“Whatsup motherfucker?”
“Cool man. Cool.”
They shoulder bumped and grabbed each other’s hand in a manly clench. Testosterone levels as high as they could get between two legendary rock studs.
“Awesome that you’re here. Ready to rock the tits off Atlanta?”
“Sure thing. Hey, you remember the other guys. Eliza, Kurt. And this here is Jonny - the new guy.”
“New guy?” queried Jonny.
“I don’t remember, no, but I know what’s going on. I mean who wouldn’t. Samsara man. That song kills. Might do a cover version one day. You know, if Guns and Roses can do a killer take on ‘Knocking on Heavens Door’, then I’ll make more money than you guys from it.”
Jonny laughed, not really sure whether the larger than life singer was joking or not.
“Come and hang out with us. The other guys are in the green room.” Lex’s myriad of bangles jingling, as he beckoned to them to come back stage.
The room was full, the Crazy Horse band taking the centre stage. An army of beauticians fussing around, preening their locks and making up their faces. Wives giving instructions on accessories and blusher tones.
Plates full of sushi and bowls of M&Ms’ were being ransacked. Beer, wine, spirits of all kinds on offer. A juicer with green sludgy gloop churning around and around in a clear plastic box caught Jonny’s eye.
“What’s that crap?” he questioned, his face one of disgust.
“It’s Jags’ new addiction. He’s on a health kick or something.” Lex explained.
There was no music, no practicing. No need to. They treat their concerts like just another day at the office. Just plenty of laughter and enthusiastic action accompanied enactment of stories. Dirk joined in, feeling at home with the mad bunch. Not wildly, but expressively, lifting and curving his words as he exchanged stories of life on the road with them.
Crazy Horse welcomed the rest of them in. One of them, Jags, made a beeline for Eliza. Jonny caught off guard, watched how she gracefully side stepped him and held out her hand to Jonny. That little gesture allowing Jags to compose himself, holding out his fist to Jonny. “Yo brother.”
Jonny fist bumped the fellow guitarist and stared at the bandana worn around his head. It reminded him of the one he wore once at a university gig when he was with Crash. It gave him a headache just thinking about it.
“Hi. You’re Jags, yeah?”
“Yeah man and you two are from Karma Life. Let me get this right - Eliza and… yeah Eliza and Jonny. One of the most famous rock couples around. Here help yourself.” He opened his arms wide to the buffet to the side of them.
“I’ll bring you a drink over,” Jonny murmured to Eliza.
She sat on one of the sofas in amongst the band and next to Dirk. He already had a random girl sat on his knee. His hand tucked around her small waist, playing with the circular barbell protruding from her navel.
“So where’s your next gig?” Jags asked Jonny.
“This is our last in the US. We’re going on vacation tomorrow and then back to London.”
“Yeah it’s our last too, we’re heading off after here to Jamaica. We’ve rented a big house, some writer dude’s place. Got some studio time scheduled.”
Jonny nearly choked on his mouthful of sushi. “That’s where we’re going too. Well me and Eliza, anyway. Jamaica. We’re staying at a hotel for a couple of days then thought we’d move around the island a bit after that.”
“Check us out then.” He turned to the rest of Crazy Horse. “Hey, where we staying in Jamaica?”
“Whitestar Place.” One of them answered.
“Yeah that’s it Whitestar. Just turn up. Sure the local taxi drivers will know where it is. On the northern side of the island up near Ochos Rios.”
“That’s where our hotel is, so yeah, that’d be cool.”
He took a drink back to Eliza and told her about meeting up with them in Jamaica.
“Sounds good. Anyway, why did you let me ask Jim Bob about his family? I had no idea.”
“None at all?”
“No.”
“I thought you women always could tell.”
“Obviously not. No.”
“Poor guy having to hide it from them like that, and then losing his first love in that way.”
Jonny shrugged and slung back his drink.
“One more before we get ready?”
Chapter Fourteen
“Woah, look at that.” They were circling Kingston, Jamaica waiting for a landing space. Jonny pointing out the lush tropical island and Blue Mountains to a nervous looking Eliza.
“What time are we supposed to land? Are we late? Do you think they’ll wait for us?” Her palms becoming very sweaty now. The gibbering in full flow.
“Yeah, of course they’ll wait. There’s only us two booked on the flight.”
She leant across him and pulled down the blind. Eliza was always slightly irritable when coming in to land. Flying, in general, was uncomfortable for her. Jonny’s obsession with being airborne and anything skyward didn’t help. His sense of adventure perturbing, always some reference to being unnaturally up in the sky.
She’d only psyched herself up for one flight. Atlanta to Kingston, and now he had just revealed that they would be taking a sea plane to their final destination. A sea-plane? What was he thinking? Landing on hard tarmac was concerning enough. She was now worried about drowning too.
At least he had heeded her insistence on just booking three nights at a hotel in Ochos Rios. On the third day they had planned to meet up with Crazy Horse, who were spending some time writing and recording on the island. Everything else, up to them leaving in ten days’ time, was unplanned. It could be beach time, exploring or clubbing. Even sailing around the island. Whatever took their fancy, or presented itself as an opportunity. It was just the tonic they needed, to be free from schedules and timings.
Before she realised, they had started their descent. She held her nose to blow out the pressure building in her ears. “Surely this can’t be good for your insides,” she complained.
She couldn’t help but let out a little yelp when the plane skitted across the runway before finally coming to a halt. Jonny chuckling at her reaction. He knew why she was nervous flying but that didn’t stop him from trying to lighten her concerns. He was sure he could get her over it, one way or another.
Reggae music and a warm local welcome sang out over the cabin speakers. The other passengers chattering excitedly now the scary bit of the ride was over.
They transited from the main airport to the harbour. Hit by the instant humid heat when they left the air-conditioned terminal.
The sea plane was tiny.
She stood at the approach to the jetty in the searing heat, shaking her head. Yachts and boats moored up on either side, bobbing around merrily.
“No, Jonny. No,” she said firmly. Crossing her arms in front of her to emphasise how determined she was not to get on the toy plane.
“Oh come on babes, it’ll be fine.”
“But it’s far too small. There’s absolutely no way that thing can carry three people and our bags. No way.”
“Of course it can. It can hold much more than that.”
He wrapped his arms around her and she face plunged his chest.
“Look, I’ve nicknamed you after something that flies.”
She looked up. Deadpan expression. “Yes, but that flies when it’s dead!”
“Look come on, it doesn’t go very high. You’ll be fine.”
She shook her head again.
“Don’t you trust me?”
Her face crumpled as if she was going to burst into tears.
“Really? You don’t trust me?”
“Yes. But… but, I don’t like it.” She sounded like a three year old and she knew it.
“It’ll be fun.”
“No it won’t.”
“You can tick it off your list.”
“I don’t have a list.
”
The pilot showed up, interrupting her lament.
Shorts. T-shirt. Flip-flops. Baseball cap.
“Gud morning. Me name Johnson. You good?” He held out his hand. Jonny took it in a conventional handshake, then found it being stroked, tugged and finally fist bumped.
“Yeah we’re good. I’m Jonny and this is Eliza. How are you?”
“Blessed.”
Eliza opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Jonny shook his head and under his breath said, “Don’t.” Her mouth snapped shut.
Shit, she was really going to have to do this.
She took a deep breath and followed Johnson. Her bare feet slapping on the wooden boards of the jetty, in true toddler fashion. Jonny kept a hand on her back as if to make sure she kept going in the right direction. No sudden detours. The only escape she could feasibly make was to jump off the jetty into the harbour.
Clambering up into the plane made it rock slightly on the water. She desperately wanted to climb back out, but before she could do anything, Jonny was pulling himself up onto the seat next to her and then proceeded to push her over to the window with his backside. That’s it. She was trapped. Completely enclosed in the flying coffin.
Johnson put on the pilot’s headset and started up the twin propeller engines. He looked back at his passengers and indicated for them to put their seatbelts on.
“I guess that’s the safety drill done then,” she said sarcastically.
Jonny laughed and rubbed his hands together excitedly.
They set off, gliding across the water, before turning around and picking up speed.
Eliza’s stomach went up into her throat when they finally became airborne. She covered her mouth with her hand and clutched Jonny’s tightly with the other. Not daring to breathe back in.
Releasing her hand away from her face and onto the seat arm, she finally sucked in air before turning to him. “I hate you,” she mouthed.
He blew her a kiss in response.
Johnson pulled one of his muffs back from his ear. “Everyting criss?”
Jonny nodded. “What height will we be flying at Johnson? he shouted back.
“Bout tri tousan.”
“Look.” Jonny elbowed Eliza. Her eyes were closed. “You’re missing it all.”
She half opened one eye to squint at the scenery. “Yes wonderful.” Then tightly shut it again.
It was a whole ten minutes in to the journey before Eliza relaxed. Looking around with interest at the exotic scenery and following Jonny’s hand as he pointed out various sights. Her calmness was short-lived though, her anxiety suddenly heightened when she felt them falling towards the turquoise sea.
She grabbed onto Jonny’s arm. Digging her fingernails into his flesh.
“It’s ok Angel, we’re coming into land.”
“Land?” she queried, “don’t you mean, sea?” She often suffered a humour by-pass when faced with imminent death.
They struck the surface of the water and immediately bounced up off it. Eliza’s stomach pitching up into her throat.
“Jesus.” She hissed through gritted teeth. Everything taut and clenched.
Jonny couldn’t help but laugh at her.
They bumped along for a few more seconds before finally skimming to a stop.
She let out a long slow breath and took off her seatbelt. Her legs shaking as she stood up and stepped gingerly down onto the steps, Jonny lifting her down on to the jetty.
Straightening up, she declared proudly, “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”
“What are you like?” he chuckled.
She looked at him with an open expression, as if to say “I’ve no clue what you’re referring to.”
A porter was waiting for them, looking inexplicably cool in the full morning suit and white gloves he was wearing. He transferred their bags onto a luggage trolley and trundled it, one handed, behind them up the jetty to their hotel reception.
Large ceiling fans in the foyer whirled above whilst they stood at the checkin desk. Potted palms waving in the breeze, enhancing the colonial feel to the airy hotel reception.
They sipped on a cocktail whilst their passports were verified and then taken on a little golf buggy with the receptionist to their beach fronted bungalow. The driver whizzing down the narrow winding pathways, Jonny and Eliza having to hang on to the seat back to stop themselves being catapulted out of it.
The bungalow was right on the edge of the resort. Secluded amongst landscaped trees and flowering shrubs, with nothing but a beach and sea out the front.
“Dial one zero one for the butler service. It’s available twenty-four hours. If you need anything, just ask. Nothing is too much trouble.”
The receptionist handed over the keys and left them to explore.
Jonny stood at the open hardwood doors looking out to the lagoon; crunching noisily on an apple that he had plucked out of the fruit bowl.
Eliza called out to him. “Jonny, come look at this.”
He walked through to the bedroom where she had discovered their own private pool accessed through patio doors next to the bed. One end of the pool gently bubbled at what looked like a seated spa area.
“Shall we?” She raised her eyebrows.
“I think it would be rude not to,” he replied.
She slipped out of her dress and underwear, leaving them where they dropped and walked down the blue mosaic tiled steps into the water.
Jonny uncorked the champagne sat in an ice bucket next to the fruit bowl and followed her in with the bottle and two glass flutes.
“I think we should get one of these at Solimar,” she said, pushing the buttons on the side of the pool to increase the power of the jets.
“What a Jacuzzi?”
“Ahuh.” Coughing slightly as the champagne bubbles tickled her nose and exploded on the back of her throat.
She shifted onto the seat next to him.
“Ooh that’s nice,” she giggled.
He looked at her, perplexed.
“A jet, in just the right place.” She smiled cheekily over her drink.
He moved his glass over to his other hand and sought out confirmation. “Ah, so there is.”
They stayed in the spa until the skin on their toes and fingers wrinkled and the champagne was all drunk. The stresses of the flights, the tour and the house left way behind in another world.
Showered and dressed, they went to explore the lush hotel grounds. Discovering small bars in thatched roof huts randomly dotted around. Some at the side of pools with swim up bars on one side and a regular one on the other for sun-worshippers. Others nestled in quiet places in gardens where the smell of the flowers mingled with coconut and damp green vegetation.
They stopped for a different cocktail in each one; ending up finally at the beach bar. Guests stopping in for a sundowner; returning from the sea after a day of scuba diving. Depositing their heavy air cylinders, masks and flippers at the adjacent dive centre.
“Think we should do some snorkeling or diving whilst we’re here.” Jonny discarded the obligatory paper parasol from his glass.
“What is it with you and activities? Running, going to the gym, flying…? You tire me out just thinking about it.”
Eliza was loving the crushed ice in every cocktail. Sucking the liquid through a plastic straw as quick as she could to tip the cold mush into her mouth before it melted.
“Don’t you fancy seeing that mysterious world under the sea?”
“Yeah, just as long as it’s not an everyday thing. I want to do some reading and chilling.”
“Don’t worry it won’t be.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s watch the sunset from the beach.”
They walked barefooted onto the white soft sand, choosing a spot to sit with nothing between them and the horizon.
She leant her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her back.
Kissing the top of head, he said. “I really love you Eliza. You mean the world to me. I’d
do anything for you. Anything.”
She looked up into eyes that matched the colour of the sky. “I love you too Jonny.”
She parted her lips and placed them on his. He responded by moving his hand up onto her head holding her firm to his mouth. The serenity of the moment shared and lost in a kiss.
The sound of the waves lapping the shore, growing louder as the sun turned the few fluffy white clouds orange and the sky at the horizon a dazzling white.
“I’ll never get bored of a sunset,” Jonny said, looking around at the other worshippers stood in pairs revering the sight too.
As the sun disappeared down into the horizon the focus turned inland away from the sea. It was if a party switch was flicked on. Steel drums and a thumping reggae beat sounded out loud and clear across the resort. They headed towards it.
Fires had been lit on the beach and professional dancers with oil doused torches were twisting and turning their way around and through them. Sand flicking up as they stomped and swished their feet. Two of them held out a line, reducing its height to about three foot off the ground. A line of holidaymakers limboed up to and under it. Huge cheers and claps as they successfully mastered the challenge. The limbo line was lit and now on fire, the queue of daredevils diminished. Jonny flung off his t-shirt and joined the back of the queue. Eliza holding onto his hand until the last minute, hoping he was just messing around. Not really about to go through with the egotistical show of masculinity. Watching with nervous excitement as he mastered the dance. His strong thighs taking the full weight of his body as it lowered backwards; his pelvis pushed up to a rather revealing angle.
A barbecue was stoked up to one side and a large table spread out with side dishes. Jonny helped himself to a plate full of jerk chicken and slaw, Eliza trying one of the plantains that had been grilled. All gooey and buttery.
Stomachs full from the food. Heads giddy from the cocktails. Skin hot from the sun. They decided to head back to their bungalow.
They laid naked on the bed. Her head nestled on to his chest, stroking her finger up and down.
“I’m sure I can smell singed hair?” She screwed up her nose, creating cute little lines at the top of it. “I think you must have burnt your chest hair when you went under that torched limbo line.”
Loving his ANGEL_A Rock Star Romance Page 10