Cold as Ice (32 page)

A message from Yan sprang up on her screen.
‘How’s it all going? Did you enjoy meeting the rest of the bunch?’

‘Yes I did thanks. Looks like it’s going to be fun.’

They chatted for a while then Ebony had a notification that Christian had accepted her friend request and wanted to chat on Messenger. Ebony cut her conversation with Yan short.

An Instant Message came through from Christian. ‘
You got anything planned for this evening?’

Robbo was watching the conversation.

‘Accept the offer if he wants to meet up, Ebb.’

‘Not much. Don’t have Archie tonight as my aunt’s got him, so just chilling.’

‘Fancy meeting up?’

‘Yes. Sure.’
Ebony was thinking how much easier it was to meet men when you were pretending to be someone else. Ordinarily she’d have given up before she began. Making
herself available and looking interested was a new thing for her. The few boyfriends she’d had were mostly policemen. She fell into dating because she worked alongside them every day.
She’d never had a one-night stand or been picked up in a bar.

She got ready. An hour later Ebony walked into the pub and saw two of the women from lunch: Selena was there with another woman who Ebony recognized from the college but couldn’t remember
her name. They waved her over.

Selena made room around the table for her. ‘We thought we’d join you. Hope you don’t mind? We usually end up seeing Christian here on a Thursday night when he doesn’t
have Elsie. He said you were on your way.’

Christian was at the bar. He waved at her and picked up a bottle of white wine as a question. She smiled back and nodded her reply as she sat down at the table.

‘This is Julie.’ Selena introduced her to the other woman. Julie was looking a little too glamorous for a pub setting, with false eyelashes and a spangly micro-dress. ‘You
remember her from lunchtime?’

‘Yes. I remember seeing you there.’ Ebony smiled at her. She didn’t seem too smiley in return. ‘We didn’t get the chance say hello; it was all a bit hectic. Looks
like you’re both still in the party mood?’

‘Just getting going,’ laughed Selena. Julie’s laugh was overly loud but her eyes were elsewhere. Ebony looked up to see what she was watching and she saw Christian approaching
with the bottle of wine and two glasses.

‘I thought you two could use your own glasses,’ he said, setting the bottle down in front of Ebony and pulling up a chair near her. Selena flashed a disgruntled look towards Julie,
who knocked back her wine and held her glass out for Christian to fill it. He poured out the contents of the bottle between them.

‘You coming with us? We’re off to a club down the road,’ Selena said.

Christian looked across at Ebony. ‘I’m happy here; but if you’d like to go?’ Christian seemed nervous.

Ebony shook her head. ‘To be honest it’s been a busy day for me. I think a couple of glasses of wine is about my limit tonight.’

Julie smirked at Christian. ‘Boring . . . Well, Christian . . . if you change your mind and fancy a late night you know where we are.’ Ebony saw how Julie didn’t take her eyes
off Christian. He was the reason she’d dressed up tonight. Now she was satisfied, after taking a good look at Ebony, that she was no threat and hardly worth acknowledging, she could flirt if
she felt inclined. Julie knocked back her drink and stood. Selena picked up her coat from the chair next to her.

‘Nice to see you again, Ebony,’ she said. ‘See you tomorrow. Not too early. About eleven? May see you later then, Christian. You know where to find us. Usual place, be
strutting our stuff till two and then who knows? The world is our oyster and thank God for babysitters.’ Selena waited for Julie to get her coat on. Julie leaned very close down to Christian
to whisper something in his ear and then they left. He looked as if he wanted to squirm but tried to cover it with a friendly smile.

After they’d left Christian turned to Ebony. ‘I’m sorry about that.’

She shrugged. ‘About what?’ She looked like she didn’t really understand what he was getting at.

‘They’re a couple of party animals. I bet they won’t be alone long.’

Ebony frowned. ‘Looked like Julie was hoping you’d be meeting up with her later.’

‘Huh . . .’ he scoffed, embarrassed. ‘She can hope all she likes.’ Ebony smiled into her drink. ‘Okay . . . I admit it. We have a tiny bit of history, me and
Julie.

Ebony’s eyes opened wide. ‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’ Christian laughed. ‘No need to take the piss.’

She smiled.

‘You’ve made a habit of dating the women on your course then?’

He shrugged and gave her a sideways glance, grinning. ‘Seriously? What can I say? I’m in the market for a relationship.’

‘You don’t have any trouble finding them – obviously there are lots of willing victims?’ He grinned but his eyes had turned hostile. Ebony tried one more push. She wanted
to see what buttons he had and how much they took pushing. ‘You are a grass greener type?’

He took a drink, his eyes fastened on hers as if he was trying to read her and the atmosphere became a little strained.

‘I’ve had a few relationships along the way. Just not found the one I’m looking for yet but I don’t believe in giving up.’

‘What are you looking for?’

He shrugged irritably. ‘Not looks.’ He flashed her a look which said
obviously.
‘It’s about personality, compatibility, making each other laugh – great
sex.’ His eyes stayed on hers, they had softened again. Ebony blushed and looked away. Even though she was getting the attention by false means it didn’t stop it feeling a bit too real.
He smiled at her embarrassment. ‘I have lots of boxes that need ticking – I have a kid, after all.’

‘Is that why you choose single parents?’

‘Whoa . . .’ he scowled – getting irritated. Ebony thought she’d pushed too hard.

‘You make it sound like I prey on them.’ He took a drink. ‘Which, of course, I don’t. I don’t
just
date single parents. It just so happens that I’m
at college with a lot of them.’ He started playing with his beer mat, beginning to look over her shoulder and around the bar.

‘Sorry, not my business.’ She took a drink.

‘Look – bottom line.’ Christian smiled and nodded, relaxed. ‘I date women on my course as well as others – it’s no big deal. I have great respect for anyone
who wants to change their life around.’

Ebony was nodding, thinking of what to say. Christian stared at his glass and flashed the odd glance towards Ebony to gauge her reaction.

‘I never intended to split with Elsie’s mum. It wasn’t just up to me. I really tried to make it work. I know what it’s like not to have a mum on the scene full time. My
mother didn’t exist for me. She went off to fuck her way around Europe. She left me in boarding school and when I got chucked out of there, I lived with my dad, who couldn’t have cared
less either.’ He paused; finished his drink and poured the rest of the bottle into his glass and then looked across at her and smiled.

‘The college, the people on the courses, they are my friends. I get close to some of them and we end up having a bit of fun together – where’s the harm in that? It’s all
fun. I don’t usually have to justify myself this much?’ He raised an eyebrow and gave her a cheeky smile.

Ebony turned away, smiling, but wondering whether she should ask him how he felt about breaking hearts that had already been broken in some cases, and preying on the vulnerable. But she
resisted. She had to remember who she was supposed to be. She thought about the character traits that Hawk had exposed. Could Christian kill, torture? Could he hate women that much? Hawk was clever
and manipulative. He had a warped sense of women and motherhood. Christian fitted the bill.

‘How long have you been on the course?’ she asked, leaving those thoughts for the moment. She felt as if she were floundering a little. She needed to give herself time to recover and
get back into seduction mode.

‘Seems like forever,’ he answered, a little deflated, bored. ‘I never seem to get to the end. I change my mind about what I want to do and then start in a new
direction.’

Like you do with women,
thought Ebony. ‘Sounds expensive,’ she said.

‘It is. But I don’t have many overheads and I’m lucky enough to be good at poker.’ Ebony raised an eyebrow. ‘I play it online. It fits into my lifestyle and
Elsie’s. But it’s a bit of a lonely existence.’ He paused, played with his glass, looked at Ebony. She wondered if
I’m lonely
was one of his standard pick-up
lines.

‘What about Elsie’s mum?’ she asked.

‘We share childcare. I have Elsie for half the week and every other weekend.’

‘And normally you’re out clubbing with Selena and Julie on your “other” weekend?’

‘No . . .’ He laughed. ‘I can see you’ve formed the wrong impression of me. I like to have fun now and again but Elsie is my life and everything I do is for her. I
don’t have time for much else. Yeah . . . I went back to Julie’s a couple of times and we had fun but she isn’t my type and I’m not hers if she’s honest. What about
you? You’re just starting dating again then?’ She nodded.

‘Yeah – it’s scary but it feels right.’

‘What made you call it a day with Archie’s dad?’

‘He was abusive. He was in trouble in Jamaica. He was controlling. He got nasty with me. I just decided I didn’t want to live my life bullied. Archie needed me to be
strong.’

‘You seem like the naturally strong type to me. Can’t imagine you put up with much shit.’ He was staring straight at her. Ebony thought she’d been doing well up till
then. She needed to dig deep inside her past to come up with what it felt like to take abuse. She didn’t have to search her memory for long before she was back, cornered by her mum, by the
bullies in the care home and the staff who were cruel, taking the pain; blaming herself for not stepping out of the way quick enough. Blaming herself for leaving it just that one second too late to
run away. The less she struggled the sooner it would be over. The care home could be very tough. She’d been in three different ones altogether. In between that she was with foster carers or
back with her mother. Anywhere Ebony looked there was trouble of one kind or another. The only respite she ever had was when she went to a foster couple called the Bennets; they had grown-up kids.
They spent their lives giving temporary homes to kids like Ebony. The one thing Ebony always knew was that she wasn’t unique. There were thousands of kids like her in the UK. The day when she
had to leave the Bennets was a sad one but she swallowed the sadness and she didn’t cry. It felt like one more kick in the stomach. Then she turned up in the home and things were bad, worse
than they’d ever been, until Micky came along.

‘I learnt to take it,’ she said to Christian.

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you so sad. I can see how much it still affects you.’ He put his hand on hers. She looked at it. Was it a hand that strangled? They were strong
hands and they felt rough. Not poker player’s soft hands. He saw her hesitate. ‘Sorry – rough hands. Been making Elsie a dolls house for Christmas.’

‘Ahhh.’ Ebony said responding as required. She turned his hand over and saw the ring of a blister. ‘Is that a burn?’

‘Yes.’ He withdrew his hand. ‘The things you do for love, huh? That was welding the tiny iron railing for the front of the house. Did you decide enough was enough with your ex?
Thought you could do better?’ He tilted his head back as if studying her. She nodded and he sat back and continued staring at her, his arms folded across his chest. ‘You’re a
strange one, if I’m honest. You’re not what I expected. Maybe it’s because you have spent your adult years living abroad, you just don’t seem to fit here, that’s all.
You are a hard person to get close to, but a nut worth cracking, I think.’ He smiled. ‘If you’ll let me?’

Ebony smiled. He leant across the table and kissed her softly on the lips. Ebony resisted the urge to shudder. Something about Christian made her worry about what she was going to catch, even
when he touched her hand. She pretended to look away bashfully as she took a drink of wine to wash it away.

At the end of the evening Ebony left Christian with another kiss at the Underground and made sure she wasn’t followed as she got off the Tube at the next stop and onto a
bus. She walked the few minutes to her estate. Already she was beginning to feel more at home in the vertical village. The bangs and shouts of people on the landings and stairs echoed as she
climbed the flights to her floor. She passed the groups of kids on the way up on the stairwell. Back inside the flat she rang Carter.

‘How did your cover hold up?’

‘Not bad. Christian senses I don’t quite fit but thinks it’s because of my life in Jamaica. He’s watching me. I’m the new girl to conquer.’

‘You’re finding it easy to keep in character?’

‘It’s not perfect but it’s getting easier. The accent is not a problem, doesn’t have to be that broad, but I worry that I’m not hitting the nail on the head with
some aspects of parenting.’

‘Remember, keep talking about your baby.’

‘Yeah, but these women are in college to get some identity back. They don’t spend all night talking about their babies; they want a life beyond motherhood.’

‘You’ve got to know some of them?’

‘Yeah – a couple. It’s all a bit of a cliquey inner group in the college.

‘Alarm bells ringing?’

‘Plenty. He’s not someone I’d choose to spend time with.’

‘Did you get to talk to any of his conquests? We need to know what he’s capable of when he lets his guard down.’

‘Lots of them fancy Christian. It’s cut-throat between them. I’m definitely considered a target both by him and by the women he’s had flings with.’

‘What kind of man is he?’

‘Ruthless. Selfish. He sees himself as a saviour to single parents, giving them a bit of excitement in their lives – that’s what he says. Doesn’t for one minute feel
remorse for the trail of broken hearts he’s left. He just shouts
NEXT.
And someone always steps up to take the bait. Women do seem to like him. He’s a charmer, easily bored.
He’s devoted to his little girl, or so he says. Could be just another ploy to pick up women.’