“Erm… yeah… we should have. I’ll sort it.” The driver jumped to his feet seemingly happy to get involved in a more positive aspect of the accident.
With Crash at a safe distance Jim-Bob went to assess the situation at the overturned bus. “What’s the status up there?” he shouted up to the crew.
Carl, one of the crew, moved to the edge of the upturned bus. “The passenger door is roadside. The driver door is stuck, it buckled in the crash. We’ve smashed one of the windows and AJ and Jim are in there checking the bodies.”
“Bodies? What the fuck?” Jonny had heard clearly Carl’s update. Panic spread over him, his stomach doing somersaults and his legs felt like jelly. He needed to get in that wreckage. Save Eliza. He clambered back into his bus, put on his jeans, t-shirt and boots. Taking a packet of cigarettes from the communal cupboard before re-emerging.
No more pussying about. He was going in to help.
“You can’t go near the vehicle with a lit cigarette,” Jim Bob protested. “Look - there’s gasoline leaking out of the bus.” Pointing to a slimy rainbow hued puddle in the road.
Nothing was going to stop Jonny. He stamped his cigarette out and walked purposefully towards the wreckage.
Three of the Karma Life crew were now out of the bus and sat at the side of the road. Dirk was climbing out of the back emergency door and Eliza was being lifted out behind him by AJ. Jonny ran up offering up his arms for Eliza to be lowered into them.
She was dazed, cuts to her lip and forehead, grazes on her knees. He hugged her into him and carefully kissed her forehead.
“Eliza,” he whispered, “Eliza, are you ok?".
She opened her eyes, focussed on his and smiled.
He turned to the onlookers on the verge. “Quick. Get a blanket or something.”
Joe looked at the driver who handed over a small cardboard box with “Space Blanket” printed on the side. He ripped it open and ran towards Jonny and Eliza wrapping the silver foil around her. Jonny tucked it in and sat down on a tree stump on the verge with Eliza still in his arms.
Sirens could be heard coming from the opposite direction. A convoy in the distance consisting of two ambulances, three state police cars and a fire engine. The experts sprung into pre-rehearsed action. The Police blocked the road off in both directions. One of the Fire Department Officers sprinkled absorbent white powder over the gasoline spill and the others took charge of the evacuation of the bus.
Fortunately, no-one was fatally injured. The bus driver was unconscious, as was Kurt. Both were put in one of the ambulances and taken straight to the county hospital. Dirk and Eliza and the rest of the crew had minor cuts and bruises and were treated by the second ambulance crew at the scene.
Jim Bob was summoning up alternative transport for them all as neither bus was fit to drive. The crew decanted the contents of the Crash bus onto the side of the road, but couldn’t safely get to anything in the Karma Life bus.
A convoy consisting of a van and two minibuses could be seen winding up the road towards them.
The bands were heading onto San Antonio and although they were originally to stay over in the tour buses, Jim Bob organised hotels for them all instead. He secured rooms at two different hotels near the Riverwalk. Working on the schedule whilst they drove the twenty miles into town.
At the first hotel he checked in the band members; the second hotel the crew. The crew travelling on the Karma Life bus couldn’t be expected to work that night after what they had been through. The rest of the crew, although themselves shocked by what had happened, had to get straight onto the venue to set up for that night’s gig. What with setting off late and then the accident they had little time before Crash were expected on stage and there was a lot to do.
After making sure everyone was where he wanted them to be, Jim-Bob went back to the first hotel and called the hospital to check on Kurt and the bus driver. To his relief they were both comfortable and out of any immediate danger, but would be staying the night as a precaution. He half expected that and hadn’t booked them a room.
He called up to Eliza’s room and then Dirk’s to give them the news and to see if they wanted him to arrange a visit to the hospital for them. Which of course they did.
Jonny and his band didn’t have much time to recover from their ordeal. They all had quick showers, changed their clothes and rushed off to the venue to do a quick sound check and agree on their extended set. They were going to have to cover the Karma Life slot tonight and keep their fingers crossed there weren’t too many disgruntled fans in the audience.
Their performance wasn’t the best that night, but the audience and critics were sympathetic. Applauding the band for turning up after such a horrific incident.
As soon as the gig was over they went straight back to the hotel. Jonny was desperate to check on Eliza, and the rest of the band were eager to get a comfortable night’s sleep. They all wanted to call back home and let their family know what had happened just in case it made the papers the next day; but it was the middle of the night in the UK so they would have to wait a couple of hours at least.
The hotel receptionist put through Jonny’s call from his room to Eliza’s.
“Hey angel. How you feeling?”
“I’m ok. We’ve been to see Kurt and he’s out of casualty. He’s broken his shoulder though.”
“Ah, that’s not good, but it could have been worse, I suppose.”
“Yeah. You’re right. It could have been worse. Will you come here to me Jonny?”
Without hesitation he answered. “I’m on my way, what’s your room number?”
“Seventy-six.”
She took ages to answer the door. Jonny first of all wondered if he had got the right room number and then worried she had lapsed into unconsciousness again. He tried the door handle; it was open.
“Eliza?” he called out through the crack in the door, before fully opening it. He could hear water running and walked towards the sound.
“You ok?” he said to the water immersed Eliza. The cuts on her face looking sore from the heat and moisture in the air.
“Sure. Why don’t you get in.”
He stripped off his clothes in a nanosecond and gingerly lowered himself into the bubble filled bath.
“Jeez, it’s hot!” he winced, having to cup his testicles to protect them from the searing heat. That made Eliza giggle.
He smiled at her. “It’s good to hear you laugh, even if it is at my expense. It must mean you’re feeling better. It was a shock today you know. I had a premonition just before it happened and thought I’d lost you.”
“Well you didn’t, I’m here and I’m fine.” She leaned across to kiss him and playfully put a handful of bubbles on his nose. “Anyway, what do you mean you had a premonition?”
Jonny snorted the bubbles away and then explained the dream he had just before the crash. Eliza and him riding on a beach and her careering into a boulder buried beneath the surf.
Eliza apparently unfazed, just nodded. “I understand. I saw my parents’ accident too.” She looked down to her hands, playing with the ring on her thumb in what looked like an attempt to try and stop any tears. “Their accident was fatal though.”
Sensing she wanted to talk some more about it. He softly asked, “What happened?” Obvious concern stamped on his face.
“I'd gone to bed as usual but hadn't been asleep long before I dreamt about a lorry crashing into their car. I awoke from the dream screaming. My mother came to comfort me, but I didn’t know how to explain it to her. So I just said I didn’t feel well and I needed to stay off school that day and they should stay at home too. Obviously they didn’t… and, after dropping me off at school, they went on to work. A lorry driver from England had entered a roundabout the wrong way and hit them head on. He’d just arrived in Holland that morning on the overnight ferry. Said he’d forgotten which side of the road he was driving on. That was it. Just forgotten which side of the road he should have been on.”
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“Shit. It must have been so awful, Eliza. Was you still at school when you found out?”
“Yes. I was in Maths and I remember the head teacher coming into the classroom asking for me. I could see my aunt in the doorway and I knew in that instant what had happened. I just started crying and couldn’t move from my desk. Everyone was looking at me and then some of my classmates started crying. Just because I was… and they were upset by it.”
Eliza looked up from the handful of bubbles she had been prodding, tears in her eyes. “I never went back there. My aunt took me to Amsterdam to live with her that day. I never even went back home. Didn’t go back to that school. I didn’t see any of my friends again. My stuff just appeared in my bedroom at my aunt’s the next day and that was it. Life went on.”
Awkwardly Jonny tried in vain to move closer to Eliza to hug her. He couldn’t get close enough, so he clambered out of the bath and lifted her out into a big fluffy towel hung over the radiator. He held her to him like she was a fragile priceless ornament, wrapped in bubble wrap.
“Will you make love to me Jonny?”
Without a word, Jonny carried Eliza over to the bed and tenderly made love to her. Kissing her delicately all over. Around her ankle and up her tattoo, lingering at her centre; across her stomach to each nipple and finally nuzzling into her warm neck.
As they both climaxed tears rolled down her cheeks.
Sobbing uncontrollably, as if the shock of the accident earlier that day brought it all to the surface. All the unreleased emotion from the loss of her parents twenty years before.
He hugged her close to him until her cries became intermittent snivels. When he was sure she was deep asleep he slipped from beneath her and using the phone in the bathroom rang his mum.
“Uh-hum.” Jonny’s mum cleared her throat.
“Hello.” Her voice still croaky.
“Hi mum,” Jonny said as quietly as he could without whispering, “sorry… have I woken you.”
“Yes honey. Is everything ok?”
“Yeah fine. I thought you would be up for work already.”
“It’s Saturday son.”
“Oh shit! Sorry, I forgot. It’s just I wanted to let you know we’re all fine but we were involved in a road accident yesterday.”
“What?” She sounded fully awake now. “What happened?”
“The other band’s tour bus ran off the road. A few people were hurt but nothing serious.”
“Oh no, that’s not good. So you and the boys are ok?”
“Yeah we’re all fine. It was the band on the other bus that came off worse.”
“What they called again, the other band? Karma Chameleon? Is that it? They have the female singer with the auburn hair, don’t they?”
“What you like mum!” Jonny laughed, a bit too loud. He pushed the bathroom door shut with his foot. “Karma Chameleon is a song by Boy George.”
“Oh of course!” Jonny’s mum joined in his laughter.
“And it’s Eliza. Eliza, she’s …” Jonny trailed off. He wanted to say she was beautiful and sexy and his angel, but it was his mum he was talking to. He didn’t want the never ending questions he thought it would provoke. “Eliza, she’s the singer in Karma Life.”
“Eliza. Yes, that’s it. I’ve seen her on TV. She’s beautiful Jonny and her voice… she sings like an angel. Well a rock angel.”
Jonny was stunned. Why did his mum just say that? Why did she use those words? Was she telepathic. Was he sending her vibes across the Atlantic? Anyway whatever mother and son witchcraft it was, he totally agreed.
“Yeah she is.”
Conjuring up the image of his angel laid feet from him in a bed they were sharing tonight, all warm and soft.
“Anyway I’m gonna get off, its bed time here and we’ve had a long day. I’ll call you in a few days. Love you and send my love to everyone.”
“Love you too son. I’m glad you’re all ok and take extra care now. And make sure you ring again soon.”
Chapter Fourteen
As soon as Eliza replaced the receiver on the handset Jonny leaned over and kissed her warmly on the lips. He pushed her hair behind her ears and away from the graze on her forehead.
“Morning angel.”
“Morning Jonny. And… thank you.”
“What for?”
“For last night. For being there.”
“Anytime. You can count on me.”
Even though she knew he was being sincere she still regretted letting go so much. It made her feel vulnerable and she had worked so hard on building a defensive wall around her heart. He was starting to take it down, brick by brick. Or at least creep over the top.
“Who was that on the phone?” He sat up and took his watch from the bedside table.
“Jim Bob. He wants me to meet with him and Dirk at the breakfast buffet in thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes, eh?” he joked as he started circling his middle finger playfully around her nipple.
She arched her back in response.
“Yeah, thirty minutes. And I think I should be in charge of time keeping.” She laughed, pushing him onto his back, straddling his taut stomach and kissing him whilst skillfully edging herself back to where his abs formed a sexy "V" shape.
There was no danger Jonny was going to hold out with her taking control the way she did.
She had showered, dressed and still had time to spare before heading to breakfast.
***
“Morning Eliza. How you feeling this morning?” asked Jim Bob as she walked up to the curved booth he was sat at with Dirk.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Could have been worse, that’s for sure.”
“Yes, thankfully not. Although those cuts still look a bit sore. I’ll make sure someone takes another look at those for you. Do you want to grab some breakfast and we’ll talk whilst we eat?”
Eliza came back from the buffet with some apple juice and a plate laden with fruit, cheese and black rye bread.
“OK,” started Jim Bob. “Kurt is going to be out of action for the foreseeable and I think we need to get a session guitarist on board as soon as possible.”
Eliza and Dirk looked at each other and nodded. They had both said the same on the way back from the hospital the previous night. There was no way Kurt was going to play with his shoulder and arm in cast and it would be weeks before the plaster was off. Even then, they couldn’t be sure there wasn’t any more permanent tendon or nerve damage. He couldn’t move his fingers when they visited him and the doctor had warned him not to expect too much from his recovery. Even citing a second operation as a distinct possibility.
“Do you know of anyone?” asked Dirk of Jim Bob. “We don’t know too many guitarists here. If we were at home, we could start calling some people.”
“Well we might have to do that yet, but for now, I’ve got the guys at the label making some enquiries. We’re aiming to have some auditions later today in El Paso. If there’s anyone good enough you can meet them when we get there tonight.”
“That’s quick.” Eliza said, picking off chunks of the rye bread, topping it with cheese and popping it in her mouth.
“Yeah well we can’t afford to cancel anymore gigs. It will cost us a fortune.”
Jim Bob beckoned to a waiter with his raised hand. Catching his attention, he pointed to his empty coffee cup, and then gave him the thumbs up when the waiter acknowledged his gesture.
“What about… No it doesn’t matter.” Eliza sat back whilst the waiter poured the steaming black liquid into Jim Bob’s cup.
“No go on. No idea is a bad idea at this stage.”
“What about Jonny?” She pushed her plate away, like she was presenting her idea along with her breakfast.
“Jonny from Crash?” Dirk clarified. “Why him?”
“Well he plays lead guitar as well as base. He knows our songs and set list. And more importantly he’s actually here already.”
“Mmmm. Let’s keep that one in mind.�
� said Jim Bob thoughtfully. “We’ll see how the label get on. Anyway I’ve gotta shoot. Stuff to arrange. I’ve sorted the check on your rooms and the new tour bus will pick you up at ten.”
He left with a piece of toast shoved hastily into his mouth.
Dirk pushed his plate away too. “Are you sure about this Eliza?”
Eliza shrugged her shoulders. “Not entirely, but we’ve not got many options, have we?”
Dirk didn’t answer her question. “So are you and Jonny an item?”
“No, not exactly. We’ve spent a couple of nights together and he is kinda sweet.”
“Do you think it would work?”
Eliza hesitated on the obvious ambiguity of his question. “Yeah. Well at least it would get us out of this hole until we can arrange someone else from back home, or if the label do manage to come up with another option.”
“OK sounds like a plan. I don’t fancy the chances of the label coming up with anyone better.”
“When do you think we should talk to him?”
“Well, no time like the present.” Dirk nodded in the direction of Jonny who was about to reach their table.
“Hey Dirk. Any more news on Kurt?”
“Hi dude. Not really but he’s gonna be out of action for a while. So we’ve just been discussing the idea of a session guitarist for the rest of the tour.”
“Ah right. Got anyone in mind?” Jonny slid into the booth next to Eliza, giving her quick kiss.
“You.”
Jonny smiled and shook his head. “Me? What do you mean me? I’m already in a band.”
Eliza got up to get Jonny some juice from the buffet. She thought it might be better for the two of them to discuss this without her. She didn’t want him to know it was her idea. He might get the wrong impression about her intentions. Not that she really knew what her intentions were. Either way she didn’t want him to question her about them.
“Yes we realise that,” Dirk now speaking for the both of them, “but it’s just an extra forty-five minutes or so per show and some time rehearsing the set list. We’re not thinking you would leave Crash or anything. Just help us out whilst we sort something out with Kurt. Obviously there would be some extra money for you, if you agreed.”
Falling for his ANGEL_A Rock Star Romance Page 10
