in Ash’s overly swirly handwriting sat pinned in the centre of the board, on top of next month’s rehearsal schedule. Heart suddenly in his guts, he took it down and opened it.
Sorry mate. I need to get away from here. The whole thing with Connie has knocked me for six. I’ve been talking to some other guys about joining them, and I’ve decided this is the right time to make the jump. Clean break and all. Plus, their sound’s more my scene and they’ve agreed to take it more in my direction. You know that you and I don’t quite hit it off in that regard.
Anyway, they’ve a mini tour already booked for over the half-term break, so that’s why I’m not here to tell you this in person.
I know Love Rocket don’t have anything booked, but just in case you want to get started on finding my replacement, I’ve left you some numbers.
See you when I get back.
Ash
‘Fuck!’ Iain put his fist through the mirror.
‘Hey, man, what’s up?’ Gary mooched through from the lounge, lank hair combed forward over his face. Tom appeared at his heels, still superglued to his games controller. Gary bent and picked up Ash’s note, which Iain had dropped. He read it quickly.
‘Sucks,’ he remarked, and dropped it again.
It more than sucked. They were screwed. He was screwed. As the remaining shards of the mirror tumbled from the frame, Iain’s dreams of stardom crashed.
It was not supposed to work out like this. He’d thought, with Connie gone, Ash would be all over this project as something to throw himself into instead of making prissy wedding plans, but no, he’d only gone and fucked off to make some other fucker fucking rich.
Ash, you selfish ruddy bastard!
Birmingham, England, Requiem for the Damned tour, opening night.
Ash looked for her the moment he came off stage, while his body was pumped with adrenalin and he was still buzzing from the performance high. He knew she’d be there, just as she had been every moment from the night they’d met. Ginny – just a glimpse of her was enough to make him want to barrel caveman-like through the crowd to claim her and cover her precious upturned face with a thousand million kisses. She made him crazy. One simple touch and he was all fired up and eager to please.
However, the last thing any budding relationship needed was the attention of the global media. Black Halo had just kicked off their Requiem for the Damned tour and there were enough journalists present, waving cameras and microphones about, to make his hackles rise.
Ash intended to keep what he had with Ginny private. No spotlights. No photographs. And no well-meaning friends offering advice and generally screwing things up. After his first brush with love had left him a quivering wreck, he wasn’t taking any risks second time around.
Still, it was hard not to run to her and lose himself, staring into her liquid-gold eyes. Instead, he steered himself in the opposite direction.
Ash made small talk with a couple of other ladies who’d managed to find their way backstage. He signed three autographs, one on a boob, and had his picture taken with new drummer Iain Willows, and their official fan-club president, whose name he could never remember. He forced himself to do an entire circuit of the room without looking at Ginny once, before he finally headed in her direction. Even then, he held off from giving her any sort of welcome that might have been deemed extraordinary. Just a friendly peck on the cheek, when really he wanted to drink down every last drop of her and tell everyone else here to fuck off home.
Only that sort of outburst would really focus their attention.
‘You took your time working your way here.’
‘I was saving the best for last.’
‘Were you?’ Sceptically, she raised one of her arched eyebrows.
‘I needed to find out how we went down.’
‘And?’
‘Like a storm, it seems.’
‘Because there was any actual doubt that’d be the case. The audience were just stoked you’re all together making music again and playing gigs. Say, has anyone ever told you, you hold your guitar in a really weird way. You make it look as if she’s about to fly from your hands.’
Yes, actually they had. He overlooked the remark though, because Ginny knew his guitar was female. She was amazing like that. Ash clenched his fists to stop himself cupping her face and stealing a proper kiss. He really needed to find an exit route out of here soon, because he didn’t want to stand still next to this woman. He wanted to do. His body wasn’t going to be content until he’d sampled every damn part of her for the zillionth time. These past few weeks, he hadn’t seemed able to screw his head on straight unless they were sandwiched so close there were no discernible gaps between them.
‘Actually, I think you’ll find she’s like a lot of ladies, and appreciates gentle coaxing.’
Her lips pursed. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate tenderness, but Ash could genuinely attest to her being one of the few women who, when she said she wanted it hard, meant exactly that. He had the bruises to prove it. And didn’t that just keep him running back for more.
‘It’s just unfortunate that Mr Geist keeps writing hardcore rock anthems,’ he muttered, still half talking about his guitar. They needed to get out of here now, find themselves somewhere secluded, away from the din and the crush of people. Who the hell were all these people anyway? And why were they backstage?
‘Yeah, I’ve heard he’s addicted to rocking out.’
‘Wanna rock out with me?’ they remarked simultaneously, making one another laugh. Did he ever. He was damn well hooked on her. Ginny Walters, the new drug of choice. ‘I think I’m addicted to the taste of you.’
Ginny prodded him with her elbow. ‘You say such crude if lovely things. I’m rather partial to the taste of you too.’
‘Then maybe I can persuade you to come this way.’ Ash hooked an arm around her tiny waist – Ginny was skinny everywhere apart from around the hourglass curve of her hips – and guided her in the direction of the bar. There was an exit right by it that’d take them to the dressing rooms and some blissful seclusion.
‘Hey, Mr Rock Star, I hope you’re not planning on plying me with alcohol and then having your wicked way.’
‘Course not. I wouldn’t dream of taking advantage like that. I was thinking wicked way first, then alcohol. What do you say we relive a little of our history?’
‘That does sound fun,’ she agreed, a nostalgic look in her eyes. He still couldn’t believe they’d met because she’d gatecrashed his dressing room looking for fun with whoever turned up. Ash had always supposed he’d meet his special lady somewhere civilised and unconnected to the music industry. Not that he was arguing with fate.
‘And were
