Birdcage

Chapter 17 Lila...

I have never considered murder before - I can't say I have ever been a violent person - but when Maisie barged into the kitchen while I was talking to Dane and told him I had been at the club; I think I very much could have done something I never thought I was capable of. It doesn't help that my feelings towards Maisie have changed somewhat since that night at 'The Circle'. She clearly knows what kind of horrid things are happening at the hands of Pierre and Nikolai. Luckily, Dane handled it far better than I would have imagined; maybe I don't know him as well as I think I do yet. I don't mean that as a bad thing either, at the end of the day I have only known him a few weeks. It isn't realistic for me to know him completely; I don't know if I believe whether you ever truly know a person at all.

Even though Maisie bluntly told him before I had a chance to, it all worked out for the best and I couldn't be happier knowing that I may have made a tiny impact on our world. I even told Dane about Pierre - apart of me hopes they can bring him down along with the Russians. The one thing I didn't tell him though, were my suspicions about Maisie. Even though I'm angry with her, she gave me a place to stay and looked out for me when I came to London - she is still my friend. Plus, I don't know the extent of Maisie's knowledge about the whole thing; she is guilty of being in her own little self-obsessed bubble after all. I can't help but think of the young girl in her painting though.

I shake the image from my head and carry on with work. Today hasn't been so bad so far; Max is busy and hasn't shown his face much, and Robbie is walking on cloud nine because he has become official with a guy he has been seeing on and off for months. He was besotted with him but they had a strict 'friends with benefits arrangement'. I knew Robbie wanted more from it but he didn't dare tell him that. It all worked out in the end though, and I couldn't be happier for him. I'm even meeting him tonight – Gen is meeting us with Danny and I'm bringing Dane. I'm so nervous, but so excited; I have never introduced my friends to a guy before, mainly because there has never been a guy to introduce them too. As soon as we finish work, we are heading to Soho for food and drinks. I can't wait to do something normal with Dane for a change, try and forget all the heavy stuff, even if it's just for a few hours. Our relationship so far has been somewhat unconventional, and I like that but an evening meal with friends is exactly what I need right now.

The day goes slow, with little happening around the office, but eventually the clock hits home time. I pack up my things and I join up with Robbie to leave the building. We reach the bar to see that Dane and Jude - Robbie's boyfriend - are already there. Dane had already met Robbie, so little introduction was needed there and he had already been talking to Jude at the table waiting for us to arrive, so they seemed comfortable together. I give him a kiss and he asks me how my day was. Then I turn my attention to Jude. At first appearances he seems lovely; good looking, tall, athletic body and well-dressed. I can see why Robbie was so attracted to him. He has a shaved head though, which surprises me and a small ring in his nose, different to the other guys I have seen Robbie with. The more I chat to him the more I like him. He is charming, funny and intelligent.

As we sit and order drinks, waiting for Gen to get here, I learn that Jude is a wedding organiser for a high-end hotel in Knightsbridge and is definitely not shy. I talk to him easily and find there is never an uncomfortable silence. Dane is quite charming himself, and the four of us get a long well. I am, however, starting to wonder if Gen is okay because they were supposed to be here half an hour ago. Just as I pick up my phone to call her, I see a flash of blonde hair coming towards us. I put my phone down and take a proper look at Gen's face as she navigates her way through the restaurant to our table. She appears to be alone and extremely upset. Mascara is smudged underneath her eyes as if she has been crying, and the tip of her perfect nose is red and slightly moist. The fringe of her pixy hair cut is pushed back as if she has been running her hands through her hair and I notice her eyes flicker towards the faces of diners staring at her as she brushes by them.