Chapter 17
Jodi Castle
“You were talking to him. What did he want?” Nash demanded, leaning in to embrace her, despite his shirt being soaked through with sweat.
It didn’t make for a very pleasant hug. His hair, also drenched, lay plastered to his brow, and his lips which he pressed to her brow, seemingly as an afterthought, were rough, apparently chapped by his onstage efforts.
“He was just saying hello. Shall we?” She turned towards the ramp that the rest of the band had already exited down, even though she’d have loved to stick around and watch Black Halo play.
She’d never seen them live. Hadn’t known anything about them prior to meeting Rock Giant.
She never recognised all that much of him in their music, except the occasionally killer bass line.
He just wasn’t really very gothic or metal, in her head.
When she thought Rock Giant, she thought of folk songs and country footpaths.
“Well, I’d rather you stayed away from him.”
“Nash, that’s going to be difficult if I’m coming on tour with you.” Harry had miraculously agreed to her taking on a dogsbody role for the band. “And it’s unnecessary, too. There isn’t anything between me and him.”
“Is that what he thinks?”
“It’s what he’s agreed.”
“Lighten up, shithead, eh?” Balin clapped him on the shoulder from behind. “If Jo says everything’s cool, then everything’s cool. No sense making an issue. I for one am grateful we haven’t just been turfed.”
They met Jez and Lee at the bottom of the ramp.
“Yeah, Balin, I think your opinion might be a little different if he was trying to fuck your—”
Jez prevented him from launching into a regurgitation of earlier, by accidentally on purpose treading on his foot and then sticking his tongue out in lieu of apologising, before legging it across the field.
Nash gave chase. Balin followed. Boys were weird.
Though she was grateful for the distraction.
“They’re full of it,” Lee said, putting his arm around her and guiding her in the same direction the others had sprinted. Towards the band enclosure. “Don’t worry about Nash. He’ll settle down, once it’s evident there’s not an issue. There isn’t one, right?”
She shook her head and dearly hoped that Rock Giant had meant what he’d promised. “We agreed to be friends.”
“And forget all that bonded shit?”
Not entirely. “He gets that I love Nash. That I’m with Nash.”
That seemed enough to appease easy going Lee, who gave a nod of approval.
“So, what did you think of us live? The crowd fucking loved us, right? So many people, Jo. I need to find out how many. It was mad looking at them all. Seeing them singing our lyrics. Not that I could see or hear them that well. The spots are blinding, especially once the sun set.”
“I thought you were fantastic, obviously.” She bumped her head against his shoulder and breathed in the familiar comfort of him.
“I knew you were all going places the first time I heard you, and you’ve improved astronomically since.
It was awesome, Lee. Really fucking amazing.
” They paused for a moment, arms clasped, and did a stupid little jig together.
They began walking again.
“Make sure you tell Nash that too, eh? Or hell, even show him.”
She stopped and stared at his back until Lee turned to see where she’d got to. He sighed on seeing her frown.
“I just mean that he’s feeling a bit insecure after—after what happened.”
“I’m not exactly feeling secure myself right now.” Was this a good point to mention Rune’s dismissal at this point?
Lee strode back to her and took hold of her hands. “It’s gonna be all right, Jo. This will blow over, but maybe you and Nash should grab some time for yourselves for the rest of the evening, rather than hanging out with the rest of us.”
“Maybe.” Honestly, she had the most fun when they were all together.
The guys were just as important to her as Nash, and she wanted to celebrate their achievement this night with them.
Playing a festival this size was a major achievement, especially given they’d only been a real band since earlier that year.
When they caught up to Jez, Balin, and Nash, The Ghost Boys’ drummer had her fiancé in an uncomfortable-looking headlock. “Want to take this fucktard off me? Fiver and he’s all yours.”
“Five pee, more like,” Balin quipped.
Jez gave Nash a friendly push towards her, whereupon he wrapped both arms around her waist and attempted to lift her but failed, and hence just kissed her instead.
“Ah, look at the boo-ti-ful love birds,” Balin crowed.
Both her and Nash flicked him an array of fingers.
For a moment, everything seemed to slip back to how it had been.
The two of them loved up and surrounded by a tight-knit group of friends, marriage on the horizon along with the promise of years of togetherness and happiness.
Then she saw Jez’s gaze sheer away from them, and Nash stiffened in response to the sound of Rock Giant telling the festival audience a story about a fair maid he’d once happened upon, before launching into a short section of a traditional folk song.
It was a love story cemented by mushrooms.
Nash stiffened, his arms still around her.
Rock Giant sang a whole verse and chorus in his low rumbly voice, accompanied by their keyboardist, before their frontman interrupted and steered them into their next official song. A song she just happened to know the lyrics to and hence sang along to without thinking.
“Didn’t think you knew who Black Halo were prior to yesterday,” Balin said.
The scowl was back on Nash’s face, even though she was sure she’d heard him playing this song before too.
She shrugged. “Everyone knows who they are.” And luckily for her, this was one of their biggest hits.
It was hardly a surprise she’d be familiar with it.
People without any interest in metal knew this one.
More explaining might have been necessary, if it’d been something off an obscure EP.
“You’re headed back to the bus, yeah?” Lee said to her and Nash.
“That’s right.” Nash grabbed hold of her hand.
“Where are the rest of you going?”
Cue numerous sidelong glances. Okay, dumb question. Female festival attendees beware. The Ghost Boys were going on the prowl.
“Your knobs’ll drop off, you filthy beasts,” Nash called after them, then added, “Except I hope they don’t, cause it’ll bollocks up the band,” under his breath. “You realise they’re going to end up back on the bus with whoever they pick up?”
She’d figured as much, which meant they wouldn’t find any privacy there.
Then again, she didn’t really want to head to the bus.
The place reeked of beer and air freshener, and even falling into the bigger bed in the bunk room involved a certain amount of ick.
She’d bet actual money she couldn’t afford to lose that no one had changed the sheets since she’d witnessed Balin banging that girl there earlier. “We could go to my tent.”
There hadn’t been time to move her stuff earlier, so it was still pitched and cosy.
Nash made a noncommittal grunt. “We shouldn’t have to sleep in a pokey tent.”
“It’s fine.”
“It isn’t. I’ve worked for this as much as they have. I’m entitled to enjoy it just as much. I shouldn’t have to worry about having my fiancée disturbed by my band mates and whatever pea-brained fuck toys they bring back.”
“They’re just enjoying the moment, Nash. The novelty will wear off soon enough.”
“Yeah, sure,” he scoffed. “They’re all going to wake up in a week or three and decide they’re done with screwing whoever they please when they please. I think maybe you’re still tripping if you believe that, babe. What fool turns down the offer to have his cock sucked as often as he fucking likes?”
“You sound jealous, Nash.”
He sniffed. “I’m not. Obviously, I’m not.
” Irritably, Nash swished his tongue over his front teeth.
“Fine, maybe a little. I’m not going to bail on my relationship in exchange for mindless fucking like Quilly’s done though.
That is what they’re doing, Jo. It’s emotionless…
Soulless…” It sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
“It’s not a patch on what we’ve got.” He lifted their paired palms and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, before grinning, and adding, “Besides, it’s not like you won’t blow me if I ask. ”
“Hmm...”
He made pretty eyes at her from under his feathery eyelashes. “If I ask nicely, right?”
“Well...maybe.”
He dragged her into the shadowy alleyway formed by two parked vans and pushed her up against the side of the nearest one.
She hadn’t meant now.
“Lovely, darling, Jo-Jo. My beloved fiancée. Beautiful, bountiful goddess of my heart.” He crowded her against the cold metal. “Will you get on your knees and worship my cock?”
“Can we not do this right now, Nash?” They were out in the open, where anyone could wander past at any moment. She didn’t need to give the world reasons to make her feel ashamed of herself, and they would, if they were caught. Not so Nash. It’d make him a fucking folk hero.
“No one is going to come around here.”
“You don’t know that.”
“This is a performers’ only area, and everyone is watching the gig.”
Not everyone. They weren’t. Scores of roadies weren’t. “Let’s just go to my tent.”
“Let’s not.”
They stood at an impasse for several increasingly uncomfortable moments.
“Jo.” He slid his hand between her legs.
“Nash, no. Not here.”
“God, woman!” He relinquished and thrust the same hand through the damp locks of his hair. “I could be forgiven for thinking you don’t want to be seen with me.”