Feel Something || Peaky blinders [Tommy Shelby]

forteen

"Sounds like you are jealous"

The betting shop door clicked shut as Octavia walked in. The boys were on their little work trip today whilst all the women were stuck working.

"Alright ladies?" Octavia said, heels tapping on the floor as she walked over to the women.

"I was just saying it's not fair." Esme said sniffing some cocaine off of her finger. "The men are down there like lords."

Octavia flung her bag onto the table pulling a chair out to sit on. "Oh Esme give it a rest." Octavia laughed earning a hard death stare from the woman.

"I'm bloody five months gone!" She argued sniffing another line. Lizzie said nothing continuing with the work she was writing whilst Polly fiddled over with the safe, clearly very intoxicated.

Polly leant her head on the safe door. "I've forgot the combination." She sighed.

"24-8-22" Lizzie called back.

Octavia looked at Lizzie confused.

"How do you know the paper cash combination?" Polly asked, also confused. Octavia agreed with Polly also asking how.

"Tommy talks in his sleep." Esme said chuckling.

"Shut up Esme." Lizzie spat back.

Jealously washed over Octavia hearing that comment as she watched Polly dial in the code. It didn't open. Polly turned around back now on the door, head leaning back.

"He's changed the combination." Polly called as Lizzie strutted over.

Esme and Octavia raised their eyebrows at each other as the door opened once Lizzie dialled in the code. Lizzie walked back over leaning over her work.

"And actually I am sleeping with Tommy, now and then." Lizzie explained to Esme. "Because he wants to now and then. When the mood takes him. Except we don't sleep. It's kind of hard to sleep bent over a desk isn't it?" She finished.

All the women looked at her disgusted. Some were better at hiding it than others. Some didn't even want to hide it.

"Ahh so you never really gave up that line of work did you eh?" Octavia spat at her, giving her a hard glare.

"Leave out Octavia." Polly warned, walking over with a little bit of money from the safe in her hand.

"Why should I?" Octavia asked now looking at Polly.

Polly said nothing, just simply pulling out a chair and sitting on it.

Octavia's attention was now focused on Lizzie again when she began to speak.

"He wants it and I think it's helping him grieve." Lizzie explained sincerely, trying to justify her actions.

Octavia scoffed. "Right so you got mad at him at Epsom when he asked you to whore for that soldier, after he said for you never to do prostitution again, but you'll do it for him happily? Get your morals right." Octavia argued.

Polly and Esme's eyes darted between the two women. Lizzie had nothing to say. She knew Octavia was right.

"Sounds like you are jealous." Was the only thing Lizzie could think of.

"Jealous?" Octavia asked disgusted, trying to hide the fact that Lizzie was right.

"Yes. Jealous." Lizzie confirmed.

"Don't make me laugh." Octavia scoffed at her.

"It's true. We all know it Octavia. You are just sad that he picks me to have sex with instead of you."

A laugh escaped Octavia's mouth. "He's done you before he knows he can do you again!" Octavia said standing up from her chair. "You are easy to him. He knows it's always going to be a yes from you!"

The room went silent as tears glistened in Lizzie's eyes briefly before she blinked them away.

"It's not how you think it is I-"

"You get used by him Lizzie! Just take it and sit back down." Octavia interrupted.

It was a harsh truth for Lizzie to hear.

The door opened revealing Linda. "Arthur said you'd be short staffed today because they are on a work outing." Linda said walking through to where the other women were, smile in her face.

"Piss up actually." Esme corrected.

"I brought sandwiches and lemonade I made myself." Linda said putting the basket on a desk. "I'll make tea but I wont handle money nor slips. Arthur said what you do here is illegal, not immoral." She went on being ignored by most of the women who were busy working.

"Depends what time you get here Linda." Octavia said jokingly.

"And anyways, I thought I'd offer you my physical and spiritual support in your time of need." She smiled.

"Oh Linda if you want to be a help, run up to the shops and get me 20 senior service. Lizzie will give you the change." Polly joked.

"No I won't." Lizzie said joining in.

The real reason Linda was at the betting shop was revealed soon enough. A woman by the name of Jessie Eden was bringing all the women workers on strike due to the inequality of payment between genders. And as they were being made to work on a holy day.

The women started to list everything that was wrong with their work environment, not including Octavia of course as she was there for her own enjoyment.

The women decided to join the strike strutting out of the door arm in arm, going on their own little piss up for the rest of the day.