forbidden { michael gray } ON TEMPORARY HOLD

f o u r t e e n

For the next few weeks, things were great. Talya and Michael spent every minute they could together between both of their jobs. They were making up for lost time, and both of them were glad for it.

Talya never did find out what Tommy had told Michael that night, and why it had made the colour drain from his face. She knew he didn't want to talk about it, and she would be damned if she ruined their happiness by pressing the issue.

Between working and spending all their time together, Talya had begun to grow closer with Ada, Michael's cousin who recently moved back to Birmingham from London. The two girls got on like a house on fire. They both shared similar political views and outlooks on life and had the same sense of humour. It pleased Michael no end to see Talya finally being accepted by his family. She had even invited them around to a family meal that night that she was hosting in her new house. All were invited, and she promised them that she'd ordered Tommy to be on his best behaviour towards Talya - though none of them really believed he would be.

She was still going to work at the cafe, but Talya's patience for it was diminishing. Now that she was back in with the gangsters and was being shown all the respect that warranted, she was finding it more and more difficult to be spoken to like shit by the customers. Michael had told her he was making enough money to provide for both of them, and she was one more rude customer away from letting him.

That day, Talya was watching the clock countdown to the time she could leave her shift. She was due at her parents' house soon after so she could sort out the books, and then she was going to the Shelby meal.

"Look alive, girl. I don't pay you to stand around."

Talya glanced over her shoulder at her boss, Mavis, a portly woman who was well past her prime yet still thought she was the vision of beauty and inherently disliked anyone younger or prettier than herself; which made Talya her prime target. Usually, Talya put up with it. She knew the woman was just trying to flex her muscles and make herself feel better about her sad life by tormenting someone who came from a powerful family, but today was different. She had had enough. "You what?"

Mavis's nasty sneer faltered for a moment at Talya's snapping tone, but it was soon reinforced. "You heard me. You ought to be doing something, rich girl."

"There are no customers to be served," Talya was speaking slowly as she gestured to the empty cafe, as though Mavis was too incompetent to comprehend her words if she spoke any quicker. "And I've done my clean down. There's nothing to be done."

She could see it in Talya's eyes that she was annoyed, but Mavis was never one for knowing when to back down. "Are you thick or something? That isn't an excuse for you to be standing around like you're too good for this place."

Talya's jaw clenched momentarily as she decided whether she would just do as she was told and appease the woman or if she was going to stand up for herself. She settled on the latter. "Listen, love, you best not get above yourself. I don't know who you think you're speaking to, but you'll be wanting to change your tone if you're going to carry on talking to me."

"You cheeky fucker!" Mavis said indignantly. She marched over to Talya - who was still leaning against the counter boredly - with her chest puffed out and her face scrunched up. Talya had to suppress a laugh as she realised how much her boss looked like a bulldog. "I don't care who your family is, I won't be spoken to like a-"

"Like a what?" Talya had drawn herself up to her full height now, which was an entire foot taller than her dumpy boss. "Like a nobody? Like a bully? Because that's what you are, you stupid old cow. And I think you'll find you do care who my family are. Or at least you will when they put your windows through and set this shit hole alight."