Baby I've Got My Eye On You
Seventeen
When I told Brian the next morning that I didn’t feel hungover, he made rather obvious attempts to hide his own illness, maybe because he felt embarrassed that I had maybe handled my drink better than him the night before. Having said that, the two of us were out of the door by no later than eight in the morning: much to my own protest, Brian wanted to go for a walk. An early walk. And even as hangoverless as I was, the very thought of it killed me. At first I made numerous excuses on why we shouldn’t go, but he’d find solutions to every complaint I’d make.
I’d said it was too early and he said it was the best time to go, given that few other people would be around to bug him with autographs - typical arrogant rockstar; I’d said that I didn’t want to walk around in yesterdays clothes, having stayed at his that night, but he said he’d lend me a T-shirt to wear; I said that I wouldn’t go for a walk in just a T-shirt, he said that I should go naked then.
In the end I settled for his Metallica shirt and my own jeans and reluctantly traipsed behind him out the door.
“Who gets up this early with a hangover?” I moaned.
“I don’t think many people do get up this early with a hangover” he replied.
“Well you do”
“I’m not hungover”
“I heard you throw up earlier, you big fat liar”
“It’s morning sickness”
“Brian, only pregnant women get morning sickness”
“Maybe I am a pregnant woman”
His comment made me laugh until a sudden and very unpleasant reality hit me. I practically choked on my own giggles. There was the possibility that I could be a pregnant woman.
“Brian! Did you use a condom last night?” I asked desperately, hoping that we were at least sober enough to remember...and he didn't have to answer me, because the way he stopped in his tracks right there said a thousand words.
“Oh my god Oh my god Oh my god” I repeated as if the words would break in to pieces if I said them any differently, “Shit Brian! You need to take me to get the morning after pill right now!”
I turned and started heading back to his house when he grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I was about to yell and tell him how fucking urgent this was until I noticed the big stupid smile on his face, just about ready to explode into laughter.
“Of course I used a Jonny” he laughed, “I don’t want any of your diseases, Roz”
“Oh my god you asshole!” I said partially pissed, partially laughing but mostly relieved that he’d been joking, “and I do not have diseases!”
“That totally had you going, that was so fucking funny”
“It so wasn’t”
“That’s what you get when you accuse me of being hungover”
I rolled my eyes, laughing a little before he reached out and took my hand.
After the frightening and amusing start to the walk I desperately wanted to avoid, things started to seem a bit more appealing. I understood what Brian meant about it been the best time of the day; we walked along the beach and it really was just the two of us. It was really…nice.
“This is really nice,” Brian said, as if reading my mind – yet again.
“Yes”
“It’s like one man and his dog.”
“I can’t believe you just compared me to a dog…for the second time” I said, “You’re heading the right way for a slap this morning Mr Gates.”
“Well, a nice dog. A high maintenance dog, like a poodle”
“I am not a poodle, Brian.”
“A spaniel then”
“Well maybe it’s like ‘Lady and the Tramp’ then” I smirked at my own childishness.
“Aw babe” he said putting his arm around me, “I’d never go as far as to call you a tramp”
I pushed him away playfully, yet inside I felt myself becoming ever so besotted with him, and the way he always got the better of me.
“We’re meeting the guys for breakfast, by the way” he said, “although… I doubt Zack will make it”
He smirked down at me and I laughed remembering my sister’s latest infatuation. The thought of it worried me actually: Beth was so totally on the rebound from Tommy, and she could easily drop Zacky at the click of her fingers, which could potentially end my fling with Brian. I really needed to stop thinking so selfishly.
We met Matt and Johnny in a small café and I asked Syn where Jimmy was, only to be answered by Matt.
“The Rev tends to skip breakfast on days like this”
“We all tend to skip breakfast on days like this” Johnny added, holding his head, obviously regretting getting so drunk the night before.
We sat at a table for four, with me opposite Syn and Matt opposite Johnny.
“If you throw up on my food you’re dead” Matt said across the table to the bassist.
The place was pretty dirty, if you asked me. Well, perhaps not dirty but it wasn’t exactly clean, and I had a hard time deciding whether the table top was supposed to be white or that the chewing-gum-grey colour was intended.
“What are you going to get?” Brian asked as we looked at the menu. I wasn’t even hungry.
“I’ll get what you get” I replied, hoping I wouldn’t regret it.
Pretty soon the waitress skipped over happily as if she liked her job a little bit too much and took our order. She was quite old, and too friendly if you ask me, but that might be me being pessimistic.
She took wrote down what Matt and Johnny asked for, whilst all the while I paid little attention; when she came to Brian I almost shit a brick.
“And what will you and your girlfriend be having, dear?” the woman asked with an absent mind. Brian and I just stared at each other across the table. Like I’d said before, I had no idea what the whole ‘thing’ we had meant – I’d never made any assumptions that I was his girlfriend or that he even wanted a serious relationship. I became aware of the fact that even Johnny and Matt had fell silent, interested in the turn of events...
“Me and my girlfriend will just have coffee, please” Brian said, not taking his eyes off me to even look at the waitress.
A whole bluster of thoughts hit me and I wasn’t sure what to feel except from excitement. It was so scary how one word could just change everything. Brian continued to stare as if waiting for me to say something, Johnny and Matt looked like they’d explode due to the suspense.
“His girlfriend would like two milks, please” I said finally, seeing Matt smirk away at the cornyness of the whole thing from the corner of my eyes, whilst not taking them off Syn.
He smiled, causing me to do the same, which made his grow even wider, all the while the waitress stood there looking confused.
On impulse, I pushed myself across the table and locked him in a kiss, causing the plastic vase that held a single flower to be flown across the table, spilling water all over my jeans right down to my shoes. And I didn’t care, I don’t think I even noticed, all I could think about was how much I just wanted to rip Brian’s clothes off right there.
The only thing that stopped us was the sound of Matt yelling out to the waitress: “My friend’s girlfriend need’s a towel!”
I’d said it was too early and he said it was the best time to go, given that few other people would be around to bug him with autographs - typical arrogant rockstar; I’d said that I didn’t want to walk around in yesterdays clothes, having stayed at his that night, but he said he’d lend me a T-shirt to wear; I said that I wouldn’t go for a walk in just a T-shirt, he said that I should go naked then.
In the end I settled for his Metallica shirt and my own jeans and reluctantly traipsed behind him out the door.
“Who gets up this early with a hangover?” I moaned.
“I don’t think many people do get up this early with a hangover” he replied.
“Well you do”
“I’m not hungover”
“I heard you throw up earlier, you big fat liar”
“It’s morning sickness”
“Brian, only pregnant women get morning sickness”
“Maybe I am a pregnant woman”
His comment made me laugh until a sudden and very unpleasant reality hit me. I practically choked on my own giggles. There was the possibility that I could be a pregnant woman.
“Brian! Did you use a condom last night?” I asked desperately, hoping that we were at least sober enough to remember...and he didn't have to answer me, because the way he stopped in his tracks right there said a thousand words.
“Oh my god Oh my god Oh my god” I repeated as if the words would break in to pieces if I said them any differently, “Shit Brian! You need to take me to get the morning after pill right now!”
I turned and started heading back to his house when he grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I was about to yell and tell him how fucking urgent this was until I noticed the big stupid smile on his face, just about ready to explode into laughter.
“Of course I used a Jonny” he laughed, “I don’t want any of your diseases, Roz”
“Oh my god you asshole!” I said partially pissed, partially laughing but mostly relieved that he’d been joking, “and I do not have diseases!”
“That totally had you going, that was so fucking funny”
“It so wasn’t”
“That’s what you get when you accuse me of being hungover”
I rolled my eyes, laughing a little before he reached out and took my hand.
After the frightening and amusing start to the walk I desperately wanted to avoid, things started to seem a bit more appealing. I understood what Brian meant about it been the best time of the day; we walked along the beach and it really was just the two of us. It was really…nice.
“This is really nice,” Brian said, as if reading my mind – yet again.
“Yes”
“It’s like one man and his dog.”
“I can’t believe you just compared me to a dog…for the second time” I said, “You’re heading the right way for a slap this morning Mr Gates.”
“Well, a nice dog. A high maintenance dog, like a poodle”
“I am not a poodle, Brian.”
“A spaniel then”
“Well maybe it’s like ‘Lady and the Tramp’ then” I smirked at my own childishness.
“Aw babe” he said putting his arm around me, “I’d never go as far as to call you a tramp”
I pushed him away playfully, yet inside I felt myself becoming ever so besotted with him, and the way he always got the better of me.
“We’re meeting the guys for breakfast, by the way” he said, “although… I doubt Zack will make it”
He smirked down at me and I laughed remembering my sister’s latest infatuation. The thought of it worried me actually: Beth was so totally on the rebound from Tommy, and she could easily drop Zacky at the click of her fingers, which could potentially end my fling with Brian. I really needed to stop thinking so selfishly.
We met Matt and Johnny in a small café and I asked Syn where Jimmy was, only to be answered by Matt.
“The Rev tends to skip breakfast on days like this”
“We all tend to skip breakfast on days like this” Johnny added, holding his head, obviously regretting getting so drunk the night before.
We sat at a table for four, with me opposite Syn and Matt opposite Johnny.
“If you throw up on my food you’re dead” Matt said across the table to the bassist.
The place was pretty dirty, if you asked me. Well, perhaps not dirty but it wasn’t exactly clean, and I had a hard time deciding whether the table top was supposed to be white or that the chewing-gum-grey colour was intended.
“What are you going to get?” Brian asked as we looked at the menu. I wasn’t even hungry.
“I’ll get what you get” I replied, hoping I wouldn’t regret it.
Pretty soon the waitress skipped over happily as if she liked her job a little bit too much and took our order. She was quite old, and too friendly if you ask me, but that might be me being pessimistic.
She took wrote down what Matt and Johnny asked for, whilst all the while I paid little attention; when she came to Brian I almost shit a brick.
“And what will you and your girlfriend be having, dear?” the woman asked with an absent mind. Brian and I just stared at each other across the table. Like I’d said before, I had no idea what the whole ‘thing’ we had meant – I’d never made any assumptions that I was his girlfriend or that he even wanted a serious relationship. I became aware of the fact that even Johnny and Matt had fell silent, interested in the turn of events...
“Me and my girlfriend will just have coffee, please” Brian said, not taking his eyes off me to even look at the waitress.
A whole bluster of thoughts hit me and I wasn’t sure what to feel except from excitement. It was so scary how one word could just change everything. Brian continued to stare as if waiting for me to say something, Johnny and Matt looked like they’d explode due to the suspense.
“His girlfriend would like two milks, please” I said finally, seeing Matt smirk away at the cornyness of the whole thing from the corner of my eyes, whilst not taking them off Syn.
He smiled, causing me to do the same, which made his grow even wider, all the while the waitress stood there looking confused.
On impulse, I pushed myself across the table and locked him in a kiss, causing the plastic vase that held a single flower to be flown across the table, spilling water all over my jeans right down to my shoes. And I didn’t care, I don’t think I even noticed, all I could think about was how much I just wanted to rip Brian’s clothes off right there.
The only thing that stopped us was the sound of Matt yelling out to the waitress: “My friend’s girlfriend need’s a towel!”