Gangsters Wives (4 page)

He took their drinks over and sat opposite her. ‘Right,' he said. ‘You know who I am, who are you?'

She thought of giving a false name, but he beat her to it. ‘Show me some ID,' he said, and took her bag and opened it. He ignored the silky blouse and dug deep until he found her purse thick with cash and credit cards. ‘Could've paid,' he said. ‘Naughty, naughty.'

He took out her driving licence, fished out his phone and made a call. ‘Excuse me,' he said as he turned away. ‘Police business.'

She grimaced.

He whispered into the phone, reading out the details from the document, and then was silent for a moment. ‘Christ,' he said at length. ‘You're joking,' as he looked at Kate with a different expression in his eyes. He snapped the phone shut eventually and said. ‘You're Robbo Ellis's missus. And Johnny Wade's daughter. What the hell are you doing on the knock?'

‘I like it. Gets my juices running,' she said defiantly, looking straight into his chocolate-brown eyes.

‘And nicking Robbo's missus does the same for me.'

‘You know him then?' she asked.

‘Every copper in the Met knows him,' he said. ‘But not personally. But some do I'm sure, from what I've heard.' And he made the international sign for money by rubbing his right thumb over the fingers of his right hand.

‘So what?' she asked, ignoring it. ‘It's me that pinched the blouse.'

‘So you admit it?'

‘In here. Not at the nick.'

‘Been there before, have you?'

‘Only to report a lost dog.'

‘Did they find it?'

‘Yes. As a matter of fact.'

‘See. We are good for something.'

‘Sometimes,' she replied.

He smiled, and she had to admit the smile did something for her. ‘So what am I going to do with you?' he asked.

‘Better make up your mind, or I'm off out of here.'

‘I could cuff you and read you your rights. I bet Robbo wouldn't be pleased if he heard about that.'

‘I doubt that he would. But then I doubt that he's going to.'

‘Meaning?'

‘Meaning that instead of being banged up in a cell round the corner, I'm sitting here in this charming, if rather retro establishment having a delicious beverage with a strange foreign man.'

‘I'm not foreign,' he interrupted. ‘I was born in Croydon.'

‘That's foreign to me,' she went on. ‘And believe me if he saw us now he'd have something to say about it. He doesn't like me talking to strange men.'

‘Is that why he hits you?' he said.

‘What do you mean?'

He plucked off the glasses she was still wearing. ‘If I'm not mistaken, and I rarely am,' he said. ‘You recently had a black eye. I can see you've loaded on the slap, but it's still a bit yellow.'

‘Clever aren't you?'

‘Top of my class in the sergeant's exam.'

‘So why
haven't
you nicked me?'

‘Paperwork. I'm down here looking for a present for my sister's birthday. It's my day off, and I don't want to spend it in a strange nick processing you.'

‘So can I go?'

‘You haven't finished your coffee, and it's almost lunchtime, and we're both alone. Fancy a bite?'

She looked at him closely again. Handsome. A bit flash. Well built. And she'd never been with a coloured bloke. And she was lonely and sad and fucked up and fucked off with her life. ‘Curry?' she said, and for a moment his face went hard until he realised she was pulling his leg.

‘There's a hotel across the road,' he said. ‘I've heard the dining-room is one of the best in London. Care to give it a try?'

‘Expensive?' she asked.

‘Yes.'

‘And you're paying?'

‘Of course.'

‘Well, I suppose it's one way of getting the taxes we pay back.'

‘You and Robbo pay tax?'

‘Don't be silly. Remember Al Capone?'

‘What about him?'

‘Got away with murder for years, then went inside for tax evasion. Stupid, yeah?'

Beautiful, and quick too, thought Ali. ‘I remember,' he said. ‘Want to go?'

She nodded.

So they did.

They finished their drinks, left the cafe and crossed the road to where the hotel stood behind a curved driveway. The doorman touched the brim of his top hat and wished them a good afternoon, and Ali responded with the same. The automatic doors swished open and he allowed Kate to enter first. Once inside in the ornately decorated lobby, he went to reception to enquire about a table for lunch whilst Kate looked around nervously, praying she wouldn't see anyone she knew. She was tempted to turn on her heel and run, but she felt strangely attracted to the Asian man. She didn't play away as a rule, like Sadie did. She was too afraid of Robbo's temper for one thing, and apart from that it wasn't in her nature. But the thought of the young copper touching her had, as she'd previously said about shop lifting, got her juices running.

He turned from the desk with a smile. ‘Table for two, at one,' he said. ‘Fancy a drink first?'

‘I thought you people didn't drink.'

‘Us people, as you so kindly call us, are a mixed and interesting race. I'm not a Muslim. I'm a copper, and I drink.'

‘Good. A drink it is then.'

They followed the signs to the cocktail bar, which was dimly lit and almost empty. Kate sat at a table and Ali said, ‘What do you fancy?'

You, thought Kate, but said, ‘gin and tonic, large one. Ice and a slice.'

He went to the bar and ordered the drinks, and Kate watched his firm, muscular arse. Better and better, she thought.

When he returned with two glasses beaded with moisture, Kate took out her cigarettes. ‘Do you mind?' she asked.

‘Not only don't I mind, I'll ponce one of yours,' he replied.

‘All the vices, I see,' she said.

He smiled, a dangerous, reckless, smile. ‘You'd better believe it.'

‘This is dangerous,' said Kate when they were both smoking. ‘If Robbo knew…' She didn't finish the sentence.

‘Are
you
going to tell him?'

‘Christ no.'

‘That's all right then.'

‘I really shouldn't be here.'

‘What, and miss lunch?'

‘Even that.'

‘I believe it's shepherd's pie and cabbage at the station Thursdays.' Ali said, arching an eyebrow.

‘Is that a threat?' she asked.

‘As if I would.'

‘I believe you might.'

‘Come on Kate, enjoy your drink. They'll bring us a menu in a minute. No shepherds pie and cabbage here.'

Indeed there wasn't. The restaurant was as good as Ali had promised. Recently taken over by a famous TV chef, the menu was something called modern British, which seemed to mean old-fashioned food at inflated prices. They chose a mixed array of dishes from the huge menu brought by a young woman in a white blouse and black skirt, and at one precisely were led to a table in a secluded corner.

An hour and a half passed quickly. Kate found Ali easy to talk to in a way that Robbo had never been, and the more she drank, the more she found herself wondering what he would look like naked. As they were served coffee and liqueurs, Ali asked, ‘Having a good time?'

Kate smiled. ‘Yes.'

‘What now?'

‘What do you have in mind?'

‘Well, you could go home, forget all about me, and breathe a sigh of relief that you aren't up for a criminal record. How have you managed to avoid that by the way?'

‘Blind luck?'

‘I don't believe it. You're too smart.'

‘If you say so.'

‘I do.'

‘Or?' she asked.

‘Or what?'

‘What if I don't want to go home?'

‘Well. I enquired about rooms. There's a nice double up for grabs.'

‘Confident, aren't you?' she said, mock-glaring at him, but smiling.

‘It's in my nature.'

‘And in the room?'

‘Well I imagine there's a bed, and a minibar, and…'

‘And?'

‘And we could get to know each other better,' he said.

‘You're propositioning me.'

‘I thought that was obvious.'

‘Do I look that easy?'

‘Not at all. If you did I wouldn't bother.'

‘Is that a compliment?'

‘If you like.'

‘I like. Book the room.'

So he did.

The room was on the fourth floor overlooking the street. Ali drew the curtains back and looked down at the traffic, running silent because of the triple glazing. Kate stood at the door, suddenly shy and unsure why she was there. Too much booze with lunch, she thought, and almost ran out again.

‘Nervous?' asked Ali as he turned to face her across the huge bed that dominated the room.

She nodded.

‘Don't be. No pressure. You can go if you want.'

‘And stiff you for the room?'

‘I can afford it.'

‘Take backhanders do you?'

‘None of your business. But I mean it Kate. If you want to go you can.'

‘I don't want to go, but…'

‘But what?'

‘If Robbo even guessed,' she said, looking nervously at the door.

‘This is not you then?'

‘No. Far from it. I'm a good girl.'

‘Except for the blouse.'

‘Do we have to talk about that?'

‘No. All forgotten. Well?'

‘Did you say something about a minibar?'

‘That's my girl.'

‘Not yet, but maybe…'

She moved into the room, dropped her bag on the floor, pulled off her hat and let her long, red hair cascade down around her shoulders.

Ali was mesmerised. ‘God,' he said. ‘You're even more beautiful than I thought.'

‘Thank you, kind sir.'

‘I don't believe this,' said Ali. ‘Am I dreaming?'

‘I don't think so. I don't believe it either.'

‘But here we are.'

‘So?'

‘So?'

‘So do something about it.'

Suddenly they were in each other's arms kissing madly, and they rolled onto the bed tearing at each other's clothes. Kate was amazed at the ferocity of her passion, and she felt that she might faint with lust as Ali ripped off her underwear, then his own, to reveal his long, hard penis. ‘You're beautiful too. Such a fucking gorgeous man,' said Kate as she reached for him, then put his cock into her mouth.

Ali lay back as she sucked on him. ‘Stop,' he said. ‘I don't want to come.'

Kate's response was to suck harder, as Ali tried breathlessly protesting again.

She let him go for a moment. ‘Shut up Ali,' she said. ‘You're mine now.'

Ali knew when he was beaten, and helplessly lay back on the bedcover looking at the ceiling as she brought him to a climax. ‘You bitch,' he said, smiling at her, his face sexily flushed. ‘That was too quick.'

‘Plenty of time sexy boy, I want some fun too.'

They lay together in each other's arms, until Ali roused himself and found a bottle of champagne in the fridge. ‘I don't make a habit of spending my afternoons in bed with strange men.' said Kate. ‘I don't suppose you came prepared?'

‘I told you, I was looking for a present for my sister,' said Ali. ‘I really didn't think anything like this was going to happen.'

‘Then be careful,' said Kate as he popped the cork and filled two glasses. ‘We don't want any little accidents.'

‘I'll do my best,' said Ali.

‘Make sure you do.'

They spent the rest of the afternoon making love. Kate was in a dream as she came time and time again, something that had never happened with Robbo. She was overwhelmed by the strength of her desire for Ali and felt like she imagined men did during sex, fucking Ali harder until they were both panting with exhaustion. Robbo had been the only man she had known sexually before that strange afternoon of passion. Passion that she'd never felt for her husband. She'd discussed sex with her friends, and read dozens if not hundreds of articles about it in
Cosmopolitan
and
Marie
Claire
, but had half believed that what she'd heard and read was sheer fantasy. Pipe dreams invented out of frustration. But suddenly under Ali's practised fingers and lips the fantasy came to life, and she knew that life with Robbo would never be the same again.