to the bartender to come over, ordering two whiskies on the rocks.
‘I don’t know what to do, India. I really don’t. I’m at a complete loss, and Vince, he… it’s like he just can’t bring himself to be near me, y’know? And that hurts.’
‘Well, I suppose him finding you in the arms of Kenny Ross kinda stung a bit too, don’t you think?’
Charley looked down into her drink, swirling the whisky round over the shards of ice in the glass. ‘You know I don’t drink whisky.’
‘You do tonight. Get it down you, it’ll do you good.’ India looked at her friend as she continued to swirl her drink round the large, ice-filled tumbler. She looked thinner, but she supposed the stress of the whole Jimmy Cash thing and then this situation with Vince and Kenny, well, maybe it had just got to her more than anyone realised. ‘You do know I’m here with Kenny, don’t you?’
‘Yeah, Bobby told me,’ Charley replied, looking up to meet India’s eyes.
‘So? Should you be here? What if Vince finds out?’
‘I’m not doing anything wrong, am I?’
‘He might not see it that way, Charley. Given what’s gone on.’
Charley sighed, taking a large gulp of whisky, screwing her face up as the warm liquid hit the back of her throat. ‘Jesus, India, how do you drink that stuff? You never used to touch it.’
‘Yeah, well, sometimes life has a habit of changing things.’ She knocked back half of her glass in one go, without the hint of a flinch. ‘So, are you here to talk…?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m here, I just know that I couldn’t face another night of sitting there in that strange apartment, all on my own, thinking about how stupid I’ve been.’
‘And what if Vince finds you here? How’s that gonna look?’
Charley stared down into her drink again. ‘Why would he come looking for me?’
‘Because he loves you, you bloody idiot. Despite everything.’ India turned her attention to Kenny as he arrived back at the bar. ‘And talking of bloody idiots…’
‘Jesus, India, can you leave it alone for just five minutes?’
‘No, Kenny, I can’t leave it alone. You should’ve been more responsible – she was vulnerable, and you latched onto that…’
‘India…’ Charley began, but India swung round to face her.
‘And you… well, you should have come to me, okay? If you couldn’t talk to Vince, then you should have come to me.’
‘You had enough problems, India.’
‘Oh, sod my problems, Charley. I’ve always got fucking problems, you know that. And most of them I bring on myself.’
‘You including me in that?’ They all turned round to see Dominic standing behind them, hands in his pockets, his handsome face dominated by a frown. ‘Am I one of your problems?’
India looked at him for a few seconds. ‘Have they given out invitations or something?’ She didn’t take her eyes off Dominic as she downed the last of her whisky, slamming the empty glass back down on the bar.
‘She always resorts to flippancy when she’s confronted with something she doesn’t want to face,’ Kenny chipped in, signalling to the bartender to bring him another beer.
India threw him a look as he grabbed his beer and indicated to Charley to join him. ‘Come on, Charley. Let’s leave them to it.’
‘Is that wise?’ India asked, watching as Charley walked over to Kenny, a little reluctantly she thought. ‘I mean, if Vince finds out…’
‘Vince is the least of your worries, kiddo,’ Kenny said, looking from her to Dominic, then back at India again. ‘And if you must know, I’m going to try and persuade Charley to go back to The Amber Palace and talk to Vince. Okay?’
‘You are?’ Charley asked, a touch surprised.
‘Yeah, I am,’ Kenny replied. ‘Hanging round here isn’t going to do you any good, especially as Ms Movie Queen over there appears to be busy now.’
‘Who said I was busy?’
Kenny looked at her, raising an eyebrow. ‘You’re busy, okay? Come on, Charley.’
India watched as Kenny and Charley headed towards the outside terrace area, more than a touch uncomfortable about letting them disappear anywhere together, but she had other things to deal with now.
‘So?’ Dominic asked, sliding up onto the stool Charley had just vacated.
‘So, what?’ India asked, holding up her empty glass and signalling for a refill.
‘Have you made your choice?’
She looked at Dominic. ‘This is bullshit, Dominic. You really expect me to humour you over this?’
‘Humour me?’ Dominic laughed. ‘Is that what you’re doing? Humouring me?’
‘I’m not doing anything, Dominic. I came