“A grand.”
“A thousand pounds? You're bonkers.”
“The trick is not to think of it as real money.”
“Yeah. I'm not sure that's going to work.”
Suzy toyed with one of her chips as she watched Todd slide five of his onto the square labelled 'RED'. There were three other people at the same table: two men and one woman. The croupier glanced at Suzy who shook her head. It was mesmerising to watch the ball fly around the wheel. Suzy's heart was racing, and she didn't even have anything at stake. Todd couldn't have looked more relaxed.
“Fifteen, black.”
Just like that—he'd lost fifty pounds.
“Come on,” Todd said. “Place a bet.”
Suzy picked up a single chip and placed it on the square labelled 'EVEN'.
Before the croupier could spin the wheel, Todd had picked up another four chips from Suzy's pile, and placed them on top of the first one.
“Hey, they're mine.” Suzy said.
“You've got to make the bet worthwhile.”
The wheel seemed to spin for much longer this time.
“Twelve, red.”
“I won!” Suzy said much louder than she'd intended.
The other woman at the table shot her a look.
“How much do I win?”
“You double your money,” Todd said, just as the croupier slid another pile of five chips over to her.
“Bloody hell! I've won fifty quid!”
“Fun isn't it?”
“Let's leave,” Suzy said.
“We've only just started.”
“We might lose it.”
“Come on. Place another bet.”
Suzy slid five chips onto the square labelled 'RED'. Todd put a much larger pile of chips onto 'BLACK'.
“Are you crazy?” Suzy stared at the pile of chips. “That's two hundred quid.”
Todd shrugged, and beckoned one of the waitresses over. He and Suzy both took a glass of champagne as they watched the wheel spin.
“Twenty-four, black.”
“Come to daddy.” Todd grinned.
Suzy watched her chips being raked away.
It was scary just how quickly she forgot it was real money. After a brief winning spell, which saw her two hundred pounds to the good, she became reckless and lost four hundred pounds on two large bets.
“Let's quit while we've still got some left,” Suzy said staring at the now much smaller piles of chips”
“No way. I'm just getting warmed up.” Todd pushed all of his chips onto the square marked 'First 12'.
“What does that square mean?” Suzy asked.
“If it lands on any number between one and twelve—I win.”
Suzy's hands were trembling as she watched the ball fly around the wheel. It wasn't even her money, and yet she felt sick with nerves.
“Five, red.”
It took a moment for the words to register, but then Suzy turned to Todd.
“Fuck me!” she screamed. “You did it.”
Everyone, including the croupier, glared at her.
“Sorry, sorry.” Her cheeks reddened.
Todd ordered a whiskey for himself and a beer for Suzy.
“My turn,” Suzy pushed all of her chips on the square marked 'ODD'.
“Now you're getting into the swing of it,” Todd planted a kiss on her forehead.
“Odd, odd, odd,” Suzy said under her breath as the ball flew around and around the wheel. “Come on odd.”
“Eighteen, red.”
Suzy stared at the ball lodged in slot 'eighteen'.
“You lose.” Todd grinned.
“Five hundred quid,” Suzy said. “I've lost your five hundred quid. I got carried away. Sorry.”
“Don't worry about it. Plenty more where that came from.” Todd pulled a thick wad of fifty pound notes from his pocket.
“Don't change any more,” Suzy said, but he'd already slid the money over to the croupier.
“Three thousand pounds, sir.” The croupier slid a huge pile of chips back to Todd.
“Why don't you try the slot machines, honey?” Todd gave Suzy a handful of chips, and pointed to a huge bank of machines which stretched the full length of the back wall.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I'm feeling lucky here. Go on. I'll come and find you in a few minutes.”
Suzy felt conspicuous as she walked alone over to the slot machines. One middle-aged woman in particular gave her a disapproving look. In return, Suzy gave the woman a 'want a photo?' stare—daring the woman to say something.
The slot machines weren't like any she'd seen on Blackpool pier. For a start, none of them accepted cash. Instead, they took either a five or a ten pound chip. Suzy walked along the row of machines until she found one which took her fancy. It was the simplest one she could find—she didn't do complicated. Placing the pile of chips on the small shelf underneath the machine, she fed the first chip into the slot. The dials on the display showed only three different symbols: 'X', 'O' and a 'BAR'. Three ‘O’s paid two hundred pounds. Three ‘X’s paid five hundred pounds. Three 'BARS' paid one thousand pounds. Suzy pressed the button and watched the reels spin.
X
X
“Come on!” she said a little louder than she'd intended.
BAR
“Shit.”
Her next four spins met with no more success, but then:
O
O
O
“Holy shit!”
A bell rang and an avalanche of chips dropped into the tray. Suzy could barely contain her excitement. She scooped them up, and practically ran back towards the roulette table, but stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted a woman draped all over Todd. The long-legged blonde's skirt barely covered her knickers. The plunging neckline of her blouse revealed breasts which owed much to cosmetic surgery. The woman leaned forward to whisper something into Todd's ear.
Suzy marched over to the roulette table, and stood right behind the woman.
“Excuse me.” She tapped the woman on the shoulder.
“Yes?”
“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Suzy was all smiles.
“Sure.”
“Why don't you fuck off?” Suzy's smile had disappeared.
“Sorry?” The woman's face was a picture.
“I said FUCK OFF!”
The woman glanced at Todd who just shrugged his shoulders. After one last look at Suzy, the woman grunted something under her breath, and then hurried away.
“I won.” Suzy held out the pile of chips. “Two hundred smackeroo.”
“Smackeroo?”
“National currency of Suzyland. Good eh? Who was that tart?”
“She's a whore.”
“You can say that again.”
“No really. She is a whore. The casino turns a blind eye.”
“Why was she talking to you?”
Todd shrugged. “Why do you think?”
“You've been with her?”
“A couple of times.”
“Why would you pay for sex?”
“Why not? No ties, no complications.” He caught Suzy's expression. “It's not like I do it often.”
“That's disgusting.”
“Haven't you ever had no-strings sex?”
“Not for money.”
“What are those then?” He pointed to the chips in her hands.
“What are you saying?” She looked him in the eye. Was he being serious? “I didn't ask for these.”
“We had sex. I give you cash. Same thing. No strings.”
“Fuck you!”
“Suzy. I'm only saying—”
“And, I'm only saying, you can keep your fucking money.” She threw the chips at him.
“It was only a joke, honey.”
“Don't honey me.” She turned around and stormed towards the exit.
Chapter 5
Suzy looked around—she had absolutely no idea where she was.
After leaving the casino, she'd run and run until she was exhausted. What had she been thinking? Why had she come all the way to London just because a guy she barely knew had asked her over? What the hell was wrong with her? She'd had a perfectly nice boyfriend in Steve; he would have done anything for her. So what did she do? Gave him the boot, and travelled half-way across the country to shack up with some drunken criminal who thinks she's a whore. Nice move Suzy. You've really surpassed yourself this time.
Her phone rang. How dare he call her? He could kiss her arse.
“Fuck off!” She screamed into the handset.
“Suzy?”
“Lacey. Sorry. Didn't see it was you, babes.”
“Are you okay? You sound—”
“I'm fine. All these bloody southerners are getting right on my tits.”
“Are you with Todd?”
This was her chance to get her own back. She could tell Rawhide where his no-mark brother was. So why didn't she?
“No. I haven't seen him,” She lied.
“I thought you'd arranged to meet him.”
“The little shit never showed up. Complete waste of time.”
“Don't you know where he's staying?”
“Not a clue. Like I said, he was meant to meet me at Bucky Palace, but he never showed up. Probably pissed out of his head somewhere.”
“What are you going to do?”
That was a good question. What the hell was she supposed to do now?”
“Might stay down here for a few days. See what's happening.”
“Where will you stay? Have you got any money?”
“I'll be okay. Look, I'd better go. My phone's nearly dead. Speak later, babes.”
How was she going to stay in London when she didn't have any money? Why had she thrown those chips at Todd when she could have cashed them? That money would have come in handy.
Her phone rang again. Lacey wasn't going to give this up.
It was Todd.
“What do you want?” she snapped.
“Where are you?”
“What the hell do you care?”
“I'm sorry. I say stupid things sometimes.”
“Sometimes? Like whenever you open your mouth?”
“I didn't mean you were—. I just meant—. Hell, I'm sorry. Where are you?”
“Go back to your whore, Todd.”
“Wait. Give me another chance.”
“Why should I?”
“Because you find me irresistible. Because you want my body almost as much as I want yours. Because I'm packing a really Big Todd with your name on it.”
She couldn't hold back a smile. What was it about this man? Why couldn't she just hate him?
“Go fuck yourself,” she said only half-heartedly.
“Where's the fun in that? Please, honey. You know you want me.”
“Stop calling me honey.”
“What's wrong with honey?”
“It's stupid.”
“Okay, sweet pie. Where are you?”
“No honeys. No sweet pies.”
“What do you want me to call you?”
“How about Suzy?”
“Suzy it is. Now, where are you?”
She still had no idea where she was, but after she'd described the street, Todd said he could be with her in ten minutes.
“Stay exactly where you are. Don't move until I get there. Okay?”
“Okay.”
**********
“Lacey's been on my case to tell her where you are,” Suzy said, as they walked side by side along the crowded street.
“What did you tell her?”
“That I was meant to be meeting you at Buckingham Palace, but you didn't show up.”
“Did you tell her where I was staying?”
“No. I told her you were a shit for standing me up. I knew she'd have no trouble believing that.”
“Nice to know you hold me in such high regard.”
“No problem. I don't see why you need to keep up the secrecy. Why not tell them where you're staying?”
“You don't know what they're like. They're always on my case.”
“They're probably worried about you.”
“Yeah, well they shouldn't be. Can we forget about them? What would you like to do?”
“Something touristy.”
“Such as?”
“I want to see the sights.”
“No, seriously.”
“I'm being serious. It's years since I came to London. I want to see the Houses of Parliament, and St Paul’s and the Gherkin—all that stuff.”
“But that's boring.”
“Not to me. Are you going to take me or do I have to go by myself?”
“Wouldn't you rather go for a drink?”
“If I'd wanted to get drunk, I could have stayed home. Besides, if you don't take me sightseeing, I might call Lacey to tell her where you're staying.”
“That's blackmail.”
“Blackmail's such a dirty word.”
“What would you call it?”
“Tit for tat.”
Todd's gaze drifted down to her bust.
“Not that kind of tit.” Suzy laughed. “What's it to be?”
“How about we take a bus tour?” He pointed to two open-top red London buses parked across the road.
“Why don't we walk?”
“Walk? Are you insane? It's the bus or no deal.”
“Bus it is,” she said.
“Wait.” Todd grabbed her arm. “I need to get more cash.”
“What about all the money you had in the casino?”
“Kinda lost it.”
“All of it? What about the chips I gave back to you?”
“You mean threw at me?”
“Yeah. What happened to those?”
“I put everything on number thirteen—my lucky number.”
“You lost the lot?”
“It was so close. Bloody ball landed on thirty-six.”
“How is thirty-six close to thirteen?”
“They're next to one another on the wheel. Just a little more momentum and I'd have—”
“Could've, should've. Didn't. How much did you lose altogether?”
“Not much.” He slid his card into the ATM, pressed a few buttons, and then pocketed a fist full of notes.
“Can't we sit downstairs?” Todd said as Suzy led the way to the top deck of the bus.
“What's the point in that? Can't see anything from down there. Look! The front seats are free.” She grabbed his hand, and dragged him to the very front of the open-top bus. “This is great!”
“It's bloody cold.”
“You're a right bundle of fun, aren't you? I've never been on one of these before. Did you hear what the man said? We can get on and off as often as we like. The ticket lasts all day. And we can go on a boat on the Thames.”
“That'll be fun,” Todd said with no sincerity whatsoever.
As Suzy took in the various landmarks, Todd's gaze rarely strayed from her face. She was as excited as a young child on Christmas morning. After a while, he forgot about the cold, and began to share the experience. Although a frequent visitor to the capital, Todd had never bothered to visit any of the tourist attractions. He'd never had any interest or anyone to share the experience with.
“Can we go on it?” Suzy screamed.
“Have you seen the bloody queue?”
“So? We've got all day. Come on.”
“It's only a big wheel.”
“Come on. It'll be fun.” Suzy dragged him off the bus. “Bloody hell. Tickets are twenty quid each. Is that okay?” she asked, once they were inside the London-Eye's payment office.
It was obvious from Todd's expression that he didn't understand her concern. Who worried about forty pounds? “Sod that. We can get Fast Track tickets for thirty pounds each,” he said.
They fast-tracked their way into a capsule, and moments later the huge wheel began its rotation.
“It doesn't go very
fast,” Todd complained.
“It's not meant to. You're supposed to take in the view. Come here.” She ushered him closer to the large window.
“Look! Over there! St Paul’s.”
“Hmm. Fascinating.”
“There's Big Ben.”
“Wouldn't you rather have Big Todd?” he whispered.
Suzy ignored him. She was too busy staring out over London.
“Are you enjoying this?” Todd put his arm around her waist.
“It's great.” She turned her head, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“Am I forgiven for earlier?” he said.
“For calling me a whore?” Suzy said in a voice which was loud enough to be heard by the other occupants of the pod. “You haven't even begun to work that one off.”
Todd smiled awkwardly at the other people. “She's only joking,” he said sheepishly.
“Can't we call it a day yet?” Todd said, as Suzy tried to drag him back to the bus stop.
“We haven't seen half of it yet.”
“Wouldn't you rather go for a drink? Or something to eat?”
“I'd like one of those.”
Todd followed Suzy's gaze.
“A hot dog?”
“Yeah. And plenty of onions.”
“Aren't you having one?” Suzy took a bite of the foot long hot dog.
“I'm okay. Come here.”
“What?”
“You've got—” Todd grinned as he took a tissue from his pocket. “There's tomato sauce all over your face.” He dabbed her cheek. “
“This is delicious. Do you want a bite?”
“I'm good, thanks.”
Todd's phone rang. He studied the screen, and then said,” I have to take this. I won't be a second.”
Suzy took another bite of hot dog as he walked away. She tried to hear what he was saying, but he had his back to her.
Somehow, she managed to eat the whole hot dog. She'd never felt fuller. Still, it had been worth it.
“Sorry,” Todd said. “There's something I have to do.”
“Is everything okay?”
If the look on his face was anything to go by, Suzy already knew the answer.
“Yeah. Everything's fine. Why don't you buy yourself some clothes and then make your way to the hotel? I'll be back later.” He pulled a handful of bank notes from his pocket. “Here.”
Toxic Page 3
