“Here’s to us and the rock ’n’ the roll,” Jamie shouted as they clinked shot glasses.
“It’s not always this easy,” said Lara, her tone far more serious. “I’ve normally got a camera stuck up my ass everywhere I go.”
“I get that,” said Jamie, whispering into her ear, “but let’s just make the most tonight. I’m fuckin’ lovin’ this!”
“I’m fuckin’ lovin’ this,” Lara mimicked, “Oh Jamie, you’re quite the poet…” before kissing him drunkenly and passionately.
Chapter 43
“Need to borrow a tenner then, do we Dominic?” said leery and objectionably smug photographer one.
“Fuck you talking about, you fuckin’ dickwad,” snarled Dom, as he left his apartment on the way to meet Mikee, Danny & Johnny.
“Been a bit flash with the cash I’ve been hearing,” said photographer two conspiratorially.
“Fuckin’ pair of dicks need to sort your facts out before you start shooting your mouths off.”
“Tut tut. They are easily wound up these Thorne boys, aren’t they?” laughed photographer two.
Shaking his head in disbelief at the front of the photographers – and principally that they had somehow got wind of his financial plight – Dominic reached inside the pocket of his black leather jacket, took a ten pound note out of his wallet. Screwing the note up, he then flicked it in photographer one’s face.
“Go and treat your boyfriend to a slap-up meal at Greggs, you fat cunt!”
“Now that’s not nice, is it Dominic. What would your dad say?” said photographer two.
“Don’t be daft. Remember, they haven’t got one!” jeered photographer one.
Pushing the photographer back with a solid two-handed shove, Dom said, “Fuck did you say? You fuckin’ cunt!”
Falling backwards like an overly dramatic continental footballer, photographer one lay on the pavement clutching his face whilst his unscrupulous colleague proceeded to snap pictures of Dominic stood angrily over the prostrate paparazzi.
“You pair of cunts! I don’t know how you sleep at night.” Spitting on the floor in disgust, jabbing an angry finger. “If I see either of you when I’m out tonight, you’re fuckin’ dead!”
“Are you picking that up or shall I,” laughed photographer one as he dusted himself down.
“It’ll buy us a pint and that, my friend, was gold dust….” said photographer two as he unfurled the note, kissing the Queen’s solemn stare with a slobbering smack.
***
“Can we go out for breakfast? I’ve always wanted to go to one of them American diners and order pancakes,” said Jamie as spooned into Lara.
“Hmm, Jamie. I’m tired. And I don’t really do breakfast y’know. I want to sleep for another couple of hours,” said Lara, pulling the bedsheets tightly around her.
“I’m wide awake though! Would you mi—”
“You go and lose yourself. Good time to wander round and see the city waking up.” Lara turned to Jamie and smiled sleepily. “How can you look so good after we hit it so hard last night? I hate you!”
“You don’t mind? I am starving…”
“Go. And I loved it last night. Seriously good time!” said Lara, as she turned and closed her eyes, a hint of mascara smeared under her right eye.
Getting dressed into fresh T-shirt, jeans, and a grey hoodie, Jamie popped his iPhone on and went to out to discover a bit of New York City for himself.
***
“Alright Johnny. Good to see you again and thanks again for before, y’know,” said Dom as he patted Johnny on the back and exchanged handshakes and fist-bumps with Kong and D-Mo.
“Not a problem. But you don’t look like a man who’s had the weight of the world lifted,” said Johnny with a frown.
“Don’t!” whispered Dom, with a quick look to check that they were safely out of earshot. “Them two photographer cunts that hang around our apartment block were waiting for me before. Made some cheap shots about me being skint! And about not having a dad.”
“Really!” Johnny exclaimed a little louder than intended.
“Shhh!” said Dom, his eyes flashing across to Mikee and D-Mo who fortunately, were stood at the bar deliberating over the first round. “How the fuck can they know about, y’know, what we sorted?”
“Fuck knows,” said Johnny with a slow shake of his head.
“And that about no dad. Bang out of order. Proper scumbags.”
“I hear ya Dom. But what can you do?” he said with a sympathetic shrug of his shoulders.
“Oh, and another thing,” Dominic said.
“Go on,” enquired Johnny.
“I sort of snapped and pushed one of them over. Cunt made a right meal of it. And the other fucker took a load of pictures.” Laughing to himself, he said, “I should have proper twatted him though. He asked for it.”
“So that’s all over the papers sometime soon. Takes the heat off Jamie. He’ll appreciate that…”
“Yeah. He’ll owe me big time. What fucks me off is that somebody at the lettings company must have let the press know. That’s taking the piss!”
“Too right!” said Johnny with a brisk nod of his head, “but it’s all settled so it’s a non-story. Forget about it and enjoy tonight. I’m sure you can just about manage that…”
“Just about,” said Dom, still clearly bristling about the evening’s earlier events.
***
“I brought you a cappuccino back,” said Jamie, the hot liquid burning his fingertips through the cardboard cup. “And proper deli stuff, not that Starbucks tax dodging shit! How many Starbucks does one city need by the way?” Taking off his headphones, the bees in a biscuit tin chatter of Beastie Boys’ To the Five Boroughs swarming out of the idle headphones.
“Hmm, thank you. Soy milk?” said Lara, dwarfed inside a huge white towelling dressing gown.
“Soy milk,” nodded Jamie. “Three sugars.”
“WHAT!” Lara squealed. Now recoiling at the touch of the cup.
“Way too easy,” laughed Jamie, as he took off his hoodie, causing his T-shirt to ride up, revealing his taut stomach.
“Nice,” said Lara, as she ran her hand across it.
“What we up to today?” said Jamie, plonking himself down on the huge brown leather sofa, which gave a welcoming grumble as he flung his feet over the arm.
“I’ve got to attend a couple of meetings. About my boutique in Greenwich and then with my management about some perfume line.”
“Okay,” said Jamie disappointedly. “How long will you be?”
“Should be back by mid-afternoon. Crash here and chill. Mi casa es tu casa.”
Jamie laughed. One of the only lines of Spanish that he knew, and this was only due to repeat viewings of Pulp Fiction.
“And what about tonight?” he asked.
“Tonight. Well, tonight you go out with Lara. Restaurant opening that I got to go to. Friend of my managers. No wig tonight. You’ll see the madness that goes on New York style,” she said, sipping at the coffee and smiling in pleasure at the rich taste.
“And you’ll want me along as your plus one?” winked Jamie.
“Of course. They’ve heard all about you, Jamie Thorne.”
“I’ve got a long list of stuff I want to do, so I’ll lose myself. I think I’m gonna head to Central Park. Look at Dakota Building and the Lennon stuff.”
“Ooh, such a rock star cliché thing to do. And what about morning coffee at the Chelsea Hotel where Sid ’n’ Nancy did their shit in?” teased Lara.
“That was next on the list,” deadpanned Jamie.
“I’m going to shower and get ready. There’s a key on the breakfast bar. You be careful out there and don’t talk to strangers!”
“Thanks Ms Bearheart. I’ll think on,” said Jamie with a tap of his nose
***
“Next album will definitely get to number one. I’m sure of it,” said Danny. The table of drop-dead gorgeous indie-chicks hanging on to
his every word.
“He’s right,” nodded Dominic, doing his little trick of narrowing his eyes to accentuate his cheekbones.
“You think that it’s big now, just you wait and see,” said Mikee, almost choking on the ludicrousness of his own innuendo.
Johnny leant back in his chair and watched – and learnt – as three-quarters of his band went about reeling-in their impressionable entourage.
“And Johnny will tell you that we’re off to America in the New Year. That is gonna be fuckin’ big!” said Danny, bumping fists with Mikee.
“Off to America. In the New Year,” concurred Johnny, trying to take a backseat from proceedings as he reckoned he was comfortably old enough to be these girls’ father.
“Fancy coming outside for a cig?” Danny casually asked a particularly charming brunette.
Clocking Johnny raise an almost paternally disapproving eyebrow, Danny then unsubtly added, “Just for a cig like.”
“So how old are you?” asked a petite perma-pout blonde.
Me?” said Johnny, feigning disinterest. “Old enough to know when it’s time to call it a night.”
“I didn’t mean it like that!” she smiled endearingly.
“Not a problem. I’ve got loads to do tomorrow. I’m sure these boys will look after you and don’t need me cramping their style…”
***
A glass of water and two paracetamol was Johnny’s all too sensible pre-bedtime ritual if had been boozing. The additional nocturnal visits to the bathroom offset by the lack of a hangover the following morning. As he turned the light out on his nightstand, his phone pinged the arrival of a text message.
Hello Johnny
Who is this?
It’s Ellie. We met in Walrus tonight. Dominic gave me your number.
Really? Why?
I like you. Do you want to know what I’m doing now…?
Chapter 44
“Oh Dom!” Cally said to herself. As she scanned down the newspapers webpage, she bit her bottom lip in between biting on an already ragged thumbnail.
Under the headline ‘Lonely A***Souls’ read:
‘Manchester bad boys Lonely Souls continue to hit the top of the charts and the headlines. With twin brother Jamie in America trying to patch up his relationship with model Lara Bearheart after an unseemly fight outside a swanky London restaurant, it was left to his brother, Dominic, to play up to the band’s bad boy image.
Upon leaving his luxury city centre apartment – which had outstanding rent payments on it – Dominic violently assaulted and spat at photographers. If you look at the shocking pictures, you will see the angry guitarist stood over our prone snapper who is lying on the ground in fear of his safety.
In scenes not witnessed since Liam Gallagher was at the height of his bad boy rock ’n’ roll days, Dominic Thorne seems determined to live up to every stereotype.
Not content with the brutal assault, our photographer was then threatened with further attacks should he follow Dominic as he set off on his boisterous night out.
Having grown up in a single-parent family in Manchester, the twin brothers seem to be hellbent on fighting the world at every opportunity.
We all like a bad boy but attacking a father of two going about his work is a little too much, eh Dominic…’
“Oh Dominic. What have you done now?” Cally said softly, wrought with concern.
Looking at her watch, she wondered if it was too early to call Johnny. Some consoling words from him might make her feel slightly less anxious.
“Johnny? It’s Cally. How are you?”
“I’m okay thanks,” said Johnny, glancing at his watch, “what’s the occasion with you ringing at half nine on a wet Wednesday?”
“Have you seen the papers today?” Cally asked sombrely.
“Not yet. And I’ve not heard from the band’s press officer. What’ve I missed?”
“It’s Dominic. They said he attacked a photographer and they are making comments about him not paying his rent.”
Taking a deep breath. “Okay. He did push a pap. But they were winding him up. He’ll learn. The money thing? It’s a non-story. Problem with his bank and somebody at the letting agency has been a lot out of line and must have told the press he’d not paid his rent.”
“I don’t like it though Johnny. They’re not bad boys. I didn’t bring them up like that! You know that. I hate this!” said Cally, with a slight sob in her voice.
“Nobody is saying that. It’s all bullshit they are printing but it’s the nature of the beast,” said Johnny in a calming tone.
“I know. But it’s horrible to read it.”
“Don’t read it.”
“It’s not that easy is it!” said Cally, her voice full of frustration.
“But you know the truth. That might not feel like enough. But it has to be!”
“But everybody else will always believe the papers!” cried Cally.
“Fuck em! Sorry. Look Cally. I’m not long up, I’ve got some stuff to take care of, but fancy meeting for lunch?”
“Really?” Her voice perked up immediately.
“Yeah, it’d be lovely to see you. Say one o’clock. Dimitris on Deansgate? My treat.”
“I’d love that,” said Cally, looking at her reflection in the lounge mirror.
“Okay. I’ll see you then. Grab a cab as well. I’ll stick it through as expenses.”
“I’m looking forward to it already,” said Cally, with that lovely little purr in her voice that always, always made Johnny smile.
***
“That was fuckin’ nuts!” said Jamie as he again brought Lara’s deli-favourite coffee in for her.
“I wondered where you had gone,” said Lara, sitting up and letting the bed sheet fall seductively away from her.
“Least I can do. Free board and lodgings in New York City,” said Jamie, putting on a dreadful ‘Goodfellas’ style New Yorkers’ accent.
“I told you it would be full on, didn’t I,” said Lara, gratefully accepting the coffee.
“All those paps. And they do that all the time? Fuck. How do you cope?” said Jamie with a shake of his head.
“I get used to it. I’ve had to. I’ll send you any links if you’re in the pics. My mystery man,” laughed Lara with a dramatic shake of her hair.
“I’d never get used to it,” said Jamie, blowing at the hot coffee.
“You have to, or it drives you insane. Anyhow. Put that coffee down. Get back into bed and fuck me. I’m feeling very horny today, Jamie Thorne.”
Putting down her coffee cup, Lara let the rest of the bed sheet fall away from her, sucked her index finger slowly before gently sliding it inside herself with a gentle gasp…
***
Meeting at a bar restaurant that was a little too close to Spinningfields for Johnny’s liking - Manchester’s new ‘financial district’ made up of soulless steel and smoked glass hi-rise temples of Mammon.
“Hello Johnny. This was a lovely idea!” said Cally. Dressed in a dark grey Prince of Wales check overcoat, black jeans and boots, she looked very classy indeed. Her hair was as ever worn down, but she had a pretty mother of pearl hair slide in, pulling her hair slightly away from the right side of her face.
“Hiya Cally. Great to see you. It’s been a while,” said Johnny, leaning across and kissing her on both cheeks.
“Nice coat,” said Cally with an admiring glance. “You seem to have a different one every time I see you!”
“Oh, this old thing,” shrugged Johnny. Taking said coat off he carefully hung the waxed overcoat over the back of his chair, before having a change of heart and signalling for a waiter to hang it up in the cloakroom.
“Thanks for this,” smiled Cally.
That smile, thought Johnny. Every fucking time I see it…
“My pleasure! It can’t be easy,” he said, picking up the menu.
“I just worry,” said Cally, raising an appreciative eyebrow as she began to peruse the menu.
&n
bsp; “Totally understandable,” said Johnny, “what would you like to drink?” as he tried to catch the eye of a passing waitress.
“It’s so unfair though. They’re not like that. Not like that at all! And a large red please,” she said, as she balled her fists up in frustration.
“But that’s the way the gutter press works. They’ve not had a top band to write about for a while. And they wouldn’t do it if the music wasn’t selling. I know that doesn’t help you,” he paused to order the drinks, “and you know the truth.”
She lowered her voice to an absolute whisper. “That’s my worry! What about the stuff they’ve said to Dom about not having a dad! That’s awful. They couldn’t know? Could they?” she said, looking aghast.
“How could they! They’ll just keep lifting up rocks to see what they might find,” he said in his best reassuring tones. “You’re going to have to turn the other cheek, Cally. As tough as that might be.”
“I’ll try. But I may need these little chats with you for reassurance,” said Cally, leaning her head to one side and smiling up at Johnny.
“Anytime,” Johnny smiled back, placing his hand on the back of hers across the table.
Cally lifted her hand slightly and intertwined her fingers with Johnny’s. “You’ve been so good with them. I know how much they care.”
As much as Johnny knew this, it was still satisfying to have it reaffirmed and he nodded gratefully.
Realising that they had been holding hands for a good few seconds, Johnny then broke the moment. “Right. I’m starving! Shall we order?”
***
“It’s been amazing,” said Jamie as he started to pack his bag as he sat cross legged on Lara’s bed. “I love this city!”
“It’s been a blast, Jamie. And my blonde night out was my favourite in a long time,” said Lara, as she stood over Jamie, a large bath sheet wrapped around her as she had just showered.
“I’ve got to ask. When will I see you again?” said Jamie as he checked that his iPhone was fully charged for his journey home.
“I don’t know,” Lara said solemnly.
The Rock 'N' the Roll. 'N That Page 31