Schemer

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘I’m sorry, Lin. Let’s not fall out over this,’ Pam said, wiping her eyes with a tissue.

  ‘Stick your sorrys up your arse, ’cause I ain’t in the mood for ’em today,’ Lin said bluntly. She walked over to her boyfriend and grabbed him by the hand. ‘Come on, Keith, we’re going home.’

  Barry pulled up on Stephanie’s driveway. Wayne’s hire-purchase car had gone back last week, but Steph’s car wasn’t there either, and Barry wondered if she had hidden it around the corner because she was trying to avoid him. He knocked on the front door. The house was in darkness, so he put his ear to the letterbox to see if he could hear the kids at all. He couldn’t hear a dickie bird, and after numerous knocks and rings on the bell, he was sure that no one was home. Kicking at the gravel in frustration, Barry got back in his car. The only other place he could think of where Steph could be was her mother’s house. Debating whether to drive straight round there, Barry decided not to. He would go to a nearby pub, and if Stephanie wasn’t home in the next couple of hours, he would then take a little trip over to Dagenham.

  When Cathy and Michael left, Steph put the kids to bed, then she and her mum shared a much-needed bottle of wine between them.

  ‘I’m so worried about Lin, Steph, and it ain’t just her height. She’s nearly forty, for Christ’s sake. I never knew my mum’s sister, but I remember my mum telling me that she had a kid in her forties and died in childbirth. Say that happens to Lin. I mean, say her little frame can’t cope with pushing a baby out?’

  Stephanie said nothing. She could understand why her mum was concerned about Lin, but she had so much going on in her own life at the moment, her aunt falling pregnant was the least of her worries.

  Sensing that Steph had other things on her mind, Pam squeezed her daughter’s hand. ‘Do you want to tell me why you and Tammy fell out?’ she asked.

  Stephanie explained in detail what had happened at the restaurant. She was still furious with Tammy for ruining what should have been a great farewell evening for both of them.

  ‘Well, I dunno what to say, love, but the only reason I can think of why Tam has got it in for poor Barry so much is that she’s worried he’s after you. I mean, it would take a blind person not to see that he’s in love with you, Steph. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and it’s more than just friendly glances. I’ve watched him, and sometimes he can’t take his eyes off you. I think he’s actually besotted with you.’

  Stephanie felt her heart pounding in her chest. ‘Barry doesn’t think like that. He’s too much of a gentleman, Mum. Anyway, he knows how much I love Wayne. How could I even think of moving on while I have no idea where my fiancé is or whether he is dead or alive?’

  Pam sighed. She was under no illusion that Wayne was ever coming back. The police had all but said so themselves the last time she had spoken to them. ‘Do you want my honest opinion, love?’

  Stephanie nodded.

  ‘I don’t think Wayne’s gonna be coming home, darling, so if I was you I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth by turning Barry down. You ain’t got to rush into anything. Just take things one day at a time. Barry’s ever so good with the kids; Dannielle adores him. So why don’t you just take things slowly and see how it goes? Men like Barry don’t come along every day of the week, and he’ll always provide for you, I know he will. Surely that’s better than being a one-parent bloody family in council accommodation, relying on handouts from the social?’

  Stephanie looked at her mum in astonishment. Was she saying what she thought she was saying? ‘Didn’t you like Wayne or something, Mum? And what makes you think he ain’t ever coming back home? Do you know something I don’t?’

  ‘Of course I liked Wayne, but if you want the truth, I never thought that you and him were particularly well suited.

  I thought his fathering skills left a lot to be desired, an’ all, if you want total honesty. He was never there for them

  kids, if you ask me. As for him not coming back, the police said that to me. I don’t think they know whether he’s taken his own life, had a breakdown and sodded off or what, but I know they don’t think he’s ever coming home again.’

  With her brain feeling as though it were about to explode, Stephanie held her head in her hands. She had loved Wayne with all her heart and had thought that their relationship had been idyllic, but the time she had recently spent with Barry had put a different light on matters. Had her and Wayne’s relationship really been that good? Or, had she thought they were the perfect couple because she had settled down so young and didn’t know any bloody different? The one thing she did know was that Barry was far more attentive towards her and the kids than Wayne had ever been.

  ‘Are you OK, love? Shall I pour us another drink?’ Pam suggested, putting a comforting arm around her daughter’s shoulder.

  Stephanie lifted her head up and smiled sadly. ‘You pour us some drinks, Mum, but can you give me five minutes? I need to make a phone call.’

  Pam immediately stood up. ‘Who you ringing? Tammy?’

  Stephanie shook her head. ‘No, Mum. I need to speak to Barry.’

  Grinning, Pam left the room.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  With her mum’s wise words firmly in her mind, over the next couple of weeks Stephanie spent more and more time in Barry’s company. She had completely accepted now that Wayne wasn’t coming back, although she could never truly rest until she had found out what had happened to him. The police had turned up unexpectedly the other day with a few pieces of useless information. They had informed Stephanie that they had questioned hundreds of cab drivers in and around the Soho area, but there were no sightings of Wayne. They had also said that some of Wayne’s business dealings didn’t quite add up and they were looking into the matter further.

  ‘Where we going today, Mummy?’ Dannielle asked, jumping up and down on the bed in the new pretty red dress that Barry had bought her last week.

  Stephanie smiled. Dannielle was far more beautiful than she had ever been. Today, Barry was taking them all out once again, and since he had been spending every day with her and the children, even Tyler’s behaviour had improved dramatically. Her son was even speaking better now as Barry had spent so much time reading children’s books to him to help him pronounce his words properly.

  Whenever Steph felt as though she was betraying Wayne by spending too much time with Barry, she consoled herself by remembering she was doing it mainly for the children’s sake. They needed the stability of having a man in their lives, just as much as she did, and if she did decide to take her relationship with Barry to the next level, at least her kids would never have to suffer the trauma of living on some rough council estate. Barry had even said that he would help her set up a salon and finance it, so one day if it took off like she hoped it would, she could send her children to private school. He told her that it was what Wayne would have expected and wanted him to do.

  ‘Barry’ll be here in a minute. Now stop jumping up and down, else you’ll ruin your nice outfits,’ Stephanie ordered her children.

  ‘Why aren’t you and Uncle Barry staying at Nanny’s with me and Tyler?’ Dannielle asked, nosily.

  At the mention of Barry and the evening ahead, Stephanie felt jittery. Apart from the odd friendly kiss, nothing had happened between herself and Barry since that night they’d got drunk together. Their inebriated fumble had rarely been mentioned since, but Stephanie knew that as every day passed, her feelings and longing for Barry had grown stronger and stronger. She was sure he also felt the same way about her: women could just sense these things. Tonight they were having dinner alone indoors together, and Stephanie knew that if the inevitable didn’t happen this evening, then it probably never would.

  ‘You not answered me, Mummy,’ Dannielle said, poking Steph in the arm.

  ‘Sorry, darling. Me and Barry can’t stay at Nannys with you because Aidan will be there and there isn’t enough room. Now, let’s go downstairs and wait for Uncle Barry, shall we? He
’ll be here in a minute.’

  As both of her children ran down the stairs screaming excitedly, one thing crossed Stephanie’s mind. Neither child had mentioned or asked about their father for weeks.

  Busy polishing Aidan’s school shoes in the garden, Pam didn’t hear the phone ring.

  ‘Nanny, Auntie Lin wants you on the phone,’ Aidan yelled, opening the back door.

  Pam felt her heart lurch as she dropped her brush and ran into the house. She had apologized to Lin two or three times since the night her sister had first told her she was pregnant, but Lin had been quite wooden towards her and this was the first time she had rung Pam since the falling out. Praying that nothing was wrong, Pam’s hands shook as she held the phone to her ear. ‘You all right, Lin? What’s up?’

  ‘Nothing. It’s just that Keith’s gone on a beano to Margate with our mates from the pub and I didn’t wanna go because I couldn’t drink. Keith offered to stop at home with me, but I told him to go and bleedin’ enjoy himself. Is it all right if I come round yours for a bit? I don’t know the first thing about pregnancy or babies and I thought you might be able to give me some useful tips.’

  ‘Of course I’ll give you some tips. You gonna stay for a bit of dinner? I’ve made a nice minced beef and onion pie.’

  ‘Yes please. I’m starving! I’ll be leaving to get the bus in about ten minutes.’

  Replacing the handset, Pam grinned like a Cheshire cat. After two weeks of barely speaking, she finally had her sister back.

  Dannielle and Tyler were in their element as they studied all the different animals. Wayne had always banned the kids from having a pet, so Dannielle and Tyler had rarely had any contact with cats and dogs, let alone sheep, cows, pigs and chickens.

  ‘Moo, moo,’ Tyler yelled, running towards the fence where the cows were.

  ‘No, Tyler. You’re not allowed to go too close,’ Stephanie said, grabbing her son’s hand. It had been Barry’s idea to come to the farmyard. They had an open weekend and, because it was such a glorious, sunny day, the place was packed with families making the most of the freak April weather.

  ‘Can I have an ice cream, Uncle Barry?’ Dannielle asked, putting her little hand in his.

  Barry felt sad as he glanced down at Dannielle. He had grown to love the child almost as much as if she was his own and he was going to miss her dreadfully when he headed back to Spain. He forced a smile and turned to Stephanie. ‘Tyler’s arms look a bit sunburnt. Shall we head off to a nearby pub? We can have a couple of drinks and the kids can have an ice cream in there.’

  Stephanie nodded. She had thoroughly enjoyed all the family days out she’d had recently with Barry and the kids. Wayne had never been very family orientated. He had always been too obsessed with work to spend any quality time with her and the children. Steph was now positive that she should make a go of it with Barry, but she needed to ask him some important questions first. Jolene was still Barry’s fiancée, and Steph was desperate to know whether he planned on ending his relationship with her before she gave him her all. Getting her heart broken again was the last thing that she needed.

  Over in Dagenham, Pam and Lin were having a lovely afternoon. Cathy had gone round to her eldest son and daughter-in-law’s house with Michael. Aidan was out with his father, and Pam was pleased that for once her house wasn’t like Casey’s Court and she could spend some quality time alone with her sister.

  ‘So, have you thought of any names yet?’ Pam asked Lin. She was still inwardly worried about how her sister would cope with childbirth and looking after a baby, but Lin was so full of it, Pam couldn’t help but feel pleased for her.

  ‘Keith said if it’s a boy we should name it after him. I told him bollocks. I ain’t having no son of mine called bleedin’ Keith. Anyway, I got me own way as per usual, and if it’s a boy we’re now gonna call him David, after your David.’

  Pam felt full of emotion as she squeezed her little sister’s hand. Her husband, David, had meant the world to her, and they had been so happy before he had been killed in a freak work accident. ‘That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me, Lin. I’m a bit lost for words, to be honest.’

  Aware that Pam was near to tears, Lin put her little arms around her neck. ‘No more arguing between us, eh? I hate falling out with you. I’d rather lose me right leg than lose you as a sister.’

  Pam immediately starting blubbing. ‘Sod you, Lin! I invited you round for a bleedin’ laugh.’

  Lin chuckled. ‘You heard anything from Angie yet?’

  Pam shook her head. ‘Poor little Aidan keeps asking when he’s gonna see her next. He know’s she working away, but I could kick meself for not getting a contact number or address off her. I know she’s a bastard, Lin, but I still worry about her. Say she bleedin’ disappears like Wayne did or something? A young girl doing all that raunchy dancing in a strange country with a load of foreign men leering at her has to be in danger, surely?’

  Lin chuckled. ‘Knowing Angie she’ll punch any bloke who even looks at her in the wrong way. Seriously, Pam, I wouldn’t worry too much about her. If anyone can take care of themselves, your Angie can. The one thing I will say, though, is she should be bloody ashamed of herself for how she’s treated that little boy. She’s a terrible mother, an absolute disgrace of a parent. I will be the exact opposite of her with my child. You just watch me.’

  Pam put an arm around Linda’s shoulder and kissed her on the top of her head. ‘You’ll be a brilliant mum, little sis. I just know you will.’

  After dropping the kids off at her mum’s house, Stephanie felt incredibly nervous as she headed back home. Barry had insisted that she didn’t cook. He had said he wanted to do it. Steph was really looking forward to having Barry all to herself for the evening, but she was extremely anxious about the questions she needed to ask him. She was also scared about the possibility she might have sex with him. Steph had never made love to anyone other than Wayne, and she had a feeling that she wasn’t the most exciting lover in the world. Feeling her stomach churn as she swung into her driveway, Steph got out of the car and let herself into the house.

  ‘Wow,’ she exclaimed as she walked into the lounge.

  Barry had pulled the dining table into the centre of the room. He had laid a red tablecloth and had lit a big candle in the centre. The lights in the room were all turned off and Steph thought it looked ever so romantic. Wayne had never put himself out for her like this; and apart from organizing her a surprise twenty-first birthday party at a hall in Collier Row, she could barely remember him doing anything spontaneous.

  Barry popped a champagne cork. ‘You sit yourself down.’

  ‘Where did you get the candles from at this time of night? And that tablecloth?’ Stephanie asked. She couldn’t believe Barry had gone to all this trouble. He had done the same sort of thing for her when they were young, just before he had left for Spain, and the fact he had taken the trouble to do it again just proved to Steph how much he must really like her.

  ‘They were in the boot of my car. I wanted to make tonight special, Steph,’ Barry explained, staring at her with an intense look on his face.

  Stephanie averted her eyes and gesticulated towards the kitchen. ‘Dinner smells lovely. What have you cooked?’

  ‘You’ll soon find out. I’m gonna dish it up right now.’

  When Barry left the room, Stephanie downed her champagne and quickly poured herself another. She walked over to the photo of Wayne she had recently had blown up, kissed her fingertips and placed them on the frame. ‘Please don’t hate me. I will always love you, but I have to move on for the sake of our children.’

  Another person completely bowled over by Barry’s wonderful gestures was Marge. She and Marlene were currently sitting in a bar at Heathrow Airport and were waiting to board their plane for their two-week, all-inclusive holiday in Barbados.

  ‘I still can’t believe we’re going. I’ve always dreamed of a holiday in the Caribbean, but unless I’d had a wi
n on the bloody football pools or at the Bingo, I could never see meself going there,’ Marge said.

  Marlene took a sip of her wine. She was done up to the nines in a tight floral dress and big mauve hat, and from an outsider’s point of view, she must have looked as if she was on her way to Ascot, rather than Barbados. ‘You’ll be in your element out there, Marge. You know you like a bit of black cock and most black men love big women. It wouldn’t even surprise me if you found yourself a husband.’

  Marge roared with laughter. She had always been rather partial to black men. Not only did she find them incredibly sexy, the ones she’d actually got hold of had all been hung like donkeys. ‘You can fucking talk! I can count quite a few black men you’ve been out with as well. What’s the betting you find yourself a bit of black cock with a husband attached to the end of it an’ all.’

  Guffawing like a crow being strangled, Marlene held her aching sides. She had a very good feeling about this holiday. A very good feeling indeed.

  Stephanie put her fork down on the table. Barry had cooked a beautiful paella and had served it up with Spanish bread. In normal circumstances, Steph would have wolfed the lot and possibly asked for seconds, but she had so much on her mind, she just couldn’t think straight, let alone eat.

  ‘What’s up? Don’t you like it?’ Barry asked her.

  ‘It’s lovely, Barry, but we really do need to talk about stuff.’

  ‘Go on,’ Barry said, laying his own fork on the table and topping up their drinks.

  As Stephanie tried to search for the right words, she felt a hot flush come over her. She could also feel her hands start to shake. ‘It’s me and you, Barry. Where are we heading? Only, I’ve started to have feelings for you, the kids have become extremely attached to you, and I need to know what’s going on inside your head. What do you want from me, Barry?’