Capital Sins (15 page)

'
Mmm
.' Very
noncommital
.

'I met the
man once, Constance,' he went on, assuming the tone of a man of affairs.
'Very powerful and influential chap.
I'd give my right arm
if I could have half of what he's got.'

'Is that
all?'

He didn't
appreciate the sarcasm, nor did the other two, for they were busy in the back.

Much to her
relief, Henry didn't attempt to talk further until their car had pulled up before
the club. As the Jag was driven away to be parked, Henry slipped his hand under
Connie's elbow and led her up the flight of stairs to the revolving doors.
Robert and
Tilly
followed and Connie could hear her
giggling flirtatiously at something he had said. The girls disappeared into the
powder room.

'He's
thoroughly obnoxious,' Connie muttered as she washed her hands. 'I don't know
why I let you talk me into these things.'

'For pity's
sake, can it! We're here now, so make the most of it,'
Tilly
answered irritably. 'You only
gotta
soft soap him a
couple of hours and then we'll be away. You could try to be a bit more
appreciative, after all the trouble I've gone to,' she added in an injured
voice.

Connie
sighed and applied a coat of pink lipstick.
'Where to then?'

Tilly
grinned wickedly.
'Wherever you fancy, kid.
We could
go to an all-night movie, a dance, or even go for a drink and see if we can
pick up a
coupla
dishy blokes more in your line.'

'I feel
cheap ... '
But
she said no more as
Tilly
grasped her hand and pulled her away.

They went
to the packed casino where Robert and Henry tried their luck at the gaming
tables. Henry insisted on giving Connie a pile of chips to play with and it
didn't take her long to lose £10 at the roulette wheel. She then hung around
the tables feeling bored once the novelty wore off, until her companions tired
of losing and they went to another floor. They were lucky to get a spare table
that wasn't reserved, for the restaurant, like the casino.
was
full, but it appeared that the table they were given had just been cancelled
only five minutes before they arrived.

A waiter
led the way to the corner table and, in spite of her mood, Connie couldn't help
being thrilled. It was the first really plush place she'd been to, and the flowers
on the table, set between two dripping candles, were real, not plastic.

Tilly
pinched Connie's arm and grinned saucily.
'Nice, eh?
Worth it?'

The band
was playing a soft, Jilting melody and Connie felt herself mellowing. Her foot
tapped in time to the music for she loved to dance. All the men wore dinner
jackets and many of the women long evening gowns. Connie shrugged. As they had
made their way to the table, a couple of male heads had turned as she went by,
so she knew she looked suitably attired even for such a grand place.

The wine
waiter appeared and smiled professionally at the quartet.

'An aperitif.
perhaps
, sir?' He was addressing Henry, who
turned to Connie.

'I think
so. Constance?'

She blinked
rapidly. 'A ... a Martini, please.'

'How would
madam like it, French or Italian?'

'
Er
, sweet.'

When that
waiter had glided away with their orders, another appeared to take their orders
for food. The next ten minutes were taken up with scanning the menus, and
choosing the most expensive dishes as
Tilly
had
suggested. They made small talk right through the hors d'oeuvres, and then
Henry leaned over towards Connie.

'Would you
care to dance?'

She allowed
him to lead her to the floor, smiling graciously all the while, where six or
seven other couples were swaying in a dignified manner to the music. She could
smell his breath as he laid his cheek against hers and, from his manner as
well, knew Henry had already had quite a bit to drink earlier.

'You're
darned pretty,' he complimented, as he clung to her waist. 'I just love the way
your eyes light up when you talk, as if they're sparkling just for me, if I may
be so bold as to presume,' he added boldly, yet at the same time managing a
fawning humility.

Connie's
lips drew back in a smile, feeling that politeness required some kind of
gratitude. 'I think you're nice looking too,' she lied.

He looked
gratified and slid his hands up her back to rest between her shoulder blades
where the skin was bare.

'You and I
must go somewhere quieter later, when we've ditched the others,' he remarked, a
little hoarsely.

Her smile
remained set. 'That would be nice, Henry.'

With his
left hand still on her back, he removed his right hand from her waist and, with
an expression of extreme innocence, placed it on her shoulder. She could feel
her flesh contracting again.

'I would
like to kiss you very much, Constance,' he said, at the same time thrusting his
face forward.

'Henry! Not
here.' She looked at him, shocked. 'Perhaps later,' she demurred, remembering
her role.

His lips
made a smacking sound and they danced on without further conversation until the
music stopped, when she freed herself from him and they returned to their
table. Connie tolerated his bony knee thrusting against hers under the table
during the rest of the meal, and bore his fatuous comments as patiently as she
could while Henry kept ordering more and more bottles of wine. Then the time
came when
Tilly
stood up and said, 'Excuse me,
gentlemen, I just have to powder my nose before we go,' and twitched her nose
at Connie.

Connie
arose immediately, trying not to look too relieved, feeling that the charade
had to be maintained to the very end.

'I'll come
with you,' she said. As a matter of fact, she was dying for a pee.

Five
minutes later, the girls slipped out from the cloakroom unseen by their
escorts. Connie could just see the two men through the glass partition from
where she stood. Henry was gazing anxiously in the direction of the powder
room, and she almost felt sorry for him, until she remembered his invitation
while they had danced. She thought of his wife and said to
Tilly
angrily:

'They make
me sick. They're just dirty old men, but they wouldn't be if girls like us
didn't pander to their whims!'

Tilly
laughed. 'Don't let it bug you, kid. It's guys like Robert and Henry who're our
meal tickets every now and again, and they can often splash out on
more'n
just free nosh if you and I play our cards right.'

They went
out into the street. It was dark, but many blazing neon lights illuminated the
crowded main road with flashing Coca Cola signs, and a hundred more dazzling
lights advertising other brand names. Connie soon cheered up as they walked
along, for
Tilly's
mood and laughter were infectious.
They crossed a narrow alleyway and passed a corner stand where a man was selling
meat patties and hamburgers.

'Want one?'
Tilly
exclaimed impulsively.

'After that meal?
You must be joking.'

'Not
really. I'm always hungry.'

They went
further, then: 'So what do you fancy doing?
l
ain't
walkin
' the streets all
night like some pro. Besides, me shoes are
killin
'
me,'
Tilly
groaned. 'Feels like the soles of me feet
are
bumin
'.'

Connie
considered for a second, then, 'Want to go to a dance?'

The other
shook her head. 'Nah, I just
wanna
sit down, take the
weight
orf
me feet, and get me breath back.'

Just then,
Connie's attention was caught by a busker entertaining a queue standing before
a cinema.

'Let's go
to the pictures,' she suggested. 'I haven't seen a really good film for ages.'

Tilly
assented and they took their place. The musician kept them amused while the
queue inched forward, and
Tilly
bought herself a
packet of peanuts and proceeded to scatter the shells over the pavement. They
bought their tickets and eventually were ushered to seats in the darkness,
which felt heavy and warm from so many people. They squeezed their way past
rows of protesting knees, finally sinking back in exhaustion as they made it to
two empty seats.

'Is it
always so crowded in here at this time?' Connie asked
,
her eyes already fixed on the screen.

'The navy's
in town ... '
Tilly
began, and was promptly shushed
by a couple behind.

A quarter
of an hour later,
Tilly
nudged Connie.

'Let's
move,' she urged in a small whisper.

Connie
tutted
in annoyance for she was enjoying the film.

'What for?'
she hissed back.

'The geezer
next to me keeps trying to touch me up.

'Ignore
him.'

'He won't
let me. I wouldn't mind, but he smells like he's come straight from the
sewers.'

Suppressing
a sigh,
C'onnie
stood up and, apologising as they
threaded their way back along the row, moved to another position.

'Now will
you be quiet,' she said, as they settled themselves.

Tilly
was
silent for about five minutes,
then
she elbowed Connie
again. 'What's it all about? I
dunno
what's going
on.'

'It's a
political film. It's very
clever,
don't you understand
it at all?'

'No.'

'Try,
you'll find it easier if you concentrate,' Connie said helpfully, hoping she
didn't sound too pompous.

'It's
boring,'
Tilly
said restlessly. 'I didn't know it was
this
kinda
film, I thought it was a western.'

'Can't you
keep still
... '

'Aw,
Connie, let's go. I can't sit through this
rubbish,
I'll fall asleep if I do.'

'Maybe then
I'd get some peace,' Connie said ungraciously beneath her breath but,
nevertheless, after a minute, the girls left.

'That was a
waste of money,' Connie said flatly as they mingled once more with the crowd
outside.

'It sure
was,'
Tilly
agreed, misunderstanding her.

'So where to now?
It's getting late.'

'Let's get
ourselves a drink somewhere and take it easy, you

never
know, something interesting might still '
appen
.'

She looked
so enthusiastic that Connie didn't argue. They crossed the road and entered a
pub which, like every other place, was crowded, but the girls were in luck. Two
women had just vacated a table, and Connie grabbed the chairs before anyone
else had a chance.

'I'll get '
em
,'
Tilly
yelled over the
racket. 'What'll you '
ave
?'

'Anything
cheap,' Connie called back, as
Tilly
inched her way
through a press of people around the bar, 'but make it long and cool. It's
stifling in here.'

Connie sat
back and surveyed the people curiously, seeing knots of young people laughing,
several of them college students, a trio of hippies, some business types –
judging by the bowler hats and pin-striped suits – a few housewives who were
chattering about how much money they had won at bingo, a couple of faded,
blowsy types among them, a couple of young tarts who looked older, and a few
old ones, who tried to look younger: all types.

It amused
Connie to wonder into which category she would fall if she were being assessed.

A jukebox
in the corner was blaring out pop music and there were a few couples trying to
dance on a postage stamp-sized floor. As her eyes skimmed the room, Connie
sensed that she, in turn, was being stared at. Her eyes met those of a man in uniform
and she quickly lowered her gaze, but when she looked back at him a second
later, he was still looking, a smile hovering now on his lips which told that
he'd known she would be unable to refrain from stealing a second glance. She
could feel her face go hot but, before she could avert her gaze in time, he'd
nudged a uniformed companion. He whispered something into his mate's ear, and
the other turned also and looked towards where Connie was sitting. She raised
her chin haughtily, but watched the pair from the corner of her eye, the first
man having intrigued her. To her dismay, they were weaving their way towards
her. She sat up straighter and looked around in vain for
Tilly
.