“Ooh, protective, much?”Rock Giant pursed his lips and glanced between the two.“Hey, all right.Whatever.Where’s the set list?We going for the usual stage configuration?”One of the roadies handed him a copy and he set to work taping it to the floor.
Spook bowed his head and got himself plugged in and ready to rock.He did throw atskin Xane’s direction when he saw the bastard grinning though.“Don’t,” he mouthed.While he’d leapt on Paul for his teasing, he certainly hadn’t held back himself over the last week.Even from Fiji, Xane had been hitting him for progress reports, and encouraging all out insanity.Their lead singer sidled up to him, the first real smile of the day on his face.He leaned in behind Spook and rested his chin on Spook’s shoulder.
“You okay?”
“Hunky dory.”
“I’m glad you invited her.”
“Yeah, well don’t make me regret it.”
Honestly, he still wasn’t sure he was ready for this.Admitting he liked her and enjoyed her company didn’t mean he didn’t also want to run for the hills.
Xane squeezed the tops of his biceps.“You deserve some happiness, Spook.Suck it up, mate.Let yourself live a little.It’s okay to shag her if the mood dictates and you’re both consenting.”
What was there to say to that?Xane equated happiness to sexual pleasure.He couldn’t conceive of a relationship that wasn’t built around doing it at least three times a day.He, on the other hand, did not require orgasms to be at peace.In fact, they totally messed with his inner equilibrium.They were so disorderly.The emotions got so raw.“Good to know I have your permission.Didn’t actually require it.”
Xane patted his shoulder, then thankfully let him go in order to slide over to the central mic stand.“Let’s start without Liam, guys.”He tapped the microphone.“Testing, testing… One, two.”His voice boomed around the ballroom, suitably amplified.Assured that they were ready, Spook flexed his multi-ringed fingers, and then launched into the opening ofMidnight Wych.
It was all going smoothly, until he hit the fifth bar, and a monumental blue arc of electricity crackled between the pick-up and the amp.Simultaneously, the footlights all blinked out.
“Whoa, fucking Christ!”Ash was right there beside him, gingerly helping to remove the guitar strap from around Spook’s neck.
“You all right?”numerous other voices asked.
“Spook, you all right?”Ash repeated, alarm making his blue eyes buggy.
“Yeah, yeah.I’m good.”It did feel a teeny bit like his boots were smoking.Good job they had rubber soles.
The assertion earned him a pat on the back.“Thank fuck.”
“Okay, I’m on it.”One of the sparkies stepped in and set to work on the guitar and the various associated electrics, while another took off to locate whoever was in charge of the ship’s entertainment systems.That left them all twiddling their thumbs again.Xane flopped against the side of the stage, with his head rested on Luthor’s shoulder, and then Rock Giant started updating them on how Elspeth was doing.In turn, that led to him and Ash reminiscing about some ancient video game – Arse Blasters, or something like that.Spook was pretty certain there’d never been an actual game released with that title.At least no one was asking him about Alle.
“’bout time,” Xane drawled, when the door to the ballroom finally swung inwards some ten minutes later.Weirdly, he perked up and nudged Spook with his foot, before spearing him with a gaze and jerking his head towards the entrance.
“What?”Spook turned, and his heart dropped into his boots before returning to his chest, beating so hard it was in danger of fracturing a rib.Alle.Obviously, he knew she was here, but he hadn’t… he wasn’t ready.One huge swallow of air wasn’t enough to prepare himself.
“Flynn Hutton.”Some guy in the ship’s colours thrust a hand at him.Spook, who was still staring over his shoulder, hardly registered the attempt at introductions.Xane waded half in front of him, catching up the guy’s wavering handshake in a firm grip.
“Xane,” he said, and then introduced the rest of them.“Don’t mind Spook, he just nearly got electrocuted.I think a few synapses got fried.”He nudged Spook with his shoulder, startling him back to reality.
“Alle,” he gasped, which made the technician guy’s eyes go curiously wide.
She was breath-taking, of course.The overhead lights painted glittery threads through her coppery hair, and her cute bow-shaped lips were edged up at the corners.His feet were already carrying him toward her.She met him part way, arms open, but they didn’t embrace.They both stopped short of that.Him, because contact with her was going to set him alight in ways he couldn’t deal with.Her…?He wasn’t sure.Perhaps, she’d read his body language and realised leaping on him wasn’t going to garner the response she was looking for.Instead, they stared at one another, awkwardly positioned a foot apart.
“I’m not interrupting, am I?I’d have waited until I was sure you weren’t busy, but when Tony came and said that you were having technical issues, I figured it was okay to stick my head around the door.It is okay, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, course.”
She leaned into him then.Instantly, he was all fingers and thumbs.Luckily, her arms went around him, fastening him in a hug.Her berry-pink lips traced the stubble on his jaw.“Are you all right, Spook?”
“Bit dazed,” he admitted.
“Do you need the doc to check you over?”
She thought it was because of the electrical fault.
Silly girl.It was all down to her.He shook his head.“I’m fine.”He’d just forgotten how radiant she was, and how much he liked the way her freckles dappled the bridge of her nose.
