Page 53 of Replay
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GOTHENBURG.SWEDEN.
Spook picked at the blister on his fingertip.They’d been rehearsing solidly for tomorrow’s festival gig for well over four hours now, ever since they’d docked in Gothenburg.The rehearsal space was in a disused office complex not far from the festival site, with a rental board outside quoting the acreage.He wouldn’t have minded so much if it hadn’t felt completely unnecessary.Ronnie Bush was no Iain Willows.He only had to play something once to log it in his head, but Xane had a bee in his bonnet about things being perfect.
It wasn’t going to be perfect, because they were all going to be dead on their feet, and anyway, who the hell gave a shit?They were playing outdoors to a festival crowd.The sound always sucked.All the audience cared about was being able to sing along and maybe catch a glimpse of their favourite band.
Nor did it help that his stomach had been trying to eat itself for the last two of those hours.
Sour and irascible, he began finger-picking the opening toSpringtime of My Lifeagain, only the blister burst, and he wound up cursing.
Xane stalked across the make-shift stage and pulled his guitar off him.“Christ!”His face was grim.“Someone get an Elastoplast.”
“I’m fine.”Spook shoved his bleeding finger into his mouth, and sucked.His stomach made an anticipatory gurgle at the prospect of food.It was going to be disappointed.A few drops of his own blood weren’t going to do shit for hunger pangs.
“You know what; I think we’re done for the day.Great job guys.”Xane passed Spook’s guitar over to one of the techies.No one argued.Maybe they were equally bored.Rock Giant muttered something about kit and hotels and an overdue trip to the khazi.Ronnie performed something suspiciously like a yoga stretch, and then began slurping down strawberry laces.Ash immediately pulled out his phone and called Ginny.
“Let’s go and get a drink,” Xane suggested.
“I don’t want one.”
“Humour me.”His grip fastened around the top of Spook’s bicep.“Come on.”Somehow they wound up down the street in a little café, barely wide enough for four people to stand abreast.Xane shuffled them into the back corner, which was tarted up with silk hangings and pictures of cats.He ordered them both tuna paninis and large coffees, which he sloshed brandy into from his hip flask when they arrived.“What’s eating you?You’ve been in a foul mood all day.Did something happen last night?”
“No,” Spook retorted, thinking back to what he, Alle, and Rock Giant had done.His current misery had nothing to do with that.He wasn’t regretting it.It was just kind of there, in his past, something that had happened that he’d felt good about at the time.
He’d watched the footage he’d taken in the bathroom while Alle slept and come as a result, and not felt bad about it.High on the thrill of it, he’d been untouchable.Unassailable.It’d been a long time since he’d felt that invincible.Now, he just felt kinda mushy, like the vitality had been sapped out of him and his surroundings.Perhaps if he’d had a chance to see Alle for more than thirty seconds today… or not.
“Spook.I know you.This is not fucking normal.You’re usually like a live wire in the run up to a gig.What’s going on?Something Alle related, I assume, and not S—”
“Don’t say her name.It’s not about that.”
“You’re not afraid you might bump into her?”
“Why would I?It’s a fucking big country.It has nothing to do with that.”He aggressively tucked into his cheesy tuna confection.
“All right, don’t tell me.”Xane sat back, making his chair creak.“I’ll speculate some more.”Bugger grinned as he let that prospect sink in a bit.“If it’s not she who is to remain unmentionable, then either your balls are in an unholy knot because you still haven’t screwed Alle yet, or, you’re beating the hell out of yourself because you have.”
Expression schooled into neutrality, Spook simply rolled his eyes.“I hope you don’t expect me to answer that.It’s none of your business.Just because you caught me in a weak moment before.”
“A weak moment,” Xane scoffed.He sloshed more brandy into Spook’s coffee cup.“Drunk as a skunk, more like.Come on, you big tease, save me from my lurid thoughts.”
Spook gnawed on a carrot curl.“Like anyone can saveyoufrom those.”
“Fine.I’ll carry on getting off to the thought of what you get up to.Hair fucking, wasn’t it, and a helluva load of S&M.”
“Prick.”
Xane shrugged off the name, and they munched quietly for a couple of minutes.Afterwards, Xane got out his phone, sent Luthor a text, and received one from Dani.Did that mean Spook ought to check in with Alle?Things had been a lot simpler when he hadn’t needed to worry about any of this shit.It’d been a decade since he’d dated anyone.What the hell were the rules?Were they universally set, or were they supposed to hash out and agree on them together?Whatever.He’d figure it out later.
“They’re at the festival site checking it out.”Xane said, meeting Spook’s eyes with a worrisome scowl upon his lips.His tongue flicked against his lip ring, rotating it, a sure warning that something was up.“The guys have caught up with them, and they’re asking how long we’re going to be.The plan seems to be to hang out and watch the show.Really kick back for the night for once.”
“And?”Spook asked.There was definitely one coming.He could hear the silent echo of it already in the thickness of Xane’s voice.
“And, management have us lined up for the usual assortment of LiveChats and whatnots.”
“And?”
“Nothing withBang!as promised.Leastways, not for us.Ronnie, however, has a solid forty minute slot booked with them.”
