Ruby

by Heather Burnside

  36

  July 1998

  It was a few weeks later. Although it was late afternoon Trina was still in bed as she’d worked till the early hours. She was about to get up when she heard a loud knocking on the front door. She waited for some moments to see if Shelley would answer it. But the knocking continued so Trina slung on her dressing gown, wiped the sleep from her eyes and went to see who it was.

  She was surprised to find an angry looking middle-aged man on the other side of the door. He was tall and balding but, despite his age, he had a powerful frame. His stance was rigid and his expression stony.

  ‘Where is she?’ he demanded. ‘And who the hell are you?’

  Trina’s first thought was that it might be a client who had somehow found his way to the flat and she immediately became cautious. ‘Wait there a minute. I’ll go and get her,’ she said, as she tried to shut the door.

  The man jammed his foot inside the door to stop it closing. ‘Oh no you bloody well won’t! ‘I know your game; you’ll leave me standing here.’ He began pushing his way past Trina. ‘It’s my bloody property and I’ve as much right to be here as anyone. More so, in fact. Who the bloody hell are you anyway?’

  His attitude annoyed Trina and she was about to tell him that she also had every right to be there as she was Shelley’s flatmate. But something held her back. This angry man was obviously the landlord. What if Shelley hadn’t told him about her? He might want more money if he knew a second person lived there or he might even throw her out for living there without his permission.

  So Trina chose her words carefully. ‘I… I’m Shelley’s friend.’

  The man eyed her suspiciously, his eyes taking in what she was wearing, as he continued to barge past her and made his way into the hall.

  Trina quickly explained the reason for her dressing gown. ‘Shelley let me stay over last night.’ Then she followed him through to the lounge.

  ‘Hang on here, I’ll see if she’s in her room,’ she said, leaving the landlord pacing around the lounge.

  Trina could find no sign of Shelley either in her bedroom or the rest of the flat so she went back to face the landlord. ‘She’s not in; she must have gone out while I was still in bed.’

  ‘How bloody convenient when she owes me two month’s rent.’

  ‘Really?’ asked Trina, knowing this would affect her, and failing to hide her disquiet.

  ‘Oh yes, and it’s not the first time. It’s not as if I haven’t tackled her about it either. She told me on the phone that she’d be here with it when I called and instead I find she’s gone AWOL and got a bloody stranger staying here. So where the bloody hell is she?’

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ said Trina. ‘Like I said, she must have gone out while I was still in bed.’

  The landlord plonked himself down on the sofa. ‘Right, well I’ll just have to wait until she gets back. Any idea when that might be?’

  Trina knew that Shelley might not be back till the early hours especially if she had gone somewhere and then straight on to work afterwards. But she wasn’t about to discuss Shelley’s occupation with the landlord. ‘I… I don’t know. It could be a while though.’

  ‘That’s OK, I can wait.’

  For a moment Trina stood awkwardly in the lounge not knowing what to do. She didn’t usually get easily intimidated, but this man was scary. He was also the person who owned the home where she was living so she knew she had to exercise caution. Trina wanted to get showered and dressed but she was nervous about leaving the landlord unattended in the flat. For all she knew he might take away some of their things to claw back part of the rent arrears.

  Thoughts of other scary men from her childhood flashed through her mind. Mr Dodds, the lecherous landlord who her mother had succumbed to in order to keep a roof over her heads, and the two burly bailiffs. She could still picture the bailiffs, one with red hair and a beard and the other with crooked teeth, their faces stern as they callously took possession of their things while her brothers cried and screamed and her mother looked so helpless. It would always stick in her mind; it was the first time she had heard her mother swear or seen her reduced to tears.

  Eventually she went through to the kitchen to make herself something to eat, leaving the man in the lounge and listening for any movement from him. She hoped he would get tired of waiting and go away. But after fifteen minutes he was still there, and Trina was becoming increasingly unnerved, a tight knot forming in her stomach. She stepped tentatively back into the lounge to find the landlord still stony faced and sitting on the sofa.

  ‘How much does she owe?’ she asked.

  ‘Eight hundred.’

  ‘Wow!’ Trina was shocked, especially as she had been paying Shelley her share of the rent on time every month. She thought about the cash she had hidden in her room. Maybe if she paid him some of the rent he would go away and leave her alone. ‘OK, to save you waiting I could give you some of the money and then get her to give you the rest.’

  ‘How much can you pay?’ he grumbled.

  ‘A hundred.’

  ‘Pffft! Do you think I was born yesterday? Eight hundred quid she owes me, and you’re offering me a poxy hundred?’

  ‘Alright, it isn’t my fault!’ snapped Trina. ‘I’m just trying to help out.’

  ‘Well, it’s not enough. I want at least half of it and then the rest from her tomorrow. It’s your bloody mate’s fault for leaving you here when she knew I was coming round.’

  ‘I don’t have that sort of money on me. I can do one-fifty but that’s it.’

  The landlord looked pensive for some moments. ‘OK, give me two hundred and I’ll collect the rest tomorrow.’

  Trina frowned. ‘Give me a minute,’ she said before going to her room for the money and handing it over to him.

  The landlord didn’t thank her. Instead he scowled as she passed the money over then said, ‘You can blame your mate for leaving you in the shit. So you’d better tell her to be here tomorrow when I come for the rest or I’ll be throwing her out.’

  Trina wasn’t happy with her flatmate at all. Shelley had known the landlord was calling round yet she had left her to face him. Not only that but Trina had to pay him some of her own money to appease him when she had already given Shelley her share of the rent.

  Apart from the issue with the rent, Trina had a more pressing problem. She had noticed over the weeks that money was continuing to go missing from her bedroom. The first time it had happened, she thought she might have made a mistake but now she was sure there was no mistake. Trina had taken to checking her money regularly and was certain that some of it had disappeared. It was usually ten pounds at a time, on two or three occasions a week.

  The previous night she’d arrived home from work later than Shelley who was already in bed. Trina had automatically checked her money, a habit she had got into lately. She was disturbed to find that this time there was twenty pounds missing.

  Trina was angry. There was only one person who could have taken the money. That person was Shelley, and Trina was determined to confront her about it. She’d have to tread lightly though as she didn’t want to risk upsetting her and having to leave after she’d invested so much time and money into turning the flat into a home.

  Trina had been determined to make the most of her time living there. As well as making her bedroom look more presentable, she had also painted the hallway and bought some cushions for the living room and a modern television stand. Despite Shelley promising to pay towards the things she had bought, Trina never received any money.

  She was beginning to see another side to Shelley, who was slovenly as well as irresponsible with money. Then there were the drugs. Since her awkward pass at Shelley, Trina had cut down drastically on her own drug and alcohol consumption, determined to maintain control so that she would never make the same mistake again. She had noticed over the weeks though that Shelley seemed to be taking more drugs, or maybe it was just more apparent to Trina now she was staying sober he
rself.

  Shelley’s drug abuse was affecting her moods as well. Sometimes she would be on a high but at other times she was depressed and irritable, which made her unpleasant to live with. In fact, ever since the night when Trina had made her pass at Shelley, the atmosphere had been strained between them.

  *

  Trina didn’t get chance to confront Shelley till the following day as she was in bed when Trina got home from work. Shelley walked into the living room late that morning wearing a scruffy dressing gown and looking tense, her hair messy, and remnants of last night’s makeup emphasising the stress lines on her face. Trina took in her untidy appearance; the girl she had fallen for was no longer evident and she eyed her with distaste.

  ‘Alright?’ asked Trina.

  Shelley muttered a moody ‘yeah’ in response while she dashed around the living room, pulling up cushions and opening drawers as though searching for something.

  Trina guessed that Shelley was feeling irritable as she hadn’t yet had her first fix of the day. She was tempted to leave things till later but decided against it. She had psyched herself up now and wanted to get the conversation over with.

  ‘I need to have a word with you,’ she began.

  ‘Can’t it wait?’ asked Shelley.

  ‘Not really,’ said Trina. ‘I’ve been waiting for you to get up so we can talk.’

  ‘OK, just give me a sec,’ said Shelley, her tone sharp. ‘I haven’t even had a drink yet.’

  Shelley went through to the kitchen then came back into the living room carrying a small bag but no drink. Then she sat down on the armchair over from Trina, dipped her finger inside the bag and held it to her nose, taking a snort of cocaine up each nostril. ‘Want some?’ she asked, offering the bag to Trina.

  ‘No thanks.’

  Shelley sniffed. ‘Suit yourself.’ Then she added, ‘Well, go on then. You can tell me while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil.’

  ‘I had the landlord round yesterday.’ She noticed Shelley blanch as though she had only just recalled his arrangement to call and collect the rent. ‘He says you’re two months overdue with the rent. Eight hundred quid you owe.’

  Shelley shrugged. ‘Maybe. I missed him once or twice but it’s no biggie.’

  ‘You could have fooled me. He came round here going ape shit! I had to pay him two hundred pounds before he’d go away. He’s coming back today for the rest.’

  Shelley smiled falsely. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll sort him out.’

  ‘And what about the two hundred quid you owe me? I shouldn’t have had to give him that when I’ve already paid you my share.’

  ‘You’ll get it, keep your hair on!’ Shelley snapped.

  ‘Some of my money’s been going missing as well,’ Trina said, determined to have it out with her now she’d started.

  Shelley pulled her shoulders back and frowned as if in surprise but the movement was exaggerated and false. ‘You sure?’

  ‘Definitely. I’ve been checking it regularly. Another twenty quid went missing the night before last while I was at work.’

  Shelley shrugged. ‘So, what you trying to say?’

  Trina paused and took a sharp breath. ‘Well, there’s only one person who it can be, Shelley, unless you had somebody else in the flat that night.’

  ‘No I fuckin’ didn’t!’ Shelley snapped. ‘I told you I don’t have clients back.’

  ‘In that case, it must be you who took it,’ said Trina, ‘and it’s not the first time either.’

  Shelley snapped again. ‘I haven’t touched your fuckin’ money! I earn plenty of my own. I don’t need yours.’

  ‘Well who took it then?’ demanded Trina.

  ‘I don’t know, do I?’

  For a few moments the conversation halted as both girls glared belligerently at each other. But Trina wasn’t prepared to leave it at that and have Shelley worm her way out of it like she did when she didn’t settle up with her for things she had bought for the flat.

  ‘It’s not on, Shelley. It’s got to stop!’ she said.

  ‘I’ve told you I’ve not had your fuckin’ money!’ yelled Shelley. ‘Don’t you dare come here laying down the law and accusing me of stealing.’

  ‘It has to be you. There’s no one else it can be. And you never pay me what you fuckin’ owe me either. I’m sick of it!’

  ‘Right, well if you’re sick of it, you know what you can do! Get your own fuckin’ place,’ shouted Shelley who then stormed out of the room.

  For a second Trina was tempted to follow her and put her straight about things. But then she wavered as she thought about her situation. She was lucky to still be living here after her ill-fated pass at Shelley. If she walked out now then she’d have all the hassle of having to find somewhere else to live. She didn’t really know anybody else who would put her up so she’d have to find a place of her own. But, at only sixteen, she didn’t really know how to go about it, and then there would be all the expense of having to start from scratch.

  In the end she decided to stay put for now but she’d have to find somewhere to hide her money to make sure Shelley couldn’t get hold of it anymore. And as for all the other expenditure, she wouldn’t buy anything for the house in future unless Shelley gave her the money up front.

  Hopefully, that should put an end to the money issues. But deep down she knew that the reason Shelley spent so much money was because she had a drug problem. And that was something that wasn’t going to go away. If Shelley continued to leave the rent unpaid then it was only a matter of time before Trina would be forced to move out.

  37

  November 2007

  ‘How was it?’ asked Ruby as Tiffany walked into their bedroom and slipped into bed beside her.

  ‘Good. No major problems and the takings were well up for a Tuesday night.’

  ‘Great,’ said Ruby, snuggling up to Tiffany from behind and draping her arm across her waist. ‘It just gets better, doesn’t it?’

  Tiffany muttered ‘erm’ and within seconds she was fast asleep, having worked the night shift on the reception desk. They had been open for several weeks now and the club was going from strength to strength.

  Most nights Ruby and Tiffany worked the reception desk together but they each had two nights off a week. Ruby also spent some time with her private clients who she entertained in her upstairs ‘dungeon’ while Tiffany ran the reception area alone.

  After a few hours’ sleep Ruby got up and went to make some breakfast. Her kitchen was stunning with polished granite work surfaces, top-of-the-range appliances and the latest gadgets. Like her previous flat, the rest of the apartment was tastefully decorated and furnished, except that, with her increased income, the furniture was even more high-end. Although Ruby and Tiffany’s private rooms were only up a flight of stairs from the rest of the club, they looked a million miles away.

  By the time Tiffany was out of bed, Ruby had fixed them each a dish of chopped fruit with bran and poured them both a glass of fresh orange. These days Ruby lived a healthy existence. Her healthy lifestyle was also reflected in her regular visits to the gym, which helped to maintain her strong, toned physique.

  ‘How are things with Victor nowadays?’ asked Tiffany when they sat down to eat.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You know, any more roaming hands?’

  ‘Oh no! There was only that first time when I showed him round but I soon put him straight.’ Then Ruby had a thought, ‘Why d’you ask? He hasn’t made a play for you, has he?’

  Tiffany smiled. ‘No, I think he’s probably frightened of what you’ll do if he dares to touch me.’

  ‘Good, so he should be. Anyway, I think he’s more than occupied now with trying out all the girls we’ve got available. He’s like a kid in a sweet shop and he loves the fact that he gets it all for nowt.’

  Tiffany pulled a face, displaying her repulsion. ‘I know,’ said Ruby. ‘Whatever turns you on, I suppose.’

  Ruby paused for a moment while s
he took a mouthful of cereal then she became pensive. ‘Y’know, Tiffany, we’ve been banging some money away in the last few weeks, haven’t we?’

  ‘Yeah, I know.’ Tiffany giggled. ‘We can’t fuckin’ spend it quick enough.’

  ‘Well, I was thinking,’ said Ruby. ‘Why don’t we carry on saving till we have a deposit for a place of our own?’

  ‘Really? Is that what you want?’ When Ruby nodded, Tiffany asked, ‘D’you think we’ll get a mortgage?’

  ‘Course we will. It’s not a brothel as far as the bank is concerned; it’s a massage parlour. Victor’s going to make sure it’s all done officially through an accountant so we’ll have proper accounts to show the bank.’

  ‘Sounds good. Do you not like it here then?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s handy being on the premises but… well… sometimes I think it would be nice to have our own home where we can get away from it all.’

  ‘Where are you thinking of moving to?’ asked Tiffany.

  ‘Somewhere nice, maybe Sale or Altrincham.’

  Tiffany beamed a smile at her. ‘Sound. I can’t wait,’ she said.

  *

  Later that evening Ruby, was manning the reception desk while Tiffany had a night off. They preferred to take time off on the quieter nights and manage the desk together at weekends when things were busier. Although it was a Wednesday, the nightclub was open to the public but, like the brothel, it was a quiet night for North. Ruby was enjoying the vibe from the nightclub, the beat of the dance music creating a party atmosphere. Don’t Cha by the Pussycat Dolls was just fading out when a new client came in through the door. Ruby took a good look at him as he walked over to the reception desk.

  The man was around forty, tall and quite good looking and had made an attempt at casual dress although his clothing seemed a bit too new and squeaky clean to be something that he wore regularly. He smiled confidently as he sauntered up to the reception desk.