My brows shot high. I had to give it to the bitch, she had played me really well. I laughed, surprising her if the hiss through her nose was anything to go by. “Oh, Jen,” I whispered, just as coldly. “There’s always someone classier than you, love. Not all whores are so cheap!”
I grinned when my phone beeped, notifying me she’d terminated the call. But no sooner had the screen darkened than it fired up again.
“Not now, Jerry.”
“Shit, Flick. You okay, man?”
Jerry, my agent and surprisingly a good friend, had been in my life around eight years. He’d stuck with me through all the shit and he’d never failed to drag me out of the darkness that had been my life in the early days. He’d forced me through every shitty audition in the beginning, promising me better things to come. At the time I hadn’t believed in much he’d pledged, but the man had come good, landing me my first role in a movie that took the world by its bollocks.
And the rest is history, as they say. Future roles in the bag for the taking, my name at the top of every demand list in the business. I had a good few quid, well a lot actually, in the bank, and my face was known around the galaxy. Although I hated the fame that came with it, I loved the work. The chance to lose yourself to some make-believe person, live his life for stretches of time and forget your own dire life had its definite upside.
And it was a far stretch from where I had come from.
Shaking off my thoughts before they took that turn, I smiled. “Yeah, I’m good. Not surprised, to be honest. Knew she was screwing around but it guts me to find out it was Cody.”
“The fucking prick!” Jerry hissed. “You know where I am, Flick. I’m here any time of the night if you need to vent.”
“I know.” He paused and I knew there was more. “What?”
“Your charity ball.”
“Fuck!” Rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hand when they stung, I bit into my lower lip. “I’m good. I’ll still be there. This Saturday, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll sell Jen’s ticket. Hopefully we can get a good price for it, especially as the bidder will be sitting beside you.” He chuckled and I shook my head at his sick humour. Then a little something slid into the recesses of my mind, and my words to Jen echoed around inside my very stupid head. But it was too late, the idea had formed and I was already wearing a shit-eating grin of revenge.
“You still there?”
“I am. What are you thinking?” Jerry knew me so well.
“Save the ticket. I want you to hire me the most expensive hooker you can get your hands on.”
He was silent and I waited for his reply. “You sure that’s a good idea, man? Paparazzi will be rife.”
My grin grew. “Oh, I fucking hope so.”
Jerry didn’t say a word but then he chuckled and I pictured his own shit-eating grin. “Consider it done, Mr O’Kane.”
“Have I ever told you I love you, Jerry?”
“Only when you’re high on the white stuff or pissed on the amber stuff.”
“Well right now, I’m fucking sober and definitely uncontaminated. And I owe you a caseload of the amber stuff.”
“That you do.” He laughed as he ended the call.
I was still wearing the grin when I fell into an alcohol induced sleep.
“AHH, SHIT!” I muttered when I stepped into the hotel lobby the next morning. On the other side of the glass doors resembled some sort of protest. It was only when I saw one of the placards that I realised exactly what it was. ‘We love you Flick’, ‘Dump the whore!’ and one even said, ‘My body is yours to enact sweet revenge on the bitch’.
“Wow.”
Turning to the receptionist, I gave her the look and smiled widely. “Good morning, honey. I don’t suppose you have a back way out, do you?”
Her face resembled granite; in fact I wouldn’t be surprise if her forehead had her own damn epitaph etched into it. “Nope.” The tight tone told me it was the same woman I’d barked down the phone to last night, and who had declared on Facebook who was staying in the shitty hotel she worked in.
“Great.” Taking a deep breath, I turned back to face the door, squinting at the vibrant flash of lights and grimacing when one of the security guys appeared to be swallowed whole. “Damn.”
“Mr O’Kane.”
I turned to the quiet voice. The porter who had brought up my trolley was waving like a lunatic from behind a large column set beside the reception desk. I walked over to him when he gestured for me to follow.
Glancing around at the barbed wire bitch on reception, he pushed opened a door to the rear of the lobby and beckoned me through. “Elaine is a bitch, ignore her.”
We jogged down some stone steps and then shoved through a heavy metal door into a large underground garage. “Do you need a lift anywhere? My shift’s just finished. I can drop you anywhere you’d like.”
His eagerness and willingness to help me triggered a small smile. “Thank you…”
“Benny,” he said, as we scurried over to a small clapped out Fiesta in the rear corner.
“Thank you very much, Benny. That would be great.”
He grinned at me when I recited the address from the text I’d received an hour ago, and nodded as he popped open the boot of the car. He started to drag some stuff out of a large holdall. My eyes widened on some huge round sunglasses, a longish blond wig, a baseball cap, and a damn stick-on moustache when he thrust them into my hands. “Those should help us get out in one piece.”
“Damn, Benny. What are you, a bank robber?”
He laughed and I couldn’t help but smile; the guy had one of those contagious laughs, more like a manly giggle than a chuckle. “Nah.” He beamed, and I wondered if the guy ever stopped smiling. “I help out at the local playhouse.”
“Oh, you’re an actor?” I asked as I climbed into his passenger seat and buckled up. I had a feeling I needed to. And I was correct. My head was forced back into the seat when Benny tore out of the garage and smoothly guided us into the heavy flow of oncoming traffic. Many horns blared, but amazingly, we came out unscathed.
“Well, kind of. It’s a group that helps to get kids off the streets. I’m amazed how it took off, actually. They love to act, and frankly, it’s better than them gluing their gum to the bus shelters and showing their asses to the old lady sat at said bus stop.”
I nodded. “Do you receive funding?”
He blew out a loud breath and shook his head. “We’re not important enough. But fortunately we manage to stay afloat with ticket prices and so forth.”
“And you have no sponsorship?”
“We’re not top of the list for such privileges apparently.” His jaw twitched in anger. “That’s bullshit. The local council just don’t give a damn about these kids.”
“Good kids, yeah?”
He nodded firmly. “Yeah, they’re good kids.”
I stared out of the window, watching the world go by. Strangely I felt relaxed, even with Benny’s manic driving. “So what’s performing at the mo at your playhouse?”
He grinned with pride. “Educating Rita.”
“Shit, I love Educating Rita.” I smiled. “Let me know the dates and I’ll be sure to check you out on opening night.”
“Really?” Benny looked genuinely chuffed, his bright wide eyes twinkling in delight at me, and I nodded. “The kids would freak.” Glancing at me, he shifted gears and turned back to the traffic.
“So, Jenni with an ‘I’… she your girlfriend?”
Benny beamed brightly and I was amazed how white his teeth were. He nodded eagerly. “We’ve been together since we were kids.” He glanced at me again. “You ever felt it, Mr O’Kane?”
I frowned at him. “Felt it?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “That kick in the chest when they smile at you. That pump in your blood when they say your name…”
“That tingle on your skin when they touch you,” I mumbled. “That shortness of breath when she would tip her head back
and laugh easily. That ache in my gut when she used to hurt so bad and I couldn’t take the pain away for her. The feel of heat inside when I caught her looking at me in that way she had, a soft smile on her lips, a softness in her eyes, and her tongue drawing across her bottom lip as the breeze played with her hair.”
Benny was silent when I looked at him and sadness caught his eyes. “Yeah,” he whispered with a small smile playing on his lips. “You’ve felt it.”
I drew in a breath then exhaled loudly through my nose. “And that agonising pain in the soul that never goes away,” I added bitterly. “When she walked away and never looked back.”
We stared at each other, sorrow and pain engulfing us in the confines of the car. It wasn’t until Benny blinked that I realised we’d come to a stop. “We’re here,” he croaked then coughed to clear his throat.
Turning to look, I sighed at the domineering skyscraper building that appeared to eat everything in its shadow. “My new home, Benny.”
He bent to look through the window. “You never know, might be quite fine inside.”
“I have no doubt it will.”
Shaking off my mood, I turned to Benny and smiled, holding my hand out. “Thank you so much, mate.”
He grinned at me then yanked open his glovebox and pulled out two slips of paper. “Take her back,” he said quietly. “And bring her with you.”
I blinked down at the two tickets to his opening night performance. “I’ll be there,” I told him. “But she won’t be. I haven’t seen her for ten years.”
His mouth fell open. I knew he thought I’d been talking about Jennifer. But he nodded. “I’ll make sure to reserve you the best seats in the house.”
Clasping his hand, I shook it hard then climbed out and slowly walked into my new apartment.
Three days later, The Pipsqueak Playhouse received an anonymous donation for an amount that allowed them to completely gut the building and rebuild. And enough for them to take more kids in and get their sorry asses off the street… for many years to come.
SIGHING, I GRABBED a cushion from the sofa then gently lifted her head off the notebook she’d fallen asleep face down on, and slid it underneath. She sighed but didn’t move.
Brushing her hair from her face I softly kissed her cheek and placed a note beside the chopped raw vegetables, cold meats, and fruit salad – study foods - I’d left her. After pulling the blanket around her shoulders, I took one last look in the mirror, picked up my bag, and locked up behind me.
The night was closing in, the scent of the honeysuckle Ren and I had planted last year hitting my nose and instantly soothing me.
My mouth was dry, my blood itching, as was habit when I had a full night booked.
“You look lovely, Dove.”
I turned to Heather, my neighbour and best friend, and gave her a smile as I pulled at the stupid dress I was wearing. “It’s itchy.”
She laughed and nodded. “Yeah, it looks it. You got a full night?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled sadly. “You want me to see to Arthur? Is Ren studying?”
Arthur was my three-year-old Pug, or rather Ren’s three-year-old Pug. She’d rescued him from the local dog kennels and he was a nightmare, but a lovable nightmare. Everything we taught him was forgotten by the next morning, and the stubborn ball of wrinkles would be back to his usual, undisciplined self. But he was so full of love and fun that he had become part of the family within days of him coming home.
“That would be great, thank you. She’s sleeping at the moment so I left her, but I know she’ll wake up panicking that she hasn’t done enough and Arthur will be overlooked… and we both know what that will end in.”
Heather laughed, giving me a knowing nod. “Oh yeah, poor dude. Don’t worry, I’ll see to him.”
I blew her a kiss as I climbed into the waiting car. “What would I do without you?”
“Have less nosy neighbours,” she shouted before waving me off. “And more coffee.”
“Good evening, Miss Bliss.” Frank, my driver, smiled at me through the mirror. “You look exceptionally beautiful this evening.”
“Thank you, Frank. Did Jemima give you a package?”
He nodded, passing me a small envelope through the partition that separated us, even though I insisted that Frank never raise the glass wall. I preferred it as open as possible.
Checking the contents, I slipped it into my bag and then laid my head back against the headrest. “We’re running on time, Miss Bliss. We should be at our destination in around fifteen minutes.”
I nodded. “A close one tonight. You may leave once you drop me off.”
“Although it’s a twelve hour booking, I prefer not to leave, just in case.”
Frank was a diamond in the rough – and this life was definitely rough – and his protectiveness always made me feel better, secure. “It’s fine, Frank. I would rather call a cab than have you sit outside for so long. I promise to call if I need you.”
His brow furrowed with concern but he nodded. “I don’t like it but I appreciate your generosity.”
We were quiet for the rest of the drive, and before long Frank pulled up at a huge complex. Blowing out a breath, I smiled at Frank as he opened my door for me. Giving me my usual gentle kiss on the cheek, he nodded. “You have no bookings tomorrow as yet, so I’ll see you Monday.”
“You sure will.” I sighed. I’d been hoping for a week off to help Ren with her studies but it apparently wasn’t to be.
A woman sitting behind the large glass ‘complex services’ desk smiled at me when I stepped up. “I have an appointment with Mr Boston.”
Her smile faltered as her eyes raked over what she could see of me from behind the desk, her lip curling in obvious distaste. She nodded stiffly to a man waiting to my left. “Miss Bliss is here. Could you show her up to the penthouse please, Arnie?”
Arnie beamed at me, his eyes raking over me like a starved dog. I swallowed when his tongue played across his lips. “My pleasure.”
You’d have thought by now I would be used to this type of behaviour, yet it never stopped hurting every time I was regarded like a dog.
Stiffening when Arnie placed a hand on the base of my back and directed me towards the elevator to one side of the huge marbled foyer, I concentrated on the sharp click of my heels on the polished floor.
The elevator interior was encased in mirrors and I kept my gaze fixed on my own eyes as I felt Arnie’s eagerly eating me up.
The red dress Jemima had had delivered to me that morning hugged my curves expertly; it had been made specifically to my measurements. It fell to my anklebone, the fit tight but the thigh-high split in the side made it easy to move in. The elegance of the sheer red lace took away the ‘tarty’ look and gave it a sultry, chic aspect. Jemima had good taste, and the five-inch heels that accompanied the dress sparkled in the many reflections around me. My hair was twisted into an elegant knot behind my neck and I had chosen not to wear jewellery, opting for the low neckline of the cocktail dress to finish the look.
“Penthouse suite,” Arnie said, making me jump and pulling me from my musings. I stepped out behind him and waited for him to knock at the double doors facing us. When they opened, a small round man greeted us, his warm smile welcoming me immediately. He was older than me but I’d found out in the previous years that sometimes that made this job a damn sight easier. It didn’t take them as long, and usually that made them better partners, your own pleasure a lot more important to them than just getting off. His eyes remained on my face as he held out his hand when Arnie introduced me. I liked him instantly. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be a complete washout after all.
“Miss Bliss.” He kissed the back of my hand when I took his outstretched one. “Please come in. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
“And you, Mr Boston,” I said genuinely.
Mr Boston glanced at Arnie then his eyes narrowed. “When you’ve finished gawping and slobbering over my guest,” h
e snapped, making Arnie jump, “you can fuck off.”
I had to lower my head to hide my amusement. Arnie nodded quickly then jumped back into the elevator.
He sighed as he led me into his apartment. “Sorry, love. How fucking rude!”
I smiled, reassuring him. “That’s okay, Mr Boston. I’m quite used to it.”
He blinked. “Yes, I suppose, but that doesn’t alter the fact that some people can be rather disrespectful. And please, call me Jerry.”
I glanced around the large room. It was the same as every other luxurious apartment I’d stepped into. A wall of nothing but windows looking out to the city. Large, imposing furniture sprinkled about the place, and as usual, nothing personal decorating the humungous space.
It was sad, really. The rich and famous always seemed to distance themselves from their homes. And if they required my company, it also mostly meant that they had no family to share their homes with either, their lives nothing but work and solitary nights. That wasn’t always the case though. Many were married or had partners, but they chose to hire ladies like me who would bend over and allow them to enact their sick fantasies in the privacy of their rented accommodation.
I didn’t get this sense from Jerry. He seemed genuine and kind. A little awkwardly, he said, “Do I have anything to sign or…”
I smiled, pulling out the NDA from my bag. “We’re both required to sign a non-disclosure, but other than that, everything is in order.”
He nodded, his eyes scanning through the paperwork. “Oh. This is for the client to sign.”
Frowning, I nodded. “I’m sorry if it offends, Mr… Jerry but I do require…”
“Oh no.” He shook his head. “It’s not that, just that I only hired you. Your client,” he cringed with the word, “is just getting ready. He won’t be long.”
As if on cue, a door I presumed to be the bathroom opened, and the client stepped out.
I couldn’t breathe.
My lungs failed me. My eyes watered as they grew wider. Every inch of my skin prickled uneasily and I had to grab hold of the edge of a long table when my legs wobbled.
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