‘He’s kickin’, Suze. I can feel him moving about.’

Susan laughed. Kev was so positive that they were having a boy, he’d already decorated the nursery blue. She had been a bit annoyed with him when he’d surprised her with it. ‘We might still have a girl, Kev, and if we do, I’m not having her sleepin’ in a boy’s room.’

‘You worry too much, Suze. It ain’t cost us nothing – I nicked the paint from work. If it is a girl, which it won’t be, I’ll repaint it pink in no time.’

As Kev stood up, Susan pulled the quilt over her huge stomach. ‘Where yer goin’?’ she asked him.

‘I’m gonna make us something to eat. You have a rest, save yerself for tonight.’

Susan smiled. It was their engagement party tonight, and although she was looking forward to it, she looked and felt like shit. Her pregnancy had been a difficult one. She’d put on loads of weight, had little energy, and often felt hormonal. Kev had been a saint and had treated her with kid gloves. He’d waited on her hand and foot, suffered her tantrums, and even helped out with the cooking and housework. Once the baby was born, she’d make it all up to him. She had twelve weeks to go, and was desperate to feel normal again. Still, it would all be worth it in the end. Together, they were as happy as Larry, but the arrival of their baby would be the icing on the cake.

‘Please say you’ll come, Maria. I’m so worried about James. He ain’t been himself since yous two fell out. He’s out guzzling all the time, coming home at all hours. He really misses you, I know he does. Please sort things out with him, even if it’s only for my sake.’

Maria agreed and afterwards thought long and hard about Maureen’s words. At first she’d been so angry with James that she’d wanted to hurt him. Now she felt differently. She missed him more than words could say and would give her right arm to have him back in her life. She knew now that he hadn’t just been her best friend; it was more than that. He was her soulmate, her rock. Why, at the time, hadn’t she been able to see what was right in front of her eyes? Years she’d spent dating wasters and dickheads and what for? James had been there all along.

To be honest, she’d never looked at him in a romantic light until recently. It had sort of hit her like a ton of bricks after they’d fallen out. He looked different all of a sudden. His physique, his dress, his hair, everything about him had improved overnight. She’d dated lots of other guys to try and make him jealous but, truth be known, she couldn’t bear them near her any more. Luckily, she was still a virgin and just lately even a passionate clinch did nothing but make her think of James. She missed his eyes, his laughter, his stupid jokes and his silly walk. She even missed him taking the mickey out of her and driving her mad with his awful record collection.

Looking at her watch, she knew she’d better get a move on. Deciding to stick with the pink dress, she quickly did her hair. Ever since she was little, James had always said she looked like a princess with her hair chucked up. Finally, tonight, she would have a chance to tell him how she truly felt. She’d debated whether to send him a letter, but would rather speak to him face to face. If he could just forgive her and admit that he felt the same way, then she’d gladly be his girl for evermore.

Grabbing his younger brother’s arm, Tommy pulled him quickly out of the door. His mother had been staring at him with her Russian shot-putter expression all day and he couldn’t wait to get out of the house. He was obviously in the dog house over something and, at this particular moment, the wrath of his old lady was the last thing he could be bothered with.

Maureen was glad to see the back of her deceitful son. How she’d kept her mouth shut all day, she would never know. Desperate not to spoil her daughter’s engagement party, she’d had to delay ripping his head off for at least twenty-four hours. Tomorrow, he could pack his bags and fuck off as far away as possible. He wasn’t leading her up the garden path, or his brother astray, for one minute longer.

Maureen told Gladys and Ethel to sit down. ‘It’s ever so early. Shall we have a quick drink here before we leave, girls?’

Gladys looked vacantly out of the window. ‘Sooty, woof woof, Sooty,’ she shouted.

‘She seems to have forgotten he was a cat, she thinks he was a dog,’ Ethel whispered sadly. ‘I’ll have a brandy and get her one, as well. It’ll do her good to have a drink tonight.’

Maureen did the honours.

Kate Odder’s was only around the corner and even though Ethel’s arthritis was playing her up, they could easy walk it. Handing the drinks out, Maureen smiled. ‘Cheers, girls. To our Susan, eh?’

Ethel lifted her glass. ‘To Susan.’

‘And Sooty,’ Gladys said.

‘Oi, Parksy. Where’s my fuckin’ money?’

Looking sheepish, Mickey Parks dug his hands deep into his pockets. ‘I’ve only got thirty quid on me, Tom. Can I give you a score now and the rest next week?’

Tommy told James to get the drinks in and ordered Mickey into the toilets. Slamming the door, he turned to him angrily. ‘Don’t take the fuckin’ piss out of me, yer cunt. If you’ve got the dough to stand in here pissing it up, then you’ve got the dough to pay me. I’ll give yer two days and if you ain’t got it back to me by Monday, I’m coming round your fuckin’ house. Don’t forget you’ve gotta give me one an’ a half back, that was the deal we had, remember?’

Shit-scared, Mickey nodded. ‘I promise yer, Tom, I’ll get it to yer by Monday.’

Tommy smiled as he re-entered the bar. He’d seen the fear on Parksy’s face, the mug. He’d get his money by Monday all right, and if he didn’t, he’d smash the little prick to fuck.

Tommy dragged James over to the other side of the pub. There was a crowd of good-looking birds standing there and he fancied a bit of a laugh.

‘Good evening, ladies. I’m Tommy, this is my brother, James, and we’d like to buy you all a drink.’

‘Are you sure?’ asked the pretty one with the dark hair.

Tommy winked. ‘Absolutely positive, sweetheart.’

‘I wish I didn’t feel so fat and gross,’ she moaned to Kevin.

Kevin cuddled her, ‘You look beautiful to me, Suze, and I’m the one that’s marrying yer.’

Susan looked at him adoringly; the days of him treating her badly were long gone. He’d turned into the perfect boyfriend and she couldn’t wait to become his wife. She’d felt guilty earlier when he’d told her that most of his family wasn’t coming. ‘Word got around that it was you that glassed Joanne. Fuck ’em, it’s their loss,’ he assured her.

As the loved-up couple entered the pub, they were greeted by the cheering of well-wishers and the sight of decorations and balloons. Susan had taken so long to get ready that they were virtually the last to arrive.

‘Kev, Suze,’ Tracey and Darren yelled.

Spotting their best friends, Susan grabbed Kevin’s arm and made her way towards them.

‘She was nice, that little bird, weren’t she, Jimmy boy? Lucy, her name was. I think I might ring her tomorrow and ask her out.’

James smiled. The girl in question had been a timid little sort and certainly hadn’t seemed his brother’s type. ‘I thought she was really pretty, but she seemed a bit quiet for you, Tom.’

Tommy laughed. ‘The quiet ones have good wife and breeding potential. All the loud ones are good for is a shag and a laugh.’

Freddie arrived just in time to hear Tommy larging it.

‘Anyone would think you were Richard Gere, yer tosser.’

Laughing at Freddie’s one-liner, Tommy hugged him. He hadn’t been sure if he was going to turn up tonight and now he had, the party could really start.

Looking around, Maureen locked eyes with Kenny. Kissing him politely on the cheek, she smiled at him. ‘Hello, love, you on your own? Where’s Wendy?’

‘She’s not well, got a touch of the flu,’ Kenny lied.

Maureen couldn’t help but smile as she led him over towards Ethel. Wendy had had the flu more times than she’d had hot dinners.

‘Mum, Kenny’s here.’

‘’Ere he is, me favourite boy. Come and sit here, son, between me and Glad,’ Ethel demanded.

Raising his eyebrows at Maureen, Kenny did as he was told.

‘Hi everybody,’ he drawled in a fake American accent.

Susan, who hadn’t even noticed him arrive, stared at him in amazement. He was about fifty, with a big quiff, long sideburns and a white suit with tassels.

‘Who booked this fuckin’ prick?’ she said, nudging Kevin.

Kevin shrugged. ‘Me mum got him out the paper, I think. Don’t say anything, Suze, she paid for him out of her own pocket. Whatever he’s like, any music’s better than having none at all.’

Susan felt her hormones rise, and stormed off to speak to the freak. She was determined not to have her night spoiled by some delusional dickhead who believed he was Elvis reincarnated.

Kicking off with ‘All Shook up’, Rockin’ Ronny grabbed the mike. He sounded just like his idol and loved to sing along with him. ‘Uh huh-uh, uh huh-uh, way-hey.’

Gladys leaped up in excitement, grabbed Ethel’s hand, and urged her to follow her.

‘Elvis is here, Eth. Quick, come on, let’s go and say hello to him. I knew he wasn’t dead, yer know, I fuckin’ knew it.’

Ethel looked at Maureen and shook her head. Glad truly believed that Elvis had been hiding himself away for years and had decided to resurface in Stepney.

James felt embarrassed as he came face to face with Ellie Phillips. He’d carefully avoided her since the night he’d got hold of her and now here she was standing a foot away from him.

‘Hello, Ellie, you all right, mate?’

‘Why didn’t you ring me, James? I thought we were gonna go out.’

Seeing Tommy laughing behind his back, James could feel himself redden.

‘I’m sorry, Ellie, I lost your phone number. I would have popped round to see yer, but I’ve been so busy at work, yer know how it is.’

Happy with his lie, Ellie smiled. ‘Never mind, you gonna get me a drink then?’

James stood at the bar like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

‘We’d better go in a minute, Maria, time’s getting on and we don’t wanna get there too late,’ Alison said.

‘What is the time?’ Maria asked.

‘It’s half-nine,’ Alison replied. She wanted to get her friend there before she knocked any more back.

Maria wasn’t about to be rushed. ‘We’ll leave in twenty minutes and get there for ten. Let’s have one more here first.’

Not knowing what to do for the best, Alison agreed. Maria wasn’t the best of drinkers and on the odd times she had got drunk, became argumentative and headstrong. Guessing she was in for a night of it, Alison listened politely while a drunken Maria droned on and on about the wonderful James.

‘Viva las Vegas,’ they yelled as they extracted the urine out of Rockin’ Ronny.

James, who had been left at the bar with a gagging-for-it Ellie Phillips, was also steaming.

Hearing the tempo change to slow, Ellie grabbed him by the hand.

‘Let’s have a dance, James.’

Too drunk to give a shit, James followed her towards the stage.

‘You look fine, Maria. Now let’s get inside, I’m freezing out here.’

As she walked in, Maria had a quick look around, but couldn’t spot James.

‘Two white wines,’ she shouted to the barmaid.

Making her way to a quiet corner, she scanned the place. Finally spotting James, she immediately felt bile rise from her stomach to her throat. He was canoodling with a girl on the dancefloor. It wasn’t until James withdrew his tongue from the girl’s throat that Maria saw it was none other than her ex-best friend, Ellie Phillips.

Letting out a sob, she made a dash for the exit.