shook her head. ‘I need to walk, get some fresh air. I’ll be fine, honest.’
‘I’ll ring you tomorrow,’ Tracey shouted, as she walked back inside.
As Susan stood on the corner of her estate, she was livid. She’d always had a feeling that Kevin played around, but how could he be so blatant about it? Unable to face going home, Susan lit up a fag and headed back to The Duchess. Fat Caz would be finishing her shift soon and she desperately needed someone to talk to. She couldn’t get the two girls’ faces out of her mind. Both were blonde and pretty, but the one with the long hair was stunning – in fact, she looked like Madonna. And as for their conversation, they might as well have stuck a knife in her: ‘He’s gotta get rid of that awful bird first. I love my Kev, he’s such a scream. Christ knows who she was, but didn’t she look a sight in those white leggings?’ they’d said.
And they were laughing, the fucking slags. Well, she’d give ’em something to laugh about. She was Kev’s bird and if four years was about to go up the swanny, she was determined to go out with a bang.
‘Suze, you’re back! Wasn’t the party any good?’ Caz beamed, as she approached the bar.
Susan forced a smile. ‘Get us a cider and when you’re finished, me and you are goin’ up Benjy’s.’
Unaware that his girlfriend had entered the club, Kevin was enjoying himself immensely. His uncle Paul and his pals had already left. Drunk as skunks, they’d headed off to the nearest curry house and left him with the girls.
‘Want another drink, Joanne?’
‘Yes, please, I’ll have a white wine. Don’t bother getting Nat one. She’s on the dancefloor with that bloke and she’s got two on the table.’
Susan turned her back and hid in the corner as he approached the bar. She was frothing at the mouth and if that slag left the club with Kev, she’d fucking kill her.
‘Are you all right, Suze?’ a concerned Caz asked.
‘No, I ain’t. Do I fuckin’ look all right? Just let me know when he moves away from the bar.’
As the DJ slowed down the tempo, Joanne was desperately trying to spy on her friend Natalie.
‘Thanks, Kev,’ she said, as he handed her her drink.
Kev laughed. ‘Who yer lookin’ at, yer nosy cow?’
Joanne giggled. ‘Nat split up with her ex over a year ago and she’s never copped off with anyone since. I’m sure she’s snogging that bloke. Come and have a dance with me, Kev, so I can spy on her.’
Kevin grabbed her arm. ‘Come on then, you pest.’
Susan was horrified as she watched them take to the dancefloor. As Kev put his arms around the Madonna lookalike’s waist, her stomach could take no more.
‘Hide my drink inside your jacket – we’re leaving,’ she told Fat Caz.
Filled with anger, Susan marched down the street. ‘I can’t go home. I’m gonna wait in the alley and confront him as he walks past.’
Caz hated trouble of any kind. Her night out had been awful, and she was absolutely starving.
‘Suze, there’s a takeaway over the road. I’m gonna get meself a kebab and chips. Do you want anything?’
Susan shook her head. ‘Fat cunt,’ she muttered as Caz waddled across the road.
As people began to trickle out of the club, Susan kept her eyes peeled. Finally, she spotted him walking towards her. He was alone with the slag, the cheating bastard. Picking up her now empty glass off the ground, she held it firmly in her right hand. She could hear their voices, they were getting closer.
As she leaped from the shadows, she took the pair of them by surprise. ‘That’s my fella, yer fuckin’ slag,’ she screamed, as she cracked the glass over the girl’s head.
As Joanne crashed to the floor, Kevin laid into Susan. ‘Get off of her. You’re a psycho, Susan, a fuckin’ psycho,’ he screamed, as he punched her to the ground.
A group of young lads ran over. ‘Oi, leave her alone.’
‘Stay out of it,’ Kevin yelled as he kicked Susan in the face.
‘Whatever’s happened?’ Natalie screamed, as she saw the blood running down Joanne’s face.
‘The kebab shop have called the Old Bill,’ someone shouted.
Petrified of getting arrested, Kevin grabbed Natalie’s arm. ‘Look after Jo for me. I’m gonna have to make a run for it, I’ve got no choice. Say nothin’ to the Old Bill, I’ll explain later.’
Lifting Susan up, Kevin half dragged her down a side street. ‘Try and run, Suze, try and run,’ he screamed.
Across the road, Fat Caz stood frozen to the spot. She’d been too busy stuffing her face to see what had started the fight, but she’d seen Kevin beat up Susan.
As Kevin dragged Susan out of sight, Caz knew she had to do more to help her. Remembering that Susan had earlier given her her phone number, Caz searched through her purse and ran back into the shop.
‘Give me the phone, quick. He’s abducted her and I need to ring her mum.’
Aware of the sirens getting louder, Kevin helped Susan through the back gardens and into a different street. He was fully aware of what led where, as he’d often been involved in bouts of burglary in this neck of the woods. He tried the handle of someone’s shed and was relieved to find it open.
‘Get in there, Suze, go on, lie down. We’re safe here.’
As Kevin handed her a fag, he lit the match and was appalled by what he had done to her face. She was caked in blood and looked like she’d gone ten rounds with Henry Cooper. Susan looked worse than she actually felt and was more bothered about Kevin’s infidelity than her injuries.
‘Why, Kev? Why did yer cheat on me? Surely the sex ain’t as good with her as it is with me? How long yer been seeing her?’
As Kevin held her close, he began to laugh. ‘You stupid girl, Suze. I haven’t cheated on yer. Joanne, the girl you glassed, is my fuckin’ cousin.’
Susan felt nothing but relief as she clung to him. ‘I’m so sorry, Kev. Please don’t finish with me. I’ll never tell anyone that it was you that beat me up. I love you, Kev, I really do. You won’t leave me, will yer?’
As Kevin put his tongue in her mouth, all he could taste was her blood. Pulling away, he smiled at her. ‘I’m not sure if we’re meant to be after this, Suze. I’m gonna need time to think about it, girl.’
Desperate for him to love her again, Susan unzipped his trousers, unleashed his cock, and took him gently into her bruised mouth.
TOMMY HUTTON LAY sprawled across his bunk with a big
