The Girl and The Gangster
Summary: After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.
Chapter Thirty-One
It was only fair to let Johnny go to Detroit with his father and Pol, he had begging her since he heard that his grandmother was coming to America and Alice had to learn to stop clinging to her son; it wasn't healthy for either of them. Alice spent the past couple of days in Michael's office, making calls with potential clients while nursing Rose and picking linens for her party. It felt as if all her responsibilities were pulling her in every direction and there was only so far, she could stretch before she snapped. She sat behind Michael's desk; her legs rested up on the table as she rocked Rose to sleep. Tears were building up in her face, she could feel them underneath her skin, and she tried her best to keep it together; only a few more hours and she'd be able to talk out her frustrations with Dr Krol. This was the first time she had been separated from Michael since they found each other again and she hated it; it felt as if she was drowning and she needed him to come back and scoop her back out from underneath the water.
She almost jumped out of the chair when there was a loud knock at the door and when Rose started crying, Alice soothed her and stepped over to the door, seeing Nora's figure through the distorted glass. Once the door was opened, Nora waltzed in and delicately took her hat from her head, hanging it on the coat rack in the corner of the room. She turned to Alice and made a sympathetic face towards her. "Would you like me to hold her?"
"No, thank you." Alice returned to the desk chair and stroked her daughter's cheek carefully with her fingertip as she examined Nora in her fancy dress. "What are you doing here, Nora?"
"I wanted to see you, I know that I apologised, and I did truly mean it by the way, but I feel like there is still a lot of tension between us and if both of us are to co-exist in this world, we should at least try to get on, right?" Nora shot her a nervous smile and watched Alice as she cradled her now sleeping baby in one arm and lit up a cigarette with her free hand.
The nicotine gave her a temporary lull, but it didn't take away all her stress. "I suppose."
"Bertie, Albert my husband, he thinks that I should try harder to win your trust back as I am the one who blew whatever relationship we had to high heavens."
"I just want to know why you tried to seduce Michael. Why you tried to ruin my chance of making friends in a strange city. What did I ever do that was so bad to deserve to be treated like that?" Alice's hand was shaking as she brought her cigarette to her lips. She took a long draw and blew the smoke high into the air.
Nora sighed and hung her head in shame. "I don't think you realise how lucky you have it, Alice. Your Michael may be a gangster and a thug, but the way he treats you is the way any woman would want to be treated, myself included. I had noticed that day that you visited my house but it wasn't until that party that I saw Michael in another light; the way he watched you as you danced with your brother and even how he was kind enough to keep me company. I missed my husband, but I knew that Michael was a better man than I had ever had and at that time, I needed that. I was so drunk, not thinking clearly. I regret it deeply."
Alice regarded her as she lifted her head to look Alice in the eye. She could see sincerity there, she wanted to believe her. "If you truly felt that much regret, why did you try to ruin my chances with Brooke and the other ladies?"
"I wish it were due to unhappiness but I'm the happiest I've ever been thanks to Bertie… I guess you could say that it was easier to keep the feud going than backing down and saying sorry."
"It's easier to have me as a friend than an enemy, Nora."
"I know that now," Nora let out a little laugh and patted the back of her hair, keeping her hair in place for a little longer, "I just want a second chance to get to know you better."
"That's fair enough, I would like to know you better also, it would do both of us the world of good. At the end of it all, we're blood, and blood always has a way of coming back together." She watched as a hopeful smile crossed Nora's face. "But let it be known that if you do cross me again, there will be no more chances. I will not be burned again by a sibling."
Nora nodded, she didn't know what happened between her and Danny, but she assumed that whatever it was, it broke Alice; the spark that was in Alice's eyes wasn't the same anymore. "I understand." Nora got onto her feet and pressed the wrinkles out of her dress with her hands. "I'm having a little party tomorrow night, just a few close friends if you fancy coming along. It looks like you need to have a night off."
Alice didn't feel like partying, any time off she would have, she wanted to spend it catching up on lost sleep, but it felt as if she couldn't reject Nora's olive branch. "I'll have a think about it, and I'll call you up to let you know."
Nora grabbed her hat and placed it back on her head. "Very well, just remember you're still young, you need to live a little."
"How do you think you're coping without Mr Gray's presence in the home?" Dr Krol asked as he scribbled something down in his notebook. He could tell that her mental stability was starting to slip once more. Anxiety had a way of doing that, a few good weeks where you feel normal again and then the thoughts claw their way back to the surface no matter how hard you fight to keep them at bay, but it seemed as if Alice wasn't even fighting anymore, she was letting her negativity get the better of her.
"I don't feel like myself, I don't even feel like the me after Danny. I feel like a shell of myself." She dragged her fingers through her hair, her hand trembling against her scalp. "Is it normal to feel so attached to one person?"
"Michael saved your life; I think perhaps you rely too much on him fixing everything that goes wrong in your day to day. You need to take control back for yourself."
"That's easier said than done."
"Look at what you've accomplished by yourself, two healthy children, a successful social life and your own charity gala in the works that'll go to helping people in the same position as you. You're stronger than what you think, don't lose your progress because you think that you can't cope."
A breathless laugh escaped her, and she curled her legs underneath her as she turned her gaze to the wall. "Perhaps Nora was right, I do need a night off, just to clear the cobwebs from my head."
"Interacting with people that have nothing to do with work or the people that work in this home could do you some good."
"A couple of stiff drinks won't do me any harm, will it?"
He raised a brow at her and set his pen down. "As long as you are responsible, you will be fine."
"It'll be the first party that I arrive at, solo."
"A lot of women attend parties without a companion these days; besides, you had mentioned that Nora's party was a small affair. I think you will be perfectly fine by yourself."
The new office in Detroit was bigger and better than the office in New York, it had to be to compete with the other automobile companies that had settled here. If Michael could pull off this expansion, the shares that Shelby Company ltd held within the Stock Market would grow exponentially. He watched as Johnny ran around the empty office with his toy aeroplane before looking at his mother as she inspected every inch of the place. Her opinion mattered to him, she had been the one that suggested an expansion and he wanted her to approve of Detroit.
"Why here? It's quite far away from New York."
"It's only a couple of hours away, I have someone I trust that can run this place while I stay in New York. Maybe I'll make the journey here every month or so." He sat against the edge of one of the desks, his hands gripped onto the edge.
"Is Alice okay with that? You've got two young kids to think about as well."
"I'm sure Alice will be fine with it, Rose is too young to come with me but if Johnny wants to, then he can come with me anytime." He peered over his shoulder and watched his son for a moment.
"You haven't told Alice yet." Pol folded her arms across her chest and let out a sigh, she could tell that Alice wasn't the kind of woman who revelled in her husband's absence.
"I wanted to expand first before I told her, just in case she talked me out of it." He ran his tongue along the back of his teeth and cleared his throat. "I don't like leaving her, but I'm following the business plan that Tommy gave me. Take New York and expand."
"Tommy ain't the one raising your kids or keeping your wife happy, that's your job."
"Alice is happy, she's on the cover of magazines and she's got her gala; anything she's wanted, she's got."
Pol let out a disapproving noise and paced around the room, stroking Johnny's head as he ran past her legs. "You've picked a good spot, but you still haven't told me why you picked here."
"Paul says that trouble is going to come here; the upper class are sick of corrupt and bent politicians and eventually they're going to turn on them. Who's going to keep the politicians safe as they get from their homes to office? Ford with their everyday car or Shelby Company with their armoured cars?"
"And how does Paul know all of this? He doesn't live here and he's certainly not upper class."
"There's a small population of Polish that live in this city, they shine the shoes of the rich, some of them talk a little too much and the rich are too ignorant to realise that they speak English better than their native language." He tilted his head and pushed himself off the desk. "We would be the only automobile company that manufacture armoured cars within a two-hundred-mile radius. The water that runs behind Detroit means we can send cars anywhere within that two hundred and that is the main reason why I picked here."
"I was starting to worry that you only picked this city because of Paul." Michael offered her a cigarette, she lit it up and followed him towards the window, looking down at the busy streets below.
"If this works, we're set to make millions." He spoke quietly. "You can tell Tommy that."
Pol placed her hand on Michael's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. She was proud of him; she knew that Tommy had faith in him and now at this moment she could see why. His mind was built for business.
"Dad, Nanny… Can we go back to the hotel now? I'm hungry." Johnny pulled on the back of Michael's blazer to catch his attention.
He met his mother's eyes and saw exactly how much she approved of this venture. When Johnny tugged at him again, he turned to him with a smile. "Yeah, I'll race you to the car."
Nora's penthouse was a few blocks away from Broadway and as the car drove through the streets, Alice wondered how the people that lived here got any sleep with the music and the lights. Perhaps that's why they had parties into the early hours of the morning. The doorman led her into the building and escorted her to the elevator, pressing the button for Nora's floor. As the elevator got closer to its destination, the sound of jazz became clearer until it was hard not to feel the vibrations through the floor. Alice let herself into the penthouse and was amazed by the sight, showgirls in feathers and a large live band in the middle of the grand entryway. People were dancing, kissing, and laughing. Drink was flowing, even in the middle of prohibition. Nora's idea of a small affair was quite different to Alice's.
"There you are! I was wondering if you were going to take me up on my offer." Nora exclaimed as she approached Alice with open arms, drunkenly throwing them around her. "You remember my husband, Albert." She let her go but kept one arm wrapped around Alice's shoulders as she led her towards her husband.
"I do, it's nice to see you again under more peaceful circumstances." Alice smiled as she shook his hand.
"I'm pleased that yourself and Nora are chums again. I hate nothing more than seeing a family at war with each other."
"Well, we're on good terms now and that's all the matters. Let me fix you a drink." Nora gave her a wink before scuttling off into the crowd.
Alice looked around the party awkwardly, she knew no one here apart from Nora. "You have a lovely home, Albert. It's very decadent."
"Thank you, it took a while to achieve this and I have no doubts that it will take an eternity to clean after tonight."
"That is what the maids are for Bertie." Nora replied as she returned with two drinks, one for herself and the other she promised Alice. She watched as Alice screwed up her face after the first sip. "It's a stiff vodka with a drop of soda."
"All I can taste is the vodka." She placed her hand on her chest, it felt as if it was on fire. She prepared herself for another sip, this time it went down easier now that she knew what to expect.
"You needed that; I can tell." Nora watched her; her eyes stuck to Alice like magnets. "Let me introduce you to a few of my friends, they're easier to get along with than Brooke and the others."
"I thought that Brooke would be here."
"No, they only go where the journalists are. Here, the only one taking pictures is Bertie."
"You take photographs? I thought you were an artist?" Alice glanced over her shoulder at Albert, she had known of someone to own their own personal camera.
"I dabble in photography from time to time, although I much prefer paint and a canvas."
"Drink up Alice, there is plenty of alcohol to go around." Nora interrupted their conversation by shaking a full bottle of vodka in their faces as she backed into a group of scantily dressed men. She could see the look of uncertainty on Alice's face and replied with the roll of her eyes. "These men aren't going to eat you alive, sister. They're homosexuals." One of the men reached up and grabbed Nora by the waist, pulling her onto the chaise lounge. She squealed in delight as the vodka poured over her dress. "Don't be a wet blanket, Alice!"
She looked for Albert, but he had slipped off. It seemed as if the two of them were the only sober people at the party but now that he had left her alone with Nora, Alice was going to have to drink a little more just to loosen up. As instructed, she finished the glass and allowed Nora to pour her another drink. A few more wouldn't hurt, she just had to remember to stay responsible.
The night was escaping as daylight threatened to break but out of the people that remained at the party, they didn't care so much. Alice had spent most of the night with the bottle of vodka in one hand and Nora's friend, Quinten, in the other dancing throughout the night. It had been a long time since Alice was this drunk and she imagined that she would only allow herself to be like this for tonight only. Quinten returned to their lounge chair, dragging Alice behind him as she begged him to keep dancing with her. When she looked at her sister, her nose was covered in a white substance and there were lines of it on the glass table. Alice had been around plenty of gypsies to know that Nora was playing with snow.
"Don't you fancy a line, sis?" Nora was swaying from side to side. "It'll really take away that stress of yours."
She had saw what snow was capable of, Arthur had dabbled in it once or twice, that she knew off and it turned him into Tommy's mad dog. That wasn't going to happen to her. "I'm fine with vodka."
"I'll have her line." Quinten replied as he readied himself in front of the table.
Nora handed him her rolled up dollar bill and got onto her feet rather unsteadily. "At least let me make you another drink. Your bottle's empty."
Alice looked at the empty glass bottle and furrowed her brows, she couldn't remember how much alcohol she had put away, but she had every intention of leaving this place before sunrise. "I'm drunk enough."
"One last drink, Alice and then I'll send you on your merry way."
She watched Quinten sniff the white powder up and shuddered at the thought of doing something like that. He lay back in the chair, his arms rested along the top of the chair with his head rested against the wall. "Fine, one last drink and then I'm gone."
Nora smirked and got onto her feet, using Quinten's leg to steady herself. "Take a seat, I'm going to make this one the best one."
Alice slowly lowered herself beside Quinten, but he pulled her close to him and rested his heavy head on her shoulder. It seemed as if he was passed out and she didn't have the heart to move him. As she waited for Nora to return, she looked around the room noticing that Albert was taking pictures of the guests as things started to wind down. A camera was too expensive to bring out while everyone was kicking and dancing. When Nora returned, she handed her the glass and widened her eyes at her, guiding her without words to drink.
"What's in this?"
"The same thing you've been drinking all night. I just had to get another bottle. Drink up." Nora sat on the other side of Quinten, stroking his shaggy black hair as she observed Alice gulp back every last drop. With a smile, she asked her, "Do you still want to leave?"
A:N I know it's took me a while to upload another chapter, but I had to decide whether or not I was going to take the story in the direction I wanted to, but knowing where it's going to end up, I'm happy with where TGATG is going. Thank you so much for the continued support and thank you so much for reading! Let me know where you think things are going to end up with Nora and Alice. Can they remain friends?