Forty Six

The fourth step from the top groaned under my weight - despite my pink panther stealth walk. I froze.

Nothing happened.

The muffled murmur of voices continued to seep from under Lisa's door. I tiptoed onto the landing. Footsteps from Lisa's room stepped towards the door. I bounded for the spare room - the door was ajar enough for me to duck behind it. I stepped on some magazines, narrowly missing a suitcase, a laptop and a couple of tennis raquets spread along the wall in the otherwise empty room. The footsteps retreated away from Lisa's door and I figured one of them, probably Mike, was pacing.

I snuck back onto the landing and crept forward until their muffled voices became intelligible.

'Just leave it,' said Lisa.

'No. I don't understand. How can you just throw everything away?'

'You never will understand,' came Lisa's voice again. 'I have to do this.'

'You know what this makes you.' I could imagine the pain on Mike's face as his version of Lisa crumbled before the reality he now faced.

'A whore? A prostitute... a slapper?'

It went silent for a while. I chewed a fingernail wondering if I should retreat for cover or make a break for the stairs, but also trying to process her admission. She'd got so upset atme for asking... Another tangent enterd my mind. I mean it's kind of a compliment to score with a professional, but... surely, she wouldn't be so blatent. She'd have some sort of internal justification for it that allowed her to think of herself in some other way. She was being manipulated somehow by this guy, this sugar daddy. She had to be. Even I knew I was clutching at straws.

'You're better than that.' Mike's voice was cracked and soft; barely audible. I almost agreed outloud.

Then it struck me somehow. A respect for Mike. His heart being torn out and stamped on - his girlfriend telling him she's a cash deal and he... I choked up. I'd never realised he was so compassionate under his free-wheeling exterior.

'Only you think that,' replied Lisa almost as quietly.

I almost wanted them to get back together.

'If you expect me to believe this is just about money... then what about Des?' Mike's voice regained a hard edge as he spoke my name.

I inched forward. Yeah, what about me? Why get with a gong boy? Why did she come to me if Mike wasn't abusing her? There was something there... between us... there was...

Lisa scoffed. 'You can't be serious? What about him? There is nothing going on there.'

I was relieved, grateful and indignant all at the same time. Relieved she was trying to cover my arse, by extension of covering her own, but did she have to make it sound so inconceivable? But why admit she's pretty much a hooker and then deny me? Was it me she was protecting, or something else?

'I'm not smart. Never have been. Not much I can do about it. But I'm not a fool. I've seen the change in both of you.'

I heard a bed spring groan. 'Ok. OK. That wasn't supposed to happen. After Kevin... I knew you'd go nuts if I came home. I didn't know where to go. I just, I don't know why, I figured I'd cool down for a while, work things out. I didn't expect...'

'You didn't expect him to take advantage of you. To get you into bed while you were vulnerable. That lowlife snake...'

Hey, it wasn't like that-

'Shit Lisa!!' Something slammed. 'How could you? With Des? Of all the freaking people... Des?'

'I know,' said Lisa apologetically.

I stared at the door indignantly. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

'I'm done Mike. You, Des, everyone. I'm with Kevin. That's it.'

I'd heard enough. I scampered down the stairs not really caring if they heard me or not. This was bollocks. She was lying... she had to be.

Forty Seven