‘I doubt it,’ said Amber, attempting to look bored, ‘Not if your height’s anything to go by.’
As his mates laughed again, he countered, ‘Good things come in small packages and what I’ve got is too good for a fuckin’ prossie like you.’
‘He’s saving it in case he cops off,’ shouted one of the men at the back, seeming to enjoy his friend’s humiliation.
But, as he spoke, the guy with the ginger hair joined in their fun, scuppering Amber’s idea of shifting the attention away from her. ‘Show us your tits!’ he said. ‘Come on, let’s see what you’ve got. I want to know if it’s worthwhile shelling out my hard-earned cash.’
Then he fished around in his pockets, drawing out a few pound coins. ‘This enough for you?’ he asked. ‘’Cos I don’t think you’re worth any fuckin’ more.’
Amber tried to put on a brave front but inside she was quivering, ‘I wouldn’t even give it away to you, you fuckin’ ginger minger. Now do one!’
For a few seconds they exchanged insults but as they argued she kept observing the short, stocky man. She could see him looking around and guessed that he was up to something. The breath caught in her throat when she realised what he was doing; he was checking for CCTV.
He must have been satisfied that there were none because, suddenly, he ran at her and clasped her buttocks tightly. ‘Come on, love. You heard what he said. Let’s see what you’ve got.’
Amber spun around and slapped his hand, but she could feel panic setting in. His hand flew back, this time grabbing her crotch. ‘Phwoar!’ he shouted, his fingers pulsating backwards and forwards as his friends jeered in the background.
She shoved his hand away and stepped off the pavement, so eager to escape from the men that she failed to notice a car that was hurtling towards her. She jumped back onto the pavement, crashing into the stocky man and pushing him aside.
‘Fuckin’ do one, you dirty little bastard!’ she yelled.
As the driver’s door slammed shut, she saw Kev get out of the car. ‘What the fuck’s going on?’ he yelled.
At the same time, Amber noticed the couple approaching, and the group of men, not wanting to hang about while there were witnesses around, ran off laughing. Kev ran round to the passenger side of the car and took hold of Amber by the arm. ‘You OK?’ he asked.
‘Yeah,’ said Amber who was thankful that Kev had come to her rescue. ‘They were just acting cocky, that’s all,’ she added, trying to be brave even though she was shaken up.
He nodded and let go of her arm. Not wishing to discuss the matter further, Amber reached inside her pocket for some money, presuming he was here to collect. Kev was unpredictable and she never knew when he would turn up for his protection money. But whenever he did so, he was always nice to her. And, on this occasion, despite her bravado, she was relieved that he had shown up just at the right time.
As she took out the cash, the couple walked by. They slowed down as they passed her, obviously curious about what had taken place. She saw that they were eating from polystyrene trays and smelt the tempting aroma of chips. Amber couldn’t resist turning round to look at them, her eyes lingering on the contents of the trays. She salivated, forgetting for a moment that Kev was waiting for his payment.
‘Oy!’ he called, and Amber’s attention shot back to him.
‘Sorry,’ she muttered, passing him the money.
‘You hungry or summat?’ he asked, taking in her slight frame.
‘A bit, yeah. But I’m going to the kebab shop after.’
He smiled and it transformed his face, emphasising his good looks. She noticed at once that other side to him and his charisma held her captive.
‘Come on, I know somewhere better than a kebab shop. Get in,’ he said.
‘But I’ve not finished work yet.’
‘That’s OK.’ He smiled. ‘As long as you’ve earned enough to pay me, I’ll get the meal. You look as though you need a good feed and it’ll save you paying for a kebab.’
She pushed her caution aside and got in the car, partly because it didn’t pay to cross Kev Pike but also because she was tempted by both the food and by Kev himself. He might have had a bad-boy reputation, but he also had a way with women that drew them in.
34
October 2015
Once Amber was inside Kev’s car, he put his foot on the accelerator and drove across the city centre till they reached the financial area close to King Street. He parked the car in a side street and led her inside a modern restaurant. Amber didn’t notice the name, but she probably wouldn’t have known it anyway as she rarely ventured into this part of the city.
Inside she found that it was full of young, trendy types, probably office staff who worked nearby, she thought. As well as a restaurant, it doubled up as a cocktail bar. Kev got them a table and a waitress brought over the menus. Amber was spoilt for choice.
‘Have whatever you want,’ said Kev, as her eyes roamed up and down the menu. So, Amber made the most of it, ordering a starter, main course and dessert.
It was nice to feel spoilt and, as Kev entertained her with amusing tales of his life of crime, she realised that she was seeing a different side to him. He was witty and full of charm and seemed to command respect from the restaurant staff.
Later, when she was feeling replete after a three-course dinner with wine, Kev led her to the bar area where they ordered a cocktail each.
‘Bet you’ve never been somewhere like this before, have you?’ he asked.
‘No.’
‘Well, make the most of it then. You can have another cocktail after that if you want. I saw you looking at what that girl is drinking over there. I can get you
