Francesca, page 10
One of the other girls offered me a lift in her car. Once inside it, I burst into tears.
At the head of all of this was a man who had proposed a business deal, wearing his charming smile and a well-tailored suit, to marry me.
I carried on, as normally as possible, as though on autopilot. I got Bobby’s dinner ready and did the school run. I kept checking the newspapers and television for any kind of headlines concerning what I had witnessed. But there was nothing.
Then the agency rang and confirmed my bookings for the week. One of them was at the pub where it had all happened. My blood went cold at the thought of returning to the place. Still, my curiosity was also roused. After all that, how could the pub be open again?
When I walked in, I was amazed. The place was all newly decorated, even down to new carpets on the floor. It seemed like a dream, like the altercation and all that had ensued had never happened. Dear God, what was I getting into? This man made people and things disappear without a trace.
By chance, I was working with Julia, who had also been there that day and had given me the lift in her car. She never mentioned it, until I brought up the newly decorated pub and how different it looked.
‘Look, Francesca, I know what you’re getting at, and as far as I am concerned, it’s over and done with. I’ll talk about it once and once only. That could have been you or me with that glass in our faces! Then where would we be? No one gives a shit about a couple of strippers involved in a pub fight, whatever happens. Why do you think we never tell anyone what our line of work is? What would happen to your kid if you had been on the receiving end of that drugged-up greasy bastard’s attack, even if you had survived? Forget it, Francesca. It’s over. It happens, and those hoods are the only people on our side. Enough said?’
I looked at her in the changing rooms, where we were getting changed. She made a very valid point. It had never dawned on me that, each day, I could be risking my own safety. What would happen to Bobby? Oh, I know my mam would look after him. But how would I ever work again, if I were to be scarred badly, or worse? I had been offered a ‘get-out’, with security and cash, even if it meant working for a dangerous psychopath. At least I would be on the right side—well, for now anyway.
Mr Lambrianu needed me for the time being. So if I followed the rules and acted out my role, I would be safe. And more to the point, so would Bobby!
Jake was pacing the floor in the office. His hands were in his trouser pockets, and he was angry. ‘Bloody hell, Tony, are you crazy? You have scared her half to death. This is not what we wanted. We’re supposed to be giving her time to weigh up her options. We both know she will accept the offer.’ He poured some drinks and slammed one down on the desk in front of Tony, who was sitting back in his leather chair with a big grin on his face.
‘She didn’t accept soon enough, Jake. She is taking too long. She just needed a little nudge in the right direction. I even gave that Julia a few quid to remind Francesca what a dangerous job she has, especially when you have a child to think of and you’re alone in a strange city.’ He sat forward, laughing, and mimicked a female voice, ‘Oh, Fran, that could have been you. And what about Bobby?’ Tony burst out laughing. ‘Sharon was right. Her kid is the angle we play to get what we want, Jake.’ He picked up his drink and took a sip.
‘What if you have gone too far, Tony? Have you never heard of softly, softly? And what happened to those two guys? That was one hell of a set up for her benefit. Let’s hope it works, for both of our sakes.’ Jake couldn’t believe that Tony found this so funny. He knew his friend was a risk-taker. But he was afraid this would make Francesca pack her bags and go home, to the safe haven of her mother.
Tony ran his hands through his blonde wavy hair and informed Jake of the situation. The ringleader in all of this had been from a small mob, the other side of London. Small time, but you had to start somewhere. He was what Tony called collateral damage. You play with fire, and you get your fingers burnt. As for the man who’d had the bottle in his face, he was now in a very private hospital undergoing surgery, with a small sum of money to ease his pain.
The landlord of the pub was extremely pleased, because he’d had a full refurbishment of his pub at no cost to himself. As far as Tony was concerned, it had all gone very well.
‘All we do now, Jake, is wait for the telephone call from a frightened Francesca, who wants to ensure her own safety and that of her sons.’ He threw his open palms in the air and laughed out loud. ‘Everyone is a winner, Jake. Have I ever let you down, mate? My methods aren’t great, but my intentions are honourable. Come on. We have to meet Ralph Gold and discuss import and export, whatever that is.’ With that, he picked up his briefcase and opened the door for Jake.
Chris had been a good friend and an excellent childminder, but she had lately dropped a lot of hints about no longer being up for looking after Bobby, now that she had her own grandchildren. I dreaded going to work. I was always looking over my shoulder for something bad to happen. It was reflecting on my home life.
There was only one thing for it. It had been a few weeks now since Mr Lambrianu had made his offer, and I hadn’t heard anything since.
Maybe he had changed his mind or gotten someone else to take my place. Maybe I had left it too long?
Well, there was only one way to find out. I made a strong coffee and sat by the telephone for a few minutes, mulling over what I was going to say.
I dialled the direct number on the card I had been given. I was surprised when Mr Lambrianu picked up the telephone straight away, and in that smooth, charming voice of his said, ‘Francesca, how lovely to hear from you. What can I do for you?’
His velvety, calm voice didn’t make me feel at my ease, if that was what he intended. If anything, it made me nervous, so I just blurted it out. ‘That offer you made me, is it still on offer, Mr Lambrianu? If it is, I would like to accept it, with a few tweaks to your contract.’
‘I’ll see you this afternoon around 4 p.m. We will talk then, Francesca. I am sure we can discuss your tweaks then.’ With that, the line went dead. I had been dismissed again!
Only Mr Lambrianu and Jake were at the meeting. The contract lay on the table. Jake asked me why I had accepted and what changes I wanted to make to the business deal. I informed them that this was a beautiful deal, and they were being very generous. However, I wanted to make it clear that I didn’t like the idea of Elle, the housekeeper, spying on me and that I was perfectly capable of looking after myself and Bobby. I told them I appreciated there would be times when we would have to look like a married couple, but when not in the public eye, there would be no pretence.
I wanted to make it clear that they were hiring me for the year. They didn’t own me or my son. They both looked at each other, and you could see them thinking about what I had said.
‘The East End pubs are a dangerous place to work at times, very seedy. So I can see why you would want to work for me again.’ Mr Lambrianu looked at me; his blue hypnotising eyes held my gaze.
He was right, of course. I had felt safe when I worked for him in his clubs.
He reached over his desk and, with his well-manicured hand, held mine. His face portrayed a genuine warm smile. ‘We don’t mean to treat you like some prostitute for hire, Fran. May I call you Fran?’ His voice was tender and warm, almost reassuring.
I smiled at him, and our eyes locked. I suddenly remembered being locked in a gaze with him once before and how nice it had been.
‘This, Fran, is purely a business deal—hopefully, one that could benefit us both. We will have to appear intimate at times. But I agree with you—nothing more, nothing less. Elle stays, though. She can help you, guide you, and be there for you when things get tough. You can confide in her and let off steam when you think it’s all getting a bit stressful.’
I was mesmerised by his speech. He was very handsome charming man, and he used this to get what he wanted.
But thinking of everything that was on offer and how insecure I had felt lately, I decided to take a chance. I turned the handhold, he was still maintaining into a handshake.
‘You have just got yourself a wife, Mr Lambrianu.’ Once I had said it, I felt better. It was like a weight of worry had been lifted off my shoulders.
I was to move into the house after the engagement party, which was quickly arranged for the following Saturday. I had been busy packing boxes and getting ready for my move, and I confess, I was secretly excited. This was a whole new adventure. I was finally leaving the past behind me. I explained to Bobby that we were moving to a big house near the seaside. He seemed a bit confused by it all, but I knew he would understand more when he saw it.
When I told Chris I was moving, to be fair, she didn’t seem that bothered. I felt like I was doing her a favour moving on and not relying on her so much. She helped me pack and never even suggested visiting me or Bobby at the new house—I told her I’d found one to rent.
My instincts had been right. Over the past few weeks, she had dropped hints about being tired and how Bobby was becoming a handful. If anything, I felt my departure was a welcome one. For long enough, I’d been a charitable burden to her. She would be free to get on with her own life and with her own family without feeling guilty about me. This was just one more thing to make me feel like I was doing the right thing. If Chris no longer wanted to mind Bobby, who would?
9
The Future
The club was decorated in banners, ribbons, and balloons, all with ‘Congratulations’ and ‘Engagement’ written on them. The engagement had been a headline in the local newspapers, and of course there were photographers and journalists wanting to get all the information on Mr Lambrianu, club land’s most eligible bachelor, deciding to marry at last, and to some woman they had never heard of.
Julie and Ralph Gold had arranged everything as promised. Caterers and waiters filled the room, and the champagne flowed. God, if this was the engagement, what would the wedding be like? It had never occurred to me that the newspapers would take such an interest.
Mr Lambrianu had gotten his chauffeur to pick me up, and then I was told to go directly to the office and shown the way. I walked down the long hallway and knocked on the door. Tony and Jake were both waiting for me. As always, they were together.
Julie Gold had sent me a pink, spangled halter neck dress. It was beautiful. I left my hair down, letting the wavy curls fall down my left shoulder.
Mr Lambrianu actually looked embarrassed when I walked in. His face seemed slightly flushed beneath his suntan. ‘From now on, Francesca, you call me Tony, okay? And you will need this.’ He handed me a small red velvet square box. Puzzled, I looked at both of them and opened it. Inside was an oval-shaped diamond ring. It took my breath away. I hadn’t even considered this. Of course, I was getting engaged; a ring was inevitable. Now it all seemed real.
I looked down at the huge diamond. It sparkled a rainbow of different colours as it caught the light. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would own something like this. It took my breath away. I took it out of the box and slipped it on my finger.
‘It’s beautiful, Mr … er, Tony.’ I blushed and smiled at him. I really didn’t know what to say. Normally when you thought of getting engaged, you pictured the man of your dreams down on one knee proposing and you throwing your arms around him, full of love and happiness. Of course, it hadn’t been like that with Luke either.
‘If you don’t like it,’ he said, ‘I can change it.’ He was looking down at his desk, avoiding my eyes. This was obviously a conversation he was not comfortable with.
‘No, it’s perfect. Thank you.’ I looked at the diamond on my hand. I could almost feel tears brimming my eyes, and there was a lump in my throat.
Jake opened the office door, and Tony took my arm, and we all three walked out in the mayhem of the party that was already in full swing.
We didn’t get a chance to spend any time together. We were both monopolised by well-wishers, each one carrying a gaily wrapped parcel and placing it on the table at the back of the room, which was already overflowing with parcels of all shapes and sizes.
I was overwhelmed by it all. I wasn’t used to being the centre of attention like this. It was very late when the crowd started leaving. I was laughing and talking to Julie Gold.
Tony walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder. Then he bent forward towards my ear. I thought he was going to kiss me. But instead he whispered, ‘The car is outside waiting for you. You can leave now.’ I felt sick to my stomach. I really had gotten carried away by all the well-wishers.
I felt so stupid. This wasn’t real, and this was how things were going to be. I saw his head turn to a corner of the bar, where a woman with long blonde hair was sitting at a bar stool waiting for him. This was the reality of it all. I was being sent home so he could enjoy the rest of the evening. What a bore this must have been for him.
I obeyed my orders, immediately sobering up to the situation and said my goodbyes to everyone. Thank goodness Julie and Ralph were also leaving. I presumed that was what Tony had been waiting for. The sooner they left after this charade, the better Tony would feel. I was glad they were leaving before me, because they didn’t witness me walking to the car alone.
Once in the car, I looked down at the ring on my finger and wanted the club out of sight. All that glittered definitely wasn’t gold. I had made my choice and agreed to this deal. This would be my life for the next year.
Since the first night at the engagement party, I had come to expect the evening dismissal after some charity ball or party night. I had learned to reign in my feelings, knowing that I had only been picked because I was dull and boring. Wasn’t that what Tony and Jake had said? No skeletons in my closet and no unexpected surprises that would cause embarrassment.
My wedding was supposed to be in two months! Can you believe it? Some people planned their wedding a year in advance. But no—Julie Gold had turned up at the house a day or two after the engagement party, beautifully turned out as always. She wore a bright red skirt suit, which matched her blonde bobbed hair to perfection.
‘Surprise!’ She smiled at me as I opened the door in my jeans and soiled T-shirt.
As I looked up, I saw another woman getting out of the car and walking towards the door.
Julie pushed a large black folder into my chest and arms, ‘This is Maria,’ she explained excitedly. ‘She is also your wedding planner.’
‘What?’ I almost shouted at her. Not only was I surprised to see her, I hadn’t been informed of any of this. ‘I am capable of sorting out my own wedding you know.’
Julie pushed Maria past me into the house, and they both left me standing on the doorstep to close the door.
They had marched towards the kitchen, with Julie tut-tutting, each time she walked through the house. Elle was in the kitchen cleaning out cupboards and opening new boxes that contained brand-new high-tech kitchen gadgets. I didn’t even know what some of them were for.
‘Get some glasses, will you, dear? We have a lot of thirsty work to do.’ Julie spoke to Elle as though she was indeed the housekeeper.
I still felt a little intimidated by Elle, but not Julie Gold.
Elle did as she was told, and the wedding planner opened her bag and took out a couple of bottles of champagne. Within minutes, the champagne flowed, and folders and magazines were laid before me, displaying wedding dresses, enormous wedding cakes, and menus.
‘I know Tony told Ralph it had to be a Catholic church, so now we have to choose one,’ she said.
Tony was a Catholic? Now, I did find that funny—the very thought of him confessing his sins. It must take an awfully long time.
‘I don’t want a big fuss,’ I explained shyly, taking a sip of my first drink. Julie was now already on her third glass. ‘Just something simple, nothing extravagant.’ I looked towards Elle, who could see I was drowning in a sea of wedding plans.
Julie looked offended and disgusted at me. ‘So Mrs Lambrianu to be, what do you want? A buffet of sausage rolls and an off-the-peg dress. There will be over a hundred guests filling that church, and even more at the reception. You have to look your best, Francesca. And we’re here to help you.’ She sounded more excited than I was.
The penny was now dropping. This wasn’t going to be some quickie wedding at the local town hall. This was a celebrity wedding, with over a hundred guests. My confidence was slowly waning.
I didn’t even know why I was there. Julie and the wedding planner went through the books and folders and were soon arranging cake and food tasting sessions. The country manor she had chosen—yes, I do mean she had chosen—was lovely indeed. Her next sentence totally blew me away.
‘As it will be near Christmastime, we are going to have a winter wonderland theme—lights everywhere. If it doesn’t snow, we’ll buy a snow machine.’
Again, I must have looked nervous and twitchy. ‘Shouldn’t Tony be choosing some of this?’ I asked, trying hard to think of something interesting to say.
Julie Gold, already on another glass of champagne and opening another bottle, looked bored. ‘Francesca, you are going to be married at the end of November. Tony has already told Ralph that. He also mentioned you would be a little shy about it all and would indeed need some help. That is why I have come. Didn’t he tell you?’
So, this was just another clever ploy of his to get Julie and Ralph onside. He had obviously told them a lot more than he’d told me. Another businesses discussion, I presumed. An hour had already passed, and although I could see their lips moving and their fingers pointing at photos of brides, I wasn’t really taking in what they were saying. I presumed Julie had thought I would turn into some kind of Bridezilla. But I hadn’t given the details of the wedding much though. Well, not properly anyway. I was just going with the flow, and everything seemed to be getting planned for me.
Julie, who by now looked a little tipsy, held her hands in the air in total despair. She wasn’t happy with me. ‘Okay, Francesca, best bit now. You can sort out the rest, can’t you, Maria? Wedding dress time.’ She clapped her hands together, and there were smiles all around, even a weak one forced from me.
