𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

75

Lottie threw her cigarette to the floor, looking at Polly who leaned against the car. Her eyes shifted to Micheal who walked out, hat on his head.

Polly looked over her shoulder.

"Micheal" Lottie greeted, opening her arms. He nervously accepted her hug, holding the back of her coat tightly. "You okay?" she said. "Yeah" he whispered.

She pulled away from him, stepping aside.

"Hello mum" he said, smiling. "This is Gina" he said, pointing a the blonde girl who walked to them. "Gina Gray"

Lottie sent her a soft smile. "Captain married us on board" he said as Gina held his arm. "She's my wife, mum, at least look at her"

"Tommy said to ask you to tell me the truth" Polly took her sunglasses off.

"We've been travelling for 15 days, Mrs Gray" Gina spoke. "Maybe we could talk about this another time?" she asked. "Yes, let's go home and we can talk" Micheal agreed.

"You have no home until you tell me the truth" Polly stepped forward.

"Here?" he asked. "Yeah"

They watched as Arthur walked out of the telephone box. "Micheal" he shouted. "Hello, love" he looked at Gina. "Welcome to Birmingham, eh"

Micheal stared at him coldly.

"Micheal," Polly said. "Okay" he nodded, "our ship docked at Belfast, i was then taken off the ship by two men"

"At gun point" Gina added. "I'm speaking to my son" Polly hissed. "Oh my god" Lottie whispered. "Fuck you" Micheal said. "Fuck out too, Arthur, this is my fucking wife" he shouted. "I bring her home to this," he scoffed.

"Come on Gina"

"Well where are you going now, eh?" Arthur stopped him. "Introduce me at least"

"Arthur leave him" Lottie warned. "Excuse me" Gina scoffed, stepping away from Arthur.

"Look at this" Micheal whispered. "Look at this, this is it, Gina. This is my fucking people. Do you want to know the truth Arthur? Do you want to know the truth mum?" he asked.

"I did not betray my fucking family!" he shouted. "Now, mum, I want to go home"

"I've booked you a suite at the Midland hotel"

"Was that Tommys orders then, was it? See the Midland Hotel is Tommys little kingdom, where all the porters keep an eye, where all the telephone exchange girls are reporting on my calls"

"Yeah, well, why don't you think of it like, er, quarantine" Arthur suggested. "We treat you like a fucking dog, hm, a smelly one, stinking one. Until we know you're clean, hm?"

"Fuck you Arthur"

"Stand aside, Arthur"

"No, Pol"

Micheal walked back to Gina. "Come on, baby, forget about it" she held his arms. Lottie stepped to them as Arthur spoke to Polly.

"You can stay at my house for a while, still got spare rooms. No need for the midland hotel, nobody listens to calls in my house, nobody keeps an eye" she whispered, offering them a cigarette.

"Go and phone Tommy" Polly said. Micheal looked over. "Tell him, Polly says Michaels telling the truth"

"It's all right, forget about it" Gina repeated. "Nice coat"Arthur hummed, walking to the telephone box.

"What are you, like a camel, right?"

"Oh, welcome to the family, Gina Gray" Polly mocked.

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