LITMIR.BIZ

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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 bit her lip. She had just found the man of her dreams and she couldn’t lose him over something so trivial. She squeezed his hand.

      ‘You’re so right, Ed. I mean, I’d have to give it up in a few months anyway, so I might as well do it now. I’ll ring them first thing tomorrow, to tell them that I’m leaving.’

      Eddie smiled. ‘That’s my girl. You know it makes sense.’

      Joyce and Stanley were watching a late-night film when Jessica arrived home. ‘Did you have a nice evening? How did Eddie react to the news?’ Joyce asked excitedly.

      ‘Oh, Ed was thrilled. He said we can have as many babies as I want,’ Jess said happily. ‘And I’m giving my job up. I’m gonna ring the shop tomorrow to tell them I won’t be coming back.’

      Stanley looked at his daughter in astonishment. ‘You can’t give up your job. I thought you liked working in the shoe shop.’

      Jessica shrugged. ‘Eddie said that I don’t need to work any more. He said he’ll look after me and the baby from now on.’

      Aware that her dad was anything but happy, Jessica looked away from him. ‘I’ll make us all a nice cup of tea,’ she said, as she swiftly left the room.

      Stanley glared at Joyce. ‘She loves that bloody job. That bastard’s trying to manipulate her already. It ain’t right, Joycie. Next thing you know, he’ll have her shut in a fucking cupboard. These villains have different principles to the likes of me and you. They keep their women under lock and key, and we’ve got to put a stop to it before it’s too late.’

      Joyce threw her husband a look of contempt. ‘Don’t you dare spoil our daughter’s happiness. If Eddie wants to support Jess, then good for her. I wish I hadn’t had to work when I was pregnant. Do you know how hard it was for me, dragging myself to that bloody office every day? I had no choice, we couldn’t survive on your measly wages. You leave our Jess alone and keep your idiotic opinions to yourself, Stanley. Unlike me, she’s found a rich man, a good ’un.’

      About to answer his wife back, Stanley was stopped from doing so by Jessica’s reappearance. ‘Thanks, love,’ he said, as she handed him his cuppa.

      Jessica sat down next to her mum. She had one more bombshell to drop and she knew her dad wasn’t going to be happy. ‘Oh, by the way, Eddie and I have decided to get married in a couple of weeks’ time. We’re not gonna bother with a church do, we’ve decided on a register office.’

      As the horror of the situation hit Stanley, he spilt half of the contents of his favourite mug over his leg. ‘Bollocks!’ he yelled, as the hot tea scalded him.

      ‘Silly old goat,’ Joyce whispered.

      Jessica felt sorry for her dad. She knew it had always been his dream to one day walk her down the aisle. ‘Are you OK, Dad?’ she asked kindly.

      Stanley said nothing as he dabbed his trousers with his handkerchief. Whatever he said would make no difference, so what was the bloody point? Both his wife and daughter thought the sun shone out of Eddie Mitchell’s arse. With a sense of foreboding, Stanley said goodnight, left the room and trudged dejectedly up the stairs.

      He was sure that the day would come when his wife and daughter would wish they had listened to him. Until that day came, Stanley had little choice other than to smile, be polite and keep schtum.

       SIX

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