The Hen Night

Jilly decided to throw Heather a Hen Night in her basement flat. Heather had driven down from Scotland that day and was getting married two days later. Bill had been set the task of finding them somewhere to live, whilst Heather had managed a transfer from Glasgow to London from the bank she worked in. It was exhausting and terrifying for Heather. In the last month, she had gone from being single in Glasgow, to pregnant, then engaged and moving to London.

Heather drove her packed car down to London, with frequent toilet stops, and was worn out by the time she arrived. Jilly let Heather stay in her spare room until the wedding, as they all agreed Fiona's temporary hovel was no place for a pregnant woman. Jilly stocked her place with nibbles and bubbles. She got some non-alcoholic beer in for Heather. Heather decided a swinging sixties theme, with all of them dressing as their favourite person from the decade and to have as a quiet one as she could manage in her state.

Jilly, of course, came as herself. Heather came as Sandy Shaw and Fiona as Dusty Springfield. Nikki and Lynn came as Cilla Black and Marianne Faithful respectively. Somehow Suzie's invite seemed to be lost in the post. Jilly saw to that. The permafrost that existed between the Grove Road housemates and Suzie showed no sign of thawing.

There was a loud knock at the door and Jilly ran off to answer it when someone opened the letterbox and shouted.

"Oi, I know you are in there. There is a lot of fizz and two knocked up women in there." A woman's voice bellowed through the letter box. A look passed between Nikki, Fiona and Lyn. Either Jilly was pregnant or one of them was apparently.

"Ooh, it's psychic Sadie!" shouted Jilly down the hall, "She is soo accurate, told me all about my lovely Steve and everything! I thought it would pass the time gamely tonight. I have a little question I want to ask her." Jilly floated past them all in a psychedelic knee length dress she had dug out from her wardrobe.

"Who was Steve?" Fiona asked, bringing in a tray of cheese sandwiches from the kitchen. She was intregued to meet Sadie. Fiona was a died in the wool sceptic about such things.

"Oh, daaaarling, love of my life who died ten years ago. Broke my heart and all of that." Jilly smiled at Fiona as she walked to the door adjusting her white knee high boots.

"Sadie knew?" Fiona enquired. Did she hell she thought to herself.

"Oh yes from years before. Told me and everything I just wouldn't believe her." Jilly sighed, "Hey ho. Just don't you dismiss her as a crackpot young lady!"

"I will behave," Fiona looked at Jilly sympathetically, "so, that is why you were giving me advice about special? You never mentioned losing someone special before." Jilly hadn't. In the year she had known Jilly she knew about her being a rock groupie in the sixties, she knew about her roster of men she kept. She had never heard about Steve. Not a word.

"Hm," Jilly pursed her lips, "I try not to speak about Steve really, frightful what happened and he was such a darling. Now is not the time sweetie." She patted Fiona's hand and skipped to the door to let Sadie in.

Sadie was a walking characteur. She was wearing a turban and channelling a look of a 70's Liz Taylor. She had a flouncy top on and set of earrings that looked like a chandelier.

"Jilly darling, we are going to have the most magnificent night you know. " Sadie kissed Jilly on both cheeks.

"Did the spirits tell you?" Jilly enquired leading Sadie into the kitchen.

"Well, these two did!" She laughed bringing out a bottle of Absolut vodka and Gordon's gin.

"Marvellous!" Jilly clapped her hands, "shall we have a Moulin Rouge?" Fizz, vodka and cassis were added to glasses and shared.

"It would be rude not to babe!" Sadie encouraged her. Looking around the room at the girls. Seeing the swirling patterns around them that the spirits gave when she was in communication with them.

"This is Heather who is getting married!" Jilly gave Sadie a drink.

"You are going to have the loveliest boy who one day will marry her daughter". Heather looked at Fiona and gave out a shocked shriek.

Fiona looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Oh bollocks, you haven't told anyone about the baby yet have you poppet?" Sadie said knowingly. Sadie patted Fiona's hand and took a couple of gulps of her cocktail.

Jilly and Heather looked at Fiona open mouthed. Fiona looked at them both and shrugged. "I only did the test yesterday. Oh, I am in the shit deep ladies. I took the morning after pill and everything. He won't believe me when I tell him." By him she meant David.

"Yes, he will." Sadie took a few more sips, "that wasn't when he knocked you up."

"What!" Fiona and Heather said together.

"Spirits are telling me that it was after that and he knew that the johnnie had split but didn't tell you. The time with the green underwear?" Sadie closed her eyes to concentrate. Sometimes spirits just gave her snippets. Like when the line on a phone crackles.

Fiona looked like she was going to pass out with shock. She sat down to stop herself from falling down.

"Oh what a fucking mess!" Jilly burst out laughing. "Where the hell are you going?" She shouted at Fiona as she sprinted to the door. "You can't run up there accusing him on the strength of Sadie- no offence Sadie."

"None taken darling!" Sadie laughed and drained her glass. She rubbed her hands together and told the girls to form a queue and she would give them all a reading.

"Best do it before she gets pissed" acknowledged Jilly.

As Sadie took Nikki into the dining room Heather nudged Fiona. "When were you going to say?"

"After your honeymoon, I was going to tell you," Fiona admitted.

"Are you still planning to move?" Heather asked. Her best friend knocked up 200 miles away on her own seemed cruel and unnecessary.

"I dunno." she sighed, " l thought I would just get through your wedding and then take it from there. I doubt they want a pregnant midwife. I doubt anyone wants a pregnant midwife." She shook her head. "What a fuck up eh?"

"That was crazy scary, have you told Sadie about Dan? Has she met him before?" Nikki asked Jilly.

"Don't be daft! Why on earth would I talk to Sadie about Dan?" Jilly looked at Nikki as though she had lost her marbles. "Heather darling you are next!" Jilly shouted and motioned for Heather to go into the dining room.

"So knocked up huh?" Jilly smiled at Fiona. Poor girl looked beside herself. Nikki was looking from Jilly to Fiona, lost for words.

"Yup." she nodded looking at the floor trying not to cry.

"It's not the end of the world love." She hugged Fiona as she began to snivel. "You are not the first or the last woman to be in this position are you?"

Fiona shook her head. She never ever thought she would be in this position. She was always so careful.

"Do you know what you are going to do?" Nikki asked.

Fiona took a deep breath. "No, not an idea. You can imagine that I have not thought about anything else for 24 hours. I just wanted to get through the wedding and then think about it then."

"Ignore it until then? Good idea. Coz pregnancy always gets better when you ignore it darling." Jilly nudged her.

"I don't want to ruin Heather's wedding." Fiona blew out her cheeks, "I want it to be lovely, no arguments, no stupidity from me and him and then I will get round to sorting it."

"Darling I don't mean to pry but by sorting do you mean...." Jilly wanted to be sure she understood Fiona's meaning.

"No," Fiona sighed,"I am scared shitless and I cannot deny that I didn't want to be knocked up, however, it is not this baby's fault. I want to have it." There she said it. Out loud to another person. She would keep the baby.

"Alone?" Nikki asked. Poor Fiona 200 miles away on her own with a baby was a tough ask.

"I don't want him to feel trapped." Fiona ran her hand through her hair and knocked her beehive to the side. Jilly helped her right again.

"You didn't do this to trap him poppet!" Jilly laughed.

"Of all the people who would want to do that, it most definitely isn't you," Lyn reassured Fiona.

"No," Fiona laughed back," I don't even want to be with him so why would I want to trap him. The problem is will he see it like that? Will others?"

"Who cares! I would not give two full hoots to what other people think darling. Just you sort yourself first and him second and then the rest will take care of itself. Anyway, you have a busy day or two helping out Heather poor lamb." Jilly patted Fiona's hand and looked at the others for further reassurance.

"I have the best idea for a wedding present for her. I have seen the place that Bill found. Whilst they are away on honeymoon, I thought at least we could strip it back for them and do the heavy lifting in the decorating department. Then when they get back they can make all of the decorating decisions etc and crack on quicker." Fiona had to think of something to take her mind off her current ridiculous predicament.

"Fiona darling that is a great idea. Let me pitch in and help!" Jilly exclaimed.

"Yeah, me and Rich will help." Lyn agreed.

"I will set up a rota and sort out the keys." Nikki agreed. "Here she comes so let's leave this a s a surprise."

Heather came out of the room with Sadie and nodded for Fiona to go in.

"You ok?" Fiona asked.

"She knew WAY too much. Scary really!" Heather laughed. She was more broad-minded than Fiona the parish sceptic.

"She is brilliant! Never wrong!" Jilly laughed and patted her bottom encouraging Fiona into the room.

Fiona found Sadie draining a Gin and tonic with her eyes closed. She nervously sat in the chair opposite and gave a polite cough to announce that she was there.

"Your mother is a bit of an arse isn't she?" Sadie started. Her eyes remained closed as if she was listening so someone whispering.

Fiona let out a guffaw of laughter. She was right on the first account.

"Left you, she thinks about you, but not in a mother's sense more in a poor me sense. Terrible woman spirits are telling me, just terrible. You are nothing like her. You are going to be a brilliant mother four or five children. Husband is a corker. Wow, very handsome and blond. He really likes you, in fact, he is in love with you. He will love and admire you for ever. Oh, hang on a jot," Sadie's brow furrowed, "you will have an issue with traffic. You will be ok but be careful. That is it for now love." Sadie opened her eyes and smiled. "They have just added that Suzie is a nasty piece of work, does that make sense?"

"Yes, I think so." Fiona laughed. Four children? Maybe five. She had better get on with her pelvic floor exercises.

"I need another drink, you don't I see! You need to go home and sleep." Sadie opened her eyes and smiled.

"Oh good lord I am exhausted, Sadie." It was the truth. Tired to her marrow.

"You are growing a whole person in there darling of course you are. April you are due?"

"Yes, I think so." Fiona had worked it out and she was five weeks behind Heather. At least Heather could go first. Get the adjustment to parenthood out of the way.

"It will all be fine, just don't be so stubborn," Sadie warned Fiona and pointed at the door to leave.

They heard a loud knocking at the door and a slightly pissed Bill demanding that Heather come and speak to him.

Fiona went to the door and found Bill being held up by David. Fiona ushered them into the flat and saw Dan, Emlyn and Richard on the stairs behind clearly all intent on crashing the Hen Night.

David took a beer from the table and made small talk with Nikki, all the while never taking his eyes off of Fiona. She looked different. He could not put his finger on what was different and he was sure it would drive him mad trying to get to the bottom of it.

Fiona could feel David's gaze. She was sure he knew. He was looking at her strangely like he was trying to take an x-ray of her. She felt like she had a 'ruined woman' sign dangling above her head.

Emlyn put the flat party mix tape Fiona had made earlier, on Jilly's tape deck and the party started to get into full swing. Emlyn grabbed Jilly and spun her round the living room to 'What's new Pussy Cat. Taking his cue Dan grabbed Nikki and danced animatedly towards her and the rest of the girls.

Nikki laughed and took his hand and ground up against him. Fiona looked on at how happy her housemates and friends were, and inwardly felt a pang of jealousy. Fiona decided to make an exit after she had spoken to David about their respective wedding duties.

She stood next to Lyn. She waited as David was discussing with Lyn, the introduction of Scrumpy Jack cider at the Stargazey. Lyn thought her head would explode with the tension of standing in between them. At the first convenient moment, he motioned Richard to rescue her and made her exit.

"So scarlet pimpernel, how is it hanging," David asked. He felt it important to express his annoyance at her up and leaving him in bed three weeks ago.

"In a nuptial fashion David. I wanted to catch up with you so that I don't cause any issues at the wedding." She smiled tightly at him.

"We will both behave impeccably." David sighed, "Deep down that is who we are." He motioned between them.

"True, I erm." she blew out her cheeks, "I am not bringing anyone, I want to be there for Heather and not bring any drama, I just wanted you to know."

"Suzie is coming, I am sorry, I invited her when I woke up from the heart surgery you gave me three weeks ago. It was childish and regrettable." It was. David wanted to hurt Fiona. Show her what she was missing. It was stupid.

"What the surgery or asking Suzie." Fiona joked.

David gripped the table and looked at Fiona, "Please don't joke Fiona. I understand this is over. I need to get over you. I don't know how, maybe you are right, you going away from here will be best for us both."

He watched as the impact of his words hit Fiona. She looked distressed for a fleeting moment and he could see her gather herself.

Fiona met his gaze, "I will see you in two days, I will be the one at the back of the room walking up with the bride. You make sure you are at the front, standing to the right of lover boy and we will get through it without any incidents."

Fiona grabbed her coat and bag and made her way to the door. Unpinning her behive wig. Shaking her short hair back in place.

David walked behind her and put his hand on the door to stop her from opening it.

She turned to look at him with her eyes brimming with tears. She let out a whimper and nodded to the door, she took several breaths to calm herself.

David looked on confused. "What now? "What?" he pleaded, "Tell me!"

Emotions overtook her, she managed a whimper, "Let me leave, please David, not tonight, not now."

"If not now, then when?" he blocked the door with his arm. He saw her visibly fold in front of him. He reached for the lock and pulled her back into his chest whilst opening the door for her. David bent down and kissed her gently. Fiona gazed at him, took him by the hand and dragged him outside of the door into the cool night air.

Fiona stood on the step to raise herself to eye level with David, he grabbed her and placed his forehead against hers.

"If you don't want Suzie there it is ok." He hadn't counted on it upsetting her that much.

"David its not that I promise." she sighed.

"Then its something else?" he pleaded with his eyes to tell him.

"Nothing life threatening David." She couldn't tell him here. What would he think? She needed to get him somewhere sober after the wedding.

"Fiona, you are a fucking mystery you really are! I am willing to get to the bottom of that, truly I am! You need to meet me half way."

"It's complicated" she managed to squeak. No shit Sherlock . That was the understatement of the night.

"OK." David said slowly moving away from her and scanning her face."Babe, this is weird even for you."

"I need to be alone for the next while." she sniffed pulling herself together, Fiona climbed up Jilly's stairs away from the temptation of him..

"There you go again, pushing me away!" he snapped. He needed Fiona to know that this gulf between them was killing him.

"Better that than you fucking me over David." she retorted turning to leave.

"This again!" he ran his hands through his hair and placed his hands on his hips. He took a deep breath to calm his emotions and looked at her.

"I." he pointed to himself, "I am a first rate arsehole ,who had the most amazing woman in the world." he pointed to Fiona, "She said, 'let's not take it too seriously, let's just have a fling', well that was not going to work because I feel for you things I have NEVER felt ever in my whole life. I have NEVER loved and been provoked and stimulated, in all of my senses, by a solitary human being, in my whole life. It's you, for me, for ever." he looked at her waiting for a response.

Fiona stopped moving and turned to face him. He had just said all of the things she had longed for him to say. She stood rock still, centring her emotions.

"You," he pointed to her directly,"have the power to make me want to be better, on a moment by moment basis. I cannot bear someone else feeling the way you make me feel. It is like I sipped nectar and I can never have it again."

"Yet twice you go for an inferior experience," she sighed and turned her back and walked away, "twice." she said quietly. Fiona felt sick to her core. She hurried down the street and threw up on the corner.

David watched her walk down the street, cursed and rejoined the party. What was up with her now? He was so angry and so frustrated that he grabbed his coat and took a cab back to Suzie's.

He ran into the house as fast as he could. He found Suzie sat at the kitchen table reading. Wordlessly, he pulled Suzie to him and kissed her. He picked Suzie up and ran with her to his bedroom where he took his revenge out on Suzie's body all that night and the next morning.