the garlic bread, which I’ll cook fresh,’ Steph replied, trying to hide her glass of wine by putting a screwed-up carrier bag in front of it.
Wayne had eyes like a hawk and spotted the half-hidden glass immediately. ‘Why you necking the wine? It’s a bit early, ain’t it?’
Not wanting to admit that she was desperate for something to relax her and instil a bit of Dutch courage into her terrified body, Stephanie scowled at her fiancé instead. ‘Give me a bloody break, Wayne, will you? I’ve been slaving away in this kitchen for the past couple of hours because you decided that we were having a dinner party this evening, so please don’t begrude me one glass of poxy wine.’
‘Sorry, babe. I weren’t getting on your case, honest I weren’t. It’s just unusual for you to drink this early in the day, that’s all. Pour me one as well. The kids are ready and looking the part. I dressed ’em in the outfits you told me to.’
‘Thanks. Now ring Tam and see where she is for me,’ Stephanie replied, glancing at the clock. She had rung her pal a couple of hours ago after Wayne had already spoken to her, and Tammy had promised her faithfully that she would arrive before Barry did. ‘I’ll die if Barry turns up and there’s just me, Wayne, and the kids here. I need your support to get through it, Tam,’ Stephanie had whispered down the phone.
‘She’s five minutes away in a cab,’ Wayne said, reappearing.
‘Is Tricky Dicky with her?’
‘Yep.’
‘Ooh, I can’t wait to meet him. Apart from his name and what he does for a living, Tam’s told me very little about him. She wouldn’t even tell me what he looked like. She said he’s that handsome, she wanted to surprise me.’
Tyler’s screams stopped Wayne from answering. ‘Let me sort him out. I ain’t having him playing up when people arrive.’
‘Don’t hit him, Wayne. Just be gentle with him,’ Stephanie urged her fiancé.
‘Don’t hit him! I’ll fucking brain him if he shows me up in front of Barry, let me tell you. He needs a bloody good hiding, that’s what he needs. He don’t need pampering, Steph.’
Stephanie downed her drink in one and quickly poured a refill before Wayne returned. She had showered earlier, but was purposely waiting for Tammy’s arrival to get herself glammed up. She wanted to drag her mate up the stairs and chat to her alone. Tammy was the only person who would understand the way she felt.
‘The cab’s just pulled up outside. Take this kid upstairs and do not fucking bring him back down until he has learnt how to behave himself,’ Wayne demanded, handing Stephanie their hysterical son.
‘Send Tam upstairs while I’m getting changed. I don’t want Richard to see me looking like a bag lady,’ Stephanie said, while trying to calm Tyler down by stroking his head. Her son was a little sod when he kicked and thrashed his arms about, and had given Steph many a bruise over the past year or so.
Wayne opened the front door and smirked as Tammy walked up the path with a tall, strapping six-foot hunk. He held out his right hand. ‘So, finally we get to meet Richard.’
Tammy glared at Wayne. Coming over to the house and meeting up with Barry again was the last way she had wanted to spend her evening. She would much rather have introduced Stephanie to Richard in a restaurant or a wine bar somewhere, without Wayne or Barry being involved.
‘Steph’s upstairs. Go up and chat to her, so me and Richard can do a bit of male bonding,’ Wayne said, grinning at Tammy’s obvious annoyance.
Tammy’s lips curled up with contempt. Stephanie was dreading seeing Barry again, so was she, and Wayne should have known better than to invite him over for dinner. ‘Pour me a drink, make it a large one, then I will.’
Barry Franklin picked up the huge bouquet and bottle of champagne off the back seat. ‘Cheers, mate,’ he said, as he slammed the door of the taxi. He stood on the pavement and took in his surroundings. He wasn’t overly familiar with Chigwell, but he could see that it was a sought-after area and stank of money. Barry felt no nerves as he sauntered up the driveway. He was actually looking forward to seeing his slut of an ex again.
Wayne answered the door with a big grin on his face. ‘Bazza, let me get you a drink, pal. What you having?’
Barry handed Wayne the bottle of champagne. ‘Either open that, or I’ll have a scotch.’
Wayne checked out the label on the bottle. ‘I’ll open this when the girls come down. They’re upstairs powdering their noses at the moment. This is Richard, Tammy’s boyfriend,’ he said as he led Barry into the lounge.
Barry was a bit taken aback as Richard stood up. The chap was extremely well built and, even from a man’s point of view, incredibly handsome. He was suited and booted nicely as well, and remembering Tammy with her ginger ponytails and freckles, Barry could hardly believe that they were a couple.
Walking over to the drinks cabinet, Wayne poured out three scotches. ‘Cheers, lads,’ he said, handing one to Richard and one to Barry.
‘So, how long have you and Tammy been together?’ Barry asked, sitting down opposite Richard.
‘We only met just over a couple of months ago. I’m a property developer and I was over in London on business when I met Tammy in a bar up town.’
Wayne sat on the arm of the sofa. ‘You won’t recognize Tam now, Bal. She ain’t ’arf changed since we were at school, mate. Richard and Tammy are moving to Spain soon. Richard’s just been telling me about his business out there. This is the first time we’ve met tonight as well.’
‘Whereabouts in Spain you moving to?’ Barry asked Richard.
‘Alicante. It’s where most of my business is based.’
‘I know a lot of massive property developers over in Fuengirola and Marbella. You heard of Johnny Duncan?’
‘For fuck’s sake, Bazza. We’re meant to be reminiscing, not talking business. Let’s have a toast, eh?’ Wayne suggested, holding his glass aloft.
Barry stared at his old friend and couldn’t help but grin. Here he was, sitting in a posh house in Chigwell that didn’t belong to him, clad from head to foot in designer clothes, when he didn’t have two pennies to rub together, yet he still had the brass neck to be giving it the large.
‘To old and new friends,’ Wayne said in earnest.
About to reply, Barry was stopped from doing so as a little girl in a red dress ran into the room.
‘Who are these men, Daddy?’ Dannielle asked, sitting on her father’s knee.
Barry stared at the child who was lowering her eyes shyly. She was incredibly beautiful and looked like a younger version of how he remembered Stephanie.
‘Hello, my name’s Barry and I’m an old friend of your mum and dad’s. You gonna tell me your name?’
Giggling, Dannielle climbed off her father’s knee. She walked over to the armchair that Barry was sitting on. ‘My name’s Dannielle and I’m six,’ she said, her eyes twinkling. She liked Barry already.
Barry smiled at her. Dannielle’s nose, eyes, ears, even the colour of her hair, were all replicas of the Stephanie he had once known and loved.
‘Looks like Steph, don’t she, Bazza?’ Wayne said, chirpily.
‘Yep, she’s definitely her mother’s daughter.’
‘Speak of the devil and it appears,’ Wayne said, when Stephanie walked into the room behind Tammy.
Barry was temporarily lost for words as he focused on both girls for the first time in years. Tammy looked stunning, totally different from how he remembered her, and Stephanie’s beauty would have shone out at him like a lighthouse on a cold, dark sea, had he not hated her so much. Knowing that Wayne’s eyes