Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
**The following is a work of pure fiction. None of the events represented are meant to be mistaken for reality in any way. I do not ‘know’ U2 or any of the other people represented in the story, and I am writing this without permission from … well, anyone. No offense to anyone. It’s all meant in good fun. At this point in their career, most of the guys were already in committed relationships to real women. In this story, however, they are all completely single and unattached. Some employees have also been replaced with fictional characters; purely for the sake of entertainment. No offense intended to the people who filled those job positions in reality. Consider it a ‘What if..?’
Chapter Two
The minute the band took the stage, Alyx knew they were not just any group. Any random four young men could be handed instruments and taught to make music. There was something bigger about this combination. The lead singer; Bono, made each person in the audience feel as if they were a part of the show. Everyone in the audience felt acknowledged, appreciated. Involved.
The guitar player; a boy who was called ‘The Edge’ for whatever reason, was clearly not satisfied with learning to play the guitar the same way everyone else had. He held it in his hands as if it were the first one of its kind, and the sounds he managed to create with it were not the same as every other guitar player who had come before. He had taken the guitar part and made it something new altogether.
The bass player performed most of the show with a cigarette dangling from his temptingly full lips, blue eyes peeking out at the crowd occasionally from beneath layers of blonde curls. He wielded his instrument more like it was a weapon. He was a rebel soldier, defying whatever authority tried to control his life. He carried himself with a defiant strut which dared anyone to try and get in his way or to tell him what to do. His skill was nothing special, really, but the simplicity of the bass line created the necessary anchor the songs needed to keep from drifting completely into uncharted and unfriendly territory.
What Alyx found most fascinating, though, was the last member of the band. The drummer was no more than eighteen or nineteen, though none of the boys were much older, he was definitely the youngest. He had a babyface despite all his attempts to appear tough, though, Alyx suspected, he was an old soul in a young body. There was a tension in his shoulders, a ferocity in the way he pounded out the driving rhythms which propelled the music.
She found herself, more than once, studying the boys face as he played; the passion playing out across his youthful features vividly. There were moments when he seemed almost as if he were in painful agony, and yet others in which she would swear it was more the throes of passion she was seeing.
Not one of the musicians ever seemed to rest while on stage; each of them using their entire body and soul to create this music which was clearly so personal. Continual motion, that was the way she would describe them in her article. The music seemed to fuel them, drive them on to keep performing. When they finally closed the show, bringing the energy level of the crowd back down to a calmer state by playing the title song from their album, October, Alyx felt as if she’d just shared a very intimate experience with them. She glanced around the audience and could tell that she was not the only one.
*****************************************************************
Holly was blown away by the concert, having had no previous exposure to U2’s music. She felt as if she had just discovered ice cream or sunshine, and she was practically floating on that energy as she helped the rest of the crew break down the instruments and pack them up to be taken to Nottingham for the next nights show.
She was still wound up as she fidgeted with the key to her hotel room, which she had only just found out, she would be sharing with Natalie. They were about as far apart in job position as they could get, but the budget for this tour was not particularly grandiose, and there weren’t that many women in the crew. So, they had ended up together.
“Hey, it’s the new girl.” She smiled as she heard the now familiar accent behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at Adam and could tell he’d been celebrating for some time already.
“Hey. Why didn’t you tell me you were in the band?” she asked, turning away from the frustrating lock for a moment.
“Why didn’t you know?” He replied with a smirk. Holly’s blushing cheeks was apparently answer enough to his question. “You aren’t going to bed already, are you?” he asked, nodding to the door as he lit a cigarette with surprising ease considering his state of inebriation.
“I didn’t realize there was anything else going on.” She told him honestly, accepting the cigarette when he offered it to her. She kept her green eyes locked on his blues as she wrapped her lips around the filter and took a long, lingering drag. He smiled at her, a full, toothy grin which was exactly what Holly had been hoping for.
“You are new.” He said playfully, wrapped a wiry arm around her shoulders and leading her away from her room. “There’s always something going on after a show.” He told her as they made their way to a crowded hotel room which she soon learned had been turned into the after-after-party. The place where those people who were not yet ready to call it a night went after the initial backstage gathering.
It didn’t take long for Holly to find herself seated on an already crowded couch with a can of the darkest, most bitter beer she had ever tasted in her hand. She scanned the room to see an eclectic mix of musicians and crew, management and she could only assume locals who had been involved in scheduling the concert for the University.
“So,” Adam said, smacking his lips in that either endearing or annoying (she hadn’t decided quite yet) way of his. “Holly, where are you from?” He asked this as he squeezed in between Holly and the arm of the couch, though there really wasn’t any room for her to move over. That is, unless she wanted to sit on the guitar players lap. She was fairly certain he would be a bit shocked if she had done that.
“What are you doing?” The young man asked, his gaze falling on his mate rather than Holly herself, even if she was the one nudging him over further and further on the couch.
“I’m sitting.” Adam replied simply, taking a long drink to hide the smirk on his face. “Edge, this is Holly, our new roadie. Holly, this is ‘The Edge’. His closest friends just call him ‘The’.”
“Edge, just Edge is fine.” The young man laughed as he made eye contact with Holly for the first time. His sea green eyes shimmered in the dim lighting of the hotel room, and Holly blinked in surprise at their startlingly beautiful color.
“Holly.” She told him, self-consciously brushing her feathered hair back with one hand.
“So, where is it you’re from, then? America, obviously, but what part?” Adam asked, drawing her attention back to him. As if she could have forgotten he was there, when their legs were pressed up against one another, his arm resting across the back of the couch, making it temptingly easy for her to rest her head against his chest.
“California.” She replied.
“Los Angeles?” Adam inquired, and Holly bit her lip to repress a giggle at his pronunciation. She doubted she’d ever get tired of the way these boys talked. Although Adam and Edge’s accents weren’t quite the same as Bono and Larry’s, Holly tended to like them just a bit more. Maybe that was because she hadn’t had to ask them to repeat themselves yet, as she had Larry. The third time she had asked him what he had just said he’d muttered what she was fairly certain was a profanity and stomped off, shaking his head.
“No, I grew up in a small town in Northern Cali.” She replied. “But my Uncle is from LA, so I’ve spent some time there.” She looked up into Adam’s sleepy blue eyes and he smiled at her, a smile which sent shivers down her spine. She had been smiled at in that way before, though not by someone as worldly as this young man. Her heartbeat skipped time in her chest and she quickly cast her eyes down to look at the can of beer she was holding.
She wasn’t sure how long they sat there, sandwiched between Edge and Adam in a room which was alive with the comings and goings of different people in the music industry. She was floating somewhere above reality, but this was no dream. This was what she had so wanted when she had started looking for a job. Everything was new and exciting.
Edge asked her a lot of questions about California, about her family and about music. Adam mostly just sat there, finding one way or another to make constant contact with her and making sure she had something to drink or smoke. He was quiet, but every time she turned to look at him, it was clear that he wasn’t bored by her conversation with Edge. Every time their eyes met, a surge of electric anticipation shot through her body.
Holly excused herself to find the restroom, standing for a long moment before the vanity mirror and wondering if she should slow down a bit. The room was swaying a bit when she walked, her stomach feeling warm and rather full. She had to blink a few times to be sure she was quite focused on herself as she fixed her hair and touched up her lipstick. She sighed as she thought of her mothers parting words,
“I want you to ask yourself one question before you make any decisions. Any decision, no matter what. Ask yourself if you would be embarrassed if your father or I were to find out about what you’re about to do. It’ll help you avoid making choices you’ll regret.”
Would mother be embarrassed? She wondered briefly. She decided she hadn’t done anything wrong. She was old enough to drink, and she’d simply been getting to know the people she’d be working with for the next year. Even the flirting had simply been fun, friendly. And if it turned into more? Well, she was nineteen years old, she was entitled to a few rash decisions.
When she emerged from the bathroom, the party had shrunk considerably. As she crossed the room to sit on the couch beside Adam again, she knew that she was swaying despite her best efforts to seem unaffected. Adam’s grin told her he had noticed as well.
“I think maybe it would be best if someone helped you back to your room.” He said, leaning in close and whispering conspiratorially in her ear. As if no one else had noticed that she was three sheets to the wind. She smiled and nodded, sending the room rocking wildly before her eyes. Adam stubbed out what was left of a cigarette into an old paper cup which had long ago been turned into an ashtray, then stood and stretched dramatically.
Holly accepted his hand and let him help her stand, feeling warm and safe as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Maybe I should come with you…” Edge started, sliding to the front of his seat and about to stand up. His eyes swept upward, above Holly’s face and his words drifted off. His green eyes flashed dark and he pursed his lips before looking at Holly again. Holly glanced up to look at Adam, but saw no sign of whatever had taken Edge’s words away.
“Do you want me to come with you guys? Make sure you’re alright?” He asked, and Holly smiled and shook her head.
“That’s ok. I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.” She told him, watching him settle back onto the couch with a sigh. She wondered briefly what was bothering him, but as Adam led her out of the suite and into the hallway, her thoughts scattered.
They made it most of the way to her room, somehow, before she gave in to the temptation to look up at Adam. The sexual tension that had been simmering finally boiled over when their eyes met, and within seconds, his mouth covered hers. Warm and soft and wet, their mouths meshed against one another, Holly’s hands in the mass of soft curls on Adam’s head. Adam’s hands were at her hips, on her back, under her arms as he guided her to lean against the wall.
Holly felt more than heard the moan that escaped her throat when those huge hands cupped her backside, one knee sliding in between her thighs as he pressed his body against hers. She was grateful for the wall behind her because she couldn’t tell up from down any longer, the world was spinning around her and Adam seemed to surround her, his mouth against hers again and again, hungrily. His hands were everywhere, one leg between hers.
*Oh god!* She thought, gasping for breath, *is this what it was supposed to be like?* She’d sure as hell never had such an erotic encounter before. Her entire body was awake and buzzing. His hungry mouth found hers again and his tongue entered her mouth without hesitation or doubt, rubbing up against her own tongue like two lovers dancing.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard the sound of a door opening. Her mind didn’t recognize it, nor did it alert her to the possible implications of it, but she did hear it. As Adam started to pull away, she caught his lower lip between her teeth and gave it a gentle tug, sucking on it afterwards to ease the sting. Adam let out a low moan, his hands sliding up into her hair and kissing her hard, forgetting to look in the direction of the sound he’d meant to investigate.
The sound of someone clearing their throat somehow broke through the haze of lust that was numbing their minds. Practically panting for air, the duo turned their heads to see Natalie standing in the doorway to the room she and Holly were sharing. She had an ice bucket in one hand, her purse and room key in the other.
Her head was bent slightly forward, her eyes on the floor, as if embarrassed at the sight of them. By the thrust of her jaw and her pursed lips, though, it seemed more likely she was irritated or angry, even.
Adam turned back to Holly with a roguish smirk, leaning in to steal one last kiss.
“Right. Good night, then.” He told her, making her giggle. She covered her mouth with one hand to stifle her laughter, feeling like a twelve year old who had just been kissed for the first time. She watched him walk away, his strut as cocky as ever. She moved away from the wall and swayed slightly, her knees feeling a bit like jelly.
“Holly, you shouldn’t get involved with any of the boys in the band.” Natalie warned her as she stumbled past the older woman and into their room. She dropped down onto one of the beds, still grinning madly. “If things get awkward, as they undoubtedly will when you jump into bed with someone you work with, you’re the one who’s replaceable.”
Natalie wondered briefly if she was trying to convince the girl or herself. She’d certainly been telling herself that exact thing a lot in the past few days. Holly wasn’t listening, either way, she knew. Logic wasn’t likely to pierce her mind at that moment. Natalie just hoped she would come to her senses before she ruined this opportunity for herself.
************************************************************
The next morning many of the crew members and every member of the band was awakened by a pounding on their door which continued to echo in their heads long after the actual noise had stopped. They had a three hour drive to Nottingham ahead of them, then set-up, sound check and rehearsal before their actual gig.
When she boarded the bus, Natalie looked around at the boys, all with bloodshot eyes and sickly pale skin. She was hopeful that it would be warm enough to keep a window or two open, because she knew from the looks on their faces someone’s stomach would surely rebel before they reached the club in Nottingham.
“You look chipper this morning.” Bono commented as she passed him. She glanced down at him and he made a face at her, as if he were disgusted by her lack of a hangover. She fought back a smile and settled into the seat behind him.
“You look like something my cat coughed up.” She told him playfully.
“Thanks, seriously, thank you. That was very nice.” He played along, pretending to be offended.
“You may be young and healthy, but touring is hard enough without the constant partying. It’s a lesson best learned early in your career.” She told him more seriously.
“I don’t accept second hand advice.”
“What?”
“I’ll only accept advice about things you’ve actually gone through yourself.” He explained.
“You think I’ve never partied with a band I was working with?” She laughed.
“I can’t see it, no.” He told her, his blue eyes hidden under heavy eyelids. “Can you see it The Edge?” He said, stretching one foot across the aisle of the bus to nudge his friend.
“See what?” Edge asked, looking up from the notebook he’d been scribbling in.
“Natalie here as a party girl.” Bono replied, and Edge glanced back at Natalie appraisingly.
“Uh…” he stammered, chuckling at the question.
“What about you, Lar?” Bono asked, tossing a paperwad up into the seat in front of Edge’s where Larry had been stretched out, trying to sleep as the bus slowly rolled away from the hotel. Larry’s head appeared in the aisle as he leaned out to look at them.
“Sure.” He informed them. “She wasn’t always old.” He added with a broad grin that made Natalie smile despite herself.
“Hey!” She objected as they all laughed at Larry’s comment. “Men may be old at age 30 but women are just hitting their peak.” She replied. This made the boys hoot with laughter and suggest the ways in which a woman might be better at thirty than at nineteen or twenty. Many were not particularly flattering, and those that could be made her cheeks flush red.
She was thankful when they turned their attention to the new lyrics Edge had been working on and seemed to forget about her presence. She relaxed and nearly dozed off listening to the chatter as they discussed possible variations, Bono singing the words in a wide variety of possible ways.
She felt truly blessed to be here, witnessing the moment. It was the birth of another song which was as unique as the band itself. They were moving towards a particularly political theme for their next album, and she had a feeling it was going to be powerful.
Deep down she knew it wasn’t all because of that; but because she loved to listen to him. His voice was beautiful. Not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but beautiful. Enchanting.
“It takes a second to say goodbye, push the button pull the plug…”
Chapter Two
The minute the band took the stage, Alyx knew they were not just any group. Any random four young men could be handed instruments and taught to make music. There was something bigger about this combination. The lead singer; Bono, made each person in the audience feel as if they were a part of the show. Everyone in the audience felt acknowledged, appreciated. Involved.
The guitar player; a boy who was called ‘The Edge’ for whatever reason, was clearly not satisfied with learning to play the guitar the same way everyone else had. He held it in his hands as if it were the first one of its kind, and the sounds he managed to create with it were not the same as every other guitar player who had come before. He had taken the guitar part and made it something new altogether.
The bass player performed most of the show with a cigarette dangling from his temptingly full lips, blue eyes peeking out at the crowd occasionally from beneath layers of blonde curls. He wielded his instrument more like it was a weapon. He was a rebel soldier, defying whatever authority tried to control his life. He carried himself with a defiant strut which dared anyone to try and get in his way or to tell him what to do. His skill was nothing special, really, but the simplicity of the bass line created the necessary anchor the songs needed to keep from drifting completely into uncharted and unfriendly territory.
What Alyx found most fascinating, though, was the last member of the band. The drummer was no more than eighteen or nineteen, though none of the boys were much older, he was definitely the youngest. He had a babyface despite all his attempts to appear tough, though, Alyx suspected, he was an old soul in a young body. There was a tension in his shoulders, a ferocity in the way he pounded out the driving rhythms which propelled the music.
She found herself, more than once, studying the boys face as he played; the passion playing out across his youthful features vividly. There were moments when he seemed almost as if he were in painful agony, and yet others in which she would swear it was more the throes of passion she was seeing.
Not one of the musicians ever seemed to rest while on stage; each of them using their entire body and soul to create this music which was clearly so personal. Continual motion, that was the way she would describe them in her article. The music seemed to fuel them, drive them on to keep performing. When they finally closed the show, bringing the energy level of the crowd back down to a calmer state by playing the title song from their album, October, Alyx felt as if she’d just shared a very intimate experience with them. She glanced around the audience and could tell that she was not the only one.
*****************************************************************
Holly was blown away by the concert, having had no previous exposure to U2’s music. She felt as if she had just discovered ice cream or sunshine, and she was practically floating on that energy as she helped the rest of the crew break down the instruments and pack them up to be taken to Nottingham for the next nights show.
She was still wound up as she fidgeted with the key to her hotel room, which she had only just found out, she would be sharing with Natalie. They were about as far apart in job position as they could get, but the budget for this tour was not particularly grandiose, and there weren’t that many women in the crew. So, they had ended up together.
“Hey, it’s the new girl.” She smiled as she heard the now familiar accent behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at Adam and could tell he’d been celebrating for some time already.
“Hey. Why didn’t you tell me you were in the band?” she asked, turning away from the frustrating lock for a moment.
“Why didn’t you know?” He replied with a smirk. Holly’s blushing cheeks was apparently answer enough to his question. “You aren’t going to bed already, are you?” he asked, nodding to the door as he lit a cigarette with surprising ease considering his state of inebriation.
“I didn’t realize there was anything else going on.” She told him honestly, accepting the cigarette when he offered it to her. She kept her green eyes locked on his blues as she wrapped her lips around the filter and took a long, lingering drag. He smiled at her, a full, toothy grin which was exactly what Holly had been hoping for.
“You are new.” He said playfully, wrapped a wiry arm around her shoulders and leading her away from her room. “There’s always something going on after a show.” He told her as they made their way to a crowded hotel room which she soon learned had been turned into the after-after-party. The place where those people who were not yet ready to call it a night went after the initial backstage gathering.
It didn’t take long for Holly to find herself seated on an already crowded couch with a can of the darkest, most bitter beer she had ever tasted in her hand. She scanned the room to see an eclectic mix of musicians and crew, management and she could only assume locals who had been involved in scheduling the concert for the University.
“So,” Adam said, smacking his lips in that either endearing or annoying (she hadn’t decided quite yet) way of his. “Holly, where are you from?” He asked this as he squeezed in between Holly and the arm of the couch, though there really wasn’t any room for her to move over. That is, unless she wanted to sit on the guitar players lap. She was fairly certain he would be a bit shocked if she had done that.
“What are you doing?” The young man asked, his gaze falling on his mate rather than Holly herself, even if she was the one nudging him over further and further on the couch.
“I’m sitting.” Adam replied simply, taking a long drink to hide the smirk on his face. “Edge, this is Holly, our new roadie. Holly, this is ‘The Edge’. His closest friends just call him ‘The’.”
“Edge, just Edge is fine.” The young man laughed as he made eye contact with Holly for the first time. His sea green eyes shimmered in the dim lighting of the hotel room, and Holly blinked in surprise at their startlingly beautiful color.
“Holly.” She told him, self-consciously brushing her feathered hair back with one hand.
“So, where is it you’re from, then? America, obviously, but what part?” Adam asked, drawing her attention back to him. As if she could have forgotten he was there, when their legs were pressed up against one another, his arm resting across the back of the couch, making it temptingly easy for her to rest her head against his chest.
“California.” She replied.
“Los Angeles?” Adam inquired, and Holly bit her lip to repress a giggle at his pronunciation. She doubted she’d ever get tired of the way these boys talked. Although Adam and Edge’s accents weren’t quite the same as Bono and Larry’s, Holly tended to like them just a bit more. Maybe that was because she hadn’t had to ask them to repeat themselves yet, as she had Larry. The third time she had asked him what he had just said he’d muttered what she was fairly certain was a profanity and stomped off, shaking his head.
“No, I grew up in a small town in Northern Cali.” She replied. “But my Uncle is from LA, so I’ve spent some time there.” She looked up into Adam’s sleepy blue eyes and he smiled at her, a smile which sent shivers down her spine. She had been smiled at in that way before, though not by someone as worldly as this young man. Her heartbeat skipped time in her chest and she quickly cast her eyes down to look at the can of beer she was holding.
She wasn’t sure how long they sat there, sandwiched between Edge and Adam in a room which was alive with the comings and goings of different people in the music industry. She was floating somewhere above reality, but this was no dream. This was what she had so wanted when she had started looking for a job. Everything was new and exciting.
Edge asked her a lot of questions about California, about her family and about music. Adam mostly just sat there, finding one way or another to make constant contact with her and making sure she had something to drink or smoke. He was quiet, but every time she turned to look at him, it was clear that he wasn’t bored by her conversation with Edge. Every time their eyes met, a surge of electric anticipation shot through her body.
Holly excused herself to find the restroom, standing for a long moment before the vanity mirror and wondering if she should slow down a bit. The room was swaying a bit when she walked, her stomach feeling warm and rather full. She had to blink a few times to be sure she was quite focused on herself as she fixed her hair and touched up her lipstick. She sighed as she thought of her mothers parting words,
“I want you to ask yourself one question before you make any decisions. Any decision, no matter what. Ask yourself if you would be embarrassed if your father or I were to find out about what you’re about to do. It’ll help you avoid making choices you’ll regret.”
Would mother be embarrassed? She wondered briefly. She decided she hadn’t done anything wrong. She was old enough to drink, and she’d simply been getting to know the people she’d be working with for the next year. Even the flirting had simply been fun, friendly. And if it turned into more? Well, she was nineteen years old, she was entitled to a few rash decisions.
When she emerged from the bathroom, the party had shrunk considerably. As she crossed the room to sit on the couch beside Adam again, she knew that she was swaying despite her best efforts to seem unaffected. Adam’s grin told her he had noticed as well.
“I think maybe it would be best if someone helped you back to your room.” He said, leaning in close and whispering conspiratorially in her ear. As if no one else had noticed that she was three sheets to the wind. She smiled and nodded, sending the room rocking wildly before her eyes. Adam stubbed out what was left of a cigarette into an old paper cup which had long ago been turned into an ashtray, then stood and stretched dramatically.
Holly accepted his hand and let him help her stand, feeling warm and safe as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Maybe I should come with you…” Edge started, sliding to the front of his seat and about to stand up. His eyes swept upward, above Holly’s face and his words drifted off. His green eyes flashed dark and he pursed his lips before looking at Holly again. Holly glanced up to look at Adam, but saw no sign of whatever had taken Edge’s words away.
“Do you want me to come with you guys? Make sure you’re alright?” He asked, and Holly smiled and shook her head.
“That’s ok. I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.” She told him, watching him settle back onto the couch with a sigh. She wondered briefly what was bothering him, but as Adam led her out of the suite and into the hallway, her thoughts scattered.
They made it most of the way to her room, somehow, before she gave in to the temptation to look up at Adam. The sexual tension that had been simmering finally boiled over when their eyes met, and within seconds, his mouth covered hers. Warm and soft and wet, their mouths meshed against one another, Holly’s hands in the mass of soft curls on Adam’s head. Adam’s hands were at her hips, on her back, under her arms as he guided her to lean against the wall.
Holly felt more than heard the moan that escaped her throat when those huge hands cupped her backside, one knee sliding in between her thighs as he pressed his body against hers. She was grateful for the wall behind her because she couldn’t tell up from down any longer, the world was spinning around her and Adam seemed to surround her, his mouth against hers again and again, hungrily. His hands were everywhere, one leg between hers.
*Oh god!* She thought, gasping for breath, *is this what it was supposed to be like?* She’d sure as hell never had such an erotic encounter before. Her entire body was awake and buzzing. His hungry mouth found hers again and his tongue entered her mouth without hesitation or doubt, rubbing up against her own tongue like two lovers dancing.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard the sound of a door opening. Her mind didn’t recognize it, nor did it alert her to the possible implications of it, but she did hear it. As Adam started to pull away, she caught his lower lip between her teeth and gave it a gentle tug, sucking on it afterwards to ease the sting. Adam let out a low moan, his hands sliding up into her hair and kissing her hard, forgetting to look in the direction of the sound he’d meant to investigate.
The sound of someone clearing their throat somehow broke through the haze of lust that was numbing their minds. Practically panting for air, the duo turned their heads to see Natalie standing in the doorway to the room she and Holly were sharing. She had an ice bucket in one hand, her purse and room key in the other.
Her head was bent slightly forward, her eyes on the floor, as if embarrassed at the sight of them. By the thrust of her jaw and her pursed lips, though, it seemed more likely she was irritated or angry, even.
Adam turned back to Holly with a roguish smirk, leaning in to steal one last kiss.
“Right. Good night, then.” He told her, making her giggle. She covered her mouth with one hand to stifle her laughter, feeling like a twelve year old who had just been kissed for the first time. She watched him walk away, his strut as cocky as ever. She moved away from the wall and swayed slightly, her knees feeling a bit like jelly.
“Holly, you shouldn’t get involved with any of the boys in the band.” Natalie warned her as she stumbled past the older woman and into their room. She dropped down onto one of the beds, still grinning madly. “If things get awkward, as they undoubtedly will when you jump into bed with someone you work with, you’re the one who’s replaceable.”
Natalie wondered briefly if she was trying to convince the girl or herself. She’d certainly been telling herself that exact thing a lot in the past few days. Holly wasn’t listening, either way, she knew. Logic wasn’t likely to pierce her mind at that moment. Natalie just hoped she would come to her senses before she ruined this opportunity for herself.
************************************************************
The next morning many of the crew members and every member of the band was awakened by a pounding on their door which continued to echo in their heads long after the actual noise had stopped. They had a three hour drive to Nottingham ahead of them, then set-up, sound check and rehearsal before their actual gig.
When she boarded the bus, Natalie looked around at the boys, all with bloodshot eyes and sickly pale skin. She was hopeful that it would be warm enough to keep a window or two open, because she knew from the looks on their faces someone’s stomach would surely rebel before they reached the club in Nottingham.
“You look chipper this morning.” Bono commented as she passed him. She glanced down at him and he made a face at her, as if he were disgusted by her lack of a hangover. She fought back a smile and settled into the seat behind him.
“You look like something my cat coughed up.” She told him playfully.
“Thanks, seriously, thank you. That was very nice.” He played along, pretending to be offended.
“You may be young and healthy, but touring is hard enough without the constant partying. It’s a lesson best learned early in your career.” She told him more seriously.
“I don’t accept second hand advice.”
“What?”
“I’ll only accept advice about things you’ve actually gone through yourself.” He explained.
“You think I’ve never partied with a band I was working with?” She laughed.
“I can’t see it, no.” He told her, his blue eyes hidden under heavy eyelids. “Can you see it The Edge?” He said, stretching one foot across the aisle of the bus to nudge his friend.
“See what?” Edge asked, looking up from the notebook he’d been scribbling in.
“Natalie here as a party girl.” Bono replied, and Edge glanced back at Natalie appraisingly.
“Uh…” he stammered, chuckling at the question.
“What about you, Lar?” Bono asked, tossing a paperwad up into the seat in front of Edge’s where Larry had been stretched out, trying to sleep as the bus slowly rolled away from the hotel. Larry’s head appeared in the aisle as he leaned out to look at them.
“Sure.” He informed them. “She wasn’t always old.” He added with a broad grin that made Natalie smile despite herself.
“Hey!” She objected as they all laughed at Larry’s comment. “Men may be old at age 30 but women are just hitting their peak.” She replied. This made the boys hoot with laughter and suggest the ways in which a woman might be better at thirty than at nineteen or twenty. Many were not particularly flattering, and those that could be made her cheeks flush red.
She was thankful when they turned their attention to the new lyrics Edge had been working on and seemed to forget about her presence. She relaxed and nearly dozed off listening to the chatter as they discussed possible variations, Bono singing the words in a wide variety of possible ways.
She felt truly blessed to be here, witnessing the moment. It was the birth of another song which was as unique as the band itself. They were moving towards a particularly political theme for their next album, and she had a feeling it was going to be powerful.
Deep down she knew it wasn’t all because of that; but because she loved to listen to him. His voice was beautiful. Not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but beautiful. Enchanting.
“It takes a second to say goodbye, push the button pull the plug…”
Loved it, SG! Keep it coming!!
