Your Lying Eyes

Your Lying Eyes Chapter 16

Downstairs in the restaurant, Gary, Mark and Jason had finished their meal.

"How about we go and find Dougie?" suggested Jason to the other two.  "Find out what's wrong with him."

"Think I know what was wrong," Gary nodded to them. "Don't think he was keen on his dining partner!"

"Why, what did I do?" asked Mark wondering what he'd done to upset him.

"No, not you," Gary replied, rolling his eyes at him, " the person who was sitting on the other side of him.  You know Sophie."

"Oohh riighhttt!" he said as he realised what he meant.  "Think she did something then?"

"Maybe," said Gary thoughtfully.  "I know she and Anna had words before we left the hotel in Manchester.  She was warning her off, and knowing Sophie, she won't have taken that too well.  She'll be up to something."

"You think so?" asked Mark.   "What do you reckon Jay?"

"Yeah, Sophie's the kind that won't take no for an answer.  I think she'll be out to cause trouble even more now that Anna's told her to back off," Jason replied, rubbing his chin as he thought out his answer.  "Some people are like that you know.  Do the opposite."

They all got up from the table and headed off to Howard's room.

Howard came out of the bathroom, and went to inspect the meal on the trolley.  It smelled delicious!

"Hope there's enough for two there,"  Sophie said quietly, leaning back against the pillows on the bed behind him.

Howard jumped, startled by the sound of her voice.  He spun around to face her.

"What the fuck!" he said, his face red with anger.  "Get out now," he demanded as he crossed to the door and put on the bathrobe that was hanging there.

"Oh how sweet, covering yourself up!  Don't be shy!  I've seen it all before haven't I?" Sophie giggled at him, not budging from the bed.  "And very nice it was too!"

"Get out I said," Howard repeated as he came across to the bed and pulled the covers away from her.  He reached to the floor and picked up her clothes, throwing them at her.  "Get dressed and get out of my sight," he told her.

Sophie got out of the bed and sidled up to him, her hands going to the edges of his robe and trailing down to the belt, trying to undo it.

"Come on, you know you want to," she tried to persuade him, her fingers working at the knot he had tied.

"I told you before, I'm not interested. It was a one off," he told her again, pulling her hands away from him and stepping back from her.  "Get dressed and go," he repeated firmly.  "Now Sophie."

A loud knock came to the door accompanied by Mark calling out to him to open up.

"Come on you miserable sod, let us in!" he cried through the door.  "We've come to cheer you up!"

"Great," said Howard in relief, as he went to the door to let them in.  

"They can't come in here," cried Sophie as she scrabbled for her clothes and tried to get into the bathroom before they came in.

"Too late, they're in," he grinned at her as the three of them joined him in the room as she closed the door to the bathroom.

Gary's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Sophie in her underwear and Howard dressed in just a towel and a bathrobe.

"Oh no mate,  don't say you've....," he began.

Jason and Mark looked at him, equally surprised, not really sure what was going on.

Jason recovered first.

"Don't be daft Gaz.  Think about it.  She only left the restaurant five minutes ago!  Even he wouldn't have had time to do that and if he did, he's got a problem!"

"Nice to know you've got such great faith in me," muttered Howard as he banged on the bathroom door.  "Get a move on Sophie, I want you out of here."

"You're not just letting her get away with it are you?" asked Jason.  "We warned her before, any funny business and she's sacked.  Doesn't this count as that?"

"I don't like sacking anybody," said Gary, "but you've got my support if you do."  He patted Howard on the back to emphasise this.

Howard looked at the others.  

"Do you all think that?" he asked them.

"You're trying to save your relationship with Anna aren't you?" asked Gary.  "Sophie could wreck it completely if she carries on like this.  Despite being warned by you and Jay, then Anna tonight, she's still causing trouble.  We can do without it.  And her."

"He's right Dougie," Mark agreed.  "She's got to go."

Jason nodded, his mind made up.

"It'll make things even more tense on the tour if she's with us.  You wouldn't be able to relax in case she was trying to set you up again.  Like she's done tonight."

The bathroom door opened and Sophie appeared, fully clothed.

"Right, I'll be off then" she said turning towards the door to leave.

"Oh no you don't," said Gary, standing in front of it, his arms folded across his chest.  "Not so fast.  We want a word with you.  A final word."

"You were warned the other night about causing trouble and that's what you're trying to do now," said Jason.

"We don't want trouble makers amongst us," said Mark, "it's not fair on the rest of the company."

"Go to your room and pack.  We'll book you a place on the next plane back home," said Howard.  "You're fired."

"You can't do that," Sophie cried, "I've done nothing wrong."

"You were warned, like Jason said," Howard reminded her.  "you've ignored that warning so now you're fired.  We'll send on any money you're owed.  Now you can leave."

"Right, I'll go, but this isn't the last of it, you'll see," she replied as she walked to the door.

Gary stepped to one side and opened the door for her to leave.  Halfway through, she turned back to the room, a smile once more on her face.

"Oh by the way Howard, while you were in the bathroom earlier, Anna called.  I told her you were, 'freshening up' and asked if she'd like to leave a message.  Funnily enough she didn't."

"You bitch!" he cried and lunged towards her, Mark and Jason pulling him back.

"Be seeing yas!" she laughed at them as she slammed the door behind her.