Ruby

by Heather Burnside

  Tiffany laughed. ‘You never know, she might surprise you and greet me with open arms. Maybe she’s always secretly dreamt of having a lesbian for a daughter-in-law.’

  Ruby couldn’t resist joining in with Tiffany’s laughter. When she’d stopped laughing, she said, ‘Seriously though, the whole situation with my mam is awkward. She still hasn’t got a clue what I do for a living. For the last few years she thinks I’ve been working in a nightclub. I couldn’t tell her I worked in a restaurant anymore; she kept bloody wanting to visit me there. At least I know she’s not into nightclubs.’

  ‘I don’t know how you’ve kept it up all these years,’ said Tiffany, ‘especially when you’re round there visiting her every week. Anyway, we’ll have to come up with something about where to live,’ she added, looking once again to Ruby for the answers. ‘What about Victor? Can he not find us a place?’

  ‘I told you, he left me to look for a property because he was too busy with his other businesses. And, to be honest, Tiffany, I don’t want him to think I can’t hack it. After all, he’d be putting me in charge so I need to prove myself. He asked how things were going last time I saw him and when I said I still hadn’t found anywhere he looked well disappointed.’

  ‘OK, what about other cities then? Liverpool or Leeds maybe?’

  Ruby replied despondently, her voice low and drawn. ‘We’d be starting from scratch. I mean, which of our clients would want to go all that way? Besides, I think Victor will want it based in Manchester. After all, that’s where he lives and it’s where most of his contacts are. And there’s no guarantee that we’d find a property any easier in another city.’

  ‘Erm,’ said Tiffany, but she failed to come up with any other suggestions.

  ‘Come on; let’s watch a bit of TV. Maybe we’ll think of something tomorrow,’ said Ruby, switching on the television and glancing at Emmerdale on the screen. She wanted an end to the conversation, which was only making her feel tenser as she realised how dire their situation was becoming.

  Later, they were just clearing up the dirty pots when they heard a knock on the door and Tiffany went to answer it.

  ‘If it’s that bastard landlord or her from across the hall, I’m gonna make them wish they hadn’t bothered,’ Ruby grumbled as she listened to Tiffany padding down the hall then returned to the living room and topped up their glasses.

  But she could tell by the way Tiffany greeted their visitor and the distant sound of a familiar man’s voice that this wasn’t a grudge call. Within seconds Tiffany was standing in front of her with Victor in the background.

  ‘Hi, Victor,’ said Ruby, with an inquisitive tone to her voice as she stood up to greet him.

  Victor was all smiles as he returned the greeting and she guessed that he had made a surprise visit expecting her services. ‘I’m sorry, Victor but…’ She paused, indicating the glasses of wine in front of her, ‘we’re having a night off.’

  ‘No, it’s OK,’ said Victor.

  As the words spilt out of him while his head bobbed excitedly up and down Ruby wondered, not for the first time, how he managed to cut it as a successful businessman. But appearances could be deceiving she supposed and, from what he had told her, he was certainly sharp when it came to business.

  ‘I’m actually here to share some exciting news with you,’ he continued, ‘well, that is, presuming you haven’t already found a new place.’

  Ruby sat up, her attention now fully on Victor. ‘No, actually we were just talking about that. We’ve looked at loads of places but none of them were any good for what we want.’

  ‘That’s alright, because I think I’ve found somewhere that will be just the job. It’s above a nightclub in Manchester. North. Do you know it?’

  Ruby was smiling now, remembering with fondness the nights she’d spent in North as a teenager when she’d first started on the game and was still discovering the world around her. She had enjoyed watching some of the characters that frequented the nightclub and had been fascinated by the behaviour of its many eccentric patrons.

  Appropriately based in the bohemian Northern Quarter, North was edgier than the more popular Manchester clubs and had a diverse clientele ranging from wide boys and gangsters to legitimate businessmen and the occasional minor celebrity. The lure of North stemmed from its appeal to a wide range of people of different ages and its laidback vibe. The music was also varied, from chart toppers to dance club classics; in fact, anything that people would want to dance to. And, as somewhere at which to base an upstairs brothel, it was ideal.

  ‘Course I know it,’ said Ruby. ‘I’ve had some wicked nights out there.’

  ‘I bet you have,’ said Tiffany. Then she laughed. ‘Me too.’

  The girls couldn’t hide their excitement. ‘It’s a decent sized club, Victor. What’s it like upstairs?’ asked Ruby.

  ‘Oh, the upstairs is a good size too.’ Then he seemed to leer across at her as he said, ‘It’ll be perfect, I think, but it’ll need some work. Don’t worry about that though; I’ll meet any costs as long as you send me itemised bills.’

  Ignoring the creepy feeling that Victor sometimes aroused in her, Ruby focused instead on the prospect of having a building they could use. ‘It sounds like you’ve done well, Victor. How the bloody hell did you wangle it?’

  Victor tapped the side of his nose with his finger. ‘A friend of mine owns the nightclub. He’s selling off the upstairs part of the building to raise funds for another business venture.’

  ‘Won’t he mind about it being a brothel?’ asked Ruby.

  Victor grinned in his usual leering manner. ‘No, in fact, he’ll positively welcome it. He’ll probably even send a few customers in our direction.’

  ‘When can we go and see it?’ asked Tiffany.

  ‘I’ll find out when I can get hold of the keys then let you know when to arrange an appointment.’

  ‘Brilliant,’ said Ruby. ‘This sounds like a celebration.’ Then she picked up the bottle of wine. ‘Fancy a glass?’

  ‘No, no, not for me,’ said Victor, his words spilling hastily from him again. Then he made a show of looking at his watch, his head twitching as he did so. ‘There’s somewhere I need to be but I just thought I’d drop by first to give you the good news.’

  ‘Brilliant!’ Ruby looked across at Tiffany and smiled. ‘We really appreciate it. Thanks very much.’

  Then Victor bid them goodbye, promising to get in touch soon, and was gone. Ruby could tell from his eagerness to get away that he was probably on the way to meet another of his girls. She left Tiffany to see him to the door. Then, as soon as Tiffany walked back into the lounge, Ruby jumped up off the sofa, ran over to her girlfriend and threw her arms around her.

  ‘Hurrah! Good old Victor,’ she yelled.

  For precious moments the girls jumped around the room cheering and yelling at the top of their voices.

  Then Tiffany stopped all of a sudden. ‘Shush. What about the neighbours?’ she whispered.

  ‘Fuck the neighbours,’ said Ruby, pointing the V sign in the direction of her neighbour across the hallway and pulling faces as she continued jumping up and down and laughing. ‘We’re out of here anyway in just over a week so what have we got to lose?’

  Tiffany laughed too but when she calmed down, she said, ‘We should really see it first before we get too excited.’

  Ruby smiled enigmatically. ‘I don’t think it’ll be a problem, Tiff. That Victor’s no fool no matter what he might look like. And if he says it’s a goer, then it’s a fuckin’ goer. She held the bottle of wine up once more, and shook it around to illustrate the small amount remaining in the bottom of the bottle. ‘Come on, girl; let’s grab another bottle from the kitchen. This is a celebration!’

  30

  September 2007

  After weeks of refurbishment, the club was almost ready. Ruby couldn’t believe her luck as she glanced around the waiting area of the massage parlour (or ‘the club’ as she preferred to call it). It met her
vision precisely, striking the right balance of plush and inviting as well as sultry and seductive, and she couldn’t have been more pleased.

  The sumptuous carpet was deep pink and the room was lined with burgundy Chesterfields. In the corner was a coffee machine where clients could grab a complimentary coffee and then sit down on the comfy sofas while the girls made them welcome. The walls were painted cream and the ceiling was dotted with rose-coloured, dimmed spotlights, giving the room a warm glow. The tasteful prints adorning the walls and the potted plants standing in large pots added to the room’s homely feel.

  As soon as she and Tiffany had viewed the rooms above North nightclub, Ruby had known they were what she was looking for. True to his word, Victor had found them the perfect place; it was a little run down and in need of a makeover, but in terms of the number and size of the rooms, it was ideal. There was even an area that could easily be separated from the club for Ruby and Tiffany to use as their own private apartment. As well as a refurb, the place had wanted a great deal of imagination but, as Ruby walked around the building, ideas started to form in her mind.

  Ruby knew there was still a bit of work to be done in her own apartment and one or two of the other rooms, but that wouldn’t take long, and they would soon be up and running.

  At Victor’s advice, Ruby had officially named the place Ruby’s Massage Parlour due to UK laws against running a brothel. But there was an unwritten understanding between the management, the girls and the customers that the services on offer included far more than massage.

  ‘Ruby’s Dungeon’ was inconspicuously situated in an attic room at the top of the building accessed via a door marked, ‘Private’. Another private door led to Ruby and Tiffany’s living quarters, which were also at the top of the building, but separate from the dungeon. Only Ruby and Tiffany had keys to the private rooms.

  Now, Ruby was sitting in the waiting area with Tiffany, getting a feel for the place while they waited for their visitor, Rose, to arrive. It wasn’t long before Ruby heard the sound of heels tapping on the stairs and she guessed Rose was here. The sight of a voluptuous blonde confidently announcing her arrival told her she had guessed right.

  ‘Come and take a seat,’ said Ruby, trying to act cool but secretly delighted at Rose’s appearance.

  Rose was aged around thirty and very well-maintained. She was average height with blonde, straight hair and her attractive features were defined by heavy but skilfully applied makeup. Ruby imagined that, apart from the liberal application of makeup, Rose had probably had some cosmetic help with her looks, which were a little too perfect but nevertheless attractive.

  Likewise, Rose’s figure was like something out of a playboy’s dream; huge breasts, tiny waist, flat stomach and rounded, well-toned hips. The whole package was displayed in a low-cut, figure-hugging dress that sat just above the knee.

  The only thing that marred Rose was her voice, which was loud and high-pitched. I guess there are some things that even plastic surgery can’t put right, thought Ruby sardonically but, nevertheless, she was thrilled by everything else about Rose. Even before the interview began Ruby knew she wanted Rose working for her. The punters would love her!

  ‘We’re holding interviews here for now,’ Ruby said, trying to maintain a professional approach despite her excitement at the thought of having Rose on the books. ‘Some of the rooms are still being refurbished. Would you like a coffee then I’ll tell you a bit about how we operate?’

  Rose declined a drink so Ruby began explaining things straightaway. ‘We operate as a massage parlour, but you’re free to offer extra services to the clients. We’ll take a daily fee from you for use of the room, and we’ll manage the bookings. If you receive any private bookings then you’ll have to let us know so that we can put them in the diary to avoid double-booking.’

  Rose stared wide-eyed at Ruby, her eyelashes fluttering intermittently, as Ruby went through all of the procedure before asking her about herself. It turned out that Rose had been in the industry for a number of years and had recently worked at another brothel in the city until it was shut down. That meant that she already had her own clients who would continue to visit her at Ruby’s brothel.

  The interview couldn’t have gone better and, after she had asked Rose whether she was happy with the rates and the set-up, Ruby offered her the job straightaway. She and Tiffany then watched as Rose wiggled her way out of the room and down the stairs out of the building.

  ‘Wow!’ said Tiffany, once Rose was gone. ‘I wish all the girls looked like that.’

  ‘OK, calm the fuck down,’ said Ruby, whose attempt at light-heartedness missed the mark.

  Tiffany giggled, ‘I’m thinking about business,’ she said. ‘Why, what are you thinking?’

  Ruby smiled back. ‘That she’s a fuckin’ good catch for a new brothel. But don’t worry about the other girls. We’ve got a good selection. Don’t forget, not all the clients have got the same tastes. Some like more of a natural look.’

  ‘True,’ said Tiffany who giggled again. ‘She is fuckin’ gorgeous though, isn’t she?’

  Ruby thumped Tiffany playfully on the arm. She couldn’t help but feel a little jealous when she saw her girlfriend admiring other women. But she knew she needn’t have worried; Rose was obviously not gay as she’d mentioned a male partner and, besides, she knew Tiffany only had eyes for her.

  As she sat there with Tiffany, admiring the cosy ambience of her waiting area and thinking about the imminent opening of her very own brothel, Ruby felt like her life couldn’t possibly get any better. She had everything she could ever have wished for; a partner who loved her unconditionally and her own business, which not only gave her independence but was also going to make her very rich. She couldn’t wait to open her doors to the public and get things started.

  *

  Aaron Gill was lying back on his prison bunk smoking a joint and chatting to his cellmate who was in the bunk below. He’d been inside for over two and a half years now and was much calmer following regular sessions with a prison counsellor. His appearance was still slim thanks to the coke that he managed to get hold of inside. But he wasn’t quite as skinny as before due to the unhealthy prison food and the large amount of time spent inactive.

  He had adapted to life on the inside, disguising his middle-class accent for the street talk he had used in his role as Gilly, pimp and drug user. He was wise enough to realise that he’d fit in much better that way. Gilly had also kept his nose clean while he’d been on the inside, knowing that it would lead to an earlier release.

  When he’d viciously beaten up Crystal and left her for dead, he’d really lost the plot. But that level of violence and anger, which had led to his incarceration, was no longer evident. Gilly also knew that it didn’t pay to dwell on the reasons why he was here in the first place – the fact that he’d lost the woman he adored, Maddy, thanks to that silly cow, Crystal, and her obsession with him. And the fact that her bitch of a mate, Ruby, had grassed him up.

  Maddy had been perfect, and so different from the girls he normally dealt with. He had never revealed his real identity to her, knowing she’d run a mile if she found out she was seeing a pimp and drug user. But then Crystal had given the game away, convinced in her own stupid mind that he was two-timing her.

  He’d already dealt with Crystal, but Ruby was another matter and the bitter feelings about what Ruby had done gnawed at his insides. Gilly recognised that it wouldn’t take much for those feelings to result in a violent rage. Every time he thought about it the adrenalin pumped furiously through his body, the veins on his neck protruding and his hands clenching in tight fists. But he held himself in check each time he spotted the signs, carrying out his mind exercises just like his counsellor had taught him.

  ‘Tell you what,’ Gilly said to his cellmate, ‘I can’t fuckin’ believe I’ve only been in this dump for two and a half years. It’s gonna be years yet before I can fuck off out of here.’

  ‘No worries, mate, it
’ll come round quicker than you think. You still gonna sort out the bitch that put you in here?’ his cellmate asked, picking up on Gilly’s thoughts.

  Gilly grinned to himself. ‘Sure, but I’d be mad to fuckin’ lose it again and end up back in here… Oh no, I’m gonna play it a bit more cagey this time. But, don’t you worry, one way or another, I’ll get the bitch.’

  31

  September 2007

  ‘Ruby, Victor’s here,’ said Tiffany as she led him to the desk where Ruby was taking the bookings. The club had now been running for a few days and Victor had called in to see how things were going.

  Ruby looked up from her computer, pleased when she saw Victor’s reaction as he strolled through the waiting area, eyeing up the girls as well as the décor, with a beaming smile on his face.

  ‘Well, well,’ he said, smiling. ‘You have done a good job.’

  ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet,’ said Ruby. ‘Wait till you see the rest of the rooms.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ he said, looking over to where the girls were seated.

  Ruby picked up on his thoughts. ‘Come on, I’ll introduce you to the girls first. I’ve asked them all to come in especially so they can meet you.’

  They walked over to two of the Chesterfields where the girls were seated, chatting animatedly. As they approached Ruby could sense Victor’s mounting excitement. His pace had quickened and his head was twitching.

  ‘Girls, this is Victor, the owner,’ said Ruby. ‘He’s here to meet you all.’

  A couple of the girls looked shocked. Ruby understood their reaction; Victor wasn’t exactly what you would have expected from a brothel owner, his nervous twitching belying his status as a shrewd businessman. But then the glamorous Rose stood up and held out her hand, and Victor leered in appreciation.

  Ruby introduced her. ‘This is Rose. She’s come from Denny’s place so she already has her own clients.’