crotch of her trousers had split as she fell, and because she rarely wore knickers, her Jack and Danny was hanging out for all to see. Davey Boy and Terry each took one arm and dragged her towards a table near the door.
‘Are you OK, son?’ Benny Bones asked Terry sympathetically.
‘What do you think?’ Terry replied, shooting him a look.
‘I’m not drunk you know,’ Chelle slurred. ‘It’s these new shoes. I slipped.’
Propping her on the nearest chair, Terry fished around in her handbag for his car keys. Ordering Dave to stand guard over her, he gestured for Billie to follow him outside.
‘I’m never going out with her again, Dad,’ Billie said, sobbing.
Terry looked at his daughter and felt so sorry for her. She was a wonderful kid and really didn’t deserve to have that thing as a mother. Still, it was his fault really. He’d married the fucking monster and provided her with his sperm in the first place.
‘Did you really mean it, Dad, when you said that we could move away soon?’
Terry unlocked the Range Rover, sat Billie in the front seat and clicked her seat belt shut. Smiling, he spoke clearly. ‘Listen, Bill, you’re not a kid any more and I’ve had this planned a while. I know I can trust you and there’s some other stuff I need to tell you as well. Some of it you might not like. Let’s just concentrate on getting your mother home tonight and then tomorrow I’ll take you out for lunch. We’ll go somewhere quiet and I promise I’ll tell you everything.’
‘OK, Dad, but you must tell me the truth. I’m not a child any more.’
‘You’ll get the truth, Princess, I swear.’
Terry had never felt more humiliated in his whole life as when he and Dave carried Chelle out from the reception. He was used to her getting pissed and stacking it. That was her usual party piece, but to get up on the stage and make a show of him over the mike. She’d gone too far this time and he would make sure that she damn well paid for it.
To behave like that in front of Billie was unforgivable. Michelle’s days were well and truly numbered.
Nobody made Terry Keane look a cunt and got away with it. Nobody!
WAKING UP THE following morning, fully clothed on the sofa, Chelle had very little recollection of the previous night’s events. She could remember singing with her mates on the stage, but everything after that was a total blank. Hearing noises in the kitchen, Chelle wandered out there.
‘All right, Bill? Did you enjoy yourself last night? What time did we get home?’
‘Are you having a laugh, Mother?’ Billie asked sarcastically. ‘I was enjoying myself until you decided to make a complete show of me and Dad and then we had to leave early.’
‘What do you mean? I can’t remember doing anything wrong. What did I do?’
Michelle didn’t really want to know the answer to her question, but knew she had to find out. She hated not remembering and would much rather hear about it from Billie than from Terry.
Billie stood with her hands on her hips and looked at her mother in disgust.
‘I’ll tell you what you did, shall I, Mum? You stood at the front of the stage with the mike in your hand, slagging off Dad, accusing him of having an affair. Then you fell flat on your face and had to be carried out of the reception and I’ll tell you something else, Mum, if you can’t remember any of that, you have got a severe problem and you need to go and have treatment.’
Chelle felt the tears forming in her eyes, because she knew it was the truth. Her drinking was well and truly out of hand, but for one reason or another she would never admit it. She would rather be dead than be unable to drink. Opening the fridge, Chelle poured herself a glass of wine. The thought of facing Terry petrified her, as she knew by her daughter’s reaction that she must have seriously overstepped the mark this time.
‘Surely you’re not drinking again?’ Billie said, looking at her mother in disgust.
Ignoring the question, Chelle knocked the drink back in one.
‘Where is your dad, Bill?’
‘He’s still in bed and I’d steer well clear of him if I were you. Oh, and by the way, I forgot to tell you something. Did you know that your trousers split as you fell and everyone at the reception saw your fanny hanging out?’
Chelle was mortified and could stand no more. She had to get out of the house before Terry got up. ‘I’m popping out for a while, Bill,’ she said, grabbing her car keys. She needed to see Hazel and get an exact account of the previous night’s events. She hadn’t even had a wash and was still wearing the outfit she’d had on at the wedding but she didn’t care, she was just desperate to get out of the house. Noticing the crutch of her trousers was split, Chelle covered herself with her handbag.
‘Tell your dad I’ll be back this afternoon, Bill.’
‘I shouldn’t think he’ll care.’ Billie gave her mother a nonchalant look. ‘Anyway, me and Dad won’t be here when you get back. He’s taking me out for the day.’
Grabbing her handbag, Chelle bolted out of the front door.
Billie ordered a cheeseburger, filled up her salad bowl and sat facing her father. The Harvester was the venue and Billie wanted some answers. ‘Come on then, Dad, what is it that you want to tell me?’
Terry felt a surge of love rush through his veins as he sat facing Billie. He decided there and then that he was going to be totally truthful with her.
‘You know my secretary, Jade?’
‘Of course I know her, Dad.’
Billie had met Jade quite a few times over the years and although she’d never spent any time alone with her, she’d always quite liked her. ‘Well, Bill, over the last couple of years Jade and I have become more than just workmates, we’ve sort of become very close. You know life hasn’t been easy for me living with your mother. Well, me and Jade have sort of got it together, if you know what I mean?’
Billie could feel bile rising in her throat and knew she wouldn’t be able even to nibble the burger that had just been placed in front of her. ‘Cut the crap, Dad. You mean you’re having an affair with her. That is what you’re trying to tell me, isn’t it?’
Terry clocked the look of shock in his daughter’s eyes and immediately regretted his decision to tell her. Even though Billie acted way beyond her years, she was still only fifteen and he should have known better. He should have waited till he had left Chelle and then broken it to her gently. Deciding it was too late to pull the wool over her eyes, he carried on. ‘It’s not just an affair, Bill. I love her and she loves me.’
Billie looked at her dad as though she was staring into the eyes of a local pervert. ‘Isn’t she a bit young for you? She’s not much older than me, is she, Dad? Please, tell me, she’s not going to be moving in with us when we move house?’
Terry
