GraceRyan
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
Once again, this little ditty is untrue and a raving piece of fiction. All dialogue, thoughts and setting are a figment of my overactive imagination. So sit back and enjoy my madness.
Abigail sat on a couch in the employees’ lounge of Waterstones. She was bleary-eyed from her flight to London. It had been a busy week so far. She wrapped up the premiere in New Orleans and flew to New York. While in New York, she took some meetings before boarding a Thursday night flight to London. She hated flying. It was the wrong business to be in. As her family’s firm become more popular and business boomed, she saw less and less of her apartment and more and more airports and hotels. Staring out the window, she watched the lighted cottages of the North Atlantic coastline. Within two hours of being in the air, the sun was rising. She tried to recline her business class seat and sleep. Her mind wouldn’t let her. It’s not like there was a big dramatic scene the last time she saw Larry. Things between them were reaching a point where a discussion and some decisions would need to be made. It was still just a very close friendship but the feelings and gestures of something deeper were just under the surface of things. When the band decided to take a break for personal reasons, Abigail was shocked, relieved and hurt. This was her family. She, like her brother who had known them most of his life, was fiercely protective. She was ashamed that she let her feeling for Larry grow into that dangerous and exciting area.
South America was hot in every way. The continent oozed sex, corruption, addiction and beauty at once. It was easy to be intoxicated by the surroundings. Larry and Abigail spent plenty of time together while on tour. The band had spent clearly enough time together over the last year and while still rehearsing and meeting – they spent much of their play time away from one another. Adam was about to be engaged (a fact no one else knew). Bono had to save the world. Edge had his family. Yes, Larry had a family too – but spending time with Abigail – they fuzzed into the background.
After everyone dispersed, Abigail had hoped she would hear from Larry. No phone calls. No emails. She talked with the other three. She had traveled with Edge to the Music Rising kick-off. She had lunch with Bono and Ali when they were in the same city. It seemed that Larry was going back home and not looking back. She brushed it off as a convenient infatuation. They were at the same place at the same time with nothing else to do but crush on one another. But now, as she zoomed across the ocean, those feelings she buried and blew off came back to haunt her tenfold.
Andrew was there to collect her at the airport. She barely had enough time to go to the hotel and change into something less wrinkled. It was good that she really didn’t have much time to think about what to wear. On the plane, she couldn’t decide between capable casual or stunningly-eat-your-heart-out sexy. Telling herself that he probably wasn’t put as much thought into this, she grabbed the first two things out of her suitcase – a full knee length shirt and fitted button down shirt. Since it was a dreary London day, she pulled her hair into a ponytail. At least it wouldn’t frizz too much.
When she arrived, there had to be hundreds of fans pressed against steel barriers. Security ushered her and Andrew through the throng. Now she sat at Waterstones while Andrew pumping her with Americanos to keep her lucid. She listened as the Waterstones’ PR person went over the itinerary with her and Andrew.
“So, the band sent out 150 invitations by email?” she scribbled in her notebook.
The PR lady nodded. She was younger and clearly busting at the seams to meet U2. “And we’re letting an additional 100 in on a first come first serve basis.”
Abigail frowned. “That has disaster written all over it. You have ample security out there, right?”
The woman nodded. “Oh yes. We are making every effort to be fair.”
Abigail looked up at Andrew. “Are we doing this in Dublin and New York?”
“Yes,” he glanced at his watch.
“Is New York the only North American signing?” This could get ugly.
“As of right now, yes.” He shrugged.
“This could be a disaster in New York. How many chances were emailed out?” she continued to write notes.
“Abby, I don’t know. It will be fine.” He sat beside her on the couch.
“They should have sent 250 invitations and call it a day. No lines. Less chance of autograph seekers seeping in,” she glanced at him. He knew she was right. And she might have convinced them if she had been there at the birth of the idea.
“It will be fine,” he repeated firmly as if to say ‘drop it’.
She yawned. It was time for another coffee. “Why am I here again? Everything seems to be fine.”
“Y’know how these things go. You handle the fans and the band better than I can. Larry hates these things. Somehow you keep him calm and less tense,” Andrew said.
Abigail bit her lip. She wasn’t sure how calm either of them would be today.
Larry stared out the window as London zipped by. He couldn’t concentrate on any of the buildings or people. He never called her. There was an awkward and sad goodbye before he left for the airport. What was there to say? He went back home and lived his life as he had. Something was different and maybe Ann could tell. She never asked what was different and they lived in comfortable silence and friendship. He knew he would see Abigail again. He thought everything he felt would fade with time. As he sat in passenger side of the car, his stomach was in knots – like a first date. He hadn’t seen her in seven months. Sure, he had seen her magazines with her other clients or rumored to be linked with an actor. When he saw that, he could feel jealousy rise from within. The thought of someone else sickened him. Usually, the actor in questioned was rumored to be with Lindsay Lohan pr Paris Hilton and he felt better. The paparazzi photos could never do her justice. And he knew the moment he saw her, a tidal wave of repressed emotion threatened to wash him and his composure away.
Before he knew it, the car had stopped and his door was opened by his security. Another he missed about South America. He could walk the streets unnoticed. He felt free in so many ways. The moment the door opened, the screaming and squealing began. Everyone pushed against the barricades. It was just a discord chorus of his name being shouted over and over. Sighing, he paused for some signatures and photos. He thanked the fans for coming and flashed his trademark non-smile. He was ushered inside to giddy Waterstones’ staff lining the walls. He nodded as he passed. Up ahead, he saw Edge and Adam.
“You looked thrilled,” Edge remarked.
Larry rubbed his hands together. “These things make me anxious. It’s amazing to see so many fans here today, but it’s daunting.”
“Well, I hope you rested your wrist,” Adam said.
“Where’s Bono?” Larry smirked.
“I think he just got here,” Edge craned his neck behind him. “If he did – he’ll be out there for a few minutes.”
Larry scowled. He wanted to get this done and over with. He had to pack up his stuff at the hotel and get to a plane for Dublin. In fact, they all did. He trudged up the stairs behind Adam. He almost forgot about Abigail -until he heard her voice in the room down the hall.
Abigail sat on a couch in the employees’ lounge of Waterstones. She was bleary-eyed from her flight to London. It had been a busy week so far. She wrapped up the premiere in New Orleans and flew to New York. While in New York, she took some meetings before boarding a Thursday night flight to London. She hated flying. It was the wrong business to be in. As her family’s firm become more popular and business boomed, she saw less and less of her apartment and more and more airports and hotels. Staring out the window, she watched the lighted cottages of the North Atlantic coastline. Within two hours of being in the air, the sun was rising. She tried to recline her business class seat and sleep. Her mind wouldn’t let her. It’s not like there was a big dramatic scene the last time she saw Larry. Things between them were reaching a point where a discussion and some decisions would need to be made. It was still just a very close friendship but the feelings and gestures of something deeper were just under the surface of things. When the band decided to take a break for personal reasons, Abigail was shocked, relieved and hurt. This was her family. She, like her brother who had known them most of his life, was fiercely protective. She was ashamed that she let her feeling for Larry grow into that dangerous and exciting area.
South America was hot in every way. The continent oozed sex, corruption, addiction and beauty at once. It was easy to be intoxicated by the surroundings. Larry and Abigail spent plenty of time together while on tour. The band had spent clearly enough time together over the last year and while still rehearsing and meeting – they spent much of their play time away from one another. Adam was about to be engaged (a fact no one else knew). Bono had to save the world. Edge had his family. Yes, Larry had a family too – but spending time with Abigail – they fuzzed into the background.
After everyone dispersed, Abigail had hoped she would hear from Larry. No phone calls. No emails. She talked with the other three. She had traveled with Edge to the Music Rising kick-off. She had lunch with Bono and Ali when they were in the same city. It seemed that Larry was going back home and not looking back. She brushed it off as a convenient infatuation. They were at the same place at the same time with nothing else to do but crush on one another. But now, as she zoomed across the ocean, those feelings she buried and blew off came back to haunt her tenfold.
Andrew was there to collect her at the airport. She barely had enough time to go to the hotel and change into something less wrinkled. It was good that she really didn’t have much time to think about what to wear. On the plane, she couldn’t decide between capable casual or stunningly-eat-your-heart-out sexy. Telling herself that he probably wasn’t put as much thought into this, she grabbed the first two things out of her suitcase – a full knee length shirt and fitted button down shirt. Since it was a dreary London day, she pulled her hair into a ponytail. At least it wouldn’t frizz too much.
When she arrived, there had to be hundreds of fans pressed against steel barriers. Security ushered her and Andrew through the throng. Now she sat at Waterstones while Andrew pumping her with Americanos to keep her lucid. She listened as the Waterstones’ PR person went over the itinerary with her and Andrew.
“So, the band sent out 150 invitations by email?” she scribbled in her notebook.
The PR lady nodded. She was younger and clearly busting at the seams to meet U2. “And we’re letting an additional 100 in on a first come first serve basis.”
Abigail frowned. “That has disaster written all over it. You have ample security out there, right?”
The woman nodded. “Oh yes. We are making every effort to be fair.”
Abigail looked up at Andrew. “Are we doing this in Dublin and New York?”
“Yes,” he glanced at his watch.
“Is New York the only North American signing?” This could get ugly.
“As of right now, yes.” He shrugged.
“This could be a disaster in New York. How many chances were emailed out?” she continued to write notes.
“Abby, I don’t know. It will be fine.” He sat beside her on the couch.
“They should have sent 250 invitations and call it a day. No lines. Less chance of autograph seekers seeping in,” she glanced at him. He knew she was right. And she might have convinced them if she had been there at the birth of the idea.
“It will be fine,” he repeated firmly as if to say ‘drop it’.
She yawned. It was time for another coffee. “Why am I here again? Everything seems to be fine.”
“Y’know how these things go. You handle the fans and the band better than I can. Larry hates these things. Somehow you keep him calm and less tense,” Andrew said.
Abigail bit her lip. She wasn’t sure how calm either of them would be today.
Larry stared out the window as London zipped by. He couldn’t concentrate on any of the buildings or people. He never called her. There was an awkward and sad goodbye before he left for the airport. What was there to say? He went back home and lived his life as he had. Something was different and maybe Ann could tell. She never asked what was different and they lived in comfortable silence and friendship. He knew he would see Abigail again. He thought everything he felt would fade with time. As he sat in passenger side of the car, his stomach was in knots – like a first date. He hadn’t seen her in seven months. Sure, he had seen her magazines with her other clients or rumored to be linked with an actor. When he saw that, he could feel jealousy rise from within. The thought of someone else sickened him. Usually, the actor in questioned was rumored to be with Lindsay Lohan pr Paris Hilton and he felt better. The paparazzi photos could never do her justice. And he knew the moment he saw her, a tidal wave of repressed emotion threatened to wash him and his composure away.
Before he knew it, the car had stopped and his door was opened by his security. Another he missed about South America. He could walk the streets unnoticed. He felt free in so many ways. The moment the door opened, the screaming and squealing began. Everyone pushed against the barricades. It was just a discord chorus of his name being shouted over and over. Sighing, he paused for some signatures and photos. He thanked the fans for coming and flashed his trademark non-smile. He was ushered inside to giddy Waterstones’ staff lining the walls. He nodded as he passed. Up ahead, he saw Edge and Adam.
“You looked thrilled,” Edge remarked.
Larry rubbed his hands together. “These things make me anxious. It’s amazing to see so many fans here today, but it’s daunting.”
“Well, I hope you rested your wrist,” Adam said.
“Where’s Bono?” Larry smirked.
“I think he just got here,” Edge craned his neck behind him. “If he did – he’ll be out there for a few minutes.”
Larry scowled. He wanted to get this done and over with. He had to pack up his stuff at the hotel and get to a plane for Dublin. In fact, they all did. He trudged up the stairs behind Adam. He almost forgot about Abigail -until he heard her voice in the room down the hall.
