by Nikki Ashton
“Luke take your sock off,” she said over her shoulder as she nonchalantly studied the cue.
Luke had no idea what Martha was doing, but the mood she was in there was no way he was going to disobey her order. He kicked off his boot and reached down for his sock.
“Thanks,” Martha said as he passed it to her. “Okay Rachel, what would you prefer; I batter you with the balls in Luke’s sock, or whip your pretty little backside with the cue?”
Tom gasped. “Martha, I’m not sure…”
“Leave it Tom. I know what I’m doing.” Martha took a step towards Rachel. “Well?”
Rachel stepped backwards, her eyes pleading with Luke over Martha’s shoulder. “She wouldn’t,” she said her voice quaking.
“Oh, she would,” Jake answered. “I’ve seen her start a fight in the local pub, just because a woman brushed herself against Luke.”
“Luke?” Rachel held her hand out to him.
“Sorry Rachel,” Luke replied. “Jake’s right, she’s not to be messed with.”
“Please, Martha,” Tom cried. “Not again, it was a bloodbath last time.”
Martha bit on her bottom lip to ensure that she didn’t smile and give the game away. Thankfully they’d figured out what she was trying to do and thankfully Rachel was too dense to do so.
“Well Rachel, what’s it to be? Tell me the truth or I beat the living shit out of you,” she said as menacingly as she could.
Rachel hesitated for mere seconds and then she crumbled.
“Alright,” she screamed. “I set it all up. Happy now?”
Luke let out a long breath and reached for Martha’s hand. The relief from her actually saying the words was unbelievable. He knew that Martha believed him, but hearing Rachel admit it felt like a Royal Pardon.
“Finally,” Martha whispered.
“So to get this completely straight,” Luke said. “You set the photographs up, so that it looked as though you and I were kissing, and that I stayed in your room.”
Rachel looked crushed. She didn’t answer, but simply nodded.
“How? I need to know what you did to me that night.”
“Why?” Rachel shrugged. “What difference does it make? I’ve admitted it now.”
Luke pulled away from Martha’s hold and slammed both his hands on the pool table. “Because I want to fucking know!” he cried. “You’ve tried to ruin my life!”
“You can’t have done it all by yourself, Rachel,” Tom chipped in. “Getting Luke into position and taking the photographs wouldn’t have been easy on your own, so who helped you?”
Rachel looked down at the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself but again said nothing.
“Rachel,” Tom demanded. “Who helped you?”
Rachel looked up and took a big breath. “A photographer I know,” she said at last. “Mike Dennison.”
Luke recognised the name. He was a photographer on the fashion circuit with a dubious reputation. He’d take picures of anyone, or anything, if there was a healthy paycheck in it for him. Luke had met him a couple of times at events that he’d attended with Rachel in the past, and had him pegged as a total sleaze the second he set eyes on him.
“I’m sorry okay,” Rachel said without even a hint of remorse. “So, can I go now?”
“Nah.” Luke shook his head. “I want to know how I got so fucking drunk that I couldn’t remember any of it.”
Rachel’s complexion reddened as Luke glared at her. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I think you do,” Luke replied, his eyes dark and his fists clenched at his sides.
Rachel looked at her jury warily. “Okay,” she said finally. “I might have slipped a little something into your drink. I thought they might just make you drowsy, but instead you went comatose on me.”
Luke growled and took a step towards her. “You fucking bitch.”
“You might have killed him,” Martha cried, holding the pool cue so tightly that her knuckles were white.
“Oh don’t be such a drama queen,” Rachel scoffed. “They’re harmless. People like us take them all the time. But then I wouldn’t expect a lowly housekeeper to understand that.”
Martha’s eyes widened and Tom, sensing a potentially smashed pool cue, stepped between her and Rachel. “Wait,” he said. “Chill for a minute, Martha.” He turned to Rachel. “Alright. We know how, but why?”
Rachel pulled her shoulders back and looked straight at Luke. “Because I’m finished in modelling, that’s why. The agency isn’t renewing my contract.”
Luke frowned. “So why didn’t you blackmail me with the pictures then? Why even send them to Martha?”
He looked over at Martha and, despite the tension and general frostiness in the room, he felt such a sense of warmth and comfort that she was there beside him. It reminded him of the hell he’d gone through in the studio. Even though they had been at each other’s throats, she’d had that calming effect on him. It was something that he’d never experienced before in his life. The situation at that moment was horrible, nightmarish, but looking at Martha, all he wanted to do was smile. It was as simple and as perfect as that.
“Yeah,” Jake asked, breaking into Luke’s reverie, “why did you do that? That’s a pretty shitty trick, more like the act of a jealous, vindictive, trout pout, fake titted bitch if I’m honest.”
Martha coughed to hide her snort of laughter at Jake’s comment. Rachel obviously didn’t find Jake humorous as she shot him a look of pure hatred.
“Because blackmail is a short term gain,” Rachel said coldly, turning back to look at Luke. “Splitting you two up gave me a chance at getting my own back on you. I was going to win you back and then I’d have got pregnant. Then you’d have been tied to me financially for eighteen years at least.”
Martha gasped. As a single mother who’d worked hard to provide for her own daughter, she couldn’t believe that Rachel would stoop so low.
“What sort of person uses an innocent child for monetary gain?” Martha cried.
Jake moved next to Martha and gave her a nudge with his elbow. “A jealous, vindictive, trout pout, fake titted bitch I think, Martha.”
“You can laugh at me Jake, but you have no idea,” Rachel spat.
Jake shook his head. “Believe you me darling, I’m not laughing.”
“You are un...fucking...believable,” Luke groaned.
“I was desperate,” Rachel cried. “You have no idea what it’s like to have your career taken away from you. None of you do.”
Luke let out a breath as a painful stab of understanding hit him in the chest. Rachel would never know how close his crippling stage fright had almost cost him and the rest of the band their careers.
“There must be other agencies?” Martha said, resting her hand on Luke’s shoulder, somehow picking up on his thoughts.
Rachel’s jaw tightened. “Like you would know, Mrs Doubtfire.”
“Sorry Rachel,” Jake said. “But Mrs Doubtfire was a man dressed as a big, fat Scottish woman. That hardly describes Martha.”
“Oh shut up Jake,” Rachel snapped. “The point is once you’re dropped in the modelling world word gets out there. No one is going to take me on after that.”
“Look, this isn’t getting us anywhere,” Martha said. “Now we know now how she did it and why, so what do we do about it?”
Martha sighed and turned back to Rachel, who was now obviously wilting under the pressure.
“Well I’m going to report her, obviously” Luke said taking the pool cue from Martha’s hand.
“Please don’t Luke,” Rachel cried. “I’m sorry, okay. I know it was wrong, but I needed you.”
“You needed his money, more like.” Martha dropped the sock holding the pool balls onto the sofa. “I’m just surprised your boyfriend was willing to put up with it.”
“He’s not my boyfriend, actually.”
“Oh shut it Rachel,” Martha said. “We’ve seen the pictures of him with his hand on your
arse. So, either he’s got no balls or he’s happy to pimp you out, either way he’s hardly good boyfriend material.”
“What do you mean, you’ve seen the pictures?” Rachel asked.
“We had stills of the CCTV cameras,” Jake replied. “We just needed you to admit that you’d drugged Luke.”
Rachel’s mouth dropped open. “So, she wasn’t going to hit me?” she asked pointing at Martha.
Jake turned to Martha. “What, Martha? Bloody hell, no. Martha’s a pussycat, aren’t you, sweetheart?”
Martha smiled as Luke pulled her to his side.
“You’re bastards, the lot of you,” Rachel cried. “Sick bloody bastards. Absolutely sick bloody…”
“Rachel!” Luke bellowed. “Shut up. And if anyone is sick, it’s you.”
“I can’t look at her anymore,” Martha sighed. “Just get her out of here.”
“Are you going to report me?” Rachel asked as she edged her way to the door.
“What do you think?” Luke answered. “Just go, Rachel, and don’t ever dare to fucking contact me again”
Not having to be told twice, Rachel bolted from the room leaving everyone staring after her in silence.”
“Shit, Martha,” Tom finally let out a deep breath. “Even I was almost pissing my pants. You were scary.”
Luke started to laugh and, pulling Martha in front of him, he kissed her hard.
“You were fucking awesome, baby,” he said his lips still against her mouth.”
Martha sighed and threaded her arms around Luke’s waist. “She’s one twisted bitch, that’s for sure.”
Luke leaned his forehead against Martha’s. “I’d better ring the police and tell them about Rachel” he said.
Martha took a deep breath. “Actually Luke, let’s not.”
“Why baby? She deserves to be punished.”
“Call me selfish, but if you get her charged it might create publicity and we’d end up living in a media circus,” she sighed. “And to be honest, Luke, I just want some peace and quiet time with you before we’re jettisoned into the hype about your comeback.”
Luke smiled and shook his head. “I understand that baby, but she can’t get away with it.”
“I know and it is up to you,” Martha replied clutching at Luke’s t-shirt. “It was you that she drugged.”
Luke was pensive for a few seconds and then shook his head. “Maybe you’re right. She’s going to be on her uppers soon enough, unless she gets another agency, and that for Rachel will be worse than any prison cell that she might end up in.”
“Yeah, but she might get community service,” Tom said. “Now that would be good, seeing her having to wear an orange boiler suit.”
Martha and Luke laughed, both envisioning the sight of Rachel in orange nylon.
“Actually,” Jake said. “There’s more than one way to skin a bitch as they say.”
“What do you mean,” Luke asked as he sat on the sofa and pulled Martha onto his lap.
“Think about it, who has the PR contacts, us or her?”
“We do. Fuck yes.” Luke’s face lit up as he thought about the possibilities. “I just get our PR company to put the word around not to touch her, for absolutely anything. Fashion, adverts, music videos, the lot. We could really kill her career if we wanted.”
“Do you really think you can do that?” Martha asked.
Luke shrugged. “We’ll soon find out. PR is PR, they all know each other and let’s face it this little story isn’t going to help her career is it?”
“What if it gets leaked to the press though,” Martha groaned. “We’ll still be in the same boat.”
“We’ll just deny it.” Luke tucked Martha’s hair behind her ear. “We can’t deny a court case, but we can deny a rumour. Anyway, I’m not sure it’s that interesting a story.”
“I agree,” Tom said as he racked up the pool table. “Especially now you two are back together.”
“Don’t you think that’s worse than what she did, it’s her livelihood, Luke?”
“Yeah baby, I know, and it was our life that she almost ruined.”
Martha thought for a few seconds. “I’m not sure.”
“I’m sure, but I understand what you’re saying. So, for you I’ll speak to Neil and take his advice on it.”
“Okay.” Martha gazed at him and sighed. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too, so much.”
“Always?” she asked.
“For ever,” Luke replied.
Martha giggled and kissed him. “Even if I start wearing big knickers?”
Luke looked at her quizzically and grinned. “Babe, believe me there isn’t going to be much underwear involved in what I have planned for our future.”
Martha smiled and sighed. “Well it seems we’re on the same wavelength then.”
Luke leaned in and kissed her. With their hearts thudding against each other’s chests Luke and Martha revelled in being back together, knowing that this time it was for keeps.
Chapter 43
Betty was home for the summer having completed a year at university, and she and Luke had been out since breakfast, telling Martha that they were going shopping. They didn’t say where they were going, or how long they’d be but both their mobiles had gone to voicemail for the last two hours that she’d been trying to get hold of them.
“Lucia, have you heard from Luke or Betty at all?” Martha asked, popping her head around the lounge door.
“No, sorry,” Lucia replied, without looking up from her reading.
“Oh,” Martha said, “okay.” She was a little perplexed at Lucia’s dismissal. She obviously wanted to continue to read in peace, so Martha decided to go up and have a long, hot soak in the bath.
As she opened the bedroom door, the beautiful perfume of roses filled her senses. At first she thought that it was coming from outside, as the windows were open, but as she moved further into the room she noticed a bouquet of yellow and white roses, in a vase, on the dressing table. Martha smiled as she saw a small envelope, with her name written in Luke’s handwriting, propped up against them. She took it and pulled out the card.
Martha,
White roses symbolise everlasting love and yellow ones joy and happiness, all the things that you’ve given to me. I love you more than you can ever know.
Lukey xxx
Martha smiled and held the card to her lips, as her eyes welled with tears. It was hard to believe that this was the same Luke Mahoney that the press had labelled a bad boy of rock when the band first started out.
She had no idea when he’d put them there. They’d gone down to breakfast together and then he’d pretty much vanished with Betty straight after they’d eaten. Maybe Lucia had helped, which was why she hadn’t looked Martha in the eye before. With her heart stuffed with love and contentment wrapped around her, Martha sighed and turned towards the bed, inhaling sharply as she saw a large white box, with a pink ribbon tied around it. On it was a tag that simply said “Martha”. Her heart beating rapidly, Martha sat on the bed, untied the ribbon and lifted the lid.
Her heart skipped a beat. “Oh my God,” she gasped, lying the lid down on the bed. “It’s beautiful.”
Inside was the most exquisite dress that Martha had ever seen. She stood up and, holding it against herself, gazed into the mirror. It was sleeveless, with a cinched in waist, a black, pleated skirt that reached her mid-thigh, and it had an intricately beaded black and cream bodice that was fashioned like a bustier over the top of a sheer cream fabric. Martha moved from side to side, loving how the skirt fluttered as she twirled, and how soft the fabric was against her skin. Looking back to the box, Martha saw a handwritten note in the bottom of it.
You deserve a treat, so wear it tonight. A car will be there to pick you up at 7 p.m.
Lukey xxx
P.S. I didn’t forget the shoes and bag, look next to your side of the bed xx
“Oh my God,” she gasped, “can this man get any b
etter?”
Lying the dress gently down on the bed, Martha moved around to her side and, true to his word, Luke had left a pair of black and cream Manolo Blahnik evening shoes, and a matching clutch bag. Martha jumped up and down and giggled like a little girl. They were perfect. Kicking off her flip flops, she carefully slid her feet inside the shoes. She screwed her eyes shut, scared in case they didn’t fit, but Luke had clearly done his homework and they fitted perfectly. She walked towards the mirror, enjoying the sexy feeling they gave her, their height giving a swing to her hips. As she looked at the shoes from different angles, Martha spotted another card which had been tucked behind the top of the mirror. She let out a giggle, knowing that Luke would never stop amazing her.
Your new underwear is in the top drawer xx
Grinning widely, Martha opened the drawer to find some purple tissue paper with her name on it. She took it out and placed it on the bed next to the dress. She carefully unwrapped the folds of paper, wondering how tiny the underwear would be, because if she knew Luke it would probably be miniscule. She smiled, surprised by what she found. It wasn’t ‘barely there’ underwear, it was a delicate, sophisticated black lace strapless bra and shorts, the sort of underwear that she knew would give her a fantastic cleavage and hug her bum cheeks enticingly. Luke had obviously taken note when they’d been shopping recently, as she’d looked at something similar in a designer underwear shop, but it had been too expensive and she’d refused to let Luke buy it for her.
Looking around at all the beautiful things and the effort that he’d made, Martha’s heart swelled as she felt herself fall in love with him all over again. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve it, but to Martha, it didn’t matter why he’d done it, he was simply incredible.
As seven o’ clock approached, Martha made her way down the stairs. Everything had fitted perfectly and she felt sexy, sophisticated and extremely loved. As she reached the bottom stair Lucia and Noah came out from the lounge. Noah let out a wolf whistle.
“Blimey Martha,” he laughed. “If I wasn’t in love with your daughter, well I’d…”
