‘Oh, it’s you, Ally. Am I glad to see you! I almost didn’t recognise you in all the glamour. I just ran round the corner from the hotel .?.?. Am I too early?’ she said anxiously, clearly way out of her comfort zone.
‘Nope, you’re just in time. And it’s still me under all the warpaint.’ Suddenly, she felt her hand gripped tightly.
‘Don’t ever change. I’ve not seen him as happy as he’s been in the past few months since he was a wee boy.’
Ally’s heart went out to her. Just then Evelyn strolled past, checking that the servers all had well-stocked platters of her nibbles to hand around.
‘Evelyn, I’d love you to meet Pete’s mum .?.?.’ Ally could see Kathleen relax immediately.
‘Darling, this isfabulous,’ came a squeal, as her parents barrelled in the door. Mum was wearing a stunning Isabel Marant white trouser suit and Dad a paisley-patterned bow tie and waistcoat in his most celebratory Terry Wogan-esque form. Ally introduced them to Kathleen.
‘Oh my God, you’re so brave. You’ve done the grey thing, like Andie MacDowell. It gives one such .?.?. gravitas, doesn’t it, Ray? I so admire you,’ gushed Ally’s mum.
Meanwhile, Kathleen was looking at her with a totally baffled expression.
Looking around, Ally noticed that the place was filling up with an upmarket crowd. Then she spotted Ronan and William, who had his arm around a fresh-faced Cait, and Ally recognised immediately she was everything she’d tried to fake.
Christie and Noel, the regulars, looked as though they had emerged from the Tardis onto an alien planet.
‘Jeez, Christie, you wouldn’t know the place .?.?. Where the feck are we at all? Ah well, just point us towards the gargle, there.’
Georgina, from Hogget and Simpson, also turned up, looking more glammed up than Ally had ever seen her.
‘Ah, this is fabulous,’ Georgina exhaled, taking a swig of Prosecco. ‘You know what, I really needed a night out.’
Damo was in fine form, following in Dad’s footsteps, with a glass in each hand, as Julia, looking noticeably pregnant, rolled her eyes.
* * *
The night wore on: people from the press were chatting to Ally and Pete, while a photographer was snapping people for the social pages. Crystal, in yet another impossibly tight dress, wasjammed in a corner doing a report in a sexy, breathy voice.
Ally just managed to overhear: ‘We bring you the hottest events from the heart of the city, but .?.?. remember, I love you all.’
Ally practically laughed at the sheer neck, but hey, they were going to need all the help they could muster to ensure this place caught on. It was one thing to throw a glitzy launch, but quite another to keep a club going week to week.
She caught sight of Pete talking to the soundman, who was setting up the microphone. There was something about watching him engrossed in the job at hand, unaware of being observed, that made her heart flip. Perhaps he felt her looking at him, because he turned slightly and caught her eye, causing her to blush at the intensity of his gaze. He gave her a quick smile then turned back to Dave, who was unfolding his speech nervously. The music faded down and he stepped up to the podium.
‘Good evening, everyone. And for those of you who don’t recognise me in my suit, my name is Dave.’ There was a ripple of laughter. ‘I’m the original owner and now partner in this place, though I hardly recognise it. There are a lot of new friends here tonight, so I want to welcome you to our expanding .?.?. erm .?.?. circle of – we hope – regulars. Now, I’ll hand you over to my good friend .?.?. Peter Fitzmaurice.’ He looked massively relieved to relinquish the microphone.
‘Thanks, Dave, I’ll keep it short .?.?. The Owl’s Nest was built by Evelyn and Dave; they created a place that was very special – somewhere with great food and where everyone, no matter who they were or where they came from, felt at home. Ally and I were talking and thinking about how a place like that is needed, not just during the day but every bit as much at night as well. A place that feels like dropping by to see a friend .?.?. OK, one who has tidied up before you got there .?.?.’ There was a smatteringof laughter. ‘Thanks, Dave, the best friend ever, Evelyn and, of course, Ally, for the inspiration. We’ll see you all again soon .?.?. we hope.’
Ally felt a glow of happiness when hearing Pete’s very public acknowledgement of her and for one moment she allowed herself to feel that everything had actually worked out.
Just then, some instinct drew her gaze into one of the mirrors where, reflecting back at her from across the room, she could see a blonde figure in a tight dress standing beside a deeply tanned man. Ally realised with a shock that the look that was aimed at her was anything but friendly.
‘Feck, is that blonde his ex? What’s she doing here?’ hissed Rosemarie, who’d crept up beside her.
Ally shrugged. ‘Don’t know.’
But the problem was, she kind of did. Pete must have invited them both as some sort of olive branch; he’d assured Ally that he was done with Tanya, but it was by no means clear from her attitude whether she was done with him.
The feeling of fizzy Solpadeine was being replaced by a bad case of acidity and she was heading to the loo for a breather when she felt the familiar hand on her arm and that familiar scent.
‘Babe, where are you going? There’s a couple of people I’d like you to meet.’
‘Yeeeah, I think I’ve already spotted them.’
‘It’s OK, come on.’
