‘Yes, I think I should,’ she said, pointedly throwing her cigarette into the pool with a fizz and stalking off to her waiting car.
Despite the nagging guilt over his argument with Emma, Alex had to admit he had actually quite enjoyed the rest of the day’s shoot, especially the part where Jez drove them both into the pool. Alex had insisted on riding shotgun in the Rolls, reasoning that he was paying for at least a quarter of it and should get at least half the fun. It had been bloody freezing in the water, though, so he had come up to the band’s day room to strip off his wet clothes and have a shower. Opening the bathroom door in a cloud of steam, he padded out into the room with a fluffy white hotel towel wrapped around his waist.
‘Oh bugger,’ he said. ‘Sorry.’
Liz Gold was sitting at the table hunched over a notebook.
‘Come to keep me company?’ She smiled mischievously.
‘Uh, no. Just come to get my jeans,’ he said, nodding behind her where they had been drying on the radiator. As he leant over her to get them, she reached out and pulled at his towel, her hand stroking his limp cock.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ he snapped, recoiling from her.
‘Doing what every rock and roll star would want doing in this situation,’ said Liz, completely unruffled.
‘I have a girlfriend,’ he stuttered.
‘You and every other musician on the circuit,’ she said, laughing.
‘But if you’re going to get anywhere in this business, you have to learn that you need to keep certain people onside.’
Shocked and embarrassed, Alex grabbed the rest of his clothes and stumbled out into the corridor, hastily pulling them on. Jesus, what was all that about?
The truth was, as a teenager he had fantasised about something like that happening when he became a rock star – it was why you got into a band in the first place, wasn’t it? Maybe I need to loosen up a bit, he told himself. I have been getting too uptight about everything, letting Jez get to me, taking it out on Emma. As he reached the door leading to the pool, he could see the band standing by the deep end, all looking up towards the hotel.
‘Alex! Get yourself over here!’ screamed Gavin.
‘What is it?’ he called, sprinting across the grass.
Gavin pointed to the hotel, where they could see Nathan Fox through an open window.‘He’s got the record company on the blower.’
‘The chart position?’ said Alex nervously.
Pete nodded, putting a nervous hand on Alex’s shoulder.
Through the window, they could see Nathan put the phone down and turn towards them, his face stony.
‘You’re not going to like this, lads,’ he said mournfully, then his face broke out into a Cheshire Cat grin. ‘Number fucking nine!’ he shouted.
Jez screamed and dragged one of the fairies into the swimming pool with a splash.
‘Yessss!’ yelled Alex. ‘Fucking yessss!’
Nathan came running out of the hotel holding a magnum of champagne then shaking it up and spraying the sticky foam over everyone, Formula One-style.
‘Top ten, Alex!’ he laughed, pulling him into a bear hug. ‘You’re on your way now!’
‘Oh shit!’ said Alex, suddenly thinking of his promise. ‘I’ve got to make a call,’ he added, running back to the bar and grabbing the phone at the end of the counter. He dialled the Camden flat and Emma picked up immediately.
‘Hello?’ she said.
‘You’re home.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Number nine!’ yelled Alex. ‘Number bloody nine!?
??