Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ASH
They didn’t know it, but I was watching when Scott dropped Cal off at the warehouse yesterday.
I can see their friendship growing, they might even care about each other a little, but the main thing is, Scott might be here for Cal when I can’t be.
It sounds weird saying it, but I’m relieved there’s someone else around to take care of Cal because I’m not sure how much longer I will be about.
My stomach drops when I think of leaving my girl behind.
I’ve dreamed of an opportunity like this; playing Braebeach festival is massive.
Playing the home crowd, an even bigger deal.
However, a small part of me is dreading it because this is the last full day I get to spend with Cal for a while.
I also haven’t got around to telling her we leave for London tomorrow night.
I got a text late last night from Dani, detailing our schedule for the next few weeks.
They’ve packed the first week with non-stop interviews after several news and radio stations latched onto the ‘local band done good’ angle.
From there we go into the recording studio to lay down our first track, then release it as a single.
What really bothers me about all this is that we fly straight to New York once we’re done in London.
The plan is to finish the album there, which could take months, but it means we’ll be around for appearances and interviews.
Bernie said we have to strike while the iron is hot.
New bands come and go in the States so we could easily be forgotten in a week if we don’t put the work in.
Our first single will be released to coincide with our flight out there. It means the world gets to hear our music before the plane hits the tarmac at JFK. All this is happening without Cal by my side to share it.
I can’t wait for Cal to wake up any longer.
I run my fingers through her hair, “Baby?” She shifts again, humming.
I love this sound. Maybe I’ll record it so I can listen to it while I’m away.
I try again; whispering close to her ear, “Cal, baby.” She finally stirs and rolls onto her back.
Gently her eyes flutter open; her lashes bat up and down like a butterfly’s wings. So delicate, so beautiful.
“What’s up?” Her voice croaks slightly then she stretches.
“Hey, you.”
“Hey,” she smiles. “What’s the time?”
“Just after 5.”
She groans, “Am or pm? If it’s the latter, we’re late.” Her eyes catch mine, then she frowns. “Are you okay or are the nerves kicking in?” Maybe she can see I’ve got a whole load of stuff on my mind.
“I’m okay, but I need to talk to you about something.”
“Can it wait until I’ve eaten, I’m ravenous.”
I laugh. “It won’t take a minute.”
She shifts herself up on her elbows. “What’s going on?”
“I had a text late last night. I need to talk to you about it.”
“Okaaay.”
“Tonight, after the gig—fuck, I don’t know how to say this.”
“Just say it,” she urges.
I exhale the breath I’m holding. “It’s our last night together for a while.” Shit, the worry on her face is punching my heart already.
She shakes her head a little, “Wh-what? What do you mean?”
“Playing Brae Fest and the recent airplay—it’s caused such a wave. We’re heading for London tomorrow night to get started on publicity and stuff.”
“Oh,” she looks away initially, biting a nail. After a beat, she half-smiles. “But you must get a day off at some point, or I could come up one day? Watch you do your thing or—” she doesn’t finish her sentence.
“I won’t have a minute Cal. Dani made it pretty clear the schedule is full-on. We have interviews all week, and because of the New York trip, they want us to get as many tracks down in the studio time we have here. The rest we’ll finish in the States.”
“I see.” Cal looks down to the duvet now gripped between her fingers. “And when do you fly out to New York?”
“A week today.”
Her lips knit closely together and roll. “It’s okay, I’ll see you just before I go back to uni then.”
I close my eyes. Fuck, this is difficult. “No, Cal.”
“No?”
“We go for at least a month. I’m sorry, I won’t be back before you leave and the U.S trip is open-ended.”
She bites her bottom lip, “Okay, well…yeah. There’s nothing we can do, I suppose.”
She continues to look down, so I place a finger under her chin, lifting her focus towards me. “You okay?” She doesn’t reply straightaway, so I take her hand. That’s when I notice her eyes welling up. She shifts her positioning on the bed a little. “Yeah sure…it’s just happening so quick.”
“For me too.”
Her burst of laughter is filled with tears, almost as if trying to brave it out for my benefit. “We knew it was coming, right?”
“Not on this scale, but yeah, we did.”
She reaches for me, her fingers gently brushing the back of my neck, “We better make the most of the time we have left.” Her hoarse voice chokes out the words. She is trying so hard to hold in her emotions, but she can’t stop them as they clearly run a line down her cheek.
“It’s not forever.”
“I know,” she repeatedly nods. “I’m just being daft.
” Her brave smile disappears when I shift onto to my back and bring her close against my chest. Cal lets go of the tears she’s been holding back for the past couple of minutes, which is when it dawns on me.
I’ve been so busy making sure Mum would be safe, and the boys in the band got the deal they deserved I didn’t consider Cal in all this; she won’t be with me for the ride.
In the beginning, Cal said she would try, but I can see now, it won’t happen—the thought of leaving her behind sinks in.
I don’t like it. I don’t fucking like it at all.
She will be alone all over again, and this realisation hits me hard in the gut.
I want her to be my number one priority, but I don’t know how to do that when she isn’t by my side.
I caress the back of her head while she soaks my chest with her tears. “It will be okay, Cal. I promise.”
We’re picked up at 10am by an 8-seater Mercedes with blacked-out windows. It’s kind of like a high-class van and way over the top for a band like us, but this is more Bernie’s doing than ours.
Cal wanted to meet at the festival ground, but I insisted she came with us.
We’ve been coming to this festival since we were babes in arms, and I can’t risk her having to queue up with the bazillion day-pass holders I know are outside the gates.
She would be out there for hours and I want us to experience everything together.
I’m also worried she won’t find or get near us if we don’t start off this way.
We have a press meeting for the signing then a few individual interviews.
I don’t want some jobs-worth-know-it-all to take our security too seriously and not let her through to backstage.
We’re sat right at the back of the vehicle, with Mum and Tommy in the seats in front. Bernie, Dani, Max and Brett are in the van behind, so I take the opportunity to have 5 private minutes with Cal before it gets crazy.
I take her pass from my rucksack. Dani gave it to me earlier along with her disapproval at Cal being here at all. I’d previously cleared it with Bernie, so I didn’t give a fuck about Dani’s opinion.
“Come here,” I say, and she bows slightly so I can place the lanyard—complete with Election Records branding—over her head.
Once around her neck, she holds up the plastic sleeve containing the backstage pass and takes a good look.
“This is the stuff dreams are made of. I can’t believe my boyfriend is about to take on one of the biggest festival crowds in the country.”
“Same. I used to dream of being up there when I was a kid and now, I get to do it for real; I can’t believe this is happening Cal. It’s pretty mind-blowing.”
She looks up, the blue of her eyes clearer than ever before.
She looks so cute today. I love the way she plaits her hair on each side, showing off her natural beauty.
I know I shouldn’t say it, but her legs are incredible—slightly tanned, smooth and slender.
She knows how to show them off, too. They look spectacular against her white shorts.
She’s tied her blue and white gingham shirt up in the middle and opened it low enough to show just enough of the blue lace bra she’s wearing and the curve of her skin underneath.
Shit, I hope Cal can’t see my mouth watering. I’m totally mesmerised.
“You alright there, Ash?” She smiles, probably realising I’ve been taking in every inch of her incredible body.
I can’t help myself. I have to touch her, so I put my hand on her knee, sliding it across her soft skin and over her thigh.
I lean in and whisper, “As long as you’re here, then yeah, I’m okay. ”
She isn’t embarrassed, probably because no one can really see too much of us placed at the back of this ridiculously massive van, which is good. My hand has found its way higher, and I reach for a kiss; she doesn’t hesitate to return.
We reach the venue all too quickly. I glance through the window to see a crowd lined along the entrance.
Some try to get a glimpse into our vehicle; maybe they’re waiting for their rock heroes to arrive.
I think they’ll be wildly disappointed when they realise nobody special is getting out of this car.
We’re about to come to a stop, when Mum says over her shoulder, “I just want you to know how proud I am of you, Son.” I see a small tear in the corner of her eye before she reaches behind, offering her hand, which I squeeze lightly.
“Ready man?” Tommy asks, bracing himself to get out the car.
“I was born ready,” I wink back.
Cal grabs my arm before the door opens fully. “Before I lose you to the rest of the world, I want you to know how amazing you are. You’re going to smash it out the park today. I know it.”