The weeks flew by, I was now a month into working at Ophelia, Dakota not being around made a big difference. I arrived to work now more confident, I didn’t jump a mile when there was a knock at the door. I hadn’t yet met anyone I knew. I’d worried about that. It was bound to happen sometime. The money was a great deal more than temping at the office agency. I could always go back to that if necessary.
Today I’m working with Charlie, Julie and Maria. We were still waiting for Maria to arrive. It was getting late. We were to open in about fifteen minutes. The phone rang, Charlie answered.
Her eyes open so wide I thought they’d pop out of her head. ‘No way man, you can’t leave us,’ she gave a long disappointed sigh.
‘What up?’ Julie asked.
‘It’s Maria…’
‘What’s happened to her?’ I asked, concerned.
‘She’s gone and got herself a job at Velvets.’
‘Her choice,’ Julie shrugged.
‘You gotta come see us Bitch’… she shouted, down the phone at Maria
‘Tell her good luck from me.’
‘Wait…’ she held her hand up as she continued in conversation.
Charlie became all excited. ‘Guess what?’
WHAT…Charlie?’ Julie asked curtly.
‘I’m gonna see if I can go there too, the owner is definitely getting another parlour, its in Swindon.’
‘So…Maria moves to another place, so all going to follow her…I’m staying here… better the devil you know…you do realise it’s twelve hour shifts there, I heard. Plus you got to travel to Swindon by car or train. Makes it a damn long fucking day.’
‘I might not be at the new place, I might be at Velvets.? Duh.’
‘You better get off the phone too, we want punters to call.’
I sat in silence, I didn’t want to get drawn into this conversation. I could tell Julie was annoyed. If Charlie left too, and now no Maria, it wasn’t going to be such a fun place to work.
‘I ain’t going yet, the place in Swindon not ready yet, an no vacancies at the moment, Maria was lucky a girl was sacked. Izzy told her about the vacancy before it was advertised…Lucky cow.’
Charlie ended the call with Maria, she poked her tongue out at Julie, who was on her way to the kitchen to make coffee. I had to hold in a giggle. Julie certainly was a miserable cow at times. Charlie didn’t care, she took it al in her stride. It was never a dull moment when she was around.
We were ready for the punters, all had calmed, Julies mood had lifted…a little. The coffee had helped no doubt. An hour had passed, the phone was quiet. The mid-day paper isn’t out for another hour. So it’s coffee, read magazines, books do crosswords… anything to pass the time. Again only three of us working.
I heard a noise outside, didn’t pay much attention to it. About a minute or so passed, then a loud thumping and banging at the door. I jumped a mile. This wasn’t a punter. He would just knock once or twice. Julie jumped up from the sofa, walked across to the heavy netted window. She took a few steps forward to get a better look. Then quickly stood back, her expression changed.
‘Guess who?’
Julie walked toward the door.
‘NO!… don’t let him in!’ Charlie pleaded as she grabbed her bag, ‘I ain’t here, okay.’
She disappeared fast from reception. I didn’t know what to do, the banging on the door continued. I knew only one person would put that fear and panic in the girls… DAKOTA……………………..
