VIRAGO

good on you

Much to Zoey's dismay, she returned back to the shrouds of smoke and sot that was Small health. Bolting ahead of John with a bag of her clothes in hand, desperate to make herself look presentable in time for the day ahead. "Which way?" She asked frantically as soon as she stepped through the door, John not far behind her, chuckling to himself and shaking his head at her antics. She'd practically jogged from the car. "End of the hall on the left." He directed her, closing the door as he did so.

Once getting into the bathroom, Zoey wasted no time. Slipping into her velvet, violaceous puff-sleeved dress and throwing on her designer overcoat, she carelessly unclipped a few strands of her golden curls letting them fall, shaping around her face while she began painting the outline of her rural orbs with dark liner before finally topping up her lipstick.

Upon her return, she'd perched herself on one of the wooden stools situated outside the doors to the main room knowing that the Blinders were currently in the middle of a family meeting. She decided that whilst she waiting for the meeting to come to a close and she could proceed in her own individual meeting with Tommy, she'd catch up on some of her book and have a smoke. When Zoey found herself in one of these rare situations where she didn't have to do or say anything, she was always prepared and kept a small book in her handbag just in case.

"You seen Pol?" Zoey glanced up through her lashes to find John's head popping through the archway.

"Considering I've never met her I'd say no." she elaborated, taking a smooth drag before looking back down at the pages.

"Right, Micheal you just wait out here." The woman whom Zoey now believed to be Pol had made her forceful entrance, a younger gentleman following closely behind. "I shouldn't be too long." She had paused once noticing John and Zoey waiting outside. "Who's this?" She subtly gestures to the younger girl sitting opposite the green doors, engrossed in her book whilst streams of smoke deploy from her lips.

"Aunt Pol, Micheal this is Zoey Richardson." John introduced them, causing Zoey to look up once again from her book, giving the mother and son a polite and enchanting smile.

"So you're the girl that told the Sabinis to go fuck themselves ey?" Polly continued in her steps, looking the girl up and down until she'd reached the space that separated the pair. "Good on you." She approved.

"You coming in Micheal?" John turned his attention to his younger cousin, who much like him when he first laid eyes on Zoey was practically drooling. "Micheal?"

"Well-"Poor Michael had begun his answer once finally snapping out of his trance, but Polly was quick to cut him off.

"No, he'll wait outside." And with that final instruction, Polly Gray busted through those green doors leaving the trio, not in shock but speechless. John looked at Micheal sympathetically before leaving the two outside.

"That your mum then?" Zoey gazed up from her book, watching as Micheal lautered awkwardly in the hall, not really knowing what to do with himself and clearly pissed off that he was told to wait outside.

"My birth mum yeah," He informed the girl taking a seat beside her as she closed her book, turning her full attention onto the boy. "I only just met her and my cousins a few days ago."

Zoey listened intently, finding him rather interesting as she took another slow drag.

"I just don't think she wants me involved with this place." He gestured to the betting den, with almost a longing look in his eyes. Zoey's brief interaction with Polly she could tell this woman was a dominating force in the family, however, looking at Micheal now she could see the same power in his eyes. She just knew the two would clash soon enough.

"She just wants to protect you." She appealed to him, standing to stub her cigarette out on the table, "Not many people are so lucky." twisting herself to face him, there was something raw and real about her expression as she wandered over to the doors. "But if you need to see what she's protecting you from then by all means." with a soft and quiet tap from her shoe, the door crept open slightly, shedding in the unfolding scene from behind them which Micheal eagerly approached, his face filled with fascination as the two began to listen in.

"Tommy's had a death threat and Zoey's under our protection so we'll have to go with them." Arthur's voice rang through the doors.

"So, you're going to close up the shop, go out on the piss up, blow 1000 guineas on a horse that's not even whole Arab." Zoey could help but find humor in Polly's condescending manner.

"She's got a point." She agreed to herself quietly, only Micheal could hear.

"Quarter Arab is better." Someone added laughing as Micheal began to step through the door.

"Micheal, what are you doing?" Zoey tugged him back slightly, remaining in the shadows but he only shrugged her off.

"Quater Arab it means..."

"Curly, shut up." Polly put an end to his ramblings before realizing her son had entered through the doors, coming to stand beside John. "I thought I told you to lock that door." She directed to John, Zoey poking her head in slightly, she didn't want to be nosy but she couldn't deny she loved watching drama.

"He did. I used the key on the nail." Micheal covered for John with no hesitation, but Zoey knew John never locked that door, John wanted Micheal to come in. "Look. I've been listening. I want to go with them."

"You see?" Polly snapped looking at Tommy briefly. Zoey completely understood why Polly didn't want her son involved, In fact, if she ever had a child of her own she'd make damn sure they were nowhere near this life.

"I love horses. I could even help." Micheal pushed her further. From his behavior, Zoey could see he truly was a Shelby- he could have avoided this whole meeting a gone on with his life but the allure of danger was clearly too much for him to resist.

"Over my dead body." Polly refused him, there was no changing her mind. Her arms crossed, eyes unblinking.

"It'll be all right, mum. I've been to loads of horse auctions with my uncle." At this Zoey watched as Polly's eyes softened for a brief moment, "They're very respectable."

"That is true," Zoey decided to chime in, most of the men in the room had already clocked her presence by the door so she decided she might as well help the poor kid get his way. "People bring their butlers."

"Yeah and their posh wives..." Arthur added to Zoey's point with a menacing tone.

"And their mistresses." John nudged Micheal sparingly, making the boy smile, looking hopefully at his mother.

"Let him come, Polly." Arthur urged her, "We'll go there, buy a horse, and come back." He explained nonchalantly, slamming down his glass of whiskey.

"Me and Zo will drop him at the house in Sutton before it gets dark," John promised his aunt, as Zoey continued to lean against the door behind him, nodding in agreement not that anyone in the room really cared what she thought anyway.

Polly looked crushed, unsure even but the women's eyes saddened as she uttered her final answer, "No." she shook her head, "Fucking no."

Zoey observed as Micheal dropped his head in defeat, turning around to leave the room she could almost feel how gutted he was by his mother's stubbornness. The girl's eyes followed him as he exited the room, she shot John a concerned look before trailing behind him and closing the door.