Ruby by Heather Burnside (carter reed txt) 📗

‘What do you mean?’ asked Nicole with a note of irritation in her tone.

‘Well, she’s really pretty. I thought they were all supposed to be old slappers.’

‘Fuckin’ hell, Trina. Why you so interested in our Shelley? Anyone would think you fancied her or summat.’

Nicole’s words hit Trina like a slap in the face, and she recoiled. Was it really that obvious? She hoped not. But Nicole seemed to interpret her reaction as offence and she played down the comment.

‘Sorry, I was only joking,’ she said, grinning at Trina.

‘I was only interested,’ said Trina. ‘I’ve never come across anyone who does that before.’

‘You mean a tart,’ said Nicole, cynically.

Trina shrugged. ‘That sounds bad. She’s probably only doing it because she needs the money.

‘Whatever,’ said Nicole and Trina got the feeling that her friend wanted to end the conversation.

She was a bit annoyed by Nicole’s attitude and normally she would have faced her with it. But her embarrassment stopped her from doing so. The comment about her fancying Shelley was made flippantly but Trina didn’t want Nicole to know that she had actually hit on the truth.

Trina was curious about Shelley. She was at an age where she wanted to find out about life in all its sordid detail and the fact that she had a crush on Shelley intrigued her even more. To her mind, Shelley was bold and fearless as well as stunning. Instead of doing what her parents demanded of her, she was making her own way in life, and the fact that she earned a lot of money doing it made Trina eager and determined to find out more.

*

It was over a week before they saw Shelley in the park again. Trina and Nicole were both delighted to see her. Determined to conceal her discomfort at the attraction she felt, Trina joined in with Nicole and Shelley’s conversation. When Nicole’s latest boyfriend came to find her, it was obvious to Trina and Shelley that she wanted some time alone with him.

‘It’s alright,’ said Shelley. ‘I don’t mind if you want to be with him. I’ve got to go anyway.’

Seizing her opportunity to find out more about Shelley, Trina said, ‘Which way are you walking? I’ll come with you.’

They left the park, Trina walking keenly alongside Shelley. ‘Have you got to go to work?’ she asked when they were on their way out of the gate.

‘Yeah. Well, I don’t have to really but I’d miss the money if I didn’t,’ she said. Then she added casually. ‘I suppose our Nicole told you what I do.’

‘Yeah,’ said Trina. ‘But I’m not arsed.’ She then thought about her clumsy wording and said. ‘I mean, it doesn’t bother me. I wouldn’t hold it against you, not like some people.’

Shelley laughed. ‘Glad to hear it,’ she said, and Trina couldn’t help but feel that she was somehow being patronised.

She felt awkward carrying on the conversation, worried she might have offended Shelley but then curiosity prompted her to delve further.

‘What’s it like?’ she asked, hoping Shelley didn’t mind her probing.

‘It’s OK,’ said Shelley, candidly. ‘People make out that it’s bad but it isn’t really. Most of the clients are alright. I earn loads of money and some of them even buy me presents. One guy bought me a gold chain and he keeps asking me to go on a cruise with him.’

‘Would you?’ said Trina, fascinated.

‘No, not with him,’ laughed Shelley. ‘He’s an ugly old bastard. Besides, I could be earning shedloads from my other clients instead of going on some boring boat trip with him.’

‘Does it not bother you, going with blokes that are ugly?’

‘Nah, at the end of the day it’s not about fancying the clients. It’s about what you can get out of it. I have had a couple of fit ones though.’

‘Really?’ asked Trina.

‘Yeah, but you don’t get many of them. Most of ’em are old and fat. Like I said, it’s more about what you can get out of it, and I need the money to pay my rent and bills.’

‘Does it cost a lot to live on your own?’

‘Yeah. Well, I’ve got a two-bedroomed flat so until I can get someone to flat share, I have to find all the money myself.’

Trina stared in awe at Shelley, mesmerised, not only by her but by her lifestyle. She was so matter-of-fact about what she did, and made it sound like a viable option. Trina had previously thought that a prostitute’s life was the lowest of the low but listening to Shelley made her realise that it wasn’t so bad after all. Having listened to what Shelley had to say, Trina now saw it as a good opportunity to make easy money, and she was impressed.

28

April–May 1998

‘Are you fuckin’ serious?’ yelled Nicole when Trina told her about her idea.

‘Deadly,’ said Trina, nonchalant. ‘Why not? I sleep with boys anyway so why not get paid for it? It’s not like I’ve got anything else lined up for when I leave school, is it?’

‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ said Nicole. ‘Some of those men are bad bastards. They can hurt you. Our Shelley had a black eye once when she came to meet me.’

‘Pffft. What’s a black eye?’ said Trina. ‘It’s nothing.’

‘But some of them rape her as well.’

Trina laughed. ‘How can they have raped her? That’s what they fuckin’ pay for, innit?’

A look of confusion flashed across Nicole’s face and Trina could see that she wasn’t able to back up her argument.

‘They’re ugly as well,’ she quickly added when she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

‘Yeah, I know. Well, most of them are. You do get some fit ones though.’

Trina didn’t reveal all her thoughts; that it made no difference whether they were good looking or not because she felt no desire for men anyway.

‘You seem to fuckin’ know plenty,’ Nicole continued. ‘I suppose our Shelley has put you up to this,