‹ Prequel: Smiling Politely
For One Beat More
She's One In A Million
Lexi sat on the couch in Matt and Tom’s flat with her computer on her lap and a large mug of coffee in her hand, “Morning younger Sykes,” she greeted her friend without taking her eyes off of the screen in front of her.
Tom yawned and spoke at the same time, something that sounded like a greeting as he plopped down on the opposite end of the couch in his pyjamas with his dark hair sticking up. Matt followed a few minutes later, scratching his crotch and his head at the same time.
“Mornin‘,” he mumbled as he sat down next to his girlfriend, sliding his hand along her flannel covered thigh.
“Hey,” she smiled and looked over at his sleepy face.
The three of them sat in a comfortable silence, the din of daytime TV interrupted occasionally by the tapping of Lexi’s computer keys. Matt’s phone, left on the coffee table from the night before, suddenly started to buzz and move. All six eyes set on it but no one moved to pick it up.
“Are you going to answer that or…,” Lexi trailed off.
Matt shrugged, “If it’s important they’ll leave a message.”
She leaned forward over her laptop to see the screen of the phone, “It’s Sheep, and there’s a missed call from earlier,” she leant further forward, missing Matt checking out her underwear as her pyjama pants slid down, and picked up the phone.
“What does ‘e wan’ a’ this time in the morning?” Tom thought out loud and yawned again.
Lexi shrugged as she handed the small vibrating device to a half asleep Matt, “Yep?”
“Nicholls how long does it take ye to answer yer sodding phone?” asked his manager.
He shrugged, an action lost on the other man, “Sleeping.”
Sheep rolled his eyes at the drummer, “Well I hope ye’ve not booked any summer holidays cause we’re doing Warped again.”
“Warped?” Matt repeated causing Lexi and Tom to look over at him.
“Yeah, the whole tour again.”
“Alright sounds good,” Matt nodded.
“I can tell I’m not goin’ t’ get anything coherent out of ye and Tom and Lexi are probably sitting wondering what’s going on so I’ll see you and Sykes at Oli‘s soon, boys only. We‘ve got stuff to sort out,” Sheep hung up.
“So we’re going on Warped this summer?” Tom asked.
Matt nodded, “Yeah. Sheep wants us all to meet at Oli’s in a bit. Boys only, got band stuff to sort out or something,” he sneaked a glance at Lexi and hoped she wasn’t offended but she seemed interested in her laptop again.
“I better grab a shower then,” Tom tugged himself out of his chair and headed down the hallway.
Matt leaned his head against the back of the couch and rolled it to the side to look at Lexi’s profile, smiling as she took a sip of her coffee and pushed her dark framed glasses further up her nose, “You want to go out for dinner tonight?”
“Hmm?” she turned to face him.
“Dinner, just us two.”
She looked at him for a second and smiled, “Yeah,” she nodded, “Sounds good.”
“Good,” he smiled back and made to stand up, “I’d better get ready, can’t be arsed with shit from Sheep if we’re late.”
“Matt?” she spoke softly as he walked past her.
“Yeah?”
She grabbed his yellow t-shirt with her hand and gently pulled him towards herself and kissed him softly, “See you later.”
He smiled and kissed her back a little harder, “See you later.”
She couldn’t help but smile as she tried to go back to answering some emails, his spontaneous romantic gesture had made her lose her train of thought.
Tom yawned and spoke at the same time, something that sounded like a greeting as he plopped down on the opposite end of the couch in his pyjamas with his dark hair sticking up. Matt followed a few minutes later, scratching his crotch and his head at the same time.
“Mornin‘,” he mumbled as he sat down next to his girlfriend, sliding his hand along her flannel covered thigh.
“Hey,” she smiled and looked over at his sleepy face.
The three of them sat in a comfortable silence, the din of daytime TV interrupted occasionally by the tapping of Lexi’s computer keys. Matt’s phone, left on the coffee table from the night before, suddenly started to buzz and move. All six eyes set on it but no one moved to pick it up.
“Are you going to answer that or…,” Lexi trailed off.
Matt shrugged, “If it’s important they’ll leave a message.”
She leaned forward over her laptop to see the screen of the phone, “It’s Sheep, and there’s a missed call from earlier,” she leant further forward, missing Matt checking out her underwear as her pyjama pants slid down, and picked up the phone.
“What does ‘e wan’ a’ this time in the morning?” Tom thought out loud and yawned again.
Lexi shrugged as she handed the small vibrating device to a half asleep Matt, “Yep?”
“Nicholls how long does it take ye to answer yer sodding phone?” asked his manager.
He shrugged, an action lost on the other man, “Sleeping.”
Sheep rolled his eyes at the drummer, “Well I hope ye’ve not booked any summer holidays cause we’re doing Warped again.”
“Warped?” Matt repeated causing Lexi and Tom to look over at him.
“Yeah, the whole tour again.”
“Alright sounds good,” Matt nodded.
“I can tell I’m not goin’ t’ get anything coherent out of ye and Tom and Lexi are probably sitting wondering what’s going on so I’ll see you and Sykes at Oli‘s soon, boys only. We‘ve got stuff to sort out,” Sheep hung up.
“So we’re going on Warped this summer?” Tom asked.
Matt nodded, “Yeah. Sheep wants us all to meet at Oli’s in a bit. Boys only, got band stuff to sort out or something,” he sneaked a glance at Lexi and hoped she wasn’t offended but she seemed interested in her laptop again.
“I better grab a shower then,” Tom tugged himself out of his chair and headed down the hallway.
Matt leaned his head against the back of the couch and rolled it to the side to look at Lexi’s profile, smiling as she took a sip of her coffee and pushed her dark framed glasses further up her nose, “You want to go out for dinner tonight?”
“Hmm?” she turned to face him.
“Dinner, just us two.”
She looked at him for a second and smiled, “Yeah,” she nodded, “Sounds good.”
“Good,” he smiled back and made to stand up, “I’d better get ready, can’t be arsed with shit from Sheep if we’re late.”
“Matt?” she spoke softly as he walked past her.
“Yeah?”
She grabbed his yellow t-shirt with her hand and gently pulled him towards herself and kissed him softly, “See you later.”
He smiled and kissed her back a little harder, “See you later.”
She couldn’t help but smile as she tried to go back to answering some emails, his spontaneous romantic gesture had made her lose her train of thought.