Only Their Love

Spicers

RUBY’S POV

‘Millie, please hurry up! We’re going to be late for work!’ Millie raced down the stairs, with her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth and her shirt half on, breasts spilling out of her bra and make up landing on the stairs behind her falling out of her handbag. She threw her toothbrush in the kitchen sink and rinsed her mouth. Buttoning her shirt she stuck her tongue out at me and pulled her blond hair up into a high ponytail as she sashayed seductively out of the front door. ‘Come on Ruby, honey I’m going to be late.’ she whined, climbing into the passengers seat of my yellow, barely hanging together pick-up truck.

I blew my auburn fringe out of my eyes and cursed Millie for being constantly late but being so cute she always gets away with it. I climbed into the truck and raced out of the drive way and up the lane. Millie turned on the radio and rubbed my leg. ‘Hey chick, I’m sorry.’ I looked at her and smiled a half smile before looking back to the bumpy old road. ‘I know you hate being late, but we will only be 5 minutes late and I’ll take all the blame ok? I’ll tell Dave I promise.’ I nodded but kept my eyes on the road. I was in for it tonight, Dave had been getting so arsey with me. The nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach returned and i felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest.

The roads improved and the green forest where I lived and Millie crashed when we worked the same shifts thinned. The sun had gone down and the city lights shone brightly as we drove through the cement streets. People were standing outside bars smoking or queuing to get into restaurants. Friday nights were always busy but Saturday nights were mad in the city. Tonight was going to be as bad as any Saturday we’d ever had. The local football team had lost their league final and were bound to end up in Spicer’s, the expensive, upmarket men’s club where we worked.

I parked the car in the alley behind the club and checked mymake up in the visor mirror. Adding a layer of gloss to my lips and spraying myself with my favourite perfume i took a deep breath and climbed out of the truck. Straightening my skirt I slammed the door to the truck and walked towards the steps to the back entrance. The bottle guys were smoking and smiled at me. Millie had disappeared to speak to Dave and I went straight to the changing area to use the bathroom before setting up my bar..

‘Late again.’ A voice sneered from behind a the door of the dressing room. My heart sank and I winced and turned around. I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked at the shoes of the man who had spoken. i opened my mouth to apologise but before i could make a sound he grabbed my wrist and twisted it behind my back. I whimpered softly but didn’t cry out, ‘You’ll perform tonight you b***h, Millie’s working the bar. Don’t even think you can get out of it tonight. They’ll pay more for you with your t**s and your ass, f**k if I know why.’ He shoved me away from him and I fell to the floor and he spat at me.

‘Get yourself tidied up for fucksake.’ He slammed the door behind him, and I sat up wincing. Rubbing my wrist I noticed that there was already a bruise forming. Tears welled in my big brown eyes but I refused to let them fall. Looking in the mirror I fixed my long curly hair and began to rifle through the bag to put more make up on. ‘Come on the Ruby girl, best put the slap on if you’re going to get through tonight.’ I said aloud to myself.

The others who worked at the club trickled in and began to change. I was to wear a bright white floor length dress that laced up in front for her performance. The point was to was to look virginal and bridal; i f*****g hated this look. Although I looked stunning, I could barely look myself in the eye when applying my finishing touches, small earrings, a delicate necklace and some light shimmer between my breasts­­. I was finished and stood in a trance, looking through my reflection instead of at it.

‘Rubes, you ok?’ Lucia one of the newer performers rubbed my arm gently, pulling me out of the daze I was in. A large forced smile plastered my face and I nodded eagerly. ‘Just tired is all!’ I lied and Lucia nodded, not really believing me. ‘You look great tonight Lucia, I’m sure you’re new act will have them all tipping well.’ I encouraged my new friend and ally at Spicers. Lucia kissed my cheek lightly so as not to mark me with lipstick. ‘Love you Rubes.I’m so excited to see this act, I hear its phenomenal!’ She squeaked and teetered out of the door to await her time on stage. I was closing so performing after Lucia, closing the stage show before the private audiences started, it couldn’t come quick enough just so I could have it over and done with.

Looking again over the tight, white chiffon, floor length dress, I smoothed the laces that tied it up the front and slipped on the white satin heels. Taking a small sip of water and beginning to hum gently i warmed up her voice to be ready for her performance.

MILLIE’S POV

‘s**t, s**t, s**t, s**t, s**t. f*****g s**t! Rubes is going to kill me.’ I swore at muself for having stayed so long in the shower, never mind that Ruby had woken me 30 minutes before I even bothered to get out of bed. Pulling on clothes and shoving my toothbrush in my mouth, I grabbed my bag and almost fell down the stairs to get out the door.

‘f**k she looks pissed.’ I thought and stuck my tongue out at Ruby and wiggled my hips trying to lighten the mood before the sixty minute drive to Spicers. I switched on the radio to listen find Cher belting out It’s in His Kiss and rubbed Ruby’s knee. ‘Hey chick, I’m sorry.’ Was all i could muster, I knew Ruby was going to pay for my tardiness despite my best efforts at telling Dave, Spicers deplorable manager that it wasn’t Ruby’s fault at all.

I could tell Ruby was upset and kept quiet for the rest of the journey. I watched as the sun set and the city appeared in front of the beat up truck. Praying silently that I could catch Dave before he saw Ruby, I hopped out of the car and up the steps to the club before Ruby had closed the door of the truck. Racing to the office where Dave tended to reside, some form of alcoholic beverage in one hand and a fake Cuban cigar in the other, I found the office empty. Glancing at the rota I saw Ruby’s name as the headline of tonights show and my heart sank.

‘Fucksake Millie. She hates being headline. Dave has done this to punish her and it’s all your fault.’ I screamed at myself. Lucia popped her head into the office and gasped seeing Ruby’s name on the headline instead of mine.

‘Oooohhh! I’ve not seen Rubes perform her bridal act before! I can’t wait.’ She squealed and ran to the dressing room. Rubbing my temples, I walked towards the bar and shoved my handbag in the cupboard under the till and locked it sliding the key into my bra. I began setting up the glasses and filling the ice buckets on my bar as patrons began to filter in. I would run the main bar in the performance lounge with the help of Drake and Alvin.

‘Millie Vanilli, how are you going girly?’ Drake lifted me off my feet and swung me round. I laughed and wriggled to be put down. ‘Been a while since you’ve slummed it down here with the low life like us.’ Alvin called as he turned the lights on behind the cocktail bar and began to set up the blenders. ‘Boys, I royally f****d up. I’ve made Ruby late the last three shifts she’s been on and Dave’s making her headline ‘that’ act.’ I held my head in my hands and let out a loud sob. ‘She’s going to hate me.’

I looked up at the two men in front of me. Both looked at me thoroughly pissed and shaking their heads. ‘Oh Millie, you are going to have to find yourself a new friend after tonight.’ Alvin quipped before returning to his prep. Drake cleaned the top of the bar and lifted the heavy ice buckets into position. ‘What the actual f**k Millie?’ He slammed the last bucket down beside me. ‘That girl has worked her ass off so as not to have to get back up on that stage. Let alone having to perform that godforsaken number and now, when she is so damn close you give that cunt of a manager a reason to take away all the confidence and self esteem she has worked hard to build because you couldn’t get out of bed? Honey you are going to need to find more than just a new best friend if tonight doesn't go off well.’ He span around and poured himself a shot of tequila and downed it in one. ‘You had better hope she gets enough tips tonight to make sure she never has to come back to this shithole again.’

My heart sank, i knew Drake was right. A new waitress appeared and was bouncing on the spot. ‘I hear Ruby is performing tonight, I didn’t think she did that anymore. Anyway, one of the door men says she was amazing. Made the best tips ever! Why did she stop?’ I smiled and shook my head. Ruby performed the act pretty much every week for 3 years, everyone loved it. The same guy paid for at least one private show every week of those four years, when he attacked Ruby in the alley on her way home that last night she performed, the manager at the time told Ruby she could work in the bar and not perform again if she wanted. It was less pay and meant more hours but Ruby jumped at the chance. Dave was a door man then and wanted to date Ruby more than anything, but she kept denying him. She didn’t date anyone, I don’t think she’s ever been on a date in the time I’ve known her.’ Millie left the new girl with her mouth hanging open and dimmed the lights at the bar. The tables were filling up and the performances were starting.

Authors Note

Hi Readers,

This is a new venture for me. I've not tried writing fantasy before but this is something I have had in my head to write for ages and am hoping you guys will enjoy it! I'll try and do a new chapter every night but I work full time and am a single mum. I welcome all feedback! EL xx