Billie Jo (5 page)

The weeks that followed the announcement of Jade's pregnancy
filled Terry with both joy and guilt. House-hunting
with Jade and planning his future around her and his
unborn child filled him with a happiness he had forgotten
existed. Lying to Billie Jo and deceiving her indoors made
him feel like a complete and utter bastard.

Chelle had been extra nice recently and that had made
the situation he was in even harder. If she was her usual,
drunken, arrogant self, he could've handled it.
Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case and he felt a
tinge of sorrow for the woman that he'd once loved and
would shortly be walking away from.

His mother had returned to Ireland, to stay with her
sister Bridie, and Terry was glad to be relieved of the
burden. Unluckily for him, she'd promised to come back,
for Christmas. He hadn't had the heart to say no, so he'd
extended the offer to Bridie too. With a bit of luck they'd
keep one another company and allow him a bit of leeway.

'All right, babe?' Terry let himself into the flat with
his own key and was quickly dragged into the lounge by
an excited Jade.

'Look at all this stuff, Tel. I've been shopping for the
baby.'

Terry smiled at the furry pair of boots she was holding.

'They're all right, Jade, for a girl. If we have a boy,
I'm telling you now, he ain't being dressed in any of that
shit you keep buying. No son of mine is going to look
like a fucking poof.'

Jade giggled at his words. He was such a man's man
and she'd guessed his reaction even before he'd given it.

Winking at her, Terry pulled her close. With his hands
firmly on her backside, he pressed himself against her.

'Let's go to bed, eh?'

Smiling, Jade took his hand and led him towards their
love-nest.

After viewing several properties, Jade and Terry finally
settled on a four-bedroom house in a little village called
Stapleford Abbotts. Terry was overjoyed that it wasn't too
far away. He'd been desperate to stay close to his business
and hadn't wanted to drag Billie Jo too far away
from her friends.

The area they had chosen met all of their requirements,
so Terry had arranged a cash deal with the
owner and had secured the place for a fair price. He
temporarily stuck the property in Davey Mullins' name.
He knew the shit was going to hit the fan and it was
something else Chelle wouldn't be able to get her grubby
paws on. Terry had told no one about the baby other
than Dave, who could be trusted more than life itself.
He knew his secret and his money that Dave was looking
after for him were as safe as houses. After his divorce
was over, Terry would put the house jointly into his and
Jade's names.

As the nights darkened, he had the new house redecorated.
They hadn't yet bought any furniture or moved
anything into it as they didn't want it sitting empty with
all their stuff inside. They had great plans for the room
they'd chosen as the nursery. Jade was adamant that she
didn't want to know the sex of the baby until it was born,
therefore they planned to do it up after the birth.

Terry was desperate for the baby to be a boy to spare
Billie's feelings and had convinced himself that it would
be. Jade didn't care what sex the baby was, as long as
it was healthy. Jade felt comfortable in her little flat
and wanted to stay put until after the baby was born.
Terry was pleased, as he didn't want her rattling about
in the new house all on her own.

The only worry he had now was about Billie's re action
when she found out Jade was pregnant and was going
to be moving in with them. He expected her to throw a
tantrum, but he hoped that once she'd got over the initial
shock, she'd come round. This was another reason why
he was praying for the baby to be a boy. He didn't want
Billie's nose to be pushed out of joint if they had a little
girl.

The plan was to move into the new house with Billie
in July. A month later, he would gently break the news
about the baby and Jade moving in.

Terry was dreading this year's festive season. The
millennium was a fantastic excuse for Michelle to be
comatose for at least a week. Terry had made no plans
for the big event. He would rather stay indoors than suffer
going out with Michelle. Every New Year's Eve she made
a total cunt of herself and he was determined to take a
rain-check on this particular celebration.

His mother was returning on Christmas Eve, along
with his aunt. Unfortunately, his mum had only gone and
invited his pisshead brother, John, to spend Christmas
Day with them. Spending the day with one alcoholic was
bad enough, but being saddled with two didn't bear
thinking of. Terry just knew without a shadow of doubt
that it was gonna be the Christmas from hell.

'What are you doing, Mum? Have you lost something?'

Billie Jo stood in the doorway of the spare room where
her dad slept, wondering why her mum had it upside
down.

'I've lost my credit cards and I think your dad had
them in one of his pockets,' Chelle fibbed.

Smiling, Billie left her mum to it and went to the safety
of her own room. She knew her mum was lying and sparks
would shortly start to fly. Lying on her bed, Billie picked
up her book and hoped that the tears and the Patsy Cline
CD wouldn't ruin her evening.

Cursing herself for having been caught, Chelle took a
sip of wine and carefully replaced Terry's clothes back
into the wardrobe.

Plonking her oversized body onto the bed, she felt like
crying with frustration. Every drawer she'd inspected.
Every pocket of clothing the bastard owned she'd searched
and found precisely nothing.

Well, she wasn't about to give up. Late tonight, he said
he'd be home and Chelle was determined to find some
evidence and answers before the wanderer returned.

Chelle was absolutely positive that he was up to no
good. He was being too nice and when he didn't look
guilty, he had a stupid grin plastered across his smarmy
face. Things would be so much easier if she didn't still
love him.

Wiping a tear from her eye, she topped up her glass.
There was no time for sentimentality. Pulling out the
underwear drawer, she fiercely emptied it onto the floor.
She had to find something, anything, and she had to do
it today. Once his sordid secrets were uncovered, she could
dismember his meat and two veg and have great pleasure
in frying them up for breakfast.

'Here we are, Tel. Pull up over there, on the drive.'

Doing as he was told, Terry smiled at Jade. He was
nervous, as he was about to meet her parents for the very
first time. He felt like a bloody teenager all over again.

It had been his idea that Jade return to Somerset for
Christmas. He knew he'd be up to his neck with family
stuff, and he couldn't bear the thought of Jade being alone
in the flat.

Jade hadn't seen her parents for over two years. They
had never truly forgiven her for running off abroad and
leaving them and her ex-boyfriend, Tommy, in no-man's-land.
Now that Jade was expecting their first grandchild,
both parties had decided it was time to kiss and make up.

'Oh, Jade. It's so good to see you,' Mary said, kissing
her daughter and politely shaking hands with Terry.

'Welcome to the family,' Lenny muttered, whilst
standing awkwardly behind his wife's back.

Two cups of tea, a piece of fruitcake and an interrogation
worthy of the regional crime squad later, Terry
couldn't wait to bolt out of the door.

'I best be making tracks, Jade,' he said, standing up.

'You can't go yet,' Mary said, thrusting a fresh cream
scone towards him.

'Jade tells us that you've been married once before,
Terry?' Lenny enquired nosily.

'Yeah, I'm divorced,' Terry lied, glancing at Jade.

'May I ask how long you've been divorced?' Mary
pried.

'Three years,' Terry replied, with the first thing that
came into his head. He could hardly tell them the poxy
truth, could he?

Tubbs and Crockett would love that, wouldn't they, him
announcing that he was still living with the wildebeest.

Putting the half-eaten scone onto the plate, Terry stood
up and grabbed his car keys.

'It's been lovely meeting you both. As much as I'd like
to stay longer, I'm afraid I really have to go. My daughter
that I spoke about, Billie Jo, is spending Christmas with
me and I've promised to pick her up on the way home.'

'It was very nice to meet you,' Lenny and Mary replied
in unison.

Walking out to the car with him, Jade held his hand.

'Well, that went well. It wasn't too bad for you, was
it?'

'It was fine, babe,' Terry said, pulling her into his arms.
Moving in for a kiss, he decided against it. Tubbs and
Crockett were peering out of the window.

'I ain't kissing you while they're watching us.'

Jade squeezed his hands and smiled.

'They always used to watch me out of the window
when I was a teenager, so don't take it personally. You
get going, Tel. Try and ring me over the holiday. I'll leave
my phone on day and night and whenever you get a chance,
just ring.'

'I will, babe. You're welcome to ring me as well.
Obviously, if I'm in the vicinity of the wildebeest, I'll
switch it off, but other than that, you can ring at your
peril.'

'I love you,' Jade said, as he started the engine.

Pressing the button to lower the window, Terry winked
at her.

'I love you too, babe. I love every bone in that beautiful
body of yours. Keep your chin up, eh. Remember, this time
next year, it'll be me, you and the baby celebrating our first
Christmas together.'

Waving, Jade tearfully watched him drive away. She was
going to miss him dreadfully and it was going to be her
worst Christmas ever. Putting on a brave face, she went
inside to rejoin her parents.

Driving home, Terry mulled over the day's events. Her
parents had been friendly enough towards him, but they
just weren't his cup of tea. They were typical country folk
and had reminded him of something from the TV
programme
The League of Gentlemen
. He was half
expecting them to look at him with a strange glint in their
eye, while asking 'Are you a local person?' Terry drove
out of Somerset, or Royston Vasey, as he'd nicknamed it,
and headed back towards Essex as fast as the Range Rover
would take him.

After locking up the car lot on Christmas Eve, Terry went
into the local pub where he'd arranged to meet Davey
Mullins. They headed over to a quiet table in the corner
and sat down.

'What time shall we come over tomorrow, Tel?'

'Come about one. Chelle's meant to be cooking dinner,
but I'll have a hundred pounds that Mum and Bridie end
up doing the honours. I reckon we'll eat about three.'
Terry had been over the moon that Dave and Lisa had
agreed to spend the day with them. Michelle had suggested
the idea, as she'd struck up an unlikely friendship with
Lisa, and Terry had eagerly agreed.

'How have you and Chelle been getting on lately? Has
she been performing at all?'

Terry smiled at his friend. 'She's still drinking for
England, but we've been getting on as well as can be
expected. I try to be as nice to her as possible, just to
keep the peace. I feel guilty sometimes, especially when
she's behaving herself. Can you imagine how she'd feel
if she knew Jade was up the spout and I was fucking off
and leaving her next year?'

Dave took a sip of his Budweiser and laughed out loud.
'She still ain't got a clue what's going on then?'

'Not an inkling, Davey Boy, so for God's sake don't
get pissed and put your foot in it tomorrow. You ain't said
nothing to Lisa, have you?'

'You should know me better than that, mate. I would
never tell a woman fuck all. All of 'em have a mouth like
the Dartford Tunnel.'

Laughing, Terry stood up.

'I better make tracks. Me mother and Bridie have
arrived and Chelle and Billie'll be pulling their hair out,
if I don't get home soon.'

'Laters, Tel.'

'Hello, Mum, you all right, babe? Christ, you look well,
Bridie. Been hitting that gym again, have ya?'

Sipping her brandy, Bridie chuckled.

'You're a cheeky so-and-so, Terry Keane. Bejesus, do
you never get weary of taking the piss out of people?'

Laughing, Terry turned to his mother. 'Have you had
anything to eat yet?'

'No, son, we're fecking starving.'

'Where's your mother?' Terry asked Billie.

'In bed, feigning illness. Reckons she's got the flu.'

'More like alcoholic poisoning,' Terry said, laughing
at his own wit.

Leaving his mum and aunt to put the world to rights,
he ushered Billie into the kitchen to help him rustle up
some food.

'Come on then, Bill, spill the beans. Something must
have happened for your mother to take to her bed.'

'She's drunk, Dad. She started on the wine, first thing
this morning. She's been in a strange mood for a couple
of days now. Yesterday, when you were out, I caught her
going in your wardrobe and searching through all your
stuff.'

Terry looked at Billie with raised eyebrows.

'As if I'd be silly enough to leave anything lying about
for her to get her grubby paws on. Do us a favour, Bill.

Go upstairs, tell her I'm home and ask her if she wants
anything to eat.'

Obeying his orders, Billie quickly returned to inform
him that Chelle was too ill to be joining them.

The rest of the evening passed without incident. Bridie
and Pearl opted for an early night, and after a chat and
cuddle with her dad, Billie followed suit.

Unable to face World War Three, Terry decided he'd
be wise to sleep on the sofa. Usually he dossed in one
of the spare rooms, but due to his mum and aunt staying,
he had the choice of the sofa or sharing with the wildebeest.
The sofa won hands down.