Thank goodness,thought Nate. Having stuck to his part of the bargain, Brenda would have to stick to hers.
Dee pursed her lips, evidently doing her best not to appear too excited.
“Well?” Julia pushed.
“A music band.”
“Anyone we know?” Jess asked.
“Yep,” Dee replied, her voice suddenly rising an octave. “That’s the best bit.” She looked around the group. “It’s only bloody Argon Fire.”
“No,” Jess said.
“Blimey,” Pete said.
What the…?Nate thought.
“Is that so?” Julia asked. Taking in the group, her eyes rested on her nephew. “I wonder how that came about?”
Feeling her stare, Nate shifted slightly in his seat. Refusing to give her his full attention, he was as shocked as she to hear this.
“I know, isn’t it great?” Dee grinned.
“Great? It’s bloody fantastic,” Pete said.
“You can say that again,” Jess added.
Nate raised a smile, trying to join in with their excitement, as did his aunt, but he could sense that she was as unhappy about this turn of events as him. Continuing to feel the weight of her stare, he wondered if he should have given her the heads up, after all?
More to the point, he wondered why, out of all the bands Bruce could have chosen, he had to pick Argon Fire?
23
The drive back to Aunt Julia’s house was difficult, the tension palpable. Much to Nate’s frustration, his aunt was back to opening her mouth to say something in one moment, only to close it again before any actual words came out. Every time he tried to speak, she put up a hand to silence him. He couldn’t tell if she was annoyed at his having kept secrets from her, or because Argon Fire was coming to town. After one sigh too many on her part, he gave up on his attempts to explain, choosing instead to stare out of the passenger window.
Hearing their name had been as much of a surprise to him. Having shut them out of his mind years earlier, they were a blast from the past Nate could have done without. He questioned why Bruce would do this to him. Yes, their relationship was tenuous, but wasn’t it enough that he’d sold his soul and agreed to take part in the celebrations Bruce had planned for his mum? Nate felt manipulated. The two events had to be linked.
He decided not to think about it, but his curiosity bone began to niggle and he found himself wondering what the band might be like these days. Were they still throwing television sets out of hotel windows? Clichéd antics even back then. Not that he cared one way or the other, he insisted. As far as Nate was concerned, they could all go to hell. Lenny could go to hell.
Pulling into the courtyard, his aunt stopped the car, pausing to look at him as she switched off the engine. Words failed her once more and shaking her head, she simply undid her seatbelt, before getting out of the vehicle. Left sitting there, Nate felt tempted to just go home and leave her to it. But he knew they’d have to sort things out at some point, and he supposed sooner was better than later. Deciding to follow her, he got out of the car and headed towards the house.
Once inside, he watched her move straight for the drinks cabinet and pour herself a whiskey from the decanter. She downed it in one. “Right,” she said, turning her eyes on Nate. “I’m ready. Hit me with it. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Do you mind?” Also approaching the drinks cabinet, he too poured himself a glass and plonking himself down on the settee, he took a long hard swig before speaking. “I’m doing Brenda a favour,” he finally said.
“A favour?” his aunt asked, as if not hearing correctly.
“Yes.”
Nate took in her concern, acknowledging that she had a right to be worried. As good deeds went, this one did seem to have taken on a life of its own.
“Nate, a favour is lending a neighbour a cup of sugar. A favour is not inviting your mother’s ex-boyfriend round to film a video shoot.” She perched herself on the opposing sofa.
Ex-boyfriend, thought Nate. If only things were that simple. In his view, Lenny had been more than that. He’d been the father figure he’d never had, either before or since. And although far from perfect, after all, the man did love his drink, Nate had gotten used to having him around. They’d had fun. Lenny taught him to play the drums, how to make the perfect Bloody Mary, and he even tried to give Nate the sex talk when he got his first girlfriend. A bit too descriptive in content, Nate was lucky he hadn’t been put off sex for life.
But then one day Lenny was gone.
“Nate, this is Argon Fire we’re talking about,” his aunt continued. “They’re trouble. Whatever it is you’re up to, it’s more than simply helping someone out.”
