In the East End
Chapter Three
“I’ll level with you” he said signalling for another bottle to be brought over, three bottles of champagne she had rinsed him of, she had counted, and he hadn’t batted an eye “I like you Ava, you’ve got what I’m looking for in a girl”
“Unfortunately, Rossy Boy, you’re not what I’m looking for” she cleared her throat “I go for the greasy raver type!”
He rolled his eyes,
“I’m not looking for another tart love, You would be a brilliant addition to my team”
“I don’t want to be a pig either!”
He smiled,
“Not that team”
She took a sip from the flute in her hand, looking over her eyelashes at him,
“Oh, I see” she cleared her throat and moved closer to him placing a hand on his thigh and swiping the cigarette from his hand “so like a gangster?”
“I prefer business man”
His breath brushed across her collar bone, she smiled sliding her hand a little further up his thigh, his breath hitched as she pulled closer to him,
“I’d prefer not to get involved”
She whispered, moving away from him quickly, before he had time to register what had happened she had disappeared in to the crowd.
She stepped outside, a smug sense of satisfaction creeping over her, she sighed happily walking towards her home, as she rounded the corner, a sudden pain exploded through her head, steadying herself she turned to see where the blow had come from, the woman from earlier, the faces around her became more familiar, they mustve been her friends, they were definitely at the bar when she glassed her, four of them, she was out numbered, she flicked her cigarette butt away, throwing a punch at the one in front of her, within seconds she was dragged to the ground, every time she made it to her feet she was knocked back down again, winded she lay accepting the blows, her vision began to blur and she could taste blood, as everything clouded around her she let it happen, there was no way she was making it out with four of them on her.
“Fuck me” she groaned, the light making her eyes burn, she clamped a hand to her head, “shit the bed I ache”
She attempted to sit up a dull throb making her limbs pulsate, she groaned again, looking around trying to piece together her surroundings,
“Morning princess”
“Oh for fuck sake!”
She turned to face the voice, only to see Ross sat behind a desk reading over some paperwork,
“What happened?”
“You glassed someone and got jumped by her friends”
Memories began to flood back, sudden punches, gravel rash from being dragged across the ground,
“Fuck!”
“You were pretty messed up I won’t lie to you, you were in the alley round the side, good thing I left when I did or hypothermia would have set in”
She soon noticed his blazer had been draped over her to keep the chill off, she shoved It away almost in disgust,
“Whatever I’m still not joining your gang!” she pushed her hair out of her face rubbing her eyes “Where are my shoes?”
“Just to the left, oh and erm I think you’ll find you owe me a favour”
She stood straightening herself out, trying to look somewhat presentable,
“I don’t owe you shit! I didn’t ask you to bring me in here!”
He sighed putting his pen down,
“Ava look-“
“No you look! I don’t want to be in your gang, I’m going home!”
She stormed out of the office, slamming the door as she went. He would get her, he knew he would, he wasn’t expecting her to put up as much of a fight as she did but unlike many men in his profession he had the patience of a saint, he had waited ten years, he could wait a little longer.
“Where have you been?”
Her mother cried as she walked through the front door,
“Out mum”
“All night?”
“Obviously”
She smiled kicking her shoes off as she walked in to the kitchen, flicking the kettle on,
“Oh Ava it isn’t another man is it?”
“Oh god no!” she shuddered “No, no! I am not going there again! I’ve only just got rid of the last one! I just bumped in to some friends, had a drink had a dance”
Her mum smiled warmly,
“Well I’m due in work today, what happened to your face?”
She walked over running a thumb over a shiner that was blossoming below her eye,
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you!”
“Try me”
The older woman asked folding her arms across her chest, Ava sighed with a smile on her face,
“Ebeneezer goode came on and I got a little over excited”
“And fell on your face?” her mum laughed “Well I’m off, so once you’ve slept off whatever you’ve taken can you put some washing on the line for me please? And if its not too much to ask clean the kitchen?”
Ava nodded, her head still aching,
“I’ll have a shower grab half hours kip and then I’ll do it”
“Thanks love”
Her mum kissed her cheek and left quickly, She collapsed on the sofa, still silently seething, Ross Gates had a nerve, she marched up the stairs pulling her dress off as she went, she crawled in to bed deciding it was best to give the club life a miss for a little while.
“Hi mum!”
She called through the house as she heard the front door close,
“Oh you’re still here?! I thought you’d be out”
“Nah not tonight, fancy a take away?”
“Yeah can do love, have the police been yet?”
Ava stood up following her mum in to the kitchen, her brow furrowed,
“No? why would they have been?”
“DCI Gates called in to the shop earlier, said he needed to speak to you, I told him you weren’t working today so gave him the address, he said it was important”
She felt her skin prickle at the mention of his name, she sighed irritated,
“No he’s not been, but no doubt I’ll see him soon”
“Is everything okay love? You didn’t fall last night, did you? You’ve been fighting, again haven’t you?”
Ava shrugged,
“I don’t know mum I had a lot to drink, maybe I did scrap and run, who knows?”
“Ava bug! You’re nearly twenty-eight for gods sake! When will you learn?”
Her mums voice was just white noise in the background as her mind raced, wondering next time she might see Ross, wondering what tricks he would have up his sleeve again this time.
“Unfortunately, Rossy Boy, you’re not what I’m looking for” she cleared her throat “I go for the greasy raver type!”
He rolled his eyes,
“I’m not looking for another tart love, You would be a brilliant addition to my team”
“I don’t want to be a pig either!”
He smiled,
“Not that team”
She took a sip from the flute in her hand, looking over her eyelashes at him,
“Oh, I see” she cleared her throat and moved closer to him placing a hand on his thigh and swiping the cigarette from his hand “so like a gangster?”
“I prefer business man”
His breath brushed across her collar bone, she smiled sliding her hand a little further up his thigh, his breath hitched as she pulled closer to him,
“I’d prefer not to get involved”
She whispered, moving away from him quickly, before he had time to register what had happened she had disappeared in to the crowd.
She stepped outside, a smug sense of satisfaction creeping over her, she sighed happily walking towards her home, as she rounded the corner, a sudden pain exploded through her head, steadying herself she turned to see where the blow had come from, the woman from earlier, the faces around her became more familiar, they mustve been her friends, they were definitely at the bar when she glassed her, four of them, she was out numbered, she flicked her cigarette butt away, throwing a punch at the one in front of her, within seconds she was dragged to the ground, every time she made it to her feet she was knocked back down again, winded she lay accepting the blows, her vision began to blur and she could taste blood, as everything clouded around her she let it happen, there was no way she was making it out with four of them on her.
“Fuck me” she groaned, the light making her eyes burn, she clamped a hand to her head, “shit the bed I ache”
She attempted to sit up a dull throb making her limbs pulsate, she groaned again, looking around trying to piece together her surroundings,
“Morning princess”
“Oh for fuck sake!”
She turned to face the voice, only to see Ross sat behind a desk reading over some paperwork,
“What happened?”
“You glassed someone and got jumped by her friends”
Memories began to flood back, sudden punches, gravel rash from being dragged across the ground,
“Fuck!”
“You were pretty messed up I won’t lie to you, you were in the alley round the side, good thing I left when I did or hypothermia would have set in”
She soon noticed his blazer had been draped over her to keep the chill off, she shoved It away almost in disgust,
“Whatever I’m still not joining your gang!” she pushed her hair out of her face rubbing her eyes “Where are my shoes?”
“Just to the left, oh and erm I think you’ll find you owe me a favour”
She stood straightening herself out, trying to look somewhat presentable,
“I don’t owe you shit! I didn’t ask you to bring me in here!”
He sighed putting his pen down,
“Ava look-“
“No you look! I don’t want to be in your gang, I’m going home!”
She stormed out of the office, slamming the door as she went. He would get her, he knew he would, he wasn’t expecting her to put up as much of a fight as she did but unlike many men in his profession he had the patience of a saint, he had waited ten years, he could wait a little longer.
“Where have you been?”
Her mother cried as she walked through the front door,
“Out mum”
“All night?”
“Obviously”
She smiled kicking her shoes off as she walked in to the kitchen, flicking the kettle on,
“Oh Ava it isn’t another man is it?”
“Oh god no!” she shuddered “No, no! I am not going there again! I’ve only just got rid of the last one! I just bumped in to some friends, had a drink had a dance”
Her mum smiled warmly,
“Well I’m due in work today, what happened to your face?”
She walked over running a thumb over a shiner that was blossoming below her eye,
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you!”
“Try me”
The older woman asked folding her arms across her chest, Ava sighed with a smile on her face,
“Ebeneezer goode came on and I got a little over excited”
“And fell on your face?” her mum laughed “Well I’m off, so once you’ve slept off whatever you’ve taken can you put some washing on the line for me please? And if its not too much to ask clean the kitchen?”
Ava nodded, her head still aching,
“I’ll have a shower grab half hours kip and then I’ll do it”
“Thanks love”
Her mum kissed her cheek and left quickly, She collapsed on the sofa, still silently seething, Ross Gates had a nerve, she marched up the stairs pulling her dress off as she went, she crawled in to bed deciding it was best to give the club life a miss for a little while.
“Hi mum!”
She called through the house as she heard the front door close,
“Oh you’re still here?! I thought you’d be out”
“Nah not tonight, fancy a take away?”
“Yeah can do love, have the police been yet?”
Ava stood up following her mum in to the kitchen, her brow furrowed,
“No? why would they have been?”
“DCI Gates called in to the shop earlier, said he needed to speak to you, I told him you weren’t working today so gave him the address, he said it was important”
She felt her skin prickle at the mention of his name, she sighed irritated,
“No he’s not been, but no doubt I’ll see him soon”
“Is everything okay love? You didn’t fall last night, did you? You’ve been fighting, again haven’t you?”
Ava shrugged,
“I don’t know mum I had a lot to drink, maybe I did scrap and run, who knows?”
“Ava bug! You’re nearly twenty-eight for gods sake! When will you learn?”
Her mums voice was just white noise in the background as her mind raced, wondering next time she might see Ross, wondering what tricks he would have up his sleeve again this time.