‘It’s just for a little while…until he calms down a bit’ Danielle Wilson traces a fingernail along Roy Denton’s chin and kisses him briefly.
‘Dan-nee, you know what we agreed.’ Roy’s hands slide down her back and rest on her buttocks.
‘Yes, Ray, I do’ she says, pushing him away with the flat of her hands against his chest ‘But unless you want the whole thing to go tits up, that’s the way it’s got to be’ In the small office above the club, she turns and walks around the desk to sit down.
‘Daddy’s sooo mad’ Lindsay puts in, swinging her legs as she sits on top of a low filing cabinet.
‘So this Nathan bloke's got him that rattled?’ Ray ignores her and directs his question at Danielle.
‘Spitting feathers and he’s got him asking some bloody awkward questions, that’s for sure’
‘You reckon you’ve sweet-talked him?’
‘I did my best’ Danielle turns to glare at Lindsay ‘If you hadn’t been so hell bent on giving away a freebie none of this would have happened’ she snaps ‘What is it with you?’
‘I liked him’ Lindsay pouts
‘You’re not in this to like just anybody. You like who we tell you to like. Got it?’
‘So what was your excuse?’ Lindsay sneers in retaliation
‘Shut up!’ Danielle hisses.
‘No…go on…I’m interested’ Roy taps his lighter against his hand.
‘It doesn’t matter’ Lindsay mumbles.
‘I’ll be the judge of that, I think. Go on, sweetheart, what was it you were saying?’
‘Nothing’
Roy grabs the back of her hair and pulls her head backwards, his thumb on the strike wheel of his lighter held under her chin. ‘You’ll tell me and you’ll tell me right now’
‘Roy, for God’s sake!’ Danielle yells ‘we’ve got better things to think about that sorting this little cow out’
Roy gives Lindsay’s hair another sharp yank and steps away, flicking his lighter. ‘Count yourself lucky, you stupid bitch. If you’ve killed the golden goose, you’ll get yours too and you’d better believe it’ He calmly lights his cigarette. ‘So…we’re ok?’ he asks Danielle.
‘He’s sweet. I just need a few days…be around him…you know the sort of thing…play wifey’
‘And the devoted step-mother’ Ray smirks.
‘You got it. Don’t want him to stop my ‘allowance’ do we?’
‘No…we most certainly don’t Mrs. Wilson….and we don’t want any more awkward questions either’
Danielle clamps the tip of one fingernail between her teeth and smiles. ‘No…we don’t do we?’
Flo's Nightclub
Woodbury
Chapter Four
Tawny House, Manor Road
The Annexe
‘You had lunch with Helen?’ Harriet repeats what she has been told and helps herself to coffee from the espresso jug on the hob. She joins Kester sitting at his kitchen table.
‘I did. And very nice it was too’ He smiles and returns to reading the magazine spread in front of him.
‘I am so pleased’
‘Hang on…’ Kester looks up ‘don’t you start reading things into that that aren’t there. It was just lunch’
‘I know…but I am really pleased that you are making friends. She needs someone like you’
‘Harriet, stop that now’ he warns.
‘But you do like her?’ Harriet persists.
Kester closes the magazine and lays it to one side with a sigh. ‘I do… I always have…in one way or another’
‘Meaning?’ Harrriet sips from her cup and eyes him carefully from over its rim.
‘Meaning that…. to start with, I found her…. unfriendliness…. quite interesting’ he chuckles and gets up to refill his mug.
‘In other words, because your considerable charm didn’t have its usual effect, you saw her as some sort of challenge?’
Kester frowns at the sharpness in his grandmother’s voice. ‘No…not in the way you mean’ he says as he sets the jug down again ‘Ok, you’re right’ he admits, turning from the hob ‘She was a challenge, if you want to call it that. I couldn’t stand that she didn’t want to know me at all but all I was after was a smile. That was the goal I set myself. That was all. So, now you know’ he says and shrugs as he sits down.
‘And what exactly is the reason for your chasing her now, stage two in this softly-softly approach?
He stares at her for a moment ‘One, I am not chasing her and two, no, it isn’t like that at all’
‘What is it then, Kester dear, do you still see her as a conquest yet to be made?’
‘No. I didn’t then and I don’t now’ he says crossly ‘what’s with the third degree? A minute ago you said you were pleased we were becoming friends. I don’t understand what you’re getting at’
‘I wanted to be clear about the way you felt’ Harriet says thoughtfully then with a nod of resolve, puts her cup down on the table ‘Can I just say something?’
‘Of course’
‘Whatever your intentions….’
Kester sighs noisily and rolls his eyes. ‘I haven’t got any as far as Helen is concerned…’
‘So you say…but….’ She waves his protest down ‘Never mind…. whatever you intend…she…’
‘Is still very vulnerable for whatever reason…I know. I’ve worked that one out for myself’ he says curtly ‘No need for a sermon’
Harriet takes a few moments to decide what her response should be ‘Please don’t hurt her, dear’ she says quietly
Kester looks offended. ‘Is that what you think I’m out to do….as some sort of revenge for not falling for my considerable charm as you put it?’
‘No, no I don’t’ She tries to soothe his ruffled temper by stroking his hand ‘I don’t think you would intentionally set out to hurt her and when I said she needed someone like you, I meant that very sincerely’ She lifts her hand to his face ‘You are a kind and gentle man at heart, Kester darling, you truly are but if, as I believe you might, you decide you want to be something other than a friend..’
‘But I don’t have any inte…’
‘No, hear me out, please, darling’ Harriet folds her hands onto the table and sits looking down at them as she speaks. ‘If’ she glances up at him momentarily ‘and I know you are attracted to her despite your protestations, if at some point in the future you decide you might like to take things a step further……. you may be asked to take on more than you realise….to deal with a situation that you are unfamiliar with….All I ask is that if you are unwilling to stay the course, it may be better if you remain just passing friends’
Kester frowns ‘I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?’
‘I could be very wrong, darling, and in many ways I wish to heaven I were….but…’
‘You did tell me…or hint that she’d had some sort of acrimonious break up and that was why she was a bit hostile. I know that…’
‘The thing is…’ Harriet looks wretched ‘Oh dear…I feel I am betraying a confidence…. and it is something that perhaps I would not have become aware of under normal circumstances…. It’s nothing Helen has confided to me…. but something I discovered quite by chance. I could be mistaken and I would hate to be speaking out of turn and yet….I’m not even sure if I should…..’
‘Then do you think it’s best if we let things run their course?’ Kester interrupts gently, his annoyance spent in the face of Harriet’s anxiety ‘If there is anything to tell at all, let Helen tell me in her own time, if that’s what she decides to do…’
‘I am so worried that if what I suspect is true, that you……….’ Harriet’s brow creases with concern ‘Kester, will you promise that you will come to me and talk it through if you need to?’
‘I’m intrigued’ he grins awkwardly ‘You’re not trying to tell me she is some axe murderer and was let out early for good behaviour are you?’ he laughs uneasily.
‘No, Kester….no, I’m not…but…please promise me’
‘Harriet, whatever it is, I promise I’ll do just that, now stop worrying’
