Beautiful Liar

by Tara Bond

  But even though I looked the part, I still felt nervous as I stepped out of the lift and walked along the corridor. When I’d called Alex to say I wanted to take him up on his offer, I’d expected there to be a practice run. But he’d told me that I’d be auditioning on the job—a baptism of fire, where I’d either sink or swim. The thought made my stomach churn, and as I stood outside the suite, I had to wipe my damp hands on my trousers before I knocked.

  Alex opened the door to me. The hotel suite looked much the same as the one in the Manor Hotel—all understated luxury. None of the players had arrived yet. He’d told me to come early, so I could get acclimatised before the game began.

  He looked me over, and nodded approvingly.

  “Good choice,” he drawled. When I’d asked him what to wear, he’d said he’d leave it up to me, and even offered me cash to buy an outfit. I think he was shocked that I’d managed to come up with something decent on my own. His eyes moved down to where the top button of the shirt struggled to close across my cleavage. “I just hope you don’t distract the players.”

  “I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

  He moved over to the bar. “Drink?”

  “Just water.”

  “That’s right,” he said, pouring me a glass, and adding ice and a slice. “Keep a clear head and you’ll be fine.”

  He handed me the glass and I was embarrassed to see that my hand was shaking. Part of me wanted to ask him questions about the evening—to get reassurance that everything was going to be all right. But before I could find the words, there was a knock at the door. The first player had arrived.

  Over the next twenty minutes, all the guests congregated in the room. Alex gave me a rundown of who they all were as they came in: they included two businessmen, a well-known actor and a government minister. I’d seen Alex talking to a few of them at Destination. I guessed that was where he’d met them. It made more sense now: that was why he spent so much time there—it was his recruiting ground.

  I stood to one side, watching as Alex interacted with them. He was the perfect host—confident and comfortable among all these heavy hitters.

  By ten thirty everyone had arrived, and the game was due to begin.

  As the players took their places at the table, I sat down with them. I looked around at all these important people, and my mind went blank. As the dealer, I was meant to take control, but I’d never felt more out of my depth.

  I felt like a fraud, and part of me wanted to run away. Why had I ever agreed to do this in the first place?

  Because you need the money, a little voice reminded me. Otherwise Sergei will hurt you and go after April.

  With that thought, I picked up the deck of cards, shuffled it, and started to deal.

  Halfway through that first round, though, I managed to accidentally flip a card over, so a few of the players saw a flash of the jack of hearts. It wasn’t the end of the world—it happened a lot—and I did what etiquette dictated and took the card out and placed it faceup in front of the player it should have been dealt to. Then, once all the cards were dealt, I would use it as the first burn card.

  I continued dealing as though nothing had happened. But the incident must have made me jittery, because I managed to flash another card—the five of spades.

  This time, I had to stop. There could only be one flashed card per deal. Now that more than one card had been exposed, the deal was considered a misdeal.

  “S-sorry,” I stuttered, as I collected up the cards. I hated the nervousness in my voice, knowing that it made me seem weak. I wondered what on earth I should do—whether it would be best just to walk out now. I couldn’t see a way to come back from this.

  But just as I was considering whether there was any chance of the floor opening up to swallow me, Alex came over and bent down to whisper in my ear. I was expecting him to tell me to leave, but instead he said, “Just take a deep breath and calm down. You can do this. There’s no reason to be nervous.”

  He squeezed my shoulder before moving off.

  I wasn’t sure what it was—maybe the unexpected kindness—but Alex’s words had a surprisingly calming effect. I closed my eyes for a second, and did as he’d suggested—breathed in deeply, then slowly exhaled.

  My eyes flipped open and I picked up the deck of cards.

  “Right,” I said, with a confidence that surprised even me. “Let’s try this again.”

  After that, the rest of the game went off without a hitch. When we finished five hours later, the players all thanked me as they left.

  “Here you go.” The winner pressed some cash into my hands. After he’d gone, I counted it—a three-hundred-pound tip. I couldn’t believe it. Given the stakes they’d been playing for tonight, it meant nothing to him—but it was everything to me. Along with what Alex was paying me, and my wages from Destination, I’d be able to comfortably pay Sergei the first instalment this week.

  After Alex had seen the players out, he came up to me. “Thanks for tonight. You did a good job.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that.” I felt flushed with exhilaration, my heart pounding fast. “I messed up at the beginning. When I fumbled the cards at first I was just about ready to run out, but then you came over and—”

  “You did good,” he said, cutting off my tirade. “I was impressed.”

  For a moment we stood like that, our eyes locked. I felt suddenly aware of how close he was to me—and confused by how this made me feel. He was everything I was meant to be staying away from, and yet here I was taking comfort from him. My heartbeat speeded up a little, and I wet my dry lips.

  I was wondering what to say next when a slim brunette, who’d been watching the game, approached and draped herself over Alex, ruining the moment. “Come on, sweetie,” she pouted up at him, as though I wasn’t there. “Aren’t you ready to go yet? You know I need my beauty sleep.”

  “Just give me a second to finish off with Nina and we’ll get out of here.”

  She gave a quick, disparaging flick of her eyes in my direction, and then she turned and stalked off, flopping down onto one of the nearby sofas. I watched her pull out a baby-pink phone and start to text someone.

  “Here.” I turned at Alex’s voice, just in time to see him reach into the leather sports bag he had with him and pull out a wad of notes. The moment we had shared—whatever it meant—was now gone, and he was back to business.

  He waited as I quickly counted the notes. One thousand pounds—exactly as he’d promised.

  I looked up. Alex was still standing there.

  “Do you think you’ll need my help again?” He looked amused at my eagerness. I’d gone from swearing I’d never do something like this to wanting to do as much of it as I could. But that was because it would be the quickest way to clear my family’s debt, as well as earn enough money to rent somewhere decent for us all to live.

  “What happened to never doing anything illegal?” His tone was faintly mocking, but I refused to be shamed into backing down.

  “I told you—I need the money.”

  “Yes. You said that.” He studied me closely. “I’m just wondering what for.”

  I looked round the room. I was tempted to tell him, but it just didn’t feel like the right place. Not with that girl waiting for him. “Does it matter?” I said lightly. “Just—do you need me again?”

  “How does next Sunday suit you?”

  Relief coursed through me. If he kept using me for the games each week, I’d be able to maintain the payments to Sergei. “That would be great.”

  “Alex?” the leggy brunette called impatiently from the other side of the room. “You ready to go?”

  He frowned, clearly irritated. “Give me a minute.”

  “Don’t hang around on my account,” I said lightly. “Although whatever will Tori say about your new friend?”

  “She won’t say anything. Tori knows the score. She knows I’m not a one-woman man. In fact, say the word and I’m happy to ditch her.” He inc
lined his head towards the brunette.

  “I told you before, I’m not sleeping with you.”

  “I know. I’m just saying—I’m happy to ditch her if you want me to drive you home.”

  For once, he looked serious, and I wasn’t sure how to react. I attempted to look disdainful. “As flattering as your offer is, I’m not planning to get into a car with someone who’s been drinking or doing drugs.”

  “Who says I have?”

  “Well . . . I’ve seen you.”

  He frowned, looking genuinely confused. “What? Tonight?”

  Now that he said it, I realised I hadn’t. “I suppose I just assumed . . .”

  “So just because I’ve been known to have a drink or indulge in some recreational pharmaceuticals, you assume I’m out driving around drunk or coked out of my brain? That’s quite a leap.”

  I realised he was right. I swallowed hard, and tried to bring things back to the original question. “Still . . . I’d rather get a cab.”

  “Fair enough. Suit yourself. But just for the record, I haven’t had so much as a sip of low-alcohol beer tonight. Just because I don’t play by the rules like Giles doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”

  He turned away without another word, and I watched him walk over to the brunette, who I was sure I recognised from the front cover of one of that month’s magazines. I couldn’t hear their exchange, but he offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet. They laced arms and walked towards the exit.

  As the door slammed closed, the noise echoed around the empty room. I realised then that I was the last one there, alone in the vast room. I suddenly felt a huge sense of anticlimax. I’d enjoyed the night more than I wanted to let on, even to myself. Even though I hated to admit it, it felt good for once to do something wild and dangerous.

  I pushed the thought away, and tucked my money into the inside pocket of my jacket and headed out into the cold, bright day. Sergei’s enforcers were due round to collect the first instalment of his money, and I had no desire to make them wait.

  Chapter 11

  “Nice work the other night,” Alex said. It was the following Friday evening, and he’d cornered me just as I was dropping some glasses at the bar. I hadn’t seen him at the club so far that week, but he’d turned up tonight about an hour earlier. “Are you still up for Sunday?”

  I felt adrenaline course through me—fear mixed with excitement at the prospect. “Sure.” I tried to sound casual, but secretly I was pleased to hear that the game was still on. I’d paid Sergei the first instalment, but another was due on Monday.

  Something must have caught Alex’s eye, because his gaze shifted upwards. He looked amused as he said, “I think we have an audience.”

  I looked over and saw Jas watching us. I could see the quizzical look on her face, and knew she was wondering why I was talking to Alex again. Great. The last thing I needed was her jumping to conclusions and assuming I’d become one of the gold-diggers who fawned all over the wealthy clientele.

  “I’d better go.”

  “Why the rush?” Alex was standing in front of me, and I had my back pressed against the wall, so the only way I could get out was for him to move aside to let me. But instead of backing away, Alex took a step closer, his eyes glinting with mischief. Before I could stop him, he reached out and took a strand of hair that had fallen across my face and smoothed it behind my ear, his hand trailing down my cheek and coming to rest on my shoulder in a deliberately intimate gesture. “Worried your friend will disapprove of you fraternising with me?”

  His hand was still on my shoulder, and he began to gently massage my collarbone. I knew he was trying to cause trouble—and trying to get a rise out of me—so I made sure to return his gaze levelly, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing a reaction. “I’m just surprised you’re trying to draw attention to the fact we’re hanging out together. I thought we’d agreed no one was meant to know about this?”

  “Hmm.” He cocked his head to one side, studying me, and for a moment I wondered if he was going to make a scene. But then he held up his hands in mock surrender. “You’re right. As always.” He looked over again at Jas. “I’ll leave you to explain our little tête-à-tête, and text you the details about Sunday later.”

  I walked over to where Jas was standing.

  “You two seemed very cosy,” she said. “What was that all about?”

  “Nothing.” My eyes flicked over to where Alex was walking across the floor to his usual group. Two girls—blondes, of course—made room for him on the sofa. As he dropped down between them, I watched his arms snake round their shoulders. It gave me an idea. “He was just trying it on with me.”

  Jas groaned. “You and every other girl in the room. I hope you told him where to go.”

  I forced a smile. “That’s exactly what I did.”

  “It’s like that scumbag Hugh,” she muttered darkly. “He’s here tonight, giving me puppy-dog eyes. Like I’m just supposed to forget him blanking me last week.”

  I followed her gaze, and saw that Hugh was sitting across the room, staring back at her. He gave her a hopeful little smile and a wave, but she just huffed and turned away. I couldn’t help feeling proud of her for not caving in.

  Then, just before three, I stood by the bar, taking a quick break. It was coming up to closing, which was always a slower time for us. Pretty much everyone was on the dance floor, so there was no point trying to collect glasses until the clubbers had begun to filter out.

  I glanced around the room, and caught sight of Jas standing over to one side in the corridor leading to the powder room. Hugh was there, too. She stood with her back against the wall, arms folded, while he was in front of her holding her hand and, from the anguished look on his face, clearly apologising. She looked stony-faced, like she was refusing to accept what he said, and I felt proud of her.

  Then, a moment later, Hugh dipped down onto his knees, clasping his hand over his heart in a theatrical gesture as he spoke. I watched as Jas’s mouth twitched. She was clearly trying not to give in to him, but a second later she lost her battle and started to laugh. I rolled my eyes as she gestured for him to get up off the floor.

  Jas obviously felt my gaze, because she glanced over in my direction. The disapproval on my face must have been clear, because she said something quickly to Hugh and then hurried over to me.

  I probably shouldn’t have said a word, but after so many years of seeing my mum make a fool of herself over a worthless man, I couldn’t hold back.

  “What the hell, Jas?”

  “Oh, don’t be cross. It wasn’t how it looked.”

  “Oh?” I crossed my arms, waiting for the explanation.

  “Honest. Hugh explained everything. He was with these clients he was trying to impress, and they can kind of be chauvinist pigs. He didn’t want to introduce me because they wouldn’t understand me working here, and he thought they’d take liberties.” She chewed at her lip, her voice growing smaller under my gaze. “He was just protecting me, really.”

  “I see.” I didn’t bother to keep the scepticism out of my voice.

  “Oh, babes, I know you don’t buy it. But he’s a good one, I know it. He said he’s sorry, and I believe him.”

  “And what—you’re just happy to give him a second chance? How can you trust him after what he did? What if he hurts you again?”

  She thought about it for a moment, and then shrugged. “Then I guess I’ll cry about it and move on. But I’d rather risk getting hurt than pass up the chance to be with someone I really like because I’m scared.”

  Her reasoning drew me up short. I’d assumed she was just being naïve, but it seemed like she’d given it a lot of thought. Still, it didn’t mean she was doing the right thing.

  “It’s up to you, Jas. But just be careful of him, that’s all.”

  “Don’t worry, babes.” She patted my cheek. “I can look after myself.”

  I watched as she ran over to him, her face lighting up as they sp
oke. But however happy she looked, I couldn’t help feeling that she was making a huge mistake.

  * * *

  Over the next couple of weeks, my life settled into a routine. I saw April on Tuesday evenings; got an update from my mother’s rehab counsellor every Friday; and worked at Destination Wednesday through Saturday. And then on Sundays, I acted as dealer at Alex’s poker nights.

  The second game ran much the same as the first one. There was another the following week, and that went smoothly, too. I got paid a thousand pounds for each, plus healthy tips. After the third game, I’d already paid off four and a half thousand of the twelve thousand owed to Sergei. The money was so good that it began to make me forget all about the risk.

  But the night of the fourth game, just before we started, the door of the Empire Suite opened, and Giles appeared. At first I thought he’d been invited—but then I saw how unhappy he looked.

  Alex was in one corner, briefing the bouncers. When he spotted Giles, he stopped and held out his arms in a theatrical welcome. “Brother! I don’t remember inviting you.”

  But Giles didn’t seem in the mood to be charmed. “Jesus, Alex. I can’t believe you’re up to your old tricks.” He gave a pointed glance around the room. “Using our hotel suites for your illegal poker games?” He ran a hand through his short sandy hair. “You know if you’re caught you’ll go to jail and the hotel could get closed down. Or is that what you’re hoping for?” I stood up from the couch where I’d been sitting, feeling like I needed to make my presence felt. Giles’s eyes widened when he saw me. “And you’ve dragged Nina into this, too?” He shook his head, as though my involvement upset him most. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

  “Nina’s perfectly fine.” Alex looked unperturbed. “You worry too much. We’re not going to get caught. As long as you’re not going to blab, that is.”

  The last part was said almost as a question, and Giles shook his head. “You know I’m not about to do that.”