by Ava Manello
“Hate to disturb the peace but we head out in an hour. I know what you’re like, you’ll want a shower and to do your hair and all that other la di da crap you do.”
He’s just turning to leave when I utter a smart reply. “I can think of better ways to spend my hour!” He winks at me and walks off.
I can’t believe I just said that. I feel like I should go and wash my mouth out. Please don’t let me turn into one of those girls, the kind who comes to watch the shows and heckles all night.
I head into the shower. I’ll wake Alex up when I get out. He should still have time to get ready.
There’s a cold blast of air as the shower door opens, looks like Alex is already awake. In fact parts of him are very much awake and demanding attention.
We make it to the bus with less than five minutes to spare, but huge grins on our faces. It’s amazing what you can do in a shower without actually having sex. I think we need to practice that a lot more.
The guys break out in wolf whistles and catcalls, which quickly abate when they see the look on my face. Or I thought it was the look on my face.
“Blimey girl.” Jackal calls. “That’s one hell of a black eye you’re sporting today.” I reach up and touch my cheek, drawing my hand away quickly as I feel the sting of the touch.
I’d been so distracted this morning that I hadn’t thought to look in the mirror. Alex looks at me as though it’s the first time he’s seen it as well.
There’s anger in his face.
Dan steps back onto the minibus having stashed the last of the luggage, and spots my face as well.
“Bloody hell what happened to you?” He looks outraged.
“It’s a long story Dan.” He spots my hand in Alex’s and the outrage turns to a smile.
“As long as it has a happy ending Sally.” I nod.
“Yeah. I think this story has a happy ending.”
I settle into a seat at the front of the bus, Alex at my side and we start to tell Dan all about our adventures in Edinburgh.
Chapter Forty Six
Sally
The last week has flown by. It’s feels like it’s gone much quicker than the other weeks. But, it’s been a week of sheer bliss.
The gym has been out of the question thanks to Gary spraining my shoulder, so Alex has spent the time with me just walking, chatting and getting to know each other better.
I’ve kept looking for jobs on the various online boards, but nothing has come up. Alex told me he’s happy for me to move in with him and have a go at writing for a few months until I find something. I’m still not sure that I’m ready for that. He’s made it clear I’d be moving into the spare room. He doesn’t want me to feel any pressure.
We’ve pulled up outside the theater in York. It’s the last night of the tour. We’ve just got time for a rehearsal before the doors open to the public. We all decided we’d rather set off this morning than drive through last night. It means none of us have had chance to go home yet. Home. I’m not sure my house feels like home anymore. Wherever I am with Alex feels more like home than anywhere else.
Tiny is a little nervous as his fiancée Alison will be in the audience tonight. Somehow, in all the time they’ve been together, she’s never been to one of his shows. She’s coming down before the start of the show to meet me for an early dinner, later we’re going to sit together out in the audience. I can’t wait to meet her. Alex’s mother will also be with us. I’m a little more hesitant of meeting her though.
The boys are on fire during the rehearsal. The routines are looking better than ever. Perhaps it’s being back on home ground, or maybe it’s just relief that this grueling eight-week journey is coming to and end.
Eight weeks ago I had a job, a career I was proud of. I was given this assignment on pain of losing my job and against my objections. I never thought I’d grow to love these guys, or to respect the hard work that they put in. Now I feel like I can call them my friends. I know I’ve got a friend for life in Tiny. And Alex… I don’t know what will happen for Alex, and me but I do know I’m looking forward to finding out.
“Hey Sally, come here and meet my main girl.” Tiny calls me over. Alison is lovely, she’s quite petite next to his large frame but they fit together well.
She’s a teaching assistant if I remember correctly, but she doesn’t look like any teaching assistant I ever remember. She’s a stunner. I soon find out she’s also quite charming.
We’re heading out of the stage door to go over the road to The Lowther for something to eat when I hear a couple of women gossiping in front of the shows poster.
“Absolutely disgraceful.” One of the women sneers.
“Bet they’ve got no morals either.” Pipes in the other.
Tiny sees the look on my face and just mutters “Oh shit” under his breath. He’s learned to recognize this look, and he’s right not to interfere.
“Excuse me?” I call. The two women turn to look at me in surprise. “I’m sorry, I’m sure I’m mistaken, but I could have sworn I just heard you bitching about my friends. My friends, who you don’t know. Who you can’t possibly have met. Because if you had you’d realize just how wrong and narrow minded you are.”
“Sally” Tiny tries to interrupt me but Alison puts her hand on his arm to silence him.
“You see I DO know these guys. I’ve been on the road with them for the last eight weeks.” One of the women has such a sour expression on her face at my last remark. “Don’t you dare choose to judge me you sour faced old cow. And don’t you dare to judge my friends. They saved my life, did you know that?” I ask them. They look at me dumbfounded.
“No, you didn’t. Because you know fuck all about them.” One of them looks offended by my choice of language, but I continue.
“You stand there all prissy, and opinionated and yet you know none of the facts. You’re judging a book by its cover and you are so wrong.”
“Well. Humph. I mean, well.” The stupid woman is finally lost for words.
“You see that guy there?” I point back to Tiny. “You owe him an apology, and his fiancée standing next to him. He’s one of those guys you’ve just been slagging off.”
The two women finally start to look embarrassed. They mutter an apology to Tiny that’s barely audible before rushing off up the street to escape me.
Tiny breaks out into laughter just as Alex walks out of the stage door and asks what’s going on.
“Alex, this girl here is a keeper. If you ever screw it up you’ll have me to answer to mate.” Tiny slaps him on the back before continuing over the road to the bar.
“What’s that all about?” Alex asks me.
I’m still laughing myself. Eight weeks ago I’d have been standing agreeing with those women, who’d have thought today I’d be stood here arguing against them.
“I’ll tell you later.” I promise. “Now let’s go meet your mother while I still have the nerve left to do it.”
Alex draws me close. “You’re not worried about meeting my Mum are you? Don’t be daft. She’ll love you.” He tries to reassure me.
Yeah. Right. Like any sane woman isn’t nervous about meeting her boyfriends mother for the first time. I still remember meeting my ex’s mother. She spent our entire relationship looking down her nose at me, and taking every opportunity she could to remind me that I wasn’t good enough for her precious son. Now why would I be worried about meeting anyone’s mother?
Chapter Forty Seven
Sally
I couldn’t have been more wrong about Alex’s mother. We hit it off immediately. She’s lovely. We’ve been sitting making inappropriate comments about our boys all the way through the show.
Jed had agreed to bring the bike to the theater tonight as a favor to me, so Alex could do a repeat of my favorite routine. What can I say? Jed has a soft spot for me. He’d only been able to meet us at a few of the venues that were in travelling distance for him so this act hadn’t been a part of all the shows.
&nbs
p; Alex’s mum just sat there, her jaw dropping throughout the routine. I sat there feeling my knickers getting wetter by the second. He so has to bring that outfit home with him.
“Bloody hell, I didn’t realize he was that good.” she whispers to me as the lights go off.
Alison is enjoying the show as well, although I can tell she’s struggling as I do with the cat calling and heckling that surrounds us.
“Don’t worry about it Alison.” I reassure her. “It’s you he chooses to go home with after the show, not them.”
She smiles wanly at me. It’ll take her a few shows to get used to it, and she will. I’m not quite there myself yet but it is getting easier. Especially when I know it’s me that Alex waits by the stage door for at the end of each night.
The intro to the finale comes on. ‘Cherry Pie’ by Warrant. I love this song.
The guys bounce onto the stage in black cargo pants, skintight black vests that accentuate their abs and black bandanas.
This routine is the most athletic of the night. At one of the choruses they stand in a line and tear down the front of their t-shirts in unison, ripping them from their bodies and tossing them aside.
They fall face down to the floor, crossing to the front of the stage in a series of humps and thrusts. Every time Alex’s hips grind into the stage I picture him grinding into me. Shit. I’m one lucky girl.
Alex and Tiny turn and blow kisses at Alison and me as they’re singing along to ‘sweet cherry pie’.
There’s a scaffolding pole erected at the back across the width of the stage and Alex grabs it, swinging his whole body up and over it to another of the swinging choruses. It’s like a routine you’d see a gymnast perform. His back is to the audience and the muscles ripple and glisten in the spotlights.
Guido and Jackal use the guitar riff to show off their back flips, crossing the stage against each other. No matter how many times I watch this, I still think they’re going to crash into each other, but they never do. It’s choreographed to perfection.
It’s one of the shortest songs in their routine, and it always seems to end far too quickly.
As the final ‘Swing It’ is heard the guys rip their trousers off. Their backs are to the audience, the spotlights focusing in on each of their glorious, toned and very naked arses before the stage goes black.
The crowd goes absolutely crazy, giving them a standing ovation. I turn to Alex’s mum who has tears in her eyes.
“I’m so proud of him.” She tells me, before giving me a very emotional hug.
I look at Alison who’s absolutely beaming. “That was amazing.”
I’m not sure that it’s such a good idea for Alison to see the after crowd at one of these shows, even less so when it’s on home territory, so I suggest we go wait over at the pub for them.
Luckily they agree. Judging by the comments I can hear around me it’s going to be one of the hotter nights at the meet and greet. I don’t want to see it either as I’m not sure I can keep my jealousy under control.
I’m still humming the last song; I can’t get it out of my head, when the guys finally make it over to the pub. Alex flashes me that gorgeous smile of his and squishes in beside me on the bench seat.
“What did you think Mum?” He sounds like a little boy now; seeking his mother’s approval, bless him.
“Babe, that was your best show yet. And that bike routine, well even I nearly wet my knickers and I’m your mother so I’m guessing poor Sally here needs to go home and change hers.”
“Mum!” Alex exclaims. I’m too busy choking on my drink to say anything. I can’t believe she just said that.
For some reason all eyes at the table have turned to me. Great. She was loud enough that everyone heard her. What am I supposed to say to that? I blush like a virgin.
“Well, I could do with freshening up.” I try to sound sultry when I say it but it doesn’t quite come out that way. Never mind, they’re all too busy laughing along with me to notice.
Alex puts his arm around me, moving his mouth next to my ear. Fuck, that move always excites me. He doesn’t nibble my ear though, and I’m about to be disappointed till I hear him whisper “I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready to take your sexy arse to bed.”
I turn to him, a huge grin on my face.
“Only if you do it properly this time.” I answer.
“What?” He looks shocked. “You mean?”
“Yes.” I interrupt him. “I’m ready, take me home and fuck me lover boy.”
Alex has such a shocked expression on his face I think I’ve blown it. That didn’t sound sexy at all. I messed it up big time.
“You really mean it?” He asks again.
“Yes Alex, I really mean it. I want you to take me home and make love to me all night long, and then, when the sun comes up, I want you to do it all over again.”
Eight weeks ago I was bored, lonely and in a job where no one respected me. Now here I am eight weeks later, with a band of friends who I know will fight for me, who have become like family. But most importantly, having seen him move that body on stage all night long, I’m with a man who I know is going to rock my world tonight, and every other night if I let him.
I don’t know how long this is going to last, but I’ll take what I can, for as long as I can.
Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a hot as fuck guy standing by the door, waiting to take me home and make mad passionate love to me. I’m sure you understand.
Epilogue
Sally
As comfortable as I am with Alex, I’m nervous as hell as he shuts the front door behind us. I want this, but it’s so long since I’ve played this game I feel like a total novice.
I know we’ve done pretty much everything BUT have sex this past week, we’ve explored every inch of each other’s bodies. Still. I feel like an inexperienced virgin all over again.
Alex takes my bags and puts them in the spare room for now; I still haven’t given him my answer as to whether I’m moving in or not. The rooms nice, there’s plenty of space and such, but right now my mind is on other things.
Alex can tell I’m not concentrating, that I’m nervous.
“Sally, I’m not going to hurt you, or do anything you don’t want. Don’t be scared of me.” He looks a little crestfallen as he says the words. I don’t want him to feel like that.
“Oh Alex, I know you wouldn’t. I’m just nervous. It’s silly I know. It’s just that this is so important to me and I don’t want to disappoint you.” I hang my head, embarrassed at how open I’ve just been.
Alex crosses the room to me. He lifts his hands and gently cradles my face with them. It’s such a gentle gesture.
“We’ll take this at your pace Sally. You’re the one in control here.” He offers.
“What if I didn’t want to be in control?” I whisper. My inner voice spurring me on to try and ask for what I really want.
Alex looks a little confused for a moment.
“I don’t suppose you still have those cuffs do you?” I rush out before common sense kicks in and stops me.
Alex looks shocked. Shit. I shouldn’t have said it. I knew it. But wait. His face just lit up with that gorgeous smile of his.
“You want to try the cuffs? Baby, I’ve dreamed about you in my bed with those cuffs.” He grins. Thank fuck. Looks like we’ve been having the same dreams then.
Alex takes my hand and slowly, walking backwards he leads me from the spare room. He hesitates outside a closed door.
“You sure you’re ready for this? I know I am.” He gestures down to the very obvious hard on that’s tenting his pants. “But I don’t want to rush you. I’m happy to wait for you.”
I hesitate a moment. Yes. I want this more than anything right now.
“I’m ready Alex. I just don’t want to disappoint you.” I confess.
“Baby, you could never disappoint me. I promise you.”
He opens the door and gently pulls me into his bedroom.
It’s neat and tidy which is nothing less than I’d expect from Alex. The bed dominates the room. It’s a King Size pine bed and looks heavy and solid. I smile when I spot the floral quilt. Alex sees the direction of my gaze and laughs.
“What can I say? My mother decorated for me once when I was on tour.”
Alex takes my hand and guides me to sit on the edge of the bed. I’m still incredibly nervous. It’s a huge step for me.
Alex takes my face in his hands again. His large hands are so gentle as they caress my cheek, one brushing a stray piece of hair away. He draws his thumb over my lips.
