Schemer (23 page)

‘I’d have it like that, but you want to feel comfortable, Steph. You will look beautiful either way,’ Tammy replied, honestly.

‘Aah, you’re so sweet, Tam. I dunno what I’m gonna do when you move. I shall be so lost without your advice. Can we try and see more of each other before you go? I’ve hardly set eyes on you the past six weeks.’

Tammy downed the rest of her wine and gesticulated to the waiter to bring over another bottle. ‘I’ll try and see you as much as I can, mate, but work’s absolutely manic at the moment. They aren’t happy that I’m leaving and some nights I don’t get finished till eight or nine. I promise we’ll go for it on your hen night, though. I’ve booked a couple of days off for that and we can party till we drop.’

‘I won’t be able to drink too much. I’ll have to look after the kids the following day,’ Stephanie replied.

‘You said that Wayne was taking care of the kids. You’ve got to have a good hen night, girl.’

‘I will enjoy myself, but I don’t wanna go too mad. Tyler’s tantrums do Wayne’s head in and he can’t handle him like I do. You know what men are like – they don’t have much patience, do they?’

‘Wayne don’t hit him or anything, does he?’ Tammy asked, bluntly.

‘No, course not,’ Stephanie lied. Wayne had clumped their son a few times just recently, but Steph had never told anyone, not even her mum. Wayne had never done any real damage to Tyler; he’d just lost his temper with the child’s unpredictable behaviour. Steph could remember her mum smacking her and Angie when they were naughty as kids, so it was no big deal. ‘You’ll never guess who Wayne’s meeting up with tonight?’ Steph said.

‘Who?’

‘Cooksie and Potter,’ Stephanie replied, laughing.

‘What’s he going out with them pair of plonkers for?’

‘Don’t ask me! You know what Wayne’s like, he gets these dumb ideas in his head and won’t rest until he’s acted on them. Apparently, he’s got in touch with Potter and Cooksie again because he wanted them to go out on his stag do with him. I reminded him what a pair of dickheads they were, but as per usual Wayne knows best. Men are strange creatures, Tam, and I’ll never understand them as long as I live.’

Tammy chuckled. ‘Wayne probably wants to relive his youth because he’s getting hitched, Steph. I bet him, Cooksie and Potter spend the evening talking about their ICF days, their bright tracksuits and silly haircuts.’

Stephanie giggled. ‘Wayne does drive me mad at times, but I do love him, Tam.’

‘And the fact he’s rich and you’ve got a nice house in Chigwell is a bonus an’ all, mate,’ Tammy added, cheekily.

Stephanie leant across the table and squeezed her pal’s hand. ‘I know I ain’t met Tricky Dicky yet, but I want you to know that I’m really pleased that you’ve met the one, Tam. Obviously, I wish you weren’t moving to Spain, but I so want you to be happy like I am.’

Looking at the sincerity in her best friend’s eyes, Tammy couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. Her and Steph went way back, and Tammy knew when she stepped on that plane to start her new life, it would be Steph rather than her family that she would be thinking of.

Arriving in Gidea Park ten minutes late, Wayne Jackman parked his car in a side road and walked towards the Ship pub. Danny MacKenzie had done quite well for himself in life. He owned four tyre shops and had recently moved to a five-bedroom house that backed onto the local lake. It had been Danno who had tracked down Potter and Cooksie for him. It hadn’t proved too difficult in the end, as Potter still lived locally in Elm Park. As he strolled into the pub, Wayne was shocked as he came face to face with his one-time best friends. Cooksie was skinny and as bald as a coot and Potter looked so fat he was almost unrecognizable.

‘Fucking hell, Jacko, you look like an Indian waiter. You just got back off holiday or something?’ Potter exclaimed, laughing.

Wayne smiled politely. Neither Potter nor Cooksie had ever had much decorum. ‘No, I ain’t been on holiday for ages. I’ve got a couple of sunbeds in me gym and I’m addicted to the bastard things.’

Cooksie gave Wayne an awkward bear hug. ‘Shall we have a whip or what?’ he asked him.

Seeing as Cooksie reeked of BO, Wayne used his question as an excuse to end their hug. ‘Did you sort the booze out like I asked you to?’ he asked Danno.

When Danno nodded, Wayne slapped both Cooksie and Potter on the back. ‘Tonight’s on me, lads. I asked you to come, so this is my treat. We’ve got six bottles of champagne on ice here. Once we’ve polished them off, I’m taking us all out for a nice curry.’

Cooksie and Potter grinned at each other. Cooksie worked for London Underground, while Potter was currently unemployed, so neither were going to argue with Wayne over his generosity.

‘Why the champagne? Is this some kind of special occasion, or what?’ Potter asked when Wayne handed him a glass.

‘Yeah! I thought the champers was a nice touch, seeing as we ain’t laid eyes on one another for years, plus I’m getting married in three weeks’ time. That’s why I tracked you down. I couldn’t have me stag night without having me two oldest muckers getting pissed with me, could I now? I thought we’d go to one of them lap-dancing clubs up town, have a bit of a giggle like. I’ll be footing the bill, so you won’t have to worry about dosh.’

‘What’s a lap-dancing club? Is it a bit like line dancing?’ Cooksie asked, seriously.

Wayne, Danno and Potter all burst out laughing. ‘You’re such a fucking cock, mate. It’s one of them clubs where you pay the birds to entertain you. They strip off and dance for you and stuff,’ Potter explained.

Cooksie’s face lit up. His bird, Sharon, was no oil painting and he could do with a fresh piece of meat. ‘If there’s gonna be tits and fanny involved, then count me in.’

‘What about you?’ Wayne asked Potter.

‘What date is it?’

‘Friday the fourth of Feb. I’m getting married the following weekend. Steph’s always loved Valentine’s Day, so we’re getting married the weekend nearest to it. I surprised her on Christmas Day. She had no idea I’d booked it.’

Potter grinned. ‘Count me in an’ all. Can’t miss me old china’s stag night, can I? Danno was saying you’ve got two kids now. I’d heard you had a girl, but I didn’t know you had a boy an’ all.’

Wayne grinned. ‘Yeah, Tyler. Looks just like me, he does – and he’s got my temper. Do you remember our fisticuff days at football, lads? We were sadistic fuckers once, weren’t we?’

‘Do you still go over West Ham, Jacko? I live in Southend now, but I’ve still got a season ticket. It ain’t like the old days no more, though. I hate all these middle-class pricks who have jumped on the football bandwagon. Ruining the game, they are,’ Potter complained.

‘I don’t get time to go week in week out any more, but a pal of mine has got a box over there, so I manage to get to about half a dozen games a season,’ Wayne replied.

Slurping champagne like it was going out of style, Cooksie slapped Wayne on the back. ‘I can’t believe you and Steph are still together after all these years. Does she still look the same? Is she still tall with dark hair?’

Danny MacKenzie spat his drink back into his glass and roared with laughter. ‘No, Steph’s shrunk, you dopey cunt. She’s only four foot tall now.’

‘You know what I mean? I meant, does she still look the same?’ Cooksie replied, getting slightly agitated.

Wayne put a comforting arm around his old pal’s shoulders. ‘Of course I know what you meant. Yep, my Steph is still slim and even more stunning than you would remember. She’s like a fine wine that’s matured superbly with age, and I can’t wait to marry the girl.’

‘Fuck me! Never thought I’d see the day when you turned into a nicely spoken romantic softie, Jacko,’ Potter said, chuckling.

Wayne smirked. ‘Don’t be fooled. I ain’t no mug, boys. Anyone pisses me off, they soon regret it afterwards. But when it comes to my Steph, I’m completely different. She’s my life and I love her dearly.’

Over in Loughton, Stephanie had just been telling Tammy about her grandfather’s funeral and what Angie had said. She hadn’t stopped eating and was still picking at the numerous dishes that she and Tammy had ordered. ‘Jesus, at this rate I am never going to fit into my wedding dress. What’s up with you? You’re normally a greedy cow with Chinese, but you’ve hardly eaten anything,’ Steph said to her friend.

Tammy sighed. ‘I was just thinking of Richard, or should I say Tricky Dicky? I wonder what he’s doing now? He was going out with some business associates tonight.’

‘You’ll be seeing him soon enough and I’m sure he must be trustworthy. He would hardly have asked you to move to Spain with him if he were seeing other girls, would he? So, am I still gonna meet him next week? What day’s he coming back?’

‘I’m not sure yet, but you’ll definitely meet him before the hen night.’

Stephanie grinned. ‘Only three weeks now till Wayne makes an honest woman of me. I’m so excited. My mum can’t wait, especially now she knows Wayne’s dad’s definitely not coming. She was dreading him being there because of what he did.’

Wayne’s father had been locked up in 1978 for murdering Wayne’s mother. He had got life, but had been let out after thirteen years and had since started a new life abroad. Wayne had had a fall-out with his dad soon after his release. They’d gone out drinking one evening, the subject of the murder had arisen and a massive argument had ensued back at the house. Wayne hadn’t seen his father since. He had tried to track him down to invite him to the wedding, but Lenny Jackman had disappeared without trace. Wayne had heard through the grapevine that he had moved to Greece, but nobody knew if that was true or false.

‘So, has Wayne given up searching for his old man now?’ Tammy asked.

‘Yeah. To be honest I don’t think he would have bothered getting in touch with him again if we weren’t getting married. Never mind, his nan and grandad will both be there, and seeing as they virtually brought him up, that’s all that matters. I did tell Wayne to try and contact his sisters again, but he wasn’t interested. He said they were adults now and if they had wanted to find him, then they would have.’

‘How are the legendary Doris and Bill?’ Tammy asked, laughing. She had met Wayne’s dysfunctional grandparents at a couple of parties in the past, and found them highly entertaining.

‘They’re still exactly the same. Never sober or without a fag hanging out of their gobs. Actually, Wayne’s arranged for us to go for a meal with them the weekend after next. If Tricky Dicky’s about, it would be great if you and him could come along too. I’m sure Wayne wouldn’t mind and you’d be doing me a massive favour.’

‘If Richard’s back, I’ll do my best to twist his arm,’ Tammy promised.

‘You’re definitely bringing him to the wedding with you, aren’t you? Me and Wayne getting married, eh. Who would ever have thought it?’

Without any warning, Tammy started to cry.

‘Whatever’s wrong?’ Steph asked, squeezing her best friend’s hand.

Tammy took a deep breath and waved a hand in front of her face. ‘Take no notice of me. I’m just pissed and thinking of how much I’m gonna miss you when I leave England.’

Stephanie stared fondly into her friend’s eyes. If she didn’t voice her fears now after they’d had a few drinks, then she might not get another chance. ‘Please don’t think I’m being selfish when I say this, Tam, but I am worried about you. You’ve only known this Richard for a couple of months and it is so unlike you to do anything rash. Are you sure you’ve thought this through? I mean, what does your mum and dad say about it all? And your sister? Being a policewoman, surely she must be worried about your welfare?’

‘Richard ain’t a mass murderer, Steph. He’s a lovely bloke, and if I hadn’t thought it through properly, then I wouldn’t be going. I know I haven’t known him long, but I knew he was the one the first time he kissed me. As for the sex, it’s amazing. You just know these things, don’t you?’

‘But what about your job? You’ve got such a good career, Tam.’

‘A career ain’t everything, Steph. Look at you. You’ve got two beautiful kids, a handsome man, a wonderful lifestyle. That’s what I want, mate. I don’t wanna be sitting in an office till eight and nine o’clock every night working me tits off. I want a life!’

Finally understanding her pal’s reckless decision to elope with a man she barely knew, Stephanie moved around the other side of the table, sat next to Tammy and hugged her. ‘You go for it, girl. I wish you all the happiness in the world, babe, I really do.’

Danny MacKenzie looked at Wayne Jackman in amazement as he spoke of his financial difficulties. Danno had always thought that Wayne was loaded.

‘I thought you’d cracked it with that gym, Jacko. You were telling me only last year how much dosh it had made you,’ Danno said.

Potter and Cooksie sat quietly as Wayne explained the situation. They knew nothing about running a business, so were happy to just listen rather than butt in.

‘Everything was sweet, Danno. I was raking it in up until last summer and then it all started going tits-up. That other gym opened down the road and took away tons of me custom. Then a big chain of sports shop opened up near my sports shop in Barkingside. It’s got even worse this year as there’s another gym just opened in fucking Wanstead. What with the wedding and everything else, I’m on me arse, mate.’

‘We don’t mind chipping in with the bill, Jacko,’ Potter offered, as he munched yet another poppadom.

Wayne shook his head. ‘Don’t be daft, I ain’t penniless. I’ve got collateral, I’m just a bit short of readies at the moment. Getting married is not cheap. But I’ll pick meself up again, I always do.’

‘So, does Steph know you’re in schtuck, mate? Can’t you postpone the wedding until next year?’ Danno asked Wayne.

‘I can’t postpone it, Steph would be devastated. To be honest, it’s all my fault we’re in this position. Me and Steph had discussed getting married for years, but because of one thing and another, we never got round to it. On Valentine’s Day last year, a pal of mine got hitched. Me and Steph went to the wedding and she loved it. She said getting married on Valentine’s Day was the most romantic thing she had ever seen. Things were still going well for me then, so I started arranging the wedding as a surprise. By the time I told Steph on Christmas Day, my businesses were both in trouble, but I’d already organized and paid deposits for everything by then.’