Bar Girl (13 page)

As Jim fell backwards he knocked into Big Barry who, without stopping to think, launched a blow towards the first farang. Phil ducked away from the fight and barged into another group who had just arrived at the bar.

Within seconds, girls were screaming, people were trying to get out of the way and several farangs were stepping into the fray with intent. Glasses and bottles started to fly.

‘Call the police.’ Siswan told Apple.

There was no point in trying to stop the fight themselves. Siswan had seen enough bar fights to know when things had gone beyond reasoning. She watched as the first bar stool was broken across Big Barry’s back. They would definitely have to buy more now.

The rest of the girls moved towards where Siswan stood safely out of range of the rampaging farangs. Mike edged his way around the perimeter to join them.

‘Bloody hell, Siswan,’ he laughed. ‘Haven’t had a night like this for years!’

‘When you farangs get going there’s no stopping you is there?’ she smiled back.

There was no need to be upset by the brawl. No real damage was being done. The girls, including Pan, had all managed to get clear. Big Barry was enjoying himself. Even John, normally so quiet, was whooping out loud as he belted another head with an ashtray. Even the farang girls joined in. Two of them were giving Jim a real hammering.

It was Mirak who turned up a couple of minutes later. He was wearing civilian clothes even though the two constables with him were in full uniform. They both had their nightsticks out. Instead of charging in and breaking a few skulls however, Mirak held them back and spoke to Siswan.

‘Hello, Siswan,’ he said. ‘How would you like us to deal with this?’

‘With the minimum of fuss, Mirak,’ she said. ‘Please use discretion.’

‘Okay. No problem,’ he said back to her. ‘Good to see you again.’

Without waiting for a reply, he walked back to his constables. Said a few words. The three of them moved into the fray. The constables refrained from using their nightsticks but made sure no one interfered with the passage of their boss. One or two farangs felt themselves being shoved unceremoniously aside.

When they reached the centre, Mirak took a police whistle from his pocket and blew an ear piercing blast that stopped everyone in their tracks.

‘We can do this two ways,’ he said in perfect English. ‘The easy way or, better still, my way.’ He shot a grin to Siswan.

She watched as he placated the farang customers. Was surprised how easily he calmed everyone down. He even cracked a joke or two to put everyone at their ease. He inspected one or two skulls and, having found Jim with a nasty gash across his forehead, instructed his constables to escort him to the hospital. Finally, when calm had once again descended and the customers returned to drinking and talking about what had happened, he returned to where Siswan stood with Mike and the girls.

‘No trouble, Siswan. They seem quite happy,’ he said.

‘You handled that very well, Mirak. Thank you,’ she replied.

‘Some are easier than others to deal with.’ He grinned.

He gave a nod towards Mike and even went as far as to offer him a genuine smile. Siswan was impressed. Here was a man who appeared so confident in his manner. A man who had obviously learned the ways of the farang. Mike nodded in reply before he and the girls went back to work, leaving the police sergeant and Siswan alone.

‘Thank you again, Mirak,’ she said, not really knowing what else to say.

‘Your bar is doing very well, Siswan. I’m very impressed,’ he told her as he looked around.

‘It’s not my bar, Mirak. I just work here.’

‘Well, before you came it was ready to close down.’

‘It just needed a little help, that’s all.’

‘Do you work every day?’ he asked, looking into her eyes.

‘Yes.’ She cut him off.

She didn’t want any complications. Not now. Now that everything was starting to go right in her life. Especially the type of complications a local man could bring. Especially, a local policeman.

‘I was wondering if, perhaps, you would like to meet up for a coffee one day?’ he asked her.

His voice sounded slightly unsure. As though he wasn’t used to asking that type of question.

‘No. Thank you, but no,’ she replied.

‘Oh, okay.’ He sounded disappointed. ‘Well, maybe we’ll meet again under better circumstances.’

‘Probably when you come for your money.’ Siswan couldn’t help the cutting remark. Couldn’t prevent herself from testing him. To see how he reacted. To her surprise, he laughed.

‘Yes. Probably,’ he said. ‘Mind you, I think you got your monies worth this month.’

‘I was impressed by the way you handled it.’ She softened a little.

‘Thank you. That makes us both impressed by each other. Something in common, Siswan.’ He grinned. Such an infectious grin.

‘I’d better be getting back to work,’ she told him, without moving.

‘Yes. Me too.’ He didn’t move either.

‘Look,’ he started.

‘I just,’ she began.

They both laughed. Siswan couldn’t help but like the man. All of her experience told her not to like him. Not to trust him. To leave well enough alone. But there was something in his confident and easy manner that attracted her.

‘You first,’ she said.

‘No. No, ladies first. I insist.’

‘Okay. I was just going to say that I don’t need any complications in my life at the moment. I’m busy and I’m happy, okay?’ She looked into his eyes.

‘That’s fair enough, Siswan. I don’t want to be a complication to you,’ he said, seriously. ‘I only proposed a coffee, not marriage.’

She tried really hard. Told herself that it wouldn’t be any good. Mentally kicked herself to bring her mind back to the business in hand. She didn’t have time for this. Didn’t have the inclination. She didn’t need anyone. She reminded herself that the only person she could trust, the only person she could truly rely upon, was herself.

No, she wouldn’t fall for this man with his infectious smile and confident, yet boyish, charms. No. Definitely not.

‘Well, I could meet you tomorrow at eleven.’ She couldn’t believe the treachery of her own voice. ‘Just for a coffee,’ she quickly added.

He smiled. Not only did his mouth smile, his eyes did as well. His whole face lit up. She just couldn’t prevent herself from smiling with him.

‘That’s great,’ he said. ‘Meet you at the coffee bar up the road?’

‘Yes. Alright,’ she told him. ‘I have to go back to work now.’

‘Thank you, Siswan,’ he said, and gave her a wai. ‘See you tomorrow.’

She gave a wai of her own and turned back to the bar. She felt hot. Her face was flushed. What the hell was she doing? This wasn’t a part of her plan. She shook her mind free. Back to work. There were one or two customers still looking a little shocked. She didn’t want to lose their custom. She smiled and moved towards them.

*****

When Siswan left the bar in the early hours of the morning she walked up the main road to the bank. She used the twenty-four-hour deposit drawer and banked just over sixty thousand. Not bad for one evening. The bar was doing really well. After deducting overheads, her and Mike were splitting almost a million a month between them. Her personal bank account stood at nearly three million. Not bad for a girl who had started out with absolutely nothing.

It wasn’t enough though. Not yet. She reckoned on another two years, maybe three. By then she would have enough. She knew the local attitude of only thinking about today because tomorrow may never come was stupid. What if tomorrow did come? She was planning for hers.

She hailed a motorbike taxi and gave directions to her room. There was no need to use anything other than a motorbike taxi. They were cheap and she wasn’t out to impress anyone.

As she stepped into her small room on the third floor of the apartment block she kicked off her shoes. It wasn’t polite to wear shoes into one’s own home. Even a home as simply furnished as hers. A single room that contained a bed, a chair and table, a wardrobe and a basic dresser with a mirror. She didn’t need anything else and it was extremely cheap.

She took off her clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. Pouring cold water from the large bucket stood in the corner, she washed her body and hair. Drying herself with a white towel she moved across the small room and sat at the dresser. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

‘You fool,’ she said to herself.

She didn’t know why she had agreed to meet Mirak for a coffee. It was most annoying. The last thing she needed was a man in her life. She used the towel to dry her wet hair. She couldn’t help but think about him. His smile. The way his face lit up. His confident manner. The way he had controlled the farangs fighting in the bar. So confident and yet not so much that he became arrogant. It was most infuriating that she couldn’t yet find anything not to like about him.

She shook her head and allowed her hair to fall across her shoulders. She took a note pad and pen from the small drawer in front of her. A quick line to Ped. Enclose a cheque.

Siswan had kept her promise to her cousin and sent her money each month to take care of her parents. She realised she was a hypocrite. Always telling the girls that their families didn’t deserve any help and yet here she was, sending money home. Just like a bar girl.

Ped had written back a few times thanking her and telling her how her parents were doing. Her father was very ill. Her mother not quite so bad. Siswan guessed her father would not be too long for this world. She hoped he would return as a dog. A dog that would be beaten every day by a cruel master.

The note she wrote this time told Ped to buy a mobile telephone and she included her own telephone number. It would be easier than writing. She wrote out a cheque for twelve thousand and, together with the note, she sealed the envelope. She stood it on its edge by the mirror to remind her to post it before meeting Mirak.

She looked at her image once more. An image she still found difficult to face. No one else saw what she saw. They only saw what was on the surface. A woman. A woman with a pretty face and a pleasant smile. They didn’t see what she saw. The hurt. The pain. The revulsion of what she had been made to do and the things she had made herself do. The condemnation from her own mother.

She turned away and made for her small bed. She switched on the ceiling fan. The breeze it produced was hardly cool but the noise was strangely soothing. She lowered herself to the bed and switched off the light.

Lying in the dark, with the sound of the fan circling above her, she allowed her thoughts to wander. The bar was doing very well. Mike was a good partner and allowed her the freedom she needed to operate. The fight earlier in the evening had been a little unexpected but it had soon been resolved. By Mirak, of all people. He was her only concern.

The charming and confident Mirak had gotten past her defences. She couldn’t understand how it had happened. She sighed in the dark. It had been her in the end. Her that had accepted the offer of coffee. Why? She didn’t know. Didn’t understand her own actions. Why hadn’t she just left it? Let the conversation end? She hadn’t though.

She had deliberately told herself not to accept his invitation. Had turned him down. Had stopped him asking again. And then, when everything was settled, she had suggested meeting tomorrow morning. This morning, she corrected herself. In a few hours time.

‘You fool,’ she berated herself, again.

She didn’t need anyone. Didn’t want anyone. Yet here she was, telling Mike he was like a father to her and arranging to meet Mirak for a coffee. What was happening to her?

It was true about Mike though. He was like the father she had always dreamed of having. Not like a real father at all. He was mild mannered. Polite. Kind in his own way. And, most importantly, he had a conscience. He even felt guilty over the way he lived his life. She wished he was her father. He wouldn’t have beaten her mother. She knew that about him. He wouldn’t beat a woman.

Now Mirak. First Mike and now Mirak. What on earth did she think she was doing? She determined that when they met she would be polite, refuse another date and leave him in no doubt that he wasn’t needed. Wasn’t wanted. Wasn’t welcome. She didn’t need anyone other than herself.

With a shrug and an almost angry pull at the thin sheet that covered her, Siswan turned onto her side and closed her eyes tight. Better to think of something else. Better to go to sleep and deal with Mirak when she awoke. There was little point in thinking about it now. She allowed her mind to drift to other matters.

She would need to order more bar stools. Would need to make sure that the bar was cleaned from top to bottom again. She’d check with the cleaners after she’d had some sleep. After she’d met with Mirak, she told herself.

She was going around in circles! Everything seemed to be leading back to him. To his smile. The way his eyes lit up. His confident and easy manner.

‘Oh stop it!’ she said aloud in the dark.

She concentrated on something else. Anything else. Something that would take his image away from the front of her mind. She remembered the workhouse. The first real bed she had since leaving the village. She couldn’t call the hospital bed a real bed. It wasn’t as though she had really slept in it. Not like the workhouse bed. She’d slept in that one sure enough. Slept from exhaustion. A dreamless sleep that did little to ease the aches and pains in her tired body. Not for the first few weeks anyway.