You Don't Own Me(80)
I shrug. ‘Not much. Unsuccessfully looking for a job.’
She frowns. ‘Why? Can’t one of your brothers give you one?’
‘They can but I want to make it on my own.’
‘What for?’
‘Just to try.’
She looks at me as if I am stupid so I quickly change the subject. ‘And where are you off to dressed like that?’
‘I’m off to a watch a bit of bare-knuckle fighting.’
‘Who’s fighting?’ I ask, even though it’s not too hard to guess.
‘I’m putting a hundred quid on BJ,’ she says with a cheeky grin.
‘What are the odds of him winning?’
‘‘BJ’s never lost so the money will be shit. I’m just gonna bet on the amount of punches he has to throw or the minutes the other guy will last. That sort of thing.’
‘Sounds exciting,’ I say carefully, even though an underground fight where the opponents go on battering each other until one of them can’t take it anymore is not my idea of fun. ‘And where is it being held?’
‘Some godforsaken barn in the sticks. Patrick’s taking me. You remember Patrick, my second cousin, don’t you?’
‘Yes, vaguely,’ I say politely. Then words I never intended appear on my tongue. ‘Can I come?’
She looks at me sideways. ‘Will your brothers be all right with it?’
I know Jake won’t be okay with it. Lily told me how he wouldn’t even let her watch him fight BJ. But after my humiliating experience in Italy, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to grow up and experience things for myself. Take a few knocks if necessary. I don’t want to be the sheltered baby of the family for the rest of my life. I want to see what a bare-knuckle fight looks like. Besides, I’ll be with Ria. What can possibly happen to me?
‘I won’t tell them if you won’t,’ I tell her.
She giggles conspiratorially. ‘My lips are sealed.’
‘When are you going?’
‘Now.’
I look at my shopping basket. A carton of milk and a pot of Greek yogurt. I take the basket to the check-out counter and give it to the cashier. ‘I’ve changed my mind. Could you please ask someone to put them back on the shelves?’
‘Ready?’ Ria asks.
‘Yeah. I’m ready.’
At that time I am just glad for a new experience. It has not yet occurred to me to do any mischief.
TEN
Layla
In the middle of someone’s farm we find a barn that is alive with music and people. We pay our entrance fee and enter. Inside, I gaze around in surprise. The barn is packed to the rafters with far more people than there are cars outside. At a guess, I would say there are at least 300 people. Mostly men, but women of all ages too. Ria tugs my hand.
‘Let’s place our bets then get a drink. I want to be up front.’
I nod and follow her as she pushes her way through the crowd.
A man in a green sweatshirt and two missing teeth grins at her. ‘What’ll you have, love?’
‘How much will I get if I put a hundred for BJ ‘The Bat” Pilkington to win in less than 2 minutes?’
‘A hundred and one pounds.’
‘One pound profit? For a hundred quid? That’s nothing!’
He shrugs. ‘The Bat has won 92 fights and drawn once. You’re talking about a favorite, a machine that renders men unconscious, love.’
Ria rubs the back of her neck. ‘How much for him winning in less than one minute?’
‘Twenty.’
‘That’s just crap. Less than thirty seconds?’
‘I’ll give you fifty for that.’
She looks at him doubtfully, and then makes her decision. ‘All right, I’ll just take less than a minute.’
She gives him five twenty pound notes and he passes it to another young man standing behind him, and writes something in his tatty notebook.
He turns to me. ‘What about you, young lady?’
‘Me? I’m not…’ I pause. Why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t I bet like Ria? It’s just for fun. ‘What would give me a really good payout?’
He grins. ‘The Bat to lose.’
‘Other than that?’
‘That The Devil’s Hammer lands a swing on The Bat’s face.’
I frown. ‘Why’s that?’
‘Because except for his fight with Jake Eden, The Bat has never been hit in the face.’
‘How much will I get for my hundred?’
‘Two grand.’
‘Wow! That’s huge.’
‘Yeah, right. The payout’s so damn good, because it’s never gonna happen. Don’t do it, Layla. You might as well burn your money,’ Ria advises with a frown.