Daylight

Pet’s POV

I wandered around for awhile after Warped finished up in Park City, watching the roadies break things down. I was just walking without direction, knowing I didn’t have to be back at the bus till at least midnight.
After getting jostled around for about a half hour, I grabbed a beer and found a seat at a picnic table next to the catering tent, which also was shutting down for the night. I drank slowly—I’m not much of a beer drinker—and half wondered where Joe might be.
We’d been spending a lot more time together than I’d thought we would; maybe he’d decided to take a break. Which is fine, right? I thought. Of course it is.

I was sitting smiling over recent events when someone stopped at my table.
“Petula?” said a very familiar voice.
“Hey Tom,” I answered. “What’s up?”
“Not much,” he smiled back. “Alright then, darlin’?”
“Pretty good. Have a seat.”
He swung a long leg over the bench opposite mine. “Been here long, then?”
I took a drink. “Not very long. I was walking around and got tired of bumping into people. How about you?”
Tom’s face showed a brief flash of—was that embarrassment? “Well, actually, I was lookin’ for you,” he said slowly.
“Why?”
“Well, first, I needed to know,” Tom grinned, “if that brother o’mine is treatin’ you well. Cos if he’s not, just say the word, and I’ll be happy to kick his arse for ya.”
I laughed. “That’s really nice of you, Tom. But I prefer to do my own ass-kicking.”
“Good, I like a girl with spirit,” he nodded. “And don’t let ‘im give you any shit. He’s a real wanker, is that one.”
I took another drink. “Is that anything like a tosser?” I asked sweetly.
“Very much so.”
“Then I think I can handle him. So what else is going on?”
He looked sheepish. “I was wonderin’…I wanted to ask you…about Christine.”
For a second, what he was asking didn’t quite sink in. Who the hell…?
“Christine?” I asked stupidly.
“Your drummer,” Tom clarified.
“Oh, sure,” I replied. “We never call her that. What about her?”
“Well…” he began again, “I wanted to know…if…does she…has she got a boyfriend?”
“No; she had one, but they broke up a few months ago.”
“Oh,” he said, trying not to look too happy. “D’you know why?”
“He didn’t like her being gone so much,” I admitted. “The guy’s not a musician, so he didn’t really get the whole road thing. Then, when Warped came up, he went ballistic and tried to tell her she couldn’t go.” I sighed. “So she told him to screw off, and that was it.”
“Great! I mean, that’s bloody awful,” Tom exclaimed.
I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “So, what’s with all the questions? You like her, don’t you?”
He hung his head like a schoolkid. “I do fancy her a bit, yeah,” he mumbled. “I dunno how she might take it, though.”
“Did you want me to talk to her?”
Tom looked shocked. “God, no, that’d be…I mean, it’d be bloody great if you did, but I need to do it. Just not sure of me words yet. I love women, but never been as sure as I’d like to be, y’know?”
I smiled. “Well, if and when you do ask her, the worst she can do is say no.”
Tom shook his head. “That’s what I’m afraid of. But you’re right, darlin’, it’s not the end of the world.” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “It’d be the end of my world, though.”
“Oh please,” I begged jokingly. “Cut that shit out.”
Tom grinned. “Just call your mates off for a bit, willya?” he requested. “They scare the shit outta me.”
I laughed again. “As well they should. You’re right to be afraid of them, Tom,” I advised him. “They eat guys like you for breakfast.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he remarked. “Thanks, Pet, and I better get on. It’s nearly the witching hour.”
I finished my beer. “Yeah, I should go too.”

We walked together to the buses and said goodnight. Just as we did, Joe came leaping down the bus steps. He grabbed me without a word and kissed me right in front of Tom. I didn’t care; goddamn, but he was a great kisser. Everything else around us faded away as I received the most thorough kiss of my life so far.
I couldn’t hear, couldn’t see; couldn’t feel anything else but Joe’s mouth on mine, our bodies pressed together, his hands in my hair. I realized I couldn’t help but respond; the guy was driving me insane. It felt like my chest was on fire, all my senses on overload….

A giggle behind us broke the spell, landing me back on earth abruptly. I looked around to see Mo and Tia watching us. Tom seemed just as amused.
“What did Sal tell you guys about fucking in front of everybody? Jesus!” Mo scolded, but she wasn’t angry. Tia simply burst out laughing
Joe kissed me quickly again, then whispered into my ear, “Sorry, luv, couldn’t resist. You alright then?”
I nodded; there was no way I could talk right then.
“Good,” he smiled back at me. “Now I can get some sleep. Goodnight.”
He released me and stepped back slightly. Funny, sleep was about the last thing on my mind right then. Which I was pretty sure he knew, from looking into his eyes.
I let out a long-held breath. I turned in Tia’s direction just in time to see her winking…at Tom!
When I glanced at him, he was making a “call me” sign to her.
Amazing how fast people get over their shyness, I thought.

Shoshi greeted me on the bus in her robe. I got ready for bed and crawled into my bunk. It was quiet all of a sudden, reminding me of the other night…with Joe.

The only thing I could really hear was Tia whispering in her bunk. I knew it had to be Tom.

I was reading and dozing when my phone vibrated next to me, shaking the whole damn bunk, as a matter of fact. I yawned and picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?”
For a few seconds, there was only breathing on the line.

Joe’s POV

“Hello?” Pet’s voice said.
For a bit, I could only listen. I thought seriously about hangin’ up, but it was too late.

I heard her close her privacy curtain and sigh. “Hello? Who’s this?’
“It’s me, luv,” I said, very softly.
“I thought so,” she answered. “Nobody ever calls me this late. What’s up?”
“Just—just wonderin’ if you’re alright.”
She laughed briefly. “Didn’t you just see me outside and ask me the same thing?”
“I did,” I confirmed. “But I…wanted to make sure.”
She chuckled again, then yawned. “Joe, have you been drinking?” she questioned me.
“Dunno, luv: did I taste like I’d been drinkin’?”
A sharp intake of breath. “Uh, no, you didn’t. That doesn’t mean you haven’t, though,” she observed.
“Good answer,” I replied. “How’d you get to be so smart?”
I could bloody well hear Pet rollin’ her eyes at me. “Years of experience.”
I smiled. “So what’re you doing?”
Another yawn. “Falling asleep, I think. What are you doing?” She paused. “Or don’t I wanna know?”
The answer came out before I gave meself time to think. “Thinkin’ about you.”
“Hmmmm…” she said suspiciously.
“And you weren’t thinkin’ about me, I suppose?” I couldn’t resist askin’.
“Maybe,” Pet answered.
“I’ll take that as a yes then.” I waited a minute. “You know, Pet, I should tell you, I’ve been thinkin’ about you a bit.”
“Really?” she said. “All the time, or just now?”
She clearly wasn’t takin’ me serious. Alright then. “Mostly at bedtime.”
“Oh?”
“And,” I carried on, “I thought hearin’ your voice might make things a bit more…realistic.”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “You’re gross, you know that?”
I laughed. “Only takin’ the Mickey outta you, luv, just wanted to see your reaction. I don’t think I could do that while I was talkin’ to ya. Too distractin’.”

There was silence for a minute or two; I thought she’d fallen asleep.
“Pet,” I finally whispered, “Are ya there?”
“Mhmmm, yeah,” she murmured back. Her voice made the hairs on me neck—among other things—stand up. “But I think I have to go now, Joe, it’s really late. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
I smiled. “Right, luv, sleep well. Good dreams, eh?”
“You too, Joe,” she mumbled. “Goodnight.”

I turned over, me head poundin’, thinkin’ I’d never be able to sleep now.
Tom read me mind: “Don’t even bloody well think it, brother,” he growled at me from the bunk above. Everyone else was sleepin’. “I don’t even fuckin’ wanna hear you, get me?”
“Yeah, I get you,” I grumbled back, and headed for the loo and some privacy.