Page 3 of Love You Like That (Excess All Areas 4)

Once he’d dried off, he grabbed black joggers out of his wardrobe and pulled them on along with his favourite black mesh top. He added a strand of pearls. Pearls Nan had worn on her wedding day, hard-earned by her miner father. She’d given them to Alex on his last birthday. They were his favourite and most precious thing. Too much for a day on the tour bus driving up to Aberdeen to start the tour, but they did wonders for his mood.

When the tickets for the shows had gone on sale, they’d sold out so quickly additional dates had been added. There was a chance it might expand even further. Europe, perhaps. America even.

It was the chance of a lifetime. The tour was a mix of large venues and stadiums. The musician life they’d been leading, only this time done in comfort. Decent tour buses instead of their drummer, Luke’s, battered van. Nicer hotels and no more sharing rooms. Making money every single night to a sold-out crowd. And not having to worry about the logistics.

When he’d thrown his black nail polish, condoms, and lube into his toiletries, he placed it in his luggage and hauled his case and hold-all down the narrow staircase. The scent of bacon filled the air, causing his stomach to rumble. He walked into the kitchen, surprised to find Jase sitting at the table and the person he loved most in the world making food.

“Morning, sweetheart,” she said.

“Morning, Nan.” Seventy-seven-year-old Rhoda Palmer stood in front of the grill. “What are you doing here?”

Nan cracked eggs into the frying pan. “Jase video called me with puppy dog eyes and begged me to come and make you breakfast. Said I couldn’t send you off into the world without one of my famous breakfast baps.”

He turned back to Jase. “You got Nan out of bed at seven in the morning to make us breakfast?”

Jase grinned. “She loves us, Alex. And her love language is making us food. Who am I to deprive her of chances to show us how much she loves us?”

Alex laughed. “You really are a dick.” He grabbed a slice of bacon currently resting on kitchen towel.

Nan smacked the back of his hand. “Get your hands off.”

He munched on the bacon. “You know you love me.”

“But she came because I’m her favourite grandson and she can’t say no to me,” Jase said.

“Don’t think so. She gave me her pearls. You love me more, right, Nan?”

Nan pulled the sausages from the pan and began cutting them in half. “I don’t love you half a penny more, or Jase half a penny less. I love you both exactly the same. And I gave you those pearls because I didn’t want them wasting away in my drawer when I knew you’d wear them.”

Alex watched as she placed two sausages on the floury white baps first, followed by slices of bacon, then she topped it with a fried egg.

“HP?” she asked.

“Please,” they both replied in unison. Alex’s mouth began to water as he watched her load up the brown sauce.

“Are you not having one?” Alex asked as she placed the finished product on the table in front of him.

“Oh, I already had my bowl of Raisin Bran. Doctor said to keep my passages clear I need more fibre.”

“Why did Alex get the first one?” Jase whined.

Nan fluffed Jase’s hair. “Because you need to be put in place occasionally, Jason Palmer.”

When Nan returned to get Jase’s, Alex gave him the finger.

“Fuck you,” Jase mouthed, playfully.

Alex masterfully grasped the well stacked bap and took a bite, groaning as runny egg yolk slid down his fingers.

When Nan brought them large mugs of steaming tea and then sat down to join them, she studied each of them. “You’re both going to be good boys on this tour, right? If I see either of you on the news or in the papers for anything other than great concerts, you’ll be answering to me. Am I understood?”

Alex choked on his breakfast. “What exactly do you think we’re going to get up to?”

“Remember Brighton?” she asked.

When Jase had stormed off stage.

“Or Coventry?” she added.

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