A few days later, just before her eighteenth birthday, Katy was working in the café when Glenda came in. The two Mitchells hadn't seen each other since the car incident the other evening and Glenda shot the teenager a suspicious look as she ordered her drink. Katy smiled innocently at her, something that evidently made the older woman even more suspicious.
"What are you smirking at?" Glenda hissed, leaning forwards so that her words were only audible to the teenager.
"I'm not sure, but it's funny looking." Katy said rudely. Glenda narrowed her eyes.
"I'm warning you, Katherine…" She stopped abruptly as Ian appeared beside Katy. The teenager raised her eyebrows, smirking.
"Problem?" He asked. Glenda smiled and shook her head.
"No, we were just having a little chat, weren't we darling?" She said falsely. Katy smiled, just as insincerely.
"We sure were." She agreed through gritted teeth.
"Good." Ian said, and walked away. Glenda shot Katy a dirty look. Katy simply rolled her eyes and smirked at the older woman.
"Oi, Glenda." Carol called as she made her way out of the café. "You paid the rent yet?"
"Oh, oh no, it slipped my mind. I'll sort it tomorrow." Glenda said with a broad smile. Carol didn't look convinced.
"Right, well if he comes round later you can deal with it. I'm going round Bianca's."
Katy saw Glenda roll her eyes as her flatmate left and watched her sit down opposite Ian, smiling flirtily. The teenager was sure she could guess what was coming and felt slightly ill at the thought. Surely Ian wouldn't be stupid enough to risk losing Jane because of Glenda? Then again, it was Ian.
"Money troubles?" Ian asked.
"Sometimes you just want a man to take care of you." Glenda said suggestively. Katy thought she was going to gag. She busied herself with making a cup of tea for Dot, who had just come into the café. After serving the woman, Katy couldn't keep her eyes from flicking towards the table where Glenda and Ian were sitting. Some kind of morbid curiosity refused to let her stop watching.
Luckily she was distracted as her best friend bounced into the café and leant over the counter slightly, looking at her in excitement. Katy smiled at Whitney, pleased to see her in such a good mood for once.
"So… you're eighteen in four days, right, and I'm eighteen two days after." Whitney declared, pointing out the obvious. Katy nodded, wondering where this conversation was going.
"So?"
"So? I'm thinking party!" Whitney exclaimed excitedly. "Do you think Ronnie and Jack would let us have R&R?"
"OH MY DAYS!" Katy squeaked. She hadn't even though about having a party until her friend mentioned it. "That is the best idea babe!"
"Well? R&R?"
"I can't see why not, except it would have to be on your birthday, or after, because you know what they're like about their licence." Katy said rolling her eyes.
"Alright, I'll catch you later, anyway. I gotta get back to the stall." Whitney said, rushing out of the café. Katy shook her head in amusement and her eye fell on Ian and Glenda who were laughing at the table to her right. Katy remembered Glenda had ordered a coffee and as the teenager plonked the woman's cup on the table, she jumped slightly as the hot liquid splashed over her.
"Watch what you're doing!" Ian shouted, dabbing at Glenda's blouse with a napkin, a strange look in his eyes. Glenda giggled and playfully batted his hands away. Katy rolled her eyes and went back behind the counter feeling sick again.
Later that evening Katy was on her way back from Whitney's she spotted Ian standing at Glenda's door. Her sisters' mother was in the doorway in her pink silk dressing gown. She glanced around carefully and then let the man in, closing the door.
"Oh my days." Katy muttered, wondering what to do. Apparently Ian was stupid enough to risk losing his wife.
She jumped as her phone started ringing. "Whit? You'll never guess what I've just seen."
"Eh?" Whitney said, "Listen, Peter wants me to have a joint party with him. But we're still on for our party, yeah?"
"Well yeah, I haven't asked Ron or Rox yet, but I don't reckon there'll be a problem."
"Good, 'cos I don't fancy spending my birthday round the Beales'." Whitney said, sounding relieved. "Speak to you later."
"Yeah, bye." Katy heard Whitney hang up and put her mobile away. Then she went back to the flat to ask about the party. Ronnie and Jack were still on their honeymoon, so she asked Roxy instead. As she had guessed, her sister didn't see any problem with it and a few days later the girls were all set to celebrate their eighteenth birthdays in style.
Roxy had gone all out to make sure that her baby sister had the best birthday ever. She had hired a new DJ who was apparently and up and coming star. Bianca had spent the day with her decorating the club, while Whitney was working on her stall and Katy was in school. It was a Wednesday night, so Roxy wasn't worried about shutting the club to uninvited guests.
"Where should I put this?" Katy asked her sister, carrying a crate of bottles for the optics over to the bar.
"Leave that!" Her older sister said pushing her away from the bar. "Don't you have homework or something to do?"
"No." The teenager said bluntly with a grin.
"Well… go and find something to do!" Roxy whined, trying to swat her sister away and out of the club. "I don't want you under my feet while I'm organising!"
"You, organising?" Katy said with a wide-eyed expression, teasing her sister. Roxy walked towards her, mock threateningly and Katy raised her hands in surrender. "OK, OK!"
Katy left the club, leaving Roxy to her 'organising'. She had planned to get ready at Whitney's with her and Lauren at six and it was only half past five. While she was waiting, she pulled out her mobile and scrolled through her contacts wondering who to send a message to. She hesitated at Nathan, wondering whether to drop him a line. After a couple of minutes staring at his name, she dismissed the idea.
Bored, she decided to go to Whitney's early, collecting her things on the way. Lauren obviously had the same idea because the teenagers bumped into each other on the way.
"Whit's upstairs." Ricky said as the girls stood on the doorstep. He moved aside as they went past him and almost ran up to Whitney's bedroom. The next hour or so was full of giggling, shouting and screaming as they got ready for the party.
Finally, they were ready. Katy, who hated wearing dresses, wore wet-look leggings, a denim mini skirt, a white muscle-back vest and bright red ten inch stilettoes. Whitney and Lauren were both wearing dresses and heels; Whitney's dress was short and bright red and Lauren's was low-cut and pale blue. Luckily Lauren was staying at Katy's after the party, otherwise Max would have gone crazy about his older daughter's outfit.
The girls walked into the party fashionably late. Roxy and Bianca didn't even notice; they were too busy enjoying themselves. Whitney and Katy didn't mind though. There were so many of their friends there, from school and everywhere else, that they had a brilliant time and the birthday girls ended up getting horrendously drunk.