Chapter 29
ED
Now
I’m awake early again, so I decide to get another work out in before our rehearsal. As I drive through the barrier, true to form, Sid is tidying up the front of the flats, picking up a bit of litter that has dared to find itself in our communal flowerbeds. I put my window down.
‘Morning! Another hot day ahead.’ he calls out to me as I approach the ramp to the underground car park.
Despite the early hour, the gym is busy, but I manage to do a run and my weights routine and then drive back home and park up, deciding to race up the communal stairs.
I bump into one of the Australian girls getting ready for another epic exercise session.
We nod at each other as I run past, up all ten flights of stairs without stopping.
I feel physically sick by the time I get inside the flat.
I bet that Australian girl wouldn’t have been out of breath but, hey, that’s the difference between being in your twenties and being almost fifty and I have just been to the gym.
I shower and get ready, then grab another coffee and make myself some porridge to give me some energy for the forthcoming day.
I call Mark to see if he wants a lift to the rehearsal room, which he gratefully accepts, as he’s worn out from doing the school run.
It’s tricky juggling responsibilities for all his children.
He has the twins Misty and Alanis with his first wife Marsha and another daughter, Marnie with his ex-girlfriend Frida and finally there is Baby Luna who still doesn’t let anyone sleep through the night who he has with his second wife Rosita.
It’s exhausting but he just about manages to keep everyone happy.
Mark lives in Richmond, so it doesn’t take too long to get to him. I’ve never seen a man so grateful for the offer of a lift.
‘Alright, mate?’ I ask as he climbs into my car.
‘Yeah, just knackered from last night. I’ll get my head down for forty winks and then I’ll be as right as rain.’
Mark nods off with ease, and I concentrate on navigating my way to the studio, listening to Radio X London, who seem to be really championing our latest single “No More Tears” even though most of their listeners are certainly not in our age demographic.
I still get such a buzz whenever our music is played on the radio.
The journey to the West End is uneventful, and I manage to do it within forty-five minutes.
I park in the studio car park and give Mark a nudge.
We make our way to the rehearsal room. Cindy and Chyna are already here, but Andy and Simon are still to make an appearance, as is Jez.
He only lives just off Chiswick High Road, so I don’t think he'll be too long. Amazingly, Toby isn’t here yet.
I’m convinced he’s shacked up with Cindy, but she’s denying all knowledge of why he isn’t here. Jez is the next one to arrive.
Toby’s assistant Fifi comes through from her temporary office, informing us that Toby will be delayed by about half an hour due to having to go to an emergency dental appointment, and we are to set up and start practicing. We’re already in the rehearsal room setting up when Andy and Simon arrive.
‘You’re lucky Toby’s had to go to an emergency dental appointment. He doesn’t tolerate people being late.’ Cindy warns them.
‘Since when are you the boss?’ Andy asks under his breath.
‘Sorry, did you say something, Andy?’ Cindy fakes a toothy grin, knowing damn well what he just said.
‘I said, let’s get started. Show Toby what we can do.’ he lies.
Everyone’s in position, and we start off with some of the newer material.
Cindy and Chyna’s backing vocals work well on most of the numbers.
Despite Mark’s lack of sleep and his busy morning, he’s on fire behind the drums. Simon’s guitar playing complements Jez’s now legendary bass playing, and by adding in Andy’s keyboards on certain numbers, we are sounding very together.
My voice seems to be holding up as I scream out some of the more shouty, rocky vocals and then I manage to reign it in on some of the slower, gentler songs.
‘I’d like to practice ‘Used to Be’ once more, please.’ I announce. ‘Girls, you hang back on the backing vocals, but if you can do that dance routine you did last time, that would be great.’
Everyone gets into place and does their thing. It’s all sounding slick and polished. Toby returns just as Mark’s drumming signals the end of the song and lets out a loud whistle and gives us a round of applause.
‘I can hardly speak because of the injection they’ve just given me at the dentist but that was spot on. Just brilliant.' he slurs.
It was definitely the right move to just have the one set of vocals on “Used to Be”.
Although Toby’s happy with our progress, he’s a hard task master and has us go over some of the songs repeatedly.
By mid-afternoon, we’ve all had enough, so we take a break, and Toby gets Fifi to order in some food for us.
I keep it healthy - just a salad and a bit of sushi - as I know Toby will be watching my calorie intake until the tour.
After our break, we don’t finish rehearsals until nearly ten-thirty. We’re all getting ready to go when Toby pulls me aside.
‘I see from the recent press that congratulations might be in order, if the tabloids are anything to go by.’ Toby says with a big grin on his face, rubbing his chin and his ridiculous excuse for a beard.
‘What do you mean?’ I say, shrugging, car keys in my hand.
‘That your missing Evie Del Rio may have had your baby and that’s why she disappeared, well according to the mighty TikTok.’ Toby says incredulously, almost rubbing his hands together with glee over the prospect of some more free publicity for the tour.
‘It’s all hearsay Toby. I still haven’t been able to find Evie.’ I reply, sadly.
‘I’m sorry about that but on the plus side of things, it’s all great press for the tour though. Your youthful exploits with Evie Del Rio have really helped with selling this tour, you know.’ Toby says with a cunning smile.
In the back of my mind, I keep going over what if Virginia was right all along and Evie simply left because she really was pregnant. Every time Evie is mentioned, the thought resurfaces. I need to know one way or another.
‘Good stuff, Ed. I’ll see you in a couple of days but do keep your fitness regime up.
I’ll get the personal trainer sorted for you next month so you’re in top shape for the tour.
Now, get yourself out of here.’ Toby instructs as he clocks Cindy waiting for him.
They’re definitely shagging. She’s so his type.
I walk out to the reception area, where Mark and Jez are both waiting for me.
‘Any chance you could drop me off on your way home?’ Jez asks.
‘Sure, mate. Come on, you two. Let’s get you home. Poor old Mark’s got the bloody school run again in the morning, so he could do with getting his head down.’
Mark opts for going in the back of my car so he can try to sleep, and it gives me the opportunity to catch up with Jez. The chat is easy, as we’ve known each other since our school days. We chat about our respective health kicks in readiness for the upcoming tour.
‘No nice new woman to tell me about?’ I probe. It’s about time Jez had a new girlfriend. He’s such a decent bloke, and I know he could show someone the world.
‘Nah, I’m giving them a miss. I haven’t got the energy for it all. I quite like the look of Cindy, but I think she’s shagging Toby, so I’m certainly not going anywhere he’s been.’ He laughs. We’re making good progress through the traffic despite the initial bottle neck around the streets of Soho.
‘Yeah, I picked up on that too. Has Chyna said anything about it?’
‘Chyna doesn’t even give me the time of day. I think she’s got her eye on Andy. I don’t know what she sees in him.’ he ponders, shaking his head.
‘He’s just one of those guys with the gift of the gab, isn’t he?’
“Yeah, I guess so.’ muses Jez.
‘Have you been seeing anyone recently?’ Jez asks. I shake my head.
‘You still hung up on Evie and the whole pregnancy theory on TikTok?’
‘Since when have you been interested on TikTok?’ I joke, elbowing him.
‘I like to keep up to date with what’s going on.’ Jez replies seriously.
‘You know I met up recently with Ginny Weathers or Virginia Baker as she now likes to be known as. She was the one that first planted the idea in my head that Evie was pregnant and that’s probably why she left. It was her photos that got leaked to the press.’ I explain.
‘Ginny sold you out?’ Jez asks incredulously.
‘No. Not Virginia. It was her ex-husband. He took copies of the photos after their daughter had mentioned that I’d been over.’ I reply, really hoping that I haven’t been hoodwinked by Virginia and that she has told me the truth.
‘Well, it explains a lot I guess as to why Evie left. I wonder if she had the baby? You could be a dad, which is incredible!’ Jez replies.
‘I know. I’ve always wanted a family of my own, but I’ve never really been in that situation where children were on the cards, you know?’ I say, lost deep in my own thoughts.
‘I understand. I’m the same. I feel I’ve missed out.
And you’re not the guy the press always go on about.
If they knew you, like me and Mark know you, they’d realise you’re one of the good guys.
’ says Jez, who, despite looking like a Hells Angel, although his hair is shorter now, is one of the most sensitive people I know.
He married very young to his first proper girlfriend Poppy, a real hippy chick with the palest skin you had ever seen, bright green eyes and red hair.
They first met at primary school and then reconnected as teenagers, but she tragically drowned after a midnight swim on their honeymoon in Thailand.
They’d enjoyed the most blissful couple of weeks just being together - swimming, snorkelling, sampling exquisite Thai cuisine, rock climbing and hiking - but on the very last night, they went to a Full Moon Party and shared a Magic Mushroom shake.
They apparently both felt very chilled at first, but as Jez was so out of it, he lay on the sand while Poppy danced her way to where the waves gently lapped the shoreline, paddling in the sea just up to her ankles.
She called out to Jez to come and join her, as she wanted him to experience the beauty of the moon’s reflection on the water.
By the time Jez managed to join Poppy, the water was almost up to her shoulders.
Jez just couldn’t seem to keep up with her, and the more he tried to, the more she seemed to be just that little bit out of reach.
The last sighting Jez had of Poppy was her mouthing “I love you” as the waves finally took her.
They never recovered her body, and rumours of their extreme drug abuse and sex-fuelled orgies plagued Jez for years.
There were even rumours that Jez had persuaded Poppy to take her own life so he could cash in on her life insurance.
None of it’s true, of course, but it made Jez a changed man.
For a while, he joined a Buddhist retreat, where he tried to learn how to deal with his grief.
Two years after Poppy died, he finally returned to London after travelling throughout Southeast Asia, which had always been his and Poppy’s plan.
He was older, wiser, didn’t do drugs anymore and was ready to make music again, much to my and Mark’s delight.
We reach Chiswick High Road, and Mark wakes up just as Jez reaches his front door after leaving the car.
‘Do you want to join me in the front, Mark?’
‘Yeah, I need to wake up a bit, as I’ll be looking after Luna when I get in.
Rosita is exhausted.’ Mark decides to clamber into the front between the two front seats, over the handbrake.
He collapses into the passenger seat and runs his hand through his hair.
Not the easiest way to get into the front seat, but I guess lack of sleep can do that to you.
‘You look pretty done in yourself. Have you thought about getting someone in to help you with Luna?’
‘I would pay for a maternity nurse just like that’ - he snaps his fingers – ‘I tell you, but because it’s Rosita’s first baby, she wants us to do it all ourselves.
There’s no one giving out prizes for driving yourself into the ground.
’ he mutters. He looks out the window and turns silent, seemingly to focus on staying awake for the rest of the car journey.
We reach Mark’s, and he waves to me as he walks up the drive. I eventually arrive home tired but still on a high from rehearsals. They went much better than I thought, and with a few tweaks, the British public are going to be in for a treat come October time.