by Edie Baylis
“And you’ll get some rights to Crystals?”
“Exactly, so it’s up to me to clear the space,” Phil smiled, signalling for a refill of his drink. “Apparently, Bill’s right hand lady – Sheila who runs the girls at the Glint is taking early retirement soon, but she’s got a new bird lined up to run that side of things.”
“Who’s that then?”
“Don’t know,” Phil frowned. “Bill said he’d know more next week.”
Digger licked his lips with the prospect of having beautiful girls on tap to screw. “Just need to make sure Seth turns up on Wednesday,” he added, already feeling slightly apprehensive about seeing the man.
“Have you got an issue working with him again?” Phil queried, studying Digger. He knew there had been some history between him and Jane and that he’d always held a torch for her.
“Hell no!” Digger exclaimed. “Of course not. It will be like old times.” Hopefully not totally like old times though, he thought wryly.
It was true. He was looking forward to the meet, just uncomfortable with the wave of feelings threatening to swamp over him. Still, he needed to keep his head together. He couldn’t recreate the past and take back what he’d done. No one could.
He just didn’t want either Seth or Phil to find out what he’d lied about.
TWENTY ONE
MAGGIE SWALLOWED THE bile rising uncomfortably into her throat and tried not to show her disgust over the bitter taste. Ok, so it was her own fault. She shouldn’t have had so many drinks so bloody quickly, but being as Sally was late and still hadn’t shown up, she’d found that constantly taking swigs from her glass had given her something to do and made her look less uncomfortable.
God, she hated looking like she’d been stood up. It made her feel like a right idiot and brought back far too many bad memories. Wasn’t it bad enough she’d been stuck on the bloody till all day having to pretend she was interested in a whole host of boring old demented farts without her mate letting her down too?
She peered around the side of a man blocking the view of the clock on the wall of the Traveller’s Arms and scowled. A bloody hour late now she was.
If Maggie was completely honest Sally was rubbing her up the wrong way more and more lately. Grabbing her bag she stood up, reaching to lean on the side of the table as she did so. Christ, she felt quite drunk. These pints had gone straight to her head.
Focusing her concentration, Maggie made her way to the bar for another drink. She might as well. It didn’t look like Sally was going to bother showing up now.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder she swung around, presuming it was Sally and was about to give her a round of abuse, when she realised it was Dan.
It took her all of two seconds to forget her annoyance that she hadn’t seen him since the night which had been ruined thanks to Sally’s stupid outburst over Charlie, nor the fact he hadn’t made any effort to come and see her since. The pints she’d downed had given her an all too super-confident feeling of which she was enjoying. Besides, he was hot and she definitely wanted more.
“Hey stranger!” Dan smiled, gesturing towards Maggie’s empty glass. “What are you drinking?”
Plastering on one of her best smiles, Maggie forced her eyes as wide and seductive as possible. “Lager please.”
Dan grinned. He could do with a shag. Since he’d told Daisy to lay off Jim she’d been treating him like a shithead. Scowling all of the time and rationing him. Now she’d fucked off to her mother’s for the week ‘needing some space...’ Fine by him. At least that way he didn’t have to put up with her fucking moaning.
As Dan ran his fingers suggestively down Maggie’s bat-wing top and winked, her heart fluttered like a trapped bird. He was so nice and clearly didn’t have a girlfriend.
When they sat down at the table she placed her chin on her hands and batted her eyes, trying to make sure she looked as attentive as possible.
“Not with your mate tonight?” Dan asked.
Maggie’s eyebrows furrowed together angrily. Did he want Sally? Was that it? She might have fucking known... “Didn’t realise you were interested in her?” she snapped, the jealously audible in her voice.
Dan sat back confused. Why on earth would he be interested in Sally? Had Maggie forgotten that he as well as her had witnessed the schizo going barmy after changing her mind about Charlie? All but acting as if he’d fucking raped her, the daft bitch! He would hardly set himself up for the same sort of thing.
“Sally? Now why would I be bothered about her when I’ve got you?” Dan smiled and gently rested his hand on Maggie’s over the table. They liked that sort of thing didn’t they?
Maggie sighed contentedly. “Why don’t you come over here and sit by me? Then you can tell me where you’ve been hiding for the last few weeks.”
Dan pulled himself out of the seat. Bollocks. He’d better come up with something as to why he hadn’t bothered getting in contact.
SALLY STUMBLED DOWN the road. She knew she was drunk and late, but she couldn’t think straight. She self-consciously touched her bag, knowing it contained that letter. She still didn’t know what do to about it and only had until tomorrow to decide. She needed to talk to Maggie and ask her opinion, but she had a sneaking suspicion she’d tell her not to even think about going.
She frowned. It was all very well of Maggie to say that, but she’d clearly never fallen madly in love with anyone had she?
The familiar rush of longing spread out from the inside like it always did every time she thought of Jim. His touch. The way he smelt. The way he made her body feel. She groaned inwardly. How could she possibly let that go?
The answer was she couldn’t and furthermore, wouldn’t. She needed him and that was all there was to it, so she had to go this meeting. Any clue she could find out of his whereabouts or his past could only help bring him back to her.
Finally reaching the door of the Traveller’s, Sally took a deep breath hoping it would override the drunkenness she was feeling. She would tell Maggie about the meeting and even if she didn’t like it, she’d ask her to come along. She was her friend after all and needed her support.
Pushing the rickety door open, she stumbled in to the Traveller’s Arms and nervously glanced around the room. Spotting Maggie in the far corner, her heart sank seeing her lips firmly attached to Dan’s. For fuck’s sake. She was supposed to be meeting her tonight, not him.
Sally angrily made her way over to Maggie and deposited her bag loudly on the table top.
Dan pulled away from Maggie and glanced up, his mouth smeared with her lipstick.
Maggie looked up, her eyes glazed. “Sally!” she slurred. “Didn’t think you were coming.”
“I can see that!” Sally snapped, unable to conceal her annoyance and watched as Dan’s fingers played with Maggie’s hair at the nape of her neck. She felt sick. There was no chance of speaking to her about anything tonight. Well, that settled it. It looked like she’d be going to this meeting on her own.
Angry tears began to form at the back of Sally’s eyes. “Guess I’ll leave you to it!” she muttered sourly, before snatching up her bag and heading towards the door.
“Babe?” Maggie frowned and started to rise from her seat.
Pulling her down by her shoulders, Dan turned Maggie’s head back towards him with his finger. Bringing his mouth close to hers, he spoke against her lips. “Leave her to it, gorgeous. She’s obviously pissed and in a bad mood.”
Unable to resist the feel of Dan’s strong mouth against hers, Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips on to his, parting them to let his tongue invade her mouth.
Dan smiled inwardly. He was damned if he was going to let that nutty cow fuck up another evening. His balls were aching and he’d be emptying them tonight without fail. This time Sally wouldn’t be impeding that.
TWENTY TWO
SETH LEANT AGAINST THE chest of drawers and stared at the woman asleep on the bed in front of him. He’d exhauste
d her by the looks of it.
His eyes roamed from her long blonde hair, over her large shapely breasts to her trim waist and down to the small patch of light-brown hair between her legs. She was a stunner that was for sure, but nothing would make him want her. Or anyone. He wanted no one apart from Jane.
Sometimes he wished Jane had succeeded in killing him that night. What was his life now, apart from barren and pointless? Sure, he still breathed and moved around – almost like he was normal, but he felt nothing. Nothing whatsoever.
Not one thing held any enjoyment. Everything was grey, drab and insincere. He was an automaton and had resigned himself to that. His heart had died along with Jane.
Seth knew he’d be unable to contain the bitter, twisted bubbling resentment and contempt he held for her should she be here. He’d rip her fucking head off - both for leaving him the night she’d tried to end him and again when she’d died. Or rather chosen to die. It didn’t stop him missing her though.
Shaking his head to dismiss the pointless and unwelcome thoughts flying around, he turned and shoved a hand into the pocket of his jeans slung messily across the end of the bed. He retrieved a wrap of coke and after quickly cutting a line on the top of the chest of drawers, snorted it through a rolled-up note.
Feeling the drug immediately hit his brain he took a deep breath and stared blankly at the curtains. It was only a matter of time before the woman woke up and would want more. They always did.
Seth smiled to himself. What a fucking weirdo he’d become. Never actually getting release himself, he was quite happy to make women’s legs shake and give them a decent seeing to. Well, that was of course providing they wanted nothing more.
At least he’d got all this stuff which was materialising to concentrate on. He hadn’t realised how much he’d missed the full-on shit until he’d jumped back in the other week. He’d promised himself to step away from all that after everything that had happened. It reminded him too much of times gone past.
Rolling his shoulders to free up the fast building tension, Seth sighed. The thing was, he’d enjoyed it. He’d enjoyed giving those cunts a pasting and it had made him feel alive again. Almost.
Nothing was the same as to when he’d been with Jane - his female equivalent and soulmate. Even killing people had lost its enjoyment since he’d lost her.
Along with that blast from the past, it had kicked off equally troublesome feelings and things had happened. Like that dream. Seth ran his hand through his thick hair. The night of that job at the club was the night he’d had the dream.
She was in it of course – the woman that had blown his fucking mind. He’d had his hands embedded in Jane’s long dark hair, his mouth on her breasts. His thick cock had been buried deep inside her, pounding and thrusting into her wetness that fitted him like a glove.
She’d been gasping his name as her nails had clawed into his buttocks, pulling him deeper. Harder. Faster.
Seth had even been able to hear her voice. It had been so clear. Rotating his hips, he’d ground against her, pushing mercilessly against her clenching walls and he’d felt himself begin to go. He couldn’t stop himself.
As Jane had writhed in ecstasy, moaning loudly underneath his pounding hips, he’d grabbed her hair and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, crushing and biting her velvet lips. His cock had jerked as her orgasm had massaged every inch of his shaft and roaring her name, he’d spilt into her with intense pressure.
Gradually Seth had woken up, immediately reaching for her soft body over the other side of the bed like he’d always done. As his fingers had touched the cold and empty sheet, his eyes had shot open and a creeping sense of dread had fallen over him like an avalanche.
Sitting up quickly, he’d scanned the room to find no one there. Frozen with bewilderment, his thighs, legs and stomach thickly covered in his own hot fluid. A sole tear had run down his cheek as the desperate and overwhelming feeling of grief had encased him again.
That had been the first orgasm he’d had since Jane had died, but if the only way he could be with her was in his dreams, then so be it.
Sensing the stranger on the bed in front of him stir, Seth took a deep breath and pulled himself back to reality.
MAGGIE COULD HARDLY wait to pull her top over her head and remove her leggings, until through her drunken glazed eyes she focused on the collection of items in Dan’s bedroom which didn’t belong to him.
Things like the hairspray and scattered bits of makeup strewn messily on the top of his chest of drawers, or the multiple pairs of stilettos thrown haphazardly in the corner of the room.
Getting up, she staggered half-naked to the wardrobe and angrily pulled open the door revealing plenty of women’s clothes hanging up next to his clothes. Dan was supposed to be with her wasn’t he, but he was with someone else. Not just with someone else, but one that fucking well lived with him.
Swinging around, she faced Dan, his cock in his hand eagerly awaiting her attention. ‘Who does all this belong to?’ Maggie screamed.
Dan paled. It hadn’t crossed his mind this would have caused an issue. He should have bloody known. Right. He needed to rectify this and fast. “Mag’s babe, it’s not what you think.” He stumbled over his words and reached towards her.
“What do you mean – it’s not what I think? What else could it mean? You’re obviously with another woman!” Against her will, Maggie felt tears pricking the back of her eyes. She’d thought she was over this sort of shit, but fuck, she liked this guy. Really liked him and thought they’d got something, but he was just another fucking player.
“Babe, you’re wrong,” Dan cried, grabbing Maggie’s arm and pulling her drunkenly down onto the bed.
Holding her angry thrashing body as still as possible, he knew he had to think quickly. “I did have someone else,” he faltered, hoping he could pull this one off whilst she stared at him, her chest heaving with angry breaths. “I should have told you. I just didn’t want it to put you off me.”
“That night at yours I was still with someone. I know I was wrong for wanting to be with you, but you’re so beautiful I couldn’t help it.”
Dan traced a finger down Maggie’s face and could sense her starting to sway. “After that night with you I realised I couldn’t be with Daisy any longer and so I finished it.”
Maggie swallowed. Was he telling the truth?
“We hadn’t been getting on for a while and both knew it was over, but I guess we’d just got stuck in a rut. You changed all of that.”
“B-But, why....”
“Listen,” Dan continued, putting his finger on Maggie’s lips as he brought his body closer to hers, his cock throbbing against her hip. “I asked Daisy to move out.” He tried to look sad. “She wasn’t happy and I felt bad, but it was the right thing to do because I want you. That’s why I haven’t been around the last few weeks. I’ve been trying to get it all sorted out.”
Feeling Dan’s hardness so close and yet so far, Maggie conveniently opened her legs as his other hand lightly traced up her thigh.
As she let out a soft moan, Dan continued, safe in the knowledge that he’d got her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t up front with you, babe. She’s gone now. Christ, I wouldn’t have brought you here if I had anything to hide now would I?”
Slowly lifting himself up on his elbow, he raised himself over Maggie. “I’m with you, babe. That’s if you still want me?” he growled, pushing himself into her. She’d opened like a flower. He’d worry about sorting this out in the morning.
As Maggie raised her hips in an attempt to take Dan deeper, she was shocked when a banging noise started the other side of the bedroom wall. Had his ex returned? Did she still have a key? She didn’t want someone waltzing in here and giving Dan the opportunity to choose.
It was only when she heard a woman’s loud and desperate cries along with a rhythmic banging noise did she put two and two together. Frowning, she tried to ignore that whoever was the other side of the wall was getting a much
more gratifying seeing to than she was.
When the rhythm of the headboard became faster and louder and the woman’s cries of pleasure almost became a continuous screaming noise, Maggie slipped from under Dan and pushing him onto his back, quickly sat astride him.
Dan tried to blank the noise coming from his spare room and he scowled with ill-concealed envy. For fuck’s sake. Jim again. The bloke had the stamina of a stallion and it made him feel completely incompetent.
Maggie began moving quickly on Dan’s shaft. Grabbing one of his hands, she guided it between her legs as he watched her large breasts bounce up and down with every movement.
Suddenly feeling himself start to ramp up, Dan moved his hand and instead gripped Maggie’s hips to assist her ability to ride him.
“Babe!” Maggie squealed. She needed his fingers as well as his cock working her.
Dan was deaf to her voice. Thrusting his pelvis desperately, he groaned loudly as he emptied himself into her.
He missed the expression of complete frustration on Maggie’s face as he relaxed back onto the bed sated and began to catch his breath.
TWENTY THREE
BEN FELT A BIT WORSE for wear and was unable to distinguish the culprit from between the brandy he’d tipped down his throat, or leftovers of his concussion.
It could also have something to do with the small matter of Shelley being back in his fucking life.
Things weren’t good at the office either. He’d only been back two days and hadn’t done a very good job of acting compos mentis. His mind was everywhere else apart from work and although he was getting a massive amount of leeway due to the whack on the head, there was only so long he could get away with that. Not that he cared.
Ben had desperately tried to locate Marie, but had failed. From what he’d heard, she wouldn’t be welcome if she ever showed up back at the office. He wondered just how much of that had been down to Shelley and her vicious mouth. There was no way he’d have made it official that Marie had clumped him – for her sake as much as his, but predictably Shelley had ensured everyone knew about it, including the top brass.