“I agreed to give Fern the week off over Christmas so she can go to her parent’s house and meet her niece. Her mum was upset because we’d asked Fern to leave her sister’s wedding early a few years ago for a band emergency—”
“But there was no emergency. I didn’t ask for the time off. I went to the wedding and left after the meal, blaming work.” Her shoulders shook as another wave of tears hit.
Neo handed round the drinks and we all downed one apart from Fern, who’d probably had enough. “It’s fine. It’s a week. I can do a week and then I don’t ever have to go home again, because I can always use work as an excuse.” She sighed, glaring at Neo.
He dragged his hand over his face. “What would make it easier, Sweets? Do you want me to put you up in a hotel? Dragyou out of there with a level 100 emergency? Do you want me to send you in with bodyguards to protect you?”
“Unless you can find me a boyfriend, who looks at me like I’m the start and end of his world, who would protect me, no matter what, and who was hot as hell, then I don’t think you can help.”
We all stared at her, confused.
“Are you in danger if you go home, Fern?” Fox asked. She twisted, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“I just don’t welcome the idea of being there alone.”
“I’ll come,” Fox offered without a second thought.
She sat back up. “You will not. You will go see your pregnant sister for the holidays. I know how excited you were. I’ll be fine. It’s just a lot to get my head around. I appreciate you all caring so much.”
And with that, she stood. “Right, it’s time I went home. I’ve had far too much to drink and I need my beauty sleep. Boys, it was nice to dance the night away with you. Neo, Aaron, love you guys. Charlie.” She nodded in my direction.
And with that, she left us all in her wake.
Fern
“Coffee?”
I pushed my hair from my face and tried to focus. “Please. What time is it?”
“Nine.”
“Oh fuck. I’m getting up.”
“Good night?”
I groaned, watching Luci, my housemate, walk from my room, laughing at my sore head before pulling the door closed behind her. I dragged myself out of bed, glancing at myself in the mirror, wishing I’d not bothered. My hair looked like I’d been electrocuted, my eyes were bloodshot and my face was red and blotchy from crying myself to sleep last night.
I put my glasses on and pulled my phone from where it was on charge and did what I did every morning; I looked through my emails, my group messages and then I checked the headlines, which I’d done even before I got promoted. Luckily, all the bandswe managed were at the press-free party last night, so I knew I didn’t have to worry too much.
Except there was always one.
“Is Alchemy Myth frontman poisoning rock?”
“Bad boy behavior ruins the Alchemy Myth magic.”
“Is the party over for Alchemy Myth front man?”
Photos of Charlie filled the internet, obviously taken after he’d left the party last night. Leaning over a table in a club, snorting God knows what through a rolled up banknote; leaving the club with two girls wrapped around him, him kissing one of them and the other one’s hand shoved inside his unfastened jeans and then in the back of a car looking like he had a woman straddling him, topless.
My phone rang, the loud noise making my head hurt.
“Neo,” I answered.
“I waited until you showed up online, but I take it you’ve seen the news?”
“Yeap. What do you want to do?”
“Fire his ass. I only spoke to them yesterday.”
