Irene pulls the brush through her thick mahogany hair. Placing down the brush she paints her lips with a rouge lipstick before smacking her lips together and blowing a kiss at the mirror. She looked good tonight, she knows she does. Lazily she makes her way to her wardrobe and ponders over her dresses, she had worn the red one last week but she loved the shoes that went with it. "Fuck it." She grins as she pulls the sparkly red dress out of the wardrobe, she pulls it over her head and slips on her red shoes, some would say that she was overdoing it on the red but it made her feel brave, exactly how she needed to feel for a night out dancing. Irene places her diamonte headband in place and pins it down so that it won't move whilst she's being spun.
She had agreed to walk to Freddie's before she went to the club. Irene wasn't sure why Freddie even bothered to come with her anymore, he only ever stayed for one drink and he never bothered to dance. He always said it was obnoxious to get so dressed up and buy expensive drinks when others didn't have food on the table but irene disagreed, she worked hard for her money and has every right to spend it how she wanted. Just as she is about to knock on her brother's door it swings open and she is face to face with a young women with a brunette bob and wide blue eyes.
"Ada?" Irene frowns, looking her old friend up and down, what the hell was she doing here?
"Oh." Ada gasps, a blush creeping into her cheeks. "I was just, uh." Irene raises her eyebrows now.
"I'm sure." A tight smile and she pushes past her the girl and makes her way into the house. "Freddie!" Irene shouts, making her way into his living room, the house could not differ much from her own, the walls are bare and there are only two chairs in the living room, he wasn't one for comfort her brother. Freddie is sat in one of the chairs, close to the fire and is counting a wad of notes. "What the fuck is Ada Shelby doing here!"
"Can you stop your noise." Freddie grimaces as he goes back to his counting, Irene looks back to the door where Ada is still stood.
"You can leave now." Irene spits slamming the door in her face. "Well?" Irene demands.
"The cause," Freddie answers simply, rolling the notes back up and wrapping them with a rubber band. It's enough to shut her up, she didn't want or need to know why Ada was involved in Freddie's work and she sure as hell did not care.
"Are you coming?" Freddie shakes his head in response as he lights a cigarette. Irene smiles at him, a full night without her brother! "Well, I'm gonna go." Not giving him chance to change his mind Irene runs out if the house and slams the door shut behind her, spinning around she punches the air "YES!" Irene squeals before realising where she is. Laughing at herself she straightens her coat and begins to make her way to the Garrison.
At one time she would never have gone in the Garrison, hell she wasn't allowed to go in the Garrison after the war ended, too much bad blood between her brother and Tommy but here she was making her way inside on a Friday night, alone. Irene couldn't pinpoint the time when Freddie had let her back inside the pub but it just sort of happened and she hadn't argued, it was the only pub in small heath that she knew she was safe in.
"Whiskey, Irish." She calls to the barman, Harry. As much as the pub had changed, Harry never had. He still wore the same scruffy overalls and he hardly every spoke, not to her anyway. He slides the glass across the bar to her and she places two coins on the bar.
Turning around she leans against the bar, whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in another she scans the room, her blue eyes looking for a familiar face. She takes a long drag as her eyes lock with a broad handsome man, his features sharp yet delicate, his skin is clean shaven and his hair is hidden underneath a peaked cap. He watches her intently as she takes another drag, blowing the smoke up into the air. He nods towards the dance floor and she rolls her eyes, he would have to better than that.
Irene turns back to the bar to order another drink. "Make that two." Tommy's rough voice hollers at Harry, his hand grazes her hip and his cheek is nearly touching hers. Harry who had previously been dawdling with the glass suddenly became much more alert and scrambled to pour the two glasses. Irene places her coins on the bar but he pushes them back towards her.
"On the house." He gives her an almost apologetic smile and moved away from the couple.
"On the house or the house burns down." Irene groans as she picks up her glass and finally faces him, Tommy is only inches away from her face now, his chest is touching hers and if she moved her leg well, it would be completely inappropriate to say what else she would be touching.
"You love it," Tommy smirks as he watches her roll her delicate blue eyes.
"I love many things Thomas, your ability to scare people is not one of them." Irene tuts as she turns away from him, the heat from his body making the room feel smaller than it actually was.
"But you do love to dance." Tommy holds out his hand to her and she takes the final gulp of her whiskey before placing her hand in his. He leads her to the dance floor and immediately the band begin to play.
Irene would never admit it but she did love the control that he had over people, it's not that it impressed her but she did have to admire the man that he had become. The old Thomas would never have had control of such a large room of people but now all he had to do was give someone a look and they would do as they are told. Tommy rocks her from side to side and spins her away from him. Tommy watches as her long brunette locks follow her motions and her bright red lips form an impressive grin. He pulls her back to him and forces her closer to him, placing his hand on her lower back he rocks them. Tommy opens his mouth to speak but doesn't, not wanting to ruin the moment as she rests her head on his chest. "I need a drink." Irene whispers up at him, unsure of what to do, they had never danced like that before.
Tommy nods back at her and takes her hand, pulling her through the pub and into the side room beside the bar. His brothers are inside and Tommy gives them a warning look. "Out." Irene shifts uncomfertably besides him, Arthur and John give him a seething look but soon begin to laugh when they see her next to him.
"Have fun." Arthur chuckles, giving Tommy a dig to the ribs. Tommy only laughs in response before closing the door behind them and fastening the latch to make sure no one can disturb them. Tommy motions for her to take a seat as he knocks on the hatch window and asks for a bottle of whiskey. Tommy pours them both a glass and slides one over to Irene before sitting down next to her.
"Smoke?" He asks as he takes out a small metal case, he takes a cugarette for himself and holds the case out for her. Irene takes one and brings it to her lips, leaning forward she takes the light that he offers her. "No Freddie tonight?"
"Tommy," Irene warns, she had learned a long time ago that she was not to get into a conversation with either of them about the other, it just wasn't worth the hassle. Tommy holds his hands up defensively and takes another drag of his cigarette.
"I was thinking-"
"Never a good start." Irene quips.
"Ha-ha-ha!" Tommy mocks. "No, Irene. I was thinking about us." Irene watches as he licks his lips, dry from the words he was speaking. Was he nervouse?
"Tommy." She warns again, they had discussed this, there was no 'us.'
"I think we should go to another pub." He looks away from her then. "To dance, I mean." Irene sighs, and looks down at his fingers. Anger bubbling inside of her, what did he not understand about this?
"Tommy, that's a date." Irene takes another drag of her cigarette. "I told you, we dance here because we both just happen to be here. That's all." Tommy nods along to her words.
"That's bull shit and you know it!" Tommy slams his fist onto the table, making her flinch. " Is it your brother? I can deal with Freddie fucking Throne!"
"Tommy, no." Irene groans. "It's not Freddie. it's you, It's this!" Throwing her hands up in the air exasperated she could feel the anger building inside her chest, ready to explode. "Every time we are alone you do this!" Tommy is stood up now too, he watches the rise and fall of her chest as she begins her rant, he had heard it over and over. About how they can't be together, about how her brother would never forgive her, about how he wasn't good for her but he couldn't see it.
"Are you done?" Tommy demands, moving closer to her. Irene groans, exhausted with the fight. Tommy takes advantage of the silence to move closer to her before she has time to protest his lips are on hers. Irene begins to pull away but he backs her into the door, his body against hers and his hands on her face. Irene begins to melt into him, her hands limp at her sides. Eventually, Tommy breaks the kiss, the pair stands in stunned silence as they catch there breath.
"I have to go," Irene whispers, her fingers touching her lips, her lipstick smuged and warn off.
"Stop fighting this." Tommy whispers, it wasn't like him to beg, hell he couldn't remember the last time a woman had said no to him. Yet Irene always had, even before him and Freddie fell out she showed zero interest in him.
That was until that first Friday night.