I.XANE
-1-
GENOA, ITALY.
Spook Mortensen bounded off stage, caught in an adrenaline high, endorphins burning in his blood, and his hair alive with static.Two hours of rocking a stadium to hell and back had left him lathered in sweat, yet smiling so hard his face ached.The thunder of drums and guitars continued to throb inside his soul as he paced the backstage areas, fingers still flexing into the shapes of the chords playing inside his head.
The weariness that had dogged the band the last few weeks was gone and forgotten now.After months on the road, Black Halo’sRequiem for the Damnedtour was drawing to a close.Tonight was the last arena date.All that remained was a mass to Steve Matlock on the anniversary of their former drummer’s death.But that would be a relatively intimate affair.Tickets only available via their official fan site.
“Ready to party?”his guitar tech asked him.
Spook responded with a nod.Management had organised something – primarily for the courting of various corporate bigwigs, backers, and the like, rather than for the benefit of the band – but, despite earlier reservations, he was buzzed enough to be looking forward to it.A drink or two with the guys, and the freedom to go wild over the contents of the buffet table without inducing a fit of performance anxiety over whether he’d done enough to keep himself in peak form, yeah, he could roll with that.
In fact, break out the cheesy puffs.
Blond hair flying, he plunged into the dressing room.Ash, Black Halo’s lead guitarist, was already canoodling on the sofa with his fiancée.He waved at them not to stop on his account – though he doubted Ash noticed, given that he had his head up Ginny’s skirt.“I hope the wedding invitation’s in the post.”
Ash raised his head.“I want to talk to you about that.”
“Later,” he agreed, refusing to be side-tracked.Christ, was he going to have to give a best man’s speech?Xane would make a far better job of it.
Phone retrieved from the pocket of his leather jacket, he made a beeline for the exit before the rest of the band arrived and he got caught up in the post-show analysis that inevitably happened.Someone always had something they wanted to gripe, moan, or boast about.
Another two of the band members ploughed through the door as he opened it.“You don’t need me at this thing,” Liam moaned, shooting him beseeching puppy dog eyes.“It’s you guys they want to see, not me.I’m a nobody.I don’t even want to be somebody.”
“Everyone’s someone,” Rock Giant insisted, his firm hand clapping on Liam’s shoulder.“Off somewhere?”he enquired of Spook.
Spook held up his phone.“Need a minute.Won’t be long.Means you get to bagsy the shower.”
“You saying I stink?”Rock Giant sniffed at his pits, then nodded in agreement.“Not a bad plan.Assuming Xane isn’t already in there screwing.I sure as hell ain’t going in after him.”
“I heard shower sex is the UK’s top sexual fantasy,” Ash piped up, having clearly been eavesdropping on the conversation.“Fancy it, Ginny?”
“Oh, no you don’t.”Rock Giant was off.Spook watched his friends tussle for a moment and then dived back into the mayhem in the corridor.
There was some sporting rally happening tomorrow, so the roadies were working flat out with the venue crew to get everything packed up and the stadium transformed.Spook nimbly slipped between the crates and cases, and made his escape into the night air via a propped open fire exit.
Outside, the scents of beer and sweat gave way to those of the city; tarmac and petrol fumes subtly intertwined with the salt of the nearby ocean.As he’d anticipated, the wire fenced quadrangle they’d kicked a ball around post-sound check was a dead zone now.Nothing but weeds growing up through the cracks.There weren’t even any roadies taking a sneaky fag break beneath the orange glow of the security light.
Phone in hand, Spook rested his butt against the wall and bowed his head as the screen lit.He had one new message.As a matter of fact it had arrived as he’d got the call to get his arse on stage.An illicit thrill sizzled in his chest as he read it again.
ALLE: I’ve been a bad girl.Wanna hear me confess?
The only bad thing Allegra Hutton did was play havoc with his libido.She did things to him that ought to send him running for the hills, but instead never failed to reel him in.He sincerely doubted she’d actually done anything bad.
SPOOK: The hell you did.You’re a goddess of sweetness and light.
SPOOK: Unless you pushed Ewan over again.
Alle’s big brother had arrived back from his latest Arctic expedition with frostbite and an award-winning polar bear documentary.Toes?A worthy sacrifice.He’d had a few balance issues since.
ALLE: I’ll have you know I’ve never once pushed him.He’s just clumsy.I don’t push anyone.
Lies.She pushed him in every way imaginable simply by being a presence in his life.Things had been a whole lot simpler before Alle arrived and insisted he was her double scoop of cherry chocolate goodness.
ALLE: Besides, this guy still has all his toes.In fact, a whole set of glorious assets.I’ve had to resort to shades.
ALLE: Damn-mmm!Wish I’d taken a picture.Mind, I expect there’ll be plenty online before long.Hair a little shorter than Xane’s, amber eyes.Total bubble butt.Music’s mediocre, but no one is going to fucking care since he’s SOMETHING ELSE!
