The Girls Club Read online

  Crazy Brit eh? Crazy damn Yanks more like!

  Karen had another match set up Problem was it was with someone called Kelsey Carmicheal and she worked at Prestons. Smart and rugged by all accounts, no one had mentioned anything untoward. Karen was just worried about the ‘Demi’ connection. Things had been going rather quietly along of late and that was just fine.

  Quit the Chain.

  It wasn’t unusual for her to have these thoughts. She reminded herself of her oath. To the Chain, to her friends. To herself more importantly.

  In the bar she was sat between Sky and Rochelle. This was her usual company. Minnie had become a little distant of late and Sky had made progress towards seeing herself as someone worth more. Now that Minnie held little power over her they had seen less of her.

  They each had a beer and were shredding the labels. Sky had been with Kelsey Carmicheal and was giving Karen the run down.

  “She likes to bite”

  Rosh wrinkled her face, “I’m glad I never bothered with her…oh”

  “Fan-bloody-tastic. Any normal people on this friggin Chain?”

  They each whacked an arm when she said that, “Hey!” in unison.

  Karen laughed. “Bitches”

  “When then?” Rochelle asked.

  “This weekend I guess.”

  “Poor baby” Sky sang.

  “I ‘spose one of you guys could buy me another consolation beer”

  They both made a per-shaw noise that meant it was actually time to go home.

  “Bloody light weights”

  Karen had a sensible little car now, they each took it turns bringing the other two in, she felt less like a mooch this way. It was nice. The three of them. It wasn’t sordid or underhanded. They were good friends that could rely on each other in a pinch. When Karen drove it was Annie Lennox all the way home. She prided herself on being the Brit-pop educator to the American masses. Playing it at ear crunching levels on the freeway. Sometimes this brought amused glances from other drivers, sometimes grimaces of distaste.

  It was November. Karen remembered what November used to feel like. Could feel it still when she rang her mum to ask her how things were and she explained that the banging sound she could hear was hail stones pounding against the windows.

  Her mum felt light years away. She had always been self-sufficient though. Ever chirpy during the calls she made at least once a week. She had her dogs and her soap operas. Easily pleased but always ready for a good grouch. Karen let her. Whether it be about her younger sib or the milkman waking her up. It was much like it had been back home.

  Here is the shovel of shit. Eat it.

  Occasionally she asked the question that all mothers are wont to ask at times, are you seeing anyone? She thought her dear mums hair might just drop out if she’d told her just how many people she had been seeing of late. Guilt was best saved for people who believed in reincarnation, they could leave to the next life what she was trying to get done in this one. She told her mum no, no sense telling her about someone then having to fabricate that person, tell tales about them, what they liked, what they didn’t. Whether they had a penis or not. The answer was always, nah mum.

  She tried to send home amusing little things she found at times. Novelties from the beach, all three of them had gone to Venice beach one weekend, she’d found it to be like Blackpool, gags, novelties and cheesy fun. She had sent home quite a few items from there. She was sure it did her mum good to have little pieces of new things in her life. Karen had turned the tables during the last call and asked her mum if she had been seeing anyone.

  “Don’t be bloody stupid!” had been the answer. But Karen thought she heard something in her voice that said she was fibbing a little. Her usual answer was much the same as her own, nah. She was glad if it was true.

  Her PC alerted her that she had new mail. From [email protected].

  It read:

  Greetings Karen,

  I look forward to seeing you this coming weekend. Please follow directions given and pick me up at 8 on Saturday.

  I’ll leave the other arrangements up to you.

  K

  The amount of times she had to Google and find somewhere to go and or some place to eat. The ‘Circle Bar’ sounded promising. Not too far out, Miss Carmicheal was out that way anyway. If they were in a cab she supposed they could have a chat, or a nibble.

  She shivered. Biting.

  Take care of business for me…

  In fairness she had never partaken of anything rough. What’s to say it was going to be bad. Maybe the girls were just teasing her a little.

  Bitches.

  She went round to the canteen to have her break. It was fine enough having a quiet little corner to work in but sometimes she wanted to see the mill and thrust of people. Sipping her tea, (God bless Sky, she had found where to buy Tetleys), she was reading a murder mystery mag.

  Carolyn of the crocodile day glow smile came over and sat across from her. Karen raised her game and smiled at her, “Hiya”

  “Hello Karen” she stirred her coffee. Carolyn must never had gotten past the 80’s, her polyester jacket had shoulder pads big enough to rival those of a football player. It made her seem all the more scary.

  “Plans for this weekend?”

  Yeah, thought I’d eat a few neighbourhood kids, you?

  “I’ve got a date with Kelsey Carmicheal”

  “Ahhh. The biter”

  …?

  “So I hear. Is she really that bad?” against her better judgement now she had been engaged in conversation by the receptionist. Surely they couldn’t all be in on the joke.

  “Well put it this way dearie, I had to use an ice pack afterwards” her smile widened.

  “For real?”

  You putting me on, you creepy apple toting mother fucker?

  “Afraid so sweetie. My best advice would be to bite her back as hard she bites you. It’s the only way to dampen her down a little”

  Well I’ll be snowed!

  “Thanks Care”

  Carolyn smiled at this, Karen had never used her short name before.

  “You’re welcome” she stood up, perhaps deciding to leave whilst on good terms.

  You’re evil with that woman.

  She’s fucking evil full stop.

  Well. She just might have helped you over a hurdle there.

  Yeah. I guess.

  It was Friday afternoon. That invariably meant at some point Sky was going to point her head round the corner and smile her most wicked smile. When Sky got that Friday feeling she got horny. It did Karen some good to know it had weaned her off Minnie, she had turned out to be bad for Sky. She and Sky had talked about open doors and keeping things nice and easy. To Sky’s credit she was in for what it was and nothing more. Sky was a hot one. Karen thought Minnie was a dunce for letting her get away and thought it had been to her own benefit.

  She pretended to compile notes and waited for the afternoons games to begin.

  Her desk buzzer went, “Twat!” she muttered and pressed the key.

  “Karen, come through please.”

  Fuck shit.

  Well, she had been lucky for the past few Fridays, she couldn’t expect every Friday to have her afternoon free. Just as she was turning the corner Sky was there and they bumped into each other, Sky grabbed her boob.

  “Listen, I gotta see Miss Steiger. Wait for me?”

  “Sure. Can I read your emails?” this was Sky’s thing, reading everyone’s mail.

  “Sure” and she slapped her ass. Sky made a stung noise and Karen hoped this wasn’t going to be the ding in her day. It had been a peaceful month.

  Tap, tap.

  “Come in”

  Karen opened the big wooden door, Charlotte Toulouse, one of the Vice Presidents was also there sat at the desk, Karen had seen her and passed ‘hellos’ with her at times. She’d never been asked to see them both though at the same time.

  “Karen, come sit down” the
smile on Sarah’s face was too big for Karen’s liking.

  “Hiya Karen”

  “Hello ladies” she said gruffly.

  “You’ve got a hot date this weekend with a young lady from Prestons. Miss Smythe’s PA no less, now that Demi has gone.”

  “Yeah”

  Demi’s replacement?

  Charlotte looked at her very sombrely, “We need you to do something for us”

  There’s that sinking feeling. Instead of being in the back office and reaching for the Sky.

  “Sure. What?”

  Sarah and Charlotte looked at each other and smiled cheesy lawyer smiles.

  “Miss Smythe has a very prestigious client list. Its almost as closely guarded as the Chain. We would really, I mean really love to know who’s on her books”

  Karen just carried on looking at Sarah. Charlotte crossed her legs and shifted forward in her chair.

  “It would mean a great deal to us. It would finally put Prestons in our rear view mirror.”

  Karen still maintained a neutral look. What they were asking for was tantamount to spying, a little corporate espionage.

  Better start saying something. The natives look restless.

  “You want me to get you that information from Kelsey”

  They smiled at her, they look like their pet chimp just learned how to spell.

  “Yes. If you could. Kelsey will no doubt have copies of these files at home, a good PA is a workaholic. Get her drunk and do your thing. I know how good you are” Sarah tipped her a wink.

  That sounds like ass kissing bullshit to me mate.

  “Of course Miss Steiger, Miss Toulouse. It would be my pleasure” she knew to argue to their faces would be utter folly.

  “Excellent!” Charlotte stood up as Karen did, shook her hand and left the office. Sarah stood up and kissed Karen on the mouth. She really did think she had her led by the mammaries. She’d have a shock if she knew the clinical coldness Karen felt at her touch. It was a game to Sarah, not her life or love. A game. People were to be owned and abused and the tree was the place where she would get to the top of.

  Karen fixed her best smile and left the office. Someone of an altogether different quality needed her attention just now. And boy was she going to get it.

  The sign was on the back office door, she tapped and heard Sky tell her to come in. Shutting the door behind her she took in the image before her, Sky, naked as a jay bird sat on the big table. Her heart fluttered with the simple animal clarity of what she needed.

  “Come on then, it’s cold in here” she arched her back to Karen and she didn’t need telling twice. They had evolved a routine now whereby they would each climax twice. Sky was amazed as always and Karen always felt worn out. She had never been a believer of the validity of multiple orgasms. Another great discovery she had made right here. Another reason to protect Sky. She had given her something that had made her feel as though she could push walls down with her bare hands. When they were puffed out and huddled together on the desk they spent five minutes just sitting, resting. It was an easy quiet. Companionable. They didn’t need to speak. There were moments after when the answers to days old questions would just come to them. A good clock cleaning sure did wonders for the powers of thought. She leaned over Sky’s naked body and kissed her neck. Sky grinned and kissed her back, she always wanted more. A regular bear. But an hour was all they could take and not get busted. Besides that this wasn’t an exclusive office, others wanted their turn no doubt. Sky never ceased to put a smile on her face and it was mutually agreeable sex.

  Now that she had a clear head she could think of the matter in hand. The weekend to come.

  So Kelsey was Demi’s replacement. Was it ethical to take personal documentation from one company to give it to another.

  No.

  Was it part and parcel of the exclusive club she had bought into.

  Yes. Seems so.

  Had she known from the start about many of things she had later found out about.

  No.

  Did she feel she had anything to lose by failing to comply with her boss’s request.

  Yes.

  Was she going to do it?

  No.

  That decided she felt much easier in herself. If they asked her what she’d found out she’d tell them that she couldn’t find anything, that’s always assuming they ended up back at Kelsey’s place.

  Sky gave her a toodle-loo gesture on her way out that made Karen warm all over again. She would see if Rosh wanted a beer before they went home. She wandered round to the main floor, Rosh was tucked over in the corner grimly trawling through what looked like a Law journal. She shivered. Lawyers and back room sex. Kinda kinky.

  “Hey gorgeous, its going home time y’know”

  She plucked her glasses off her nose and smiled, “Yeah, but I have to find a statute pertaining to ownership law that pre dates the existing non-parallel parameters of common law as opposed to ownership law with regards to farm land.”

  Karen looked at her curiously.

  “How ‘bout you just ‘Google’ it so we can go?”

  “You kidding?”

  “No” she fit herself onto Rosh’s seat so the two of them were crammed together and she brought Google up, she typed in a search, ‘Laws, ownership, land, old’ and a flood of pages came back.

  Rosh made a choked sound.

  “Yeah. Back in the country of my birth we pay homage to the mighty Google, anything and everything. Print that shit and lets go”

  Karen let her get the pages she needed printed and when she had taken them through to Miss Toulouse she grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down to the bar.

  You are not going to tell her what they’ve asked you to do.

  She understood why she wouldn‘t be telling her either. Miss Steiger was a bit of a snake, she’d pull Rosh’s arms off to find out what Karen had said and it was safer not to put Rosh into that position.

  “I hear she’s quite pretty” Rosh said morosely.

  “Not as pretty as you.”

  Rosh coloured at this.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure” Rosh readied herself.

  “Tell me to butt out if this seems inappropriate. It’s a speciality of mine. But why don’t you sleep with anyone any more? Someone break your heart?”

  Rosh looked down at her hands.

  “I can’t. Not any more. It got too much. I’ve lost too many people”

  Karen felt sick.

  “What!?”

  “Ssshhh!” she looked round and didn’t see anyone from upstairs.

  “Every time I start to like someone, every time, something bad happens. I can’t take it any more. I like you. A lot. But its safer for me not to get involved like that.”

  Karen couldn’t speak.

  “I know its hard to hear, but this is my family. I don’t have anyone or anywhere else to go. And that means accepting them for what they are and families sometimes do bad things.”

  “You make it sound like the fucking Mafia” she ended her beer.

  Rosh smiled at this, “No, the Mafia aren’t anywhere near as hot as my family. Love your friends. And I do. I accept them with their faults. The only difference is now that I refuse to fall in love again.”

  Holy fucking crow! Maybe you should grab her in both hands and drag onto the next plane out of here.

  “You’ve no family at all?”

  “No. All dead. Not all at once but through various accidents and diseases. Nothing to do with the Chain if that’s what you’re worried about”

  “Glad to hear it”

  She’s brain washed. Utterly.

  “Come back to mine”

  “No Karen, you’re being weird on me”

  “I’m British. Being weird is hereditary. Come on”

  She could see that Rosh wanted to. She’d never asked although she had suspected the girl had her reasons. But if the main reason was that she had lost previous partners to this
Chain, then Karen would make her personal mission to release her from that mind set.

  Is it because we find ourselves falling a little for this girl?

  She ignored her minds ramblings. Surely love wasn’t anything she had to worry about yet.

  “Come on”

  Rosh could see the demanding tone on Karen’s face and part of her, a very small part of her that had come to terms with an empty life cried out.

  She took her hand and let Karen lead her to the car.

  “Not your place though”

  “Why?” she shut her door.

  “People might notice.”

  How bad was this?

  “You’ve been before though. What difference would it make?”

  “Please”

  Karen sighed and started the car.

  “Whatever you want. Really” she touched her thigh gently and set off for Rosh’s place.

  They didn’t pass a word on the way there. Rosh was a complete ball of nervous energy. Karen couldn’t recall when she had decided to become sexual saviour to the masses. Love your friends. It was a nice credo, when you got past all the bullshit embedded in the Chain it was a damn good way to live your life.

  She went into the underground car park of Rosh’s building. She went round and opened the door for her. Rosh was shaking. Karen took her by the elbow and wondered just what the fucking hell had happened to this girl.

  “Come on. Eh now. I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help you”

  Rosh gave a sigh that was so haunted it hurt Karen’s heart.

  All your bloody life trying to save the world. You’ve never succeeded yet. What are you hoping to achieve?

  She should be free to enjoy herself. What good is an open loving environment if everyone isn’t getting what they deserve?

  I hope you know what you’re doing. You know she’d been close to the edge just lately anyway.

  She knew. And if she could make Rochelle un-see the photos of Demi’s mutilated body she would do that too. As it happens this was the best she could offer. Release.

  The elevator doors closed and Rochelle started to cry a little, Karen took her hand and squeezed it tightly. The door opened and she put her hand in Rosh’s pocket to get her door keys, she led her along the corridor and then let them into the dim apartment.