Page 68 of Reflex
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Time together translated to her checking out of the hotel room she’d spent less than fifteen minutes in and moving her luggage into Spook’s room at the Hotel de Paris.Ronnie pulled faces at her, while squashing jelly sweets between his fingers and slurping them, but only for as long as it took Rock Giant to suggest the pair of them go jet-skiing together.
“That your idea of fun?”Spook asked her, once the newly anointed besties had turned their backs.
Sometimes she liked a thrill.Not that she’d ever been on a jet-ski, but truthfully, she was more interested in getting him alone to herself for a while than signing up for an experience.“How about we just go out and stroll?Can you do that here without attracting attention?”
Xane caught most of the attention hurled in Black Halo’s direction courtesy of being the front man, and frequently getting caught doing the dirty in public places, but they were all household names.
“I’m willing to risk it.It’s not like anyone’s expecting to happen upon me consorting with a gorgeous red-head.”
Fair dos, he was supposed to be saintly.
Spook didn’t even cover up.“No one’s expecting a black eye, either.”The bruising had faded to shades of brown, and the marks around his neck were only noticeable up close.
One steep climb later they were atop the rocky outcrop that housed Monaco’s oldest district.Grand and majestic buildings sat huddled between shops and boutiques on narrow medieval streets.It was luxurious and quaint all rolled into one.Following a random turn or alleyway would lead them unexpectedly onto a charming square, or facing a fountain.Having browsed several displays of religious art, and walked the length of the Jardins St-Martin overlooking Fonteville harbour almost three hundred feet below, they ducked out of the sun to take in the marvels of the Oceanographic Museum.A marvel itself, perched as it was on the very edge of the cliff like it had been raised from the sea and settled there by some ancient god.The inside was full of wonders too.Octopuses and sharks, and tanks upon tanks of brightly coloured fish.
The sun had dipped a little by the time they finally settled in the top floor café for a relaxed drink and a bite to eat.
“What do you suppose the rest of your band are up to?”Alle asked having pushed away the remains of a dish of pasta.It had been mouth-wateringly good, but she couldn’t eat another thing.
Spook finished off the last forkful of his tagliatelle, and sat back nursing his cold beer.“I think Xane was planning on a trip to the Princess Grace Rose Garden.He’s had a plaque put there in memory of Steve.Following that, he’s almost certainly getting hammered with Luthor and Ash.The girls are out looking for a wedding dress.”He scratched his head as if he couldn’t quite believe matrimony was on the horizon for one of them.
“Liam?”Everyone seemed to forget the newest addition to the Black Halo line up.
Spook scoffed.“Was up and gone at first light.He’s riding back to the UK with Troels on the tour bus.”
The fact they had gear to transport hadn’t even crossed her mind.None of the band members seemed preoccupied with it either.She supposed that’s what happened when you were at the top of your game.Transport, fixtures, and fittings were somebody else’s headache.“Liam doesn’t seem very comfortable with you all.”She couldn’t recall him being there when the band was gathered together post-show, nor had he joined them at the restaurant.“He was so far back on the stage last night, you could barely see him from the audience.”
Spook nodded his head.“He’d be thrilled to hear it.He’s not a performer.Truth is; we really need to crack on with recruiting an alternative.Except it’s a minefield no one wants to brave.”That admission necessitated another mouthful of beer.
He gasped in relief, and drew the back of his hand across his mouth.“Gah… Elspeth’s a mess, but, you realise, she’s still officially our keyboard player.Hell knows if she’ll ever rejoin us, or if that’s even a good idea.It kind of makes things awkward from the angle of recruitment.That, and our recent experiences of bringing in outsiders haven’t exactly been great.”
“Luthor?”
“Willows,” he reminded her.“Fucker.No one wants another lunatic like that in our midst.”
No, indeed.“Maybe you should hire Ronnie,” she joked.“Seeing as he and Rock Giant are now super besties.”
Spook cocked a brow, as if that were a genuinely appealing plan.“Does he play keyboard?”
“A whole range of things – piano, guitar, violin, flute.Tambourine.Recorder.”
“Yeah, that last one totally sells it.”He winked at her.“But maybe he’s a bit mainstream.Another beer?”
They ordered another round and gossiped about Ronnie and Rock Giant until the drinks arrived.“Come and sit this side of the table.”Spook beckoned her with a tilt of his head.He stretched his arms along the back of the leather cushioned settle, making space for her to cuddle up close.His lips brushed the edge of her jaw as, smiling, she shimmied into the space.Alle sought his lips out in return, and surprisingly, he returned her display of affection.Damn, if that didn’t make her grin.Spook Mortensen in his open-necked shirt was one hell of a fantastic catch for a girl such as her.She was pretty damned ordinary.Certainly not typical rock star girlfriend material.But besides actresses and supermodels, who was?
“You know, I still keep thinking I’m going to turn around and you’ll have vanished.”
Amusement flicked through Spook’s soulful blue eyes.“Invisibility is my super power.”
The rumbles of their laugher vibrated through their limbs where they touched.Astonishingly, hardly anyone had given him a second glance all day.Leastways, not with any sort of zealous gleam of recognition in their eyes.There’d been one mother and daughter pair walking along behind them who’d had a whole conversation she’d eavesdropped on about the deliciousness of Spook’s butt and how the heck he managed to make his jeans crease behind the knees in that particular way, but they’d simply been eyeing him up as a piece of candy.They hadn’t recognised him.“You know I didn’t mean it like that.”
Spook clasped her hand and squeezed her fingers.“I’m not running off.You’ve got me until you head home.”
“And afterwards?”
“One step at a time, Alle.”
