Bang Gang (47 page)

“You need to take it steady,” she said. “Keep calm.”

I nodded. “I’ll be alright, just keep on keeping on.”

“And Darren?”

“I’ll tell him,” I said. “Just let’s get these next few days out of the way, hey? Ruby’s got a play date party tomorrow evening and we’ve got Lorraine’s thing on Wednesday. I’ll call him over Thursday.”

“Thursday?” her expression was stern. “Definitely Thursday, then, and not a day bloody later.”

“Thursday. I’ll invite him over.”

“Alright,” she said. “And make sure you get it clear, what you want. Don’t just let him grunt his way through this shit, Jo. Find out what
he
wants, too. What he really wants. I’m sure it’s you, he just needs to fucking say it for once.”

I didn’t fancy my chances of getting a gushing declaration of forever love from Darren Trent somehow, but I nodded anyway.

I took a breath, checked myself in the mirror and forced a smile.

“Back to it,” I said.

She squeezed my elbow. “I’ll come along for a coffee.”

I got to work, shutting myself in the office through Eleanor Hartley’s wailing fucking gangbang. My mind wouldn’t stop harping on about Jodie, like it ever fucking stopped.

She’d told me she loved me, let me into her bedroom. That had to fucking mean something. Had to mean enough.

I’d tell her. I’d tell her fucking everything. Even about Lorraine. Lay it all out there and start over, make it clear this shit was all behind me. She’d have to listen, I’d make her listen. I’d have to find the words…

Bollocks.

I lit up a cigarette and tried to work through some invoices, but I couldn’t think straight.

My phone pinged and my gut lurched. Jodie.

It wasn’t fucking Jodie.

Lorraine.

Why the hell wouldn’t she just piss off already.

I wasn’t lying about Jodie. Sex party at mine on Wednesday night. She’s coming. Will you be coming too? x

I laughed out loud. Like fuck Jo was going to a sex party at Lorraine’s fucking house.

Nice try
, I replied.
Just give it a fucking rest, Lorraine.

Another ping a couple of seconds later.

Ask her if you don’t believe me. Don’t give her a hard time though, Trent. She’s her own woman, last thing she needs is you being a damp fucking squib about this shit. At least be a man about it. x

I smoked through the initial burst of rage. Tried to keep a lid on it. Like hell Jodie would be going to that shit.

I called up Jodie’s messages, typed one out, kept it casual. Just in case.

Just in case fucking what? In case Lorraine wasn’t such a lying cunt after all? Of course she fucking was.

What’s this about a dodgy sex party at Lorraine’s house? You going?

She took ages to reply. Work. She was at work. No fucking need to panic.

I scrabbled for my phone as it pinged.

Ha! She told you?! Christ, word spreads. Yeah, I’ll be there. Me and Tonya. I think she’s invited quite a few!

I stared at it in shock. Just fucking stared.

Another ping.

Are you coming?!

Like fuck I was fucking coming.

Not quite my fucking scene, Jo.
I couldn’t stop the anger.
Have a good fucking time though.

I waited. And waited.

I’m only going to let my hair down. Lorraine’s been funny lately. You know what she’s like about you. Thought it would be a good bonding experience.

I was fucking flabbergasted.

I fired off a text to Lorraine.

You can keep Jodie out of your seedy fucking shit. Just fuck off, Lorraine.

A reply in a heartbeat.

Aww, diddums. You’re welcome to join us. I’m sure Jodie won’t mind. xxx

I tried to clear my head. Tried to get my thoughts around this shit.

We said no fucking gangbangs. I told her that. I told her she wasn’t on the fucking list.

I typed out a message.

What about us, Jo?

Sappy twat.

I pressed send anyway.

Her message didn’t take long.

It’s only one night, Darren. Ruby’s at Lea Nicholl’s house tomorrow evening, but Thursday works. Do you want to come over for tea? We need to talk. Good chance.

Another message.
I might have some fresh ideas after Lorraine’s house. Should be fun, right? ;)

A wink. She sent me a fucking wink.

I nearly launched the phone through the fucking window.

That’s why you’re going, is it? For us? For some fresh ideas? Thought we were fine as we fucking were, Jo.

She sent another message back and I couldn’t believe it.

I thought you’d be pleased! Variety is the spice of life, Darren Trent, I thought you’d be well on board. x

Variety is the spice of fucking life?! I stormed on through to the garage, and the door flung on its hinges so hard everyone stopped working to look at me.

“A gig, Wednesday night, Lorraine’s house. Is that yours?”

They looked at each other, then Buck shrugged. “Yeah. Didn’t think you’d want in. She’s paying a fucking fortune, says it’s going to be quite a party.”

I could’ve fucking killed them. Every single one of them.

“Touch Jodie, even fucking
look
at Jodie, and don’t bother coming back to this fucking yard. Understand me?”

They didn’t know anything about it. It was clear as fucking day.

Buck stepped closer. “Jodie’s going? Why the fuck is Jodie going?”

“You tell me!” I barked. “This is Lorraine’s fucking work. All of it.”

“Christ,” Hugh said. “Really didn’t think that was on the cards…”

“You and me fucking both.” I stormed past them, lit up a cigarette. Buck followed me.

“What you gonna do about it?”

I didn’t answer.

“Shit, Trent, you’ve got to do fucking something. Tell her she’s not to fucking go! Tell her it’s fucking exclusive! Tell her Lorraine can get fucking stuffed!”

I shook my head. “I’m not fucking telling her what she can and can’t fucking do like some sappy fucking twat, Buck. She wants to ride the fucking Bang Gang train, that’s her business.”

She said she loved me.

“Don’t sit fucking right to me this,” he said. “Something’s well fucking off.”

“Yeah, that cunt Lorraine. That’s what’s fucking
off
about this whole fucking thing.”

“But Jodie doesn’t seem…”

I glared at him. “Happy enough to hand over four-hundred fucking quid to have a go, wasn’t she? Happy enough to hand it over a second time when I gave her a freebie, too. Of course she’s fucking going, Buck.”

“But you’re…”

“We’re what?!” I took a drag. “We’re fucking nothing, Buck. That’s perfectly fucking clear. I’m just a fucking cock to her, a cock who happens to be the father of her fucking kids.”

He slapped my shoulder and I was tense as fuck.

“Talk to her, Trent. Just fucking talk to her. Set this shit straight before it rips you a-fucking-part, man.”

Like fucking hell I’d talk to her.

I regretted every fucking thing I’d fucking said.

Soft fucking cunt. Sappy, naive fucking idiot.

Like she was gonna fucking have me back.

Of course she fucking wasn’t.

I was just a piece of fucking rough. Just like always. She wanted a
Brian
, and a quinoa-munching fucking suit who’d drive a fucking Aston Martin like a posh wanker.

Not me.

Of course she didn’t want
me
.

I got back to fucking work.

I got Ruby ready for her play date. Halloween. Christ, this year was zooming by. She wanted to go as one of the
Transformers
but I was hard pushed to find enough cardboard boxes to stand a chance of turning her into a truck-cum-robot. After a mini-tantrum we settled on a cat. She wore all black and I made her a little ear headband, stuffed a stocking with socks and pinned it to her leggings as a tail. It looked better
than I’d expected.

A bit of makeup, some eyeliner whiskers and a pretty little pink nose and she looked cute as a button. I snapped some pictures and sent them off to Darren with a string of smiley faces.

He didn’t even reply, but I didn’t have time to worry
about that. Too much to do, not enough time.

Mia was still subdued after her rally day drama, said she didn’t want to do Halloween dress up at all this year.

Had enough horror this month already thanks, Mum.

Oh the drama. She was still grounded, moping around without her phone. As if Daisy would be on Skype even if Mia was. Her ass was as grounded as Mia’s.

“Alright,” I said. “Please yourself. Watch TV with Nanna and be good.”

I was out of the door with about thirty seconds to spare, as per usual.

Ruby’s play date was packed full of school mums, and out of the regular schoolyard context it made me feel uneasy.