Its Tony and Dorothys wedding day, will it go off without a hitch and Marion has high hopes for her relationship with Vaseline but will a drunken reveal from Bayleaf change all that?
Lynette was in the Fat Pigs cafe, having a morning coffee with Margaret Cross. Margaret was the same height as Lynette but was almost fifty and had wider hips and longer hair. Unlike Lynette, she had minimal experience with men and had recently divorced her second husband although he still lived with her. Margaret was proud of her two children and wished their father was alive to see their successes but his death when felicity was six months old nearly destroyed her. The two women bonded over their children joining the fire brigade and became firm friends.
"I hear your Roland has a new girlfriend. " Margaret said as she sipped her coffee. Lynette nodded but she wasn't smiling,
"I sincerely hope he doesn't mess this up. Look what happened with all his other relationships though his second marriage, she was a right cow. Our Rochelle hated the sight of her. "
"Maybe this relationship will go the distance this time. You should have more faith in him. "
"I do Maggie, that's not the point. The point is he needs to learn to treat women with respect. Maybe he learned his promiscuity from me, I wasn't exactly mother theresa and I'm still not now. "
"Its his father who should take responsibility. Left you and him for his career and what a pigs ear he's made of it!"
"Rochelle's father wasn't much cop either, left me as soon as he found out I was expecting her. Don't even know where he is. One thing you can say about Gerard is that he is nearby."
The two women drunk their coffees and as soon as their breakfasts arrived, Lynette couldn't resist winking at the young waiter whose tan was immaculate and whose eyes sparkled like diamonds, Margaret grinned at her.
"Is your Malcolm seeing anyone? "
"No, he hasn't even spoken to a woman since he split from Betty. Such a shame that marriage didn't work out but I think the job played a major factor. "
"I suppose so, she was lovely though. Hopefully he will find someone. "
"I hope so, he's twenty seven years old, I had him at twenty three. I mean your Roland is almost his age and already he's been through two marriages. "
"Don't remind me. Anyway eat up, we've got work in half an hour. "
The two women ate their breakfasts in silence.
It was Tony's stag night and Blue watch was feeling adventurous. Vaseline and Charisma had organized a stripper who was coming disguised as a policewoman and Bayleaf had a trick up his sleeve. Tate had warned them not to get up to too much mischief otherwise there would be trouble in the morning but as Malcolm said,
"What the governor does not know, it cannot hurt him. "
Everyone arrived at Disco Inferno nightclub in Soho at nine and waited for Tony to arrive.
"What time is he coming? " asked Charisma who was standing in the doorway.
"He said half nine at the latest. " Bayleaf replied while Vaseline and Malcolm waited inside with massive grins on their faces. Finally Tony arrived, looking very smart as he walked in, being greeted by blue watch in the process.
"Ah Tony boy! Come in, come in! " Bayleaf called jovially, Tony looked at him suspiciously.
"You alright Bayleaf, where is everyone? "
"Tate and Hallam couldn't attend but the rest of the squad are inside. You're in for a good night I can tell you. "
Tony smiled at headed inside where all the lads cheered and wolf whistled as he walked in,
"Hey barman, cheeky vimtos all round please! " Malcolm called out as Tony sat down.
"What a fire we extinguished today eh lads!? " said Vaseline, recalling the fire in the garage next to Blackwall Elementary.
"Joe is an accident waiting to happen, that's the third time this month we have had to put out a fire at that garage! "
"Well the lads at Borough street put out a fire there last year, some bloke dropped a cigarette on some petrol. " said Malcolm as the cheeky vimtos arrived.
"How come we don't have much to down with them down borough street? " asked George as he winked at the barmaid, which Vaseline also did, causing Bayleaf to shake his head.
"No idea, they all have nicknames like we do, were all in this together. Bulstrode was there the other week. "
Half an hour and three cheeky vimtos later, a policewoman came in and approached their table,
"Tony Sanderson? "
"Yes? "
"I'm arresting you. "
"What for? "
"For being a very, very bad firefighter! " and at that moment, she began removing her clothes while Prince singing "Kiss" began to play. Tony grinned as he said to the lads,
"I'll get you lot for this! "
Everyone laughed and grinned as the stripper began dancing to the song. Vaseline headed off to send a text to Marion while Malcolm ordered another round of drinks.
Marion was in her bedroom, playing "Kids in America. " by Kim Wilde while dancing around in her pink silkie pajamas. She looked at her phone again and she saw the words that Vaseline had sent her,
"Hey babe, having a cracking time. I wish you was here x."
Her heart soared as she read the text over and over again. She threw herself onto her bed as she looked at her calender. In a few weeks time, her brother was coming home. She missed him terribly each time he went away and couldn't wait to see him again. She looked at her outfit for the wedding tomorrow and was delighted that she had been asked to attend.
Surely this was a sign that Vaseline wanted a relationship with her?
Her thoughts were interrupted when her uncle Raymond came in, Marion adored her uncle Raymond. Every Friday he did drag and went by Desrae, she loved his drag persona and thought he looked beautiful as a woman.
"Hello Marion love, be a love and come and do my makeup for tonights act. " he asked and Marion got up and put on her blue dressing gown. As she began applying, Raymond saw the text from Vaseline and grinned,
"Oh I see, I knew this would happen sooner or later, so whose this Roland? " he asked teasingly as Marion handed over the false eyelashes,
"He is a firefighter at Blackwall fire station, he is known as Vaseline because he uses it as skin care. He's really nice. He's invited me to his work colleagues wedding tomorrow. "
"Oh lucky you. Well make sure he is better than that other firefighter you went out with. I could have killed him for what he did to you! "
Marion smiled at him and began applying the eye-shadow.
"I have heard that them at Blackwall have reputations." Said Raymond. Marion stopped applying the makeup and looked at him,
"What do you mean? " she asked as she sat on her bed, Raymond looked at her and sighed,
"I have only heard that's all and I'm looking out for you. Lord knows, you deserve a decent man. I know you do not want to admit it but you are vulnerable... "
"Raymond, I'm not as vulnerable as other people. Besides, Roland is really nice, you would like him. "
Raymond didn't say a word as Marion finished applying the rest of his makeup, he feared for her and wanted her to be happy.
The next day, Tony woke up with a splitting headache but when he saw his tuxedo hanging up, he smiled to himself. Today was the start of the rest of his life and he would embrace it for all eternity.
He saw a text message of George and immediately began to get ready. George was his best man and he would be arriving within half an hour. Tony looked at himself in the mirror and grinned,
"Ah Tony, you look good man! "
He finished getting dressed and applied the aftershave just as the squad arrived, there were also people arriving from his previous station.
As Vaseline arrived to collect Marion, Kelly was watching him. While she had to admit he was quite attractive, she never saw the true appeal to him. He was more like a loveable rogue rather than the stud of blue watch. She looked at the window and saw George and Bayleaf getting into a car, her heart skipping a beat when she saw George.
Marion came downstairs, dressed in pink,
"Looking at someone are we? " she teased as she giggled, Kelly looked at her and blushed,
"No. No one in particular. "
Marion gave her a hug and headed off with Vaseline,
"You look fantastic babe", Vaseline said and Marion smiled at him, she felt her stomach flutter when she heard the word babe. This was just the beginning,...
At the registry office, everyone watched as Dorothy, dressed in a long white dress with the veil firmly attached to her head, walked on the arm of her stone faced father. Bayleaf knew that her parents were against the marriage because it was an interracial relationship and this bothered Tony a great deal. Racism was something he was all too familiar with, having grown up on a rough council estate, it dawned on Bayleaf that he was just like Ethnic in every way, shape and form.
As Dorothy and Tony made their vows, Marion looked at them adoringly and then looked at Vaseline. She really liked him and was hopeful for something serious, unaware of his reputation. Charisma, who was sitting behind them, looked troubled. He had known Marion five minutes and already he felt pity for her, knowing she was destined for heartbreak. As much as he liked Vaseline and considered him his best friend, the way he treated women was disgusting.
Later at the reception, Tony was standing at the bar with George and Kevin discussion Marion.
"So what do you think of Vaseline's latest Marion? " asked Tony. George shrugged,
"In all honesty, he's bagged a stunner but she is easy prey. "
"In what way? " This from Kevin, who couldn't believe that someone like Vaseline could bag a beauty like Marion.
"I went to school with her brother Steven, shes had alot of men want to get into her knickers and she's already been with one firefighter. I don't know if she knows what she's letting herself in for. "
"Give the girl a chance, maybe she's the Marion for him. " joked Tony and the three friends began laughing and drinking their pints.
Much later after Dorothy and Tony had headed off to their honeymoon, courtesy of Tonys parents, everyone began dancing and some even flirting. Marion sat next to Bayleaf who was highly drunk and unable to stand,
"You must be Bayleaf, Roland has told me alot about you. "
"Oh yeah, what's he told you about me? "
"He says that you are the mess manager and you make terrible curry but you make nice breakfasts." She joked, Bayleaf laughed,
"Oh that's Vaseline alright! Never satisfied with what's he's got! Has he told you why he's called Vaseline? "
Marion looked at Bayleaf who was swaying slightly, Charisma, who was in earshot, looked horrified,
"Its because he uses it for skincare. "
Bayleaf shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder,
"Listen darling, you seem like a decent girl and Vaseline is a nice enough lad but I won't bullshit you; he's called Valseine because he's been round the block a few times. "
Marion looked at him, she wasn't sure whether to believe him at first, Bayleaf continued,
"I'm not saying you ain't the one but he's already had two marriages behind him and they were disasters, both called Marion. He's also slept around and I'm actually surprised most of the women around blackwall don't know him intimately."
Marion was listening with her heart beating really fast, she sipped her gin and tonic as Bayleaf continued,
"This one girl he had an affair with, she was the missus of someone who worked with us years ago, he was married to his first wife at the time."
Marion stood up just as Vaseline came over, the look of disgust on her face said it all;
"Bayleaf, what have you said to her?! " he asked furiously, Marion response angrily,
"He's said enough! " And she stormed off, grabbing her coat in the process. Vaseline ran after her, Charisma with his head in his hands and Bayleaf passing out.
"Marion, wait! Don't listen to Bayleaf, he's drunk! "
"Oh really? So what he said about you being twice married before wasn't true and that they were called Marion too?"
Vaseline didn't say anything and Marion shook her head,
"I won't be a number Roland, I trusted you and you haven't been honest with me! "
She walked away, her feet sore, tears rolling down her face. Vaseline put his head in his hands as Charisma walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.