The Betrayer (13 page)

Tommy shrugged his shoulders. ‘How the fuck should I know? The two-faced bastards used to hate the blacks when I knocked about with ’em.’

Freddie smiled. ‘Just enjoy yourself, Tom. I know they’re pricks, but just suffer ’em. I mean, after tonight you ain’t gotta see ’em no more, have you?’

Tommy lit a fag. ‘Too fucking right I ain’t.’

James hated the music chosen by Maria’s friends, so had taken charge of record-player duties. He’d always fancied himself as a bit of a DJ, and tonight was his chance to shine. After he’d played The Jam’s, ‘Town Called Malice’ for the fourth time, Maria walked over to him.

‘Put something on that me and the girls can dance to,’ she begged him.

James smiled. He’d fly to the moon if she asked him, let alone change the record. He found a party album and started laughing as they all went mental, singing ‘Oops Upside Your Head’.

‘Come on, James,’ Maria screamed, trying to entice him onto the floor.

James shook his head and went in search of his brother. ‘The Rowing Song’ was girly shit. A few months ago he may have joined in with them, but not now. He needed to start behaving in a more manly way – maybe then he’d be taken more seriously.

Ethel was in fucking agony as she rocked from side to side. With her bad hip, even sitting on the floor was painful enough and to make matters worse, her knickers had disappeared up her crotch and were cutting her in half. With no decorum whatsoever, she shoved her hand up her dress.

Maureen tapped her on the shoulder. ‘Mum, for fuck’s sake. You’re right at the front of the boat, you can’t do that. All them young boys are looking at yer and laughing.’

‘Let ’em look, the fuckin’ perverts. Me drawers are up me crack. What am I meant to do?’

Embarrassed that Tibbsy and co. were in absolute hysterics, Maureen was relieved when ‘The Rowing Song’ came to an end.

Instead of feeling heartbroken, as she usually did when Kevin dumped her, Susan was having a whale of a time. Usually she took to her bed for days, but tonight was different. She danced, drank loads of alcohol, was happy and had pulled a sexy bloke.

Royston Ellis was a mate of Tibbsy’s. Half English and half Jamaican, he had pure white teeth, chocolate-brown eyes and an extremely fit body. Seeing Susan stagger back towards him, he smiled. Usually, she wouldn’t have been his type. He liked quiet, petite girls, whereas Susan was plump and common. With his judgement clouded by booze, Royston started chatting her up again. His girlfriend, Mandy, had chucked him recently. They’d dated for three years and he’d given her everything, until she’d dumped him like a bag of old rubbish.

Ignoring his pals taking the piss, Royston led Susan out into the back garden. Then, making sure they were far enough away from the house, he shoved her up against the gate and kissed her passionately. As his hand ventured up her skirt and inside her knickers, Susan let out a groan. There was rarely any foreplay with Kevin, he was more of a wham, bam, thank you ma’am and couldn’t care less about her needs. Knowing he’d hit all the right spots, Royston began whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

‘You’re so beautiful, Susan. I really like you,’ he lied, as he placed her hand on his rock-hard penis.

Overcome by lust, Susan led him over the fence and into next door’s garden. Rita had a greenhouse and they could do it behind that without being seen.

After sucking him off, Susan took her knickers off and gasped as he entered her. His cock felt enormous inside her, far bigger than Kevin’s or any of the other lads she’d been with. Royston came within minutes and quickly zipped himself up. Feeling guilty as he watched the girl he had no intention of seeing again searching around for her knickers, he decided to be a gentleman.

‘Do you want me to make you come?’ he asked politely.

Susan nodded. Kevin hadn’t bothered to make her come since she’d glassed his cousin.

James was putting the black bags full of empty bottles out in the garden when he saw a dishevelled-looking Susan and her new friend walking towards him.

‘Excuse me,’ he said to Royston, as he dragged her to one side. ‘I just need a minute with me sister, mate.’

Grateful for an excuse to make his escape, Royston nodded and left them to it.

‘Bloody hell, Susan. Look at the state of you – you’re covered in mud and leaves. Where yer been with that black geezer? Mum and Tommy’ll go fucking mad if you’ve been up to no good with him.’

Remembering just how racist her family was, Susan thought up a lie. ‘If yer must know, I’ve just shared a joint with him. As for me clothes, I fell over. It’s so dark out here and I’ve had far too much to drink.’

Relieved by her answer, James tried to brush her down. ‘Can you imagine Nan if yer came home with a black boyfriend?’

‘Oh fuck off, James. I’ve been with Kevin for years. I’m hardly gonna run off with Stepney’s answer to Michael Jackson, am I?’

James shook his head. Smiling at his naivety, Susan walked away.

With most of the youngsters having now gone home, Maureen decided to take charge of the music herself. Ethel and the girls adored the old wartime songs and it was time for a dose of Mrs Mills!

Ethel leaped off the sofa as soon as she heard the first bash of the old girl’s piano.

Maureen smiled as all her mates suddenly burst into song.

Laughing, Maureen led them into verse two.

Aware that Maria was flirting with Freddie, James turned his back on her and opened another beer. Tommy put a comforting arm around his shoulder. ‘You’ve got no worries there, Jimmy boy. Freddie likes the older woman, if yer know what I mean.’

James shrugged his shoulders. ‘We’re only friends, Tom. What Maria does and who she does it with is her own business. I ain’t bovvered if she likes Freddie, it’s not that. Problem is, she’s only fifteen, and when all these older geezers leave her heartbroken, it’s left to muggins ’ere to pick up the pieces every time.’

Wondering if he’d got his brother’s feelings for Maria all wrong, Tommy smiled at him. ‘I can’t believe how grown up yer sound. I know you’re a nice boy and that, but yer can’t spend all your time sorting out Maria’s problems, yer need to get on with your own life.’

James agreed. He knew deep down that his brother was right and he probably should have done it years ago. He and Maria were far too close for comfort. For her, it didn’t matter, he was just ‘good old James’, her perfect mate and shoulder to cry on. For him it was different: he was in love with her and, unless he distanced himself, he’d never be able to move on with his life.

He nudged Tommy. ‘My mates are so boring. Can’t I knock about with you from now on? I’d love us to go out boozing together. We can go on the pull, we’ll knock ’em dead.’

Ruffling his hair as though he was five years old all over again, Tommy smiled. ‘I’ll take you anywhere yer wanna go, Jimmy boy.’

Susan was always happier watching her family enjoy themselves than joining in with them. It had been a funny old day and she needed time to think about it. Splitting up with Kevin, Tommy coming home, meeting Royston, experiencing a fantastic orgasm. The more the drink wore off, the more Susan began to feel guilty. Royston was long gone, thank God. The sex may have been mind-blowing, but she had no intention of ever setting eyes on him again. Kevin might have his faults, but he was the only man she’d ever loved. He’d go fucking mad if he ever found out what she’d been up to. He was ever so racist and would finish with her for good if he knew that she’d been with a black man. Susan just hoped that Royston kept to his word. He’d sworn to her that he’d never tell his pals or anyone else what had happened.

‘It’s our little secret. No one else ever needs to know,’ he whispered as he left.

Racked by feelings of regret, Susan toddled off to bed.

Maria was the next to call it a night. Freddie and Tommy were too drunk and busy enjoying themselves to talk to her any longer and James had ignored her for the majority of the evening.

Dragging her best friend away from his brother, Maria questioned him. ‘Have I done something to upset you, James? You’ve been acting really weird and you’ve barely spoken to me all night.’

James shook his head. ‘Nah, you ain’t done nothing. Fucking hell, Maria, I ain’t seen me brother properly for ten years. Give us a break, will yer? We’re not joined at the hip, you know.’

Maria grabbed his hand and stared into his eyes. ‘What’s got into you, James? I wasn’t chatting up Freddie, if that’s what you think.’

Pulling his hand away, James led her outside and spoke sternly to her. ‘Get over yourself, Maria. I couldn’t give a fuck if you were chatting up Freddie or anyone else, for that matter. I know we’re best mates, but my life don’t always fucking revolve around you.’

Maria was mystified. ‘Don’t talk to me like a piece of shit, James. I’d never talk to you like that. Why are you acting like a prick?’

‘Me, act like a prick! Well, you’d know all about that, wouldn’t yer Maria? I mean, every week you’re dating a different prick, ain’t yer?’

Maria started to cry. ‘What’s it got to do with you who I date?’

‘Nothing, but next time you get your heart broken, go and bore some other mug,’ James shouted.

Seeing her walk away looking so upset tugged at James’s heartstrings. Part of him wanted to chase after her and apologise, but the other part of him wanted to take the advice his brother had been giving him all evening.

‘What you’ve gotta remember, Jimmy boy, is all women love a bastard. You can’t be too nice to ’em. If you are, they just shit on yer. Treat ’em mean and keep ’em keen. Trust me, it’s the only way.’

All the other geezers Maria went for treated her like shit, so maybe that’s where he’d gone wrong over the years. Pleased that he’d finally shown some backbone, James took a deep breath, put on a big smile and returned to the party.

FOURTEEN

When she dragged herself out of bed at eight o’clock the following morning, Maureen made the fatal mistake of glancing into the mirror. ‘Fucking hell,’ she muttered, quickly moving away before she cracked the bastard thing.

Amazed that for the first time in her life she’d woken up fully clothed, Maureen smiled to herself. Christ knows what time she’d gone to bed, but it had been a fantastic bloody party. Her last memory was of singing ‘Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner’. After that it was a complete blank. Throwing her housecoat on, she trudged downstairs. She had some tidying up to do, that was for sure.

‘Morning, Mrs Hutton.’

The strange voice was enough to make Maureen jump out of her skin.

Seeing her look of shock, Freddie smiled. ‘Yer told me I could sleep on the sofa. Sit yourself down and I’ll make you a cup of tea.’

Not one to suffer from hangovers, Freddie was only too happy to help his mate’s mum tidy up, and within an hour the place was virtually spick and span. Maureen had washed up, vacced and polished and Freddie, bless his cottons, had sorted the rest.

‘There are a couple of burn holes in the carpet and the curtain rail’s fallen down. I’ve tried to put it back up, but it won’t hold. I think it might need drilling or something,’ he told her apologetically.

Grateful, Maureen dragged him into the kitchen. ‘Sit yourself down there. I’m gonna make yer a nice big fry-up and when you’ve wolfed it, you can go and wake that lazy son of mine.’

When the smell of fried bacon hit his nostrils, James sat bolt upright. As the night before came back to him, he had a heavy feeling in his heart. Maybe he should go and apologise to Maria, say sorry for the way he’d spoken to her. Deciding not to do anything until he’d asked Tommy’s advice, he gently prodded him. ‘Should I go and see Maria? Make sure she’s OK?’

Tommy lifted the quilt from over his head. ‘Don’t mug yourself off, play hard to get. Can you fuck off now, James? I’ve got the hangover from hell and I need some sleep.’

James smiled. He couldn’t give a shit that his brother was grumpy. Sharing the same room again after all these years was fantastic, the best feeling ever. As for Maria, he’d play it by ear. Maybe he’d give her time to sweat first, and then he’d apologise.

Unable to deal with the watery sensation in her mouth, Susan ran to the toilet and shoved her fingers down her throat. Flushing away the bile, she washed her hands and face in cold water. Staring into the mirror, she felt nothing but hatred for herself. ‘I am never, ever, ever drinking again,’ she told herself.

Last night Royston had seemed like a sex god; this morning he revolted her. Remembering that she’d let him lick her fanny, she heaved. The contents of her stomach were finally released by the recollection of the blow-job she’d given him.

After already being woken by his brother prodding him and his sister spewing her guts up, Tommy was almost ready to face the world by the time Freddie gently shook him. ‘I’m gagging for a bath. Give us half an hour and I’ll be with yer,’ he told his pal.

Once Ethel had arrived, Maureen handed her a fry-up and sat down opposite James. ‘What are your plans today love? Are yer seeing Maria, or are you working?’

James smiled. It was the school holidays and he was determined to enjoy himself. ‘I’m gonna spend some time with Tommy. Harold’s given me a few days off, so I’m not due back in the shop until next Saturday.’

Maureen sipped her tea, ‘What’s Maria doing, love?’

James shrugged, ‘Don’t know, don’t really care.’

Surprised by her son’s reply, Maureen guessed they’d had a little tiff. Maybe Maria had met another new boyfriend and James wasn’t happy about it.