Carmen - Tommy Shelby

- Chapter one

Everything about her was a lie.

Her girlish smiles, flirtatious giggles; her charming ways. The intriguing stories she shared and the friendships she made along the way. These lies so repetitive and consuming they had become her truth, living and believing her own lies under the eyes of others.

He heard her before he saw her. Her laughter was a melodic tone that danced around the room causing all heads to turn to her involuntarily. Her head was tipped back, eyes scrunched up and her teeth on show as she reacted the way she believed she should to the men swarming around her. After, a warm smile rested on her lips which were stained a bold red.

He was aware of the contrast between their faces, his stony and blank having not changed since he sat in the dimly lit booth in the corner of the pub. Hers; warm and inviting.

"Fucking crazy in here tonight" John cried with a pleased smile on his face when he returned to the booth, dropping down next to Tommy who stayed in his sort of trance. The beer sloshed over the glasses when they crashed against the table, the only thing to catch Tommy's attention.

He blinked, turning to John with a nod having acknowledged he spoke.

"Good job we're sitting in here tonight boys, give us a chance to have a good look at the talent we've got in here" Arthur jeered as he threw his arm up, gesturing towards the bustle of drunken women singing and dancing to their heart's content amongst the men.

This caused a slight smile to make its way onto Tommy's face as he surveyed his brothers behaviour, shaking his head in disbelief at their hungry faces whilst their eyes roamed the crowd. He took a swig of his drink before searching for his cigarettes and matches in his jacket pocket, swiftly leaning over the match.

"Would you like another?"

Tommy instantly recognised Grace's voice. His head shot up in her direction as she lent over the table, gesturing towards John's now empty glass. Rather than saying a word, already drunken John lifted his glass, placing it in Grace's hand as a way of saying yes. Before turning to leave the table she looked towards Tommy, fidgeting underneath his stare and looking away momentarily but quickly looking back and giving a sweet smile which he merely continued to stare at until she walked back to the bar. His eyes trailing her as he watched her walk away before dropping his head back towards his cigarette.

"Fucking good Lord, have you ever seen her round here before Tom?" John almost spoke under his breath as he looked on in disbelief, nudging Tommy on the arm.

Tommy clenched his jaw, the cigarette hanging from his mouth trapped between his lips when they tightened at the sound of John's words, knowing exactly which girl he meant. The memory of that brief moment minutes before coming back into his mind. He was reluctant to look, sighing whilst he shook out the match throwing it to the floor and lifting his head to follow his brothers eye line. He raised one eyebrow, a questioning look on his face as he tried to act curious before it dropped to a blank expression once again when his eyes were lead back to her face.

"No."

Her hair was a rich shade of mahogany which rested just below her shoulders in bundles of curls, a few stray baby hairs caressed her skin. One leg crossed over the other, a foot resting on the stool she sat upon whilst the other hung loosely, swinging lightly in time with the music. Neither of the boys realising they were staring, until her eyes met theirs.

"Shit" John cursed himself under his breath, quickly looking away from her and grabbing Arthur's drink, taking a swig to look like he was preoccupied. Tommy on the other hand, not even managing a blink.

He noticed her eyes were slightly worn around the edges, the skin a plummy purple where her bottom lashes lay. Though her eyes, blessed with deep shades of green and framed by jet black lashes, took all focus away from this. They were doe-like, her pupils large and stare penetrating.