The same dress

“Do you want the last prawn sandwich?” Shouted Graham, putting on his black shoes.
“OK” came the response from his girlfriend Sam in the kitchen.
“Hurry up then, we’ve got to go.”
Sam came in the dining room struggling to get her coat over her thick jumper, she picked up the sandwich and ate it.
“Right have you got everything,” asked Graham.
“Think so,” replied Sam. Graham opened the door and they went out into the cold December evening. It was already dark and they would have to hurry to get the bus. At the bus stop they waited as snow fluttered past the orange street lights and alighted on the road and pavements below. Then from up the road appeared the double-decker bus, Graham stuck out a gloved hand and the bus stopped, they hopped on and Graham said to the bus driver “Two for the station, please.”
“Two pounds sixty.” Replied the driver and pressed the button on the ticket machine which made a printing sound, Graham gave the driver the money and took the two tickets and joined Sam on the seat.

At the station they got off the bus and got two tickets for London Liverpool Street. The platform was quiet, too late for commuters and on this cold mid-week evening revellers seemingly were not travelling to the bright lights of London. On the train they found a seat and sat down. Sam got out the four Stellas she had brought for the journey and gave one to Graham who took it, opening it with a small spray of foam flying through the air. He downed half the can and put it on the tray in front of him.
“You’ve got the money.” He said to Sam who patted her stomach around which was tied the money belt.
“Good, if we get to Ron’s by nine we will be doing well.”
“We are going to make a killing on this deal Graham” Said Sam.
“Hopefully if all goes well”
“You do trust Ron, don’t you?” Asked Sam.
“Yer, I think so, I haven’t seen since College, but he was solid back then.”
“What did say when you phoned him”
”He sounded the same as he used too, still cool”
“And when you were arranging the deal.”
Graham laughed “Still cool.”
“Cool” said Sam and opening her can.

The train rumbled though the falling snow and the country side glowed in the whiteness of the moonlit night, it was beautiful and Sam starred out of the window while she sipped her beer. Graham hadn’t told Sam but he was worried about the upcoming deal, Ron had been a friend at college but he was a bit of a wide boy and if it hadn’t have been for their regular supplier getting arrested, he wouldn’t have dreamt of dealing with Ron, but what choice did he have, they must have their stuff. Graham finished the can and opened his second, when he had spoken to Ron the previous week he got the distinct impression he had changed somehow, he seemed desperate on the phone, eager to cut the deal. It had been three years since College when the two of them were housemates and Ron had introduced Graham to the delights of toking. Ron had often indulged in heavier drugs, but at the time Graham had stuck to gear, that had changed now of course, but at College Graham didn’t have Ron’s taste for the Rave scene, he still didn’t, what would Ron have in store for tonight, Graham would have preferred to have come up during the day, done the deal and left but Ron had insisted he have a night out and so here he was. Sam wanted to come but Graham wanted her to stay at home, but Sam was Sam and he couldn’t stop her if she wanted to go, so here she was too. He looked at her as she starred out of the window sipping her beer, God she was beautiful, he had never got on with a girl as well as he got on with her, she was so much of a good time girl but also his soul mate, he trusted her like he trusted no other.

Graham finished the third can of Stella as they pulled into Liverpool Street, Ron lived in Peckham so they has a few tubes to catch, neither of them said much on the journey, anxiety before the deal. At 27b Graves Street Graham knocked on the door. Ron appeared with a big smile, he looked loaded already.
“Graham buddy how you doing” He grinned, “and you must be Sam, come in, come in.” Inside Ron’s flat there was the strong smell of weed, he led them into the front room which was on the first floor. There were dated sofas around the walls with throws of different colour on each of them, in front of one of the sofas was a coffee table festooned with bongs and smoking paraphernalia. Ron slumped down on the sofa behind the coffee table, to his right there was a small fridge which he opened and pulled out three cans of Red Stripe, he offered two to his guests gesturing them to sit down.
“So what you been up to,” said Ron smiling at Graham.
“Trying to keep my head above water and one step ahead of the man” replied Graham
“Tell me about it” said Ron opening, then placing the can on the coffee table.
“Smoke?”
“Of course.” Replied Graham. While Ron was setting up the bong, he chatted with Graham about what he had been up to after college, he joked casually and Graham started to relax, this was going to be alright afterall he thought looking at Sam who was gestating about something with Ron. They were all getting on and the bong was on it’s third journey around room when there was a knock at the door.

“That will be Baz and Mick,” said Ron getting his feet and going downstairs to let them in. When he was gone Graham said to Sam, “you OK?” Sam replied, “yes, like you said, he’s cool.” Graham nodded. “Who is Baz and Mick?” asked Sam.
“Don’t know, Ron’s mates I suppose.” Replied Graham. Up the stairs came Ron, Baz and Mick, there were brief introductions and everybody settled down to the bong. More cans of red stripe were consumed and they chatted about what they where they were going later. Graham hadn’t known it but Baz was the contact to a bloke called Billy who they were meeting later at a fancy dress party at a Nightclub uptown, he was the guy with the drugs. Graham’s first impression of Baz was one of uncertainty, he was tall and skinny, scruffy wearing a German style parka. Mick was huge with tattoos, the two of them seemed relaxed and friendly enough, but Ron seemed to be a little in ore and weary of them, fetching them drinks as soon as they had finished one and passing them the bong first. Mick seemed quite content to sit quietly, while Baz did a lot of talking and asking questions. Sam asked what they were supposed to wear if it was fancy dress at which point Ron reached around the back of the sofa and pulled out five costumes. Ron had a seventies pimp outfit, huggy bear style as did Mick and Baz. For Graham he had the YMCA leather man outfit and for Sam he had a bond girl outfit with a twist. The twist was false buck teeth, a large wart and heavy specs. By this time everyone was pretty wasted and as they got dressed they all laughed and joked with each other. Sam changed in the other room returning in a short black dress, Ron applied the wart and gave her the buck teeth and glasses. They all thought it was hysterical. Graham thought to himself that it was kind of funny, an ugly bond girl.

After they were all ready they went downstairs and into the taxi to the nightclub. Their names were on the list and they went straight in, most but not all of the other people queuing were in fancy dress. A few of them looked at Sam and seemed to be a bit concerned. Inside they went to the bar and waited for Billy to contact them after ordering a round of drinks. The odd person pointed at Sam and shook their heads, Sam hadn’t noticed but Graham had thinking it a bit strange. Ron, Mick and Baz were laughing together as a large bouncer approached them, he said that Mr Billy Gillet was ready to see them and they followed the bouncer up the stairs. As they entered the office Graham looked back and to his surprise saw that Ron, Mick and Baz weren’t behind him and Sam. They entered alone, Billy was sitting behind a large desk in a James Bond style tuxedo. He was a large ugly man, broken nose, cauliflower ear and a scar down the side of one of his double chins. His face had the expression of surprise then extreme anger. Sam stood smiling then she noticed the lady in the corner of Mr Gillets office who was making a drink, she had her back to them but she wore the exact black dress that Sam had on. As though in slow motion the lady turned to face Sam and Graham and to their horror she was wearing thick glasses had bucked teeth and a wart in the exact location Ron had placed the wart on Sam’s face, the bouncer closed the door behind them.

“Is this some kind of Joke,” blasted Mr Gillet, the lady was crying next to him.
“Are you actually looking to get beaten to a pulp” he continued.
Mr Gillet stood up and hugged what was his daughter, who evidently was one of the people not in fancy dress. There was a moments notice broken by the cracking of the bouncer knuckles behind them.

Four hours later Graham woke in a dark alley, his face ached and he could taste blood in his mouth, next to him Sam sat nursing a split lip, she was no longer wearing the wart, the glasses and the buck teeth, she spat blood onto the white snow in the alley.
“Are you alright,” asked Graham. Sam nodded slowly. They sat there in silence for a few moments then Graham asked if Sam still had the money, Sam felt her waist and without saying anything shook her head. Graham checked his pockets, in one he found a piece of paper. He opened it up, it was Ron’s handwriting, it read;

If your reading this then they didn’t kill you, pity. I suppose your wondering why we did this to you. Sam didn’t recognise Mick I take it, but his brother was in our year at University, in fact Sam knew him very well. She was the reason for his suicide two years ago, we will hang on to the money, I take it you won’t be calling on us again, Mr Gillet still hasn’t forgiven you, so you might as well go back to the provincial hole you came from.
Regards
Ron

Graham folded the note and stood up he was still wearing the YMCA leather man get up, then he heard the shouts from down the ally, He heard a glass bottle break a group of hoodies were walking menacingly towards them……….Oh God, he thought.