𝙿𝙴𝙽𝙼𝙰𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 - 𝚃. 𝚂𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙱𝚈

10

Juliet remains silent even as Kimber tries to strike up a conversation with her.

"You showed me up back there at the races," Kimber says, playing slow music to fill the room. "Why don't you teach me how to dance properly?"

Kimber pulls Juliet into his arms which she tries to pull away from.

"The music's too slow. Put on a Charleston," Juliet says. "Something exciting"

"Well, then we'd be far away. I want to dance like this," Kimber says, pulling her even closer to him as he begins to press sloppy kisses to her neck. "Come on, you weren't so stiff back there, were you? Hmm? You ever been in a house this big? Hmm? Mmm. Look at you. You look like a bloody film star"

"I want a cigarette," Juliet says.

Juliet pulls away and moves over to her bag which contained a small blade that she knew if she stabbed Kimber with, it'd give her enough time to getaway. The gun would make too much noise when it fired which would give her less time to get out. A smash makes Juliet jump and she turns to see a shattered glass on the floor and Kimber was staring at her.

"Oh, look, I've dropped something," The man says. "Pick it up"

Juliet scoffs at the man, shaking her head.

"Pick it up your fucking self," Juliet says. "I'm not a maid"

"You're a fucking barmaid,"  Kimber says. "If I drop a glass on the floor, you pick it up. I want to watch you pick it up"

Juliet turns her nose up defiantly at the man whose temper was clearly very short as he snaps, grabbing her and manhandling her against the pool table.

Right, you little slag," Kimber says, tugging at the bottom of her dress. "I tried to be nice. Yeah?  If I drop a glass on the floor, you bend over and fucking pick up the fucking glass. Okay?

Juliet slams her head back into Kimber's nose and grabs the knife from her bag, pointing at the man as Tommy bursts into the room. He takes in the scene before him, Juliet's once pristine appearance dishevelled and her hand was shaking as she pointed a knife at Kimber.

"What are you doing here? I've got another hour. This is just a minor misunderstanding," Kimber says.

"Just wait," Tommy says. "Listen to me. Just listen to me. I was going to let you go through with this but, in the end, my conscience got the better of me. She looks good on the outside, but she has the clap. Yeah. Syphilis. When you took a shine to her, I thought I'd use her. Someone told me she had the syph, I thought, "What the hell?" Call it my better nature. She's, uh, she's a whore"

"Just go and wait in the car," Tommy says, placing a hand on Juliet's arm which she shrugs off.

"I can walk on my own, I definitely don't need your fucking help," The woman says, walking out.

As Tommy leaves he grabs Juliet's bag which feels quite heavy for a small clutch bag so he looks at the contents of the bag only to find a gun inside.

"Start of the day, I was Lady Sarah of Connemara," Juliet says. "By the end, I was a whore with the clap. You're a fucking cunt, offering me like that. But then you changed your mind. Why did you change your mind, Thomas?"

"Why do you have a gun?"

"Because I had figured something like this was going to happen," Juliet says. "And I'd rather it be me than some helpless girl who couldn't defend herself"

"So what was the plan there?" Tommy asks. "Stab Kimber and spend the rest of your time on the run from him and his men?"

"If I had to yes," Juliet says.

Tommy glances at Juliet who was shivering from either cold or adrenaline, he couldn't tell.

"Here," Tommy shrugs off his jacket with difficulty whilst trying to keep the car from careening into a ditch.

"I don't want your-"

"Take the fucking jacket,"

Juliet slides the jacket on and curls up, turning her back to Tommy.

By the time they pull back into Small Heath, Juliet was sound asleep in the car and Tommy sighs, not wanting to wake her after everything he put her through. The man lifts her from the car and grabs her key from her bag before opening her front door, not without difficulty. He then walks up the stairs and places Juliet on her bed before covering her with a soft blanket that was folded at the end of the bed.

"Goodnight Juliet," He whispers before leaving, making sure to lock her front door before posting the key through the letter box connected to her door.