chickadee
New Yorker
Hey! Here's the next part. I think it might be a bit shorter, but I'll try to make up for that in the next chapter.
Thanks once again for the comments and for reading, it's lovely of you all. And again, U2 don't belong to me, or else I'd be doing something other than writing fiction. Heh.
Love Rescue Me
Chapter 9
Beth had decided she was sick of being on tour. It was tedious and, at times, stupid. She didn’t understand why they had driven seven hours from Boston to Washington, only to go back the way they had come for a gig in Foxboro. They had travelled there yesterday; the bus had been stuffy and even Jen’s company hadn’t totally relieved Beth’s boredom. She couldn’t sleep on buses, so she’d been tired and cranky by the time they arrived at their destination. Both she and Jen had foregone whatever sightseeing there might have been, in order to get some rest and do some work. They’d planned to have a few drinks in the bar and not speak to any bothersome men, but had ended up watching TV with a takeaway, bemoaning the state of their non-existent love lives.
Now Beth was hanging around the back of the arena, scribbling notes in her trusty pad. She hadn’t gone to the gig, choosing instead to snap photos of the venue and interview a few fans. Having left her Dictaphone back at the hotel, she was resorting to writing everything down, which was difficult when people talked so fast and kept rushing off before she’d double-checked what they’d told her.
“Fuck this,” she muttered under her breath as a gust of wind whipped her hair into her face, making it impossible to see what she was doing. She had no idea why she continued to be here. Sure, it was a great job, or it seemed to be, but with Bono refusing to talk to her, Larry hating her guts, Edge making a fool of her friend and Adam moping around, there was a distinct lack of fun going on. She actually found herself missing life in the office with Alex. God, things must be really bad.
Jen banged the back entrance door and walked over to where Beth was crouched over her notebook.
“He definitely went to the hospital for a check-up, with Edge,” she said, sounding as pissed off as Beth felt, which was unusual for Jen. She’d never so much as been annoyed since she joined the tour, but Beth knew exactly what had brought about the change. Stupid fucking rock stars we should never have gone near.
“Great. Well, why am I surprised? He’s made it quite clear I’m not to go anywhere near him.” Beth gave up her task and stood, wincing as she straightened her legs. “Men are losers.”
“They are,” Jen nodded, tying her hair back and putting up the hood of her jacket against the wind. “And they smell bad.”
Beth grinned as she and Jen began to walk; the hotel wasn’t far from the arena, and neither of them had dared ask for a lift. “And they can’t communicate.”
As they rounded the corner into the main road, Jen sighed. “But, y’know, Edge doesn’t smell bad. He smells amazing.”
Beth didn’t blame her for caving so soon. “Yeah. And Bono’s the most articulate man I’ve ever met. Which might not be saying much about the rest.” They laughed, and for about the fifth time that day she felt blessed to have Jen there with her. She thought she might have gone crazy otherwise.
“I have to talk to him,” Jen said eventually, after a long silence. They were approaching the hotel, its lights showing the way. “I can’t avoid him forever. I don’t even want to. But I just don’t know what to say. He’s married, Beth.”
“I know,” Beth nodded. “Not as easy obstacle to overcome. At least maybe you could be friends with him? It’s better than nothing, surely.”
“Yeah, it is,” Jen agreed, holding the front door of the hotel open for Beth. “I’d rather we were friends than I lose him altogether. I couldn’t stand that.”
“I can’t stand it, either. With Bono, obviously. But I don’t know what his problem is. At least with Edge you have a clear-cut issue. Bono’s just shut down completely. I haven’t even seen him since Washington. Not properly. I keep thinking of important work I could be doing, just so I don’t see him ignore me.” She pressed the button to call the elevator.
Jen frowned. “I know we haven’t been here long, right, but I don’t think Bono’s acting like himself,” she said slowly. “From what I saw before he had his accident, he didn’t seem the sort of person to give you the cold shoulder. Don’t you think? And he was so obviously into you.”
Beth blushed as she stepped into the lift; she couldn’t help it. “I don’t know…”
“Oh, come on! He was all over you on the bus from Boston, in the bar that night, and he kissed you, what, twice? Nobody switches off their feelings that fast, especially not someone like Bono. Trust me.” Jen gave Beth a knowing wink – too knowing, and she’s younger than I am! – and led the way along their corridor. They went to Jen’s room to hang out, Beth bringing her book notes with her, and all the while Beth thought about Bono. The same way she thought about him every minute of every day.
Jen’s right. I have to get him to talk to me, before it’s too late.
*
Edge and Bono got back to the hotel just after one in the morning and both decided to go straight to bed. Bono’s check-up had gone well, but he was still finding it extra tiring performing with an injury. On top of that, there was the stress of the Beth situation, although Edge hadn’t really asked too much about it. He suspected, however, that Bono’s avoidance of her had something to do with his shoulder; before he hurt it, Bono had been very keen indeed on Beth, and he’d told Edge as much.
Still, it’s none of my business, Edge reminded himself as he and Bono ascended in the lift. And I have problems of my own to worry about. Jen was constantly on his mind; he kept replaying his kiss with her, trying to relive the way she had felt in his arms. It was wrong, he knew it was wrong, to want another woman while he had a wife, but despite his moral misgivings, he couldn’t help how he felt. Jen was beautiful and funny, and he loved the way she talked sometimes, as if she had so many things to say and needed to get them all out at once. The situation was horrible, and so unfair; whatever happened, somebody was going to get hurt.
As they approached their adjacent rooms, Edge became vaguely aware of Bono saying something, but he couldn’t concentrate. A door further along had opened and Jen was walking towards them, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders. She was dressed in pyjama shorts and a tatty old t-shirt, carrying a metal bucket, and she looked stunning.
“Jen.” He hadn’t planned to say her name. It was out of his mouth before he could stop it. To her credit, she slowed as she passed, and gave him a tiny, but definite smile. Of course she was angry with him, and he was angry with himself, but in that smile he could tell her true feelings had not changed. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. I don’t know why, but she does.
“Evening, ma’am.” Edge turned to see Bono giving Jen an exaggerated little bow, which she answered with a laugh and a curtsey before heading off down towards the ice machine at the end of the hall. Bono looked at Edge, an irritating smirk on his face. “Someone wants a piece of The Edge.”
Edge glared at him. “Yeah, and it isn’t Aislinn, is it?”
Bono’s face fell and he looked suitably sheepish. “Uh, no. Sorry.” He gestured to his pocket and Edge was forced to do the honour of retrieving Bono’s room key. “Listen, I know it’s awkward, but maybe you should explain to Jen. Sort it out. Not that I advocate extra-marital relations, or anything,” he added hastily, taking the key and opening his door, “but you get on really well with her, and it would be a shame to lose that.”
Edge raised his eyebrows. “People in glass houses, B…”
“What?” Bono tried to play innocent, but Edge was having none of it.
“Don’t give me that. You’ve been ignoring Beth, haven’t you? When neither of you is married? And if I remember correctly, you came on to her, so it’s not very fair to her.”
“That’s not the same,” Bono began, but the expression on his face was one of pure guilt.
“I’m not trying to lecture,” Edge said, sighing. “I’m in no position to. But you’ve been pretty miserable the past couple of days, and I’m tired of looking at it, so hurry up and talk to her, for all our sakes.” He grinned, and Bono chuckled.
“You’re right as usual, The Edge,” he replied. “I will. Right now, I’m going to crash out on that lovely bed, because I’m bloody shattered.”
Edge bid Bono goodnight and closed the door behind him. He was outside his own room, pushing the door open, when Jen came back along, swinging the bucket so the ice inside it clattered. She wasn’t smiling this time, but she didn’t look annoyed, either. She looks sort of… sad. Like she’s thinking about what better things we could be doing right now. God, that isn’t going to help me sleep.
“Goodnight, Edge,” she said as she passed, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his room and fulfil both their wishes. But the fact remained he was a married man; he had made vows to Aislinn, and he had to abide by them, because that was the right thing to do.
Yet it didn’t really feel like the right thing, when he wished Jen goodnight in return and watched her walk away from him.
*
The morning dawned, bringing sunshine to Boston. Cara knew it wasn’t a good thing that she didn’t know where she was, but she had no recollection of anything much from the previous night. She had drunk and drunk until she had blotted out the taste of Adam from her lips, the feel of his fingers on her skin. It worked, but she was paying the price now as she prized her eyes open and tried to recognise her surroundings.
She was in a bed… there were curtains pulled across the window… a dresser, and a mirror… Nothing that said this place belonged to anyone. It must be a hotel room. Not hers, that was for sure. Hers was much prettier now she’d added flowers and good luck cards from home. That reminded her she needed to find an apartment, but the reminder flew out of her head as soon as she heard a grunt and turned to see a man lying next to her.
Cara shrieked, and pulled the covers up to her neck, realising too late she was naked. For that matter, so was he. Panicking, she slid out of bed, grabbed her clothes that were scattered across the floor, and headed into the en-suite to get dressed. Staring at herself in the mirror, she wondered how she’d ended up in this mess. What the hell am I doing here? In bed with a stranger? If my mam knew…
She laughed harshly at that. Cara’s mum was never backwards in imposing her own moral standards on her children, especially Cara. That had never been more obvious than during her relationship with Adam, who, according to Mrs Kelly, was a ‘young man with loose morals’. Maybe so, but at least he loved me. And my morals have never been that tight, either.
After washing her face, tying her hair back and applying a little make-up to cover the worst of the hungover damage, Cara tiptoed from the bathroom, hoping to escape before whoever-he-was woke up. No such luck. He was sitting up, rubbing his eyes, when Cara emerged. He looked over and gave her a sleepy smile.
“Morning. Can I have whatever you’ve taken?”
Cara stopped, confused. “What?”
“Well, you drank like a fish last night and you still look great.” He stood up, the covers dropping to reveal his body. He wasn’t very toned, not like Adam, and though he wasn’t exactly ugly, he didn’t have much in the way of good looks, either. He was just ordinary. If Cara had been thinking straight, she would have realised ordinary wasn’t for her. But at that moment, it really appealed; ordinary was the opposite of Adam.
“It’s a trade secret,” she joked. “I can’t possibly disclose it.” She watched as he pulled on his boxers and ran a hand through his hair. “Um, this is going to sound really tacky, but I can’t remember your name.”
He smiled wider. “Thank God you said that. I can’t remember yours, either.”
She held out a hand. “Cara.”
He shook it. “Alex.”
“Nice to meet you, Alex,” she grinned, aware there was no strong attraction between them and yet relishing that very fact. Maybe that meant she wouldn’t get hurt. “So, what’s your excuse? You know, for sleeping with somebody you didn’t know?”
Alex moved past her towards the bathroom. “My ex. She left town and abandoned me.” He looked at her, and she realised they had something very important in common.
“That’s exactly what happened to me,” she said, deciding she could maybe stay a little longer.
to be continued...
Thanks once again for the comments and for reading, it's lovely of you all. And again, U2 don't belong to me, or else I'd be doing something other than writing fiction. Heh.
Love Rescue Me
Chapter 9
Beth had decided she was sick of being on tour. It was tedious and, at times, stupid. She didn’t understand why they had driven seven hours from Boston to Washington, only to go back the way they had come for a gig in Foxboro. They had travelled there yesterday; the bus had been stuffy and even Jen’s company hadn’t totally relieved Beth’s boredom. She couldn’t sleep on buses, so she’d been tired and cranky by the time they arrived at their destination. Both she and Jen had foregone whatever sightseeing there might have been, in order to get some rest and do some work. They’d planned to have a few drinks in the bar and not speak to any bothersome men, but had ended up watching TV with a takeaway, bemoaning the state of their non-existent love lives.
Now Beth was hanging around the back of the arena, scribbling notes in her trusty pad. She hadn’t gone to the gig, choosing instead to snap photos of the venue and interview a few fans. Having left her Dictaphone back at the hotel, she was resorting to writing everything down, which was difficult when people talked so fast and kept rushing off before she’d double-checked what they’d told her.
“Fuck this,” she muttered under her breath as a gust of wind whipped her hair into her face, making it impossible to see what she was doing. She had no idea why she continued to be here. Sure, it was a great job, or it seemed to be, but with Bono refusing to talk to her, Larry hating her guts, Edge making a fool of her friend and Adam moping around, there was a distinct lack of fun going on. She actually found herself missing life in the office with Alex. God, things must be really bad.
Jen banged the back entrance door and walked over to where Beth was crouched over her notebook.
“He definitely went to the hospital for a check-up, with Edge,” she said, sounding as pissed off as Beth felt, which was unusual for Jen. She’d never so much as been annoyed since she joined the tour, but Beth knew exactly what had brought about the change. Stupid fucking rock stars we should never have gone near.
“Great. Well, why am I surprised? He’s made it quite clear I’m not to go anywhere near him.” Beth gave up her task and stood, wincing as she straightened her legs. “Men are losers.”
“They are,” Jen nodded, tying her hair back and putting up the hood of her jacket against the wind. “And they smell bad.”
Beth grinned as she and Jen began to walk; the hotel wasn’t far from the arena, and neither of them had dared ask for a lift. “And they can’t communicate.”
As they rounded the corner into the main road, Jen sighed. “But, y’know, Edge doesn’t smell bad. He smells amazing.”
Beth didn’t blame her for caving so soon. “Yeah. And Bono’s the most articulate man I’ve ever met. Which might not be saying much about the rest.” They laughed, and for about the fifth time that day she felt blessed to have Jen there with her. She thought she might have gone crazy otherwise.
“I have to talk to him,” Jen said eventually, after a long silence. They were approaching the hotel, its lights showing the way. “I can’t avoid him forever. I don’t even want to. But I just don’t know what to say. He’s married, Beth.”
“I know,” Beth nodded. “Not as easy obstacle to overcome. At least maybe you could be friends with him? It’s better than nothing, surely.”
“Yeah, it is,” Jen agreed, holding the front door of the hotel open for Beth. “I’d rather we were friends than I lose him altogether. I couldn’t stand that.”
“I can’t stand it, either. With Bono, obviously. But I don’t know what his problem is. At least with Edge you have a clear-cut issue. Bono’s just shut down completely. I haven’t even seen him since Washington. Not properly. I keep thinking of important work I could be doing, just so I don’t see him ignore me.” She pressed the button to call the elevator.
Jen frowned. “I know we haven’t been here long, right, but I don’t think Bono’s acting like himself,” she said slowly. “From what I saw before he had his accident, he didn’t seem the sort of person to give you the cold shoulder. Don’t you think? And he was so obviously into you.”
Beth blushed as she stepped into the lift; she couldn’t help it. “I don’t know…”
“Oh, come on! He was all over you on the bus from Boston, in the bar that night, and he kissed you, what, twice? Nobody switches off their feelings that fast, especially not someone like Bono. Trust me.” Jen gave Beth a knowing wink – too knowing, and she’s younger than I am! – and led the way along their corridor. They went to Jen’s room to hang out, Beth bringing her book notes with her, and all the while Beth thought about Bono. The same way she thought about him every minute of every day.
Jen’s right. I have to get him to talk to me, before it’s too late.
*
Edge and Bono got back to the hotel just after one in the morning and both decided to go straight to bed. Bono’s check-up had gone well, but he was still finding it extra tiring performing with an injury. On top of that, there was the stress of the Beth situation, although Edge hadn’t really asked too much about it. He suspected, however, that Bono’s avoidance of her had something to do with his shoulder; before he hurt it, Bono had been very keen indeed on Beth, and he’d told Edge as much.
Still, it’s none of my business, Edge reminded himself as he and Bono ascended in the lift. And I have problems of my own to worry about. Jen was constantly on his mind; he kept replaying his kiss with her, trying to relive the way she had felt in his arms. It was wrong, he knew it was wrong, to want another woman while he had a wife, but despite his moral misgivings, he couldn’t help how he felt. Jen was beautiful and funny, and he loved the way she talked sometimes, as if she had so many things to say and needed to get them all out at once. The situation was horrible, and so unfair; whatever happened, somebody was going to get hurt.
As they approached their adjacent rooms, Edge became vaguely aware of Bono saying something, but he couldn’t concentrate. A door further along had opened and Jen was walking towards them, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders. She was dressed in pyjama shorts and a tatty old t-shirt, carrying a metal bucket, and she looked stunning.
“Jen.” He hadn’t planned to say her name. It was out of his mouth before he could stop it. To her credit, she slowed as she passed, and gave him a tiny, but definite smile. Of course she was angry with him, and he was angry with himself, but in that smile he could tell her true feelings had not changed. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. I don’t know why, but she does.
“Evening, ma’am.” Edge turned to see Bono giving Jen an exaggerated little bow, which she answered with a laugh and a curtsey before heading off down towards the ice machine at the end of the hall. Bono looked at Edge, an irritating smirk on his face. “Someone wants a piece of The Edge.”
Edge glared at him. “Yeah, and it isn’t Aislinn, is it?”
Bono’s face fell and he looked suitably sheepish. “Uh, no. Sorry.” He gestured to his pocket and Edge was forced to do the honour of retrieving Bono’s room key. “Listen, I know it’s awkward, but maybe you should explain to Jen. Sort it out. Not that I advocate extra-marital relations, or anything,” he added hastily, taking the key and opening his door, “but you get on really well with her, and it would be a shame to lose that.”
Edge raised his eyebrows. “People in glass houses, B…”
“What?” Bono tried to play innocent, but Edge was having none of it.
“Don’t give me that. You’ve been ignoring Beth, haven’t you? When neither of you is married? And if I remember correctly, you came on to her, so it’s not very fair to her.”
“That’s not the same,” Bono began, but the expression on his face was one of pure guilt.
“I’m not trying to lecture,” Edge said, sighing. “I’m in no position to. But you’ve been pretty miserable the past couple of days, and I’m tired of looking at it, so hurry up and talk to her, for all our sakes.” He grinned, and Bono chuckled.
“You’re right as usual, The Edge,” he replied. “I will. Right now, I’m going to crash out on that lovely bed, because I’m bloody shattered.”
Edge bid Bono goodnight and closed the door behind him. He was outside his own room, pushing the door open, when Jen came back along, swinging the bucket so the ice inside it clattered. She wasn’t smiling this time, but she didn’t look annoyed, either. She looks sort of… sad. Like she’s thinking about what better things we could be doing right now. God, that isn’t going to help me sleep.
“Goodnight, Edge,” she said as she passed, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his room and fulfil both their wishes. But the fact remained he was a married man; he had made vows to Aislinn, and he had to abide by them, because that was the right thing to do.
Yet it didn’t really feel like the right thing, when he wished Jen goodnight in return and watched her walk away from him.
*
The morning dawned, bringing sunshine to Boston. Cara knew it wasn’t a good thing that she didn’t know where she was, but she had no recollection of anything much from the previous night. She had drunk and drunk until she had blotted out the taste of Adam from her lips, the feel of his fingers on her skin. It worked, but she was paying the price now as she prized her eyes open and tried to recognise her surroundings.
She was in a bed… there were curtains pulled across the window… a dresser, and a mirror… Nothing that said this place belonged to anyone. It must be a hotel room. Not hers, that was for sure. Hers was much prettier now she’d added flowers and good luck cards from home. That reminded her she needed to find an apartment, but the reminder flew out of her head as soon as she heard a grunt and turned to see a man lying next to her.
Cara shrieked, and pulled the covers up to her neck, realising too late she was naked. For that matter, so was he. Panicking, she slid out of bed, grabbed her clothes that were scattered across the floor, and headed into the en-suite to get dressed. Staring at herself in the mirror, she wondered how she’d ended up in this mess. What the hell am I doing here? In bed with a stranger? If my mam knew…
She laughed harshly at that. Cara’s mum was never backwards in imposing her own moral standards on her children, especially Cara. That had never been more obvious than during her relationship with Adam, who, according to Mrs Kelly, was a ‘young man with loose morals’. Maybe so, but at least he loved me. And my morals have never been that tight, either.
After washing her face, tying her hair back and applying a little make-up to cover the worst of the hungover damage, Cara tiptoed from the bathroom, hoping to escape before whoever-he-was woke up. No such luck. He was sitting up, rubbing his eyes, when Cara emerged. He looked over and gave her a sleepy smile.
“Morning. Can I have whatever you’ve taken?”
Cara stopped, confused. “What?”
“Well, you drank like a fish last night and you still look great.” He stood up, the covers dropping to reveal his body. He wasn’t very toned, not like Adam, and though he wasn’t exactly ugly, he didn’t have much in the way of good looks, either. He was just ordinary. If Cara had been thinking straight, she would have realised ordinary wasn’t for her. But at that moment, it really appealed; ordinary was the opposite of Adam.
“It’s a trade secret,” she joked. “I can’t possibly disclose it.” She watched as he pulled on his boxers and ran a hand through his hair. “Um, this is going to sound really tacky, but I can’t remember your name.”
He smiled wider. “Thank God you said that. I can’t remember yours, either.”
She held out a hand. “Cara.”
He shook it. “Alex.”
“Nice to meet you, Alex,” she grinned, aware there was no strong attraction between them and yet relishing that very fact. Maybe that meant she wouldn’t get hurt. “So, what’s your excuse? You know, for sleeping with somebody you didn’t know?”
Alex moved past her towards the bathroom. “My ex. She left town and abandoned me.” He looked at her, and she realised they had something very important in common.
“That’s exactly what happened to me,” she said, deciding she could maybe stay a little longer.
to be continued...
Oh MAN. This is getting good!
I'm loving it!
& me -I mean Bono & Beth--more please!!
