Rebound // Alfie Solomons

8. Sloppy seconds

'Who have you been fucking?' Alfie questioned and ollie dropped his pen. 'Ollie? Earth to ollie?' Alfie said waving a hand in front of him.

'Wh-what? Sir?' Ollie stammered

'Who ya been fucking?' Alfie repeated

'W-what no one. N-n-no one.' Ollie said awkwardly.

'Liar.' Alfie said. 'You have a spring in your step and a smile on your face for the past few months. So who ya been fucking?'

'No one.' Ollie said picking up his pen. Averting his eyes from Alfie

'Sure, sure lie to me. I'll find out sooner or later. I don't know why you're lying to me at all we're friends aren't we? Well not friends... But you should tell me it's been a while I could use a good fuck.' Alfie told him. Though I don't think I want your sloppy seconds,' alfie teased.

++

A club, sparkling in gold and pounding with music and laughter filled the air when the shelbys arrived. They stood tall and proud, a take no shits attitude they and the rest of the world had come to know the shelby name by. They plopped down at a table and Tommy took in the scenery.

'what the fuck is this place?' John asked people were snorting drugs, fucking on the tables, but the music was loud and fun.

'it's a freak show that's what it is.' Arthus said with a grin. 'what the fuck is this racket?'

'this is what they call music these days brother,' tommy said waving down a waiter.

'its not bad, I like it,' John said bopping his head up and down to the music. 'look at this eh?' john said taking in all the women. 'Its alright.'

'irish whiskey. A bottle.' Tommy said once a waiter got to them.

'and hurry the fuck up!' Arthur told him as he ran off to fetch them a bottle.

'fucking hell,' john said glancing over a few tables. 'I recognize a few of these ladies.'

'that's sabini's cousins over there' Arthur said hesitantly.

'that's right Arthur... this is sabini's club.' Tom said. .

'what the fuck we doing in sabini's club!' John shouted over the noise. 'jesus, everybody in here's a fucking face.' John said really looking at the people around them now. 'Fuck, that's Cora.' He pointed over to her, she wore a black dress, deep v cut and short, so short, Tommy's eyes stuck to her as she laughed with some of Sabini's men.

'just the lieutenants john. No sign of the officers.' Tommy said calmly but he couldn't look away from her.

"What's cora doing here?" Arthur questioned.

"I'm not her babysitter.' Tommy said through a clenched jaw but her laughed echoed through the club.

'alright, fine.' John said pleased with tommys answer. 'lets line em up!' the waiter had brought them a bottle and glasses before quickly making haste. 'holiday.' John said happily pouring the drinks.

'holiday!' Arthur repeated but their holiday was cut short as a bartender came up with a nice welcoming smile and told them to leave.

'gentleman. There's been a mistake I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave.'

'we just bought a fucking bottle.' john told him gesturing to the bottle and undrunk glasses of whiskey in front of them. That's when Cora hear John shouting, the unmistakable Shelby voice.

"Fucking hell,' she muttered. 'Excuse me,' she said sweetly moving over to them.

'some of the men here recognize you from the racetracks in the north.' He went on.

'yeah, we get that a lot' Arthur said glancing around the room.

'they say you have no business coming around south of the line without prior agreement.'

'and what would that be my friend?' tommy said spinning his glass at his fingers.

'they say this is provocation.' The bartender said softly.

'well,' Arthur spoke up. 'you tell those fine men that we are on holiday and don't give a shit about them. Ya?'

'you are breaking the rules, they say you are the peaky blinders.'

'Boys, these men are... with me.' Cora said stiffly and the bartender looked Cora over, he knew her she did work with Sabini she smiled kindly at him. 'Let's not-' But a man screamed out catching her attention.

'peaky scum!" someone yelled and shots rang out..

'here we fucking go.' Arthur said excitedly, downing his drink. Everyone was punching everyone, it was madness. Most women ran the other way screaming terrified, Cora picked up the bottle from the table taking a long drink as the Shelby's started punching and shouting, a string of cruses escaped their mouths.

'who the fucks next!' Arthur yelled, he loved the fight, he loved it so much. They kept going, until a shotgun rang out. Arthur dropped the ice bucket he was beating a man with, 'put some ice on it,' he said with a laugh as he dropped the bucket on the mans bleeding head.

'get out.' The bartender said pointing the gun at them. But the shelbys were not afraid of a gun. They weren't afraid of anything it seemed.

'yeah?' tommy questioned stepped forward, the bartender looked scared yet he was the one holding the gun. 'you gonna use that?' tommy asked stepping again closer. The man made no signs of shooting them, Cora stepped in front of the gun, Tommy looked her over, her face a picture of bitter resentment. 'didn't think so' tommy said confidently. 'we came here not to make enemies no! but we came here to make new friends.' Tommy declared. 'those of you who are last will soon be first. And those of you who are downtrodden will rise up, yup. you know where to find us.' With that tommy grabbed the bottle of whiskey from Cora, grabbed her arm in the other hand and they left into the night, beaten and bloody but not broken, smiles plastered on their faces.

'You boys are always ruining my fun.' Cora sneered.

'Good to see you to Cora.' John said grinning at her.

"You just saw me and I'm mad at you.' Cora told them.

"You cant be mad at me.' John said wrapping an arm around her waist. 'I'm the favorite.'

"Finn is my favorite and I was having a nice night away from you three. What were you thinking?" Cora shouted. "Why come to Sabini's bar?"

"Why were you there?" Tommy countered.

"Shut up I don't have to explain myself to you.' Cora sneered.

'and we do?' John countered.

"YES!" Cora shouted pulling the bottle back.

'I think I may have lost a tooth!' Arthur said feeling his face. 'I will have none at this rate!' he laughed.

'some fucking holiday this is.'

'yea? You all right without your fucking medicine now Arthur?' tommy asked, 'here this will fix ya.' He put the whiskey bottle in arts hands, pulling it away from Cora.

'give me that!' he said happily.

'you john boy eh? How are you or should I call ye fucking wife!' tommy asked

'oh shut it!' john yelled.

'no more talk of chickens do you hear me!' tommy said.

'fuck the chickens!' Arthur yelled passing the botte down the line.

'Now I've got 50 quid burning a hole in me pocket lets paint the town eh?' tommy questioned.

'woop, woop!' john and Arthur started cheering. "HOLIDAY!"

'Bye boys.' Cora said walking off.

"CORA!' they shouted but she was done with shelbys.