as she brought over yet another two bottles of champagne.
‘We’re celebrating being the kings of the East End,’ Ronny shouted, grabbing her large backside.
‘Keep yer dirty fucking hands to yerself, Ronny Mitchell,’ Betsy said, laughing.
The raucous behaviour, jokes and songs continued for hours and, three sheets to the wind, Eddie completely lost track of time. ‘Shit, I was meant to pick Jess up at seven,’ he said, leaping out of his chair.
‘Fuck her off, stay out with us tonight,’ Ronny said.
‘Yeah, let’s go to a club and celebrate properly,’ Paulie suggested.
Eddie shook his head. He was a gentleman and would never let Jess down at short notice. Realising he was in no fit state to drive, he asked John the guv’nor to call him a cab.
Five minutes later, he heard a bib outside and said his goodbyes.
‘All of us will meet in here tomorrow at two o’clock. Then we can pay a nice friendly visit to the Chobham and the rest of them boozers in Stratford,’ his father told him.
Eddie jumped into the cab and urged the driver to put his foot down.
Jessica, who had been standing looking out of the window for an hour, felt relief surge through her as Eddie got out of the cab. She ran to the front door.
‘There you are.’
Eddie was full of apologies, ‘I’m so sorry I’m late, babe. Something cropped up. It won’t happen again, I promise.’
‘I was so worried, I thought you’d had an accident or something,’ Jessica said.
Eddie held her close and stroked her hair. ‘I got stuck with some business, you know how it is.’
‘Where’s your car?’ Jessica asked.
Eddie was saved from answering by Joyce’s intervention.
‘Would you like a beer, Eddie? Or a cup of tea and fruit cake?’
Eddie shook his head. ‘The cab’s waiting outside. I’m gonna take Jess out for a nice meal. Another time, eh, Joycie?’
Joyce could tell Eddie was a bit drunk, but boys would be boys. Her son Raymond was the same; he was always coming home tipsy.
Joyce winked at Jess and crossed two fingers on both hands. ‘Good luck,’ she mouthed, as they walked up the path.
Jessica sat in the restaurant and barely touched her food. ‘Leave the chips if you like, but eat that fillet steak,’ Eddie urged her.
‘I’m not hungry,’ Jessica said, as she slipped it onto his plate.
Having sobered up a bit, Eddie soon realised that Jess wasn’t herself and obviously had something on her mind. He put down his knife and fork and took her hands in his.
‘Come on, spit it out, what’s a matter, babe? Are you having second thoughts about us getting married or something?’
Jessica shook her head. She just had to say it, there was no other way. ‘I went to the doctor’s today, Eddie. Please don’t have a go at me, but I’m pregnant.’
Eddie’s smile was that wide it almost lit up the restaurant. ‘Are you sure? Have you had a proper test?’
Jessica nodded. ‘The doctor gave me the results today. Look Ed, I’m so sorry. If you want me to get rid –’
Eddie leaned further across the table and kissed her on the lips. ‘Get rid of it? Are you mad? Don’t you get it, Jess? I love you and we can have as many babies as you want.’
Realising that he was telling the truth, Jessica smiled. ‘What about the wedding, though? I’m not walking down the aisle with a bun in the oven, Ed. It will look awful, people will think I’m a tart.’
Eddie laughed. ‘You ain’t gotta walk down the aisle with a bun in the oven. Look, we’d have had trouble finding a vicar to marry us on the quick ’cause I’ve already been married. How about I book a register office? We can get married in the next couple of weeks if you want.’
Jessica’s eyes shone. ‘Really, Ed? Do you mean that?’
‘Of course I do. Waiter, bring us over a bottle of champers,’ Eddie said loudly.
Aware of all the other diners looking at him, Eddie smiled. He loved being the centre of attention, it was all part of his make-up.
He stood up and addressed the whole restaurant. ‘You see this beautiful girl here,’ he said, pointing at Jess.
‘We, us two, are getting married and we’re having a baby. Now, who fancies a glass of champagne to celebrate our happiness with us?’
‘I’ll have one,’ said an old man with a bald head.
‘We’ll have a drink with you,’ said a woman in a spotted dress.
Eddie ordered the waiter to get more bottles of champagne and share them between all the other diners. The restaurant was reasonably empty and, apart from themselves, there were only five other tables taken.
Jessica could feel herself blushing beetroot red. Eddie could be so bloody loud, especially when he’d been drinking.
‘Nosy load of bastards. They were all looking at us,’ he whispered to Jess.
Winking at her, Eddie carried on where he’d left off. ‘Now come on, fucking stand up, I’ve just bought you all champagne.’
Well aware that he was probably a local villain, everybody leaped to attention. Eddie held his glass aloft.
‘To Jessica, the most beautiful girl in the world,’ he said.
Wary, but amused at the same time, everybody lifted their glasses.
‘To Jessica,’ they repeated after him.
Minutes later, Jessica’s happiness partly disintegrated.
‘I beg your pardon?’ she said to Eddie. He was winding her up, he had to be.
‘I said, I want you to pack your job up in the morning. Now we’re getting married, things are different. I’ve got money – you don’t need to work any more.’
Jessica looked at him in amazement. She liked her independence, enjoyed her little job and she had so many friends there.
‘I’m not ready to give it up yet, Ed. I know when I’ve had the baby, I’ll have to, but that’s ages away yet.’
Eddie held her hands and gazed deep into her eyes. ‘Look, if we’re gonna get wed, you’ve got to get your priorities right. I mean what’s more important, a poxy job in a shoe shop, or us and our baby’s future? Marriage is all about give and take, Jess, and if you can’t do this one little thing for me, then maybe you’re not ready for such a big commitment.’
Jessica
