chickadee
New Yorker
Back to the madness of my fictional JT tour! I had another fic I had to write for a deadline, so this was put to one side, but I'm finally finished the chapter so I do hope you enjoy it. Thanks as always for the lovely comments, they are much appreciated!
Oh yeah, and U2 aren't mine, but then you already knew that, right?
Love Rescue Me
Chapter 8
Beth was already backstage by the time the show ended, so desperate was she to find out how Bono was. From the front row of the crowd, where she had been positioned in an attempt to take brilliant live photos, she had seen everything in excruciating detail. She’d gasped when Bono slipped and hit the deck, holding his arm, his face twisted unnaturally in pain. She had watched the others come to him and comfort him as the doctor ran on to administer treatment. She’d stared in disbelief when Bono had got back up and announced they would finish the gig as planned. And then she’d spent the rest of the concert watching him, worrying. She might have been scared by how deeply she cared about him, if she’d had any room in her head at that moment for such thoughts.
But the minute the band came off-stage, there was a melee of personnel in which Beth got fairly lost. She tried to catch Bono’s attention, but he was being whisked away by Paul, U2’s manager. Edge was shouting something about going with them, and grabbed a jacket before following his friend out the back of the arena. Adam was wandering off, smoking and looking concerned. Larry had disappeared into his dressing room, by the looks of things. For the first time since she’d been around these guys, Beth felt like the complete outsider she was. Something happened to Bono and everyone automatically closed ranks. Nobody she knew was on hand to tell her what was going on, or how serious his injury was. She had a right to know, didn’t she? She was…
What? What am I? Some girl he convinced to come on tour, and then kissed? Some silly girl he’s charmed to want him? If he really cared, he’d have made sure I went with him.
Even as she thought it, she knew that was unfair and ridiculous. Bono had hurt himself. It wasn’t up to him to think about her while he was being taken to hospital. He was more important than she was; of course no one was paying attention to her.
I’m being sensible now, and still it isn’t reassuring me.
Beth sighed and turned to leave, thinking she could catch a bus back to the hotel, when she bumped into a flustered-looking Jen.
“Oh, hey, sorry!” Jen righted herself and ran a hand through her tangled hair. “God, did you see that? Poor Bono! I was in the wardrobe room, well, I still call it the wardrobe room even though I think that makes it sound like a boutique or something, I dunno, but anyway,” she moved on quickly, seeing the impatience on Beth’s face, “I came along and someone said he’d dislocated his shoulder! I tried to find Edge, I mean, to find someone, anyone, doesn’t have to be Edge, don’t know why I said that, but everyone’s gone.”
Beth was even too upset to pay attention to the inadvertent piece of gossip she’d just heard about Jen and Edge. She only shrugged. “I didn’t even know he’d dislocated anything. Nobody told me.”
“Oh.” Jen bit her lip. “Well, I guess they’re all busy, y’know, with Bono, I wouldn’t worry, he’ll be back soon, my dad dislocated his shoulder once, years ago, and it took a little while but not long, I mean, not as long as a break but still painful…”
Beth would have put Jen’s chatter down to the fact she might be nervous, but she knew well enough that it was just a part of Jen, full stop. She didn’t have the heart to stop her, but was still strangely pleased to see Larry emerge from his dressing room and come over to them. For once, he wasn’t glaring at Beth. Well, he was, just slightly less intense than usual.
“You guys want a lift back?”
Beth opened her mouth to say something bitchy, something he deserved after being a narky bastard to her, but fortunately Jen spoke first.
“Thanks, that’d be great! I totally thought we were gonna be stuck, I mean, I feel bad hitching a ride with the crew, I never talk to half of them…”
Larry listened to Jen as they got into the waiting car; he even attempted to turn her monologue into a conversation. Watching him, Beth caught a glimpse of the person Larry really was, underneath all the sniping and filthy looks he used against her. She wondered, too, whether Larry’s interest in Jen was purely on a friendly level, because he certainly seemed to be sitting close to her. And that was when it registered with Beth what Jen had told her, earlier.
She was looking for Edge. And Larry’s looking at her. This should be interesting.
*
Back in Boston, Cara was doing her best to carry on. She’d spent much of the previous night awake in her room, contemplating her next move. She had been very tempted to just give up and go home to Dublin, but doing that would mean admitting to her mum and dad she’d been wrong to leave. Despite her depressive slump, she wasn’t quite ready for such drastic action as that.
Things were looking better already, thanks to a job she’d managed to secure that morning. An advertisement in a clothes shop window was advertising for part-time staff, and since Cara was the first one in, and she was pleasant, the manageress hired her. She started tomorrow. It was a positive sign to her that things would slowly improve and she didn’t need to run away yet. Adam or no Adam, Cara had a life to lead, and she’d already decided she wasn’t desperate enough to start chasing him all over the country when he’d made his position perfectly clear.
It’s certainly looking like no Adam, she thought sadly as she headed out alone, again, hoping she could find a man in the city who would make her forget herself, and Adam, just for one night.
*
Dear Mum, Jen wrote, sitting at the desk in her hotel room. She paused, her pink fluffy pen half-way to her mouth as she wondered what to tell and what to leave out. She wasn’t very good at writing, either. How are you? was always a good start. I’m having a wonderful time working on this tour. I get to see different cities and get to know a great band. Could she tell her mother about Edge without giving away her enormous crush? She could try.
I don’t think you know much about U2, do you, so I’ll just tell you about them. Bono is the singer guy. He’s really nice. He talks to me a lot whenever he sees me and he has made sure I’m at home. Unfortunately he has been injured on stage tonight but nothing too serious.
Then there is Larry. I think Larry is great. We’re becoming good friends, which is surprising because he is so grumpy a lot of the time. Maybe he just comes across that way. I don’t think he likes my friend Beth, though, which isn’t fair as she’s lovely. But at least he likes me.
And Adam is the bass player, he’s the one who has a girlfriend in Boston. Well, she used to be his girlfriend in Ireland but something happened. Anyway, she’s been around and he’s acting all sad and it’s a shame. Very complicated but I am determined to find out the full story sooner or later!
Last but not least is Edge. He’s a nice person, although we don’t speak to each other much. I think he has pretty eyes but it’s difficult to tell as we don’t really spend time together.
Jen re-read the last paragraph and decided that was vague enough. Of course it was a big fat lie that she and Edge didn’t talk, or didn’t spend time together, but her mum didn’t need to know that. The last thing Jen wanted was a lecture, even if it was on paper.
She finished the letter quickly after that and signed it, before brushing her hair and going down to the bar. Almost everybody had congregated there after the gig to wait for Bono, and now he and Edge were back, the crowd had diminished, though not by a lot.
Jen pushed her way through, suspecting she’d never get close to any of the band at this rate, until Edge spotted her and made his way towards her. They were grinning shyly at each other by the time they were in the same small space near the door.
“How is he?” Jen asked.
“Fine, really,” Edge replied. He hadn’t changed his clothes since the show in his haste to accompany Bono, but he didn’t smell bad. In fact, Jen had never wanted more to kiss him. “Dislocation, as Larry said, and he has to wear a sling for a while. That’s going to go down a treat, and I don’t think.” He glanced over at Bono, who was looking happy enough but still rather pale. “I’m going to make him go to bed soon, before he does more damage.”
“Good idea,” Jen nodded, and then smiled. “So you’re what, his caretaker or something?”
Edge laughed. It made his eyes twinkle. “Somebody has to be,” he said fondly. “Over the years I’ve come to realise that I’m the level-headed one.”
Jen wondered if he would flirt, so she tested the water. “Does that mean you’re not allowed any fun?” she teased, hoping she didn’t sound stupid.
If she did, though, Edge didn’t notice. He’d moved that little bit closer so they were almost touching. “Oh, I am, don’t worry.” His face flushed pink as he spoke, and Jen was enraptured. He was beautiful, and she didn’t care they were surrounded by dozens of people, or that normally she’d be shy in this sort of situation. She had to kiss him. She pushed up onto her toes, grabbed his arm and pulled him to her. She heard him sigh before he cupped her jaw in his hand and looked at her, properly, as if he was absorbing every detail of her face. She let out the tiniest moan, inaudible above the din of the crowd, and tugged him even closer. Their lips were less than an inch apart; Jen felt his breath, stared into his incredible eyes as she willed him to do it.
He wanted to, she could see it written plain as day across his face, but he wasn’t moving. She watched him open his mouth, and instead of a kiss he gave her words.
“Jen, this isn’t a good --”
But whatever he’d intended to say was lost when Jen, needing to satisfy the ache she felt, took control and kissed him.
It was fast, much faster than she’d anticipated. She had expected him to be careful and gentle, but once their lips touched he didn’t hold back. She fell into his rhythm and moved with him, against him, as their tongues met and Jen groaned. In response he tried to kiss deeper, though it was impossible, and she let her hands slide under his shirt, feeling the hair on his belly, wondering what that would feel like rubbing against her skin.
And then, just as suddenly as it started, the kiss was over. Jen’s pulse was racing, out of control, as Edge let go of her and stepped back, shaking his head. She reached for him, but he evaded her hand. She swallowed and could taste him on her tongue.
“Edge?”
“I’m sorry, Jen,” he said, backing further away. “I can’t, this isn’t a good idea.”
“Why not?” It felt like a bloody good idea to me.
He didn’t answer, and she wondered what on earth was going on, but then she caught a glimpse of the ring on his left hand and everything fell horribly into place. It was what she’d suspected but forgotten in her desperation to have him – he’s married.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, and to his credit he did look regretful, but Jen couldn’t get past the fact he’d been flirting with her, and had kissed her, when all the time he had a wife. He seemed so honest.
Before she could even think of what to say, he had gone over to Bono and was talking to him, their heads close together. He only looked at her once, giving her a small smile, and then seemed determined to shut her out. Jen stared back at Edge for a long time, and cursed herself for being so stupid, and for falling so hard.
*
Bono knew Beth was following him. She’d attempted to corner him in the bar three times, asking how he was feeling. He’d done his best to evade her, making a big deal of talking to Edge or else hiding behind crew members, but she’d found him every time. Now, as he walked down the corridor towards his hotel room, he tried not to think about how disappointed she looked when she realised he wasn’t making an effort to kiss her again, or even speak to her, for that matter.
Bono sighed, reaching into his left pocket for his key, wincing at the pain shooting from his shoulder as it moved a little with the action. He felt exhausted from the gig, uncomfortable from the injury and wiped out from the medication he’d had to take. He also felt terrible for his behaviour towards Beth, and wished he could explain. He couldn’t really put into words why he couldn’t face her sympathy and her touch at the moment. It wasn’t because he didn’t want her; he wanted her as much as he had the day she arrived on tour, if not more. The two kisses he had shared with her had been absolutely mind-blowing, and he had been looking forward to taking her out, spending quality time with her, finding out if she was the woman he wanted to be with.
But all his plans had been ruined when he fell on the stupid stage. Now he had to go around with a sling on, restricted, contained. That didn’t sit well with his personality, and it was bad enough he was going to have to do concerts like this, unable to express himself properly. To think of Beth seeing him like this, so unlike himself, wasn’t how he wanted their relationship – if they were going to have one – to begin. He hadn’t admitted to anyone, not even Edge, Larry or Adam, but he was feeling distinctly sorry for himself, and that was not an attractive trait in anybody.
She deserves better that this. Bono sighed again, sitting on his bed and contemplating how to get changed with one arm. He’d rejected Edge’s offer of help, too proud to admit he needed it, but now he wished he hadn’t. Being alone was something else that didn’t suit him, he realised, seeing Beth’s red hair in his mind’s eye and missing her already.
to be continued...
Oh yeah, and U2 aren't mine, but then you already knew that, right?
Love Rescue Me
Chapter 8
Beth was already backstage by the time the show ended, so desperate was she to find out how Bono was. From the front row of the crowd, where she had been positioned in an attempt to take brilliant live photos, she had seen everything in excruciating detail. She’d gasped when Bono slipped and hit the deck, holding his arm, his face twisted unnaturally in pain. She had watched the others come to him and comfort him as the doctor ran on to administer treatment. She’d stared in disbelief when Bono had got back up and announced they would finish the gig as planned. And then she’d spent the rest of the concert watching him, worrying. She might have been scared by how deeply she cared about him, if she’d had any room in her head at that moment for such thoughts.
But the minute the band came off-stage, there was a melee of personnel in which Beth got fairly lost. She tried to catch Bono’s attention, but he was being whisked away by Paul, U2’s manager. Edge was shouting something about going with them, and grabbed a jacket before following his friend out the back of the arena. Adam was wandering off, smoking and looking concerned. Larry had disappeared into his dressing room, by the looks of things. For the first time since she’d been around these guys, Beth felt like the complete outsider she was. Something happened to Bono and everyone automatically closed ranks. Nobody she knew was on hand to tell her what was going on, or how serious his injury was. She had a right to know, didn’t she? She was…
What? What am I? Some girl he convinced to come on tour, and then kissed? Some silly girl he’s charmed to want him? If he really cared, he’d have made sure I went with him.
Even as she thought it, she knew that was unfair and ridiculous. Bono had hurt himself. It wasn’t up to him to think about her while he was being taken to hospital. He was more important than she was; of course no one was paying attention to her.
I’m being sensible now, and still it isn’t reassuring me.
Beth sighed and turned to leave, thinking she could catch a bus back to the hotel, when she bumped into a flustered-looking Jen.
“Oh, hey, sorry!” Jen righted herself and ran a hand through her tangled hair. “God, did you see that? Poor Bono! I was in the wardrobe room, well, I still call it the wardrobe room even though I think that makes it sound like a boutique or something, I dunno, but anyway,” she moved on quickly, seeing the impatience on Beth’s face, “I came along and someone said he’d dislocated his shoulder! I tried to find Edge, I mean, to find someone, anyone, doesn’t have to be Edge, don’t know why I said that, but everyone’s gone.”
Beth was even too upset to pay attention to the inadvertent piece of gossip she’d just heard about Jen and Edge. She only shrugged. “I didn’t even know he’d dislocated anything. Nobody told me.”
“Oh.” Jen bit her lip. “Well, I guess they’re all busy, y’know, with Bono, I wouldn’t worry, he’ll be back soon, my dad dislocated his shoulder once, years ago, and it took a little while but not long, I mean, not as long as a break but still painful…”
Beth would have put Jen’s chatter down to the fact she might be nervous, but she knew well enough that it was just a part of Jen, full stop. She didn’t have the heart to stop her, but was still strangely pleased to see Larry emerge from his dressing room and come over to them. For once, he wasn’t glaring at Beth. Well, he was, just slightly less intense than usual.
“You guys want a lift back?”
Beth opened her mouth to say something bitchy, something he deserved after being a narky bastard to her, but fortunately Jen spoke first.
“Thanks, that’d be great! I totally thought we were gonna be stuck, I mean, I feel bad hitching a ride with the crew, I never talk to half of them…”
Larry listened to Jen as they got into the waiting car; he even attempted to turn her monologue into a conversation. Watching him, Beth caught a glimpse of the person Larry really was, underneath all the sniping and filthy looks he used against her. She wondered, too, whether Larry’s interest in Jen was purely on a friendly level, because he certainly seemed to be sitting close to her. And that was when it registered with Beth what Jen had told her, earlier.
She was looking for Edge. And Larry’s looking at her. This should be interesting.
*
Back in Boston, Cara was doing her best to carry on. She’d spent much of the previous night awake in her room, contemplating her next move. She had been very tempted to just give up and go home to Dublin, but doing that would mean admitting to her mum and dad she’d been wrong to leave. Despite her depressive slump, she wasn’t quite ready for such drastic action as that.
Things were looking better already, thanks to a job she’d managed to secure that morning. An advertisement in a clothes shop window was advertising for part-time staff, and since Cara was the first one in, and she was pleasant, the manageress hired her. She started tomorrow. It was a positive sign to her that things would slowly improve and she didn’t need to run away yet. Adam or no Adam, Cara had a life to lead, and she’d already decided she wasn’t desperate enough to start chasing him all over the country when he’d made his position perfectly clear.
It’s certainly looking like no Adam, she thought sadly as she headed out alone, again, hoping she could find a man in the city who would make her forget herself, and Adam, just for one night.
*
Dear Mum, Jen wrote, sitting at the desk in her hotel room. She paused, her pink fluffy pen half-way to her mouth as she wondered what to tell and what to leave out. She wasn’t very good at writing, either. How are you? was always a good start. I’m having a wonderful time working on this tour. I get to see different cities and get to know a great band. Could she tell her mother about Edge without giving away her enormous crush? She could try.
I don’t think you know much about U2, do you, so I’ll just tell you about them. Bono is the singer guy. He’s really nice. He talks to me a lot whenever he sees me and he has made sure I’m at home. Unfortunately he has been injured on stage tonight but nothing too serious.
Then there is Larry. I think Larry is great. We’re becoming good friends, which is surprising because he is so grumpy a lot of the time. Maybe he just comes across that way. I don’t think he likes my friend Beth, though, which isn’t fair as she’s lovely. But at least he likes me.
And Adam is the bass player, he’s the one who has a girlfriend in Boston. Well, she used to be his girlfriend in Ireland but something happened. Anyway, she’s been around and he’s acting all sad and it’s a shame. Very complicated but I am determined to find out the full story sooner or later!
Last but not least is Edge. He’s a nice person, although we don’t speak to each other much. I think he has pretty eyes but it’s difficult to tell as we don’t really spend time together.
Jen re-read the last paragraph and decided that was vague enough. Of course it was a big fat lie that she and Edge didn’t talk, or didn’t spend time together, but her mum didn’t need to know that. The last thing Jen wanted was a lecture, even if it was on paper.
She finished the letter quickly after that and signed it, before brushing her hair and going down to the bar. Almost everybody had congregated there after the gig to wait for Bono, and now he and Edge were back, the crowd had diminished, though not by a lot.
Jen pushed her way through, suspecting she’d never get close to any of the band at this rate, until Edge spotted her and made his way towards her. They were grinning shyly at each other by the time they were in the same small space near the door.
“How is he?” Jen asked.
“Fine, really,” Edge replied. He hadn’t changed his clothes since the show in his haste to accompany Bono, but he didn’t smell bad. In fact, Jen had never wanted more to kiss him. “Dislocation, as Larry said, and he has to wear a sling for a while. That’s going to go down a treat, and I don’t think.” He glanced over at Bono, who was looking happy enough but still rather pale. “I’m going to make him go to bed soon, before he does more damage.”
“Good idea,” Jen nodded, and then smiled. “So you’re what, his caretaker or something?”
Edge laughed. It made his eyes twinkle. “Somebody has to be,” he said fondly. “Over the years I’ve come to realise that I’m the level-headed one.”
Jen wondered if he would flirt, so she tested the water. “Does that mean you’re not allowed any fun?” she teased, hoping she didn’t sound stupid.
If she did, though, Edge didn’t notice. He’d moved that little bit closer so they were almost touching. “Oh, I am, don’t worry.” His face flushed pink as he spoke, and Jen was enraptured. He was beautiful, and she didn’t care they were surrounded by dozens of people, or that normally she’d be shy in this sort of situation. She had to kiss him. She pushed up onto her toes, grabbed his arm and pulled him to her. She heard him sigh before he cupped her jaw in his hand and looked at her, properly, as if he was absorbing every detail of her face. She let out the tiniest moan, inaudible above the din of the crowd, and tugged him even closer. Their lips were less than an inch apart; Jen felt his breath, stared into his incredible eyes as she willed him to do it.
He wanted to, she could see it written plain as day across his face, but he wasn’t moving. She watched him open his mouth, and instead of a kiss he gave her words.
“Jen, this isn’t a good --”
But whatever he’d intended to say was lost when Jen, needing to satisfy the ache she felt, took control and kissed him.
It was fast, much faster than she’d anticipated. She had expected him to be careful and gentle, but once their lips touched he didn’t hold back. She fell into his rhythm and moved with him, against him, as their tongues met and Jen groaned. In response he tried to kiss deeper, though it was impossible, and she let her hands slide under his shirt, feeling the hair on his belly, wondering what that would feel like rubbing against her skin.
And then, just as suddenly as it started, the kiss was over. Jen’s pulse was racing, out of control, as Edge let go of her and stepped back, shaking his head. She reached for him, but he evaded her hand. She swallowed and could taste him on her tongue.
“Edge?”
“I’m sorry, Jen,” he said, backing further away. “I can’t, this isn’t a good idea.”
“Why not?” It felt like a bloody good idea to me.
He didn’t answer, and she wondered what on earth was going on, but then she caught a glimpse of the ring on his left hand and everything fell horribly into place. It was what she’d suspected but forgotten in her desperation to have him – he’s married.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, and to his credit he did look regretful, but Jen couldn’t get past the fact he’d been flirting with her, and had kissed her, when all the time he had a wife. He seemed so honest.
Before she could even think of what to say, he had gone over to Bono and was talking to him, their heads close together. He only looked at her once, giving her a small smile, and then seemed determined to shut her out. Jen stared back at Edge for a long time, and cursed herself for being so stupid, and for falling so hard.
*
Bono knew Beth was following him. She’d attempted to corner him in the bar three times, asking how he was feeling. He’d done his best to evade her, making a big deal of talking to Edge or else hiding behind crew members, but she’d found him every time. Now, as he walked down the corridor towards his hotel room, he tried not to think about how disappointed she looked when she realised he wasn’t making an effort to kiss her again, or even speak to her, for that matter.
Bono sighed, reaching into his left pocket for his key, wincing at the pain shooting from his shoulder as it moved a little with the action. He felt exhausted from the gig, uncomfortable from the injury and wiped out from the medication he’d had to take. He also felt terrible for his behaviour towards Beth, and wished he could explain. He couldn’t really put into words why he couldn’t face her sympathy and her touch at the moment. It wasn’t because he didn’t want her; he wanted her as much as he had the day she arrived on tour, if not more. The two kisses he had shared with her had been absolutely mind-blowing, and he had been looking forward to taking her out, spending quality time with her, finding out if she was the woman he wanted to be with.
But all his plans had been ruined when he fell on the stupid stage. Now he had to go around with a sling on, restricted, contained. That didn’t sit well with his personality, and it was bad enough he was going to have to do concerts like this, unable to express himself properly. To think of Beth seeing him like this, so unlike himself, wasn’t how he wanted their relationship – if they were going to have one – to begin. He hadn’t admitted to anyone, not even Edge, Larry or Adam, but he was feeling distinctly sorry for himself, and that was not an attractive trait in anybody.
She deserves better that this. Bono sighed again, sitting on his bed and contemplating how to get changed with one arm. He’d rejected Edge’s offer of help, too proud to admit he needed it, but now he wished he hadn’t. Being alone was something else that didn’t suit him, he realised, seeing Beth’s red hair in his mind’s eye and missing her already.
to be continued...
so glad you're back chickadee, it's really great how you keep the different stories going at the same time so the reader can imagine the full context of what's going on in the group.
