Worried, Maureen stood up. She could have sworn she’d spotted Maria come in and run back out. Desperate to find the girl and try to explain James’s behaviour, she left the table and went in search of her.

Within seconds of hitting the cold air, Maria’s tears were replaced by uncontrollable anger. ‘Come on, let’s go back inside,’ she said, grabbing Alison’s arm.

Alison tried to persuade her friend to give the party a miss. ‘Boys ain’t worth getting upset over, Maria. Let’s just go to another pub, shall we?’

Maria refused. She might feel stupid, hurt and let down, but she was also determined to get her revenge. ‘I’ll show him who the bloody player is, you just watch me,’ she said, dragging her friend back inside.

‘Oh, there you are. I thought I saw you come in a few minutes back. Let me get you and your friend a drink, Maria,’ Maureen said cautiously. She didn’t know whether she had clocked James canoodling or not.

Maria put on a false smile and followed Maureen up to the bar. ‘I lost my purse on the way in, I went back outside to look for it and, as luck would have it, Alison found it on the pavement.’

Maureen handed the girls their drinks. She could tell Maria was lying, could see it in her eyes. She herself had worn the same false expression and haunted look in the early years of her marriage to Tommy. He’d been a womaniser and even though each affair felt like a knife piercing her heart, she’d put on an act, just like Maria was doing now.

‘Where’s James?’ Maria asked cheerfully.

Seeing that her son was now standing back up at the bar with his brother and Freddie, Maureen dragged Maria towards them. ‘Maria and her friend, Alison, are here, boys. Look after them, won’t yer?’

Ignoring James, Maria and Alison chatted to Tommy and Freddie. Annoyed, James stormed off. Maria fancied Freddie, he’d always sensed it. Flash, older and good looking, he was just her type. Spotting Ellie Phillips on the dancefloor, he grabbed hold of her again. Fuck Maria, two could play at her game.

Well tanked-up, Kevin held his embarrassed fiancée’s hand and dragged her towards the stage. ‘Is it all right if I say a few words, mate?’

Kevin took the mike and grinned as he gave his speech.

‘I just wanna thank a few people for making tonight happen for us. Firstly, I’d like to thank Kate for allowing us to use her pub. Secondly, me mum for helping us organise it and laying on the booze, music and grub. Thirdly, I wanna thank all of our friends and family for coming to celebrate with us. And last, but not least, I wanna thank my wonderful fiancée for making me so happy. Suze, me and you are gonna be great parents. Hand on heart, I love yer to death, girl. Right, now the soppy shit is over – let’s all go and get pissed, shall we?’

Susan cried with happiness as the pub erupted in claps and cheers. Kevin had never been much of a romantic, and it was the nicest speech she’d ever heard. He’d said some lovely things on the night he proposed, but tonight meant more, as he’d said it in front of so many people.

As Rockin’ Ronny played The Dixie Cups’ ‘Chapel of Love’, everybody felt emotional for the happy couple. Everybody except Ethel, that was.

‘I bet it don’t bleedin’ last. Either Susan’ll fuck things up, or he’ll start knockin’ her about again.’

Maureen looked at her in horror. ‘Can’t you be nice just for one night, Mum? Jesus Christ, it’s their engagement party.’

Ethel nudged Gladys. ‘I’m never wrong, you mark my words.’

Gladys, who didn’t know what day it was, nodded politely.

At the insistence of the youngsters, Rockin’ Ronny halted his beloved rock’n’roll and played some disco instead.

As Kool & the Gang’s, ‘Get Down On It’ blasted out of the speakers, Maria grabbed Tommy’s and Freddie’s hands.

‘Come on, boys,’ she said, pulling them seductively towards the dancefloor.

James stood in the corner, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He pretended to listen to Ellie, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Maria. She was by far the prettiest girl in the pub, but not only did she know it, she was also acting like a slag. Fuming, he grasped Ellie’s hand. ‘Come on babe, let’s dance.’

Ellie Phillips was in dreamland. Not only was James all over her like a rash, but it was all in front of Maria, the bitch she’d fallen out with.

Maureen watched events unfold on the dancefloor with sadness. Her plan to get Maria and James together had gone well and truly tits up. She guessed that Maria was getting her own back for what she’d witnessed on her arrival, and Tommy and Freddie were as pissed as farts, so it wasn’t their fault. If only James hadn’t been pawing that tarty girl earlier. If anything, it was his bloody fault for thinking through his dick. He didn’t even like the girl, the silly little bastard.

‘Do you wanna dance, Maur?’

Maureen smiled as Kenny took her hand and led her onto the dancefloor. He made her feel twenty-one all over again, did Kenny.

Changing the tempo, Rockin’ Ronny put on Elvis’s ‘Love Me Tender’ and unable to stop himself, sang along with him. He sounded just like his hero singing this particular track, everybody said so.

As Kenny took her in his arms, Maureen felt like a woman for the first time in years. She knew there was nothing in it – he was married to Wendy, for Christ’s sake.

‘Do you know what, Maur, I wish . . .’

Maureen stopped him there and then. ‘Please don’t say any more, Kenny. Come on, I’m not in the mood for this dancing lark. Let’s go and get another drink, eh?’

Unaware of the tears in her eyes, Kenny followed her up to the bar.

At Freddie’s insistence, Tommy had swapped partners with him. ‘She’s all right, that Alison; I wouldn’t mind giving her one. You dance with Maria.’

Tommy was quite happy with the swap, as Maria was by far the sexiest bird in the boozer.

Pretending not to look at Maria, James stuck his tongue as far down Ellie Phillips’s throat as he possibly could.

Stuck in a time-warp, Rockin’ Ronny put on ‘Jailhouse Rock’.

Gladys, who had been behaving like a ventriloquist’s dummy for the past hour, suddenly broke into life. ‘Let’s rock!’ she screamed, throwing herself onto the dancefloor.

Maureen and Kenny roared as Ethel chased after her.

Rockin’ Ronny finished his set with ‘An American Trilogy’, and called it a night. ‘I wanna thank each and everyone of you for being so fantastic,’ he said in an American drawl. ‘Goodnight, God bless, I love you all.’

Susan was tired, her feet were aching and she had a terrible headache. Kev would be sure to want afters, and she couldn’t face a late one.

‘Me mum and nan are going, Kev, I think I might go with ’em. I’ve had three glasses of wine and I can’t have no more. You can stay, I don’t mind, honest.’

Kevin shook his head. ‘I’ve had more than enough, Suze. I’ll come with yer, babe. Why don’t you ask your mum if we can have a nightcap round hers?’

Pleased that he didn’t want to stay in the pub without her, Susan agreed and went off to find Maureen.

Tommy looked at Maria in amazement. He’d never realised that she had the hots for him. Too drunk to think straight, he glanced around for James. Thankfully, he was nowhere to be seen.

‘I’ll have a word with Freddie, see if we can go back to his. You OK it with Alison, while I sort something out. Worst ways we can go to a hotel.’

Maria dragged Alison into the toilets. She was so drunk now that she didn’t give a damn about anything.

Freddie was drunk, but he could handle his drink more than Tommy.

‘We can go to mine. Me mum’s gone away for the weekend to me aunt’s in Canvey Island. Surely you ain’t gonna shag Maria, though. What about James?’

Tommy shrugged. ‘Look, James has been with that Ellie bird all night, he’s well over Maria, he ain’t bothered. Anyway I ain’t gonna fuckin’ tell him, am I? You was the one that made me swap partners – I’d have been happy shagging your one.’

Freddie smiled. ‘We’ll go back to mine, then.’

Seeing his brother and Freddie alone, James grabbed Ellie’s hand and marched her over to them. He was desperate to know what the score was with Maria. He was just about to find out by pulling Tommy to one side when, to his dismay, Maria returned from the toilet. Unable to look her in the eye, he said the first thing that entered his drunken brain.

‘I’m shooting off now, everyone. I’m staying round Ellie’s, Tom, so tell Mum I won’t be home.’

Dragging Ellie behind him, he marched out of the door.

Maria felt next to nothing as she watched them leave together. James wasn’t the person she’d thought he was and Ellie Phillips was just a slag. In fact, they were welcome to one another. Smiling at Tommy, she seductively put her arms around his waist. She’d drunk so much wine that she was desperate for an adventure.

‘Are we going back to Freddie’s?’

Tommy nodded. He hadn’t had a bunk-up for weeks and wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Most of the birds he pulled were reasonably good looking, but Maria was outstanding. Itching to have his wicked way with her, he turned to Freddie.

‘Order the cab, let’s get out of here.’

Kenny smiled at her.

Maureen handed him the phone and carried on singing with the girls. They couldn’t stop laughing as Gladys leaped out of her seat and hitched up her skirt.

‘My old man said follow the van and don’t dilly dally on the way.’

‘Bless ’er, she remembers all the words to the songs, yer know,’ Ethel said fondly to Maureen.

Maureen squeezed Ethel’s hand. ‘Glad’s fine, she’s had a whale of a time tonight. She’s living with you now and we’re all here to help yer look after her.’

Ethel smiled. ‘You’re a daughter-in-law in a million, you are.’

‘Mum, Maur, me cab’s here. I’m going now.’

Ethel gave Kenny one of her famous looks. ‘Night, love. You’re much better company when yer without that miserable cow by yer side. Let’s hope she’s got the flu again next time we have a party.’

‘Mum,’ Maureen said, giving her daggers.

Seeing Kenny out, she apologised. ‘You know what yer mum’s like, Kenny, she don’t mean anything by it.’

Kenny smiled. ‘She’s right though, ain’t she?’

Hugging Maureen, Kenny kissed her on the cheek.

‘Thanks for the lovely night, Maur, it’s been wonderful, just like old times.’

Maureen waved as he got into the cab. Shutting the door, she took a deep breath. It had definitely been like old times, too much so for her liking.

‘Ah, baby, you’re so fuckin’ sexy. Jesus, Maria. Ah, ah, ah.’

Maria felt ill as he rolled off her. What had she done? How could she have been so bloody stupid?

Putting an arm around her, Tommy laid back on the bed. He’d shagged some birds in his time, but it had never felt like that before.

‘That was fucking blinding. Was it good for you, babe?’

‘It was nice,’ Maria said, her voice trembling. It was as much as she could do to stop herself crying.

Tommy wasn’t the one she wanted. She was in love with his brother, but now she’d messed things up for good. As Tommy began snoring, Maria started to sob. This was it now, end of. She hadn’t just lost her virginity tonight, but also her pride, her best friend and the man of her dreams.