Alik felt as if he were in another world as he stripped off his sweat soaked t-shirt and freshened up. He went back into the main body of the club, buoyed by Parker's comments.
Edie was waiting for him by the bar. “You were amazing,” she said, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Everyone at the festival is going to love you.”
Alik laughed. “God, I hope so! We've worked so hard for this. I dreamed about playing that festival since I first went there when I was fourteen and standing ankle deep in mud. Although I'm hoping for better weather.”
“Urgh, mud.” Edie made a face. “It's not going to rain, is it?”
“You need to be prepared for every eventuality, anything could happen.” Alik looked around the crowded bar. “Let's get out of here.” He grabbed Edie's hand and took her through the backstage area, where the band were packing up. They exited through the back door into an alleyway. Still high from the excitement of the gig, Alik pulled her towards him and kissed her, his lips crushing hers. She moulded her body into his, kissing him back hard. He laced his fingers through her hair, feeling himself getting hard. If he wasn't careful, he'd seriously embarrass himself in the back alley of a club, something that hadn't happened to him since he was a teenager.
“Let's go back to my place,” whispered Edie. “It's closer.” She broke away from him and stepped into the road, hailing a passing taxi.
Thankfully, it didn't take them long to get back to Kingsbridge Drive and Alik pushed a twenty pound note at the driver without waiting for any change. They climbed the stairs to the first floor, too eager to wait for the lift, and crashed through the front door, heading straight for the bedroom, both of them shedding clothes on the way. Falling onto the bed together, Alik rolled Edie onto her back, looking her straight in the eye as he slid gently into her. Her eyes were closed in rapture as he thrust inside her, her nails scratching at his back. The energy of the evening coursed through him as he brought them both to shattering orgasm. He collapsed on the bed beside Edie, breathing heavily. She turned to look at him, her pupils dilated.
“If that was just a warm up, I can't wait to see the main event!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Wilde Park Festival always delivered in relation to its name.
Set in the Midlands, it had previously been a racing circuit until the money in Formula 1 became too rich and forced it out of business. When the promoters of the festival came to the venue's rescue a few years ago, it was the start of a great relationship. The 90,000 rock fans that made an annual three-day pilgrimage to the sprawling site enjoyed bands playing across five stages, a myriad of stalls selling an eclectic mix of products, and every kind of food you could think of.
And this year, Blood Stone Riot got to play.
Having attended the festival as fans in previous years, they were understandably ecstatic when Parker Roberts had announced several months ago that he had managed to secure them a slot - albeit an early Saturday afternoon slot in one of the smaller tents.
Their touring entourage consisted of Griffen and the band, Edie, Poppy, Caro, and a last minute addition in Olivia. Parker had decreed that Olivia needed to be there to manage any PR and interview requests, as new and up and coming bands were always popular with the online radio stations and other social media-driven channels.
They had travelled up on the Thursday night in relative luxury. Edie had taken one look at the mini-bus that Alik had shown her and flatly refused to travel in the shabby-looking vehicle, declaring it a death trap. Subsequently, she had generously offered to provide a more suitable mode of transport and arranged for a twenty-seater, air-conditioned coach with an on-board toilet, more than adequate for the two and a half hour journey up the motorway.
They arrived in good spirits and parked around the back of the hotel, just in case there were any fans waiting for them. As soon as they got off the coach, Griffen left to answer a call from Parker, leaving Olivia in charge of checking them in.
“I'm a PR rep, not your bloody PA,” she said. However, when she managed to get them upgraded at no extra costs, there were murmurs as to whether she should consider a PA role instead.
* * *
After unpacking, they decamped to the penthouse bar, which had been cordoned off for the exclusive use of artists and their associates, as well as those guests who were staying in executive suites. It was much quieter than the main bar downstairs near reception.
Caro was sitting with Poppy, nursing a large gin and tonic, every so often casting a glance in Alik's direction. “I don't know why I came with you guys,” she said. “Things have been a bit odd with Alik.”
Poppy reached for her mojito and sucked up a generous amount before responding. “Nate says he hasn't been himself either. Apparently he went to some charity ball the other night with Edie, all dressed up, and ended up in the gossip pages of Aspire.”
Caro made a face. “Bet that went down well!”
“Even Parker was there. Did you know he was dating Lexi Bloom?”
“Who?”
Poppy shook her head. “Just the most famous actress on the block at the moment... Oh wait, you wouldn't notice if it doesn't come accompanied by music.”
“And that's why I came here,” Caro said. “I'm here for the music. If Blood Stone Riot weren't playing I'd still be here, although perhaps not in the same element of luxury. I came for the headliners, the bands making a start on the smaller stages, the atmosphere, the sense of belonging.”
“Why is Edie here, then?”
* * *
Edie was thinking exactly the same thing. Since the minute they stepped on the bus, Alik had withdrawn, barely saying two words to her. She sat alone in the bar until a couple of women who recognised her from Pretty Rich Things started asking her about The Magpie.
“You should definitely come into the boutique,” said Edie, pulling one of her cards out of her bag.
The two women started cooing over the duck egg blue card, comparing it to Tiffany branding and asking where she sourced her products from.
“Barcelona should really be an option, but I'm all about giving opportunities to up and coming suppliers,” she said. “I've been working with a number of art schools, getting final year students to produce pieces for me to sell. There are some really talented people around. Plus, the prices I have to pay are a lot cheaper than if I were using established suppliers.” Olivia had said it would be a great marketing angle and would easily secure more articles in various publications, which meant more publicity. And she had been right.
“Ooo, do you have a website?”
“It's in production at the moment,” Edie said. In truth, all she had registered so far was the name and got someone to design a pretty front page telling people the site was under development. She knew that she ought to do something about it now that the shop was up and running. Olivia said she should really be making the most of her online presence and once this festival was over, Edie would have her full attention again. “Let me show you some of the things I've got coming in,” she said, reaching for her phone to show them pictures of her stock.
The two women continued to coo over the items and pointed out at least a dozen that they wanted to purchase. Perhaps coming along on this festival jaunt hadn't been a bad thing at all.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The following morning, Edie was anything but happy.
“I didn't bring any other boots,” she said to Alik. “I wasn't expecting to be outside the whole time.”
“Be grateful it's not raining,” said Alik. “At least your heels won't sink in the mud.”
Edie pouted. She had dressed in what she thought was appropriate attire for a festival, based on what she had seen others wearing in magazines at V and Glastonbury, so she was sporting denim short shorts, a scoop-neck t-shirt with a nondescript imaginary band logo on it, a fake fur gilet, and spike-heeled ankle boots. She had plaited some of her blonde hair and then drawn it into a half-ponytail, accessorising the look with a
few flowered hair pins.
She hoped that Alik didn't think she was trying too hard. She wanted to make an effort for him, to show that she was part of his fully plugged-in rock and metal world.
They met up with the others downstairs. Edie cast her eyes over their outfits. Caro and Poppy appeared to be a bit more in-keeping with the rock scene; a lot of black, skulls, and crosses and, more importantly, flat boots. Both of them had waterproof jackets tied around their waists and cross-body bags, and lanyards hanging around their necks with stage times and band info on.
“You've clearly done this before,” said Edie, though she thought that they both looked horrendous and would definitely be appearing in the ‘Worst Dressed’ lists. If The Goss even bothered to show up at an event like this.
“You could say that,” said Poppy. “Guess we're a bit more accustomed to this scene.”
A couple of hours later, Edie was standing on her own by the bar, wishing she could sit down.
Her stupid feet in her stupid, impractical, heels were killing her, and she was convinced that Poppy and Caro were laughing at her. Caro, especially. She had just discovered that she had no service on her mobile and she couldn't even text Minty to pass the time.
In fact, the whole idea to come along on this trip had been stupid.
“Whatcha doing?”
Edie turned to her left to see Billy Walker had settled himself next to her. She had always been a bit wary of him, with his long hair and scary tattoos alongside a belligerent and sometimes slightly misogynistic attitude. They had barely spoken for any length of time before, despite their occasional shared indulgences, and to have him in such close proximity made her a little uncomfortable.
She shrugged, unsure of what to say.
“Fancy a drink?” He flagged down the barman and ordered two tequila shots - one of the benefits of being in the VIP area was a wider choice of beverage available. He downed his in one and challenged Edie to do the same.
Edie shrugged again and sank the shot, shuddering delicately as the liquor burned a path down her throat. Billy laughed at her.
“Didn't think you'd be the sort of bird who'd be able to do that,” he said. “Thought you might be a bit too posh.”
“You'd be surprised. When you've been out with as many bankers as I have, you know how to hold your drink.”
“Bankers? Yeah, reckon they'd probably put us to shame. Known a few merchant bankers as well.”
Edie frowned. How on earth would Billy know people who worked in financial services? Then she understood his rhyming slang reference and laughed. “And there are probably a few over there at the moment.” She nodded in the direction of the press.
Billy ordered them another couple of shots. “He's in his element there, isn't he?” He gestured towards Alik with his glass. “Always gotta be the one in the limelight.”
Secretly, Edie thought that was true. But she felt the need to defend him. “Come on, Billy, he's just passionate about what he does.”
“And who he does it with?” Billy ran his empty shot glass down Edie's bare arm, fixing her with an intense stare. “Surely he can't be that passionate all the time.”
Suddenly she felt her whole body leap to attention. The way Billy was looking at her, the underlying meaning of his words, the seeming disloyalty to Alik, his best friend and bandmate. She shook her head. Of course he wasn't coming on to her. He was just passing some time before the set started. Wasn't he?
“Been good talking to you, Edie. Should do it more often.”
With that, he was gone just as suddenly as he'd appeared, leaving Edie to ponder what had just happened.
* * *
Alik was starting to get edgy, and was grateful when Olivia finally shooed away the last of the journalists just before two o'clock, leaving the band about an hour before they needed to be onstage. He was keen to get out there and play, and the interminable stream of questioning was becoming repetitive and dull. It became apparent that the rest of the band were feeling the same, particularly when Nate emptied the best part of a bottle of mineral water over him for no apparent reason.
“Right! That's it!” Alik grabbed his plastic pint glass and filled it with ice, throwing it at Dev.
Within seconds, it had descended into total chaos, with everyone laughing and chasing around and drenching each other with water, beer, ice, anything they could get their hands on. The warm, early summer sunshine meant that everything dried within minutes - not least because they weren't exactly the best shots either. Alik noticed that even Edie had joined in, leaping out and getting Billy full in the face with a whole pint. The bassist shook his head, droplets of water splashing over her. He grabbed a cup from Dev and threw the contents straight at her chest. Alik watched as she angrily shook her head and stalked off, leaving the others to play.
He saw Caro step away from the group to take a breather at the bar. After a couple of beats, he went to join her.
“Hey,” he said. “You okay? You've been pretty quiet.”
They hadn't really spoken since Caro had blown him off in Greece. He had avoided the club and she had avoided any of their gigs.
“It's nothing. I realised how much we still have to do to get the club open and I've gone gallivanting off leaving Nic to it. Again. I feel guilty, I guess.”
Alik assumed, correctly, that the recent trips to away hadn't impressed Nic all that much, as Caro had only been back in the country a few weeks.
“You're entitled to a break,” he said.
“Mmm, I guess.”
They both leaned back against the bar, watching the rest of the band, and Poppy and Olivia chasing around.
“Edie's not exactly enjoying herself, is she?”
“Perhaps not her scene, no.” Alik had been amazed when Edie had decided that she was going to come along. He hadn't expected it to be a place that would be in her comfort zone. “Thought it was a bit odd myself, but she insisted. Although maybe I should have supervised her packing.”
Caro laughed. Alik watched her relax slightly and, not for the first time, he wished he could spend more time with her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The VIP area was practically deserted when Edie got there. With the headlining bands not due on for another couple of hours and the acts that had already played enjoying the rest of the festival, there was barely anyone milling around the cabins, with the exception of a few security guards and backstage hands.
The portacabin allocated to Blood Stone Riot was empty. Edie let herself in to sort out her hair and make-up after the silliness of the water fight. She checked her reflection in the mirror. Not too much damage, or at least nothing that couldn't be fixed by an appointment with her hairdresser and a facial at The Maybeech Spa when she joined Alik at Newcomen Farm after the festival. She pulled a tiny brush through her hair, fluffing it up again, and pouted, wondering whether she could be bothered to find her phone for a quick selfie.
A noise behind her made her stop. She turned to see Billy Walker in the doorway, his eyes blatantly roaming over her body. Her t-shirt was now totally see-through and was clinging wetly to her lacy bra.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“That depends on what you're offering,” he replied. He entered the cabin and closed the door, leaning against it and trapping her inside with him.
She thought back to their earlier flirting. She knew his reputation - he was the one in the band who always had groupies, never had a serious girlfriend, just liked a quick shag. And now, here he was, wanting her.
“What if I'm not offering anything?” she said. “You know I have a boyfriend.”
“Yeah, a boyfriend who takes away some girl he barely knows to a romantic Greek villa instead of his beautiful, sexy, gorgeous, girlfriend.” With every word, Billy stepped closer to Edie until he was standing right in front of her.
He reached out and cupped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her towards him until their faces were inches apart. She could smell be
er and cigarettes on his breath, but she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He leant in, crushing her lips with his, almost devouring her, his tongue probing, intense, their bodies pressing together with need. Billy's other hand delved between Edie's legs, finding a way under her denim shorts, and slipping two fingers into her wetness. She bucked against him, biting his lip as she helped him find her clitoris so she could reach the release she so desperately wanted from him. He was rock hard against her and she could tell he was big, which aroused her even more. She needed him inside her. Pulling away momentarily, Edie peeled off her t-shirt and bra - her small breasts swollen, nipples standing pertly to attention - before pulling down her shorts. She left on her heeled boots. Billy wrestled his jeans and boxers off, before pushing Edie down onto the couch. The cheap, rough fabric grazed her delicate skin. As he positioned himself above her, Edie glanced at the size of his cock and was delighted to see just how erect he was. He paused before slamming into her, pumping hard. She writhed and bucked with his rhythm, feeling the delicious girth of him, her legs spread wide to accommodate him. The rising orgasm threatened to overwhelm her, but it was too soon. She wanted this to go on, wanted him to bury his cock right inside her. Billy thrust one final time and with a grunt, he came hard. Realising that she was still on the edge, he pulled out, replacing his cock with his fingers again, his thumb teasing and stroking her into final submission. It was just as one of his fingers started to probe her anus that she climaxed, a shuddering, dirty orgasm that exhausted her.
They were silent for a few moments, before Billy stood up.
Cocktails, Rock Tales & Betrayals Page 11
