Sunshine

Part 8

Warning: prostitution and violence

Alice was not surprised but still anxious when they reached the random pub she had never heard of. From outside, she could hear men and women(but mostly men) laughing and yelling. Seeing that she looked worried, Michael unconsciously, but gently, lead her in with his hand on her lower back. Isaiah noticed and huffed at the sight, crossing his arms across his chest. Alice would have been uncomfortable if she had noticed, but she was paying too much attention to the sight of the opening bar door.

There was a gramophone playing in the corner and many men danced by themselves or with a lady. Many of the ladies were drastically underdressed, leading Alice to deduce that they were not really there for free. They wore short and colorful dresses and had placed feathers haphazardly in their mussed hair. Their faces were covered with gaudy rouges and powders.

Seeing the look on Alice's face made both of the boys laugh out loud. Isaiah pulled her to sit with them at a booth that was, for some odd reason, secluded from the others. Alice noticed unnervingly that people were paying them special attention. The owner of the bar came to ask for their drink orders himself and she continuously caught people staring.

Michael had a feeling this would happen. She had not really understood who his family was. She did not yet even know the name 'Peaky Blinders'. He had grown used to the attention, and often even reveled in it. However, he knew Alice would not appreciate it and was going to want more answers sooner or later.

Alice asked for a glass of ice water, but that was all. Isaiah would lean over and say something in her ear when it became too loud and Michael wrinkled his nose in disgust at the obvious display. Of course, Alice did not know that there was any display. She thought Isaiah was just a nice guy. He was, Michael thought, but Alice was too girlish to even see what he was trying.

Alice shrugged Isaiah out of her ear after while, sipping on her water while they boys laughed and joked over a pint. She watched with horror as one of the... evening ladies came up and began to flirt with Michael. "Good evening Mr. Gray." She purred. Isaiah jokingly cheered him on as the young woman sat herself in Michael's lap. Alice wondered if they had met her before since she knew his name.

"Good evening, indeed." He leaned in stared unashamedly at her breasts, putting his hands on her hips. Alice looked away, but after a moment, she heard a squeak. Michael had pushed the woman off of his lap and onto the floor. "You must either be desperate, or just stupid." He drawled lazily, but his eyes were angry. At first, Alice was appalled by his attitude, but quickly understood when he reached into her cleavage, and retrieved his watch. "I'm not the best man to make angry, darling." Surprised to have been caught and scared of the consequences to follow, the woman quickly left. Isaiah busted into laughter that nobody else shared.

"What?" Michael snapped. Alice did not know if he was questioning the look she was giving him or his friend's laughter. "I don't have to pay for a woman to let me fuck her anyway." He rolled his eyes at Isaiah and Alice was, then, quite ready to leave.

Just before she could say anything, a tall man approached their table with a face that did not seem at all too pleasant. "Oi!" He called to get all of their attentions. Michael's back straightened out and Isaiah used more of his body to cover Alice's behind him. "You Blinders?" The man slurred drunkenly. Confused, Alice glanced between the boys. Was it supposed to be some sort of code or slang she did not know about? She was tired of not knowing things. Of course, it was also entirely possible that he was just very drunk.

"Back off, mate." Isaiah tried to calm the tension, but the man grabbed him by the collar, making Alice fearfully shift closer to the wall. Now the music had died and everyone was staring at their, no longer discreet, booth.