‹ Prequel: Smiling Politely
For One Beat More
While You're Staring Down The Barrel Of A Loaded Gun
The next morning they gathered in the lobby of the hotel, waiting to be picked up by the bus that would be their home for the next month and a bit. Matt had his backpack over one shoulder and was staring ahead in the general direction of the check-in desk but Lexi could tell that he was still too asleep to be actually looking at anything so wasn’t worried that he might be eyeing up the middle aged blonde with one too many buttons undone on her white polyester blouse and a lipstick smudge on her front teeth.
“Morning little one,” Jona greeted her with a smile.
“How the hell are you so awake?” she questioned her Australian friend.
Vegan appeared beside him, “He’s had three cans of Red Bull already.”
“And wasn’t shagging all night,” Lee finished for him.
She felt the blush creep across her skin and bit her bottom lip, “It wasn’t all night.”
“No stamina already Nicholls,” Vegan slapped him on the shoulder and shook his head.
“Wha’?” he blinked, still half asleep.
“Leave him alone,” Lexi laughed as she slid her arm around his waist and he kissed her forehead out of habit.
“Come on you lot, bus is here,” Sheep announced as he ushered them all out of the hotel into the early morning sunshine.
They trooped obediently up the five steep stairs past the driver’s seat and into the pristine front lounge equipped as usual with a tiny kitchen area, a fridge, a table, two couches and a large wall mounted TV with a games console no doubt stashed somewhere.
“I call first dibs on the bunks!” Tom threw is arm in the air and disappeared through the door to the sleeping area.
“Wha’s happenin’ with the back lounge Sheep?” Matt asked with a scratch of his head.
Oli jumped in before their tour manager could reply, “Communal use, no fucking,” before moving past his friend to follow his little brother.
Sheep blinked after the skinny front man before turning to Lexi and Matt, “There’s a spare bunk if you two don’t want to share all time, gets a bit cramped an’ that.”
“Shall we?” Matt asked, motioning to the door everyone else seemed to have headed for.
“Sure,” Lexi mumbled, she got the feeling she might regret agreeing to come on this tour.
“Morning little one,” Jona greeted her with a smile.
“How the hell are you so awake?” she questioned her Australian friend.
Vegan appeared beside him, “He’s had three cans of Red Bull already.”
“And wasn’t shagging all night,” Lee finished for him.
She felt the blush creep across her skin and bit her bottom lip, “It wasn’t all night.”
“No stamina already Nicholls,” Vegan slapped him on the shoulder and shook his head.
“Wha’?” he blinked, still half asleep.
“Leave him alone,” Lexi laughed as she slid her arm around his waist and he kissed her forehead out of habit.
“Come on you lot, bus is here,” Sheep announced as he ushered them all out of the hotel into the early morning sunshine.
They trooped obediently up the five steep stairs past the driver’s seat and into the pristine front lounge equipped as usual with a tiny kitchen area, a fridge, a table, two couches and a large wall mounted TV with a games console no doubt stashed somewhere.
“I call first dibs on the bunks!” Tom threw is arm in the air and disappeared through the door to the sleeping area.
“Wha’s happenin’ with the back lounge Sheep?” Matt asked with a scratch of his head.
Oli jumped in before their tour manager could reply, “Communal use, no fucking,” before moving past his friend to follow his little brother.
Sheep blinked after the skinny front man before turning to Lexi and Matt, “There’s a spare bunk if you two don’t want to share all time, gets a bit cramped an’ that.”
“Shall we?” Matt asked, motioning to the door everyone else seemed to have headed for.
“Sure,” Lexi mumbled, she got the feeling she might regret agreeing to come on this tour.
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This is feeble but I felt bad about not updating for a while.