For One Beat More

“Why did Sheep book us flights so fuckin’ early?” whined Tom nine days later as he, Matt and Lexi trundled into a very quiet Manchester airport and looked around for the rest of their party.

Matt rubbed his eyes sleepily, “Where are we meant to meet everyone again?”

Lexi wrestled her phone from the pocket of her hoodie and found the text Sheep had sent her the night before, “He said we’re all to meet at the check-in desk.”

They wandered to where the lit up letters on the board told them to go to find Vegan propped against his case, snoring, Lee sitting on top of his holdall nursing a large cardboard cup of coffee and Jona had his head buried in some magazine.

“Mornin’,” yawned Matt.

Waves and grunts were returned in greeting. Lexi deposited her large grey handbag on top of her wheelie case and she dropped onto the cool tile floor next to them, “Where’s Sheep and Oli?”

Jona shrugged and Lee looked up from his coffee, “Late.”

“Fuck sake,” Matt shoved his hands into his pockets and scuffed his shoe off the ground.

Ten minutes later Sheep and Oli appeared, dawdling towards the group.

“About sodding time,” Matt waved a hand in their general direction.

Lexi lifted her head from where it had been resting in her hands while she dozed and looked around to find out who he was talking to. It was then she realised that she was the only girl. Period. There were no other girlfriends, no girl crew members and no girls from the label.

“Lex?” Matt was standing over her, holding his hand out, “Comin’?” he asked.

She blinked in her half asleep state, “Huh, yeah,” he helped her pull herself up and collect her bags. This was going to be a fun tour.

***

Matt watched Lexi as she pottered about their hotel room in her white v-neck and her grey boy-shorts, “Come to bed Lex, this is our last night not in a bus for the foreseeable future.”

She laughed as she finished folding her clothes from earlier before standing next to the bed he was propped up in, “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Come here are I’ll show you,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Lexi rolled her eyes but crawled onto the bed anyway, nestling herself against his bare chest, his arm around her waist. They sat in silence for a little while, just enjoying being together. On the flight over Lexi had ended up sitting next to Vegan and Tom so this was the closest they’d been in hours.

“We’re going to be alright, you know,” she informed him.

He turned to look at her, “Yeah?”

She nodded and turned to face him, “It was my fault we weren’t last time but I can safely say we’re going to be fine. Might even get a bit better,” she smiled.

Matt took a minute to study her face, she had taken her make-up off but there was still a little mascara on her lower lashes and she had yet to take her contact lenses out but she was as stripped down as she could be and it always made him happy to know that she was comfortable enough to be that bare around him and no one else. She tilted her head up and kissed him softly, her hand moving from his tattooed chest to the back of his neck. He took a second to reply, his lips crushing against hers and the grip on her waist tightening.

“We’re going to be alright?” he asked as they pulled apart.

She bit her lip as she moved to sit on his lap, a leg either side of him, “We’re going to be just fine,” she pulled her t-shirt over her head so she was only in her bra and pants.

His eyes trailed her curves, and he grinned and he ran his hands up her thighs to her hips then to rest on her waist, “This tour’s going to be rad.”

She smiled and looked down, shaking her head, “It’s going to be fucking awesome.”

He laughed before she cut him off with another kiss and he let his hands wander to the clasp of her bra which he fiddled with for a minute before opening. She leaned away from him to slide it down her arms and toss it to the side before wrapping her arms around his neck. The cool air of the hotel room made her press her body closer to his and he ran his hands up her back to her shoulders, causing goosebumps on her skin and a familiar warmth in her stomach.

Just as Lexi leaned up on her knees to let Matt slip his boxers off there was a knock on the door, “Fuck sake,” he drawled and dropped his head against her shoulder.

“Shh, maybe they’ll go away,” she giggled quietly.

“Matt open the fucking door,” bellowed Oli through the thin wooden door.

“Want me to get it?” Lexi asked, “You’re a little indisposed,” she grinned.

Matt smiled and tapped her bum as she moved off of him, “See what you do to me.”

She smiled over her shoulder at him as she scooped his t-shirt off of the chair in the corner and pulled it on, “Hi Oli,” she eased the door open.

“Where’s Matt?” he asked, bluntly.

“He’s um, a little bit preoccupied,” she bit her lip to stop a smile.

Oliver rolled his eyes, “I need t’ speak t’ ‘im.”

“What’d ye wan’ Ol?” Matt had appeared behind Lexi, a pillow covering his modesty.

“A word,” he motioned to the hallway outside.

Matt rolled his eyes and followed his friend, smiling apologetically at his girlfriend as he closed the door behind them.

Lexi sighed and crawled into the middle of the bed, sticking her legs underneath the covers and flicking the TV on. She couldn’t find anything interesting to occupy her as she ran her hands through her hair in frustration, Oli really could pick his moments.

About ten minutes later Matt was back, loudly closing the door behind him, “Where were we?”