Page 11 of Fake Rocks
Uncle Col was deep in conversation with Jonas. I seemed to have developed a habit of walking in on things I probably wasn’t meant to hear. They both stopped talking and stared guiltily at me.
“Did you speak to Saff?” asked Jonas. “Is she feeling better?”
“I, um, I guess so.” I looked between him and my uncle. “She asked me something.”
“That’s what Jonas and I were talking about.” Uncle Col came towards me as my mouth dropped open in horror.
Was everyone in on this scam except me?
“I’ll leave you to it.” Jonas retreated into his office, leaving us alone.
“What did he say?” I snapped. The anger boiled up inside me, something I’d had to work on controlling recently.
“He told me their idea. And he’d pay you - us - a bonus at the end of the contract if you agreed to do it.”
“Oh, so you’ve now got a vested interest in this batshit crazy scheme?” Thinking of what Uncle Col and Auntie Annie had done for me made me think I shouldn’t turn it down. It would certainly be one way of paying them back for their generosity.
“Jonas said you could stay here when you needed to, to help keep the pretence up.” Uncle Col looked down at his boots. “You’d be able to get an early start on the work here.”
I knew then I had to say yes.
If I was being honest with myself, pretending to be Saff Barnes’ fake boyfriend for a few weeks wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, would it?
7
Saff
After Tris left the room, I rolled another joint, the methodical process calming my thoughts. What was I thinking? The guy barely knew me from Eve, and anything he did know probably came fromThe Gosswebsite where all my demons were laid bare on a regular basis. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran screaming from the house, never to be seen again. If that were the case, it would be a damn shame. He was hot. Not to mention good with his hands.
Stop it!
I couldn’t start thinking in those terms.
For one, he hadn’t agreed to the proposition and second, it would all be for show. There would be nothing more than holding hands and the occasional kiss in public. Enough to make the gossips and the suits believe it.
I needed to salvage my career. Without TheSB, I was nothing. I didn’t know what I would do. Even though the past year had been a bit of a washout, I honestly didn’t know how to do anything else. And I didn’t want to do anything else either.
Instead of lighting up again, I leaned down and reached under the bed, pulling out a box. Inside were a bunch of notebooks with scribbled lyrics, chord patterns, melodies. Everything that had gone into the first TheSB album. My fingers ran over the words, invoking the feelings of the time. A surge of pride burst through my veins. Nothing made me feel the same as music did: the creation, the performing, the sense of letting go.
I could do this. I could make the second album. I could make Jonas proud of me again.
Unearthing my phone from beneath a pile of clothes, I fired up the chat group I had with Darren and Barney.
S: Guys, have you tracked down the drummer yet?
Darren replied almost instantly. I swear he was surgically attached to his phone.
D: Barney’s on it…Barn??????
There was a delay while I waited for Barney to reply. Part of me suspected he was being deliberately evasive because I’d rumbled him potentially wanting to join another band. I couldn’t blame him, or Darren, really. I’d let them hang for ages before deciding whatIwanted to do. I hadn’t given them too much thought while I continued partying and having fun, resting on the modicum of fame which had accompanied the release of the first album. Neither of them had pushed me to make any sort of decision, but my silence had led them to looking at alternative bands. They were both stellar musicians and I’d be a fool to lose them. I had to hope the drummer would be as enthusiastic as I was about pulling this all back together.
B: Yeah. He’s interested in having a chat.
S: A chat? Is that all??? Will he do an audition?
B: He’s filling in for someone tonight at The Duke. Said if we’re interested to check him out there.
S: You both up for that?
