Ruby's Palace

by KERRY BARNES

  The sadness had lifted a little and Kizzy had found her spirit again. The mourners had given her a great deal of respect, and she held her head up high, and Ocean – well, he didn’t know which way to turn. He was still the handsome man and she loved how he had touched her cheek and kissed her lips. It wasn’t like before, when he rudely fumbled to get his oats. But she was wary, as one slip of her guard and she would be in his clutches and sobbing into the latest Mills and Boon book.

  The mourners slipped away, saying their goodbyes. Kizzy then realised that it was her place to stay to the end and wish everyone a safe journey. Even Johnnie left, his arm still very painful, as he needed to go to sleep. “Ahh, my gal, you did Vi proud, and me. Come and visit soon.”

  “I will, Dad. Of course, you can always come and visit here, stay a while, rest your bones.” She smiled.

  A lump gripped his throat. She had called him dad again. She didn’t always but she liked to, just now and then, to remind him she loved him.

  Billy, Farley and Levi left, still talking over the plans they had drunkenly put together.

  Ocean’s mother and sisters had gone earlier that evening. They weren’t the type to drink too much and overstay their welcome.

  The last stragglers departed and Kizzy made her way down the moonlit lane, going over the night’s events.

  “Kizzy gal.”

  She turned to see the silhouette of Ocean; his perfectly shaped body and fair waves were set against the moonlight. She felt excited but also afraid. She wanted to be in control. But knowing he could melt her heart so quickly sent her into a silent panic.

  “Oh, hello there.”

  “Let me walk you home. It’s dark. Anything could happen to you,” he said as he skipped by her side. Not waiting for an answer, he just walked beside her.

  “Beautiful evening!”

  Kizzy knew he was trying to be romantic.

  “Um,” she said.

  “You’re beautiful!” he stated.

  Kizzy blushed. She hadn’t felt attractive in years. But she was.

  “You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen.” His voice was so serious.

  She felt a lump in her throat and knew she would have to fight hard to stop those big, fat, juicy tears from rolling.

  “I never stopped loving you,” he said, with so much conviction. Well, so it seemed to her. But he was just older and cleverer in his manipulation. He thought she was stunning and right now he loved her, but all those years ago he didn’t. She was pretty then and he could shag her at a moment’s notice. All he wanted back then was recognition and respect from the other men, and throwing Kizzy to the floor had given him that. That night, when he had gone to bed, he felt a twinge of guilt. When they had sent Kizzy away, he soon realised she was the one person who respected him and he missed her attention.

  “If you never stopped loving me, then why didn’t you come for me? Why did you leave me for four years?”

  There was a silence as they faced each other. He looked into her eyes and could see the hurt. It was the same expression she’d had when he had thrown her to the floor and kicked the dust in her face. She had longed for him to come and get her but instead he went off, shagging all and sundry. With a lump in his throat, and an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame, he lowered his eyes.

  Kizzy tried to hold back the tears but couldn’t. As she saw the water fill his eyes and glisten from the light of the moon, she sobbed in his arms.

  “I’m so sorry, Kiz.” Ocean’s voice cracked as he cried. He didn’t know if it was the drink or the fact he really had let the best thing in his life go. When the tears eventually stopped, he put his arm around her shoulders and walked her to her home.

  They sat in her gleaming new caravan, sipping coffee and talking. He didn’t attempt to get her into bed. She wasn’t a shagging toy anymore. She was a woman who deserved so much more. He stayed that night – but in Violet’s van, not wanting chins to wag in the morning. He never wanted to hurt Kizzy again.

  She got up early to see to her horses, feeling better. With her black wellies and her flowing white muslin dress, she headed across the field. Her long hair was left loose; tying it back so tightly gave her a headache.

  Ocean watched her from the caravan. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as he gazed in awe at her smooth, tanned skin and those black locks blowing in the wind. It didn’t take long to catch up with her in the field.

  “Good morning!”

  Kizzy was startled. “Oh, hello, Ocean.”

  She looked even more beautiful as the morning sun reflected on her fresh, clear complexion.

  “Can I help you?” he asked, standing rather awkwardly, with his hands in his back pockets and his white shirt open.

  Kizzy couldn’t help but look at his chest. She loved the pictures in the magazines of the boys with their shirts undone. He could have been a model. There was a magnetic sexual tension between the two of them. It was something which Ocean had never experienced before but she had. She had felt it when she was fifteen, every time he had looked her way. Now he had it; he wanted her to kiss him, to love him, to be his. She wanted the same but she wouldn’t be so easy, not now, not this time.

  “Yeah, I need to check them over.”

  “What are you checking them for?” he asked.

  “I check my horses every morning and every night, for anything – ticks, sores. I have to make sure they are in good condition.”

  He knew then she was no ordinary girl: she had a passion in life and a connection to these horses. He watched in amazement as they gracefully walked over to her and allowed her to check them over. She didn’t have to call them, they came to her. He looked at Kizzy and watched her movements. They were as elegant as her beasts and what he noticed even more was the bond between the animals and her. Then, he realised, when she was shunned from the site, it was the horses which gave her respect and unconditional love.

  “Kizzy…” He took her arm and said, “I am sorry for what I did to you, and maybe, truthfully, I didn’t love you properly then, but I love you now.”

  She smiled. He was being honest because, deep down, she had known all along.

  “Kiz, I’m gonna go home out of respect. I have wanted no one as much as I want you right now.”

  “It was good to see you again, Ocean, and thank you for being so truthful. I knew you didn’t love me, and it was my fault for hurting so bad all those years.”

  Her soft words pulled at his heart strings.

  “Goodbye, my Kizzy gal.”

  They stared at each other before he touched her cheek and gently brushed her lips. Her heart pounded. She thought he would feel the drumming next to his bare chest. She wanted him to hold her tight, as if he would never let go. Her hand reached up and stroked the soft waves at the back of his head and she felt him quiver. She was in control. He kissed her, this time with passion.

  “Oh God, Kizzy, I want you so bad, I can’t stop looking at you. I’m sorry, I need you.” He sounded out of breath. His emotions were so high she had literally taken the wind out of him.

  This time she kissed him with a womanly force, with a passion which had festered for four years. A kiss that had waited to be planted on Ocean’s lips for so long.

  He pulled away and stared at her. “Kizzy, be my gal. I love you!”

  She drew him back and kissed him again, running her hands up his neck and down his tight chest.

  He laid her on the floor and touched her face. “Do you want me, Kizzy? Because I can wait until you are ready.”

  She smiled and slipped his shirt over his shoulder and gazed at his golden waves, tumbling down his neck. His piercing eyes were drawing her in and now her body was aching for him.

  He looked down at her breasts, just visible through the muslin. Slowly, he removed her dress. Even her figure had changed from the little girl she once was. Unable to get enough of her, he touched and kissed every inch of her womanly body.

  They lay in the grass as the warm
summer sun blanketed their skin. Kizzy wondered, now he had got his way, if she would ever see him again, but she wasn’t afraid anymore. If he didn’t come back, then she would move on. If he did, then it would be on her terms. Ocean didn’t want to leave. He wanted her to be with him, in his arms, forever.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The latest Palace was quick to fill. Dan and Sam had upped the marketing and even the radio stations were advertising the clubs. But, as for the new Palace, they waited until the day of the opening to reveal the name. Before the doors opened, the family arrived in limousines. Even Bill and Mary had dressed to impress and had come along just to see the look of joy on their grandchildren’s faces. Jack and Ruby had no idea. Now they were of age, they assumed they could join in the celebratory launch. The warehouse style building was completely overhauled. The outside was painted in a light grey, with a purple awning protruding from the door. On either side were thick silver ropes with a red carpet which ran along the centre. Spotlights shone from the floor to illuminate the club and two shone directly at the sign, which was not turned on. A doorman came out with a tray of glasses and Dan did the honours of popping the champagne. The family gathered as Dan gave a small speech. “As a family we work together, we stick together, and we look after our own. So, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Jack and Ruby to their own Palace.”

  Ruby gasped. “What!”

  Jack’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  Sam placed an arm around his son’s shoulders. “Yes, boy. You two now have your own club.”

  Bill, Mary and Francesca were wiping their tears whilst Ruby gazed in shock. Suddenly, the lights came on and there, across the top of the building, was the illuminated sign: Ruby’s Palace.

  Jack grabbed his sister and they jumped up and down, hugging each other in excitement. Both were crying.

  Ruby had always hoped one day to manage a nightclub, but never in her wildest dreams imagined owning one at such a young age.

  “Oh my God, it actually says Ruby’s Palace,” she squealed.

  Fred laughed. “Well, on paper, it’s Jack and Ruby’s Palace, but we thought, as a name, Ruby’s Palace has a certain ring to it.”

  “I love it!” exclaimed Jack, winking at his sister.

  It wasn’t long before they could run the club without the help of their father and uncles. Growing up in the business and helping out at the Palaces, Ruby picked up all the do’s and don’ts to make her club just as successful as those run by her family. She was tough when it came to hiring and firing, being perfectly capable of standing up for herself. Jack let his sister take charge. She was a good manager with a no nonsense approach. She enjoyed the bossy position but never complained when Dan or Sam popped in to check everything was in order. She respected them and was grateful they had given her the opportunity.

  Jack was Head of Security and he enjoyed his role. Few people took a chance with him. A big lump now at twenty-two, he had the cute Vincent look, similar to his Uncle Fred but built like his father, tall and solid.

  The queues to get in on a Saturday night stretched far down the road, and it took longer with Jack on the door, due to the young women flirting with him. Unlike his uncles, he was shy when it came to the ladies and not inclined to bed a new girl every night.

  Ruby hadn’t dated very many men either. Her love was the club and she had little time for affairs. She needed to run her ship and keep it afloat to show her family she could do it. Not that they judged her, but she felt duty bound.

  Ruby’s Palace had been open a good six months and the money rolled in. The scene was young: over twenty ones only. Jack had sourced the best DJ. In fact, he went to Ibiza to find him, so the club hit the ground running.

  One night, Ruby arrived late, which was unusual for her. Normally she’d be the first to open up.

  “My fucking car has cut out again. I’m sending that bastard to its grave,” she snapped, as Jack opened the door to let her inside.

  “Run out of juice again, has it?” he laughed.

  “Well that’s what the AA man said. Quite frankly, it should have a light come on when it’s low, to give me warning!”

  “Rubes, when the little hand rests on empty, that should tell you it needs fucking filling up,” snapped Jack.

  “I don’t like the car anyway; it just isn’t me.”

  Jack rolled his eyes, aware his sister was after a new BMW and she would no doubt get one.

  She strutted in front of him, dressed in a figure-hugging silver satin dress, puffing on a Marlborough Light.

  “Rubes, you need to quit the fags. It will fuck you up.”

  “Jack, listening to your whinging will fuck me up,” she snapped.

  He shook his head. His sister acted so sharp sometimes but he loved her nevertheless, and was also very proud of her.

  “Ruby…”

  “What now?” she replied, standing with her hands on her hips.

  He giggled. “You have still got your nightdress on.”

  Taking a deep breath, she sighed. “Jack, you are so pathetic. If that’s meant to be funny then you need to go back to joke school.”

  She headed for the bar, smiling. She loved her brother really and she liked the way he looked out for her. But she wouldn’t be her if she didn’t give him stick.

  Like her Uncle Dan, she made a thorough overall inspection before the doors opened, checking all the staff were tidy and alert, the tables clean, and the shelves filled to capacity with every possible drink. She did the same every Saturday night. She gazed around the huge dance floor and beamed with pride. Unlike Dan’s Palace, with separate sections for pole dancing and gambling, Ruby’s Palace was large but simple. There were no VIP lounges; instead, American diner style seats and tables lined the walls. It was for the younger clientele to have fun and spend money. There were no dolly birds touting champagne and no cheap alcopops either. She hired two cocktail waiters who were part of the entertainment – juggling the shakers and drawing in the crowds.

  Jack had two men on the door and three other bouncers on the floor. The dress code was no jeans. The men were searched and the women had to open their handbags. As punters came rolling in, a man in his early twenties walked over to Ruby who was behind the bar. “’Ello, sexy, get us six Bacardi and cokes.” He winked and glanced back at his mates huddled around the table. They looked over, sticking their thumbs up. He obviously thought she was one of the bar staff and they had placed a silly bet on who could get her into bed.

  “Sadie, would you serve this gentleman?” said Ruby to the new girl, who grinned and stood in front of the man.

  “’Ere, love, what’s wrong with you getting my drink. Aren’t I good enough?”

  “Listen, darling, my job ain’t to serve,” she curtly replied as she went to walk into the back room.

  Sadie leaned across and whispered, “She is Ruby Vincent and she owns the Palace. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of her.”

  “Oh yeah, bit of a taskmaster, is she?”

  Sadie giggled, taken with the guy’s sexy wink. She leaned closer and said, “Yeah, a right bitch by all accounts. It’s my first night, so I’m just going to smile sweetly and keep out of her way.”

  The young man nodded, carefully balancing the glasses as he headed back to his mates.

  Ruby was in earshot. She stopped at the gangway before entering the office and heard Sadie’s comment. Without causing a scene, she waited for the punter to carry his drinks away before she approached her. “So I’m a bitch, am I?” She stood with her hands on her hips and a snarl on her face.

  “Oh, sorry! Nah, I was only joking.” Sadie flushed crimson with embarrassment.

  “Right little bitch by all accounts, eh? So tell me, by whose accounts were you referring to?”

  “I’m sorry, Ruby, I was just flirting. I meant nothing by it – no one at all.” Sadie needed to keep her job. They were paying top dollar and she could only work nights to juggle the babysitting arrangements. “I am s
orry, really. I heard Jack call you it earlier, that’s all.”

  “Well, there is only one person in this entire club who gets away with calling me a bitch, and that’s him. I can’t have people wrapped around me who have no fucking respect, so best you grab your coat and do one.”

  Sadie’s eyes welled up. She so desperately needed the money. “Look, please forgive me. It will never happen again. I really need this job, my boys… well, we are in a mess.”

  Ruby’s face softened. “Your boys?”

  “Yeah, me ol’ man pissed off, took our savings, and I have to work evenings, cos that’s the only time me neighbour can babysit or I’d be potless.”

  “So how old are your boys?” asked Ruby, in a gentler tone.

  “One and two, babies they are. Truth is, I did get a bit cocky out there. I ain’t been out to a nightclub before, so I guess I got carried away. I don’t think you’re a bitch. Everyone seems to love it here so, if I gave you the impression the staff were talking about you behind your back, ignore me, ‘cos it ain’t true.” A tear escaped and she wiped her nose.

  “All right, Sadie, those girls over there need serving. Come and see me at the end of your shift.”

  Sadie smiled and hoped she was forgiven.

  Ruby was checking an outstanding order when she heard a commotion in the club. As she headed for the dance floor, she could see some bouncers trying to separate two bleached blondes fighting hammer and tongs over some sleazy guy.

  “Bar them. Make sure you take them down the road away from me club,” said Ruby.

  Jimmy and Jeff nodded, as they continued to grip tightly the skinny, wriggling women.

  “I ain’t going nowhere. Me ol’ man’s ‘ere somewhere!” spat the bigger of the two.

  Ruby went to within an inch of the woman’s nose and whispered, “If you don’t go quietly, I will make sure you won’t have a mouth left to say another word, got it?”

  The women saw more bouncers approaching and decided to leave of their own accord.