Violet and Dessa open a flower shop on Watery Lane-but arent charged the regular PB protection fees.
Arthur/Ofc; John/Ofc -possible Tommy/Ofc later on. -written by myself and my friend Ashley! Please review if you like it! thanks!
"Do you think we'll be safe here?" Dessa smiled wary to her friend, Violet. Violet reached into her pea coat pocket conjuring the iron key to their new flower shop.
"Safe as anywhere else." Violet sighed, turning the key and stepping aside to let Dessa pass. The sweet smell of flowers wafting through the shop instantly brightening the girls faces.
"It's a decent sized lot for what we paid yes?" Dessa reached down cupping a lily in her hand, bringing the flower forward as she breath in the scent. She released the flower gingerly looking to Violet, whom was quick to check out the register. The drawer opening with a small struggle.
"Mhm, decent for him- there's about two pounds missing." Violet noted her voice not hiding any of her annoyance.
"I hope that's not a sign of what's to come." Dessa giggled, she was in such a good mood today nothing- or rather no one was going to ruin it! This was a new start for the girls and Lord knows they needed it.
"At least he set up the place exactly how we wanted." Violet did her best to smile, she still was wary of the new town since they didn't exactly hear the best things about Birmingham. The city was slums compared to their home they had North.
Dessa took off her coat hanging it up and placing on the dainty apron.
"Remind me to stitch new ones." Violet added as she tied hers. Dessa looked to Violet in mock pain.
"My great aunt made these for us remember?" Tapping Violet with order pad playfully.
"Oh come off it Dessa, you hate your great aunt!" Violet shot her a warning glance as Dessa continued to playfully hit Violet's shoulder.
Stopping promptly when the overhead bell jingled. Both girls attention darting to the door. A man dressed in a grey tweed suit and a cap glanced to the ladies. Both ladies were enthralled by the young man's look, they dressed so differently in the North- something they would have to get use too.
"Uh, Hello!" Violet greeted with a strong smile. She felt a rush of excitement as she watched the man, hoping he would be their first sale of the day.
"'Ello, ya the owna?" The man asked removing the tooth pick from between his lips to speak. Causing Violet's attention to his mouth, she could help but stare at the pouty lips that spoke to her.
"We both are, co-owners." Dessa filled in giving Violet a queer look before turning her attention over to the young man.
"I see." The man nodded to Dessa then his cool eyes shifted to Violet, drinking in the sight of her. She seemed to be doing the same thing. A slight smirk brushed his lips that had Violet in a daze. His eyes darted around the shop taking in all four corners before placing his toothpick back between his teeth.
"Hava good day." Seeming satisfied he turned on heels to leave the shop.
"Wait!" Violet's voice rang out across the shop, stopping the man in his step. Dessa jumped at her outburst but recovered with a slight smile at her friend.
"What's your name?" Violet tried to continue her blush forming on her cheeks. Feeling foolish for even asking but she kept her head held high, nothing she could do about now.
"John, John Shelby." The man smirked over his shoulder before stepping out of the shop. Violet fullheartedly smiled for the first time this morning Dessa remarked.
"Are you going to ask all of our customers that or just the cute ones?" Dessa let out a loud obnoxious laugh, making Violet go scarlet.
"Oh shut up! He's the best looking gent I've seen in a long time alright. And he's gone now so I don't see the problem." Violet huffed turning her back to Dessa. She always acted so childish when she was embarrassed.
"So Shelby huh? Dessa asked to no one in particular as she scribbled on the note pad. Violet ignored her wishing to forget the pass few moments or at least make Dessa forget.
"I'll be filling orders in the back, you have the front." Violet delegated, Violet needed some much needed alone time and arranging flowers was a good outlet.
"Yes." Dessa answered bored already. Violet took a few steps before backtracking to look at Dessa.
"You know you actually have to clean, not just sit and admire yourself in the window right?" Violet sniped she was always a stickler for working and Dessa would always dread it. Rolling her eyes she grabbed the freshly laundered rag.
"Happy?!" Dessa shook the rag in Violet's face before she ran the material over one of the dusty shelves.
"Very!" Violet chirped disappearing into the back room.
Dessa glanced over her shoulder, making sure Violet was gone and busy before she returned to her stool behind the counter.
Time seemed to past slowly until a man wandered into the shop. Dressed fairly similar to the Young man earlier Dessa eyed him. He was much older than John but she wouldn't by any means call him an old man. Dessa watched him as he took in the sights of the shop before heading to the counter.
"Here for a pick up?" Dessa smiled forcibly as dictated by Violet. She remember the day Dessa had forgotten to smile at a customer and the way Violet went on and on endlessly explaining why smiles made business flourish, and how Violet laughed at her own joke… How Dessa loathe that joke.
"No, not today. Are ya tha owna?" The man accent was thick and Dessa tensed at the grittiness of his voice. She didn't expect someone so rough to be the type to wonder into a flower shop but then again that didn't mean he didn't care for his wife or someone.
"One of them." Dessa nodded, curious as two why people were so interested in knowing the owners. Maybe it was just how they were in this town, no boundaries. The man leaned against the counter on his elbows. His eyes warned with danger and trouble. The moustache reddish brown giving him a look of maturity and seemed to suit his long straight nose.
"Why?" The curiosity getting the better of her. The man stood bowing his eyes to look directly into hers.
"Nevah ya mind." He mumbled before knocking his knuckles on the counter deep in thought, like he was struggle with something. He turned on his heel and as if it was a reflex, Dessa called out to him.
"Hey!" Her voice was enough to peek his interest as he slowly turned his head to her, his eyes burning into her.
"May I have your name?" Dessa asked politely gaining composure from her outburst.
"Arthur Shelby." He answered. Violet must have heard Dessa's outburst and came to her aid, her eyes scanning the man who was a good foot away from Dessa.
"Shelby, like John Shelby?" Violet questioned, reading Dessa's mind.
"Tha same, he's me bruvtha." Arthur left without another word leaving the girls even more clueless than before. Dessa stared out the glass as she watched the man continue across the road and into a bar.
"The Garrison?" Dessa read out loud.
"Looks to be the local pub." Violet shrugged.
"Well, maybe we can have a drink after we close." Dessa said thinking about the mustached man and wondering if he would still be there in a few hours. "That is if we sell any of these."
"It'll take time. Maybe we could post a sign that says we're under new management?" Violet offered going back to the back of the house while Dessa continued to clean the shelving-that looked at though it hadn't been scrubbed in months-but she assumed the nearby factories probably threw a lot of dirt into the nearby air.
An hour or so passed and they had one small sale for half a dozen carnations . As the woman who bought the carnations was leaving another man came in. Tall and dressed smartly , he walked up to the counter as though he owned the place-which Dessa took issue with.
"Are you-?" he began.
"The owner-yes, one of them-" she answered smartly-having her fill of being questioned about the ownership of the shop for one day.
"My name is Thomas Shelby-have you heard of me?" he ignored her comment and continued-his blue eyes showing no emotion.
"No- but I've met your brothers." she said equally unphased-as she had never heard of him before and didn't appreciate his attitude.
"This is my street-and my town. " he continued-though blinking once when she mentioned his brothers. "And my town is very dangerous-If you want protection in my town-on my street- you have to pay-" Tommy broke off mid sentence as Violet had heard the exchange and came through the curtain in the back-as he saw her his voice trailed off. The two stared at each other for a few moments.
"-Pay?" Dessa asked not liking the sound of anything he was saying. "Pay what?"
Tommy's eyes reluctantly left Violets and looked back at Dessa. "You hafta pay-your dues." he cleared his throat.
"Which are?" Violet asked from the small step up to the back of the house.
"A drink…at the Garrison….both of you. -My treat. It's a….tradition." he cleared his throat again and took a step back and motioned to the door.
Dessa's eyes narrowed at his sudden change of tone. "We close at 5. We can meet you there then." she said looking over her shoulder at Violet.
"Now." Tommy said and switched the sign from Open to Closed. "C'mon. Its non-negotiable."
Violet stepped down and wiped her hands on the towel she was holding , shrugged and took off her apron. Dessa did the same hanging her apron on the hook near Violets and grabbing the key from the register she locked up then followed Tommy and Violet out onto the muddy street and across the small street to the Garrison public house.
The door opened heavily and once inside Tommy led them over to the bar-Dessa and Violet took in their surroundings. The no frills pub seemed to be filled with local laborers-having their early afternoon pints.
"Two milds ." Tommy said as he plopped down some coins onto the bar.
Dessa and Violet sat up at the bar and the barkeep brought the drinks straight away to them.
"On the house, of course, for you Tommy." he said with a smile and quickly made himself scarce. Dessa almost thought she saw a pitying look and sad smile on the barkeeps face.
"Enjoy your drink ladies. And welcome to the neighborhood. " Tommy said with one last look at Violet, then checked his pocket watch and left for the small room off at the side of the bar. Violet watched him go.
"Well, that was strange." Dessa said shrugging but still taking a sip of her drink. It wasn't the worst pint she'd ever had but wasn't the best either.
"Yeah-very" Violet answered still thinking it was a bit early in the day for her to drink a whole pint, but she took a few sips anyway.
There was a loud laugh and sounds of raised voices in the room to the side of the bar-the small window opened up and Dess and Violet saw two familiar faces behind it-both looking pleased about something.
"Shelbys must really own this place." Violey said lowly to Dessa who nodded.
"Oi!" yelled out the mustached Shelby brother, Arthur-to the barkeep calling him over to the small window. The barkeep nodded to the man.
"Come on Lets just finish our pint and get back to work." Dessa said and downed another gulp of her drink.
"Can I get you ladies anything else?" the barkeep said coming over to check on them. "Cigarette maybe?"
"No, thank you." Violet said-knowing their funds were low and didn't want to pay per cig at the bar.
"Anything you want-it's on the house." The barkeeper seemed worried that he wasn't getting them something else-"courtesy of the Peaky Bl-er, I mean the Shelbys."
"Do they do this for all new business owners in town?" Violet asked, suddenly curious why three men they didn't know from Adam would start buying them things. "…some kind of tradition?"
"I aint never seen em do dis before now-so, uh, I couldn't tell yeah." the barkeep said honestly-just really hoping they would tell him what they wanted so he could stay out of it whatever it was.
Violet and Dessa exchanged glances.
"Ill get you a cigarette, then." the barkeep said and came back with two and lit them for the girls.
The door to the side room opened and three Shelby brothers left-all of them tipping their hats to the girls at the bar- as they made their way out the door and back out onto the bustling street.
"That was strange." Violet said.
"Wonder where theyre off too-they tell us to come have a drink and then they-" Dessa's voice trailed off.
"-you don't think they went to rob our place do you?" Violet said following Dessa's train of thought.
"Shit. Peaky fucking Blinders." Dessa said lowly…it was the only explanation that made any sense. She was putting two and two together-The barkeep had messed up and almost called them the Peaky Blinders and when they had tipped their hats she had thought she had seen the sheen of a razor blade.
Violet and her were off their barstools in a second and hastily putting out their half smoked cigarettes in the nearby ashtray. Both quickly made their way out of the pub and ran across the street to their shop and it was-untouched.
Dessa turned the key in the lock and went in. Both girls breathed a sigh of relief, then felt kind of bad for thinking it in the first place.
"So I guess maybe it was just a friendly gesture." Dessa said finally.
Violet turned the sign back to open and stood for a moment at the window scanning the streets for any sign of the Shelbys-but they were long gone. "Guess so?"