Chapter 35 - Secrets and Lies

Thursday 15th March, 12:35 pm

Dal Riata Pub

Dyson had ordered a round of beers. He never asked. It was just assumed a beer was the answer. The table had been silent since the spontaneous laughter outside the SIS Building. That was until the barman approached and placed the tray down. "Eeloo dearies. This one is on me. Looks like you all need it."

Bo's eyes shot up, recognising the voice immediately. "Trick."

She jumped up, and he was instantly caught in an embrace. "What happened to the café?"

"Still own it, but this place is in my heart and has been in my family for generations." Trick replied. "A safe haven for those who know about it, but not in view for the ordinary passerby."

Bo hadn't taken much interest before. Her mind had been on the day's events and her relief to see Lauren again. Although she could see Lauren was not okay, at least she was home. Remembering back to the walk here, she recalled getting to this bar through a basic wooden door, down another side alley. There was no signage above the entrance to point this out. It was a place that you would walk past and think it was just an ordinary door. Inside, however, was anything but ordinary. It was beautifully crafted in treated oak, from bar to table and chairs. No windows. You would get lost between day and night in a place like this. A few small talkers in the booths and a few others playing pool. Not a single stare in her direction, no mobile phones pointing at her or requests for selfies or autographs, and Bo suspected there would never be. No one even looked in their direction. "It's a charming bar, Trick."

"Thank you. Stay as long as you want to. You are safe here. No paparazzi, no law and no questions will ever be asked." Trick smiled knowingly. "And for those of you in law enforcement, anything seen here is not seen. And anything seen is never photographed. Everyone minds their own business in here. Understood."

The group nodded, "good, enjoy your drinks."

Kenzi was the first to speak. "What a day."

"You weren't there." Bo spat back, "you turn up at the end."

"What's wrong with you?" Kenzi held her hands in the air. "I get you've had a shitty night, but why bite my head off?"

"I found out last night that you sent files to the CIA that got Lauren arrested, interrogated, beaten and nearly killed for twelve days." Bo leant over the table. "That crosses a line, as my assistant or friend."

Lauren sipped her drink. Not sure if she should say anything.

Kenzi ignored Bo. She knew her temper, and her bark was worse than her bite. It might take a few days, but she would be forgiven. The person she needed to apologise to was Lauren. "Lauren. I am sorry. Not because Bo found out, as I meant to talk to you anyway. I just didn't know how to. You see, and this isn't my excuse, but it is my reason. I was there that day in that warehouse, and your resemblance to the woman who killed half my family is uncanny. I can pretend and say I did it as a heroic gesture to honour my best friend, but the truth is I wanted them to look into it. I wanted my own closure. I'm so sorry. I don't expect your forgiveness-"

"You have it." Lauren reached over and patted Kenzi's hand. "I want to move forward. You being with me today helping me get in, past those guards and to Bo makes up for everything. I hope that one day we can be friends."

Kenzi jumped up and sat beside Lauren and hugged her, "Silly. We are friends. Well, we will be anyway. We are all important to someone at this table, which makes us all important to each other. And I can't think of a better group of people that I want to have my back and for me to have theirs. But before any of us can do that, we have some airing of secrets to come out. Mine is out. I got Lauren arrested, waterbombed and tortured. So not a great start to a budding friendship. But I promise you that I am on your side from now onwards. Anyone else? Lauren?"

Lauren felt awkward. Opening up wasn't her thing. "Erm, I guess I can say sorry to Dyson for drugging him last night. I needed an alibi, but it felt wrong. And oddly, it didn't work twice. Erm, but that is not the point of this, I guess. Sorry, Dyson. I promise not to drug you again. Unless I have to, and if I do, I will use a stronger sedative mixed with benzodiazepines so that you won't remember."

"Worse apology ever goes to my sister. " Vex laughed and nudged Lauren. "Well done."

Dyson smiled over, "I understand why you did it. Lauren, believe it or not, I know you. If I knew what you were doing, my moral compass would have eaten away at me, and I would have intervened. How about no drugging and no using my work id to change flight manifests."

"Oh, if that's what you need, I can easily get into the PNLs of airlines." Kenzi pipped up, "I will sort you out next time. Apology fixed."

"PNL?" Tamsin asked.

"Passenger Names List." Dyson and Kenzi replied in unison.

"And no, you won't", Dyson added. "But I also do have a confession."

The table looked at him. "Erm, so five years ago, I took the job meant for Lauren in Toronto, and I'm sorry."

"The PD Job?" Lauren asked, "You never said."

"I only stayed a few months. I got homesick and came back." Dyson admitted, "but you wouldn't have had an interview if you had gone. Then I found out you had bought a ticket, so I talked you into staying in the UK. And you did."

Lauren placed her hand on her friend's arm, "I had already decided not to go. Jack told me that Massimo was planning on hurting Vex, so I stayed."

"He what?" Vex piped up.

"Remember those guys who jumped us outside the station for no reason?"

Vex nodded, "How could I forget he broke my arm."

"Grant brothers." Lauren added, "I found out last night when we met again."

"What happened?" Vex edged closer.

"They wanted another fight." Lauren replied, "So I gave them one."

Lauren, that's a bit modest." Bo faced the group. "We were both kidnapped by Massimo. And for those who don't know him, he is Evony's assistant and a madman who has had a vendetta against Lauren since she shot him in Morzine."

"He shot himself." Lauren added, "with his own gun, then blamed me."

"So after I left the house, Lauren followed, and a van pulled up, and we were bundled and taken to a warehouse, both handcuffed and tied to chairs. Like a bad nineties film, Massimo steps into the light, and the four brothers all start hitting Lauren. Lauren then somehow gets loose and kicks their asses." Bo beamed proudly, "With her hands tied behind her back."

The table cheered, causing the others in the bar to look over for the first time and Trick to give a warning look.

"Well, yes, and I don't think we'll see any of them soon." Lauren winked at her brother, who laughed in return.

"Anyone else?" Kenzi asked.

"We are free, only to meet the second psycho of the night and held in a dungeon under the floor with Tamsin and Dyson." Bo continued, "Then finally free we think only for the British Secret Service to cuff me again. I am done with any more handcuffing."

"For only today, I hope," Lauren whispered into Bo's ear, who blushed.

"Okay fine." Tamsin swigged her beer, "To save us looking at those two, I will go next. I may have been fooling about with Dyson in the hedges when Massimo snatched you, and you were fighting those brothers."

Everyone except Lauren jumped into questioning Tamsin, who wasn't shy about answering. She was sitting at the end. Next was Dyson, who seemed interested in leaving but was held back down by Kenzi, who had literally jumped back to her original seat at the table. Vex leaned over Kenzi. And Bo, who was sitting next, leaned over him. Lauren was at the other end of the semi-circle booth, directly facing Tamsin.

"So you and the D-Man, hey," Kenzi asked, "Since when?"

"Last night," Tamsin replied.

"Are you going to date?" Bo asked, leaning in closer.

"As soon as you officially dump me, Bo," Tamsin laughed, "Or maybe I'll dump you instead."

"I-I-I-don't know, erm, we haven't discussed it." Bo stuttered her reply. She was more used to conversations behind closed doors with other people deciding her future while she sat and listened.

"I think so, babes." Tamsin scooted closer, "Whoever is the dumper will get the backlash, and I won't give a shit. But you princess have a fragile heart. Let me end it, citing a mutual uncoupling, like Chris and Gwennie."

"How big is his junk," Vex blurted out.

"Enough," Dyson added, twisting to face Tamsin.

"Vex, I would never share." Tamsin kissed Dyson's shoulder, and behind his turned back, she showed a good size with her hands.

Vex laughed, and Dyson shot back, but Tamsin was stroking the back of his neck, pretending not to have done anything wrong.

Bo turned to Lauren, who hadn't said anything. "Ohh bubba, you don't know, but-"

"Oh, I do," Lauren drank her beer, silencing Bo and the rest of the group, "I saw it on the CCTV monitors."

"Oh, and ergh." Bo added, "that isn't what I was going to say. I was-"

"What did you see." Dyson and Tamsin shouted in unison. They had been doing that a lot lately. "Snap." Looking at each other, they burst into giggles.

"Well, I didn't see, see, that. I saw and heard Dyson talking to you, what you said back. Then you both disappear behind the hedge—"

"Oh, good. You didn't actually see anything." Dyson sat back in his seat, pulling Tamsin with him and wrapping an arm around her.

"There was a lot of bopping, but as you're both my oldest and newest friends, I won't say what area the bopping was from or who was doing the bopping." Lauren hid her grin behind her beer bottle. "Good job. I reset the CCTV to factory setting, wiping all the data before leaving."

Bo stood and spread her arms out, "No more interruptions." She glanced at each individual before setting her eyes on Lauren. "Bubba, as I was saying. I don't think you know that Tamsin and I were a showmance, as in never actually a couple, same as Rainer and I were."

Lauren, who had lifted her beer to her lips, but had stopped with Bo's announcement, slowly lowered it back to the table. "Really." Her eyes stung, but she was determined not to cry. In all her years, she had only cried once, and that was when Bo had left.

"Yes, and I should have told you earlier. It was one of those things that never got mentioned, and so much more was going on between us. I wasn't sure how to tell you about another secret and lie."

"I know we both have pasts, and I accept all you are and all you were." Lauren pulled Bo into her arms, "But I am kinda happy with this news. No offence Tam."

"None taken. It was like an invisible string still tying you two together," Tamsin replied. "Truth is, I liked Bo. But her heart was never open. I hope it is now. Truly I do."

Bo nodded. She took Lauren's face and pulled it to a gentle kiss, which deepened until Vex coughed loudly.

"Well fuck me. I feel like I'm at one of my meetings, except I can drink beer here." Vex lifted the mood with his joke, making the group laugh. "Anything else before we finish this with tequila shots."

"Me," Bo stopped kissing Lauren and raised her hand, making the table giggle. "Technically, that wasn't a confession; it was an admission."

"It's not a school, Bo." Vex laughed. "What else does our princess want to get off her chest?"

"I'm firing both Evony and Massimo tomorrow." Bo looked around at nods and was told it was about time. Seemingly, she was the last to realise what the others knew. "I have to get a lawyer, so not as simple as you would think. Many of my assets are in the brand, and she controls my brand. Also, I won't re-sign the contract for Vixens. My time has run its course, with or without Evony's assistance."

This time the group gasped, and Tamsin was the first to speak up. "I get dumping Evony, but you can get a contract without her, Bo."

"I don't want to. I have been in this business since I was four. I'm tired. I'm taking a break." Bo smiled at Lauren and held her hand, "I want to spend some alone time with you."

"Me too. We have a date Monday. Pity, it can't be sooner." Lauren added.

"Erm," Kenzi pipped up, "we, well Vex and I thought you may miss the show tonight, being missing and all that so, we erm kinda flooded the theatre with the help of Codeye. I've already had an email saying the show is postponed with tickets redirected to Sunday matinee."

"What about the other plans I had for dinner?" Bo said quietly, although she knew all eyes were on her.

"The business dinner?" Kenzi saved her blushes, "Re-arranged. I said that you were unavailable, so they will take a later flight."

"So I have a free night?" Bo asked Kenzi.

"Yes." She replied. "I do still have my uses."

Bo reached over the table, "You do, and thank you."

"Lauren, I know you are probably a bit sore or tired, but can I take you on a date tonight." Bo smiled broadly at her love.

"No," The room fell silent. When Lauren could not take the eye scrutiny anymore, she smiled, adding, "Because I want to take YOU on a date tonight, Bo Dennis. Although I will need to rest first."

Bo kissed the side of her mouth, "Deal."

Lauren turned to Vex, "Could Monday night's plans be changed to tonight?"

"Yeah, Thursday is a dead day. Monday is the new Friday. So it will be easier." Vex typed into his phone. All eyes look at him in confusion.

"I thought you said Thursday was the new Friday," Lauren asked, recalling a conversation a few nights ago and how busy the club was getting during the week.

"No, Wednesday is the new Saturday. Hump night midweek madness. Monday is like Friday; drinks after work at either the start or the end of the weekend. Tuesday is still student night. And Sunday for families. Making Thursday dead. Hospitality speaking anyway. Now, who's for a shot."

"I think we all are after that explanation," Dyson added.

Vex signalled for Trick. Kenzi and Tamsin were in deep conversation over an awkward-looking Dyson. Lauren and Bo planned their date, agreeing that Lauren would pick up Bo from the hotel at eight o'clock tonight, and it was a dinner date. Their official first date out in public.

Everyone was happy that the longest twenty-four hours were behind them, and finally, all that needed to be said had been said. Finally, they were all moving forward, and this time, together. As if they had all been through their own personal dawning and were now on the other side. Focused on the future, now sure of the things they wanted.

Vex had his eye on the bar. He managed several nightclubs but had his mindset on increasing his portfolio by adding a bar to his portfolio. Feeling confident, he drank his shot.

Kenzi had aired her secrets and felt good. With no Vixens and Bo having a time out, it was the right time to reassess her career choices. She had never set on being Bo's assistant forever. Now might be the perfect opportunity to try something different. For everyone, changes were happening, and this felt like the right time to move on. Feeling pleased, she drank her shot.

Dyson felt like a dog with two dicks. On cloud nine since he had started seeing Tamsin, and she seemed as into him as he was to her. It felt like a new chapter was opening up. Although very early days, he already knew that he would move to Toronto and ask for the PD Job back if he had to. His friend Hale was now the captain, so one call would be all it took. Living a new life, this time with Tamsin. He felt elated as he drank his shot.

Bo looked lovingly at Lauren. All secrets and lies were out. Now the scary part. Are they a fantasy of what-ifs and maybes? Or are they the real deal? No more hiding. One thing is for sure, Bo would give 100% to her and to the relationship. She was excited about the date and having Lauren back in her bed again. Bo's clit twitched. It knew it would be getting some action tonight. Feeling excited, she drank her shot.

Lauren looked around at the smiling faces of her friends and felt relief sweep over her. She finally felt that she belonged for the first time in a long time. It was a feeling she would enjoy, as sooner or later, Jack would come knocking. Not all her secrets were revealed. She worked for the Secret Service and would never be able to tell anyone the horrors she had seen or had inflicted. How could she tell anyone about what she did with Jack as Sicarius? It frightened her that what she did may lead back to her loved ones. Before, she kept herself private to avoid anyone she cared for getting hurt. Now she would be pushed into the limelight with the world's most famous woman. Anyone she had hurt could take revenge. Lauren pushed down her panic. It wasn't happening now. Today, for the time being, all were safe, and she would enjoy this moment. Raising her glass, she drank her shot.

The thing, though, is that secrets and lies constantly are exposed in the end, and they come in several forms. The innocent ones, like if we don't actually like Susan's new kitchen or whether we do actually enjoy our jobs. Then those secrets that get exposed eventually, the ones no one can recall when they were told, but nothing was the same as soon as they were. Like being told, there is no Father Christmas, Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy. Or the adultery who was bound to be caught out in the end. Then there are deep-rooted secrets and lies, things that are taken to the grave. In Lauren's case, it was the identity of her father.

Then there are secrets that the individual won't even know right now but will soon be told, such as;

Who is Siobhan Murphy, and where is she now?

Who is Sicarius?

What does Lauren's necklace mean?

Who was Lachlan, and where is he now?

Where was Massimo, and how will he handle the news that his actions caused Evony to lose her biggest client?

What will Evony do next?

Will Bo stay in England?

Will Dyson move to Canada?

Who is Trick, and why does he keep popping up?

What plans does Kenzi have?

Will Tamsin announce the break up straight away?

Will our lovers finally reconnect soon?

All will be revealed, as eventually everything does. Truth is like oil in water; no matter how much water or mixing you add, the oil will always rise to the top.