Payback (10 page)

‘What’s the matter, Albie? You look ever so pale,’ Dorothy remarked.

When he heard a child refer to Judy as Mum, Albie knew he had to get out of the restaurant. She might not recognize the back of him, but if she went to the toilet, she would be bound to spot him. The thought of coming face to face with her or a child he didn’t know had existed was making Albie feel nauseous. ‘I need some fresh air, Dorothy. Please don’t say my name out loud or make a scene as there is somebody on the table behind who I really don’t want to see. You and Bert finish your meals and I’ll wait for you in the car park.’

‘Whatever is the matter?’ Bert asked.

‘Shush,’ Albie hissed. He then darted out of the restaurant as fast as his trembling legs would carry him.

Michael and Kevin had planned to have a curry in Brick Lane after their drinking session, but those plans were scuppered when Michael returned from talking to the mystery dark-haired woman and informed Kev that he had invited her and her friend to join them.

Kevin was extremely happily married. His wife and son meant the world to him and no way was he sitting in some restaurant with two birds. ‘Sorry, mate, but you can count me out. My Jemima would chop my bollocks off if I was spotted somewhere with those two. I doubt your Nancy would be too happy either.’

‘Where’s the harm in going for a meal? And if someone clocks us, I’ll just say it’s two of the barmaids from the club, or an old family friend.’

Seeing Michael and the dark-haired girl share an intimate glance, Kevin gave his pal a talking to. ‘If you go for that meal with her, you’ll end up fucking her, mate – then how you gonna face Nancy in the cold light of day? Think of them sons of yours. Is it worth losing them because you fancy some fresh pussy?’

‘You and Jemima might still be love’s young dream, but Nancy and I haven’t been that for a while, Kev. You don’t know what I’ve had to put up with, what with her mood swings and depression. I can’t even remember the last time we had sex. Weeks ago it must have been. Every time I try it on with her she reckons she’s too tired or she’s worried about the boys getting wind that we’re at it. I’m only twenty-seven, not seventy, and I still have fucking needs.’

Not wanting to get into an argument, Kevin asked Michael what he had said to the girls.

‘I just asked the usual and offered them a drink. The dark one’s name is Bella, the blonde one’s Sam. They live in Chelsea and are both models, so they say. Bella’s twenty-one and from Italy. Sam is nineteen and from Liverpool. Please, just come for the meal, Kev? We’ll share a cab home afterwards, just me and you, I promise.’

Kev downed the rest of his lager and stood up. ‘I’m shooting off, mate. Enjoy your meal, and don’t do anything you might regret tomorrow. If I was you, I’d concentrate on getting your marriage back on track rather than shagging young birds. Ever heard of the frying pan and the fire?’

Following Vinny’s instructions, Queenie got a cab from Goodmayes, picked Little Vinny up on the way, then headed straight to the hospital. ‘My oh my, she’s an absolute angel. Isn’t she big! How much did she weigh?’ Queenie asked, as she peered inside the cot.

‘She was ten pound. No wonder I had a struggle getting her out,’ Joanna replied.

‘Well, you did a brilliant job, darling. Reminds me of Emily-Mae with those blonde curls. I can’t wait for Vivvy to see her. We’ll babysit whenever yous two fancy a day or night out,’ Queenie volunteered.

‘Don’t you want to see your little sister then?’ Vinny asked his sullen-faced son, who was loitering at the end of the bed. Vinny was absolutely mesmerized by his new addition, could not believe she already had the power to melt his heart like never before.

‘There ain’t no room, is there?’ Little Vinny snapped. His dad was sitting next to the cot, and his nan was standing in front of it, blocking his view.

Vinny locked eyes with his offspring. ‘Oh, and don’t forget to apologize to Jo for sodding off upstairs and leaving her in the lurch earlier. Bang out of order you was, boy.’

‘What happened?’ Queenie asked, unable to tear her eyes away from her beautiful granddaughter.

Joanna knew that Little Vinny didn’t like her and although she would never admit it to Vinny, the feeling was mutual. However, now Little Vinny had moved in with them, she had no option but to try to get along with him, so did her best to smooth over the situation. ‘It was nothing, Queenie, honest. Anyway, Little Vinny was only in his bedroom playing music. I was in that much pain, I couldn’t scream as loud as usual, so it’s not his fault,’ she lied. She had in fact screamed blue murder and was sure Little Vinny had turned his music up to blank out her cries for help on purpose.

Little Vinny smirked. ‘See? It weren’t my fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s you. You shouldn’t have gone out, Dad.’

As Vinny leapt up to clout his belligerent son, Queenie grabbed his arm. ‘Don’t hit him. He’s bound to be a bit green, after all he’s been the only child for years. You were the same when I had Roy.’

‘I’ll give him fucking green, he’ll be black and blue if he carries on,’ Vinny mumbled. He had no idea what was wrong with his son lately, but he was becoming a real pain in the arse. He wasn’t even eleven yet, but the little bastard already had the attitude and lip of a cocky eighteen-year-old.

‘Ooh, she’s waking up. What you gonna call her? Best you think of a name soon,’ Queenie remarked.

Vinny smiled at Joanna. They had been discussing names earlier and he was so pleased that she had finally given in to his wish. He knew how much this would mean to his beloved mother.

‘We’ve chosen Molly, Mum.’

Queenie’s eyes filled up with tears. Her wonderful mum had been called Molly. ‘Sod you, you’ve started me off now. What a lovely gesture. Wait till I tell Vivvy, she’ll be made up.’

Little Vinny giggled. ‘Molly is an old pensioner’s name.’

It was Queenie’s turn to glare at the child. Looks-wise, Little Vinny might be the spitting image of his dad at that age, but her boy had been a saint in comparison to this bolshy little so-and-so. ‘No, it’s not. It’s a lovely name and my mum was called Molly. Now shut that trap of yours and come and meet your little sister.’

When his nan lifted Molly out of the cot, Little Vinny decided to play along with the happy family theme. He was sick of being grounded and desperate to change that. ‘Hello, I’m your big bruvver,’ he said, grinning at the baby and allowing her to clasp one of his fingers in her chubby hand.

‘Aw, look, they’ve bonded already,’ Queenie remarked.

Vinny smiled at the touching scene. As her big brother, it would be Little Vinny’s duty to protect Molly through life and look out for her like he had with Brenda. ‘Sit on the chair and you can hold her properly.’

Little Vinny did as he was told, then inwardly squirmed as the baby was placed in his arms. Apart from wishing she had never been conceived, he felt nothing for his sister whatsoever.

Albie Butler had been honest about his past from day one with Dorothy, so she had known about his affair with Judy Preston and why he had felt the need to leave the restaurant. He had also told Bert all about Judy when he had first moved to Ipswich. ‘I’m so sorry I spoilt the day. I really am,’ Albie slurred yet again.

Dorothy hated seeing Albie drunk. He had a tendency to repeat himself constantly, but she could understand his need for a good drink today. He’d had a nasty shock. ‘I’m going to leave you boys to it. I want to finish my book. Don’t drink too much more tonight, Albie. You fell down the stairs last time you got very drunk and you know how I worry about you.’

‘I won’t, darling. Night night, love you.’

When Dorothy left the room, Bert turned to his brother. ‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Dorothy, but I guessed who it was and swapped seats after you left the restaurant so I could do a bit of detective work. I take it Judy was the one with the squeaky voice?’

Albie nodded.

‘Well, she had two kids with her. A boy about sixteen and a girl about seven. How old would your kid be now if she’d had it?’

Counting the years with his fingers, Albie felt relief wash over him. ‘Would have been about eleven now. I reckon the boy you saw was her son Mark. He was about three when I was with her, and the girl sounds far too young to be mine. You sure she weren’t older than seven?’

‘Eight tops, but she certainly weren’t bleedin’ eleven, Albie. I reckon you’re in the clear, mate. Perhaps she did a runner, aborted your kid and made a fresh start?’

Albie grinned and cracked open another can. It suited him to believe that Judy had aborted his child. It made his thoughts far less complicated. Most men in his position would have turned around and confronted Judy. Not Albie though. He’d had enough drama in the past to last him a lifetime, and was happy to just let sleeping dogs lie.

Michael Butler followed Bella into her Chelsea apartment and was immediately taken aback by its opulence. He had thought she was joking when she pointed at the brand-new Porsche in the car park and said it was hers. ‘Jesus, babe, this is some gaff. How long you lived here?’

‘Two years. What would you prefer – red or white wine?’

‘Whatever you’re having,’ Michael replied, looking around in awe. The kitchen and bathroom were both state-of-the-art and knocked spots off his own. The lounge was absolutely striking. It had a multi-coloured carpet, beige being the base colour, with red, blue and green circles all over. The sofas were bright red leather, and in two corners of the room stood life-size carved wooden figurines of a Romany-looking naked man and woman.

Michael opened the sliding glass door and walked out onto the balcony. The view of London was incredible this time of night. The lights of the greatest city on earth literally lit up the sky.

‘Do you want to drink your wine out there?’ Bella asked.

‘No, I’m coming in now,’ Michael replied, shutting the glass door. He sat down on the sofa. ‘So, how comes if you were brought up in Italy you speak such good English? Do your parents both speak English?’

‘Yes, but not in the home. My dad hired a private tutor to teach me from very young. He said it was important I learn the language. I can speak Spanish too. I must tell you something, Michael.’

‘What?’

‘Even though your eyes are green and your hair is darker, you really remind me of David Essex.’

Michael laughed. ‘But he’s got a bird’s hairstyle.’

‘You look like he did in
That’ll Be the Day
and
Stardust
, when his hair was shorter. I loved him in those films.’

Michael took a sip of his wine and stared at Bella. He wasn’t just mesmerized by her beauty; it was so much more than that. She was unlike any girl he had ever met in his life and he couldn’t help but be impressed by her and her obvious wealth and lifestyle. ‘So, what type of modelling do you do then?’

‘I get asked to do all sorts of shoots. I’ve done catwalk too. I might get into acting soon. I’ve just hired myself a new agent.’

‘Do you have to strip off and all that?’

Bella chuckled. ‘I do glamour shots, but never nude. My dad is well-respected back in Italy and he would kill me if I ever went overboard. I show plenty of cleavage, but won’t go topless. My dad is a proud man and I respect his wishes.’

‘Well, you must be doing something right to be renting a gaff like this,’ Michael replied.

‘I do not rent this apartment, Michael. I own it.’

Apart from when he had lost his virginity at a very young age, Michael couldn’t remember feeling so nervous around a female before. Bella was having a strange effect on him and he wanted to fuck her more than he had ever wanted to fuck Nancy or any other bird he’d known. He could tell she wanted him, but he had to be straight with her first. ‘Look, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m married, Bella.’

‘So? I wasn’t intending on proposing to you, Michael. I just want to make love with you. Let’s fuck, shall we?’

Feeling his body shake with pure lust, Michael stood up and grabbed Bella by the hand. ‘Where’s the bedroom?’

Ignoring the question, Bella sank to her knees and undid the zip on his trousers.

Michael thought he had died and gone to heaven when she began expertly sucking his penis. No bird had ever been this forward with him in the past and it was such a turn-on, he was sure his erection was bigger than usual and his cock about to burst.

Grabbing Bella’s head to stop himself from coming too soon, Michael stared at her as she let go of his manhood. Her eyes were a mesmerizingly pale blue. ‘Take your clothes off,’ he ordered, his voice husky with lust.

Bella stood up, pouted seductively and took her clothes off in a slow, tantalizing manner.

Transfixed by her naked beauty, Michael forgot all about his wife and kids as he ripped his own clothes off then rammed himself inside Bella as hard as he could. What followed was the most mind-blowing sexual experience of Michael Butler’s entire life.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Michael Butler poured himself a large Scotch and settled into one of the new sofas. The club had recently been refurbished. Gone was the old burgundy leather furniture that Vinny and Roy had originally bought in 1965. That had now been replaced with opulent green leather sofas and chairs. The walls were now covered in new orange-based patterned wallpaper, and Lenny’s old DJ console had made way for a performance area to accommodate the live bands and singers they hired these days. The DJ equipment had just been a constant reminder to both Michael and Vinny that Champ was no longer with them, so they had made a joint decision to get rid of it.

Rubbing his tired eyes, Michael leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Guilt was eating away at him and he could barely look Nancy in the eye any more. As for Bella, he could not stop thinking about her. He had resisted the urge to contact her again, but that did not stop him yearning for her.

‘Whatever is wrong with you? You look like a tramp and you’ve had a face like a slapped arse for days. You ain’t still fretting we’re gonna get banged up for Trevor’s murder, are you? Only that’s chip-wrapping now, that is,’ Vinny said. This was his first full day back at the club since Molly had been born and it had been a real wrench for him to leave her.