Brenda smiled and tried to put on her poshest voice. A man called Leon had been dropping an envelope round to her once a fortnight with some cash in it to help her out while Danny was inside, and she knew that the money came from the man that stood in front of her. 'I'd love to come, what time does it start?'
Jimmy edged towards the door. The smell was making him feel ill and he couldn't wait to get some fresh air. 'We're getting all the friends and family to arrive about seven. I'm gonna take Danny out for a meal and get him there about half past. Oh, by the way, if he pops round before, don't mention it to him, as I want it to be a surprise.'
Brenda let out a huff. 'There's not much chance of me seeing him. Since he's been with that girl, all he does is pop round and drop money off and he's gone within ten minutes. I haven't even seen my grandson yet. He promised he was gonna bring the baby round to me, but he got locked up soon after, so that was that. Anyone would think he was ashamed of me.'
Jimmy said goodbye and cursed himself. He was sure that Danny wouldn't want his mum at the party and who could fucking well blame him, the state of her? No wonder he'd never mentioned his family. Still it was too late now, he'd dropped a clanger and invited her. He just hoped for Danny's sake that she didn't turn up.
Leon waved goodbye to Michelle and drove off in his car. Chelle poured herself a vodka and got straight on the phone to Hazel. 'Hazel, you're not doing anything on Saturday night, are you?'
'No, Chelle. Why?'
'Danny comes out of nick tomorrow and there's a big surprise party being held for him. One of Jimmy the Fish's boys has just been round here to invite me. Do you fancy it?'
'Where is it?' Hazel hoped it was somewhere plush. She knew that once Michelle got a bee in her bonnet, she'd be made to go anyway, whether she wanted to or not.
'The Cross Keys in Dagenham, but don't be put off by that. There's a free bar all night, a disco, a karaoke and it's bound to be full of villains if it's anything to do with Jimmy.'
'Fucking hell, Chelle. How can we go for a night out in Dagenham? What are we meant to wear, bulletproof vests? It'll be like something off the Trisha show.'
Michelle couldn't help laughing. 'Oh, go on, Hazel, come with me. You know how close I was to Danny. I had the hump with him over the visit stuff, but now I can't wait to see him again. There has to be some eligible men there for me and you. Every bloke I meet nowadays hasn't got a pot to piss in. The last one that chatted me up was a bus driver, for fuck's sake. At least we know most of them there, and if they're Jimmy's pals they're bound to have a few bob.'
'All right then. A night out in Dagenham, I can't bloody wait.'
Hazel sighed as she switched her phone off. Chelle was a bloody nuisance and would probably be the death of her, but she loved her all the same. They'd fallen out briefly a while back, when she'd confronted Chelle over her drinking. Chelle had been furious at her interference.
'Who are you all of a sudden? Mother Fucking Teresa!' she'd shouted at her indignantly. 'Don't come round my house being all self-righteous. I thought you was my friend, Hazel. If all of a sudden I've become an embarrassment to you, it's best you fuck off and don't come back.'
Hazel had slunk off with her tail between her legs. She hated falling out with people and had truly had her best pal's interests at heart. Chelle had rung her within days. They'd rekindled their friendship immediately and Hazel had decided that unless asked, she would never interfere with how Chelle lived her life again.
Chelle smiled to herself. She knew Hazel wouldn't let her down and all she had to do now was plan her outfit. Knocking back her vodka in one, Chelle picked up her keys, jumped in her car and headed straight to Bluewater.
Hearing the bell ring, Billie Jo answered the door and was surprised to see Jimmy the Fish standing there. He normally sent somebody else to her house, whether it be for financial reasons or a lift to the prison. She'd only ever had one visit from Jimmy before. It had been when Danny had first been locked up and he had called in to assure her that she had nothing to worry about.
'All right, what's up? Is something wrong?' Billie's first thought was that something had happened to Danny.
'Nothing's wrong, love. I just popped round to tell you that I've organised a surprise party for Danny on Saturday night, at the hall in the back of the Keys. I didn't know if you would want to get a babysitter, or bring young Danny with you. There's plenty of kids going, so your little 'un will have the time of his life. What I'm gonna do is pick Danny up late Saturday afternoon and take him for a meal. I'll drag him down the Keys after and tell him we're just popping in for a quickie. Unbeknown to him, all his family and friends will be waiting there. All the drinks are on me. I've laid on a load of food, a disco and a karaoke. What do you think? Will Danny be chuffed or will Danny be chuffed?'
'Yeah, he'll love it,' Billie said unenthusiastically. Thanking Jimmy, she said goodbye. Sitting down on the sofa cuddling Danny Junior, Billie Jo could have cried. She craved normality, not a bloody big party.
Mixing with a load of lowlifes and watching Danny being patted on the back every five minutes like he was some kind of a fucking hero wasn't Billie's idea of a good night out. Still, it was only one night out of her life. She was his partner, the mother of his child. It would look awful if she didn't turn up.
She decided there and then to take DJ with her. She would do the right thing, chat and be polite to everyone, then escape after a couple of hours, saying that the baby was tired. Danny would stay there and get pissed, she would get a cab home. At least that way she would have done her duty and everyone would be happy. Story of her life really, making other people happy. Mug, she thought to herself as she picked up the phone and dialled Jamie's number.
Jamie was in a pub in Liverpool Street and didn't hear his phone ring. Seeing the missed call, he rang Billie's number. 'You all right, girl? What's up?'
'Have you heard about the party on Saturday, Jamie?'
'Yeah, one of the boys rang me up earlier. You are going, aren't you?'
Billie took another gulp. 'Yeah, I'm going, I'm gonna take the baby with me. Apparently there's a load of kids going so I know Danny would want DJ there so he can show him off and that. I wondered if you would pick me up? I don't really want to walk in there on my own.'
'Course I will, babe.' Jamie walked outside the pub. The jukebox was blaring and he could barely hear her. 'I'll get a cab and I'll pick you up at seven. My new girlfriend, Lucy, will be with me. She's staying with me the weekend as my mum's going to Butlins. She's lovely and I can't wait for you to meet her, Bill.'
'OK, see you at seven.'
Billie felt a strange feeling wash over her as she put the phone down. She'd had no idea that Jamie had a new girlfriend and for some reason she felt uneasy about it. Jamie hadn't had a girlfriend since Carly, so maybe that was the reason why she felt so pissed off.
As Billie finished off her bottle of wine, she delved through her feelings. She didn't want to admit it, but deep down she knew that her bout of jealousy was sod all to do with Carly and more to do with herself. Many a time when Jamie had taken her and DJ out, Billie Jo had wondered what might have been. Watching Jamie lovingly take baby Danny into his arms and on all the rides at Southend's Peter Pan, Billie had often wondered if she'd picked the wrong bloke.
Annoyed with herself, Billie walked into the bathroom and doused her face with cold water. Staring intently into the bathroom mirror, she noticed how old she'd started to look. Must be all the worry, she thought inwardly. She knew she had to pull herself together. Danny would be home tomorrow. He had promised to change and to make a go of it and she knew she had to do the same because DJ needed a father. She'd had so many wonderful family days out with Jamie that it had given her an insight into what family should be like.
Deciding this was one of those times that she needed God's help, she chose to have a quiet word with Him. 'Please, will you help Danny change into a nicer person? Please encourage him to become a good partner and father.
' Billie had loads more to ask God for, but her prayers were cut short by her sobbing. Unable to stop the tears, she put her head under the quilt and rocked herself to sleep.
TWENTY-FIVE
Danny watched the door shut behind him and walked through the prison gates. It was March, the sun was out and he appreciated the nice weather and clean fresh air, which he breathed in deeply. It was surprising how spending eighteen months stuck in a stinking shithole made you appreciate the simplest things in life.
Danny spotted Jimmy the Fish leaning against the door of his Jaguar, and strolled towards him.
'Hello, son,' Jimmy said, giving him a bear hug. On the way home, Jimmy filled Danny in with all the gossip. Taking a detour, he pulled up outside his pal's steakhouse in Barking. Smiling, Jimmy took an envelope out of the inside pocket of his jacket and chucked it at Danny.
'There's five grand in there, son. Just to give you a bit of spending money until you feel ready to come back to work. I thought it would be nice for you to spend a bit of time with Billie and the kid before you rush back into things.'
Danny tucked the envelope safely into his pocket. 'Cheers, Jim. I need to spend a bit of time with my family. Between me and you we wasn't getting on that well before I went away and I'm desperate to make things right again.'
Jimmy felt a surge of love for the boy who had done so much for him. Ever since his only son had been killed in that terrible accident, Jimmy had been aware of an emptiness inside. Nobody could understand his emotions. Only somebody who had lost a child would ever be able to relate to how he felt. Since Danny had been on the scene, Jimmy's loss had eased and the gap in his life had been filled.
Although no one could replace his precious boy, having Danny as a surrogate was definitely the next best thing.
'Come on, Dan, I'm gonna treat you to a nice juicy steak. We'll have a couple of bottles of champagne and then I'll drop you off at home so you can spend some quality time with Billie and the boy. Oh, and by the way, I'm taking you for a posh meal on Saturday. Late afternoon it'll be, so put your best togs on. I've cleared it with Billie Jo. I need to have a chat with you about the business. I wanna take you on as a partner, so we've got to set a few ground rules. I'll pick you up about four, son, OK?'
Danny was overjoyed and immediately decided to go out the following day and invest in a new suit. If he was gonna be business partners with Jimmy, he needed to look the part. He'd lost weight in prison and knew that all the good clobber he had indoors would now be miles too big for him. Half an hour later Danny rubbed his bloated stomach, and let out a loud sigh. 'That was the best meal I've ever had, Jim. The food in Brixton was absolutely fucking rotten.'
Laughing, Jimmy downed the rest of his champagne and shouted for the bill. 'That'll be a thing of the past for you now, son. It'll all be about champagne and caviar from now on, you wait and see.'
Danny smiled and stood up. 'Yeah, right. Are we ready to make tracks? I've got a beautiful bird and a little boy eagerly awaiting my arrival.'
Hugging Jimmy tightly, Danny thanked him for the money and meal and confirmed the arrangements for Saturday. As he walked up the path, he felt strange to be knocking at the door of the house that he had never seen before.
The sound of the doorbell made Billie jump. She had been a bundle of nerves all afternoon and had been knocking back alcohol just to calm herself down. Gingerly she opened the door.
'Hello, darling,' Danny said, handing her the bouquet of flowers that he'd purchased on the way back from Barking.
'Come and have a look around the new house, Dan. We've so much more room than we had in the flat and the garden is well cool,' Billie gabbled, not knowing what else to say. Danny followed Billie from room to room allowing her to show him around.
'Where's the baby, Bill?'
'He's having his afternoon sleep. I'll go and wake him up now. There's beers in the fridge, Dan. Go and pour yourself one and pour me a glass of wine while you're out there. I thought we'd have a drink and celebrate, as it's a special occasion.'
Danny did as he was told and sat in the living room. A minute later he heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet. Billie walked into the room followed by his very grown-up-looking son. Danny hadn't seen the kid for over a year. Billie had visited him alone, but apart from once, she had refused to take their son into the prison.
'Look, DJ, there's Daddy. I told you he was coming home today. Go and give him a cuddle, there's a good boy.' Clinging on to his mothers legs, DJ peeked shyly at the father he barely remembered.
'He ain't half grown since I last saw him, Bill. I love his haircut, it looks the bollocks.'
Billie knew that Danny was upset by his son's reaction to him. Holding DJ's hand, she led him towards his father.
'Don't be naughty now, DJ. Be a good boy and say a proper hello to your daddy.'
'I want Jamie,' DJ screamed, as he clung to his mother for dear life.
Fuming at his son's behaviour, but desperate not to show it, Danny quickly changed the subject. 'I've got to pop into Romford early in the morning, Bill. I need a haircut and I wanna try and get a new suit. I've got a business meeting with Jimmy on Saturday and he told me to get dressed up. I think he's taking me to a posh restaurant somewhere to discuss our partnership. When I get back tomorrow, how about the three of us going out somewhere? What do you say?'
'That sounds great,' Billie said, pleased but also shocked at his suggestion. It would be the first time ever that they'd been out as a family, just the three of them. Danny had been full of promises in prison, but once released Billie had expected him to go on the piss and forget all about them.
The rest of the afternoon and early evening passed pleasantly. The atmosphere was jovial and most of the conversation was centred around DJ, who was now getting used to his father and lapping up the attention. Tucking the little 'un up in bed for the night, Billie felt slightly uneasy as she made her way back down the stairs. This was the part that she'd been dreading the most, the part where she and Danny were left on their own together. She'd got so used to it being just her and the child, it felt strange to be part of a couple again.
Danny being in prison had kind of suited Billie Jo. For one thing, she had known where he was, secondly, she had got used to her own company and thirdly, and probably most important, she hadn't had to worry about Danny forcing himself upon her. Billie and Danny had not had sex since the night he'd raped and buggered her and intimacy was the part that Billie was dreading the most.
He was bound to expect sex tonight: he'd been locked up for eighteen months. What man wouldn't? Billie decided to numb her worries with alcohol. Maybe if she got the first time out of the way, everything would be all right.
'Cor, you're knocking 'em back tonight, Bill. You opening another bottle, girl?'
Billie smiled and sat down next to him. 'We're celebrating, aren't we?'
'Yeah,' Danny replied. 'It's just that I didn't know you could drink that amount. You used to be flat on your back after a few.'
Deciding to shut him up, Billie turned to face him. 'For your information, I've become partial to a bottle of wine, once the baby's tucked up in bed. Maybe it's all the stress and worry I've had to put up with. Bringing up a toddler single-handed wasn't easy, you know.'
Danny knew when he was beaten. 'Oh, I didn't mean nothing by it, babe. In fact I like to see you enjoying yourself, letting yourself go a bit.'
Billie smiled to herself. One-nil, she thought silently. Start as you mean to go on, eh! By half past ten, Billie felt that she'd consumed enough wine to see her through the ordeal in front of her. Sidling up next to Danny on the sofa, Billie squeezed his hand. 'Let's go to bed, eh, Dan?'
Danny couldn't believe his luck. He thought he'd be treading on eggshells for at least a fortnight before he got anywhere near her. Not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, Danny took Billie by her hand and led her up the stairs. Five minutes later, the ordeal that Billie had dreaded so much was over.
Danny O'Leary had bee
n sexually active since the age of thirteen, when he'd picked up on the facts of life by shagging his mate Darren's eighteen-year-old babysitter. Deciding sex was the greatest thing since sliced bread, Danny had never gone more than a couple of weeks without it ever since. That part of prison life had done Danny's head in. The rest of it he could handle, but having no sex for nigh on eighteen months killed him, and having a wank whilst looking at some old slapper in a porno mag was no substitute. This was the reason why it had all been over in five minutes tonight.
'You all right, babe? Sorry it was a bit quick.'
Billie covered herself over with the quilt. 'You haven't got to be sorry, Danny. Don't be silly. I'm ever so tired anyway. Let's get some sleep now or we won't be up for our day out tomorrow.'
'Night then, babe.' Danny snuggled under the covers, appreciating the feel of a nice clean, comfortable bed. It had been a long, eventful day and he was knackered. He fell asleep minutes later.
Billie lay awake, listening to him snoring. She'd been so used to having the double bed to herself that it felt strange having to share it again. She was glad the sex bit had been over so quickly. She wanted to make the relationship work and knew she couldn't spend the rest of her life guzzling bottles of wine just in case Danny expected sex. She had to try and forget the past and concentrate on the future.
Feeling like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, Billie drifted off to sleep. In her dreams, she was safe, content and happy and dreamt that she was having another baby and about to get married. Her dad was in her dream, giving her away at the altar. As she walked up the aisle with him, her husband-to-be turned round and smiled.
It was at that point that she woke up with a jolt. The man she was marrying wasn't Danny. Unbelievably, it was Jamie.
TWENTY-SIX
Danny tucked the ring safely into his pocket and walked out of the jeweller's with a satisfied smile on his face. He'd been to see a pal of Jimmy's called Diamond Dave to purchase an engagement ring for Billie Jo. The geezer had done him a lovely deal and he'd paid three grand for a ring which was probably worth double that. Now all he had to do was find the right time to present it to Billie and ask her to marry him. Deep down, Danny was in no rush to get married and he was sure Billie would feel the same. He just wanted to prove to her that he was serious about their relationship and making it work.
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