Page 66 of Ex in the City
‘I may have changed in some ways, but I’m still the same old me,’ he tells me with a smile. ‘I’m still talented, cool, charming, irresistible…’
‘Modest,’ I say with a laugh, adding to his jokey list.
‘Yep, modest, let’s not forget that,’ he replies. ‘I’ll be charming the pants off everyone in the room before they know what’s hit them.’
‘Oh, I never saidthat,’ I tease him. ‘Not everyone in the room. Your charm doesn’t work on me, boy.’
He gives me a knowing smile.
‘Okay, go on then, prove it,’ I prompt him. ‘Prove you can charm me.’
He pauses for a moment.
‘I charmed you once before,’ he dares to say.
‘But that was then, and this is now,’ I continue. ‘I know, we’re friends, but you can at least show me what you’ve got. For sport.’
What am I doing? I’m flirting with him. Jesus Christ, Nicole, you never change. A few seconds with a man on a stage and you’re weak at the knees.
His laughter fills the air as he leans in a little closer, our faces just inches apart.
‘Well, if we weren’t friends, it would probably go something like this,’ he says, and then all at once his smile drops intosomething serious. He places his hand on the back of my neck and leans in closer, his lips lightly touching my ear.
‘I would tell you that I was going to have you – again – before the night was over,’ he whispers. ‘Because the more you tell yourself that it’s a bad idea, the more you want it, and when you give in to that feeling, you’ll see how meant to be this is.’
I hold my breath as Dylan lingers next to my ear for a second or two. What do I do? What can I do?
He pulls away, quickly, all at once, and it feels like he takes a part of me with him.
‘…but we are friends,’ he reminds me through a smile, his features softening again. ‘So I would never say that.’
My mouth is so dry I feel as though I could choke.
Dylan takes my hand and smiles as he gives my arm a playful shake, to show me that sexy rock-star Dylan has retreated, and that my best friend is back.
‘Here you are,’ Mikey calls out as he joins us.
Taz and Jamie aren’t far behind him. Then Mitch appears, and some roadies, and some sound and lighting techs – we couldn’t be less alone right now. Actually, scratch that, I’ve just remembered this room will soon be full of fans – more than 2,500, if the place sells out.
I don’t know if I’m devastated or relieved that we were interrupted.
‘I’ll get out of the way,’ I say, taking my hand back.
I sit on the edge of the stage and hop down into the pit below before heading out into the wide-open space where the crowd will be later.
‘You doing all right?’ Mikey asks Dylan as he slaps him on the back. ‘You’re not losing it, are you, bro?’
‘I’m good, mate, I’m good,’ Dylan reassures him.
‘You need one of your special beers,’ Mikey tells him with a laugh as they all take their positions. ‘Honestly, don’t look soworried. There are thousands of fans outside and pretty soon they’re all going to be in here, screaming your name. You’re Dylan fucking King. I bet there will be at least one or two of them screaming your name a bit more privately later.’
Taz, right on cue, supplies Mikey with a drum sting –ba-dum-tss– for his oh-so funny joke.
‘Uh, Dylan, uh, uh,’ Jamie grunts in a high-pitched voice.
‘All right, come on,’ Dylan says, laughing it off. ‘Let’s get this soundcheck checked off the list.’
‘Yeah, let’s do it, lads,’ Mitch encourages them. ‘Tonight marks the start of The Burnouts comeback, you’re going to be bigger and better than ever. You thought things were crazy before – you haven’t seen anything yet. I’m taking you guys to the fucking top and beyond.’
