Love and The Liffey

by Sarah Beth James

  I ignored the comments, Claire did nothing for me. “Lily did look happy, didn’t she?” I muttered to myself.

  Harry kicked me. “Dude what the fuck? Seriously? I am cutting you off if you don’t tell us.”

  I sighed. “We want another backing singer to replace Claire when she leaves next week, right?”

  “Well duh, Shelly and Rose have auditions set up,” Callum commented.

  “Twenty of the best and brightest,” Rose added.

  “What if we just took English?” I asked. “She knows all of the lyrics, all the songs and every variant that we have covered these last few months. She has a great voice. And honestly, do we have time to train a greenie to the music? Claire leaves on New Year’s Eve after the awards. We barely got her to stay that long.”

  Money started exchanging hands between the band members.

  “Hey, you said fifty euro, not twenty! Callum objected. “Pay up properly!”

  More money exchanged hands.

  “What the fuck are you tossers doing? I asked ye a serious question, I expect a serious answer back. To discuss this as the band that we are!” I snapped.

  Harry laughed. “Dude, we all had this conversation when Lil came on board and we all agreed. She’s a hard worker, got incredible talent and most importantly, she can deal with your bullshit. We have all just been waiting for you to play catch up and ask her! Even Shelly’s onboard and you know she doesn’t even like the girl.”

  “Plus, it isn’t like you two are gonna break up anytime soon. Girl’s head over heels for ye and you for her. It’s meant to be. There’s no way that you are gonna marry the girl and not ask her to share a stage with you,” Rose commented.

  “Why are ye all obsessed with me marrying her?” I exclaimed. “Six weeks, it has been six weeks!”

  “You love singing with her far too much to give that up. You won’t be happy until she is equal in stage time with you. You two are too damn good vocally together to not be album material. You complement each other in every way,” Callum finished.

  I found tears dampening my cheeks. “So, youse are all okay with her being a part of us?”

  “You moron, she is a part of us and always will be,” Harry said. “Now go get her before I do.”

  I rushed around to the access doors between backstage and front of house asking security for the right door and if she passed yet. She was lingering at the back, ticker tape wrapped around her neck as the venue security started the floor sweep. Walking slowly, taking it all in as she went. I waited for the nod from my team, when it came banging the door open just long enough to grab her and drag her inside.

  “Hello,” she said softly as she found herself pinned between her Irish lover and the wall. “Miss me?”

  “Too fucking much,” I whispered back before claiming her mouth with mine in the most passionate kiss we had ever shared. Tonight, she was mine, nobody else’s.

  Chapter 20

  Adrian’s POV

  Christmas Eve, of all nights to be doing a blasted live show, so none of them could go home to see their families. Well, those of us who still had family. Didn’t really matter to me where I was for Christmas, as I didn’t have anyone outside of the band, but I did feel bad for all of the rest of them. Even Lily was quiet the last few days. I offered to let her go if she wanted, but she said there wasn’t really anywhere for her to go, either. At least we were in London, where there were still restaurants and places open over the dreaded day. Although again, I felt for the families of all those forced to work over the season. I guess I thought too much, always came with the season. I hated it, it always reminded me how alone I was.

  Lily had come for a kiss this morning, but I pulled away. She looked hurt, even more so when I made some off-hand comments about being alone. I would have to apologise to her for that later on. I noticed she, Shelly and Rose were noticeably absent today during the rehearsal and performance. Leaving Brad in their place, that was unusual. I guessed perhaps that they decided to go home, and Brad got the short straw. I was sad that Lily wasn’t there. I must have upset her more than I thought. I rang her several times today, and not once had she picked up. I hoped she hadn’t left, this holiday would be even harder to bear without her.

  I got back to the hotel, too tired to even shower. We had a penthouse suite or maybe two of them joined together. Everyone had a room, and then we shared a huge living space. I could hear giggling coming from the communal area. For God’s sake I just wanted to sleep! I stormed out to see what the noise was, finding myself in the middle of a winter wonderland.

  There was a huge Christmas tree with presents underneath, lights around the windows, tinsel pretty much everywhere with some paper decorations. The thing I noticed most was every spare piece of space around the feast of buffet food that had been laid out was covered in lit candles. The room was in darkness other than the lights and candles. It looked beautiful. The three little monsters jumped out from behind the sofa. “SURPRISE!”

  I looked at the three girls as the rest of the band lazed on the sofas. “This is what you three were up to all day?” I asked.

  “Hey, this is on English, not us!” Rose insisted, going to grab a drink.

  “Unless you like it, then we paid an equal share,” Shelly replied. “I am going to get some ice for the champagne.”

  “Sorry, I did have to use your credit card,” Lily said quietly.

  I grabbed her, swinging her around and kissing her. “I don’t care if ye spent every euro I have to my name, this is perfect! How did you even do this in one day?”

  “By making sure we got you out of the way as fast as possible and for as long as possible,” Harry laughed.

  “Wait, this is why youse kept screwing up that drum solo?” I demanded.

  “Nah, I just like to troll you, man.”

  “There are gifts too, everyone gets one,” Lily said.

  I grabbed for mine, I couldn’t remember the last time someone bought me a gift, not me them. I ripped it open, ignoring the jeers that I had to wait until morning. Inside was the ugliest Christmas jumper and socks, with an elf headband.

  “Well, you need to get into the spirit of it, and not just in vodka form,” Lily teased.

  “It’s perfect, so perfect. Thank you, darling.”

  Shelly passed him a parcel. “You might as well give the lady hers, as you had yours.”

  “I just want to point out that I bought this, not Shelly. I personally did, and I chose it. I just suck at wrapping,” I defended myself.

  Lily took it, turning it over in her hands. “A box doesn’t really give me a chance to work out what it is,” she pouted.

  “Then open it!”

  She laughed and did so, looking at the tech that fell out.

  “They told me it’s the top electronic sketch pad on the market, with all the things you could possibly need to do interesting … I don’t know girl, this isn’t my thing, but the guy in the shop promised me it was the best and if you don’t like it we can trade it on Boxing Day,” I promised.

  “This is the total top of the range, costs thousands, you can’t spend all of this on me!”

  “Lily! What have we said about money?”

  She sighed. “Thank you Adrian, it is perfect. I never thought I would have one of these to play with. I just don’t like you spending money on me.”

  “Ye deserve it, especially after all of this! Thank you for the party,” I said, kissing her.

  “You could at least have waited for the mistletoe,” she joked.

  “There’s mistletoe?” I looked around.

  “Before you start all of that, we have family board game night. Starting with Monopoly,” Harry stated.

  “Oh no, Monopoly ruins friendships,” I complained.

  “Yeah, because I am gonna beat your sexy ass,” Lily said.

  “Oh really?” I grabbed her, kissing her as she laughed. “Well youse are gonna just sit here in my lap and we are gonna play as a team then.”


  “But I want to beat you!”

  “Oh, don’t worry, ye can do that later in private,” I whispered in her ear, not caring how everyone was staring at us both. It was Christmas, and finally one with a full family around me. I couldn’t be happier. We had a few days to ourselves before the New Year’s Eve awards. I planned to make the most of each and every single one of them with my little Lily.

  Chapter 21

  Adrian’s POV

  I hadn’t yet told Lily about offering her a place in the band, I waited for the perfect time to tell her. But around the rehearsals and that brief Christmas meal together as a band. It just hadn’t felt like the right time. The few moments that we got together I just wanted to spend with her, not dealing with any work crap. Somehow, we always got disturbed before I could say anything to her about work or the future. The ring in my suitcase seemed to be turning into a lead weight. I had wanted to ask her on Christmas Day, even if it seemed a little too soon. Now, I was planning for tonight, New Year’s Eve. How I would get time to fit it in around the award ceremony and performing, I had no idea. We had barely enough time to have a final run through the song she wrote before stage. Part of me kept saying it was still too soon to ask her to make that kind of commitment, but I knew, I just knew in every part of my being that she was the only person I could ever want to spend my life with. God save me if that girl found it in my suitcase before I got to ask her. I would never live it down! Plus, there was the added stress of giving out the award as well as singing tonight.

  As well as this being one of our first official ‘dates’ after my very formal mess of asking Lily out in bed after that gig she had attended front of house. A total mistake in the after-sex haze. I was so scared she would shoot me down. Jumping me for round two has certainly not been in my expectations. In the weeks since, we had certainly grown closer. Maybe it was just the holiday spirit; I hoped not. The stolen kisses backstage when the band weren’t looking were the best part of my day. Even though everyone pretty much knew already that we were ‘an item’.

  If nothing else, tonight was a grand excuse to buy Lily a new designer dress and take her for a total make over. I was struck by how beautiful she looked, I nearly fainted at the sight of her in those Gucci low heeled boots with just a touch of glitter, with a black and silver evening dress. The train studded with Swarovski crystals. Her hair twirled up into a tight bun, wispy ends framing her face with the most perfect black and silver eye makeup. I also hadn’t quite broken to her that the Swarovski pendant and earring set were hers to keep. Lily still hated me spending money on her, that frigging ex and his ‘gold digger’ bullshit still stuck in her head no matter how much I tried. Hopefully, one day it would fade, as I just wanted to buy her everything! Shower her in the love and gifts she had never had.

  I know tonight would not be easy for her, I honestly was surprised she hadn’t tried to bail out of it. Her ex was going to be at the awards, thankfully not the one I was presenting, or I do not think I could be an adult with him. I just wanted to take him out back and give him a good kicking for what he had done. The only thing I could do was be by Lily’s side as much as possible tonight, supporting her from the vultures of the press as well as that monster.

  Lily was tense as we walked down the red carpet. Her back straight, not leaning into him at all. My hand on the base of her spine as the only point of contact as I led her way through it all. The conversation was vague and light with the press, never giving too much away. Just enough half comments to make them think they had more of an answer than they did. About our budding relationship and how Lily felt about publicly dating such a huge star. A few fudged facts about how we met over music meetings through a friend, which was almost closer to the truth than Lily actually knew. A secret that I was still protecting, that would no doubt blow up in my face eventually. I couldn’t bring myself to risk everything we gained by telling her yet, maybe in ten years’ time when we were married and had kids, and none of this was so raw that it would hurt her. I had to hope our relationship could grow strong enough to survive the truth.

  Me officially dating would be all over the press by morning. I could imagine all the photos and instant online blog posts going up as we finished walking into the event. It was a weird feeling, but a good one to be finally out there, not hiding her. I was surprised when Lily agreed to go public, I expected her to want to hide away. Most ‘normals’ did. I guess her experiences with that asshole taught her about our world more than most of them. The press was having a field day, one called me back for one more photo, while Lily excused herself to grab us two glasses of fizz. I glanced over to make sure she was okay before answering another batch of questions.

  The next thing I knew, there were raised voices and the cameras were flying from being around me, to Lily’s side. Where that vile, disgusting man was shouting at her. Oh no, this was not how my night was going to go down. I shoved through the press to be at her side before they realised I moved.

  “What the hell do you want?” I demanded, pushing Lily gently behind me.

  She was clearly upset. “The gentleman, and I will use that word in the broadest sense here, decided he has an issue with us dating and decided to bring that to my attention. I informed him that it has completely, utterly and totally nothing to do with him or anyone other than us,” she said coldly.

  The man laughed. “Yeah sure little bitch. I was just informing this little harlot that fucking a man for his money is a little thing called prostitution. Something she is famous for. You are not the first and I doubt you will be the last, either.”

  My eyes flared with a dangerous, violent gleam. “I will inform youse right now, if ye call the lady I love something like that again, I will break both your legs whether the cameras are watching or not. Our sexual or non-sexual relationship is, as the lady says, nothing to do with you, them or anyone other than us. Nor is our financial status. If ye want to worry about cash, worry about your own Mr Last Album Debuted at Almost Nowhere and Crashed Out Just as Quickly!” I pulled Lily away from the man before he could answer and into the middle of the dance floor where hopefully there would be less glances of the asshole causing a scene.

  “I am so sorry,” she muttered into my shoulder as she hid her face, embarrassed, “I shouldn’t have come here, I am just going to ruin your career. It was a mistake to go public.”

  I poked her in the ribs as we danced. “What that monster says or does has nothing to do with youse or us. I love ye. He is just a sad loser too high on the flumes to know what he is saying.”

  She sighed, cuddling closer. “I just wish he would stop all of this drama.”

  “You miss him, don’t you?”

  “He was my best friend, my lover, my confidant, my anchor and so much more for over seven years. Of course I miss him! I wish things could go back to before when the world still made sense.”

  I stroked her hair and wished that I could make it all better for her. In fact, maybe he could pull the guy to one side at the end of the night and talk it out. Even punch it out where there were no cameras. Whatever it took to make her happy.

  “Adrian Sparks will now present the award for best new upcoming artist,” an announcement proclaimed.

  “Excuse me,” I said softly, kissing her as I went to present the darned thing.

  The second Lily was alone, that dreadful man started on her yet again. The band were all around her, trying to put distance between them as the shouting started again. I tried to make my way through, but I wasn’t fast enough this time. I heard her shouting for him to let go, as he called her a prostitute again. I didn’t even think, I punched the guy right in his ‘pretty’ little face.

  “Leave my fucking girlfriend alone, you stalking asshole. She is not with you anymore, understand that? You had your shot and ye blew it. She isn’t coming back to you!”

  “Oh, she will once she has bled your money dry. Then she will be back after mine just like she was before,” he crowed.

  “You liar
, you never so much as bought me a coffee!” Lily snapped. “The only time I asked you for money was when I was homeless and what did you do? Left me! Fucked off for eight months before you actually sobered up enough to text me and ask if I needed any help or money still. Eight months! I could have been dead by then!”

  “You were lying about being homeless for attention.”

  “My landlord kicked me out and changed the locks because I wouldn’t have sex with the pervert. I have the police records!” she retorted.

  “Records can be faked.”

  “Youse are one sick little freak. Thinking anyone would face such things,” I said quietly. “Prepare to hear from my legal team in the morning. This will be resolved in court.”

  “You can’t sue me when I am saying the truth, she is a hooker.”