The Club (23 page)

‘You deserve it,’ she whispered back.

Taking the watch out of the box, Vibes turned it over in his hand. Seeing the engraved logo, he shook his head and traced his finger over it.

‘To remind you of us,’ Jenna said, getting a little choked as she saw the tears in his eyes.

‘I could never forget you,’ he murmured, looking into her eyes and then glancing quickly away. Then, pulling himself together with an effort, he looked down at the people below and smiled. ‘Thanks, y’all. This means the world.’

‘For he’s a jolly good fellow . . .’ Austin start singing in a choked voice, urging the others to join in. ‘For he’s a jolly good fellow . . .’

A short time later, when he’d said his goodbyes and most of the staff had gone, Vibes brought the last box of albums up to Jenna’s office and put it behind the couch with the others.

‘All done,’ he said, rubbing the dust off his hands. ‘Sure it won’t be in your way?’

‘It’s fine,’ Jenna assured him. ‘Join me for a last drink?’ she asked then, holding up a bottle of brandy.

‘Love to.’ Sitting down on the couch, Vibes leaned his head back and exhaled wearily. ‘Man, I’m gonna miss this place.’

‘Aw, you’ll forget all about us once you’re back home with your friends, seeing all the old sights,’ Jenna said over her shoulder.

‘No, I won’t,’ Vibes murmured truthfully. ‘How could I, with
this
to remind me?’ Flipping the box open for the umpteenth time, he gazed at the watch and shook his head. ‘You really, really shouldn’t have done this. These things cost the earth.’

‘Everybody chipped in,’ Jenna lied, bringing their drinks back and sitting down. ‘And if it’s any consolation, I think it’s a fake.’

‘Hope so,’ Vibes chuckled, knowing full well that she was joking. ‘I can just see them letting a black guy through Customs with a genuine Rolex without tossing his ass in jail.’

‘You’re not serious?’

‘Nah, just fooling,’ Vibes said, grinning as he added, ‘You
do
have the receipt, though, right?’ Laughing at the look of horror on her face, he said, ‘Relax, Princess. It was a joke.’

‘Thank God for that,’ Jenna said, laughing softly. ‘If I’d had to give you the receipt, you’d have known that it only cost two quid.’

‘You’re crazy, you know that?’ Shaking his head, Vibes sipped at his drink. Leaning forward then, he put the glass down on the table and took something out of his pocket. ‘Since we’re giving gifts,’ he said, suddenly nervous, ‘I, er, got
you
something, too. It’s sort of like a thank-you, ’cos you’ve been real good to me since you took over.’ Handing her a small black velvet box, he said, ‘Hope you like it.’

‘You didn’t have to,’ Jenna murmured, gazing down at it with genuine surprise.

‘Yeah, well, I wanted to.’ Vibes shrugged, hardly daring to look at her.

Opening it, she gasped when she saw the delicate gold necklace with its semiquaver charm made up of tiny diamonds.

‘For the lady who always strikes the right note,’ Vibes said, his voice low and husky.

‘Thank you
so
much,’ Jenna murmured tearfully. ‘It’s beautiful.’

‘Let me fasten it for you,’ he offered, taking the chain from her trembling hands and looping it around her neck.

Just inches away from each other, their gazes met and, before either of them could stop themselves their lips were locked in a kiss so sweet and tender that Jenna felt as though she were drifting away.

Coming to her senses suddenly, she pulled back and covered her burning cheeks with her hands.

‘Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. It was completely out of order.’

‘No, it was my fault,’ Vibes said, disgusted with himself for taking advantage when he knew that she had a boyfriend. She must think he was a complete slime-ball. ‘I’m really sorry.’ Then, getting up he said, ‘I guess I should go.’ Shrugging, he added, ‘It’s late, and I’ve got that early start tomorrow.’

Mad at herself, and convinced that Vibes must be, too, Jenna nodded. ‘Yeah. You’re going to need all the sleep you can get. I know what it’s like flying long-haul when you’re strung out. It’s not good.’

‘Tell me about it,’ Vibes said, trying desperately to lighten the atmosphere – he couldn’t bear to leave her like this.

Taking a deep breath to bring herself under control, Jenna stood up and linked her hands together. ‘Right, well . . . I guess this is it, then.’

‘Guess so,’ Vibes murmured. ‘I’ll, er, be in touch – about the gear, yeah?’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ Jenna told him, smiling now. ‘It’s not a problem. Anyway, I hope you’ll let us know how you’re getting on from time to time? Everybody’s going to be asking after you.’

‘Course.’ Vibes nodded, admiring the way that she’d put them back onto a professional footing. Reaching out on impulse then, he gave her a quick hug and turned abruptly away. ‘See you, Princess.’

Sitting down when he’d gone, Jenna closed her eyes and traced a finger over her lips, where she could still feel the softness of his; still taste the sweetness. But, she kept on telling herself, she should never have done it. He belonged to another woman, and this time she didn’t even have the excuse that she didn’t know: he had never once tried to hide his wedding ring.

Jumping when somebody tapped on the door, she sat up, hoping wildly that it was Vibes, even though she knew how very, very wrong that would be.

It was Kalli.

Her pretty eyes red and swollen, the girl came in and sat down next to Jenna. She gave her a tentative smile. ‘Are you all right?’

Exhaling slowly, Jenna nodded. ‘Yeah, I’m fine. You?’

‘Oh, you know.’ Kalli shrugged.

‘Drink?’

‘Best not,’ Kalli murmured. ‘Austin’s already drunk enough for both of us. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I took him home.’

Reaching out, Jenna squeezed Kalli’s hand. ‘Thanks, sweetheart. But really, I’m fine.’

Nodding, Kalli took a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. ‘I know we’ll all miss him – but you’ll miss him the most, won’t you?’ Looking up then, her gaze was filled with such understanding and compassion that it pierced the wall that Jenna had been building ever since she’d heard that Vibes was leaving.

Jenna lowered her head. ‘I won’t deny that I like him. But it’s wrong, and I’ve just got to get over it.’

‘Why, if he feels the same about you?’ Kalli asked softly.

‘Oh, don’t!’ Jenna groaned, swiping at the tears she’d been holding at bay for so long. ‘I know you mean well, but I shouldn’t be thinking things like this about a married man. It’s just not right. And if you knew what I’d . . .’ Stopping herself, she shook her head. ‘I should know better, that’s all.’

Looking at her, Kalli nodded. ‘You’ve got to do what’s right for you.’

‘Thanks,’ Jenna said, taking a deep breath. ‘Phew,’ she said then, giving a sheepish little laugh. ‘It’s been quite a night, hasn’t it?’

‘And then some,’ Kalli agreed. ‘It was nice, though, wasn’t it? I’ll never forget the look on his face.’

Touching the necklace, Jenna smiled wistfully. ‘Me neither. Anyway, you’d better go,’ she said then. ‘Austin will be waiting.’

Tutting softly, Kalli rolled her eyes. ‘I suppose I’d better get him out before he drinks his way through all the leftovers. You sure you’re okay?’

‘Absolutely fine. See you tomorrow.’

Glancing at her watch when Kalli had gone, Jenna groaned when she saw that it was almost four a.m. She was so tired, she felt that she could just lie down right here and go to sleep.

Leaping to her feet as soon as she’d thought that, she snatched up her jacket and bag and headed for the door. Her dad had spent every last minute of his life at this place – eating, drinking, sleeping and, eventually,
dying
here. No way was she going down that same road.

Letting herself out, Jenna drove home and went to bed – then lay staring sleeplessly up at the ceiling as the dawn crept slowly in.

Another time, another universe, things might have been different. But, here and now, it was never going to happen, so she had to let go of the longing and concentrate on the real things in her life. And, right now, the club was the only real thing she had.

9

Melody was still in bed when Tony and Eddie went out the next morning. Pretending to be asleep when Tony popped his head round the door to check on her, she waited until she’d heard them leave, then went to the window and eased the edge of the curtain back to make sure that they really were going and not just tricking her. Seeing them climb into a cab down below a couple of minutes later, she watched until it had driven out of the parking lot. Then, taking the last of the coke Fabian had given her, she got dressed and set about searching for her passport and cards.

They hadn’t been in his pockets when she’d searched them after he finally fell asleep last night, so Melody figured he must have hidden them somewhere in the suite. Turning the place upside down now, she spent the next few hours searching every drawer, cupboard, corner and shelf. She had even been prepared to risk her expensive acrylic nails by sticking her hand down the back of the couch. But she had been so disgusted when she took the cushions off and saw the caked-in dust and bits of disgusting shrivelled-up foodstuffs edging the gap that she couldn’t bring herself to do it. There was no way Tony would have put his hands down there if she couldn’t. He hated dirt even more than she did.

Gazing around the room when she’d searched every nook and cranny, she groaned with despair. She had to put it right before Tony got back or he’d know what she’d been doing, but she loathed cleaning almost as much as she loathed him right now. But it had to be done.

Standing by the door, Melody waited until she heard the maid’s trolley rattling along the corridor. Nipping out when she heard the maid going into the room next door, she nicked an armful of cleaning sprays and cloths, and a pair of rubber gloves.

Putting the TV on, she flipped it onto Sky’s MTV Base channel, and danced her way around the room, singing along to the American R&B songs she’d been missing so badly. Tony liked Sinatra and all that boring old shit, so that was all she ever got to hear these days.

Quite enjoying herself once she got started, she’d worked up a fair sweat by the time Tony and Eddie came back later that evening.

‘Fuck’s got into you?’Tony asked, gazing around the spotless lounge in amazement.

‘I was bored off my skull,’ Melody lied, gathering the cleaning equipment together.

‘Where did you get that?’ Tony asked, suspicious about how she’d managed to buy anything with no money.

‘The maid left the trolley outside the door, so I helped myself,’ Melody told him, putting it all out of sight in the bathroom. Coming back, she peeled her rubber gloves off and pushed her damp hair away from her flushed face with the back of her hand.

‘Shoulda gone down to the gym and built up a sweat down there while you had the chance,’ Tony grunted, taking his jacket off and slinging it over the back of the chair. ‘You’ve put on a bit around the middle lately.’

‘Thanks a fucking bunch!’ she snapped. ‘I can’t help it if I’m bleeding.’

‘Aw, for Christ’s sake, do you
have
to?’ he groaned, snatching up a bottle of vodka and two glasses and flopping down on the couch. ‘It’s bad enough I have to know about it at all without you shoving it down my throat.’

‘Sorry for being a
woman
, I’m sure,’ Melody sniped. Then folding her arms, she raised an accusing eyebrow when he poured two shots and handed one to Eddie. ‘Don’t I get one?’

‘No,’ Tony said, grinning at her look of outrage. ‘You’re taking a shower and getting dressed, ’cos we’re taking you for a spin in the new car.’

‘You’ve got a car?’ Melody frowned. ‘Why?’

‘’Cos I’m sick of paying fucking cab fares.’

‘But you’re not legal to drive it,’ she reminded him. ‘You haven’t got a licence.’

‘You’d be surprised what you can get your hands on if you know the right people to ask,’ Tony told her, smiling mysteriously. ‘Anyway, never mind that. Go get cleaned up, and be quick about it, ’cos we’re going out to eat. Then we’re going to the club.’

‘It’s a bit old, isn’t it?’ Melody complained when they set off in the ancient bronze BMW a short time later. ‘Couldn’t you have got something a bit sportier?’

‘We ain’t in the States now,’ Tony reminded her. ‘Anyway, sporty’s out, executive’s in. And this baby is a classic.’

‘Classic what?’ she muttered, folding her arms and glaring out of the window. ‘Banger?’

‘Quit griping, or I’ll kick you out and you can make your own way back,’ Tony warned her.

Snorting softly, Melody thought,
Chance would be a fine thing.
But there was no point saying anything, because he didn’t mean it. Anyway, it
was
pretty comfortable, she supposed. And it beat the constant cabs, because at least now he might take her somewhere other than the club without moaning about the expense.

London, maybe, so she could see something she recognised. Some
body
she recognised, even. Somebody who might be able to bung her a bit of cash and help her to get out of this hell-hole.

But she’d still need her passport – damn him!

‘By the way,’ Tony said, twisting around in his seat to look back at her. ‘Me and Eddie might take off for a couple of days.’

‘Oh?’ Melody sat up a little straighter. ‘Where?’

‘Not sure yet,’ he told her evasively. ‘But don’t worry,’ he added, giving her a pointed look. ‘I’ll be close enough to keep an eye on you – make sure nothing bad happens.’

Sinking back down, Melody sighed. So, he’d be spying on her. Great!

‘What am I supposed to do with myself?’ she asked sulkily. ‘It won’t be much fun stuck in the room all day, and you know I don’t like going into clubs on my own.’

‘You ain’t going to the club without me,’ he told her, setting her straight from the off. ‘Not after them guys hassled you like that.’