The Billionaire Banker(31)

Lana shifts from one foot to the other. ‘I just met him, Fiona. I wouldn’t call him a boyfriend just yet. It might not work out.’

Fiona’s timid face falls. It is obvious she has been hoping that the rumor going around is not true. Her voice is very tiny. ‘You will be careful, won’t you, my dear? I wouldn’t say anything normally, but you’ve always been such an innocent thing. And I thought to myself, even if I come across as an interfering, old busybody, I’ve got to say something.’ She takes a deep breath. ‘You know, I’ve always said you are the most beautiful girl on this estate, if not in all of Kilburn, and you should have become a c 1 6 d

model, but rich men are greedy. One is never ever enough for them.’

Lana puts her rucksack on the concrete floor and leaning forward hugs the woman. ‘Thank you for caring, Fiona. I don’t know how I would have coped all these years if not for Jack, Billie and you.’

Fiona hugs her tightly. ‘Oh, child, you are like my own daughter to me. What you did for Jack; I’ve never thanked you.’

Lana untangles herself from Fiona. ‘What I did for Jack? It is I who should thank Jack. He’s taken care of me and fought my battles since the day I arrived.’

‘He will never talk about it, but the year you arrived was the year his father died. And he became quite unmanageable and surly. He began to run with a gang who stole, carried knives and drank alcohol across the railroads. I was afraid for him, afraid that he would turn out like all the other boys on the estate—jobless drunks and drug addicts. But then your family moved in and suddenly he changed. He took over the job of being your older brother, and suddenly I got my caring, beautiful son back and now he’s going to escape this terrible estate and become a doctor.’ Tears filled her lovely eyes.

‘If I was useful to him then I am glad, because I don’t know what my life would have been like without him.’

Fiona smiles proudly at the thought of her good son.

‘I’ve got to go, but I’ll be around tomorrow with a box of biscuits like you’ve never tasted before.’

‘Oooo.’

Lana laughs. ‘More like oo la la… They’re French.’

‘Goodbye, dear girl.’

Lana waves, and runs up the stairs. Her phone rings and she stops to answer it. It is Mrs. Arnold calling to say she has booked an eight thirty table for Lana and Blake at The Fat Duck. She reminds Lana to be ready by 7.30pm.

‘Thanks,’ says Lara. She ends the calls and thinks, ‘I’ve been reduced to another appointment in his diary.’

Halfway up the second flight of stairs she hears Kensington Parish call out to her. She pops her head over the side railing and sees that he is standing at his bedroom window at almost eye level to her.

‘What’s up, Kensington?’

‘Hey, Lana,’ he says. ‘Do you think your man will let me have a ride in that car of his?’

‘Unlikely,’ she says and carries on running up the stairs even though she hears him shout pleadingly, ‘Oh! Come on, Lana. You haven’t even asked. It’s a 0-77. It’s custom made, Lana. Come on… Lana?’

Billie’s door is open and her mother is outside watering her hanging baskets of colorful plants.

‘She’s in her bedroom,’ she says, by way of greeting.

‘Thanks,’ Lana says, and runs up the worn blue carpet.

She knocks once and enters. Billie is using up a can of hairspray on her hair. The room is choking with the stuff.

‘Jesus, how can you bear to breathe this stuff?’

‘Open the window if it bothers you.’

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Lana opens the window and takes a deep breath before facing the synthetic smell in the room. Thankfully, Billie has finished. Her white hair has now been sprayed into a stiff man’s pompadour that will survive the greatest gust of wind. She looks at her reflection with satisfaction. Then she turns away from the mirror, switches off her small telly, and goes to sit on the bed. She pats the space next to her. Lana sits next to her and puts her bag down.

‘Well, spit it out then. What was it like?’

‘It was awful.’

‘What? Sex with the loaded hunk was awful?’

‘Can we talk about it in a minute? I need to talk to you about some important stuff first.’

‘No problems.’

‘You are still OK to travel to the States with my mum, aren’t you?’

‘Of course. Are you kidding me? I’d never get another chance like this. All paid.’

‘Good. I’ll sort the tickets out so you travel out on Wednesday. And Mum has an entire day to recover before her appointment on Friday. You don’t have to babysit her the whole time. Go out sightseeing and do the touristy thing. You’ll have to accompany her to the doctor, though.’