A Proper Charlie (36 page)

FORTY SEVEN

C
harlie hummed through her work aware that the office gossip was about her. She didn’t mind. There hadn’t been a time in her life that she had something to shout about, so for people to chat about her love life was a novelty.

‘
Ben and me must invite you and Dean to dinner one evening,’ she said to Melvin as he pounded away on his computer in front of her. He hadn’t said much since Ben had kissed her in full view of the office, and his poor keyboard had suffered for his bad mood.

‘
Can’t wait,’ he said without turning around. He got up and took a file over to the news’ desk. Charlie stuck her tongue out at his back, then began a rendition of
Louis Armstrong’s
What A Wonderful World
until Faye threw a scrunched up piece of paper at her.

Charlie beamed back undaunted.

Sarah scooted along in her chair towards Faye’s desk, and they spoke in lowered tones; both covertly looking her way. They broke apart with Faye saying, ‘It’s OK Charl, you carry on singing.’

That should have been the first clue that something wasn’t right. Melvin sulking was normal, but Faye being
nice
wasn’t.

The second was when people stopped talking wherever Charlie came within earshot, so it should’ve became clear that the gossip wasn’t the ‘Oh my God, Charlie’s bagged the boss. Isn’t she lucky’, kind of gossip.

Towards the end of the day, Melvin, Faye and Sarah gathered around her desk.

‘
We’re here to take you for a drink,’ said Melvin.

‘
It’s Tuesday,’ Charlie said, addressing Melvin. ‘You always work late Tuesdays. Tuesdays and Fridays are your working late da –’

‘
I can take my mate for a drink, can’t I?’ Melvin said, cutting her off. He grinned at her; his mouth unnaturally wide. ‘I dare say I’ll come back afterwards. Come on, I’ve been a bitch and want to make up.’

Charlie looked from one to the other. Melvin
never
joined her and the other girls for a drink. That should have been another clue, but Charlie gathered her belongings happily, and jauntily walked out of the office and into the lift with them.

Sarah linked her arm on one side, and Melvin other as Faye led them into the foyer. Charlie chatted aimlessly, as they, in total silence, walked her towards the
Pig in Muck
pub.

November had brought dark evenings and the taste of a chilly winter to come, but to Charlie everything was enclosed in the sunny glow of summer, and instead of car fumes and the scent of the local kebab shop she smelt fresh flowers. She began to hum and flashed Sarah and Melvin, either side of her, a grin.

‘
So is this a celebratory drink to wish me and Ben well?’

Melvin squeezed her arm, but said nothing. They ushered her inside
Pig in Muck
, and sat clustered around her in an alcove by the window. The pub was already decorated for Christmas, and there were festive menus on the table.

Charlie picked one up. ‘Oh my God! What do I buy a rich man for Christmas? I’m sure he has most things already!’

‘
Drinks before disclosure?’ asked Sarah.

‘
Defo,’ said Faye. And they left for the bar.

‘
Melvin, what’s this all about?’ Charlie asked as soon as they were out of earshot. ‘Sarah said “disclosure”, what does she mean? Is she in some sort of trouble?’

‘
I want them to tell you,’ he said, jerking his head in Faye and Sarah’s direction. ‘If I say you’ll not believe me, and think I’m just being a cow.’

‘
Of course I won’t! Silly goose.’

‘
Silly goose?’

‘
I need to practise my posh English, I can’t call you a prat anymore.’

‘
It’s not going to last, you know, doll.’

‘
I have to try. I can’t let Ben think he’s going out with a chav now can I?’

Melvin closed his eyes. ‘Not the way you speak!’ He chewed his lip. ‘You wear your heart on your sleeve, and he’s going to hurt you.’

Charlie stared at him before speaking for a moment. ‘You can’t go through life not doing anything just because of failure, Mel.’ She reached across and touched his hand. ‘Your parents, your
real
parents, wouldn’t want that.’

He sighed. ‘This isn’t about me, doll, it’s Ben.’

Faye and Sarah returning from the bar prevented her from digging her nails into his hand and asking for more. Her drink looked like brandy, and when she sniffed it she grimaced. She pushed it to one side.

‘
Come on, time to tell me what this is all about,’ she said.

Melvin pushed the drink back towards her. ‘Sarah found something out about Sir, something that tells me I was right all along about him.’

Charlie, her eyes on Sarah, now flashed back at Melvin. She was looking hurt. ‘You can’t help it, can you?

He looked pained. ‘Baby doll –’

‘
Stop calling me that! I am not a baby or a doll. I grew up Mel, mentally I’m probably more mature than you! At least I know relationships can last.’

‘
I’ve Dean. I know they last!’

‘
It took you ages to commit to him. Poor bloke thought he’d never win you over.’ She snatched up her drink and took a swig forgetting for a moment that it was brandy. A cough shook her and brought tears to her eyes as the fiery liquid slipped down her throat. She grabbed Faye’s orange. ‘That’ – cough – ‘was disgusting.’

Melvin was scowling. ‘Tell her, Sar,’ he said.

The heat from the brandy had given Charlie pink cheeks. She sipped more of Faye’s drink until she snatched it back.

‘
Go on, Sarah,’ Faye said. ‘Put her out of her misery, and maybe I’ll get to drink my own orange juice.’

Sarah cleared her throat. ‘Middleton will have his marriage arranged for him – you won’t stand a chance of marrying him. Big M, that’s Donald Middleton, always chooses his girlfriends and won’t allow anyone outside their circle to date his precious son.’

‘
What a load of bollocks!’

‘
Just listen,’ Melvin said.

Charlie stood up. ‘I’m not staying to listen to this crap. Nobody arranges marriages anymore – not if you’re English anyway!’

‘
Baby … Charlie,’ said Melvin. ‘That’s not it. Sit down. Please.’

Charlie sat, scowling. She crossed her arms over her chest.

‘
Sir is having a fling before he settles down. You’re the fling.’

Charlie stuck her fingers in her ears, but Faye pulled them out. ‘Listen to us! This is for your own good! Ben Middleton was in a relationship with a woman called Nicole. Because of his mum’s death and his sister doing a runner they sort of split up.’

‘
And you know for certain that they are back together?’

‘
Well no, but –’

‘
Thought so.’ Charlie pushed the brandy towards Melvin, and stood up. ‘Here, drink this then go and get yourself a life. Your
own
life.’

‘
Charlie! Charlie, where are you going?’ Melvin shouted after her.

‘
To find Jan. A
real
friend!’

She was more than angry. She was fuming, and she pushed her way out of the booth and out onto the street. She was well aware that Ben wasn’t in her orbit. If they were planetary worlds, she’d be a frivolous comet flitting through space and he a majestic planet. But planets and comets met sometimes, didn’t they? She didn’t like the destructive image of the colliding planet and comet that burst into her head though.

Her mobile rang, and she slowed her pace to delve inside her bag to answer it. It was Melvin. She dropped it back in her bag without answering; she really couldn’t be bothered. She sniffed and realised that the episode had upset her more than she thought. So much for her friends being pleased for her!

She gave a deep sigh, and probably looked like a cartoon character of despondency with her head bowed and shoulders hunched over.

‘
It’s better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all,’ she quoted beneath her breath. ‘So if the worse happens I’ll be better off anyway!’ She wouldn’t let Mel and the others ruin this for her. Why, she hadn’t been this happy since… ever! She raised her head, and straightened her shoulders. The thought of seeing Ben again, and being taken to dinner and on to see a West End show sent a thrill though her body, and the joy of thinking about him overrode all the negative emotions Melvin had brought out in her.

Her mind wandered to her wardrobe, and what she could wear. She had a moment of panic that she had nothing suitable when she remembered Faye was going to lend her some of her clothes. She’d better not let her down!

A young woman in front of her reminded her of Jan, and it took her mind from her wardrobe. She wondered what had become of the teenager. The abductor was found, but his victims hadn’t been. An involuntary shudder ran through her body. She thought of her parting shot to Melvin. Some friend
she
was; she didn’t even know what had become of Jan!

Her mobile bleeped. She grabbed it again, and flipped it open. There was a message from Melvin: U need 2 no wot ur gting urself in2.

As she deleted it it bleeped again: Him or me.

Oh my God! Melvin was giving her an ultimatum. Her gay best friend was jealous! She almost laughed. She texted back: him, and turned off her phone.

Her anger, bemusement, sip of brandy had given her drive into getting her life into some sort of order, at least momentarily anyway. She’d enjoy seeing Ben while it lasted – whether Mel and the others were right or not it did not gave them any right to dictate to her, but first she needed to find Jan. She really needed to check to see if the girl was OK. She knew she couldn’t rest until she found out for sure.

Back at her car, she locked her handbag in the boot and set off for her ‘patch’. She didn’t bother with a disguise. She wasn’t a Charlotte the Harlot tonight. She was just Charlie looking for a friend.

*

‘
Look who it is!’

Charlie turned towards the sneering voice, her face breaking into a grin. ‘Oh my God, Jan, you’re OK!’

Charlie had been walking the streets, pestering prostitutes about Jan when she turned a corner and practically fell on top of Jan leaning against a lamppost.

Jan drew heavily on a cigarette, before blowing it back out, and coolly viewed her through a swirling mass of smoke. ‘You ain’t welcome on this patch no more. I’ve told the others that you nick our tricks, and they won’t be pleased t’see you.’

‘
It wasn’t like that, I swear. I’ve been really worried about you. Where have you been?’

‘
Rent’s due,’ she said. ‘Not that it’s any of your business.’

‘
I’m glad to see you’re OK.’ Charlie moved to hug her, but Jan stepped away sucking on her cigarette.

‘
Piss off.’

‘
Jan, please! Don’t be like that. What have I done that’s so bad?’

‘
As if you didn’t know.’

‘
I don’t know. But I do know I’ve been worried about you. I’ve been looking for you all over!’

Jan shrugged. ‘Yeah, right.’

‘
I have!’

Jan blew cigarette smoke into the air. ‘So,’ she drawled, ‘how much did you get for my trick? This is a nice patch, we don’t steal one another’s fare, got me?’

Realisation dawned on Charlie. Of course, Jan would still have thought that Ben was a real punter and that Charlie had stolen him. She took a deep breath. ‘I’m not a prostitute.’ She paused and waited for the fall-out, but Jan just stared at her with no emotion on her face. ‘I’ve wanted to tell you for some time, but it’s true, I’m not a prostitute.’

Jan folded her arms, the cigarette hanging from her mouth, and continued to stare.

Charlie realised she wasn’t going to make it easy for her. ‘I’m a writer. Or rather I
want
to be a writer.’ Charlie winced at the language that came out of Jan’s mouth following her words. She held up her hands in surrender and moved forwards. ‘I’m writing a book about women like you. My character, Sally, is –’

‘
What d’you mean women like me?’ Jan spat her cigarette out and ground it out with the ball of her foot. She followed it with spittle. ‘Bitch,’ she said.

Charlie slapped a hand against her forehead. ‘I’m ballsing this up, aren’t I? I didn’t mean that how it sounded,’ she said. ‘Please Jan,’ she added when it looked as if the young girl was about to walk away. ‘Let me apologise.’

Jan crossed her arms over her chest but made no attempt to leave.