Inked Chaos

by Grace, M. J.

  Joe is still talking to the note guy at the bar, and now and then, they both glance our way smiling. Jen and I exchange a glance. I hope they aren’t going to hit on us. As much as Joe’s a nice fella, he’s definitely not my sort, no tattoos for a start.

  There’s a commotion over by the door, with lots of cheers and back slapping, and behold the band appear. Jen looks at me with eyebrows raised, bugging out her eyes with a smile on her face.

  We watch as they pile over to the bar, grab a drink, and disperse into the crowded room. Jason and Travis head over to the leather sofas, and throw themselves down next to a couple of giggling girls, who shriek with delight. Zack heads over to the far side of the room, and disappears into the crowd. AJ and Razor stay at the bar, talking to note man and Joe. Once or twice they look in our direction, and then move away from the bar and like Zack are swallowed up by the crowd.

  “Oh well! That’s it.” I say to Jen. “They obviously regret asking us to come, and have decided to stay well away from us. We’ll have that drink from Joe, and I’m definitely off. I told you it was a mistake to come. Boy, next time will I listen to my instincts and ignore you.”

  “Oh, alright.” Jen sighs. “It was a good dream while it lasted though eh? Do you really want that drink, or do you want to leave now? I don’t mind either way.”

  I open my mouth to reply that I’m quite happy to leave now, but I’m forestalled by Joe returning with our drinks, a smile on his face and note man in tow. He hands us our drinks, and introduces note man as Steve, the band’s manager.

  Damn! We just weren’t quick enough heading for the door. I hate being rude to anyone, so I accept my drink with a smile, and murmur a thank you; deciding that this drink will not last too long at all. I just want to get out of here now. I feel stupid and a little humiliated, but also annoyed.

  I suddenly realise, that while I’ve been away with the fairies, making decisions in my head, Steve has been talking to us. So I try to pay attention, and focus on what he is saying; listening as he explains that the guys have had an after show meeting, and then freshened up before coming to the party.

  “Is this not their suite then?” probes Jen.

  “No.” replies Steve. “We’ve taken over the whole of this floor. The guys have a suite each. This suite is used for the get-togethers, more of a communal use suite. That way, each can have their privacy when they want it.”

  I hate to think how much it costs to take over a complete floor of a hotel. For the entire tour, that must add up to mega bucks.

  As Jen asks Steve about the tour, I cast a discreet eye around the room. I can see AJs head above all the others across the room. At over six foot tall he tends to be taller than most. He’s talking to Razor and they seem to be having a heated conversation, maybe even arguing.

  I turn towards Jen, deciding to ask her if she’s ready to go, but the room spins with me. Oh hell! That last glass of wine was one too many, and I feel a little giddy. I need to cool down, maybe splash a little water on my face to clear my head. Jen is having an in-depth conversation with Joe, so I carefully lean into Steve and ask if I can use the bathroom.

  “Sure, follow me.” He replies smiling.

  Signalling to Jen that I’ll be right back, I follow Steve across the room and through a door at the far side, which opens into what is obviously a master bedroom. You could fit three of our room into this space it’s so huge. It has a couple of sofas over by the window, and the biggest bed I have ever seen.

  Steve opens a door which reveals the bathroom.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  I assure him I’m fine, so he leaves me to it, and returns to the party. How embarrassing! I’m not likely to confess I’ve drunk too much. I’ll be fine once I’ve cooled down a bit.

  Locking the door, I turn and stare at my reflection in the mirror. God! What an idiot I feel. Who was I kidding? Here I am forty years old at an after-gig party. Definitely more than slightly inebriated, feeling the worse for wear and totally stupid. None of the band have shown the slightest intention of saying Hi, maybe they never did.

  I splash some water on my face, tap it dry with a towel, and try to salvage my make-up.

  Great! Now I look like a freak. A drunk freak to boot!

  That’s it, I’m off. I’ll go grab Jen, we can make our excuses to Joe and Steve and escape.

  I unlock the door, turn off the light, and make my way back into the main lounge area. The room is now so crowded, I almost have to fight my way through the throng of people to reach Jen.

  When I do reach her, I stop dead, my eyes almost popping out of my head. There is Jen, sitting very cosily I might say, next to Razor; so called because of his shaved head. They are so deep in conversation that she doesn’t even realise I’m back. I’m now in a quandary. Do I interrupt, or do I just leave her to it and head back to our room? I don’t want her feeling obligated to leave the party with me. So I decide to find Steve or Joe, and ask them to pass her a message. That way I’ll already be gone and won’t spoil her fun.

  Trying not to draw too much attention to myself. I cast my gaze over the crowd looking for them, only for my eyes to land on AJ, and draped all over him is Melody Forrester. Conscious of myself staring at them, I pull my gaze away, just as he glances at me with narrowed eyes and a frown on his face. Hell! If looks could kill. Why is he so mad? After all, he’s the one who asked us to come.

  Feeling my face burning up with embarrassment, I frantically cast an eye over the crowd. Spotting Steve over by the bar talking to Zack, I quickly push my way through the crowd, and gently touching his arm to gain his attention, I lean into him, so he can hear me above all the noise.

  “Steve will you do me a favour? I don’t want to interrupt Jen as she’s talking to Razor. Will you just let her know I’ve gone back to our room? Tell her all’s okay, and to stay and have fun. If I tell her, she’ll want to come with me, and I don’t want to spoil it for her.”

  “Sure. Hey, are you okay?” he asks concerned with narrowed eyes.

  “I’m fine. I’ve just had enough.” I reply.

  In more ways than one.

  “It’s been fun. Please thank the guys for me.” I smile and lightly place my hand on his arm and mouth “bye”, before making my way through the throng towards the door. As I reach it, I prevent myself from turning around and glancing back one last time. What’s the point of torturing myself? I was kidding myself anyway; it was all a dream. What was I expecting? For him to fall for me? That’s a laugh. If anything he was probably only after a one night stand. What is it they say? Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Well! He wouldn’t have gotten that from me anyway.

  But if I had turned around, I’d have seen AJ staring after me, watching as the door closes behind me.

  I head towards the lift, smiling at the bodyguards as I pass by. They must see this all the time. They certainly don’t seem fazed by women coming and going around here.

  It doesn’t take long until I’m back at our room. I tiptoe in as quietly as I can, making sure the door closes silently behind me. I don’t want to wake Davy up, especially as she’ll want the post-mortem on events. I quickly strip out of my clothes, and crawl between the sheets of the bed I’m sharing with her. Curling up into a ball, I will sleep to come claim me. My last thought as I drop off, is that I still never managed to get a photo or an autograph.

  *****

  I wake up the next morning, and lie there with my eyes closed; listening to the sound of the shower running, wondering which of the girls is up and about. I soon receive my answer, as on hearing the bathroom door open, I open my eyes and watch as Davy walks in, wrapped up in a towel. I follow her gaze, and observe the empty bed where Jen was supposed to sleep.

  “Well it appears Jens pulled as usual.” I smile. “I left her talking to Razor.” I add with a smirk.

  Davy bursts out laughing. “I should have known. That girl has always struck out to get exactly what she wants. I take it you didn’t?” she observes quest
ioningly.

  I grimace at her “Don’t even go there. I’ll tell all in a minute, just let me get my head together first.” I beg, as I climb out of bed and scurry into the bathroom, and take care of business.

  Peering into the mirror over the hand basin, I stare at myself, shocked that I look the same. I’m surprised there isn’t a sign on my forehead saying ‘idiot’, seeing as that’s how I feel. Taking a deep breath to compose myself, I open the door and walk out, prepared to tell all to Davy.

  Half an hour later, I’ve just finished my tale of ‘Happy ever after that went wrong’, when we hear the lock on the door clicking. Our heads swivelling in unison, we stare at Jen as she walks into the room. Stopping dead, she observes the expectant expressions on our faces, and smiles that knowing smile that every woman has the morning after the night before. Yep, she did it. You can just tell she’s had a night full of lust fuelled exercise. It’s written all over her.

  “Ahhhh tell,” squeals Davy.

  With a resigned expression upon her face, Jen walks over, sits on the bed and let’s herself flop backwards.

  “What can I say?” she whispers. “He’s the man I’ve been waiting for all my life.”

  Davy and I look at each other and laugh.

  “Yeah, right,” says Davy “so was the last boyfriend.”

  “No. Seriously girls, we talked forever. We just clicked. We’ve told each other our past misdemeanours’, everything. He wants me to go over to LA next week and stay with him. I know I’ve spouted similar words before, but he’s really special. He made me feel really special. I also have to say, he has some seriously good moves in the bedroom department too.”

  Davy and I are no longer laughing. We are staring at her, our mouths agape.

  “You’re going to LA?” I ask in a stunned whisper.

  “Yep. He’s paying for everything. I’ve got to meet him and Steve shortly to organise everything. I’m going over, and we’ll play it by ear about when I come back.”

  Jen tells us, how Steve had told her I had left. She was going to follow me back to the room, but Razor had persuaded her to stay. Boy is she glad she did.

  We plan that after breakfast, Davy and I will go back to our room, grab our gear and check out. While Jen heads off to meet Razor and Steve to make their final arrangements.

  As the sun is shining, Davy and I will load up the cars, then sit and wait for Jen on one of the benches outside the front of the hotel.

  This however, proves to be a bad idea, because as we are enjoying the sunshine, whilst mulling over the previous night’s total bummer of an outcome. Who should walk out of the hotel surrounded by bodyguards, but the one and only AJ Lewis.

  As the bench I’m sitting on is facing him side on, I have an uninterrupted view of the commotion playing out in front of me.

  Ignoring the elbow jabbed into my side by Davy, and grateful that I have my shades on, so my eyes are hidden; I watch as he glances behind him. He’s obviously impatient, and the reason emerges a few moments later as Melody Forrester strolls out; seemingly taking all the time in the world as she talks on her mobile phone. Although it has to be said, she doesn’t appear too happy either.

  I sit there silently, not making a move, unwilling to draw attention to myself. I just want them to climb into their car, and disappear as quickly as possible. I watch as she climbs into the back of the car, as AJ turns his head and leans in to listen to Tiny, the guard from the corridor last night. It then becomes clear, that although AJ might not have seen me, Tiny had. No sooner has Tiny finished speaking, than AJ swings his head in my direction. He stares at me for a moment, then lifts his chin in the kind of greeting men do.

  As for me, do I acknowledge him? Do I heck. I just sit there and watch as he then climbs into the car and they drive off. I can’t for one minute understand why he acknowledged me. Maybe it’s because he knows Jen and Razor are connected now. Well, I’ll never know, and I don’t much care. I’ll file it away in my brain as a learning curve/experience and leave it at that.

  A few minutes later, Jen appears with Razor as another car pulls up in front of the hotel. They have a quick frantic conversation, and I watch as Razor gently puts his hand to the side of Jens face, whispers close to her lips, presses his lips to hers, then turns away and climbs into the car. Jen waves as they drive off, then turns to us, a smile on her face, but tears in her eyes, as she walks towards Davy and I.

  “Oh boy you’ve got it bad haven’t you?” I state. She wipes her eyes and smiling says.

  “Yep, come on I’ll fill you in on the drive home.”

  CHAPTER 4

  I’m sitting on my suitcase, valiantly trying to fasten the zip and failing miserably. It’s no good, as much as I huff and puff my way through it, all I’m achieving is breathlessness, aching arms and a still open suitcase. I’ll just have to take some stuff out. It’s hard when you’re trying to pack for every eventuality, and Jen had said “pack for every eventuality.” So that’s what I am trying to do.

  It’s been six months since Jen moved to LA. What started out as a “play it by ear, don’t know when I’ll be back” visit has turned into a permanent move. They’re happy, and madly in love. It’s working for them and I’m truly happy for Jen.

  For me it has been a tough six months. I’ve lost my best buddy to an American bass player, and Davy and I were left devastated when we unexpectedly lost our mother to a stroke.

  The call came after her friend had arrived for a prearranged visit. Receiving no reply when she knocked on the door, she contacted Davy, and they had found she had passed away in her sleep.

  It had taken us several weeks to sort out her estate. The house had been left to Davy and I as a bolthole/holiday home; and after much persuading from Davy, it was decided that I would move back home, as we didn’t want the house left empty.

  So that’s what I did, with Davy promising to come and stay whenever she could, even though she doesn’t live that far away. It was her childhood home too, and I didn’t want her feeling she was imposing on what would then be my home.

  Sizeable trust funds had been set up for the upkeep of the house, as well as for both Davy and I. It appears that our father had made some very sound investments; and over the years, our mother had kept up with them, with the help and advice from her solicitor and old family friend Derek.

  He told us she was always telling him how proud of us she was. He also said that she had told him, she wished I would concentrate more on my writing. This was something I already knew. She was always encouraging me to take it more seriously. So, with my trust fund, that’s what I’ve done. I resigned from work so I have more time to write, and I relocated back to Cornwall. It wasn’t an easy decision for me to make. My self-doubts were always there nagging at me, chipping away at my confidence, but it has been worth it. My manuscript has been provisionally accepted by a well-known publishing house. I only have to tweak a few things, and it will hopefully soon be published. So I’m off to LA, to visit Jen and finish my book.

  Jen and Razor kindly invited me to stay with them, but I decided I would prefer to rent an apartment. That way I can get a feel of the place, have a little freedom, and I wouldn’t feel like I was infringing upon their hospitality.

  Jen was not at all happy about my decision, but when I threatened not to come at all, she soon capitulated. What I didn’t tell her, was that I was concerned that if I stayed with them, there might be a chance of my running into AJ. Which is something I definitely don’t wish to do.

  I am still struggling with my suitcase when Davy rings.

  “Hey Boo are you packed?”

  With a groan, I inform her of the battle of the zip, and she laughs at me.

  “For heaven’s sake Boo, just take the stuff you love the best and buy the rest out there, simple.”

  I never thought of that, so I start sorting and repacking my suitcase.

  Oh well! I think to myself, there’s the added bonus of new clothes.

  By the time I
have finished, I observe the small pile of clothes I am leaving behind, and wonder why I was taking them in the first place.

  Sorted. Now to sort my handbag.

  *****

  The flight has been long, really long. I’m not a good flyer, and I can’t hide the fact that I’m not a good flyer. I find it distressing and frightening; with the take-off and landing being by far the worst part of the whole experience. At least I can try to forget I’m on a plane if I’m watching a film, or sleeping through it.

  Just as distressing, had been the farewell phone call from Davy whilst I was waiting to board the plane. Anyone would think I was leaving permanently, instead of for a few short weeks.

  So I had boarded the plane a wreck, and left the plane a wreck. I feel awful, wrung out and exhausted.

  Jen had said she would send a car to pick me up and take me to the apartment, which I greatly appreciated. The thought of trying to hail a taxi, and struggle with my bags was not a pleasant one.

  As I come through the airport concourse, and into the arrivals hall, I spy Jen waiting for me, and after being delayed in passport control, I have never been so happy to see a familiar face.

  The moment she spots me, she starts jumping up and down like a five year old.

  It all becomes too much. I am so happy to see her, I leave my luggage trolley and run into her arms. We are both crying, and I can only imagine the stares we must be receiving.

  Standing back, she gazes at me from arm’s length.

  “Oh Boo, I have missed you. Come on sweetie, you look exhausted. I know what you’re like with planes. Ross will grab your luggage and we’ll take you to your apartment. You can have a nap, gather your wits and we’ll pick you up later for dinner.”

  “That sounds like heaven.” I sigh “Who’s Ross?”

  “That would be me, Miss Morgan.” a deep voice answers, and I turn around to see Tiny standing a few steps away.