Tough Love (25 page)

‘I suppose,' she said reluctantly.

‘Someone will be with you tomorrow before lunchtime.'

Leanne gave Victoria Tony's address. ‘You still don't know which “family member” it was who went to the other paper, do you?'

‘Not yet. But it'll come out sooner or later.'

‘Sooner, I hope.'

‘By the way, you might want to invoice us tomorrow and buy a copy of the paper. There's someone you'll recognise on page three.'

Jodie would be delighted. ‘Thanks,' she said.

Jodie had made the paper for the second time in two days, but this time instead of fighting Karina she was beaming on page three. She had already been on the phone to Leanne for half an hour but now she was running to the Beacon to show Val. She would have woken her mum up to show her but nothing ever impressed Tracy so there was no point in trying.

When she got to the pub there was a copy in the window and a makeshift sign above it saying, ‘Our very own Jodie'. She burst through the door. Val was cleaning behind the bar and a couple of the regulars were perched on their stools. When they saw Jodie they cheered.

‘I'm famous!' she squealed.

‘Again,' Val said, smiling.

‘Yesterday I was just showing that people shouldn't mess with me. Today my showbiz career starts,' Jodie said. ‘Give us a G and T, Val.'

‘G and T? Bollocks! I'm opening the oldest bottle of champagne in the country,' she said, bending down to the fridge. Val and Jodie often joked about the one and only bottle of champagne at the Beacon. Val couldn't remember ordering it from the brewery and was convinced she'd inherited it from the previous landlord. They often placed bets on someone buying it, but no one ever had.

‘Not the champagne?' Jodie said, clutching her heart in mock-shock.

Val popped the cork. ‘Get your laughing gear round that, Perky Tits.'

Jodie took the glass Val offered her. ‘I could get used to this,' she said.

‘Well, don't get too used to it because you're on the rota for at least the next two weeks.'

Jodie drank some champagne. She'd give Val plenty of notice, but one thing was for sure. She was leaving. Things were looking up for Jodie.

*

Leanne ignored the buzzer. Over the last few days the reporters had trickled away, but she wasn't taking any chances. After the third buzz her mobile rang. It was Markie.

‘Hello,' she said tentatively. If he wanted to tell her not to come back to work, fine. She was too tired after the week's events to argue with him.

‘I'm outside, Leanne. Let me in.'

She walked to the door and pressed the buzzer. A few moments later he was in the hallway.

‘Hi,' she said awkwardly.

‘Hi,' he replied.

‘Listen, Markie, I'm really sorry for accusing you of being behind the story about Kia. It's just that you were the only person who knew and I flew off the handle.'

‘That's for sure.'

‘It's hard to know what to think sometimes.'

‘Yes, it is, but I would never sell you out. Common sense might have told you that.'

Leanne dropped her eyes. ‘Well, it didn't, did it?'

‘Come here.' Markie took her in his arms, and Leanne hugged him back. ‘You're my sister and I'd protect you all day long, you should know that.'

Tears plopped down her cheeks on to Markie's shoulder. ‘I do, Markie … I do,' she breathed.

‘You know what you need, Lee? A good night out. Chill out a bit, enjoy yourself.'

‘I can't with all this going on. I'll be papped in a taxi with a nipple hanging out when I'm not even drunk.'

Markie laughed. ‘No, you won't. Let's have a knees-up. And what better knees-up than the opening of the Glass House?'

Since they'd parted company so acrimoniously, Leanne had felt guilty about the Glass House. It
had been her project, and although she'd arranged most of it she felt she'd let Markie down by not being around to see it through to opening night. ‘Are you sure?' she asked.

‘Course I am. It'll be blinding. Anyway, if you come it's more publicity.' He winked.

Leanne laughed, but her mind was whirring. She had been thinking about how to get Charly and Jodie some exposure, this would be ideal, even if it was only a club in Bradington. For the first time she was thinking with a commercial mind, rather than waiting for an opportunity to come to her. If she was going to represent them and other girls she'd have to push them forward.

‘You're on. But only if I can bring Jodie and Charly.'

‘Charly?' Markie was startled.

‘She's all right. Anyway, I'm going to represent her so I want to see what she's like when she's out. Iron out any Canterbury Avenue traits that might still be lurking.'

Markie smiled. ‘Nice one.'

*

For Bradington the Glass House was a daring enterprise. It felt like a London nightclub, and had an air of professionalism that Leanne had never seen in a Bradington nightspot. There was
usually a scrum for the bar and it was a major achievement if a night ended without a fight. Even the toilet attendant was officious, which didn't wash with Jodie.

‘She needs to straighten her face,' Jodie had said, as the woman handing out towels in the ladies' toilet looked her up and down. ‘She cleans bogs for a living. Less of the attitude.'

Leanne grabbed her sister by the arm and hauled her out. ‘Remember what happened to Cheryl Cole? No kicking off with the staff,' she warned.

‘It's Markie's club,' Jodie reminded her.

‘And Markie'll throw you out, so button it,' Leanne said.

Party Hard had just finished singing two of their number one hits and had been greeted as heroes by the Bradington throng, who usually had to count themselves lucky if Roy ‘Chubby' Brown agreed to make a tour stop there.

They found Charly chatting to Markie, who had ensured they had their own booth and would be well looked after. He had said he'd leave the girls to it once they had their drinks, but that he'd be around if they needed him.

‘Are there no photographers tonight?' Charly asked.

Leanne knew she was trying to sound casual, but she was desperate to know. ‘Photographers aren't allowed in,' she said. ‘In fact, if anyone so much as
holds their phone up, they're out on their ear. It's a marketing ploy. Makes everyone think that people worth photographing will be here.'

‘Really?' Charly's face fell.

‘Look, you've been brought out for a nice night and you're whingeing because your mug's not going to end up on page twenty of the
Star
. Chill out and have a drink,' Jodie said, raising her glass.

‘It's all right, Charly. We're in the right place to be noticed and there will probably be photographers outside when we leave, so we mustn't get too legless,' Leanne reassured her. She was nervous. She was almost certain there would be photographers when they left the club. It would be good for the girls, but she wasn't too keen on the idea.

‘Probably? Get lost. Definitely, more like,' Jodie said tactlessly. ‘You can't go anywhere this week, Lee, without being followed. Someone'll tell them you're here. Everyone's rubbernecking as it is.' Leanne knew this was true. She'd felt eyes boring into her as she walked back from the toilet.

‘Scott not want to come out tonight?' Markie asked Charly, in a bid to change the subject.

‘He wasn't given the choice. This is work for me. I don't go to the factory with him and get in the way of his pallets, now, do I?' Charly said.

Markie raised an eyebrow. ‘Work? You wouldn't know work if it bit you on the arse, Charlotte.'

‘No one calls me that. It's Charly,' she said
tightly, then turned back to Leanne. ‘By the way, do you think when I'm in the papers I could be known as Charly M? It sounds more mysterious than Charly Metcalfe.'

‘Shall we wait to see what the
Globe
says about your shots before we give you a stage name?'

‘Fine.' Charly picked up her glass.

‘I'll leave you lot to it,' Markie told them. ‘I'm going for a little mooch.'

Leanne watched him move through the club, stopping to talk to people as he went. ‘He knows everyone, doesn't he?' she said to Jodie.

‘Yep. Look at that limp imp shaking his hand and pretending he's his best mate.'

Leanne saw a good-looking young guy dancing round Markie.

‘Markie hates him. He's unbearable, always up Markie's arse when he goes anywhere, pretending he knows everyone and saying he's some sort of hot-shot businessman when in fact he just rents out two houses his dad bought him. Embarrassing. He'll be over here in a minute when he clocks you. Any Z-list celebrity and he's over them like a rash.'

‘Thanks,' Leanne said, smiling wryly at her tactless sister.

‘Oh, shit, here he comes.'

‘Leanne!' he said, dragging out her name as if he was doing an impression of Dev in
Coronation Street
.

Leanne smiled vaguely.

‘Dean Hirst. Good friend of Markie's. Might I say that you girls look amazing tonight?' He smiled cheesily.

Jodie grabbed the ice-bucket and pretended to vomit into it.

‘You OK?' he asked her.

‘Fine.'

‘Leanne. You're a really beautiful human being. I know that from your brother and the papers. I think you need to centre yourself and search within your heart to do the right thing for you at the moment.'

Leanne's skin crawled. Jodie spluttered into her drink, and Charly looked at him as if he had a screw loose. Dean stood up, took Leanne's hand, kissed the back and said, ‘Peace.' Then he wandered off to pretend he knew someone else.

Leanne shuddered. ‘I feel dirty.'

‘Well, he's the cock-end to end all cock-ends, isn't he?' Jodie said, and fell about laughing.

‘What a total twat,' Charly agreed. Suddenly she spotted someone in the corner and sat up straight. ‘Oh, my God, is that …' She didn't finish her sentence.

Leanne did it for her. ‘Joel Baldy,' she said. Her stomach knotted. If he was here, Jay might be lurking around. They were always in the papers together. Joel was with a gaggle of admiring girls. He glanced round and caught Leanne's eye.
‘Listen, girls,' she said, ‘if Jay Leighton's here we have to go. I don't want to see him and I don't want anyone thinking we're here because he is.'

‘No one's going to think that,' Jodie said. ‘This is your brother's club, for God's sake. Of course you're going to be here on its opening night.'

Joel excused himself from the group and came over to their table. ‘Hi, Leanne.' He stuck his hand out for her to shake. ‘Joel Baldy.'

‘Hi, Joel …'

‘Rough week, eh?'

‘Fairly.' Leanne nodded. She felt exposed. People were staring at her.

‘Jay's gone away for the week – can't say I blame him.'

Relief washed over her – not that she'd thought even Jay Leighton would be stupid enough to come to a club that was part-owned by her brother in this week of all weeks, but still …

‘Any idea who shopped you to the papers?'

‘It's not something I want to discuss.'

‘Fair enough.' He shrugged. He turned to Jodie and Charly. ‘I don't believe I've had the privilege?' Jodie smiled.

Leanne wasn't sure Joel was her sister's type, but she'd enjoy the attention.

‘Jodie, Leanne's sister.'

‘Of course,' Joel said. The resemblance between the two was marked.

Jodie wiggled out of her seat. ‘I'm off to dance. Anyone coming?' she asked, eyes on the famous footballer. He shook his head.

‘I'll stay here,' Charly chirped.

Jodie's eyes narrowed. ‘Fine.'

Leanne looked at her poor sister, who obviously didn't want to be left standing on her own. She got up and pulled Jodie towards the dance floor.

By one o'clock the girls were flagging and Markie had arranged for one of his lads to drive them home. Leanne went to check on Charly, who was still with Joel. They had holed up in a dark corner. As Leanne approached, Charly sat bolt upright and pulled her skirt down. ‘Are you coming, Charly?' she asked.

‘I was thinking of staying for maybe one more drink,' Charly said, testing the water.

‘Well, I think it's better if you come home now. Scott will be worried about you,' she said.

‘OK.' Charly was clearly trying not to sound disappointed, but there was no way Leanne would let her make a mug of Scott under her nose. Charly said goodbye to Joel and followed Jodie and Leanne. Outside five or six photographers snapped away. Leanne had told the girls that if anyone was waiting they should smile and put their best side forward. No point in getting the paper the next day to see your face all scrunched up. Leanne beamed at the cameras, and Jodie and Charly followed suit.
Then they dived into the car Markie had provided and headed home.

‘Well, we might have got you some exposure there. What do you think?' Leanne asked.

‘I think Charly was trying to get off with Joel Baldy,' Jodie said glaring at her.

‘No, I wasn't. He was just a nice guy.'

‘A nice guy with pots of cash and a big sign saying, “This way out of Bolingbroke”.'

‘Get fucked, Jodie. You're just jealous.'

‘Of you?'

‘Yeah, me. Sitting there bitter because Joel liked me. Looking down your nose, judging me by your standards.'

‘At least I've got some. You're the one who sits on your arse and sticks it in the air every now and again for our Scott to wipe.'

‘Fuck off, you bitch!'

‘Ladies! Ladies!' Leanne shouted. ‘Time out! Jesus.' Both girls crossed their arms and stared sulkily out of the window. ‘You two work together now and if I see anyone arguing I'll be having words.' Neither girl spoke. ‘Understand?' Leanne said sternly.