by Edie Baylis
“Where are you going?” Natalie asked.
Shelley quickly turned around with a face like thunder. “To do something I should have done last fucking week!”
MAGGIE HAD BEEN PLEASANTLY surprised as to how things had turned out. She’d been dreading training up the new girl because she was never any good with people she didn’t know. In fact she wasn’t particularly any good with people she did know, but when Sally had walked in this afternoon she’d immediately recognised a kindred spirit.
She’d looked the woman up and down. Sally was tall – a fair bit taller than her, slim and pretty with shoulder-length blonde hair tied into a pony tail. She’d also had the same haunted expression in her eyes that she herself wore. Instantly relaxing, Maggie smiled and after the manager had done the introductions, they’d been left alone.
Although Sally had been very quiet and nervous it had been easy and enjoyable to explain how things worked and she knew the woman would easily get the hang of it.
Maggie wouldn’t normally have had the courage to ask somebody if they fancied going for a drink, but she felt instinctively like she wanted to and the expression on Sally’s face when asked hadn’t been missed. It had been one of pure gratitude.
Now sitting in the Traveller’s Arms, Maggie was glad of the company. At least she wouldn’t look a ‘Billy-No-Mates’ like she usually did. She took a large gulp of her lager and rested her elbows on the sticky table. “So,” she smiled. “Are you new around here? I haven’t seen you before.”
Sally’s eyes flickered slightly. “I’ve been here two or three weeks now. We recently moved.”
“Oh yes,” Maggie’s face dropped. “What, with your husband or boyfriend?” Typical. Another one in a relationship who won’t be interested in being her friend on a proper basis.
Sally felt flustered. She didn’t feel ready to discuss Jim. It was taking all of her power to function without him. Talking about him as well as consistently thinking about him might push her over the edge. “Erm, well, I did move here with someone,” she faltered, “but we’re having a few problems at the moment.”
Maggie glanced up. “Oh. Serious is it?”
“As serious as it gets.” Tears formed in Sally’s eyes. “At least for me.”
“Oh babe!” Maggie grabbed Sally’s hand. “One of those is he? You’re better off without that sort. That’s what I keep telling myself every time it happens to me.”
“But I’ll never be better off without him, Maggie. I love him beyond anything.”
“Can’t you sort it out?”
Sally swallowed down the lump in her throat. “I-I don’t even know where he is. I feel like I’m going crazy.”
Maggie smiled. She knew how that felt. “What’s his name?”
“Jim.”
“Well, let me get you another drink and you can tell me all about it.”
“SO JIM, HAVE YOU THOUGHT about the things I mentioned the other night?” Dan asked as he propped up the bar at the Mitre.
Seth raised his eyebrow. “I’m still not sure it’s really my bag,” he lied. “I could do without getting a tug.”
Swallowing a mouthful of cider, Dan grinned. “Maybe not, but you’ll easily get the gist. I can tell.”
Seth smiled inwardly. If only this bloke knew.
“Besides,” Dan continued. “A bit more info was slung my way last night and I think this one might be interesting, as well as a good earner.”
Seth’s ears pricked up. “Interesting? In what way?”
“Well, I have a guy who’s about to get approached by some prick who’s out of his depth, although he doesn’t yet realise it. The prat thinks he’ll make a nice bit of coin from trying to force a share in a patch not too far from here,” Dan smirked. “Except he’ll be getting in over his head.”
Seth nodded. He knew all about tossers like that. “Right and so he’ll need the frighteners put on him and that’s where we come in so to speak?” He raised his eyebrows. “For the right price of course...”
Dan grinned. He knew he’d been right. This guy knew the score. He wasn’t usually wrong spotting a like-minded individual. “Not quite as green as you like to say then, Jim?”
Seth laughed and threw his pint down his throat. “I never said I was green did I, Danny Boy?”
Putting his hand in his pocket, Seth fished around for some change until his arm was suddenly dragged away and coins scattered to the floor. Quickly swinging around he found a woman glaring at him.
“Recognise me do you, or wasn’t I even that memorable?” Shelley screamed, the pub falling silent at her raised voice.
Seth scrutinised her scornfully. Ah yes, it was that silly girl from last week.
Seeing the smirk pass across his chiselled jaw, Shelley raised her hand. “You bastard!” she raged, attempting to slap him around the face.
Quickly grabbing her wrist, Seth twisted Shelley’s arm painfully and pulled it down to her side. His eyes narrowed and flashed menacingly. “You stupid little bitch,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “A word I think...”
Pulling Shelley forcibly along with him, he dragged her into the corner. Lowering his face down to hers, he stared directly into her eyes.
Anger turned rapidly into fear as Shelley’s face was painfully squeezed just under her jaw. She stared at the man’s full lips inches from hers, still unable to help desperately wanting to kiss him. There was something about the man.
“Listen, you slag,” Seth hissed. “Don’t be playing games with me otherwise I’ll cut up your pretty little face without a thought.”
Shelley trembled inwardly, her previous defiance evaporating as she stared into the hard green eyes.
Seth spoke very quietly, his voice inaudible to anyone else. “Are you understanding me yet, or do you want a taste of what I’ll do to you if you ever pull a stunt like this again?”
Feeling lightheaded and rather nauseous, Shelley managed a tight nod of her head, unable to get any words out.
“Good,” Seth growled before dropping his hand and walking confidently back to the bar. Nodding to Dan, he tipped his pint quickly down his throat and they both left the Mitre.
“FUCKING HELL!” NATALIE GUSHED as Shelley sat back down at their table. “He’s gorgeous that bloke is! The way he grabbed you I thought he was going to stick his tongue down your throat or fuck you in front of everyone.”
Shelley tried to hide her shaking hands as she picked up her glass of wine and greedily drank from it.
“What did he say? Are you meeting him later?” Natalie winked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“No,” Shelley snapped, forcing herself to sound normal. “I don’t think so. He may be a nice looker, but he’s too full on.” She wiped her clammy hands down her short skirt. “I can’t be doing with that sort of stuff. You know what I’m like. Don’t want a stifling relationship like that do I?”
Natalie didn’t look convinced and poured herself another glass of wine from the bottle in the middle of their table. “Hmm, well I think you’re mad, he’s bloody lovely! You must have really upset him.”
Unlikely, Shelley thought scowling. Her nerves were shot to fuck. She hadn’t expected a reaction like that. She usually had men eating out of her hands and they never failed to lick her feet once she’d had one of her tantrums. Not this time though.
Quelling the simmering resentment bubbling up inside her she picked up the empty bottle of wine. “For fuck’s sake! Go and get another bottle will you Nat?”
NINE
BEN LED MARIE TO A table in the corner of the Mitre that was as far away as possible from the rest of the people in the pub, glad that he’d managed to talk her into coming for a drink. “I’ll just get the drinks. Vodka?” he smiled, watching her cross her shapely legs.
“Yes thanks,” Jane smiled. Being as she was here she may as well try and be pleasant. She had to admit it did make quite a nice change from sitting in her flat drinking on her own.
She stared at Ben stan
ding at the bar with his back to her. Maybe she’d been a bit hard on him. She admitted she sometimes missed feeling a man’s arms around her, but not enough to want to get involved with someone. Especially him.
Taking a large gulp of the drink Ben placed on the table, Jane had almost finished it before he’d sat down. She needed to get more alcohol in her bloodstream. The few tots she’d sneaked this afternoon in the toilets hadn’t got anywhere near turning down the daily clamouring in her head.
“So what did you want to talk about?” Jane asked, watching Ben nervously fidget in the seat opposite.
Ben swallowed nervously. How should he put this? Berating himself for turning into jelly every time he was anywhere near this woman, he only wished he was able to pull back a bit of his confidence which had disappeared since she’d unexpectedly blown his mind.
“Erm...” Ben tried to smile feeling self-conscious as her dark eyes scrutinised him. He cleared his throat. “Look Marie, I know I’ve probably come across as a bit of an arrogant bastard...”
Seeing her raise an eyebrow in amusement, Ben faltered. No, just get on with it. You need to say it. “And I guess you’re right in assuming I haven’t treated women very well in the past.”
Jane tried not to giggle. He’d spill his soul at this rate. Still, she had to take her hat off to his honesty and persistence. “Right, and?”
“Well, it’s changed now.” Clumsily opening his cigarette packet Ben offered them across the table.
Taking a cigarette, Jane hid her smile. “Changed in what way?” She knew what was coming next. Let’s hear you say it.
“Since the other week when, you know, we erm...” Ben’s eyes dropped to the table, colour rising up his cheeks.
Oh this was even better than expected, Jane thought enjoying his uncomfortableness. “Spit it out!” she snapped, downing the dregs of her vodka.
“I’ve been unable to think about anything but you.” There. Said it. “Yeah, I know. I expect you’re heard it all before, but I mean it, Marie.” Ben grabbed her hand. “I’ve never felt like this before and it’s knocked me sideways.”
Pulling her hand away, Jane turned her empty glass around. “I’m flattered Ben, but I’m not sure what you want me to say?”
Ben swallowed. “I want you to say that you’ll give me a chance, Marie. I want to show you that I’m not a total jumped up prick. I really want to see you again.” As she went to speak, he put his hand up to silence her. “Please don’t dismiss the idea just yet. At least say you’ll think about it?”
SALLY HADN’T REALISED how many drinks she’d had until she almost fell over. God, she was drunk and had probably said far too much about Jim, but it had felt so nice to get it off her chest.
Stumbling back from the toilets, she smiled seeing Maggie wave at her from their table. Judging by what she’d told her whilst they’d swapped stories she’d also had her fair share of bad relationships, so at least it wasn’t just her.
“You never told me why Jim walked out on you?” Maggie smiled, pushing a full glass of wine in Sally’s direction.
Thanks to her drunkenness, Sally felt able for the first time to be honest. “He didn’t like me drinking wine, so I bought some vodka. He said something about vodka once and I stupidly thought he’d like it if I drank it.” She cringed. “Oh God, this is so embarrassing, you’ll think I’m a right freak.”
Maggie shook her head. “No I won’t. Carry on.”
“Well I’d positioned myself naked on the sofa for when he got in and sat drinking the vodka. I thought it might get him to finally kiss me.”
Maggie looked startled. “Finally?”
Sally shook her head with shame. “Maggie, in the two years we were together, he’d never kissed me. Not once.”
Maggie was gobsmacked. “He sounds fucked up if you ask me!”
“He went crazy and smashed the place up. He said I was taking the piss. I don’t know why. I still don’t understand it.”
Maggie nodded, thinking it all sounded very strange.
“I said I wanted him to love me like I loved him, but he said he’d never love me.” Tears began to fall openly from Sally’s eyes and she clumsily reached for her wine.
“Oh come on,” Maggie soothed. “He wouldn’t have been with you for two years if he didn’t love you.”
“You don’t know him. He just put up with me. He didn’t give a fuck if I was there or not.”
“But why?”
“He said he’d never love me. He’d only ever love one person and that wasn’t me.”
Maggie frowned. “So who was it?”
“I’ve no idea. I don’t know anything about him.” Sally said quietly. “I don’t even know how old he is, where he’s from or anything.”
“What? Seriously?” This was weird. “What’s he hiding? Sounds like an emotional fuckwit to me.”
“I don’t know what he’s hiding. I never cared. I just wanted him and still do.”
Maggie took another swig of her drink, hoping this Jim head-case had disappeared. She’d had her fill of nutters and weird shit and certainly didn’t want to get dragged into anything again. She looked at Sally who was now sobbing openly and sighed. It was ok - she was pissed as a fart and probably talking shit.
NATALIE WALKED BACK from the bar with the third bottle of wine and grimaced. She’d done nothing but listen to Shelley rant for the last hour and knew what she was about to say would piss her off further.
Sitting down at the table she filled up Shelley’s empty glass. “You won’t like this,” Natalie began, watching Shelley’s bloodshot eyes move up to meet hers.
“Oh, what now?” Shelley snapped.
“Well guess who I’ve just seen at the bar...”
Shelley rolled her eyes. She wasn’t in the mood for guessing games. “Who?”
“Ben.”
Shelley sneered. What was he doing here? He never came to the Mitre. Maybe she should give the wanker a piece of her mind. She needed to take her rage out on someone.
“Wait!” Natalie cried, pulling Shelley back down as she attempted to stand up. “He’s not on his own.”
Shelley watched Natalie raise her eyebrows suggestively. “Oh tell me you’re not serious?” she gasped, the penny dropping. “Not Marie?”
As Natalie nodded, Shelley felt like tipping up the table with fury.
“Look calm down,” Natalie coaxed. “Let them get on with it. He’ll get tired of her soon enough and then you can pick back up where you left off.”
Shelley’s eyes narrowed. “Are you blind? Can’t you see that somehow the stupid bastard has managed to fall for her? Why I don’t know! Furthermore, I won’t be anyone’s sloppy seconds!”
“Ok, ok. I didn’t realise you liked him so much,” Natalie muttered, wishing Shelley would keep her voice down and chill out. People were starting to stare.
“I don’t like him that much!” Shelley growled, getting even angrier as the beginnings of tears formed at the back of her eyes.
But she did like him didn’t she? A lot more than she was prepared to admit. She would finish that Marie slag. Her life had been fine until that whore had turned up and upset the apple cart.
DESPITE HERSELF, JANE found she’d actually quite enjoyed Ben’s company since he’d lost the arrogance. Although she hadn’t answered his question he’d luckily had the sense not to push it, but her decision was still the same. She wasn’t getting involved.
“So, I’m presuming you’re not married,” Ben smiled, swigging at his lager.
Jane went cold. What the fuck did he have to ask that for?
“Any kids?” Ben continued, oblivious that he’d hit a nerve.
Jane felt like punching him when unwelcome memories crashed through her head like thunder. She needed to get out of here. Away from him. Away from the memories.
Noticing she’d turned a funny shade of pale, Ben reached over the table and grabbed her hand, concern written across his face. “What’s the matter, Marie? You look lik
e you’ve seen a ghost! Are you not feeling well?”
“Excuse me one moment,” Jane muttered, wrenching her hand away and grabbing her handbag.
Unsteadily she made her way to the toilets. Shit, she was going to cry. She needed to find somewhere to pull herself together away from prying eyes and questions that would undoubtedly open a can of worms.
Pushing open the toilet door, she barged straight into one of the cubicles and shakily retrieved a wrap of powder from her bag. Clumsily cutting a line of coke on the toilet cistern, she snorted it, needing the burn. Concentrate. Concentrate.
Jane took deep breaths to try and quell her speeding heartbeat and the sense of desolation which was falling over her like a final curtain.
TEN
ELIZA DRAPED HERSELF as prettily as possible around Ernie’s thick neck and traced a circle on the shoulder of his suit jacket. She smirked noticing a slight twitch in his crotch. He wouldn’t have a hard on for long when he saw what was in store for him later.
She was very pleased with what she’d got planned for Ernie, Matt and Pete. Charlie was not part of this plan. It wasn’t like she’d needed to convince him.
She snuck a glance at Charlie lounging in the armchair opposite and catching his eye, winked surreptitiously, pushing her breasts against the headrest of the sofa she was leaning against as she cosseted Ernie.
Feeling Ernie grab her hand and knead it with his pudgy fingers, Eliza felt annoyance wash over her. After spending several snatched afternoons with Charlie when Ernie was otherwise engaged, she’d begun to get used to his large biceps and smoother skin. Ok, he was no Adonis, but compared to the folds of lard squashing against her every night when Ernie fucked her, he was.
Although it was part of her job to ‘look after’ Ernie’s associates, it was also a specification that this did not happen unless he requested it. Meeting up for illicit sessions with Charlie had been more than purposeful because her motive was to extract as much information as possible about this new club. Disturbingly however, she’d started looking forward to seeing him and had begun to want to fuck him.