"Do you know that you have the most beautiful smile I've ever seen?"
Michael remembered the coy smile she gave him after he told her that he loved her smile. She had that special way to blush and shake her head while her lips would curl into a lovely half-smile. Years later, Michael still didn't forget her. He wrote letters to Mary in a bid to hear from her. For a couple months, he hoped she would write back. He hoped she would at least be friendly to him but he understood why she wouldn't. After all, Tommy Shelby didn't like him. Tommy and his toxic charisma convinced everyone that Michael had to leave The UK to hide in America. Tommy didn't trust him, and even worse, started to treat him as if he was a stranger, which didn't sit well with Michael. He was as much as a Peaky Blinders as Tommy was but for some reason, he was denied to be taken seriously. Michael was obsessed with Mary, something he couldn't quite explain. It wasn't /Love/ -That died really fast and he fell in love with Gina-, no, she embodied all the things Tommy had and shouldn't have. She embodied his cousin's influence and power, a destructive force that could hurt those around him. Mary could have been his wife, back when he was still in love with her. She was too infatuated with Tommy to acknowledge him. She was blindly following that man who had brainwashed her, to realize what she could have had. An honest man, a man who spoke his emotions, a man who could have made her happy.
"Michael Gray, you are a man full of ambition." -She told him once, and Michael could see the warm smile she had on her lips-
Even now, as he was talking to his friend about Tommy's gin distillery, Michael couldn't help but be plagued with memories of Mary. He wanted to go back to Birmingham, so he could face his cousin, suggest a new direction for the family to take, and also see Mary again. He remembered the way his heart pounded against his ribcage when the woman first sang at the Garrison Pub. His skin was covered in goosebumps. His face was red from a slight blush on his cheeks. She was beautiful, even in her everyday outfit. She was gorgeous, even with her waitress apron on. She was beautiful given the passion she had when she was singing that love song. Michael had never seen a woman like her, an angel according to him. She was someone who shouldn't be involved in "sports". She shouldn't take part in the criminal activities of the Peaky Blinders, he wanted her to remain oblivious of what they were doing, for her own protection and disagreed with his cousins about it.
Archer listened carefully to Michael's explanations. Ultimately, he didn't want to start a beef with the Peaky Blinders. It would quickly become a problem for his business and he didn't want to have them as enemies. However, he also knew that things were rather calm for everyone in the United Kingdom, communists were the biggest fear the country had to deal with so far, business was booming again and with the American Prohibition era, it was even sweeter to smuggle alcohol to the country. Thomas Shelby's Gin was known to be a good one, not too sweet and not too expensive so women could drink it all day long without making a mess of themselves. It was a good business and something Archer was interested in taking. Of course, he couldn't confirm that Tommy wanted to sell it, but he would try and make a first good impression so that when Tommy would sell his business, he would remember him.
What he didn't know, however, was what followed. After debating with himself, Michael couldn't help but mention Mary. He needed to know what she knew. He needed to have a connection, to learn if Mary was really under the influence of Tommy or if she made her own decisions for herself. Perhaps, he wanted to know if she was married, perhaps was he trying to rekindle their friendship...or more. He was confused and despite his best attempt, he couldn't help himself but tell Archer about her. He wanted to reach out to her, perhaps.... perhaps what Michael? take her away from Tommy in whatever way you could find? Make sure she only saw you? What about Gina? Archer noticed his friend's reticence in showing him a picture of Mary, but after a while, he convinced the young man to show him who this woman was. It didn't disappoint, upon seeing the photograph, Archer's gaze grew intense as he was interested. She was indeed a rather beautiful woman, one he was eager to meet. He couldn't really perceive Michael's intentions about her, maybe some concern, maybe some "friendly" feelings he felt for her because they've been in each other lives for years.
Perhaps he was worried. Either way, he requested his friend to meet with Mary and have a conversation with her on his behalf. That was the only thing he wanted, but Michael soon realized given the gaze his friend gave him, that there might be a genuine interest in the woman. He bit his inner cheek, cursing himself for suggesting this idea and potentially losing Mary to someone like Archibald. There was a chance he succeeded in courting the woman. Archibald was a handsome man, tall with broad shoulders and black hair. He had deep blue eyes, and little sideburns, and wore suits really well. He was a rich man, one of the most sought-after bachelors in the UK and he was rich. Mary might not care about money as long as she had a roof above her head and something to eat every day, but Michael knew that women liked to be comfortable and a rich husband might actually feel tempting. Michael cleared his throat and nodded at Archibald.
"So... What do you say about my project? Would you go to Birmingham and meet with my cousin?"
"I think I will. I am interested in all the quality products I could find. If what you say is true and your cousin's gin is actually the best in the market right now, I am interested in buying it." -Michael sighed in relief and smiled at the idea that his plan was moving forward. - "I agree on your terms. I would buy it, you would be the owner, but I would be the one to distribute it. 50/50"
"No. That's not what we agreed to. It's a 70-30 or you drop it." -Archibald lifted a brow, and contemplated his friend's refusal to give him half his share-
"MMhhh... Michael, you are my friend. I can agree to this 70-30 thing you want, but if I do agree, I will take the girl. I don't really believe that you are just a friend of hers. I believe, however, that you want her for some reasons I don't have. I agree to 70-30 but I will take this Mary Colson for me. She is sweet, isn't she? She is beautiful, isn't she? Well... I buy this Gin Distillery, you get the most of it, and I get to become richer and with a beautiful girl in my bed." -He outstretched his hand towards Michael who swallowed a lump. Why did he care anyway? He was married to Gina and what he wanted was to take things off of Tommy's hands. So what if she fell for Archibald? Why should he care? - "Deal?"
"Deal!" -he shook Archibald's hand but he wasn't sure about his decision to involve a friend in his business. Perhaps this was a mistake, and perhaps it wasn't. All he hoped for was for Tommy to not make the connection between Archibald and him. Yet.-
-TBC-
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