by Edie Baylis
Picking at a chewed fingernail, she scraped at the chipped pink polish. She’d expected him to believe her, convinced he’d been fucked up enough from Ned’s stuff to ensure he’d have had no memory whatsoever. But then, maybe he’d been bluffing? He could have just pretended he knew nothing had happened. Besides, if she’d had a bit longer to work her magic before he’d told her to get lost, she was sure she’d have successfully slept with him anyhow.
Debbie’s cheeks burned with angry humiliation as she recalled that night. She’d seen the revulsion in Seth’s eyes when he’d realised she’d been kissing him, but when he’d put his hand on her face, his lips an inch from hers, she’d been so sure he was going to kiss her. God, how she’d wanted him.
She’d nearly passed out with the anticipation of him pressing that mouth of his onto hers and then pulling her onto the bed. Slowly peeling her clothes off and making love to her whilst whispering how much he loved her.
Instead, he’d crushed her face in his hand and launched her over the bed onto the floor. He’d completely broken her fucking heart.
She’d initially tried to convince herself Seth hadn’t meant what he’d said or done, but slowly and painfully the truth had dawned. All that time she’d allowed herself to believe he wanted her, when he hadn’t. Ever.
Debbie squirmed, feeling desire begin to throb and angrily realised that even after everything, she still wanted him desperately. Tears welled up in her eyes and she fished a damp tissue out of her pocket.
She’d locked herself away for two weeks, refusing to go anywhere at all. She’d even lost her job now and even though she was broke, she couldn’t face looking for another one. What was she supposed to do? Go and work in the factory and see that cow every day?
She hadn’t even told Tracy about her abject and total downfall. She’d explained the bruise on her face was where she’d fallen into the door, which was partly true. Gradually, the embarrassment had turned to anger which festered like a sore at the base of every fibre in her body. This was all Psycho-Bitch’s fault.
Debbie had known Jane since she’d arrived on the scene like a whirlwind five years before. Well, not known her, but seen her about and knew enough to know she’d got a screw loose. Oh yes, she knew all about Jane. Knew about all the stunts she’d pulled, even if no one else did. Well actually, everyone did know, it was just that no one would dare say anything in case the freak kicked off. Well, she wasn’t scared of Plastic-Fucking-Fantastic, even if everyone else was.
The little tart had worked her way through all the guys in Mark’s gang. First of all, Chas, then after she’d binned him off for that junkie Jenky, she’d moved onto Lewis who she’d turned into more of a drunk than he’d been in the first place. Richie had been next and then Mark, then Paul. She’d then gone back to Mark for the second time before disappearing on him one night. The next thing anyone knew she was shacked up with Seth. Debbie grimaced. They’d probably all been at it at the same time.
Then there was that night Jane had bust someone’s jaw in a shop doorway. What had that been all about? Even one of Jane’s own mates had found out the hard way by doing something the nutter hadn’t liked. She hadn’t just given her a slap either, she’d repeatedly slammed her head against the corner of the Tampax machine in the toilets. The psycho wouldn’t stop, even when the poor cow was on the floor, bleeding and twitching. She’d just dragged the girl back up by her hair and head-butted her again and again. She’d only stopped when both the bouncers dragged her off and that was her own mate!
Debbie seethed. Jane with her high bloody morals. Yeah right! Everyone knew she was into all that blood-letting pagan shit and orgies with whips and chains, the dirty fucking tramp. Furthermore, she’d done Paul over. Even the police knew this, but he was so bloody deluded he hadn’t pressed charges. The poor guy had done nothing to deserve it - apart from love Jane desperately.
Debbie felt the anger building further and her head felt like it was going to implode with rage. She’d even fancied Paul at one stage herself, but he wasn’t interested in her was he? Oh no, because he was far too busy with that cow. Now the poor bastard had gone stark raving mad, thinking he was a rock star or something. It was a crying shame.
Jane needed to be locked up, not revered.
When Debbie had the brainwave of telling Seth she was having his baby, it was all supposed to fall nicely into place. He was a decent bloke and even though he wouldn’t remember the act, he’d have insisted on standing by her. He’d dump Psycho-Bitch and promise to look after her and the baby. He’d have been good like that, she just knew it.
Alright, so there was no baby. Not unless there’d been an immaculate conception, but that could have been easily rectified. It was only a matter of weeks since the party and once Debbie had got him, it wouldn’t have taken him long to bed her. He was a man after all. Soon she’d have been pregnant for real and then it would have been plain sailing. It was easy to pass a couple of weeks’ difference in the dates by having an overdue baby wasn’t it?
Except her plan hadn’t worked.
She glowered at a buttercup on the grass beneath her feet, wanting to grind its pretty little head into the ground.
Somehow Seth knew he hadn’t slept with her, but she’d thought if she’d repeated herself enough it would have put the doubts into his mind. Unfortunately he’d stood his ground, confident he’d had no part in it.
Debbie decided she would kill Ned. He’d ensured her that stuff was the real deal and promised it would do the trick because it was strong enough to knock an elephant out.
She didn’t know what was worse. That Seth now completely blanked her or that he was still loved up with Psycho-Bitch?
Scowling, she wrung her pudgy hands together. Maybe she should go and see her brother. He’d have an idea of what to do. The trouble was she hadn’t seen Ian for ages as he was too busy with that awful Maggie woman. Obsessed with her he was. Plus she was one of Jane’s friends. Why did that psycho have to be connected to everything?
At least Ian was so hell-bent on keeping Maggie to himself it meant the stupid tart never got to see Jane anymore or have any form of life. At least there was no chance of bumping into the slag when she went round Ian’s.
Wait a minute.... A small smile twitched at the corners of Debbie’s lips. All may not be lost. It was only Seth’s word against hers. There’d been plenty of people at the party that night who had seen him go upstairs and then seen her go upstairs, but had anyone actually noticed her come down? She didn’t think so, sure everyone had passed out by that point.
Anger surged again and Debbie picked frantically at the chewed fingernail. It was time to implement the backup plan. She wasn’t prepared to take this crap anymore. She’d serve revenge on Jane big time and would enjoy it more than she’d enjoyed anything for ages. That bitch had a weak spot and she knew exactly what it was. For all Jane tried to hide it, she was as much in love with Seth as he was with her.
The way they looked at each other made her fucking choke. A manic coked-up version of Romeo and bloody Juliet. Not for long though... Not for fucking long....
A smile spread over Debbie’s tear-stained face. She would ensure she ruined it. Jane’s feelings for Seth would be her undoing and when it was all over, she’d get the Psycho-Bitch locked up where she belonged.
Starting with Tracy and her Aunt Barb, she’d very convincingly play the ‘betrayed woman act.’ She would of course beg them not to say anything to anyone. Wasn’t she humiliated enough as it was by Seth rejecting her after he’d had his way?
Obviously neither of them would be able to keep their big gobs shut, therefore it wouldn’t take long for word to get around and then the sparks would fly; Psycho-Bitch would bin Seth off for sure and that alone would be victory.
Once everything had been achieved, she’d suffer the most devastating ‘miscarriage’ caused by all the stress. That’s if she needed to. She might be pregnant for real by that point anyway.
Debbie rubbed
her fat hands together, very pleased she’d finally come up with a solution to rectify the situation. Finishing her coke, she smiled. It was time to go to the pub.
AT THE DOOR OF THE King’s Head a group of people tried to persuade Digger to let them in for the lock-in, but stood to one side when Seth and the others approached.
Jane smiled as Digger nodded them through and she continued down to the toilets. Pushing the door open, she ignored the looks from a small group of women standing talking as Eliza stumbled in and stood swaying next to her, trying to focus on her reflection. She hid a smile as the women attempted to slide past unnoticed.
The relief that it was finally Friday was overwhelming. She’d had a terrible week and although it was never brilliant at the factory, this week had been total pants. She’d got two warnings for being late and on one of those days she hadn’t managed the minimum output either. She’d then been called into the office to explain herself, but what was she supposed to say? ‘Sorry I haven’t been able to hit full production today. I’m totally fucked up. I’ve been up all night sniffing powder so I’m knackered and feel like shit...’
Maybe not, so she’d stood there and taken the bollocking. Plus Barbara had been getting on her tits, giving her constant death stares. It was probably the old cow who had grassed her up for being late because no one usually noticed.
Jane sighed. It had been a heavy night at the Barrels earlier and Seth had been working the bar. Although it was handy for keeping her in a free supply of drinks, she was glad he was off duty now.
Putting on a bit more lipstick and then entering the bar, she necked the drink he’d placed on the table for her. She eyed two white pills sitting next to her glass and quickly popped them in her mouth, smiling as Eliza invaded Lee’s mouth much to the cheers of the others.
Walking over from where he’d stood at the bar, Seth tilted Jane’s head up towards him. “Fancy staying at Digger’s tonight? Screw in a bed with legs?”
“Yeah, why not,” Jane grinned, teasingly brushing her hand over his crotch.
“Or, we can just go downstairs?” Seth kissed her, crushing her into the bench seat.
Jane was sorely tempted to rip Seth’s clothes off there and then, but knew a change of scenery would be good. “Come on, we’ll have a few more here, and then call a cab shall we?” She was too wasted to drive tonight, especially when the place was crawling with cops.
Digger handed a bunch of keys over while Seth necked the new pint he’d brought from the bar. “I’m going to have a quick sit-down in the next card game, mate. Here’s the keys. I’ll be back later.”
Necking her drink, Jane sat up in the seat, the coke she’d blagged from Lee giving her the boost she needed. “Let’s go outside and wait for the cab. I need some fresh air.”
PAUL STOOD IN THE SHOP doorway and cupped his hand around his lighter as he lit a cigarette. From his position, he’d got a good view of Jane dancing with a man on the pavement opposite outside the King’s Head. Hey, wait a minute. That didn’t look like Seth...
His heart lurched in the hope that Jane had seen sense until he spotted the gorilla leaning against the window of the shop behind, watching her intently.
Angrily swiping his hair from his face, Paul sighed and glanced in the other direction. Squinting, he tried to focus, half-recognising the woman in the doorway a bit further down, who was also fixated on the group dancing opposite.
Seth had been quite relaxed until he saw Jane hit the deck and launched forward like a bullet. “What the fuck have you done to her?” he screamed, dragging the man standing over her around by the scruff of the neck.
“Nothing, mate. It was an accident. I just....”
Receiving a swift blow to the head, the man fell heavily to the pavement.
“SETH!” Jane snapped. “It was an accident! We were just dancing and I fell!”
Panting with pent up aggression, Seth stared at the man on the floor and glanced towards Jane, wondering whether to give the guy another smack.
Jane sighed. Wasn’t anyone going to help her off the floor for fuck’s sake? “Just leave it will you, Seth?” she screamed as the cab pulled up. Getting off the floor, she beckoned Lee and Eliza over.
With a final glare at the man on the floor, Seth followed Jane into the taxi.
FIVE
SETH GRADUALLY OPENED his eyes with some difficulty. Where was he? The green curtains weren’t theirs and the wallpaper definitely wasn’t. He squinted his eyes against the sun shining through the open curtains and wiped his hand across his forehead, feeling like death.
Deciding he should look on the carpet to see if there was anyone lying on it, he turned and peered over the side of the bed, but the excruciating pain ramming through his brain put paid to that idea.
Gingerly rubbing at his temples, he grabbed a bottle from the bedside table and swilled the beer around his mouth to try and get rid of the foul taste. Ah yes, this was Digger’s place wasn’t it?
Seth turned over and focused on Jane curled up with her back to him, naked apart from the little skirt she was still wearing. He groaned inwardly seeing the rip. He hadn’t been able to work out how to unzip it last night, so he’d torn it. Furthermore, they’d been so drunk they’d accidentally burnt fag holes in the sofa, and knocked curry face-down on the cream carpet.
Seth grinned shamefacedly. Digger was going to kill them.
Tracing his finger down Jane’s back, Seth wished she’d wake up and do something with his hard-on. Impatiently he began kissing her neck and she awoke as he pushed into her. “Morning baby,” he murmured as she moaned softly, his hand teasing her nipples into hard aching points.
Hearing Jane’s breathing quickening whilst she clutched at the cotton sheets, bunching the crisp material in her hands, Seth lengthened his thrusts. Moving his hand from her breasts, he splayed it over her stomach. “So....” he growled, rotating his hips mercilessly. “Isn’t it about time I got you pregnant?”
Jane stiffened, her impending climax disappearing at the rate of knots. Not this again. Sighing angrily she moved forward, freeing herself.
“Shit, Jane!” Seth yelped as his throbbing erection was forced from her velvety wetness to rebound against his stomach. “What are you doing?” Grabbing her hips, he tried to push his aching cock back into her. “What the fuck’s the matter with you?”
Jane sat up angrily. “I’ve told you before, stop going on about babies!” she snapped. They were screwed up and lived in a basement for God’s sake. Plus there was far too much grief going on. For all her bravado she still wanted the fairy-tale; for things to be the right way, not like this. She loved Seth with a vengeance, not that she’d ever tell him that of course, but a child? The way they were? It just wasn’t right.
“Ok, OK! I’m sorry,” Seth muttered, turning on to his back. He stared at the green-fringed lampshade hanging from the pendant in the centre of the room. Fuck. He’d misjudged that one hadn’t he?
Running his fingers through his hair, he glanced at Jane and passed her a bottle of beer from the bedside table. Was it so wrong that he wanted to see her belly full of his baby? Maybe then she’d marry him?
Jane wished Seth would stop looking at her like that. Taking the cigarette he handed her, she gave him a small smile and got up from the bed. After rolling her eyes at her ripped skirt, she picked up his shirt from the floor and slipped it on. “I’m going downstairs to get another drink.”
When Jane left the room, Seth lay back resignedly and exhaled smoke in a long stream. He ran his hand over his aching cock, frustrated. Resisting the urge to relieve himself, he jumped out of bed and pushed himself down rather painfully into his jeans.
Time for a line or a joint. Preferably both.
IN A LAYBY ON A BACKROAD, Jane swigged from a bottle of vodka and sighed. Pulling down the sun visor, she pushed back the cover over the little vanity mirror and peered at her glazed eyes.
After leaving the bedroom this morning she’d walked into the lounge and s
miled seeing Eliza asleep on the sofa and Lee lying face down on the carpet in nothing but a pair of dodgy pants covered in curry. When she’d heard the floorboards creaking overhead she’d realised Seth would be on his way down and an overwhelming feeling of needing to get away had enveloped her.
Grabbing a couple of unopened bottles of cider from the side, she’d grabbed her bag and quickly left the house. She’d known she’d looked a right state in a ripped skirt and a man’s shirt as she’d run up the street, but she hadn’t cared. Quickly flagging down a taxi, she’d sped back to the King’s.
Once she’d picked up her car, Jane had spent thirty minutes in a burger bar throwing up her hangover then parked up in a layby unable to face going home where Seth would undoubtedly now be.
Taking another long slug of vodka she looked at the half empty bottle dispassionately. Coupled with the cider she’d drunk when she’d parked up this morning the constant noise in her head would soon be gone.
She frowned. She needed to sort herself out. She knew she’d overreacted when Seth had said about getting her pregnant, but she was scared shitless. She didn’t like having an Achilles heel and knew he was hers. How come she’d allowed herself to fall in love with him?
There. She’d said it.
Putting yet another cigarette to her mouth with shaking fingers, Jane exhaled loudly. She didn’t like being out of control of her feelings and wasn’t used to having emotions. That way of living had always served her well. Until now.
Oh, she knew how Seth felt about her, but she just couldn’t bring herself to deal with her own feelings. Angrily raising the bottle back to her lips she slipped a few more pills into her mouth and took a big gulp of the spirit.
Fuck it. She couldn’t help it. She’d just have to live with the fact that she needed him as much as he needed her. It didn’t mean she’d have to tell him though did it?