Page 35 of Ex in the City
I’m taken aback by his offer but terrified he might take it back, so I bite his hand off.
‘Can they really?’ I reply. ‘Because I would love, love, love to come.’
‘Of course,’ he says.
‘But, this is going to sound silly, but you know that kids are kids, right?’ I point out. ‘They can’t hold your beer or roll your joints or…’
My mind jumps back to the old days and the sights I saw that freaked even me out.
‘Nic, I know that kids are kids,’ he says with a laugh. ‘Never met one that could roll a decent joint.’
I laugh at his joke. Okay, I’m being ridiculous. I guess I do have a bit of mum energy lurking inside me somewhere.
‘Hey, dude, little dude,’ Dylan calls out to them. ‘How do you guys fancy visiting a real recording studio?’
‘Yeah, cool,’ Archie calls out.
‘Yeah, cool,’ Ned says, copying his brother.
‘Cool,’ Dylan says, then he turns to me. ‘Problem solved. But you guys need to get ready, like, now.’
‘Getting ready really quickly is still my number one skill,’ I tell him excitedly. ‘Come on, boys, we need to get dressed, double time.’
‘I’ll make the toast while you’re getting them ready,’ Dylan calls after me. ‘I think I know what you mean.’
I practically charge upstairs, grabbing outfits for the boys, before flinging open my own wardrobe and looking for something to wear. There are the bones of my old look in here, I’ve just always watered them down, but black skinny jeans, a red vest top, a black leather jacket and big chunky pair of black boots together will make me feel right at home.
It’s been so long since I was in a recording studio. Back in the day I would spend hours in them, like it was nothing, but suddenly the novelty is back. I’m excited to go, to reunite with the rest of the band, and to get to hear Dylan do his thing again.
It’s going to be just like old times just, you know, with kids around. What’s the worst that could happen?
18
I can’t believe I’m back in a recording studio again, after all this time, and not only do I find it even harder to believe still that I’m here with Dylan and The Burnouts, but the fact that I’ve got Rowan’s kids in tow just makes this all the crazier. I never would have anticipated this in a million years.
The studio is nothing short of high-tech luxury. The walls are padded to block out the outside world – which I kind of like, because I feel like I’m living another life right now – and the mood is just full of creativity and excitement. It’s just like it used to be, in a way, but somehow so much better because the vibe is so chilled. Everyone is so happy. Mitch, the band’s manager, is here, and so is Dev, the musical genius sitting behind the impressive mixing desk, who will be helping them rerecord their old tracks.
I love that the vibe is distinctly different from the old days. The entire band seems more grown-up, more sophisticated, and yet they all still give off that cool rock-star aura. Jamie, the bass player, is perched on a stool, trying to teach Ned how to play the James Bond theme on a bass guitar. Taz, the drummer, and Dylan are on the drum kit, teaching Archie the drumming basics.The sight of Archie, looking so tiny behind the enormous kit, is both adorable and hilarious.
‘Hey, Dev, can you record Archie making a few sounds with the kit?’ Dylan asks. ‘We could use it in the recordings.’
Archie’s eyes widen with excitement as he nods eagerly.
‘Can we get him a cowbell?’ Taz asks.
‘Yes, a cowbell would be perfect,’ Dylan replies – he seems almost as excited as Archie does.
‘Long time, no see,’ Mikey says, sitting down next to me, the two of us finally getting a moment alone.
Mikey is tall, with an athletic figure that he didn’t have back in the day. His once dishevelled rocker’s hair is now neatly trimmed and styled. A fashionable, well-fitted shirt complements his new mature and polished appearance and highlights his lean physique – Mikey’s glow-up came around the time he made the switch from playing guitar to working as a TV presenter. He’s a far cry from the shy musician he once was. We stayed in touch for a while, after he and Dylan fell out. I would see him from time to time, but nothing quite felt the same. Even the fun times felt sort of sad, without Dylan there too, it was like he had died and no one wanted to talk about it. So eventually Mikey and I drifted apart as well. He moved on to life as a TV star – finally out of his brother’s shadow, as he probably saw it – and I moved on to, well, this.
‘Hey, stranger,’ I reply.
‘Did you ever think you would see the day?’ he asks, a big grin plastered across his face.
I laugh.
‘Not in a million years,’ I reply. ‘I can’t believe we’re all here – and all friends.’
