Rotten to the Core

by Casey Kelleher

  Paul had been very impressed. Kate was a breath of fresh air; he was surprised at how she had thrown herself into the job. It wasn’t a glamorous high-profile career, but that was how she was treating it, she was putting in one hundred and ten percent. He liked that about her. She was a diamond. He found that he enjoyed being in her company, too.

  They had sat in the office together several times over the week. He could have been doing other things but found himself drawn to her. Kate often sat on the floor sorting through piles of paperwork, and chatting away about anything and everything, while he sat at his desk, not really doing much, looking up stuff on the Internet, just so he could be around her.

  Paul had been shocked when Kate had said that her boyfriend was an ex-employee of his, he hadn’t realised initially that she was Jay Shaw’s girlfriend. Kate was obviously kept in the dark about her boyfriend’s dealings, she seemed to have no idea that there was any bad feeling between Jay and Paul, in fact she had even said that Jay had no choice but to give up working at Goldie’s, as he was so busy with his own business.

  Paul decided that it was best to keep quiet; he couldn’t get his head around how someone as beautiful and intelligent as Kate could have ended up with a lowlife scumbag like Jay. Kate must be really naive, he thought: but then he too had been taken in by the bloke. He realised that someone as decent and trusting as Kate would have no reason not to believe every line she had been spun by Jay. Paul was also impressed that she hadn’t tried to use her brother’s name to get herself a job; most girls that had a relative with as much clout as Billy would have done, but then Kate wasn’t “most girls”. He could see that she was determined to make her own way and she certainly was doing that.

  Paul liked Kate, she was a nice girl; he could see half the reason that she threw herself so passionately into her work was so that she didn’t have to think about losing the baby. He felt pleased that Kate had confided in him about that, she had done so well holding herself together and he had offered her whatever support she needed. At first, he thought maybe she could have done with a bit more time off, but soon realised she needed a distraction and the club was ideal for that.

  Kate was just leaving for the day when she overheard Paul on the phone to Suzy, who seemed to be saying that she wasn’t coming in to work again tonight. She could tell Paul was stressed about it, as he was tapping his foot impatiently on the floor as he sat on the edge of his desk.

  “Problem?” Kate asked when Paul had put down the phone.

  “Suzy isn’t coming in again tonight; that’s the second time this week.” He sighed. “I think you’ve put her nose out of joint a bit.”

  Kate felt awful, the last thing that she had wanted to do was to come on board and tread on someone else’s toes.

  “Don’t worry,” Paul reassured her, as if he could read her thoughts. “If she had been doing such a great job, I wouldn’t have needed you, would I? I thought she had the place running great, but you have done more in one week than she has for months.”

  Paul hoped Kate felt better at his words, and as he said them he knew that they were true. Suzy had seemed to have done a good job up until now, but thinking about it the place was so much more organised thanks to Kate. She had only just started but she had made a real impact already.

  Kate hadn’t really taken to Suzy; she had been the only person in the club who hadn’t made her feel welcome. In fact, Kate thought that Suzy had gone out of her way to make her feel very unwelcome, with her glaring, steely looks and her harsh tones, which left Kate feeling like a silly child.

  “Only problem is, there’s going to be no-one to run the bar in the gentlemen’s lounge upstairs tonight, I’ll have to close it and stay down here, the guys can’t be down here on their own, it will be too busy.” Paul rubbed his forehead, as he tried to work out the best plan of action.

  Kate didn’t need to think twice before she spoke, she loved being at the club, there was a real buzz about the place and she enjoyed working there.

  “Well, why don’t I stay?” She knew she would only be going home to an empty bed until Jay crept in, in the middle of the night, and she thought of the extra cash too, which would come in handy. “I can help you out down here, and you can run upstairs as normal.” She smiled at him eagerly.

  After a bit more persuasion from Kate, Paul agreed. He hadn’t wanted to take advantage of her good nature, but he could see that she was happy to help out so he showed her the ropes. The bar staff were friendly, showing her where everything was, how to use the till, and the general running of the bar. It was funny, Kate thought, as she poured the pints and lined up the shots later that evening, she had spent hardly any time with Jay this week, and she was starting not to mind so much. In the past, she had been on his case, especially when she had been pregnant; she had wanted him to give her more affection, a little bit of his time, but he had seemed disinterested. Even after she had lost the baby, she could see that he wasn’t that bothered about her or the loss of their child. Losing their baby had affected her more than him. She had thought at first that helping to sort out the rift between Jay and her brother might change things, but still they weren’t quite right; in fact, during the short amount of time she had spent with Jay that week, he had seemed irritated. Oh well, she thought to herself, at least she could keep busy with this little job.

  Kate smiled to herself as she passed some shot glasses to the two pretty girls she was serving, she was really enjoying the hustle and bustle, the club had a good vibe, and it was proving the place to be. You could hardly see the dance floor for people dancing, and the bar was so busy she doubted she would even get a two-minute break, not that she minded.

  Paul had been upstairs for most of the night and the place had again been packed, there had been no trouble up there, but then there rarely was, as the guys in the gentlemen’s lounge always seemed quite happy with everything that was provided for them. The new girls were grinding to the rhythm of the music and were having lots of admiring glances; it always surprised Paul how fickle men could be, flash a bit of tit and arse and the loving wife or girlfriend waiting at home was forgotten in an instant.

  Sure, Paul could appreciate beauty when he saw one, but he wouldn’t go as far as leering or pestering. He felt very old-fashioned in that respect: if you have a nice bird, look after her was his maxim; he had been brought up to believe that you don’t truly love someone unless you have that respect for them. He was a rare breed, he knew, most men in here had and would pay for a blowy behind their women’s back in a heartbeat.

  It was getting late. Paul, in a rare quiet moment, nipped downstairs to see how Kate was getting on. He peeped through the swing doors, not wanting her to see him and think that he was checking up on her; it wasn’t that he didn’t think she could cope: he just wanted to make sure that she was okay.

  He could see her laughing and joking with the other bar staff and going from customer to customer serving drinks, smiling and chatting away. She was seemingly unaware of the admiring glances she was getting from the men around her. Paul could see the looks that she was getting and he was surprised when he realised that he was feeling jealous. Kate was having a very strange effect over him; he had decided a long time ago that women were best left alone. At least in a long-term relationship sense, he had plenty of offers from young gorgeous girls, but he could see them for what they were and what they were after, which didn’t interest him. Sure, he had a few flings, he was human, but beyond that there was no real interest. He had been hurt before, and could just about admit even to himself that it had cut him really deep. That was years ago now, though, and despite the heartache he had felt at the time, he had got something special out of that relationship, something that was worth every second of the heartache that he had endured.

  He wouldn’t be making the same mistake again. He was a bit old-school like that, call it old-fashioned. He wanted more than a fling; he was waiting for someone with something special about. Shaking his head, as he wen
t back upstairs to the bar, he wondered if he was going soft in his old age, as Kate had really got under his skin. Pushing the double doors open, he tried to put her out of his head: no doubt, he would have a long queue of thirsty customers waiting for him.

  25

  Jay had a thumping headache; it was probably from the stress of running around making drops for fucking Billy-boy all week. He had been given an “in”, or at least that’s how Billy had made it seem. Jay wasn’t happy though: he was talked down to and he had to swallow his pride and just get on with everything he was told to do. Being treated like a dog’s body was wearing thin.

  He knew that Billy still hated him, but he also knew that Billy was trying to do his upmost to please his sister; Jay had been given the job for Kate’s benefit only. Jay knew that he had not been accepted by Billy, or Billy’s cronies, he was barely tolerated by them. He could see that by the way they looked at him, like they all had no ounce of respect for him. Billy made sure that Jay was kept busy running around doing jobs like an errand boy, and it was starting to grate. He had a few ideas of his own as to how to change that, though.

  Jay pulled up outside a block of flats; he had just dropped off a package for Billy round the corner, about the fiftieth package this week and while he was in the area, he figured that he may as well make a bit of wedge for himself on the side. Stepping out of his beamer, he locked the doors and did a quick scan of the road. If there were any little hoodies hanging around he would make sure that they wouldn’t dream of touching his car, but it was a quiet day. The car was alarmed up to the bollocks anyhow so he thought it would be fine.

  One of the guys on the top floor of the flats, Robbie Challis, had created a mini-Kew Gardens: except the only bit of greenery on display was of the ganja variety. Jay knew that he would be able to shift a bit of his own gear through him; Challis knew most of the junkies in the area. Before, he had been reluctant to do any sort of business with Jay; he didn’t like the idea of the pills and the harder stuff, he just liked to deal in weed and on several occasions it had got a bit heated when Jay had tried to muscle in on his little money making machine. Jay had tried to persuade Challis, and had cut him a good deal, but he had proved to be a stubborn one; Jay had finally offered a deal so good that he thought even Challis couldn’t refuse, but the fucking cheek of him: he did refuse it. It was like he was making a point, the fucking mug. What sort of bloke doesn’t want to make a few quid, huh? Oh well, today would be different: today Jay wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Word had got around that Jay was working for Billy, and Jay was going to use that to his advantage. He wouldn’t be offering any sort of deal today; Challis has been given a chance and he had blown it. Today he would be told. Jay wanted some serious money, and this little fucker would help him to make it.

  No one need know that Jay and Billy’s relationship wasn’t as cosy as Jay pretended. Because he worked for Billy, no-one in their right mind would fuck with him.

  An hour later, Jay opened the door of his car a grand richer and a lot happier. He had his blade in his pocket, and was pleased on this occasion he hadn’t needed to use it. In fact, he had seen by Challis’s face when he had opened his door that he wasn’t going to have any problem getting him on side, fear and defeat had been written all over the other man’s face.

  This was going to be a lot easier than Jay had thought: as far as Challis was concerned, if he didn’t shift a couple of grand’s worth of gear each week, Jay would be back, this time with Billy and some of the other boys. Jay liked the power Billy’s name had given him; he guessed that there were a few more little arrangements with people he could set up. Before long he would be sitting around, living the high life; everyone around him would be busting their arses to make money for him. Starting the engine, Jay smiled; he was chuffed, this was going to be too easy.

  Jay thought that a little surprise visit would be right up Tanya’s street, would relieve the boredom she must feel just sitting at home looking pretty. He liked Tanya, she was a stunner, a bit feisty, she wouldn’t take any shit, but there was something a little unhinged about her, and he couldn’t wait to see what she was like in the sack; he imagined that she could be a very dirty girl. He expected that she would be pleased to see him, as the other night she had made it clear that she was up for it, and shagging Billy’s missus would be a giant notch on his bed post.

  26

  Kate stretched out her long legs in the bed; reaching for the alarm clock, she was amazed to see that it had gone ten, not only because she never slept in this late, but because she was surprised that Jay was actually out of bed before her. Normally on a Sunday, she would have to creep out of the bedroom once awake, trying not to disturb him, as he would only be angry with her for waking him, especially as most nights he wasn’t back until gone three or four in the morning.

  She heard the water in the shower running and the sound of his whistling filling the hallway. He sounded like he was in a good mood, which pleased Kate; maybe today they could spend time together. She had hardly seen him over the past few weeks, between Jay working with her brother and her new job at Goldie’s it was almost like they were living separate lives.

  Kate knew that things were strained between her and Jay, but she was convinced that if they just spent some time together and talked, they could be okay. Jay sounded like he was in a good mood, and Kate decided to keep it that way. Throwing off the bedcovers, she stood and wrapped her dressing gown around her and put on her slippers; then, she went to the kitchen to make him a fry-up.

  Jay scrubbed himself clean under the hot shower; good mood was an understatement, he was flying. Yesterday, with Tanya, had been unbelievable. He had got up early to see her and was hoping that if he planned things right today, he might be in for round two. Tanya had been insatiable, X-rated, he guessed it was true what they said about those bored and ignored housewife types; he smiled to himself; they went all out to please. When he had arrived at her flat, they hadn’t even bothered to talk: they didn’t need to, they had both known what he was there for, and it wasn’t a cup of PG Tips. Tanya had known that Billy wouldn’t be home until late, as always, and that at some point Jay would be paying her a little visit, she knew he wouldn’t have been able to resist the play she had made for him on the night of the meal. Tanya wasn’t quite sure why she had done it, if she was honest with herself he wasn’t her usual type, but she was drawn to the danger of him; it excited her, and she needed that excitement.

  The sex had been amazing: hard and rough and most of all vengeful for both of them. She had half-hoped that Billy would come home early and catch them at it, and that thought had turned her on even more. They hadn’t even made it up the stairs; Tanya had made him take her in the lounge. It had been as quick as it was intense and Tanya had been left wanting more. She knew that she would be seeing Jay again and that pleased her. She was sick of waiting for Billy to notice her; she wanted some fun, and Jay could give it to her.

  Jay knew that he sometimes got infatuated with his conquests; he lived for the chase: the games and, of course, the sex. The hardest case that he had ever cracked was Kate, but he could admit to himself now that she bored him. She was just Little Miss Average in the grand scheme of things, she was always blabbering on about useless gossip that he couldn’t give a shit about, and lately she didn’t stop talking about her poxy job at the club. Jay had less and less time for her and no interest in her in bed. It was only the fact that he was still using Billy’s name as a tool to help him move up the ladder, so to speak, that he hadn’t told her he wanted out of the relationship. For now, he would keep the feeling to himself, he was playing a waiting game.

  Following the smell of bacon into the kitchen, he found Kate cooking a mountain of food for him, and she had a nice hot cup of tea waiting.

  “Cheers, babe.” He smiled at her, sitting at the table and noting that she did have some uses: he loved a fry up and loved being waited on hand and foot even more. Jay had always prided himself on his acting
skills; he had had to blag his way out of so many situations in the past that he was sure he could handle keeping Kate sweet for a bit longer, just to give him more time to get a real in with Billy. It pained him to even think it, but Billy had it sorted, he was running a very smooth and very profitable operation and had a great front, with the backup he needed and the right contacts.

  Jay knew it would only be a matter of time until he got something out of it: whether it was given to him, or he had to take it, he was going to get something out of Billy, no matter what. He was kept in the dark about the ins and outs of the business, but he would bide his time.

  Placing a plate in front of Jay, Kate smiled.

  “This is nice, isn’t it, babes? We hardly ever get to sit and have breakfast together.” She was curious as to why Jay was up early, and why he seemed to be so happy, but she knew better than to quiz him: a bit of gentle prodding should do the trick.

  “Yeah, well, I’ve got lots to do today, you know, thought I’d make an early start.” He saw the smile fade on her face, as she realised that he would be off out shortly, and yet again they wouldn’t be spending time together. Changing the subject, before Kate could start whining on about living separate lives, he quickly asked, “So, how was last night, was the club busy?”

  He only half-listened to her answer, whilst chomping on his food, then his ears pricked up at the sound of Paul Goldie’s name. When he was mentioned, Jay noticed that Kate spoke fondly of him; knowing that Kate was not the type to do the dirty on him should have made him feel a bit better but it niggled at Jay that maybe Paul would try to muscle in on her just to piss him off. Kate babbled on and on, loving that Jay was asking about her job, oblivious to his staring.