It’s not at all what I want to say. What I want to say is ‘Better luck next time, ladies.’ But somehow, I find myself opening my mouth, and this falls out: ‘Come on then. But just you.’
I point at the blonde girl, and she smiles at me all sugary sweet now. ‘That’s more like it,’ she says.
There’s swearing and colourful cursing, as well as kicking and pounding of walls behind us, but the blonde girl pays them no heed. I take it no one here is her particular friend.
‘What’s your name?’ I ask her as we walk towards the dressing room door.
‘Sadie,’ she says huskily, and a shiver rolls down my spine.
‘So you want to meet Simon, I take it?’
‘Yes,’ she says decisively. ‘Simon.’
‘What about John? He’s pretty popular with the ladies.’
‘He’s OK. But Simon’s my favourite.’
I drag my hand over my face. Why the hellI’m taking her to an empty dressing room, I don’t know. But then I decide that she’s been so bolshy, it serves her right to see that I was telling the truth.
I open the door and stand back. ‘After you.’
She grins at me, and lust spears my groin. Wowser, as they say in Australia, she really is stunning! I’m actually glad that Simon isn’t here as I’d be green-eyed with jealousy if he decided to hook up with her. Sadie shakes her hair back and straightens her spine, preparing to meet her idol. She steps into the empty room; and I watch her, leaning against the doorframe, my eyes raking over her long legs and sexy black leather boots.
Sadie swivels round, her lips pressed into a flat line. ‘Where is he?’
I smirk. ‘Maybe he’s in the toilet, taking a dump.’
Her forehead wrinkles; and I feel an insistent pressing in the space between my eyebrows, like I got a headache coming on, which isn’t surprising after the day I’ve had.
I sigh. ‘I told you. They’ve left already.’ I gesture to the soiled towels that I’ve herded into the middle of the room. ‘But help yourself to a sweaty towel, though I’m not sure which one is Simon’s. They’ve all got foundation on them.’
The girl’s red lips part slightly, as if she’s not used to someone getting the better of her. She’s a bit of a spoiled madam, I conclude. But she also looks so disappointedthat I soften ... and go to my duffel bag and hand her one of my concert tour T-shirts.
‘Look, here you go. Have this. It’s signed by them and everything.’
Sadie takes it mutely. Without even a thank you. Oh well, I tried. If she’s going to take it that badly ... I shake my head and say, ‘Sorry, but at least you got to stand in their dressing room, which is more than some fans get to do. And you’ve got a signed T-shirt, which is gold.’
She still doesn’t say anything, but the scowl is back. So I shrug and say, ‘See ya’, and walk off down the corridor, leaving her standing there, looking like she’s going to blow a gasket. I snigger to myself, thinking,She’s even prettier when she’s angry.It’s a pity I’m not supposed to get involved with fans as I would have totally invited her back to my hotel room. But I signed a contract stating that I would behave in a professional manner at all times when on tour.
OK, perhaps what just happened wasn’t that professional of me, but Sadie kind of deserved it.Sadie.It’s an unusual name; it reminds me a little of Salem and witches.
The rain has eased off as I step outside to the private parking lot, but the wind blows in cold gusts around my ears. Drawing my jacket around me tightly, I walk to the van and unlock the back door. I should check that there aresome spare guitar strings for tomorrow since Andy went through so many today.
I’m rootling through a box of gear when there’s a noise behind me. Then someone grabs the back of my jacket, and I’m picked up and thrown onto the van floor. My head knocks against an amplifier, and I lie there, dazed. The van door slams shut and locks, and footsteps crunch around the side.Oh fuck,I think.This isn’t good.
The driver’s door opens, and someone slithers into the leather seat. But from my position on the floor, I can’t see who it is. But I’m not a lightweight guy, and the fact I’ve been picked up as if I were made of marshmallow and thrown in here suggests I’m dealing with a strong man.
The van starts up and starts backing out onto the road. Strangely,‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’by Bonnie Tyler is playing on the radio as we pull out onto the main road. My heart is pounding, and my hands start sweating as Bonnie warbles away about getting ‘a little bit terrified’.
‘W-where are you taking me?’ I stutter fearfully.
A throaty female voice answers flatly from the driver’s seat, ‘To my place. You’re going to pay for that little trick.’
Chapter 4
Sadie | Edinburgh, 1983
Slamming my foot on the accelerator, I roar off down the main road back to Edinburgh. I probably shouldn’t be driving in a red mist of rage, but this guy has pissed me off to the point that I’m not thinking straight. How dare he trick me like that! And then laugh at me! I’m determined to wipe that smile off his face.
