Vinny sat up. ‘Whatever’s wrong with you? I thought you liked me.’

Bonnie had to follow her mother’s advice, could not repeat her past mistakes. ‘I do, Vinny. I truly do like you. But I’m not that type of girl and we’re not even in a proper relationship yet. You refuse to come to dinner at my house and you’ve never invited me to yours to meet your family properly. You won’t even admit I’m your girlfriend. I’m confused.’

Vinny was also confused. How comes she’d spread her legs for a couple of lads he knew, yet wouldn’t even toss him off. ‘OK. Say I invite you round me mum’s for Sunday roast tomorrow. Can we sort of move on a bit with our relationship then?’

Bonnie was totally thrilled to be invited round Vinny’s for dinner, could not wait to tell all her friends. But unfortunately for her, she didn’t look at the bigger picture. ‘Yes. Of course. I like you far more than any lad I’ve ever dated in the past.’

‘Nice one,’ Vinny grinned.

The following morning, Viv made her way around Queenie’s earlier than usual. She didn’t miss Bill, but for some strange reason, Lenny did at times. Today was one of those days. He’d been crying his eyes out all morning.

Viv found Queenie in the garden bathing her wounds. ‘Go put your music on then, boy,’ she told Lenny before informing Queenie he’d been upset over his father this morning.

‘What, the father who couldn’t give a toss about him and don’t give you a penny for his bleedin’ upkeep?’

Viv rolled her eyes. ‘He don’t understand at his age, does he? I’ll always be indebted to your Vinny for helping me out, Queen. If he didn’t pay my rent, me and Lenny’d be out on the streets.’

‘Don’t be so daft. You’d always be welcome to move in ’ere, you know that. Might be a bit squashed, but we’d manage. I’d get one of them garden sheds and Albie could live in that,’ Queenie chuckled.

‘Did you ring Mum last night?’ Viv asked hopefully. She visited their mum every other day, but Queenie rarely did. They were on talking terms again now, so that was one good thing.

‘I did ring Mum and, rather surprisingly, she agreed to come round for dinner today.’

‘Oh, that’s great, Queen,’ beamed Viv.

‘What I didn’t know at the time was that Vinny’s invited that Tarbuck girl. Last time Mum came for dinner was when Vinny introduced us to Yvonne Summers – and look how that turned out.’

‘I didn’t think Vinny was into the Tarbuck girl.’

‘He isn’t, so he says. We’ll soon see the way he acts around her.’ Queenie stared at her injured leg. ‘Does it look red and swollen to you, Viv?’

‘No. You’ve just got a bit of sunburn. I’m beginning to think you’re obsessed with that cat,’ Viv laughed.

‘That’ll be the bleedin’ day.’

‘I’m sure he thinks he’s Buddy Holly, your son,’ Albie joked, poking his head around the back door. ‘Morning, Viv. You all right, love?’ Albie had seen her only last night. She was like a permanent fixture in his home these days.