Katy practically ran from the bus stop back to the flat, praying she would find her sister there. Roxy was indeed there and Katy handed over the money.
"What the hell have you been doing?" Roxy asked suspiciously, seeing Katy's flushed face and holding the massive wad of fifty pound notes.
"Nothing." Katy said as innocently as she could. "I just sold some stuff."
"That's what I was worried about." Roxy said. "How much is here?"
"Two grand." Katy said casually. "Have we got enough now?"
Roxy's face split into a grin. Katy loved that her sister was so easily destracted. Ronnie would have been on her case about where the money came from, but Roxy was too flaky to bother. "Yep! And we've also got a little left over for some champers for the hen night." The sisters looked at each other in horror.
"The hen night!" they shouted together. They were late to meet Ronnie at the restaurant. She was going to kill them. Katy rushed off to shower and change; she couldn't go and meet her older sister like that. Roxy changed quickly and pulled out her phone. She had seven missed calls from Ronnie.
"Hurry up!" She shouted at Katy.
"Coming!" The teenager replied, hopping out of her bedroom pulling on a stiletto shoe as she did so. "I'm ready."
They raced to the Argee Bhajee as fast as their heels would let them. Ronnie had already left so they went to buy the champagne, hoping it would go some way to making up for their lateness. The only other place they could think Ronnie would be was Glenda's, so they headed there.
"Surprise!" Roxy said, bursting into the flat, Katy just behind her. The blonde sister waved the champagne at her sister and mother, who looked like they were in the middle of a serious conversation.
"Where the hell have you been?" Ronnie demanded of her sisters standing up and glaring at them. Both of them shrank back slightly as their sister's eyes flashed threateningly. "You were supposed to meet me nearly two hours ago."
"Sorry Ron." Katy said as apologetically as she could. "We were finishing the arrangements for your wedding." She smiled innocently at her older sister. "It's going to be beautiful. Rox has worked so hard."
They saw Ronnie soften and Roxy's shot her younger sister a smile and a wink. They were both glad that Katy was able to wrap the 'ice queen' around her little finger sometimes. They were also glad for the pregnant woman's hormones.
x
The next morning all three sisters were up extra early. Katy and Roxy were jittery, and Ronnie was excited. Katy, who would usually not be seen dead in a dress, was only too happy to put on her bridesmaids dress; deep coral pink with silver jewelled banding and one shoulder strap, and even allowed Roxy to curl her hair so that they would match.
She was ready and playing with Amy on the floor when Roxy grabbed her by her arm and dragged her into her bedroom, closing the door so that Ronnie and Glenda wouldn't hear them.
"Jack's vanished." She hissed. "Billy hasn't seen him since yesterday."
"Ring Max." Katy said calmly, trying not to reach the same level of hysteria as Roxy was threatening to reach.
"Ok, Ok. I can't believe this is happening." She fumed. She had been stressing all morning and had begged Alfie to help her, which he had done by moving all of the flowers intended for his and Kat's wedding from the Vic to the Mitchell's house. But they still didn't have any cars to take the guests to the wedding. Katy didn't want to think about what Kat's reaction would be when she realised her wedding had gone missing.
"You've still got the money, yes?" Katy asked, trying to calm her sister down.
"Yes, yes!" Roxy snapped. "It's in my bag."
"Right. Let's just get Ronnie to the hotel and we'll see what happens later." Katy said calmly.
"How?" Roxy asked putting her hands on her hips and tapping her foot agitatedly.
"I'll sort it." Katy promised and ran outside and straight into Max, a plan formulating in her head the second she saw him.
"Where's Jack?" She asked.
"I dunno? I ain't seen him since yesterday." The best man said shaking his head. Katy swore.
"Where's your car? We need you to drive Ronnie to the hotel." Max nodded and went off to get it as Katy took the steps two at a time back into the flat. She and Roxy, in their matching dresses, bundled Ronnie and Amy hurriedly into the car and they set off for the hotel. The younger sisters exchanged looks every now and then, worried about what they would do if Jack didn't arrive.
As they drew up to the hotel, Katy gasped. It was beautiful; Roxy had surpassed herself. Ronnie smiled at her and squeezed both her sister's hands.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
"Hey, don't you start crying." Katy said, almost as though she was warning herself. In fact the warning would do for all three of them.
"Let's get inside." Roxy said. They made their way into the large, beautifully decorated foyer and Ronnie smiled excitedly at her sisters.
"Nervous?" Katy asked.
Ronnie considered her for a moment and then smiled and shook her head. "No."
"Miss Mitchell?" A well dressed, official looking man walked up to the bride and her sisters.
"Oh, yeah." Roxy said handing him her bag without really paying him much attention. "It's in there." She said turning back to Ronnie. He took the bag to the desk, to make the payment for her.
"Argh! It's really happening!" She said quietly to Ronnie and the three sisters smiled at each other excitedly.
"Umm… Miss Mitchell?" The man said, coming back with Roxy's bag. "Is this someone's idea of a joke?" He asked tilting the bag to reveal the fact that it was stuffed full of pink rose petals. The three sisters looked at it open-mouthed and then looked at each other.
"Roxy?" Ronnie asked weakly as her sister reached forwards and snatched the bag out of the manager's hands. She began flinging the confetti out onto the floor, looking for the money.
"No cash, no ceremony." He said, snootily. Roxy continued to throw the confetti out of her bag while her sisters looked on in horror. Katy grabbed at the bag, tipping it upside down. The money was definitely gone. She threw the bag angrily on the floor with all her force.
"What's happening?" Ronnie asked, looking at her sisters, totally confused. They looked back at her, both looking as though they were going to cry.
"Oh, Ron." Katy said, tears forming in her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands.
"I'm really sorry." Roxy said as Ronnie stared at her. She looked around desperately, as though looking for another option. "Wedding's off."
Ronnie's mouth fell open in disbelief and she looked between her sisters and the manager as if she was hoping one of them would shout 'surprise' and the whole situation would be a terrible, misguided joke. But none of them did. Muttering under her breath, the younger blonde stomped towards the room where Jack was waiting for Ronnie to walk up the aisle.
"Right, come on then, who was it?" Roxy demanded, bursting in. Just behind her Katy glared furiously around. "I said who was it?"
"What are you talking about, Roxanne?" Glenda asked. Everyone else was looking at each other curiously.
"The 20K that has been nicked from right under my nose!" She screamed, stamping her foot like a child. "THAT'S what I'm talking about."
"Rox." Katy said gently. She didn't think screaming like this in front of everyone was going to get their money back. The congregation were staring at the sisters as though they'd gone mad. Whispers were breaking out amongst them as they digested the information that Roxy was shrieking.
"What?" Jack asked, menacingly. He looked furious.
"Come on, Rox." Katy said, pulling her sister's arm. They went outside and Roxy took some deep breaths.
"What are we going to do, Katy?" She asked, her lip trembling.
The teenager thought for a split second. She glanced towards the reception desk and her eyes fell on the manager. Inspiration hit her in a split second. "Send your mum out here." Roxy narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but did as her younger sister demanded.
"What are you up to?" Glenda demanded, suspiciously as Roxy brought her out into the foyer. She didn't like the teenager very much and trusted her even less. The feeling was mutual.
"We have everything right here, yes?" Katy said. "Except that he," she pointed to the manager, "won't let the ceremony go ahead until he gets paid."
"Yes, we know that." Glenda said impatiently. Her daughters shushed her, listening to their younger sister.
"So we distract him until Ronnie and Jack say 'I do'." The brunette said with a sly grin.
"What does that have to do with me?" Glenda asked, not seeing where she fitted into the operation.
"Look at him." Katy said, glancing over her shoulder. "I think you're FAR more his type than I am. If you get my drift. I'd do it, but I don't think I'm classy enough. I couldn't pretend to be classy enough, anyway." She said slyly.
"Oh, Katherine." Glenda said, annoyed at the thinly veiled insult. "No, I won't. Besides, that would mean I'd miss Veronica getting married."
"Please, Mum." Ronnie said pleadingly. She could see that Katy was right; it was the only way she would be getting married. "Do it for me."
Glenda sighed and looked between her daughters. She kissed them each on the cheek and nodded. She gave Katy a narrow eyed glare and stalked past, engaging the manager in conversation. As the sisters hurried into the room, they heard Glenda give a high-pitched, flirtatious giggle.