02-Shifting Skin Read Online Free Page B

her.
    ‘Women from all walks of life, of all ages.’ Her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Women just like you.’
    Dawn got to her feet and removed a bottle of brandy from a cupboard. The sight of it made Fiona’s stomach clench with longing. ‘You could do with a splash of this,’ said Dawn.
    Trying not to appear too eager, Fiona extended her cup, watching the rich chestnut liquid as it glugged from the bottle. As she took a thankful sip, more tears spilled silently down her cheeks. ‘Is that how you escaped? By going to a women’s refuge?’
    ‘More than once,’ Dawn replied, taking a generous sip herself.
    ‘I’d begun to believe that I was one of those women who always fall for the bastards of this world.’
    ‘And now?’
    ‘Now I’m happy. You know what I reckon is most important? Companionship. A partner in life who treats you as equal. To be honest, sex isn’t really that important.’
    Fiona almost shuddered at the thought of what her drunken husband would do to her in the bedroom.
    The outer doors of the motel opened, and low voices sounded in the foyer.
    ‘Dawn!’ A woman calling. ‘You back there?’
    ‘Two seconds,’ Dawn whispered, getting up. ‘Yeah, hang on.’ She hurried into the reception area.
    ‘Got a spare room?’ The woman’s voice again.
    ‘Yup. For the night or . . .?’
    ‘An hour.’
    Fiona leaned forwards to see out the door. The woman was standing on the other side of the counter, hair tied in a ponytail, long red nails tapping impatiently on the fake wooden surface. Next to her was a man in a suit, looking awkward.
    ‘That’s twenty pounds,’ Dawn said to him.
    ‘Ah. Right.’ He fumbled for his wallet. The money was handed over, but Dawn didn’t open the till. Instead the notes went straight into her back pocket. She passed the woman a key.
    ‘Number four’s free.’
    The couple went out through the doors and Dawn came back into the office. Fiona looked at her inquisitively and she shrugged. ‘That conglomerate? I couldn’t live on what they pay me. It’s the only way to make ends meet.’
    Fiona’s mind was working, ‘Earlier on, when you asked if it was a john, you meant a...You thought I was a . . .’
    Dawn looked embarrassed. ‘I wasn’t sure. Your clothes weren’t right, but most women who book in here are working girls. I’m sorry. As soon as you started speaking, I could tell you weren’t.’
    Fiona took a gulp of her drink, suddenly realising why the man in the bingo hall had been so callous earlier. She laughed at how her life had shifted.
    ‘What?’ asked Dawn, smiling nervously.
    ‘Nothing,’ said Fiona. ‘It’s just that if anyone had told me this morning that I’d be sipping brandy in a brothel in Belle Vue tonight, I’d have thought them mad.’
    Dawn’s face relaxed and she held the bottle out again.
    Fiona extended her cup but, before tipping the bottle, Dawn said, ‘So you’ll stay here tonight?’
    Fiona felt like she was teetering on the edge of a cliff. ‘What are these refuge places like?’
    ‘Heaven compared to what you’re suffering at home.’
    Fiona took a deep breath. ‘OK. I’ll give it a go.’
    Dawn’s face broke into a smile and she topped up Fiona’s cup with brandy.
    Fiona wrapped a towel round herself and tried to step out of the shower. The brandy was coursing through her veins and she had to grab at the shower curtain. A couple of hoops were ripped off before she regained her balance. Wiping steam from the bathroom mirror, she looked at her face. Aside from the injuries, a good-looking woman with wavy brown collar-length hair looked back.
    ‘You can do it,’ she said slowly, words slightly slurred. ‘You can leave him.’
    The ice had reduced the swelling a bit and she hoped the bruising wouldn’t be too obvious. She wished she had her makeup bag with her. Instead, all she had was a miniature toothbrush and tiny tube of toothpaste Dawn had found in a desk drawer.
    Not surprisingly, acting as night