‘Eh, it’s OK,’ she said, taking his hand once more. ‘I’m not going anywhere, don’t worry.’
They carried on chatting, but the mood had changed. Kev could be so unpredictable that it unnerved her. But she did enjoy his company most of the time and, on balance, his good points outweighed the bad. Besides, in her world it was all about survival and Kev now made her feel safer out on the streets. She was therefore much happier with him than without him.
She eyed the level on the bottle, willing the time to pass so they could leave the restaurant and go back to his place. Maybe he would be in a better mood once he’d had some sleep. She happened to look up when she was confronted by a man who was making his way out of the restaurant. It was a face from the past, and she visibly flinched. Cliff!
Why hadn’t she noticed him before? He must have been sitting at a distant table with his back to her. The sight of him struck terror into her and she could feel herself burning up as she recalled all the abusive things he had done. Her insides churned and for a moment she thought she was going to vomit. Amber felt a desperate urge to flee from the restaurant. But it was too late. Cliff had already seen her.
Despite her alarm, Cliff tried to act normal. ‘Oh hello, Princess, fancy seeing you here,’ he gushed. Then he turned to the man who was following behind him. ‘This here’s a little friend of mine,’ he said, smirking. ‘Lovely girl, but I haven’t seen her for years.’
He turned back to Amber again. ‘How are you keeping? I often think of you and the good old times.’
His smarmy grin together with his words made her recoil but she tried to act normal for everyone’s sake. What had happened to her wasn’t something she wanted to share so publicly.
‘I’m OK,’ she said. Despite her attempt to act normal, her voice was shaky, and she quickly lowered her head, hoping he would take the hint and just go.
Amber’s flushed complexion, wide eyes and furrowed brow gave things away, and she could tell Kev had picked up on her discomfort. She was relieved when Cliff added, ‘Oh well, we’d best be off. We’re going to the pub over the road if you fancy joining us later.’
He winked out of sight of Kev then made for the exit with a lewd grin on his face.
‘Who the fuck’s that?’ demanded Kev even before Cliff had gone through the door. ‘And why the hell is the cheeky bastard calling you “Princess”? Isn’t it fuckin’ obvious you’re with me?’
‘Shush,’ said Amber looking over at the couple at the next table who were watching them ardently. ‘I’ll tell you, but I don’t want anyone else to know.’
Amber knew she had to tell Kev something because he’d keep on at her until she did. And, right now, she didn’t want to keep it from him any longer because to do so would make it look as if she had something to hide. And she wasn’t the guilty one.
She therefore lowered her voice to a whisper and quickly divulged the fact that Cliff had abused her when she was a girl. It was the first time she had told anyone, and reliving her ordeal brought a tear to her eye. She could also see the rage building in Kev as the shock revelation registered.
‘Drink up, we’re going,’ he said.
‘Where to?’
‘To sort that bastard out, where do you fuckin’ think?’
‘But there’s two of them, Kev.’
‘Yeah, two out-of-condition, middle-aged fuckin’ losers. D’you really think they’ll bother me?’
Kev grabbed the attention of a waiter. ‘Bring me the bill, I wanna settle up. Quick as you can!’ he demanded. ‘And bring the card machine too.’
The waiter brought the bill and Kev paid it straightaway. Then he walked out of the restaurant without another word, leaving Amber trailing behind. When they got to the door of the pub, he spoke to her.
‘Right, I don’t want him to see us so when we get inside, I want you to find a seat out of the way, OK?’
‘Alright,’ said Amber.
She did as she was told, scanning the room to see if there was any sign of Cliff and his friend. Even the thought of being in the same vicinity as that man made her shiver. The pub was busy with pre-Christmas revellers, their lively chatter at odds with the mood surrounding Amber and Kev. The crowds made it difficult to spot Cliff at first but then she saw him, and she quickly changed tables to one behind a pillar so that he and his friend couldn’t see her. Kev walked over with the drinks and she was relieved that Cliff hadn’t spotted him either.
The next half hour was excruciating. They hardly spoke as Kev kept peeping out from behind the pillar to see what Cliff was doing. Amber was sitting with her back to the pillar, so she couldn’t see anything. But she was aware of his presence and that was enough. She couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that now dogged her.
All of a sudden, Kev rose from the table and dashed away. Amber got up from her seat and watched him stride across the pub in pursuit of Cliff who was on his way to the gents’. Her first thought was that at least Cliff was on his own so Kev would only have him to deal with. She didn’t spare any concern for her abuser; he deserved what was coming to him.
Amber nibbled on her bottom lip as she waited for a few anxious moments, knowing there would be a confrontation taking place inside the men’s toilets. When Kev didn’t return, she grew increasingly worried. In the end, she decided to
