Free Human Conditioning by Louise Hirst

from her father. She wouldn’t be so coy about it if it had been anyone
else. She would have screamed it from the rooftops and been on a rampage to
seek revenge. Roy Watson was a slippery bastard. It didn’t surprise him one bit
that he would beat on his own daughter. He was a coward and a slave to the ale,
like his father.
    “So, how do you two know each other?”
Hailey asked, breaking through his reverie.
    Aiden stared down at her. He
didn’t like her voice; it was squeaky and made her sound more stupid than she
probably was. Setting his thoughts aside, he smiled his beautiful model smile
and briefly explained that he worked for Reggie. The conversation was cut short
when Gina skulked into the pub. Reggie’s eyebrows rose and he nodded to Aiden,
who turned to see her searching the empty bar.
    “He’s not here,” confirmed a
disgruntled Damien, who didn’t appreciate the new arrival after hours. But he
couldn’t say anything. He knew Gina was an acquaintance of Aiden’s. He knew her
father too, all too well. Roy had been in that night. He had got hammered, as
usual, and had left at about ten thirty. Still, Gina didn’t enquire into the movements
of her father. She was just pleased she’d missed him. She had taken a risk
coming in tonight. If he had seen her with Aiden, he certainly would have kicked
off again, the mood he had been in.
    Gina remained by the door,
staring at Aiden. “I’ll leave you two to it,” Aiden announced politely to
Reggie, smiling once again at Hailey. Then he strolled over to the bar, leaving
Gina to follow behind him. Ordering vodka and lemonade, he turned and stared at
her, coolly. He idly noticed that she had put on make-up and had changed into a
sexy mini-skirt and heels. She looked hot.
    “I’m sorry,” she croaked after
a painful silence.
    Aiden took a gulp of his pint
and set it down. “What for?” he asked impassively.
    She closed her eyes. “Don’t
make me beg, Aiden.”
    “After talking to me the way
you did, I don’t think you should be asking me for favours, do you?” he
replied, flatly his eyebrows jerking up to emphasis his point. He was scolding
her as if she were a child. She didn’t reply. She wasn’t meant to.
    Her eyes dropped to the floor,
his penetrative stare too much to bear. Aiden liked to milk any opportunity he
got to chastise her, and she let him, petrified that one day he might not
forgive her and she would never see him again. It was the disadvantage of adoring
him so much. To keep the peace between them was something she fought for
repeatedly, whatever the circumstance.
    Snaking an arm around her
back, he pulled her into him and slipped his tongue into her mouth. His kiss
was deep and filled with vigour, and she knew she was forgiven. “Drink up,” he commanded
as he pulled away. Gina drained her glass whilst he said his goodbyes to Reggie
and Hailey. When he returned to the bar, he downed the rest of his pint and,
taking her by the hand, led her outside.
    “What’s with the bruises?” he
asked as they stepped out into the night.
    Gina gulped. “I’d rather not
talk about it.”
    He nodded and sparked up a
cigarette. After a long, silent moment, he glanced at her. “Anything I can do?”
    She felt the prick of tears and wrapped her arms around
his neck. “You’re so sweet when you want to be, Aiden Foster,” she whispered,
gazing up into his fine-looking face.
    Aiden laughed and stepped back
out of her embrace. She beamed up at him. She loved the sound of Aiden’s
laughter. It was a rare treat that filled her heart with warmth and affection
for him. He shook his head and his lips pressed into a line, his eyebrows
furrowing slightly. “I’m many things, Gina, but sweet ain’t one of them...”
    “Well, I think you are,” she murmured.
    His eyes narrowed a touch and
Gina knew that he was trying his hardest to process the compliment and not
succeeding. “Come on, stop all this nancy talk,” he muttered and taking her
hand, they