Jessie Keane - Ruthless

‘What? ’ asked Layla. This was ridiculous. She was feeling like a ping-pong ball, being batted back and forth without any say in the matter.

‘You heard. I think we were premature in bringing you here,’ said Annie. ‘I’ve talked this over with your father and he agrees. There’s safety in numbers you know. Anyone out to get you at the club would have to get past a lot of security, and your room’s up on the first floor…’

‘My room here’s on the first floor,’ Layla pointed out.

She didn’t mention that Dad had taken her room, the one adjoining the master suite that Annie occupied. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. For so long she’d prayed for her parents to get back together, and now… maybe it was finally happening. Or maybe it wasn’t. She didn’t want to get her hopes up only to have them dashed.

‘I’m sorry about this, honestly I am. But since the business with the shooting, and then the way we were all lured away… I just don’t want you put at risk, that’s all. The decision’s made.’

‘And if I disagree…?’ asked Layla.

She wouldn’t. She was rather keen to get back to the club, truth be told. She was getting on better with Mum these days, and she was impressed by the way Annie had handled herself throughout this fraught situation; but she was also missing the girls. Missing Precious, in particular.

Layla gave in. ‘OK then. Why not?’

‘Good…’ Annie paused. She’d been about to say ‘good girl’, but that no longer applied. Layla was a woman now.

So here Layla was once again, turning up at the club. Ellie and Chris welcomed her with open arms.

Precious was ecstatic to have her back, hugging her, hitting her with sultry waves of Giorgio.

‘How’s tricks?’ Layla asked her that evening.

‘So-so.’

‘I haven’t seen China yet. Is she in?’

Precious frowned. ‘She’s a bit down, poor love. Her daughter’s ill. They don’t think it’s serious, but she’s going out of her mind. Tia’s on the other side of the world, and she’s here. It breaks her up.’

‘And Destiny?’

‘That bastard’s beating her up again. Why she stays with him is a mystery to me. The first mark on her face hadn’t even had time to heal before he added a second one, so she’s still off work and I’m doing double time. We’ve got a couple new girls in too. Sapphire and Opal.’

‘How’s the studying going?’

‘I’m well into stress management now.’

‘I could do with some of that.’

‘Remember the heart-brain exercise. You got problems?’

‘Some. And Alberto… I don’t know.’

‘He likes the new look?’

‘I think I’ve bewildered him. He’s having to reassess.’

‘Well, that’s good.’

‘I’m not sure. Is it? God, what am I doing? Do I really want this? I feel as if I’m going crazy.’

‘Positive thinking,’ Precious reminded her.

‘Hm,’ said Layla.

The evening passed, with the steady boom of music from the club below keeping Layla company in her room while she read a book. Feeling restless, at eleven o’clock she went along to the kitchen to make a drink. Tony and Chris were playing cards at the table. Of course – it was breaktime, Chris was supposed to be filling in for Kyle or whoever was on duty tonight. Grabbing the opportunity, Layla snuck into the monitor room with her mug of tea in her hand.

The two new girls – Sapphire, a statuesque Nigerian, and Opal, a tiny blonde – were working two of the private dancing rooms downstairs, entertaining two middle-aged men. And there was Precious, dancing for a man in his twenties who had a large, embarrassed smile on his face.

Layla watched for a little while, then stole along the corridor to her room before Kyle’s fill-in or Kyle himself returned.

Alberto showed up at noon the next day, surrounded by his usual phalanx of heavies led by Sandor. Alberto stepped into Layla’s room, and closed the door to give them some privacy.

‘Is something wrong?’ she asked anxiously. ‘Are Mum and Dad OK?’

‘They’re fine. Still fighting, but fine.’

He was silent, staring at her face.

‘So what brings you here?’ she asked.

He leaned against the door, folded his arms and stared at her.

‘You’re not my sister,’ he said.

Layla swallowed hard. ‘No. I’m not.’

‘And I’m not your brother.’

‘No. You’re not.’

‘So what the hell are you?’ he asked.

‘What?’

‘He shrugged. ‘Look, you’ve moved the parameters of my world. I don’t know what the hell to make of you right now. If we’re not related-’

‘Stop saying that. Of course we’re not related. We never have been.’

‘Which leaves us… where?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Layla. Her heart was thumping.

‘Then I think it’s time we found out exactly what our relationship is. This new relationship, I mean. Don’t you?’

Oh Jesus. This was all moving faster than she had anticipated. Well, in fact she had anticipated a big fat nothing. That he would still see her as his little sister, that he would be unable to move on from that mindset. Instead, thanks to Precious’s intervention, Alberto seemed to be assimilating this new set-up with frightening speed. Was she ready for this? No. She wasn’t.

‘In that case, what do I call you?’ she asked brightly, defensively.

‘Huh?’

‘Should I call you something different? How about Albie?’

‘ What? ’

‘Bertie, then?’

‘I will kill you,’ he said, starting to smile.

‘Alberto then,’ said Layla.

‘That’s fine with me.’ He looked at her dubiously. ‘So… Layla. This is damned awkward. But if you want to, I guess we could date.’

Layla gulped hard. ‘In the middle of all this?’

‘Why not? Yesterday I could have died. That kind of puts things in perspective.’

‘Jesus, don’t say that.’

‘It’s the truth. And it’s made me think.’ He looked at her, and there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. ‘Maybe we should be grabbing life’s chances, not letting them pass by.’

‘Dating? I don’t know,’ said Layla. It seemed weird. She’d wanted this, had tried for it… she just hadn’t expected to succeed with such phenomenal speed. Now she was feeling the old Layla inside her, backing away, saying, No, let’s not do this. She knew damned well that he was more than she could handle. He was an upfront, in-your-face American, and she was a tight-arsed insular Brit. He was so bent he could see round corners and she was so straight it was ridiculous. But for God’s sake, she had started this. Not him.

‘If you don’t want to-’

‘No! I mean, I do want to.’

He nodded slowly. ‘Good. So… how about the day after tomorrow?’

Layla was sitting on the bed when Precious came in.

‘You’re quiet in here,’ she said.

‘Alberto thinks we should go on a date,’ said Layla.

They stared at one another. Then suddenly they both shrieked and hugged one another.

‘Oh Jesus, oh God help me, I’m not sure about this,’ said Layla, laughing.

‘Hey, it’s a date, that’s all. I wonder though, is this a London date, or a Manhattan date?’

‘What are you on about?’

‘Alberto’s a Manhattanite. And in Manhattan, men and women date several people at a time, not exclusively, until they decide they’re ready to date just one person seriously.’

Layla’s face fell. ‘You mean this is a casual thing for him? Not serious?’

‘I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?’

‘I can’t ask him that!’

‘Well, I would. After all, he’s one of the most gorgeous men on the planet.’