HOLA

After I had filled Mickey Straw in about Justine going
'walkies' with Skinner and he had stopped laughing, he
said:
"This is just perfect Becks! What a blinding stroke of
luck! I bet we're not far from finding out the key players.
Good girl!" His chirpy cockney voice made me want to
put my hands around his neck and squeeze tightly.
Did he not know that I was miserable? Skinner was mine
or meant to be. Jeff had been mine, they were probably all
laughing at me and comparing notes (ok that is paranoia)
but I'm pissed off and not happy.
"Hmm." I said by way of a reply.
"What's wrong?" See Mickey is Mickey, he knew me inside
and out and then some. He was a dirty bastard-we should
have got married.
"Nothing, but this is getting kind of ugly, do you not see that?
Every fucker I know seems mixed up in this! I don't know
who to trust anymore!" I bleated like a small truculent child.
"Well you can trust me! Kate, Raine, Alex, Ruth, no skip that,
I never trusted Ruth especially after that stalking stuff."
It was all a big joke to Mickey.
"I notice the absence of men on your list."
"I'm a man! Cheeky cow!"
"No your a Cop, what about Alan, surely he's trustworthy?"
"I think he just might be, but you should avoid him like the
plague at the moment. If you value his safety that is."
Warned Mickey.
"Bastard!" I hung up on Detective Dickhead, what a wanker!
Alright to put me in danger though, bloody men, stick together
or what!
So I dated Skinner at LilacLace, Skinner wore black as usual,
but being completely pissed off and not in the mood for
S&M stuff I put my leather trews aside and wore a floaty
pink dress by Ghost. My hair was in ringlets and I even
wore blusher. I looked pretty damn fine for a skank.
Skinner seemed pleased too.
"Becka!" He breathed and kissed my cheek (our first kiss!)
"You look lovely." He said simply.
"Thanks!" I said and waited for him to offer me a drink
which he did. When he went to get them Grady hustled
over like some sort of defrosting gateau.
"Becka, what a surprise." He kissed my hand and I'm
sure that I felt far more tongue then was necessary.
"Ditto." I muttered.
"I see you have a new beau, Skinner, he's a good man."
Said Grady approvingly. "A step up from the usual
pretty boys you date."
"Oh he gets your seal of approval does he? Can't think
why, but that makes me shit my pants!" Which it did,
Grady was some sort of hard gangster and he liked
my choice of man. "As long as he's not like you, I'll
be ok."
Grady grabbed my left breast and squeezed hard,
it really hurt.
"Skinner will eat you for dinner you little fool!"
He licked the side of my face, yuk!
"Just fuck off and die Grady your spoiling my night!"
I'm not called Mad Becka for nothing!
All pretence was over, Grady walked away shaking
his head in confusion.
"Crazy 'ho!" I thought I heard him mutter.
"Penny for them." Said Skinner, I jumped nearly
knocking the glasses out of his hands. "whoa! Are
you ok?"
My breast was stinging and I was shaking like a leaf.
"Not really!" I gulped down my vodka martini, shit
I was screwing this up and then some. Cool baby real
cool.
"Can you take me home?" I whispered, Grady had
undermined my resolve, best leave and try again
another time.
"I could, but I'd rather take you back to mine, this
place lacks atmosphere tonight." His eyes (which
had lightning strikes) sparkled. Normally I would
have said no because I liked to torment Skinner.
"Ok, I'm trusting that you will remain a gentleman?"
I said coyly, I wouldn't care if he stripped me naked
here and now, just as long as we could go! I was
that scared of Grady.
"We'll see." He ushered me through the crowds,
protecting me with his hard body. I looked at Grady
with his huge gappy teeth grinning away at me
knowingly and he shouted loudly:
"Skinner! Give Becka one for me you lucky dog-I
hear she's hotstuff." Grady licked his vast greasy
lips.
I could have died! I know I'm not exactly a nun, but
Skinner didn't know that! His eyes narrowed and he
gave Grady the finger.
"Sorry about that!" He whispered in my ear as if it
was his fault. Oh my, maybe he thought the insult
was a slur on him?
" Me and Grady go way back, he dates one of my
girls and he hates me. I'm sorry too." I said quietly.
"Nothing to apologise about." He kissed my forehead,
once again a very Alan thing to do. "Interesting you
know Grady though." Abruptly he stopped talking
and I did not want to press the matter although I
was aching to ask how did he know Grady.
We were soon in a cab hurtling through the cold
streets of London. I felt so odd, scared because this
was what I had to do and scared because this was
what I wanted to do. Go home with Master Skinner
that is, on everything else I felt totally out of my
depth. Shit Mickey.
Becka Martin