BTW, I still don't own The Bill.
(i)
Millie stood at the counter preparing dinner for herself and her son Thomas. No Max this evening. He had called to say he had to work well into the night, most likely until after Millie had gone to bed. Millie felt sorry for him. She knew how much he hated spending even a single day without seeing his son. The despondent look on Thomas's face as he glanced up every now and then at the door from which his father usually appeared told her that the boy hated missing the father / son bonding time just as much as Max did. Now she felt bad for both of them. Being ever the pacifier, Millie decided to try to alleviate some of her boys' mutual suffering by uniting them briefly via the telephone.
She picked up the handset and walked around the counter as she dialed Max's work number. The phone was answered quickly, but not by Max.
"DS Moss speaking."
"Stevie. Hi, it's Millie."
"Hey, Millie… how's it going?" replied Stevie.
Was Millie mistaken, or was Stevie sounding slightly uncomfortable talking to her?
"Fine thanks. Max not there?"
"Not at the moment, sorry. He's at a briefing. It's been a really busy day."
"I gathered as much. It's not every day that Max has to work back so late."
Stevie made an audible gulping sound. Now Millie knew something was up.
"Stevie," said Millie. "Is there something I should know?" She tried to ignore the voice in her head that whispered Max is having an affair, as she waited for Stevie to reply.
Stevie was torn. Max was a workmate, and although she may not have chosen him as a friend, this connection demanded a degree of loyalty and trust. But then again, she was fond of Millie, and didn't like to see her lied to.
Stevie decided to strike a blow for female solidarity.
"Millie," she said, after taking a deep breath, "If Max told you he had to work late tonight, he was lying. The truth is, the boys here are taking him out for a Stag night."
Millie went silent. Silent with rage. She had never insisted Max not have a Stag night. In fact they had discussed whether or not they would follow what they both called an outmoded ritual, and Max had insisted he had absolutely no interest in having one whatsoever. She had taken him at his word and thought no more of it. And now she was discovering that perhaps he did want a night out after all, just not one she knew about. Why? What did he want to get up to without telling her? She told herself to give him the benefit of the doubt. There was the possibility that Max could have been forced into this by his workmates. But then again, why cover that up? There was no getting past that he'd out and out lied to her.
Stevie couldn't stand the silence any longer. "Millie, you still there?"
Stevie's voice brought Millie back down to earth, "Sorry Stevie, it's just a.. shock, that's all."
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't lie!"
"Really, don't be sorry. I appreciate you telling me. It's Max I'm angry at!"
"Of course you are. But look Millie, I know he loves you and I'm sure he had his reasons…"
"For blatantly lying? For leaving me at home to look after his son, who's wondering where his beloved Daddy is? Oh, I'm sure he has!"
Stevie was beginning to wish she'd stayed well and truly out of it.
"Do you want me to get Max to ring you then?" she asked.
"No thanks, I'd be too mad to speak. And, could you not mention to him that I rang?"
"OK. I'll pretend our conversation never happened and you don't know anything about tonight."
"Thanks Stevie. Say, do you know who organised this for Max?"
Stevie knew the answer she gave would indicate to Millie whether or not the night would involve a stripper. And the answer she was about to give meant a resounding 'yes'. "Callum and Nate, I believe."
Millie frowned. "OK. I'll speak to you later Stevie."
"Bye Millie."
Millie put down the phone and thought about how much she'd love to be strangling Max right about now...
Thomas came up beside her and took her hand. Millie smiled at him as he tugged it to indicated he wanted her to follow. What could she do? There was no reason to visit the sins of the father onto the son. She let herself be led out of the kitchen and faked an interest as Thomas pushed his toy cars across the polished floor of his play room.
Millie found to her shame that she just couldn't concentrate on Thomas. God, she was angry at Max! Angry, and hurt. And what hurt most of all was that if he had asked if he could have a night out before they got married, she would have said yes. She would have organised a Hen's night too, because she did so enjoy a night out with her friends and had actually hoped to have one. Instead she had forgone it in fairness to Max.
Millie glanced up at the clock. She knew that she would go insane if she had to sit there alone tonight, wondering what Max was up to. She needed something to take her mind off it. A plan started to form in her head. It was now only five at night. Still early enough to take Thomas to his grandmother's for an overnight stay. Mrs. Carter would love it. It was still early enough to organised a few drinks and nibbles. Perhaps it was still early enough to round up a few girl friends…
Millie retrieved the phone from the bench and hit the redial button.
"DS Moss speaking."
"Stevie? It's Millie again. Say, are you doing anything tonight?"
Stevie started to smile. "No. Why?"
"It just occurred to me that perhaps I might have a few friends over for drinks myself. What do you say? And maybe see what Jo, Mel and Grace are doing as well."
Stevie cradled the phone on her shoulder as she tapped out a quick email to the girls. "Will do," she said, as she hit the 'send' button.
"Great. Look, I'll just contact a few other people and get back to you. How does 730 sound?"
"Sounds good to me. Oop, looks like Jo's up for it."
"Even if it's only the three of us, that's something. I'll call you back soon. And thanks Stevie."
"Pleased to be of service. Talk to you soon." Stevie hung up the phone and grinned. Her grinned broadened as she watched Max and Grace entering the room. She glanced over to Grace's desk and waited until Grace looked up and cast a sly smile, followed by a nod over in her direction.
Max was completely oblivious to the female networking going on around him.
Millie had hung up from Stevie and got straight onto the person she knew would turn her impromptu Hen's night from a coffee with a couple of friends into a party to remember.
"Hello."
"Mag? It's me, Millie."
"Millie, how are you?"
"How am I? Angry at your brother!"
Mag rolled her eyes, "Well, I must say the fact that you get on well with him most of the time is more of a surprise to me. What's he done? Anything particularly bad?"
"I'll let you judge. He told me that he was working late tonight when in fact he's having a Stag Night."
Mag groaned, "It doesn't get much worse than that, does it?"
"No," agreed Millie.
"Are you going to forgive him?"
"Maybe. But first I'm going to get even."
Mag was intrigued. "How so?"
"I thought I'd have a bit of party for myself tonight. Or at least, I hoped my Matron of Honour might agree to organise one for me…"
"She would be thrilled to! I'll give Johanna a call. Oh, and mum can babysit. Luckily dinner's prepared here, and Paul's home and can take care of the kids."
"Thanks Mag, I appreciate it. Now, I'll just ring up a few more people, and we're set to go! See you in an hour or so."
"See you then Millie."
Mag hung up the phone, excited at the prospect of an unexpected opportunity for a night out of the house - and a chance to teach her spoilt little brother a lesson!
(ii)
Stevie sat at her desk trying to look nonchalant as the boys in CID started to gather with their uniform counterparts for their night on the town. Soon Terry, Mickey and Bansky had escorted Max downstairs and the office seemed strangely quiet. She could hear Neil Manson's voice coming from his office as he and Grace discussed a case. Stevie had heard that Neil had turned down the invitation to Max's Stag night as a matter of principle, and she kind of admired that. Not every man would so readily admit that they found the 'anything goes' nature of these nights distasteful.
Jo Masters made her way through the door into CID, accompanied by PC Roger Valentine.
"Roger, why are you still here?" asked Stevie. "Not going out with Max?"
"I'm too old for that sort of thing, Stevie," said Roger. "And apart from that, as Millie asked me to give her away at her wedding in place of her late father, it didn't feel right encouraging my future 'son-in-law' to get blind drunk and fondle strippers, if you know what I mean."
"I see what you're saying," replied Stevie.
"Say, Rodge," interjected Jo. "Didn't you get on rather friendly terms with Millie's mother at Thomas's Christening?"
Roger rolled his eyes, "You could say that, but I might add it was unwillingly."
Stevie grinned, "So, have you been spending any special bonding time with the lovely Mrs. Brown in the lead up to the wedding?"
"Actually, she has called me and offered!" said Roger. "But, well, you know…"
"I sure do," laughed Jo. She turned her attention to Stevie. "Something on your mind, Luv?"
"Well, yeah. This whole Max not telling Millie about the Stag night has made me angry. So I was thinking, wouldn't it be good if we could organise a special guest for Millie's party?"
Jo raised an eyebrow. "A special naked male guest you mean?" she asked. She pictured Max's reaction to finding out about this. "Excellent idea. But, I think we may have left it a bit late."
"Come on Jo," said Roger. "What about that snout of yours, the one who runs that male revue club. Doesn't he owe you a favour?"
Stevie's face lit up as she looked expectantly at Jo.
"Hmm, let me see what I can do. But Roger, aren't you showing a bit of double standard here? No stripper for the son-in-law, but a stripper for the daughter?"
"Ah," said Roger, as he made his way towards to doors, "but she's not actually my daughter, is she? Anyway, it's just a suggestion!" he called back as the doors closed behind him.
Stevie looked at Jo. "Well, what are you waiting for? Call in that favour!"
Jo laughed and made the phone call.