Bad Girls

Joy/Lou

Their after works drinks ended abruptly after she'd felt her Deputy Governor Louise Stoke edge a little closer to her at the table, the moment Joy had moved away from Lou's touch she decided it was time to end the evening.

"Well it's getting late, early start tomorrow. You wanna share a cab?" Joy asked.

"Actually I have to be somewhere, I'll get my own but thanks…see you in the morning Joy."

Lou grabbed her jacket and slid out of the booth after Joy, as Joy wrapped her scarf around her she saw a young woman at the bar looking over at them before turning away when Joy made eye contact.

"Well, night Joy." Lou said walking over to the woman at the bar. "Just give me a minute." She said to the young woman before going to the toilet.

Joy gave the woman a look on the way out an hailed a taxi, she waited outside the bar for about 10 minutes and saw Lou exit with the other woman, Joy ordered the taxi to follow them and watched as Lou entered a strip club called Backlash, she rolled her eyes before she told the taxi driver to take her home.

The music played loudly in the strip club as Lou sat at the bar while the young woman Cara brought over two glasses of vodka.

"Here, get that down ya' girl."

"Thanks, so come on Cara…you said she's been seen."

"Yeah, mate of mine saw her up town…she was working in some brothel near the Hammerstein pub."

"A brothel…jesus christ."

"I did go lookin' for her babe but when I got there she was gone…she was paid for a coupe of hours work."

"Look, here's my mobile…I want you to call me the second you find her and try and keep her occupied until I get there okay."

"It'll cost ya'."

"How much."

"£300."

Lou signed before she went into her handbag and brought out a handful of notes and handed them to Cara.

"Don't go doing a vanishing act on me, I'll track you down." Lou stated.

"Course…I'll call you yeah."

"See ya'."

Joy was standing by the window of her office, looking down at the car park to see Lou arriving, she watched as she got out of the car, dropping her keys on the ground. She remained still as Lou looked up at that moment to see Joy watching her, giving the older woman a wave as she walked inside. 20 minutes passed before there was a knock at her office door.

"Come." She ordered.

The door opened and Lou walked in, looking extremely tired.

"Morning Joy."

"If you say so, do you know what time it is?"

"It's nearly 10am."

"Exactly, you were late...9am Louise not 9.30am."

"Yeah look I'm sorry about that…late night."

Joy got up from her seat to come and stand in front of Lou who was in the chair facing her.

"You know, a woman in your role as a Deputy Governor…you should really be more careful with whom you associate with outside of this prison."

"I beg your pardon."

"I saw you last night, leaving with that young woman."

"Spying on me Joy…you jealous?"

"Jealous…hardly. I don't approve of what you're doing outside of this place."

"And what exactly is it I'm doing that's so terrible?"

"I saw you going in to that strip club, you might want to be careful who you associate with, hookers aren't exactly someone you wanna be seen with…you'll get yourself a bad reputation."

Lou stood up, straightening her blazer before she looked up at Joy.

"You have know idea what the hell you think you know, keep your nose out of my business okay."

"When it affects your…."

"Oh I don't have to listen to this."

Lou pushed the chair away and stormed out of Joy's office, striding along the deserted corridors, she heard footsteps behind her…getting closer and closer to her. Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm and turned to see Joy push her against the wall to stop her.

"What the hell do you…."

"Do you wanna lose your job Stokes, risk everything you've worked for to maintain a disgusting habit like that."

"What…what are you…"

"Paying for hookers is beyond even you Lou for god sake."

"Joy you don't even…."

Lou's phone began to ring, quickly grabbing it before Joy had a chance.

"Yes…Cara, yeah it's me. You found her, where is she…okay, okay keep her there I'm on my way."

Lou hung up and released herself from Joy's grasp but Joy wasn't giving up that easily.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, your shift's just started and you were already late?"

"Look, deal with me later okay. I'm sorry but I have to….bugger it." Lou dropped her phone as she tried to move away, running a hand through her hair as Joy stopped her and picked up her phone.

"Tell me where you're going and I'll consider letting you go."

"Consider letting me, I'm…"

"TELL ME."

"It's my sister Vicki alright, I've been trying to track her down and a friend of hers spotted her."

"The girl from last night?"

"Yes, I need to go before she takes off again…please Joy."

"The worry on Lou's face was enough for Joy to give in.

"Give me your keys?"

"What."

"Give me your keys, I'll drive you."

"You don't have to do…."

"I'm not asking, I'm telling you. I'll get Hollanby to cover…come on."

Lou handed Joy her keys and followed her out to the car, stopping to give Hollanby a handover before they left.

They arrived at Backlash, Joy rolling her eyes as she followed Lou inside, the smell of sex filling her nostrils.

"Oh my god, people actually pay for this."

"Not everyone's as lucky as us Joy."

Lou looked around and saw Cara coming down the stairs, a worried look on her face.

"Cara, where is she?"

"Who the hell's this?"

"Just a friend, don't worry about it…where is she?"

"Upstairs."

"Alone?"

"With a client."

Cara nodded and Lou pushed past her and up the stairs, Joy following quickly behind her. She walked along the corridor, looking in to each room but her sister wasn't in them. She heard a familiar laugh at the room at the end of the hall, storming over and pushing back the curtain she found her sister, entertaining a client. Vicki looked up when she heard the curtain flying back to see Lou and an older woman watching her.

"Christ, haven't you ever bloody heard of knocking, fuck."

The two men present quickly grabbed their clothing and rushed from the room, Lou stood watching her sister…nothing but disgust on her face.

"Get up and get your stuff…you're coming with me."

"Like hell I am."

"YES YOU ARE."

Lou made an attempt to grab her but Vicki yanked her arm from her sister's grasp, the next thing Joy knew…Vicki and Lou were on the floor fighting, hair being pulled…yelling filling the room.

"Oh for god sake." Joy muttered.

She got a tight hold of Lou by the waist and pulled her back from her sister.

"JOY GET OFF ME."

"Come on, you're behaving like children."

"Why can't you just leave me the hell alone huh, I'm doing fine without you Lou."

"Your doing fine, you're a prostitute…men pay you for sex, you're nothing but a common hoare."

Vicki made a move to slap her sister but was stopped shot when Joy grabbed her wrist.

"Anymore and you'll be charged with assault young lady."

"She went for me first; I didn't ask her to come here."

"You think mum would be proud of how you've turned out, she'll be turning in her grave."

"Oh my god, is that it…you're still pissed at me because I missed her funeral. I was working, I couldn't get away."

"You're disgusting, I don't even know why I bothered coming here today."

"Yeah, well neither to I. I don't need you Lou…we haven't been a real family for years, I don't need you anymore…I'm doing just fine on my own…GET THE HELL OUT."

Lou stood, slightly taken aback. Tears in her eyes as Joy stayed close.

"Don't worry, I wash my hands of you. You're on your own now, as far as I'm concerned, I don't have a sister."

Lou turned and walked out of the building, Joy following as Vicki stormed back in to the room. When Joy got outside, Lou was leaning against the car, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Lou…"

"Don't Joy, just don't. I don't wanna talk about it. Come on, we should get back."

Joy opened the car door and waited for Lou to get inside before she got in herself and drove them back to Larkhall.

To Be Continued…