Chapter Eighteen

      There was complete silence in the club as everyone stared at the screen in anticipation. Holly held her breath; she was nervous now about what was going to appear. Perhaps the girls would be reminded of what exactly they had all conveniently succeeded in forgetting about that night. The truth terrified her. After all, how drunk must they all have been to forget completely the events of that night? Unless, somebody was lying, in which case, they should be even more nervous right now. Holly looked around at the girls. They were all chewing on their fingernails. Holly crossed her fingers.

      A new title appeared on the screen: ‘The Gifts’.

      ‘Open mine first,’ shrieked Ciara from the television, thrusting her present towards Holly and shoving Sharon off the couch and on to the floor. Everyone in the club laughed while they watched Abbey dragging a horrified Sharon to her feet. Ciara left Daniel’s side and tiptoed over to the rest of the girls for security. Everyone oohed and aahed, as one by one Holly’s birthday presents were unveiled. A lump formed in Holly’s throat as Declan zoomed in on the two photographs on the mantelpiece while Sharon’s toast was made.

      Once again a new title took over the screen, ‘Journey to the City’, and showed the girls scrambling over one another to get into the taxi. It was obvious they were pretty pissed by now. Holly was shocked; she had actually thought she was quite sober at that stage.

      ‘Oh, Nick,’ Holly moaned drunkenly to the taxi driver from the passenger seat, ‘I’m thirty today, can you believe it?’

      Nick the taxi driver, who couldn’t give a flying flute what age she was, glanced over at her and laughed, ‘Sure, you’re only a young one still, Holly,’ his voice low and gravelly. The camera zoomed in on Holly’s face and she cringed at the sight of herself. She looked so drunk, so sad.

      ‘But what am I gonna do, Nick?’ she whinged. ‘I’m thirty! I have no job, no husband, no children and I’m thirty! Did I tell you that?’ she asked him, leaning towards him.

      Beside her in the club, Sharon giggled. Holly thumped her.

      In the background the girls were all chattering excitedly to one another. It sounded as if they were talking over one another; it was hard to see how any type of conversation was going on.

      ‘Ah, enjoy yourself tonight, Holly. Don’t get caught up in silly emotions on your birthday. Worry about all that shite tomorrow, love.’ Nick sounded so caring, and Holly made a mental note to call him and thank him.

      The camera stayed with Holly as she leaned her head against the window and remained silent, lost in thought for the rest of the journey. Holly couldn’t get over how lonely she looked. She didn’t like it. She looked around the room in embarrassment and caught Daniel’s eye. He winked at her in encouragement. She smiled weakly and turned back to face the screen in time to see herself screaming to the girls on O’Connell Street.

      ‘OK, girls. We are going to Boudoir tonight and no one is going to stop us from getting in, especially not any silly bouncers who think they own the place.’ And she marched off in what she’d thought at the time was a straight line. All the girls cheered and followed after her.

      The scene immediately jumped to the two bouncers outside Boudoir shaking their heads. ‘Not tonight, girls, sorry.’

      Holly’s family howled with laughter.

      ‘But you don’t understand,’ Denise said calmly to the bouncers. ‘Do you not know who we are?’

      ‘No,’ they both said, and stared over their heads, ignoring them.

      ‘Huh!’ Denise put her hands on her hips and pointed to Holly. ‘But this is the very, very extremely famous … em … Princess Holly from the royal family of … Finland.’

      On camera Holly frowned at Denise.

      Her family once again howled with laughter. ‘You couldn’t write a script better than this,’ Declan laughed.

      ‘Oh, she’s royalty, is she?’ the bouncer with a moustache smirked.

      ‘Indeed she is,’ Denise said seriously.

      ‘Finland got a royal family, Paul?’ moustache man turned to his colleague.

      ‘Don’t think so, boss.’

      Holly fixed the crooked tiara on her head and gave them both a royal wave.

      ‘You see?’ Denise said, satisfied. ‘You men will be very embarrassed if you don’t let her in.’

      ‘Supposing we let her in, then you’ll have to stay outside,’ moustache man said, and motioned for the people behind them in the queue to pass them and enter the club. Holly gave them a royal wave as they passed.

      ‘Oh, no, no, no, no,’ Denise protested. ‘You don’t understand. I am her … lady-in-waiting so I need to be with her at all times.’

      ‘Well then, you won’t mind waiting till she comes out at closing time,’ Paul smirked.

      Tom, Jack and John all started laughing, and Denise slithered down even further in her seat.

      Finally Holly spoke, ‘Oh, one must have a drink. One is dreadfully thirsty.’

      Paul and moustache man snorted and tried to keep straight