Page 53 of When We Fell Again
“Then we should find them now before they’re too drunk to open them.” He took my hand and started to lead me across the room.
I turned to Sadie. “Are you coming too?”
She shook her head. “I’ve just seen Gina, so I’m going to chat to her. Go get him, tiger.”
Jordan and I made our way over to where Levi and Jude were chatting to some friends by the bar. When we got there, Levi let out a low whistle.
“Looking good, Lex.” He kissed me on both cheeks, Jude following suit.
“Happy birthday, guys.” I extracted my hand from Jordan’s and delved into the bag to pull out their presents.
The gifts I got were simple: a leather notebook for Levi to write chord sequences and lyrics, and a huge mug with drums on it for Jude, combining his love of tea and drumming. Both of them hugged me after they’d opened their gifts.
“Thanks, Lex,” said Jude. “Can’t wait to christen this mug in the morning.”
Levi waved the notebook at me. “I’ll try not to write anything new tonight.”
I looked between the three of them. “Talking of new things, when are you doing your set?”
“Soon. We wanted to get it done early so we can go on and enjoy the night.” Levi checked his watch.
“Go and get wasted, more like,” added Jude. “I’ll go and have a piss, then we should start.” He downed the shot he’d just bought and headed to the toilets.
Jordan fidgeted with the cuff of his dark blue shirt. “Can’t wait for you to hear this,” he murmured.
“But I’ve heard it already and think it’s brilliant.” I lifted his palm to my lips and placed a gentle kiss in the centre. “Everyone else will too.”
Levi and Jordan exchanged a glance, which didn’t go unnoticed.What are they planning?
“We’ll go and get set up. I’ll see you afterwards.” Jordan waved to the bartender. “Put her drink on our tab, yeah?” With that instruction, they were gone.
“What can I get for you?” asked the bartender.
“Double vodka, lime, and soda, please.”
“You got it.”
Sadie reappeared, a glass of champagne in one hand. “Do you want one of these? Gina’s blagged a bottle from some guy she met downstairs. Apparently, there’s a whole bunch of bankers down there.” She winked, leaving me in no doubt where she would be heading once the music was done.
The bartender placed my drink on the bar. “There you go.”
I picked it up and took a sip. “I’m good with this, thanks. But don’t let me stop you from getting free champagne.” I giggled.
A screech of feedback filled the room, causing everyone to look at where the band had set up.
“That’s one way to get everyone’s attention,” Sadie whispered in my ear.
I didn’t need noise to notice Jordan. Like the confident frontman he was, he captured the attention of everyone in the room. His demeanour changed. He strutted around the small space like he owned it, encouraging Levi, Jude, and Robbie into place. Once they were settled, he turned to face the audience.
“Good evening, everyone,” he began. “Thanks for coming out tonight to celebrate the birthdays of two of my best friends, guys who have been through a lot with me, and without who I probably wouldn’t be here.” His gaze sought me out and connected. I knew he was referring to Dexter and everything that had gone on in the aftermath of his death, but the majority of the crowd wouldn’t get that. “Anyway, before we start, I think we should have a quick singsong.” Without hesitation, he broke intoHappy Birthday, conducting as everyone joined in with him. Once it had finished, he took his place behind the mic stand. “Now, I promised you new music and you’ve got it. Here’s a taster from our currently untitled next album.”
They started with a song I was pretty sure was calledConsequences.While I’d been around them, listening to the new tunes, I didn’t always remember what they were called. Jordan had a strange habit of giving a song a title that had nothing to do with the content. Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the assembled audience had never heard the song before, but you would have thought Idol Rev had played it a million times as the crowd tried singing along, nodding their heads in the right places. I’d been around bands enough to know that would make a track a success. Capture people on the first play and it’s there in their heads forever. After another four new songs, Levi swapped his electric guitar for a plugged-in acoustic. I frowned. This was something they hadn’t done when I was with them in the studio.
“Ooh, stripped back,” said Sadie. “That’s different. What’s this one about, then?” She swigged the last of her champagne. “Shit, I’m going to have to wait to get another glass.”
I shrugged. “No idea. There was nothing acoustic going on in the studio.”
Jordan made eye contact with me before he spoke again. “There’s someone in the audience this evening who recently came back into my life. Someone I thought I’d lost for good. And this song goes out to her for making my life complete. This isReshaped Soul.”
