Even Angels Fall (12 page)

“Ok, Ok… I’ll take care of her, of course I will… chill out Al…!” She smiles, standing on her tiptoes and reaching up to kiss his forehead. He warms to her immediately and his angry demeanour softens. Lucy can always wrap him around her little finger. She is just as much a little sister to him as she is to Darren.

As Lucy skips back over to join the girls for the next dance, Tom quietly takes her place next to Alex, passing him another beer. They stand in silence for a moment as Tom struggles to hide his amusement. Alex is staring at Abbey… again, something which hadn’t escaped Tom’s attention last week either.

“She’s pretty isn’t she?” He asks, innocently.

“Who?”

“You know who…!”

“She’s alright…” Alex shrugs.

“Alright?!” Tom laughs, “Is that why you haven’t stopped fucking gawping at her all night…?” Alex turns and looks directly at Tom, whose face is amused and expectant, and he can’t help smirking in response.

“Don’t you have someone else to irritate?”

“Struck a nerve did I?” He teases, “She’s a sweet girl…!”

“Shut the fuck up…!” Alex laughs, shaking his head, “She won’t be sweet for long if she gets involved with me…!”

Alex is incredibly grateful to have a friend like Tom who always has his back. But sometimes he wishes he couldn’t read his thoughts quite so well, as it makes it almost impossible to keep things from him. He always knows what Alex is thinking – sometimes before Alex even knows himself - and he has obviously noticed the tension he feels in Abbey’s presence. What is it about this girl that he can’t figure out? She is quiet and unassuming, yet when he confronted her she confidently stood her ground. And the way she looks at him, it’s as if she knows him, like she sees right through the bullshit. She is inexperienced and naïve, yet she seems to fit into the group with ease and is clearly up for having a good time. And she is beautiful… funny but sweet natured. He has figured out that much about her at least and it has totally thrown him.

Women and the complications they bring are the reason Alex has spent the majority of his 20’s completely single, with only the occasional ‘casual fling’. He isn’t used to feeling this way about someone. He isn’t used to feeling drawn to a girl so strongly, but Tom is right… she is more than OK, much more than pretty and he can’t take his eyes off her.

That is why he had gotten so agitated the previous week when she turned up at his door with Lucy, Nathan and Liam. He doesn’t like strangers in his house, that much is true, but as the night went on it became much more than that. He could feel his interest peaking, his fascination and attraction to her growing and he didn’t like it. He doesn’t want that distraction, that utter inconvenience in his life, but much to his annoyance he can’t seem to fight it. That is why he lashed out… self-preservation. Truth be told it has been so long since he has felt these sort of emotions, it scares him a bit. Fucking ridiculous, Alex Matthews scared by a prim and proper 18 year old, middle class girl who is worlds apart from the life he leads. What a joke.

“Taxi’s here in 5 minutes!” Liam shouts from the kitchen, and Lucy downs her drink before quickly racking up two more lines of cocaine to share with Abbey. The fear and reluctance that had consumed her earlier is completely gone and she loves the effect the cocaine has on her… that happy drunk feeling, like everything is great. She is alert and aware of everyone around her, totally content and completely self-confident. The only problem is, the effects fade after a little while and to get that feeling back she has to do more. But she is having an amazing night so far and she doesn’t want it to end. She finishes her vodka and coke as Lucy does two more lines, then quickly follows suit. Leaning forward with the note in place, she breathes in slowly, dragging it along the line of cocaine until it is gone. She glances at her phone; 12:15am. She is quarter of an hour late. There is no point in rushing home now as she will already be in deep trouble.

After a short journey to the bottom end of town, their taxi pulls up outside the new nightclub and Alex jumps out first. He wastes no time in striding past the long queue of people and approaches the door, greeting the bouncers like old friends. After a minute or two of conversation they shake hands and he turns to the others, gesturing inside. Tom, Darren and Sophie lead the way with Liam, Gemma and Nathan just behind. Abbey links arms with Lucy as they follow last and there are loud, expletive filled shouts of protest from the angry revellers who have been forced to queue outside in the cold. Abbey can’t help but get the impression that Alex is used to getting his own way. He is so cool, calm and under control… and it is so attractive.

The club itself is fairly small. Through the entrance there are three flights of stairs to walk down which lead into a main room, with two smaller rooms at either side. The walls are thick stone, the décor dark, and there are mirrors everywhere, giving the illusion that the space is much bigger than it actually is. The main room has a dance floor in the centre, a DJ booth at the very far end and a large bar on the right hand side, which is absolutely packed, the crowd waiting to be served around four people deep.

A sign hanging over the entrance way to the smaller room on the left, advertises that it is the ‘VIP AREA’ and it is obvious to Abbey straight away that they are heading over in that direction. The way the bouncers had acknowledged Alex, ‘VIP’ is a fairly apt way of describing him. It is like this is his domain and he is in charge.

In the VIP area there is another bar - this one thankfully a lot quieter than in the main part of the club - and on the far side of the room are several large, red booths, one of which has a ‘reserved’ sign on the table next to a complimentary ice bucket stacked with beer and champagne. It is of course, their table. Abbey has never experienced anything like this before. She has never really been clubbing, so she certainly hasn’t been given the ‘celebrity’ treatment. It is amazing and even though the buzz from the last two lines she did back at the flat is starting to wear off, she is still on a massive high.

“So what do you think?” Nathan asks, amused at her awe struck expression.

“It’s great…” Abbey smiles as Lucy passes her a glass of champagne, but her good mood fades as she catches sight of the clock above the bar. 1:00am. As fun as this is, that little voice in the back of her mind has started nagging away again and she is beginning to worry about what she might have to face tomorrow. She glances at her phone. No signal. They are obviously far enough underground so that none of Peter’s calls or messages will get through. She wonders how many times he has tried already.

“Hey come on you… toilet trip…!” Lucy grabs Abbey’s hand and Sophie and Gemma follow behind. They head into the VIP restroom and cram into one of the cubicles as Lucy gets the cocaine out of her bag, gently placing the toilet seat down before she kneels in front of it.

“What if we get caught?” Abbey whispers, panicked.

“Don’t worry about it; it’s not gonna happen…” Gemma states, calmly.

“Even if it did they wouldn’t do anything… not to us!” Sophie adds.

“What do you mean…?” Abbey is totally confused. She knows that drugs are illegal and she is pretty sure clubs, bars and pubs can get into serious trouble if people are caught doing them on the premises. Why should they be an exception to the rule?

“We might get a slap on the wrist…” Sophie continues… “but they wouldn’t take it any further. Not only are we Alex’s friends but we’re here with him so it’s all good!”

“Um…” Abbey is unsure whether to ask, but she has to know, “Is there something I’m missing… about Alex I mean? He seems to be pretty well connected and now you’re telling me we won’t get into trouble just by being with him?!” Lucy does her two lines then swaps places with Sophie as she rubs a few drops of cocaine into her gums.

“Not when it comes to drugs we won’t…” Lucy smirks.

“She doesn’t know yet?” Gemma asks.

“Know what…?” Abbey can no longer hide her intrigue. She is dying to get as much info on Alex as she possibly can. She is so into him it’s embarrassing.

“Alex is one of the biggest dealer’s in Leeds…” Gemma declares… “That’s how he earns such good money and it’s why he knows so many bouncers and bar owners around the city. Well, the ones who are interested in making a few back handers and aren’t all that bothered about staying on the right side of the law, if you know what I mean…?”

“So the two bouncers outside…?” Abbey asks.

“Friends of his…” Lucy replies, “Just like the owner of this place. He has two more bars in Leeds that Alex works at supplying to the clientele, and he gives him a cut of the profit. That’s why they all bend over backwards for him; he’s the man to know in these circles…” Lucy winks… “And he has his eye on you, you lucky girl…!” All three of them burst out laughing and Abbey looks on in shock, completely gobsmacked and unable to process Lucy’s last statement.

“What?!” She gasps, as Gemma stands up and passes the rolled up note to her.

“Not to rush you babe, but the longer we’re in here the bigger the chance we actually will get caught!”

Abbey kneels down in front of the toilet and does her two lines in a complete daze. She can’t believe what Lucy has just said and now that they are chatting away about other things the moment has gone for Abbey to get more out of them. Does Alex really like her? If so… why? She couldn’t be more different to him if she tried. She is well aware that this newly acquired information about him should probably scare her off, but it doesn’t. Her first instincts were bang on the money though. He is dangerous.

The night quickly turns into the most fun Abbey can ever remember having. The alcohol flows and in between the frequent trips to the toilet to ‘powder their noses’ as Darren puts it, they hit the dance floor; messing around, play fighting and throwing down the worst, cheesiest, most humiliating dance moves they can possibly think of in order to make each other laugh. Occasionally Sophie and Lucy cuddle up to Darren and Nathan, leaving Abbey and Gemma to ditch the couples and find their own fun, which mainly consists of flirting outrageously with the bar men. Gemma has it down to a fine art, much to the annoyance of Tom, who clearly likes her much more than a friend.

For the majority of the night, Alex is nowhere to be seen. He occasionally comes back to sit in the booth and have a quick beer, but it isn’t long before he disappears again. According to Lucy he is working the club, mingling with the crowds and figuring out the layout of the place. He has to familiarise himself with his surroundings and get to know the staff if he wants to run drugs here as well. An interesting occupation to say the least and Abbey is unnerved at how readily she accepts it and how little it seems to bother her.

She dries her hands on the harsh paper towel and straightens her top, checking her appearance in the bathroom mirror. Despite being drunk she still looks pretty good. It is 3:30am and the club is nowhere near winding down. It is open until 5am and by the looks of things the others aren’t about to leave any time soon. Peter will be going crazy but it is far too late to let that trouble her now. She has ignored him and his pathetically early curfew and as a result is, oh… only 3 and a half hours late. She is going to pay for it tomorrow, so she might as well have fun for as long as she can.

As Abbey leaves the toilet and walks around the edge of the bar, a rough hand grabs hold of her arm. Thinking it will be one of the lads she turns expectantly, but her smile quickly vanishes as she asses the stranger in front of her.

“Can I help you…?” She asks, confused.

“Let me buy you a drink gorgeous…” His words come out in a slurred mess as he leers towards her suggestively.

“No thank you, I have a drink at my table…” She turns to walk away but he pulls her back.

“No, I want to buy you a drink…”

“I don’t want a drink, let go of my arm…” The disgusting man smells of stale beer and cigarette smoke and he tightens his grip as he slides his other hand around Abbey’s waist, and she tries in vain to push him off, “I said I’m not interested…”

“Why are you playing hard to get? I just want to buy you a drink, that’s all don’t be such a bitch…” He leans in closer still and Abbey realises with absolute horror that he is attempting to kiss her. She squirms, trying to break out of his grasp, but she can’t move. She can see the others across the room but none of them are looking her way and the music is too loud for her to shout over.

As he edges her towards a dark corner she contemplates kneeing him as hard as she can in the groin, if only she can get the right angle. She shifts, but he moves with her, anticipating her move. As she truly begins to panic someone slams into them out of nowhere and a pair of hands grab the creep around his throat, throwing him backwards into a table. He falls to the floor and several half empty glasses smash around him, as he clumsily pulls himself to his feet. He staggers back towards Abbey but she no longer feels frightened, as standing between them is Alex.

“She said no…” He states, forcefully.

“And what the hell has it got to do with you? We were having a private conversation it’s none of your damn business…”

Alex steps forward and towers over the drunken idiot who clearly has no idea who he is dealing with. His face and voice are calm on the surface but impossibly threatening at the same time and it sends a shiver down Abbey’s spine.

“You lay a hand on her and it becomes my fucking business… She said no. Now you’ve got five seconds to get the fuck out of my sight…”

The man sneers at Alex as he rocks back on his heel, and, rather stupidly, throws a punch at him. Alex’s face remains impassive as he catches the man’s fist in mid-air, spins his arm around his back and slams his face, hard into the table.

“Apologise to her….” The man struggles in pain as he tries and fails to get out from under Alex’s grip, “I said apologise…” He demands again.

“I’m… S… sorry…” He manages to force out, despite the agony he is in, and Alex lets go of his arm as one of the bouncers rushes over.

“Problem…?” He asks.