The Memory of Your Face

A few hours later Billie and I were lying together in his bunk on the top deck of the bus. His strong tattooed arms wrapped around my torso as we fought to catch our breath. My phone rang out and I leaned across to the small shelf at the end of the bunk.

It was Adele. "Hello?" I answered as Billie sighed and watched me, his arms coming to rest at the back of his head.

"Hey Erin it's me," She stated with a tense voice.

"Hey Adele you okay?" I asked her as a grin erupted on Billie's face; I pulled the sheet that was protecting my dignity up higher around my chest and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Yeah I'm fine I was just wondering if you have seen Billie Joe yet?" her voiced became more edgy as if mentioning the singer's name would start world war three.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm, err, with him now." I held back a chuckle and she sighed relief down the phone.

"Everything okay?"

"Everything is just fine," I smiled at Billie as he giggled, stretching out like a cat.
She chuckled softly down the phone, "You've had great two year make-up sex haven't you?"

"Yeah well I'll see you then Adele."

"That's a yeah Erin, goddamn, you know you get everyone stressed out and then... "

"Bye Adele."

"Bye you lucky bitch," She laughed down the phone.

I returned my phone to its shelf and crawled my way back over to Billie Joe who was still at the other end of the bunk waiting for me with a grin.

"She was asking if we're okay." I smiled, crawling to him like a cat waiting to pounce.

"Well, we are aren't we?" he asked, bringing his arms down from his head and shifting upwards, cracking his head on the roof of Tre's bunk above us.

I stifled a laugh, as I hurled towards him as he groaned and rubbed his scalp.
"Yeah we are okay but are you?" I asked taking his head in my hands and stroking it.

"Yeah... I'm okay... Goddam Tre's fuckin bunk."

I giggled as I kissed the top of his head, "How long have you been sleeping here and you crack your head now?"

"Too long that's the problem," He groaned sitting up from my chest and looking at me before leaning in and kissing me.

"Thank you," He grinned pulling away, his hands caressing my bare thighs gently.

"Billie," I began chewing my lip as various thoughts crossed my mind.

"Huh?" he asked resting his head against my chest again.

"What's going to happen now? I mean what are we going to do? I live in London now with the club and... "

"That will just sort itself out Erin... "

"No Billie other people sort it out for you and you think it sorts itself out." I sighed pulling my fingers through his hair and stroking the place were his brain had just come into contact with the wood above us.

"Well, come and live with me."

"I can't, definitely not this next few weeks anyway because the club has a new thing starting with this rock magazine and... "

"Well I have the next week off... "

I sighed, "You could come and stay but what about Joe and Jake? You haven't seen them in ages."

He shifted against my torso, his hands moving around my legs.

"I know, but... one more week won't make that much difference surely, then we can figure something out... "

I inhaled deeply, picturing this, us, not working out at all.

"Look, sort your stuff out and then come and live with me, set up a club over in the Bay."

I envisioned the scene and felt my tummy give a slight jerk at the prospect of everything being so perfect.

"I don't know... I mean how will everyone back in the US take me just showing up again out the blue after two years? Joe and Jake, your mom... "

"Look Erin, Joe and Jake for one will be made up to see you, sure we'll have to explain but they do love you and Ollie... well, she'll be happy to see me with someone I love... "

I sighed contemplating the ideas running through the air. Could it really work? After all this time?

I froze immediately though when I heard a familiar voice echo down the bus...

"Bill! Yo Bill!" Mike was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Yeah?" Billie sat up slowly his eyes glancing up at the ceiling above our heads,

"Journo's want a few words, you comin outside?"

He looked at me, his eyes going wide and I shrugged. "Er... kinda busy here Mike... "

"Oh er, well... "

"Give me a few minutes yeah?" He yelled back.

"Okay, okay, it's just outside the bus."

Billie reached across for his clothes and I watched him get dressed, it made me just as excited as when I watched him undress.

"Sorry Erin, I won't be long... " He sighed clambering out the bunk.

"I'll wait here shall I?" I asked as he nodded.

"Yeah, yeah... " He leaned forward and kissed me hard, my fingers enveloping his head.

"I promise... I'll be back as soon as I can... " he gasped walking down the bus facing me with a huge grin on his face. I sighed loudly and decided to get dressed myself.

After I had gotten dressed I went out to the basic living area of the bus were Jason was sitting with two other guys.

"Hey Erin!" He yelled gesturing for me to come over and sit with them.

"Hey," I smiled taking in these two new faces in front of me.

"This is Ben and Big Frank, our roadies." I smiled at them.

"This is Erin, err... Billie's Joe's... " he looked at me with raised eyebrows and I smiled at him and nodded slightly, "... girlfriend." He grinned shifting in his seat seemingly containing himself.

"Ah... " Big Frank pulled a face of interest, "this is the girl."

I frowned at the beefy guy, "What?" I asked thoroughly confused and a bit pissed off.

"We were wondering what the hell was wrong with Big time BJ, it was either a girl, a boy, or drugs and now we know... " Ben smiled scratching his head.

I grinned nervously, not knowing where this was going.

"I suppose we can forgive him for being an ass now that we've seen you. I'd be on a bender too if I lost you darlin'."

I felt myself going red and I looked at Jason. "Everyone knew about it?"

"Well, no, but everyone figured something was up, when you're with about 29 guys for months it just happens." He grinned sipping his beer.

"Oh god, I'm the witch," I sighed reaching out and taking the Bud that Ben was passing me. The three of them laughed.

"You were never labelled the 'witch' you were labelled 'that chick that pussy whipped Billie Joe.'" Ben chuckled.

"Oh great," I giggled back, "That's so much better." They all started laughing again as Billie, Tre and Mike made an appearance.

"What's so funny?" Tre asked sitting down opposite me and Jason.

"Your face," Jason stated as Billie and mike joined us, Billie sliding in next to me and giving me a huge grin.

"That's not what you were saying last night Jas when you were kissing it." Everyone laughed and Billie nudged me, his eyes shining.

"I think I wanna see a band, wanna come with Erin?" he asked eyebrows lifting.
"Yeah, go on then." I grinned following him out of the table.

"You know, don't be too inconspicuous," Big Frank yelled at us as we trotted down the bus,

"They have making up to do... "

"They already have I bet."

Various yells followed us as we exited the bus. Billie politely flipped them off and grinned following me onto the grass outside.

"Sorry about them," He shook his head as the fresh air from the surrounding fields hit my lungs.

"It seems that you weren't your normal frisky self on the tour according to Ben and Big Frank."

He raised his eyebrows at me as we walked. "What did they say?" I laughed at his anxiety.

"Nothing to worry about, they were just winding me up."

He grinned at me with joking eyes. "Well, what can I say? You broke my heart baby." He teased in a Texas drawl.

"You shut up COW-boy." I mocked back hitting his arm playfully, it felt like nothing had changed between us it was like we had never been apart.

He looped his fingers through mine and I froze looking down at the gesture that shot a warmth through my body.

"Too soon?" his jaw jolted to the right as he eyes cringed uneasily at my face, debating whether to let go or not.

"Well, too late for too soons when we've already... "

"Had fantastic sex." He chuckled swinging our arms in the air.

"Well yeah... " I laughed back, "But... " I began seriously.

"There are journalists and paparazzi here, I mean you've only just got divorced and... "

"Erin," He smiled stopping and placing his free hand on my face, pulling me close.
"I couldn't give a shit about anyone right now, or anything for that matter. I have you, you're here with me by some kind of divine miracle and I'm not fucking around."

"We just did fuck around." I giggled biting my lip and slaughtering the romantic mood he was intent on building with a butcher knife and causing the both of to giggle like school kids.