she conceded. ‘Can you ask him to come round in an hour? I’ve already packed most of my stuff, so I should be ready by then.’
‘An hour?’ Jake raised an eyebrow as he ushered her out. ‘That’s a bit short notice, isn’t it?’
‘No point hanging around when you know what you want,’ Sally said, giving him a secretive little smile before walking over to the car.
*
Ben had spent the day working on another of Jake’s flats. It was a particularly dirty job, and he was covered from head to toe in dust by the time he left, so he wasn’t amused when Jake rang him as he was driving home and announced that he’d volunteered him to help Sally move.
Annoyed with himself for never being able to say no to Jake, Ben sighed when he pulled up outside Sally’s house later that evening and saw her waiting for him on the step. He still thought Jake was off his head for letting her move into his house, and he desperately hoped that Leanne never found out about it, because he really liked her and would hate for her to think that he had willingly betrayed her. His mum had always said he was too nice for his own good and that people would take advantage of him if he didn’t put his foot down, and he was starting to think that she might be right.
Sally gave Ben a sweet smile when he climbed out of the car. ‘Thanks so much for doing this.’
‘It’s okay,’ he mumbled, opening the boot. ‘If you want to start bringing your stuff out, I’ll pack it in for you.’
‘Actually, I was going to ask if you wouldn’t mind getting it for me?’ Sally wheedled. ‘The doctor told me not to do any heavy lifting, because the first twelve weeks are the most risky.’
Ben sighed as he watched her cradle her non-existent bump. She was taking the piss, but he was too much of a gentleman to refuse, so he reluctantly followed her into the hallway. Unnerved when he spotted her parents watching from the kitchen table where they were both seated, he asked, ‘Where is it?’
‘In my room.’ Sally pointed up the stairs. ‘Second on the left.’
Ben went up a couple of steps, but hesitated when Sally stayed put. ‘Aren’t you coming?’
‘You don’t need me getting in your way,’ she said, waving him on with a flick of her hand. ‘It’s all packed, so you just have to carry it down.’
A little miffed at being treated like a joey, Ben continued on up to her room, where he was greeted by a heap of bulging bin bags, a massive suitcase, at least thirty handbags, and almost as many shoe boxes. Eager to get this over with as fast as possible, he pushed his irritation to one side and, picking up as many of the bags as he could manage in one go, carefully made his way back down the stairs.
Ron Walker had come out of the kitchen and was standing at the foot of the stairs.
‘I take it you’re the dad?’ he asked.
‘No, I’m, er, helping out,’ Ben replied politely. ‘And I’m actually in a bit of a rush, so if I could just . . .’ He nodded at the front door, indicating that he wanted to get past.
‘You know she only told us she was leaving half an hour ago?’ Ron didn’t budge. ‘And I can’t say I’m too happy about it, to be honest. Our Sally’s not as tough as she makes out, and we’re sick of having to pick up the pieces when blokes let her down. So if you’ve got any doubts, you’d be as well to speak up before this goes any further.’
‘With respect, Mr Walker, this really isn’t my business,’ Ben mumbled guiltily, all too aware that the man thought he was lying about not being the baby’s father. ‘I’m sorry if you’re upset about what’s happening, but you really need to speak to Sally about it, not me.’
‘It’s not easy, letting go of your child,’ Ron went on. ‘Especially when you haven’t got a clue where they’re going.’
Ben saw the question in the other man’s eyes and knew that he was asking for the address. But it wasn’t his place to give out that kind of information, so he said, ‘I’m really sorry, but I’ve arranged to see my mum tonight, and I’m going to be late if I don’t get a move on.’
Ron gazed at him for a few more seconds. Then, sighing, he held out his hand. ‘Give ’em here.’
Ben gratefully passed the bags to him and scuttled back up the stairs for more.
Sally came outside as the men f
inished loading the car. Waiting until Ben had closed the boot and climbed in behind the wheel, Ron pulled her to one side.
‘Are you sure about this, love? It’s not too late to change your mind, you know.’
‘I’m going, and there’s no point trying to talk me out of it,’ Sally said firmly. ‘I know you and Mum think I can’t manage without you, but I’ll be fine.’
‘You said that last time,’ Ron reminded her. ‘And the time before that. But it always ends the same way, and it breaks my heart when you come home in tatters.’
‘This is different. Anyway, I’m a big girl now, and you’ve got to stop mollycoddling me.’
‘And what if me laddo abandons you?’ Ron jerked his head in the direction of the car. ‘You might think he’s better than the others, but how well do you really know him?’
Sally drew her head back and gave a bemused smile. ‘You can’t seriously think that me and him . . . ? Come on, Dad, give me some credit. I’m not that desperate!’
‘Well, if you’d tell us who it is, we wouldn’t have to guess, would we?’ Ron raised a greying eyebrow.
Sally shook her head. ‘Sorry, I can’t. Not yet, anyway,’ she added, partly to get him off her back, and partly because she hoped that when she and Jake were a couple – and they would be, one day, she was determined – she would be able to tell not only them but the rest of the world, too.
‘Have it your own way,’ Ron sighed, sensing that she wasn’t going to budge. ‘But do me a favour and give your mum a ring when you get to wherever you’re going. You know she’ll only fret if she doesn’t hear from you.’
Promising that she would, Sally reached up and kissed him on the cheek before climbing into the car.
Ben glanced in the rear-view mirror as he pulled away from the kerb and felt genuinely sorry for Ron Walker when he saw the plaintive expression on the man’s face. So he wasn’t impressed when Sally immediately started to complain.
‘God, they are so annoying. Anyone would think I was a child, the way they treat me. Why can’t they accept that I’m a grown woman and let me get on with my life without sticking their noses in?’
‘You should think yourself lucky they care,’ Ben chided. ‘Plenty of parents don’t give a toss about their kids. And it sounds like they’ve helped you out a lot in the past.’
Reminding herself that she was supposed to be acting sweet in order to get Ben on her side, Sally murmured, ‘I know, and they’re not that bad really. I’m just a bit stressed out with everything.’ Sighing, she glanced over at her belongings as they drove on. ‘I didn’t realize I had so much stuff. Hope I can get it all in without straining myself.’
‘I’ll take it in for you,’ Ben offered. ‘But I won’t be able to stay long, so you’ll have to do the rest by yourself.’
‘Thank you,’ Sally said gratefully, resting her hands on her stomach. ‘I suppose I’ll have to get used to doing a lot of things on my own from now on, won’t I?’
Ben glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. This was the second time he’d been alone with her, and she didn’t seem anywhere near as hard-faced as people made out. If the circumstances had been different, he might even have cancelled the plans he’d made to take his mum out this evening and stayed to help her put her stuff away. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being disloyal to Leanne, and that didn’t sit comfortably with him.
20
Tina was curled up on the couch, watching TV and trying her hardest to ignore Dylan, who was messing about in the corner. She’d been home for three weeks, and Chrissie had barely spoken two words to her in all that time, so when her sister walked into the room and gave her a dirty look, she braced herself for an argument.
‘Have you seen what he’s doing?’ Chrissie rushed over to Dylan and took away the ashtray he was playing with. ‘He’s eating the bloody dimps.’
‘You’re in my way,’ Tina complained, craning her neck to see the TV when Chrissie scooped Dylan off the floor and stood in front of her.
‘You are one bone-idle little bitch!’ Chrissie hissed, wiping the ash off Dylan’s mouth before depositing him in his playpen. ‘He could have choked, for all you care.’
‘Yeah, yeah, tell someone who’s interested,’ Tina drawled.
Nostrils flaring, Chrissie snatched her keys off the mantelpiece and marched out, slamming the door behind her.
‘Oh, thanks a fucking lot!’ Tina yelled when Dylan immediately started bawling. ‘And you shut the fuck up before I give you something to cry about, you little shit!’
‘Don’t talk to him like that,’ her mum scolded, shuffling into the room and lifting Dylan out of the pen with her good arm.
‘I don’t feel well, and he’s giving me a headache,’ Tina moaned.
‘Don’t blame him. All he wants is a bit of attention, but you’ve hardly spent two minutes with him since you came back.’
‘Don’t start.’
‘You can cut that attitude right now, lady,’ Joan barked, flopping into the armchair and giving Tina a fierce look. ‘I might have had a stroke, but I can still wipe the floor with you, and don’t you forget it!’
Satisfied that her daughter knew who was boss when Tina didn’t reply, Joan turned her attention to Dylan, bouncing him up and down on her knee.
‘I think he’s hungry,’ she said when he carried on griping. ‘What time did he have his tea?’
‘Dunno.’ Tina shrugged. ‘I thought you’d fed him.’
‘I’ve been in bed,’ Joan reminded her, glancing at the clock as she spoke. ‘It’s half seven. Don’t you think you’d better get him something?’
Tina gave an exaggerated sigh and, reluctantly getting up, stomped her way to the kitchen, coming back a few seconds later with a packet of crisps.
‘That’s not food,’ Joan said when Tina tossed them to her. ‘You need to cook him something.’
‘There’s nothing in,’ Tina muttered, falling on to the couch.
‘So go to the chippy.’
‘With what? I’m skint.’
‘For God’s sake, you’re bloody useless, you!’ Joan reached into her cardigan pocket for her purse. Taking out a fiver, she chucked it at Tina. ‘Get him some chips and a little sausage out of that. And you can pick my meds up while you’re out.’ She shuffled to the edge of her seat and reached for the prescription slip that was slotted behind the clock. ‘Our Chrissie was supposed to get it on her way home from work, but she forgot to take it with her this morning.’
‘Chemist’ll be shut by now,’ Tina sniffed, in no mood for running errands.
‘The one on Stretford Road stops open till nine,’ Joan reminded her. ‘And make sure they’ve got everything in before you give them the script, ’cos I need them painkillers tonight. Come on . . . get moving.’
‘What if they haven’t got them?’ Tina asked as she lazily sat up and reached for her shoes.
‘You’ll have to go to the all-night one in town instead. And take him with you.’ Joan nodded down at Dylan.
‘Do I have to?’ Tina pulled a face.
‘Yes, you bloody do,’ Joan snapped. ‘Our Chrissie’s gone to her works’ do, and I’m not up to looking after him by myself. The fresh air’ll do him good. And if you get his chips before you go to the chemist, he might drop off, with any luck. I don’t know what’s up with him since you came back, but our Chrissie had him sleeping right through while you were gone.’
Irritated to have Super Nanny’s achievements thrown in her face again, Tina snatched the child off her mother’s knee and, marching out into the hall, shoved him roughly into the buggy. He’d been annoying the hell out of her since she came home, and her mum repulsed her, limping around like some kind of retard with her useless arm dangling at her side and drool spilling out of the wonky side of her mouth. As for lard-arse Chrissie . . . Their mum was always banging on about what an amazing job she’d done with Dylan in Tina’s absence, but Tina couldn’t see any change. He was still a whiney little shi
t, and Tina couldn’t bear for him to touch her because she never knew where his filthy little hands had been. Twice this week she’d caught him with them down his pants after crapping himself, so Chrissie’s claim that she’d toilet-trained him was a blatant lie.
If she’d had anywhere else to go, Tina would happily have walked away from the lot of them and never looked back. But the squat where she’d been staying the last time she took off had been boarded up after it got raided by the drug squad, so that wasn’t an option; and she’d lost touch with her regular fuck-buddies, none of whom had been answering her calls since she came home. Not even faithful old Eric, who’d have done anything for the merest sniff of her pussy in the past.
At the thought of Eric, she pushed her lips out as she dragged the buggy out over the step and set off down the road. He might be ignoring her calls, but he wouldn’t find it so easy to ignore her if she turned up at his house. No doubt his beached-whale wife would kick off, but Tina wasn’t scared of her. Eric was, though, so he’d be bound to bung Tina a few quid to get rid of her.
Planning to call round there after she’d done her chores, Tina nipped into the newsagent’s to buy ten cigarettes with the money her mum had given her, and a packet of Jelly Tots for Dylan in lieu of the chips she could no longer afford. Shoving the sweets into Dylan’s hand when she came out, she lit up and took a deep drag before setting off for the pharmacy.
The route took her past Leanne’s old house, and when she turned the corner and saw light spilling out through the open front door, she quickened her step, curious to know who was in there. She’d overheard Chrissie telling their mum that Leanne had moved in with her hunky boyfriend and wasn’t planning to come back here, so she guessed it must be a new tenant. Or maybe it was the police? As far as she knew, they still hadn’t caught whoever had murdered that bloke in there, so maybe they’d come back to look for more evidence?
Tina had no sooner drawn level with the door than a woman stepped out, and her hackles rose when the bitch glanced into the buggy before giving her a disapproving look.
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