Alfie looked at her outstretched hand and back at her. When Ollie said his sister was moving in, he had expected to see a family resemblance and wasn't disappointed to see there was nothing to visible suggest the two of them were related.
"Um," Lidia said as she dropped her hand awkwardly, "You want the rent then? Let me just find my bag."
Lidia scanned the room until she found her handbag and proceeded to flip through the paper.
"Here you are. As you and my brother agreed." She said as she held the money toward him.
Alfie, attempting to gain his composure, grunted as he took the money and counted.
"Right. Well. When do you open your book shoppe?" He asked.
"I'll get everything settled here then go first thing in the morning."
"Does it not bother you that half of Camden Town can't read?" Alfie said with a laugh.
"No." She responded, defiance etching her face at his mockery.
Alfie looked at her and squinted slightly as he read her face. "I will be by later this week to check on things." He said as he began to turn.
"You will?" She replied, disappointment ringing in her tone. "Here or at my shoppe?"
Alfie turned back toward her. "Yes I will. And I own both buildings you're renting. I will come by either of them any time I choose."
"But the manager said his name was-"
"I am a busy man. I don't have time to manage every fucking building I own." He said, growing irritated.
"You don't have to be so rude." Lidia mumbled under her voice as she turned back to her moving project.
"What?" Alfie asked, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Nothing! She didn't say anything." Ollie said rushing to stand beside his sister.
"I-" She started but was cut off when her brother elbowed her shoulder.
"No. No. Let her speak. If she has something to say I want to hear it." Alfie said holding up a hand to Ollie.
Lidia and Alfie held eyes before she sighed. "It's been a long week and I am just ready to get settled. I apologize, Mr. Solomons. I'd be happy to show you my shoppe, I would just prefer to have it up and ready first to make a good impression."
Alfie stared at her before she gave a sweet, apologetic half-smile.
"Mm." He grunted before he turned on his heel and left the house.
When Alfie returned to his house, he was glad to see the women had left. He walked to the bathroom and began to undress as he ran a hot shower. Stepping in he thought about his introduction to Lidia. He was sure Ollie would have told her the rules, so her attitude toward him was puzzling. Alfie couldn't decide whether she was brave or just stupid.
"Well. She is related to Ollie, so bravery is unlikely." He concluded before he began to wash.
The remainder of the day he occasionally looked across the street to monitor the progress. The box truck left after noon and Alfie watched as curtains were hung; but what really caught his attention was the laugh. He heard it when he opened the window in his sitting room. Lidia's door and windows were all open and he could see Ollie sitting on the sofa with his sister, drinks in hand. Alfie had no idea what Ollie was saying but his sister's laugh made Alfie smile.
An hour later Alfie walked into his bedroom and opened the curtains to allow the summer air in his bedroom. As he turned down his oil lamp, he noticed a light across the street. He could see Lidia laying on her bed in nothing but her slip, reading. He watched her for a moment and took the opportunity to take his time examining her. She lazily twirled a piece of her dark auburn hair around her finger and he ran his eyes down her body as she lay on her stomach and settled them on her bum. Fucking hell he thought as he noticed it's roundness.
For a moment she paused, as if she could sense him looking at her and Alfie held his breath thinking she would look over but she simply continued reading. He chuckled as he turned and continued to bed, leaving her to read in peace.
Alfie watched Lidia read for a moment every night for the next three nights. On Thursday, he called for Rosalie.
"Couldn't stay away could you?" She said as she entered his office.
"Mm." He said as he pulled her close. "Turn around."
"You could engage me in some conversation first, at least."
"I want to see your ass."
"Alright then." Rosalie sighed as she turned around to face the desk. He pulled her dress up, relieved she wasn't wearing knickers. Not that she ever did when she came to visit, per his orders.
He gently pushed on her back and she bent over, and he looked at her ass. He gently ran a hand over her right cheek. Is this what hers looks like? He found himself thinking. Alfie shook his head, as if that would push away his curiosity. Closing his eyes, he unbuttoned his trousers and inserted himself. He thrust into her, the desk rattling, until he found his release.
"Do you have a preference on which pub we all go to this weekend?" She asked as she sat on his desk.
Alfie shook his head.
"We all enjoyed ourselves at Marty's. Let's go there."
"Marty's it is." He said lazily and Rosalie smiled as if he had given her a treat.
"Do you want me to come upstairs with you?" She asked as she spread her legs a bit.
Alfie considered her offer but decided against it. Instead he watched from his window as Lidia strolled from the bathroom in her silk robe and sat on her bed, book in hand. Rather than lie on her stomach, she propped a pillow and leaned against the headboard. He never watched her for long. Just long enough to admire her slip and round bum. Disappointed that she was almost completely covered, he went to turn from the window. Before he did so, he saw her move. Slowly she moved her hand and began to untie her robe. Alfie watched as she opened it to reveal light blue knickers with a matching brassiere. He was glad her eyes never moved from her book; it gave him plenty of opportunity to take in the new sight. He looked at her breasts and watched then slowly rise and fall with each breath, cursing the brassiere that obstructed the view to her flesh. He looked at her stomach and followed the trail her robe opened for him down her legs.
"Fucking hell!" He said as he turned, coming to his senses. "Like a fucking teenager. Watching women through the window. What the fuck is wrong with you, Alfie?"
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and went to bed. The next morning, he awoke and decided he had given her long enough. He would go to Lidia's shoppe and see her progress.
Walking in, he heard the bell above the door chime.
"Just a minute!" He heard her yell in the distance.
He looked around and appreciated the atmosphere Lidia had instilled in the shoppe.
"Oh. Hello." She said out of breath. "Um, I'm not quite open. Still arranging books but have a look around if you'd like."
"What's that smell?" He asked.
"Cinnamon bread." She answered and he looked at her curiously. "I bring it in when its warm and walk around the room with it. I think it gives the building a rich sweet smell, to cover the scent of the mold."
"Mold?"
"Yeah. I'm assuming the roof leaks. It's mostly in the back but I don't want people to walk in and think my books are moldy, so…" she trailed off with a shrug.
"Mm." he grunted. "Well. That's all in order. We need to talk about payment."
"I already paid rent to the manager."
"I'm not talking about rent, love. You live across the street from me and well, this is a new shoppe. You will want to keep criminals out."
"Criminals?" She repeated.
"Mm. It would be a shame for them to catch one of your books on fire. The whole place would burn down. And if someone broke into your house, well then, your safety would be in question. For example, assume you were home when it happened, what would you do then?"
Lidia stared at him and absent mindedly licked her lip as she thought. "So, you want me to pay you for protection? To keep my shoppe, that is in your building, and my house, which is also in your building, safe?"
"Yes." Alfie replied flatly.
Lidia scoffed and turned from him. "You have insurance?" she asked.
"What?"
"This buildings are yours I assume you have insurance on them?"
"Yes…"
"Then your insurance should cover my books."
"That's not how this works." He said.
"Why not?" She challenged.
"Because-" He growled in frustration. "Are you sure you and your brother are related?"
Lidia chuckled, "Yes, but I'm the smart one."
"Clearly. Look, you have to pay me for protection. It's the rules. Everyone does, it's just how it works."
"Alright. But on one condition."
Alfie laughed. "No, there are no conditions. You pay, no one comes near the fucking place. That's it."
Lidia rolled her eyes. "You own the building. No one comes near it anyways or they suffer the wrath of Alfie Solomons."
"You are about to suffer the wrath of Alfie fucking Solomons." He said under his breath as he looked away, his frustration growing.
"Do you promise?" she asked, and Alfie looked back at her to find a flirtatious smile on her face.
There was a pause as they stared at her and finally Lidia broke out into a laugh.
"Alright, alright. How much do you want?" She asked as she walked to the back.
Alfie told her the price and she brought the money.
"What was your condition?" he asked curiously.
She smiled at him. "My ladder broke. I need someone to help me that can reach the top shelf."
Alfie breathed a laugh. "Alright. Where and what do you want."
She grabbed his hand and lead him through some stacks. As they reached the back stack she stopped, "there." She said pointing, not realizing she hadn't let go of his hand.
"And what do you want up there?" He asked in a husky tone and she turned to find inches from her.
"Um," She swallowed. "T-those books. There." She said but neither looked at the books.
Tension grew between them and Alfie could hear her shaky breath. As he began to lower his mouth to hers, the bell from the door chimed.
"Um…" Lidia said as she looked in the direction of the door. "Coming!" She yelled before looking back at Alfie and walking away.