Arabella || Peaky Blinders [Michael Gray]

six

Chapter Six
"You tosser!"

"I can't believe you're going to the races."

Arabella stopped briefly, turning over the price tag on a gold dress before letting that dream die. Way over budget.

"Trust me, it's not as simple as that," she told Mallory, her finger gently grazing along the row of dresses they passed, all of them far too lavish and expensive for her.

"What is it then?"

"If I told you," Arabella trailed off, becoming slightly distracted as a dark coloured dress caught her attention. "I'd have to kill you."

"Lovely," Mallory stated with a slight scoff. "You spend half an hour with Tommy Shelby and you're already picking up on his habits."

"What do you think of this?" Arabella asked, completely ignoring Mallory's previous comment. She held out a deep wine coloured dress for her best friend to see – it was absolutely stunning.

"I think that I'd definitely fancy you in that," Mallory replied, running a hand over the material in awe. "Wow."

Arabella lifted up the price tag and couldn't help but smile when she saw that it was within her budget. "This is the one."

Mallory followed after Arabella as she headed to the counter, slowing a few times to look at some pretty hats, or check her appearance in one of the mirrors. "Are you going as Tommy's date?" She questioned, hurrying to catch up to Arabella.

Arabella's eyes widened as she turned around the face her friend. "Absolutely not! Where did you get that idea from?"

Mallory shrugged, fiddling with her hair in the mirror, sparing a glance at her best friend's gobsmacked reflection. "Just wondered. Whole thing just seems a bit...sudden."

Arabella exhaled heavily, not liking keeping secrets from her friend. But it was better that she didn't know, just in case the knowledge wasn't safe for her. "Trust me, if I could tell you I would."

"Is it business?" Mallory asked, turning to face her properly.

Arabella hesitated. "Kind of."

Mallory's eyebrows pinched together. "I thought that you didn't want to get involved in that."

"I don't," Arabella pointed out, turning away again to go and pay for the dress.

"Then I don't understand," Mallory said, trailing closely behind her. "Isn't this getting involved with business?"

Arabella sighed, placing the dress neatly on the counter. The shop worker smiled politely at her, as Mallory stopped by her side. Arabella turned to face her friend. "I told you, Mal, it's complicated."

Once the dress was payed for, the two girls left the shop, Arabella very satisfied with her purchase. Though, a mixture of emotions began to stir in her stomach when she caught sight of at least three Peaky Blinders in the surrounding area, all following the two girls to keep them safe, reminding her of the people who were out to get her. Arabella wasn't safe, and she didn't know how long it would take for her to ever be safe again.

"So, I never told you about Isaiah and I," Mallory spoke as they reached her doorstep. She fumbled in her purse for her key, whilst Arabella, out of a new paranoid habit, checked the surrounding area, but it was all clear.

The door was pushed open and Arabella stepped inside after Mallory, both girls shrugging off their coats and hanging them up on the rail.

"From the look on your face, I'm presuming he asked you out again," Arabella said, cutting off quickly as Mallory's mother entered the hall through the kitchen door, the pleasant smell of food wafting through with her. Arabella's stomach grumbled. "Hi, Mrs Harmon," she smiled politely. "Something smells good."