TWENTY-SEVEN

Michelle Keane had never been one for arriving early at parties. She generally preferred to make a grand entrance when the night was already in full swing. Eleven o'clock was a bit late even by her standards, but knowing the party would probably go on for half of the night, Michelle guessed that she'd missed very little. Dragging an unenthusiastic Hazel into the hall, Chelle spotted Jimmy the Fish and immediately made a beeline for him.

'Michelle, Hazel, I'm so glad that you could make it.' Jimmy handed them both a glass of champagne. 'The bar's free, ladies, so just help yourselves. There's a load of seafood and a buffet over there in the corner and the karaoke will be starting shortly.'

Chelle knocked back her glass of champagne and quickly snatched another off a tray. 'Cheers, Jim. Where's Danny?'

Greedy fat fucker, Jimmy thought inwardly as he watched Michelle slinging champagne down her neck, as if it was water. Jimmy remembered Michelle from years ago when she'd first hooked up with Terry. He'd never really had a great deal of time for her and had only invited her tonight because he knew that she had been quite good to Danny.

'I'm not sure where he is.' Craning his neck, Jimmy spotted Danny chatting to a couple of geezers over by the stage. 'Oh yes, there he is, Chelle, over there, by the disc jockey.'

Danny stood by the stage chatting to a couple of old pals, but his attention was firmly focused on his son. Since he'd come out of nick, the child had behaved distantly towards him. At first, Danny hadn't taken much notice but watching Jamie swinging DJ about on the dance floor, he'd fathomed out the problem. He'd enlisted Jamie to keep an eye on the boy, not take over the role of his fucking father. Well, tomorrow he'd have a quiet word with him, tell him to keep a wide berth for a bit, until DJ got used to having his real daddy around again. Lost in his thoughts, Danny didn't notice Chelle approaching.

'Danny,' Chelle said, throwing her arms around him.

'Fuck,' Danny muttered to himself. He thought the world of Chelle, but he could have done without her turning up tonight. He'd certainly have some explaining to do to Billie Jo, as he had never told her that he'd become good friends with her mother. Luckily, he was a bloody good liar. He just hoped that he would be able to bluff his way out of this one.

'Do us a favour, Chelle, Billie Jo's over there with the little 'un. If you talk to her, don't put your foot in it about our friendship and me coming round and all that, will ya?'

'Don't worry.' Chelle gave a hearty laugh. 'I won't get you into trouble.'

'Cheers, Chelle. I'll catch up with you later.'

Heading off to the bar, Danny decided he was now going to get well and truly drunk. What had started off as a fantastic evening was now turning into the night from fucking hell. What with his mother turning up and then Michelle. Fuck knows who'd invited them. Anyone would think some bastard had it in for him.

Chelle turned to Hazel with a twisted expression firmly in place.

'Who does he think he is, eh? I've been bloody good to that boy and he can't even be bothered to stand and talk to me for five minutes.'

Not wanting any grief, Hazel tried to lift Chelle's mood.

'He was ever so pleased to see you, Chelle. He can't stand in one spot all night, can he? It's his party, he has to mix.'

Grabbing another champagne off the tray, Chelle glanced at Hazel.

'Fucking fuming, I am. All he's worried about is Billie Jo finding out about our friendship. In other words, Danny thinks my daughter is more important than I am.'

Hazel sighed. There was no point trying to reason with Chelle when she was in one of her drunken strops.

'How's my two favourite girls?' Danny said, grinning at his mother and Billie Jo. Nailing a false smile onto her face, Billie grinned back.

'We're fine, thank you, having a good old girlie chat, as you do.'

Arsehole, Billie thought inwardly. She felt like punching the bastard's lights out, but decided to stick to her plan.

Danny looked around drunkenly. 'Where's my boy, Billie?'

'Jamie has taken him to the toilet.'

Danny was fuming. DJ was his son. He should be taking him to the toilet, not fucking Jamie. 'What time you gonna take him home, Bill?'

Billie took a sip of her drink. 'I'm not. If you're worried about him, you take him home, Dan. It's ages since I've been out and tonight I'm determined to enjoy myself.'

Danny jokingly crossed his fingers. 'Sorry. Are you pissed off 'cause your mum's here?'

'My mum's here?' Billie exclaimed. 'Where is she? What's she doing here?'

Danny held his hands out innocently. 'Dunno, but someone must've invited her.'

'Wonderful,' Billie said, as she turned her back on him to speak to Brenda. Danny took the hint and wandered off. He could tell Billie had a face on and decided to have a couple of lines in the toilet to sober himself up, just in case it all went off.

'I'm just gonna pop outside a minute, Brenda, get a breath of fresh air. I'll be back in a sec.' Billie walked out of the smoky, packed hall and gulped in deep breaths of clean fresh air. Although she'd had a lot to drink, the conversation she'd overheard in the toilet earlier had sobered her up and she now felt more merry than drunk.

Walking around the front of the pub, Billie's curiosity got the better of her. Unable to stop herself, she peered through the window in search of the voice from the toilet. The pub was almost empty now. There were a couple of old boys sitting at the bar and a crowd of young lads in the corner. Scanning the joint, Billie guessed immediately that the blonde girl who was wiping a couple of tables was the owner of the voice she'd heard earlier. Young, tarty and common-looking, Billie thought to herself, as she watched the girl leaning over the table, giving everyone an eyeful of what she'd had for dinner earlier. Ducking out of the way as she noticed one of the old boys about to leave the premises, Billie decided to play detective.

Charlie Chambers downed the remains of his pint, said goodbye to his mate Sid and started his short walk towards home. 'You all right, love? Are you at the party out the back?' he asked Billie Jo.

'No, I've come to meet my mate Debbie. Is she still working?' Billie lied.

Charlie smiled. 'The door's open, love. She's just wiping the tables. Don't stand out here on your own, go inside and wait for her.'

Billie thanked him, waited until he was out of sight and went back into the hall. Noticing her mother and Hazel prancing about on the stage trying to sing Abba's 'Waterloo', Billie walked around the edge to avoid being seen by them.

Brenda smiled as Billie returned to the table. 'Ah, there you are. Jamie bought DJ back, he's asleep on that chair. Now you're back I'm gonna check on my brood and go to the loo.'

Meanwhile, from the stage, Michelle had noticed Billie standing alone. Having never seen her grandson before, the temptation proved too much for his drunken gran to resist. Billie was too busy watching Jamie practising moves on the dance floor to notice her mother staggering towards her.

'Well, well, well. If it ain't my precious daughter.'

Noting the sarcasm in her voice, Billie knew that her mother was spoiling for an argument.

'Look, Mum. I don't want no trouble, so unless you've got something nice to say to me, I suggest that you leave me alone.'

Chelle swayed drunkenly, with hands on hips.

'Hark at you, little Miss Sensible. I wanna meet my grandson. Where is he?'

Billie looked at her mother in horror. There was no way on earth that she was letting her mother anywhere near her precious boy. 'He's asleep, Mum. Anyway, you're drunk. The last thing I want is for my son to realise he's related to Nanny Lush.'

'You cheeky little cow. How dare you speak to me like that? You're just like your father, Billie. He was one cocky arsehole, and you, you've fucking turned into him. Hateful you are, just like he was.'

Billie could feel herself shaking, but was determined to stand her ground.

'The feeling's mutual, Mum. Now, fuck off and leave me alone. I don't know what you're doing here, anyway. Who invited you? Or did you just gatecrash?'

Michelle was fuming. She couldn't believe the change in Billie Jo. Determined not to let her daughter get the better of her, she decided it was time to play her trump card.

'Who do you think you are? Getting on your fucking high horse. I'll tell you why I was invited, shall I? Unbeknown to you, you silly little mare, me and your Danny are best buddies. Days, he's spent round mine, on the piss, and believe me he did nothing but slag you off. He's with you for one reason and one reason only, Billie, and that's because you've got his bloody kid. Same reason why your father was with me. So don't you ever think you're any better than me, girl, 'cause you ain't. In fact, you've turned into me.'

Lifting her right hand, Billie smacked her mother as hard around the face as she could manage.

Hazel, who had been chatting to Brenda whilst closely watching the situation, decided it was now time to step in.

'Come on, Chelle, leave it,' she urged her friend. Ignoring Hazel's advice, Michelle grabbed Billie by the hair and pulled her onto the floor.

Jimmy the Fish, who happened to be standing nearby, quickly waded in to stop the fracas. Grabbing hold of Michelle, he marched her over towards the stage. Brenda took care of Billie Jo. Sitting her down on a chair, she hugged her tightly.

'Ssh. Stop crying, Billie. Your mum's gone now, love.'

Danny, now back from snorting gear in the toilets, felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

'What happened?' he asked Jimmy. Explaining the situation, Jimmy urged Danny to get rid of Chelle, and fast.

'You're gonna have to go, girls,' Danny said apologetically to Hazel. He decided to address the friend, as a drunken Michelle wasn't the easiest person to reason with.

'Bollocks. I ain't going nowhere. Why should I be the one to have to leave? She started it,' Chelle screamed.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. 'It's nothing to do with me, it's Jimmy's orders, Chelle.'

'But it's your party, Dan. You've been like a son to me. I ain't going nowhere.'

Hazel, being much more astute than Michelle, noticed a couple of Jimmy's henchmen getting ready to eject them. 'Come on, Chelle, we're leaving now.'

Hazel was fuming by the night's events. She hadn't wanted to come to this shithole in the first place. Finally, after a struggle, she managed to drag Chelle out. Bundling her into the car, Hazel locked the doors and drove off at speed.

Danny walked over to Billie Jo. 'All right, babe? I chucked your mother out. Are you OK?'

Billie was seething. 'No, I'm not OK. I can't believe that you sat round my mother's house, slagging me off behind my back.'

It was a good job that Michelle had left, because Danny would have personally throttled her.

'It weren't like that, Bill. I just spoke to her a couple of times when we were going through a bit of a rough patch. I only went round there once or twice, honest I did. Look, let's not have an argument here. I've got rid of her. We'll talk about it tomorrow, OK?'

'Fuck you,' Billie said, before storming back to Brenda. She was desperate for someone to confide in. The drink had loosened her tongue and she needed to spill her guts to whoever was willing to listen. Distraught, Billie told Brenda absolutely everything. The rape, Danny betraying her with her own mother, she even told her about the affair she'd found out about earlier in the toilet. The disco was so loud that Brenda couldn't hear Billie properly, but she certainly got the gist of what she was saying. Her heart went out to the girl that was sitting beside her.

'There's no going back after tonight, Brenda,' Billie sobbed. 'I've had a gutful and I'm definitely finishing with him for good.'

Brenda looked at the pretty young thing and could have cried for her. 'Can I still see you and my grandson?'

'Of course you can,' Billie said, meaning it.

Brenda felt a sudden hatred for the eldest son who she'd always idolised and stuck up for. 'Here's my phone number,' she said, pressing a bit of paper into Billie's hand. 'Ring me in the week and we'll meet up. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call.'

Billie took the number and tucked it safely into her purse. 'Thanks, Brenda.'

Brenda kissed Billie on the cheek. 'I'm gonna go now, lovey. There's a cab firm up the road. I'll take a walk up there. The kids are playing up now and I'd best get them out of here before they wreck the joint.' Billie waved goodbye and sat alone at the table, stroking DJ's head. Her son was sleeping peacefully on the chair, unaware of his mother's predicament. Billie had had a bastard night and wanted nothing more than to go home, but she was determined to hang the evening out, at least until the old slapper from behind the bar arrived and she had a chance to shoot Danny down in flames.

'You all right, Billie?' Jamie said, sitting down next to her. 'I'd have come over earlier, but you were deep in conversation with Danny's mum and I didn't want to interrupt. What happened with your mum?'

Glancing at him sideways, Billie let out a deep sigh. 'It's a long story. I'll tell you another time, eh?'

Jamie could tell that she was putting on a brave face, but underneath was upset. 'Look, Bill, Lucy's tired so I'm gonna take her home. I'll be about half an hour. Stay put and I'll come back for you. Then, when you're ready, I'll take you and DJ home in a cab.'

'Thanks, Jamie,' Billie said, appreciating his kindness. 'I'll see you when you get back.'

Danny had kept half an eye on Billie for the last thirty minutes or so. He'd seen her crying to his mother and knew he was in shit-street. Fuck, he thought to himself, things had been going so smoothly since he'd come out of nick. Now Michelle had gone and opened her big mouth and ruined it. Knowing he had to pull a rabbit out of the hat to get back in Billie's good books, a drunken thought invaded his brain. Picking up his glass, he walked up to the stage and had a quiet word with the DJ.

Billie saw the door open and noticed Debbie come in. Clocking to see if Danny had noticed, she realised he hadn't because he was over by the stage.

'Ssh, can I have everyone's attention, please? I've got a very special man here who would like to say a few words.'

Danny jumped up onto the stage as bold as brass. Cheers and clapping rang around the hall. Grabbing the mike with his right hand, left hand in his trouser pocket, Danny smiled at his audience, milking his moment.

'Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone for coming this evening and all that bollocks.' The hall erupted with laughter. 'Secondly, I'd like to thank Jimmy the Fish for taking me on as a partner. I won't let you down, Jim, but I want a seventy-thirty cut, you tight bastard.' The laughter continued. 'And thirdly, and on a more serious note, I want to thank my wonderful girlfriend Billie Jo for being so supportive to me and I want to ask her an important question.'

Taking the box out of his pocket, Danny got down on one knee. He had only brought the ring with him to show a couple of his pals what a good deal he had got. Clearing his throat, Danny spoke loudly and confidently.

'Billie Jo, will you marry me?'

All eyes turned to Billie, who was sitting alone in the corner. The DJ, who was ready to start the karaoke up again, snatched the mike off Danny.

'Billie, come up here, love, and give us your answer on the mike.'

Standing on the stage, Danny noticed Debbie standing by the bar with a mortified expression on her face. Fucking hell, he thought to himself, I need her here like I need a hole in the head.

Billie got up and walked towards the stage, amid cheers and congratulations. She couldn't believe her luck. No longer did she feel like little Miss Timid. In fact, she wasn't even nervous. Fuck Danny O'Leary and all his gangster friends. They could go to hell for all she cared.

Danny kissed Billie on the cheek as she clambered onto the stage. 'What's your answer then, babe?' he asked brashly as he showed her the ring.

Taking the mike in her hand, Billie smiled at Danny. 'The answer is no, I won't marry an arsehole like you. You are a cheat, a liar, a scumbag . . .'

Danny tried to snatch the mike, but Billie held on to it firmly with both hands. 'Why don't you take your ring, Danny, and shove it up your fucking arse. Either that or give it to the old slapper over there that you've been knocking off. Debs, he's all yours, love.'

The hall fell completely silent. Danny O'Leary's homecoming had been well and truly ruined.