Promises (21 page)

Alex glanced down at her watch
. She had approximately two hours before her interview. Suddenly she was galvanized into action. For the first time in weeks she felt an emotion other than self-pity and hatred. Instead, she wrapped those feelings up and pushed them firmly away. She had no time for them at the moment. Her instinct for self-preservation had kicked in.

Assessing her appearance
in the long cheval mirror, Alex noticed that her grey librarian suit was loose on her small frame. Even her boobs appeared to have shrunk, she thought with relief. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her small clutch bag and left the flat. The note she’d left for Ruth—for when she woke up stark and white—was on the coffee table. She closed the door behind her with a soft final click, feeling like Marie Antoinette going to the guillotine.

This time there was n
o taxi; she couldn’t afford one. Her meagre savings were dwindling rapidly, so she had to rely on public transport. It felt strange to be sitting on a bus. She tried to work out the last time she’d been on one, labelling herself a closet snob.

She peeped
around at the passengers. They all looked bored and fed up. Children screamed out loud, their parents’ vacant eyes staring into the air. It was obvious they were wishing they were elsewhere.

A
nd so did she!

H
er eardrums reverberating with the noise, she was tempted to tell them all to shut the hell up. She quickly quelled that thought, keeping her eyes focused on where the bus was going because she was terrified she was going to miss her stop.

She was u
nsure what to do when she reached it.

Her
fingers hovered nervously over the button on the long silver pole that said ‘press for stop.’ She couldn’t believe how stressed she felt on a simple bus journey. Judging by the state of the remaining passengers, they’d collapsed into lethargy, sitting and staring out the grubby windows.

She
watched in disbelief as the hotel she was supposed to be having an interview in whizzed past.
Shit
. She’d missed her stop. Alex rose and marched unsteadily down to the driver.

“Please, can you stop
?”

“Not now
, lady, you’ll have to wait till the next one.” The driver didn’t even bother to look up at her. Lumbering through the heavy traffic, the bus resembled a whale on a salmon run.

“But how far
away is it?” She wished she could keep the note of desperation out of her voice.

“Two miles
, I reckon.” He still didn’t look up.

“B
ut I’ve got an interview. I’m going to be late.”

“Should have pressed the button
.”

Alex saw red and leaned over, unaware of how her blouse opened and her cleavage flashed at him
. “Listen, you little shit, if you don’t stop this bus now, one of us is going to be seriously injured. And it won’t be me!” she yelled, her temper exploding into a spectacular display of flashing eyes and heaving chest. “Now stop the Goddamn bus!”

At last she had his attention
. His eyes focusing on the breasts thrust in his face, he hit the brakes.

Alex paused, waiting for the doors to hiss open
, and threw him a glare as she stepped forward. Glad to leave the bus, she glanced at the time. She had exactly four minutes to get to her interview.

A
lex clutched her side. The stitch had her spluttering as she struggled for air. Her feet hurt from pounding the pavement, and she swore she had nipple burn. The tender flesh had rubbed raw against her bra, which could double as scaffolding. She gave a fleeting look down at her watch and realized she was now seriously late. Moreover, the bloody hotel was still nowhere to be seen. She wondered how much farther it could be and pushed forward.

The porter
stared down at her with disdain as she leaned against the wall of the hotel, her hands braced against her thighs. She gasped for breath, giving periodic glances at her watch. Her bright red hair was dishevelled and flew about her head, and her ill-fitting business suit had popped open at the chest, giving him a nice view of her cleavage.

“
Move along, lady, and I use that term loosely. We don’t tolerate hookers here.” He moved from the door and crossed towards her.

“What did you say?”
She stopped breathing, her mouth opened and closed, her chest hitched, and she stared at him through a veil of surging temper.

“You heard
me. Go on, get your ass away from here. We don’t tolerate the likes of you.” He reached out to grip her arm.

Alex glared at the uniformed lackey, her temper rising again
. She’d really had a titful of men, and at this rate she’d end up with no interview and privy to Ruth and her man having it off. It was a fate she didn’t want to experience, the thought of it making her gag.

Slowing her breathing, she wiped the
sheen of sweat off her forehead. She glanced down at the perspiration trickling between her snug breasts, finishing in a sweaty puddle trapped beneath her bra. She tried to ignore the discomfort. Straightening her skirt, she smoothed her hair into place and moved away from the wall.

“I suggest you
take your hand off me,” Alex said, chewing on a healthy dollop of fury.

“I told you we don’t tolerate hookers around here.
” The uniformed moron kept an arm on hers, restricting any further movement.

Alex
was on the verge of a meltdown. She spun round, glaring at him. “Listen, asshole, I’m no hooker. And if I were, trust me, you couldn’t afford my rates. I’m here for a bloody interview, and I’m late!” Her withering gaze speared his hand, still on her. “And if you don’t move that hand now, then I’m going to scream rape!”

H
e released her at once. “You only had to say.”

“You only had to ask
instead of making assumptions,” she spat, glaring at the sanctimonious idiot. There were some people you could take to, and others you couldn’t, and he definitely fell into the latter category.

Reaching the r
eception desk, she gave her name. Her fingers tapped on the desk as nerves overtook her. She tried to remain cool and detached, but inside she was a mass of insecurities, and over what? She tried to calm herself. It wasn’t as if she were going for a director’s job. The position was ‘waitress.’ Yet it meant so much to her, she couldn’t explain it if she tried. She grimaced. Yes, she could. It meant money and independence, a life. It didn’t matter what she wanted to do, it was a case of having to take what she could get and survive.

“You’re late
,” The receptionist said, giving her a pointed once-over.

“I know
.”
Either give me the bloody interview or tell me it’s off
, she thought with growing frustration.

“Co
me on, I’ll take you to Natalie. She’s in charge of the restaurant staff,” said the slim girl who didn’t look older than sixteen. One part of her head was shaved and on the opposite side the hair hung loosely down. “And stop looking so worried; she won’t eat you, I promise.”

Alex raised her eyebrows
, beginning to hate the word, ‘promise.’ She’d never realized how many times people used it without meaning it. It was like in America, where people said ‘Have a nice day’ and didn’t give a toss if you got run over by a juggernaut ten seconds later.

Natalie turned out to be a
dark-haired lady of indeterminate age. Plump and pleasant, he had round cheeks that glowed red and eyes that glinted with mischief. Alex felt an instant affinity towards her. She had the sort of aura that wound you in, coaxed and cajoled until you arrived there unable to remember the actual journey.

“Hi, you
must be Alexandra.” The hand she extended had raised veins and liver spots.

Alex
took it, sensing a steely strength. “Nice to meet you. Sorry I’m late, I had a bit of a disaster with the bus.”

“Mmm
, public transport isn’t the best, but I rely on it, too. Easier than driving through the city, and cheaper.” She appeared to be sizing Alex up. Alex did the same. A tinge of yellow on the woman’s teeth and spider lines above her lips indicated a cigarette habit.

“Tell me about it.
” Alex immediately felt comfortable with the woman.

Natalie
moved away from her desk and gestured to a large, overstuffed chair nearby. “Take a seat,” she said, sitting opposite to her.

T
his interview is going to be very relaxed
, thought Alex, grateful for this new turn of events. She sat and gazed expectantly at Natalie.

“
Why do you want this job? And more specifically, why do you want to work at this particular hotel?” In a snap, Natalie turned from sweet granny to wary gatekeeper.

Al
ex took a deep breath. What the hell should she say? She opted for the truth. “I want this job because I need one. I didn’t bother looking at the name of the chain, it means nothing to me. I just want to earn some money.” She stopped her waffling and stared at the woman, who was studying her as she assimilated the information.

Natalie
digested her words for a moment, then said, “I’m glad you were honest with me.” She rose and walked about the small room. Settling behind her long, oak desk, her finger on her chin, she thoughtfully studied Alex. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“
Work is work, and at the moment I’m destined to do this.” Alex glanced up. “That is if you’ll have me. But I won’t let you down. I’ll do what’s required and more. I’ve got five Advanced levels and a degree in History, though I don’t know if that makes much difference.” She decided to throw that snippet in to prove she did have some intelligence.

Natalie
stared down at her, trying to work her out, and decided to give her a go. She appreciated the girl’s honesty and could empathize with the need to find a job. What the hell, if she didn’t work out she’d sack her. Smiling, she held out her hand.

“Welcome aboard
, Alex, you’ve just talked yourself into a job.” She shook her hand, noticing a glint of tears in the girl’s eyes, which sparkled a vibrant green. She shuffled the papers before her and then looked up expectantly.

“Thank you, but there is one other thing
,” Alex said hesitantly, wondering if the words were going to be a nail in her coffin.

Natalie raised her eyebrows
as curiosity flicked over her.

“Er, well,
would it be possible for me to stay in one of the rooms here? I’ve heard of hotels doing that sometimes ….” Alex stumbled over her words, hating to beg, but she needed to sort this out. “I mean, I haven’t got anywhere right now, and well ….” She swallowed, trying to work out what else to add, apart from the fact she had no money, no job and no home. As she saw her situation laid out in black and white, the tears formed in her eyes, glazing them until they were a brilliant hue.

One glimpse at her tortured face and
Natalie could see what the question had cost her. This wasn’t the normal situation the girl found herself in. She sucked in a sigh and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but it’s strict company policy that no staff stay at the hotel. However, I might have something else as long as you’re not fussy.”

“Anything, I don’t care what it
’s like,” swore Alex. She was chuffed she had the job.

“We’ll sort something out
.” Natalie laid a hand on Alex’s, felt the tremble and knew just how desperate the girl must be. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, eight sharp. Fetch your clothes and I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

“Thank you
.” Again, Alex felt the treacherous emotions choking her and wished she wasn’t so hormonal. “See you tomorrow.”

Leaving b
efore the tears slated down her face, Alex cursed that she was so thankful and emotional over a job as a waitress living at a hotel. Belatedly she realized she really didn’t have high aspirations. Survival and independence were all that mattered to her.

* * *

Ruth tossed restlessly beneath the quilt. Sleep was a special partner to her, so between the constant flights and jet lag, she tried to make up for the lack. She didn’t need to diet because when she was home she slept solidly. Working it off with Paul and prolonged periods of sleep were more effective than any slimming club. Suddenly the door flew open and she fluttered her eyes groggily, trying to focus.

“Guess what!” shouted Alex,
sprinting into the room with more life than Ruth had seen in the last few weeks. “I’ve got the job, and I’m starting tomorrow!” She leapt on the bed, bouncing up and down with excitement, resembling an exuberant puppy on speed.

“Great
,” muttered Ruth, wishing she’d calm down. One moment she was so wretched she wanted to die, the next on a high so intense it was impossible to contain it.

“Aw
, come on, show some enthusiasm.”

“Ok
ay, great!” Ruth said, too sleepy to muster any real enthusiasm.

“Not that
! A bit of, well, yesssssss!” Alex screamed.

“Whatever!”
Ruth pulled a pillow over her head.

“
See you later when you wake up.” Alex scrambled off the bed and turned. “Oh and some guy named Paul rang.”

“What?”
Ruth sat up, instantly alert. “What did he want?”

“Only teasing, but at least
it woke you up!” Alex laughed as the pillow Ruth threw missed her, thudding against the closed door.

* * *

At eight sharp Alexandra was at her appointed place of work, nervous but eager, her battered holdall carrying her life history. She paused, uncertain, and waited for Natalie, trying to ignore the curious looks sent her way. Dropping the bag unobtrusively at her feet, she leaned against the reception desk.

Natalie arrived
at exactly one minute past eight, glad to see that the new girl was punctual. Lateness she wouldn’t and couldn’t tolerate. Last night she’d tossed and turned, wondering whether she had made the right decision. The woman appeared a minefield of nerves and insecurities, but something about her tugged at Natalie, making her want to give her a chance.

“
Tom, show our new waitress to her room. She’ll be staying in Tammy’s flat,” Natalie instructed, ignoring his surprised look. “As soon as she’s settled in, fetch her back so I can go through her work requirements.”

She turned to Alex
. “It’s not much—rather tatty, actually—but it’s cheap and close to the hotel. It will save on your travelling fares.”

“Er
, what about the cost?” That was her first worry.

“You can pay at the end of the month
. I’ve already had a word with the landlord.”

Alex breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’ll realize why it’s so cheap when you get there.” A glug of laughter escaped her. “Oh, and if I were you, I’d open the window. It’s been empty now for a few weeks and probably smells stale.”

Tom
stared at Natalie, his brow raised in disbelief, but went along with her request. Tammy had been Natalie’s latest lover, but they’d had a spat and split up. He’d always known she was gay, and assumed the redhead was her latest lover.

* * *

Alex looked around her small room. It wasn’t perfect, but it would suffice. Things could have been worse. Then she glanced down at the threadbare carpet and grimed windows. She’d fought with one of the windows, trying to open it, but the smell from the alley behind was overpowering and she pulled it closed. At least she had a job and everything was self-contained. Whatever her meagre pay was, she was sure she could manage to put something aside before moving on.

Her thoughts dipped back to Solomon,
though they rarely moved from him. She thought back to that night. That first night she’d met him—correction, woke up with him making love to her. If only she’d managed to get that right then maybe things would have been different. She shook her head. It was no good thinking back to what was or could have been. It was time to be a realist and face the facts. She’d fallen for a first-class lying bastard.

“Ok
ay, come on, she’s waiting for you,” Tom said, tapping his polished boot against the dusty floor. He was waiting in the doorway with his arms crossed, looking around the room disdainfully. “How long have you two been together?”

“Er, sorry, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about
.” She frowned up at him. Pushing her hair back with a sigh, she wondered if all men were obtuse or if it came naturally.