‘Yeah, all the group are going to be invited along. Jude understands that some of them won’t want to show their faces for obvious reasons, but the more the merrier. And I want you to be my plus-one for the mayor’s reception, so you’d better think of an excuse to get rid of knobhead before the night.’
Billie grimaced. ‘I’ll do my best but it won’t be easy and no way can I be on telly either. Someone’s bound to see me and that’s all I need.’
‘Don’t you worry about that, I’m sure between us we can figure out a way to get rid of Davey. Ooh look, we’re here. Forget about all that for now, it’s party time.’ Kelly gave Billie a nudge and a wink then instructed the driver to pull over.
Billie watched closely as Kelly peeled off a twenty-pound note from the rolled-up bundle of cash inside her purse and then told the driver to keep the change. After leaving the taxi, Billie was eager to get inside the swanky bar, not because she was looking forward to the evening but because ithadto be warmer in there. Otherwise she would die of hypothermia, or get frostbite in her nether regions.
Once inside and thawing nicely, Billie waited while Kelly bought the first round of drinks, observing her closely as she had done ever since arriving at her flat earlier that evening.
* * *
To say Kelly had behaved like an overexcited teenager hosting her very first sleepover was an understatement. Billie had tried to ignore the creeping unease as Kelly gave her a grand tour of the two-bedroomed flat, pointing out the matching pyjamas and fluffy socks she’d bought for when they got back later. They were laid out on the bed with a towel folded into the shape of a swan and by the side, brand new miniature toiletries. Billie couldn’t decide whether it was tragic or manic so instead said they were nice but unnecessary. Kelly had waved it off, insisting she wanted to make her special guest feel welcome. Then when they entered the kitchen, the table was bulging with vodka and Prosecco and an array of buffet food. The whole set-up caused Billie’s skin to crawl and, bizarrely, it made her think of Hansel and Gretel.
Billie was pacing herself with the drinks and when Kelly nipped to the loo, she chucked one glass down the sink and replaced it with tonic. It was also hard not to keep checking the fingers of the clock which never seemed to move, or to think about Iris who would’ve had her bath and bedtime story by now. It was the first time since her birth that Billie had stayed out all night and it was torture.
Her parents hadn’t batted an eyelid when she asked them to babysit while she met up with one of her old police colleagues. Neither wanted her driving over the Pennines at night so seemed relieved she’d be staying over. Her mum said it would do her good and almost shoved her out the door. The only thing that kept Billie focused and from making an excuse to leave was the knowledge that Iris would be safe and sound with her grandparents, and that all this play-acting bollocks was for Stan.
Along with throwing drinks down her neck, Kelly also threw herself into getting glammed up, insisting on painting Billie’s nails, fingers and toes. Her behaviour was cloying and creepy and the phrase ‘space invader’ would not leave Billie’s mind. Kelly reminded her of the freaky housemate in a film she’d seen once, where a woman was obsessed with her flatmate. In the end, Billie was glad to get out of the flat without Kelly wanting to curl her hair and help her dress, or be suffocated by attention.
* * *
Billie tried to look elegant and aloof as she sipped her drink, perched on a ridiculously high stool in full view of the other customers. All the while, she eyed Kelly and had already noted two things. The first was that she was a subtle flirt and enjoyed being gawped at. Her supposed fear of men and noisy surroundings that she’d mentioned in the group certainly wasn’t affecting her tonight. The second, was that with every drink, she became bolder and more, for want of a better word, cocky. The sheath that shrouded her damaged soul was beginning to fade and a woman Billie had not before encountered was blossoming into life. She took this as a good sign.
Kelly piped up. ‘I’m so glad I persuaded you to come out tonight. Are you having fun? I am. Have you seen anyone you fancy yet?’ Kelly scanned the room as she spoke, making no attempt to disguise her roving eye.
‘Yes, I’m having fun but you need to slow down otherwise you’ll be hammered and no, I’ve not seen anyone I fancy and have no intention of looking either. I don’t have a death wish and my nerves can’t take much more, so less of the flirting. Look but don’t even think about touching, okay?’ Billie raised her eyes knowingly at Kelly who smirked and gave a cheeky wink.
‘Hey, if I’d wanted a lecture I’d have brought my mum out… and anyway, it won’t do any harm to get a few phone numbers in case I need warming up at night. If you had any sense you’d do the same. Then you can ditch Davey. I might even get you a T-shirt with that printed on. It’s a good slogan.’ Kelly drained her glass and looked ready for another.
‘If it was that easy I’d have done it yonks ago but he’s like sodding superglue and I’ll pass on the T-shirt, thanks. Right, it’s my round. Same again?’ Billie slid off the stool as elegantly as she could without showing her knickers and after getting the thumbs-up, set off for the bar.
It was busy so while she waited her turn, Billie checked her phone and saw a message from ‘Davey’, asking what she was doing. Replying that she was okay and watching telly, Billie felt a glimmer of relief. Touching base with Aiden and responding as they’d arranged helped her relax. He sent her a thumbs-up back, so if Kelly got a glimpse of her messages it would seem normal: an overprotective boyfriend checking in.
After ordering vodka and tonic for Kelly and an almost identical fizzy water for herself, Billie made her way back and as she did, saw her reflection in the window of the bar. Her too-short, ice-blue sequined dress – chosen and paid for by Kelly – made Billie cringe and she was glad Stan couldn’t see her. But as she looked away from her reflection someone briefly caught her eye.
No, it couldn’t be.He’d been and gone before Billie had a chance to look closer but she could’ve sworn the guy on the street who’d been talking on his phone was Doog. Billie never forgot a face, especially one that had made her so uncomfortable. He’d totally vanished now so she shrugged it off as a coincidence, and made her way back to Kelly, who was on her phone. When Billie asked what she was doing, the answer didn’t surprise her.
‘Looking for cute guys in the vicinity… I’ve got an app that tells me, but nobody takes my fancy so for now I’m all yours. Anyway, I know what I meant to ask you: how come you only joined Facebook recently? I was browsing your profile the other night and if you don’t mind me saying, it’ssodull.’
Billie’s heart flipped so she took a sip of her drink before answering. ‘And if you don’t mind me saying you sound like a stalker, browsing my Facebook.’ Billie added a cheeky wink then continued but was glad she’d made the point. ‘It’s because Davey made me delete my account when he thought I was flirting with some lad I went to school with. He had a complete meltdown and smashed my phone and told me I wasn’t allowed on Facebook anymore. I eventually persuaded him to let me back on it when I got my new – or should I say second-hand – phone, but only if I added him and his family, and girls, no blokes.’
‘What a prat. So who does he think the women from the group are? His long-lost aunties?’
‘He thinks they’re from ‘fat club’… I said I go once a week so I don’t get chubby and the arsehole reckoned it was a good idea. The cheeky get! But that’s why I look at gossip and the news and post memes, it’s less hassle.’ Billie thought that was a flipping excellent answer and the change in subject proved she was right.
‘Well he’s a tit, that’s for sure, and if you ever do ditch him there’s a room waiting for you at mine. We can be flatmates! How much fun would that be? Two single girls living it up.’
‘Thanks, mate, and I’ll bear that in mind. Now drink up. We should go somewhere else. I can’t hear myself think in here.’ Billie grabbed her bag and more or less jumped off her stool and when Kelly did the same, she noticed she was less steady on her feet and well on her way to getting drunk.
Good,thought Billie,let’s see if I can’t loosen that tongue a bit more before the night’s out. There was no way she was going through this torment again, one bar crawl was quite enough, and she was already missing Iris and desperate to ring her mum and check up, but she daren’t use her fake phone. Her real one was in the glove compartment of Stan’s car, parked four streets from her pretend flat. God, she hoped it would be okay and not get pinched, or broken into. With one hand under Kelly’s arm, Billie guided her onto the street and when the fresh air hit their lungs, suggested they went straight to the pub across the road and then she could begin the serious job of interrogating her semi-sloshed ‘friend’.
32
Two very long hours later, Kelly was annoying the taxi driver by insisting he joined in with Jingle Bells. She wasn’t having much luck and she finally got the message when he slammed the Perspex hatch shut to drown out her wailing. It was the only time during the evening that Billie had really laughed.
Now she had a lot on her mind, little snippets of this and that, a verbal jigsaw puzzle that she needed to fit together and she wished Kelly would shut the fuck up so she could concentrate. It had started with the talk of holidays, and ended with curry, and in between there had been glimpses of the woman Stan said Kelly really was.
* * *
