Friday came much too quickly for Maude's taste. I was excited beyond belief while she kept her eyes on the guitar Brett lent her to practice with. It was a beautiful cherry sunburst Les Paul. A little big but Maude knew her way around it like any master. I would listen for hours as she strummed and plucked and while I didn't recognise every song they were still catchy. Playing kept her company when she couldn't sleep. 

She kept her outfit simple that night, wearing some beige trousers and a white blouse. Her signature hoop earrings swung as she nodded her head to the rhythm and a golden necklace with a cat pendant hung around her neck. Her nails were painted blood red and gold rings adorned her fingers. Her hair had been held in curlers for the perfect length of time and didn't come out like a poodle. 

Meanwhile I couldn't even decide on a damn dress. 

I could have worn the black one but I wanted something different. There was the sparkly blue floral but that felt a bit too formal. It was still a bar, not fine dining. The weather had turned chilly over the week and a cold spell rushed in. A dress almost didn't feel warm enough. I sighed in frustration and collapsed on my bed. Someone knocked on the door. 

Just what I needed, company....

"I'll get it," Maude called from the living room. I laid there and thought of all the choices I brought along in my suitcase and anything I purchased from the shops. Sure my leather jacket was a given but....

Fuck it, I'm wearing the floral.

I slipped it on over my hips and struggled a little. It fit perfectly there, but it was still a little too big...everywhere else....

I did not get the C-cup gene. 

It was sleeveless and that was alright. A silver shawl would have looked better than my jacket but it was too late to find one now. Not as skilled with hair and makeup as Maude I put my hair in two pigtails and ditched the makeup. I slipped on my gold necklace and left it at that. 

I looked okay. 

Exactly the same in a fancy dress.

Alright, let's party. 

I left my bedroom and saw Maude sitting on the couch leaning her head on a well dressed Brett. His grey blue eyes were glued to Maude. Not wanting to disturb them I tiptoed past to the kitchen. 

One little square of dark chocolate for the road couldn't hurt. 

Before I could give in and stuff my face there was another knock at the door. My heart skipped a beat. All afternoon I subconsciously waited for the phone to ring; Angus telling me he couldn't make it. But it hadn't. And we weren't expecting anyone else. Grasping my chocolate I hurried to the door and when I opened it my jaw dropped.

He didn't just dress for the occasion. He was the occasion.

The man was in a suit. Not just a nice shirt, a whole damn suit. 

And a tie. 

And not only that, Cliff and Bon were behind him as well.

In suits.

Well, Bon had lost his jacket somewhere and left about five buttons on his shirt undone. 

"Hi," Angus said shyly.

I found myself unable to stop staring. Or say something. Or breathe. 

"I brought some friends," he said. Cliff and Bon smiled and waved at me. "The show is tonight, right?" he asked. I nodded. Angus frowned. "Somethin' wrong, love?"

Finally I found my voice. "I'm not sure you three have the right hotel room...." I said.

"Why do ya' say that?" Bon asked. I held a hand out. They looked at themselves but didn't see anything. "What?"

"You're dressed for the Queen!" I exclaimed. Or in Bon's case the Queen's niece. Bon and Cliff glanced at Angus. Angus stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. 

"Told ya', love....had somewhere to be today..." He shifted from one foot to the other. "Came over as quick as we could an' didn't have time to change."

"Ya' know, you're pretty well dressed yourself," Cliff pointed out with a smirk. I saw Angus look at my dress and turn pink. Bon laughed and slapped Angus on the back. 

"Hannah, who's at the door?" Maude called. 

"Oh, it's-"

"There's our leading lady!" Bon said leaping past me to get to Maude. Cliff excused himself and headed for the couch as well. Angus and I watched in amusement as Brett made room for two new suitors. Maude's eyes were saucers.

"Sorry about the parade," Angus said. "I told them where I was goin' an' they wanted to come. Hope that's alright."

"No, that's fine," I said. "Maude said as long as they're paying customers the owner won't care how many there are."

Angus laughed. "Well Bon will be enough for us." We watched again as Bon kissed Maude's hand while she giggled in response. Brett eyed everyone suspiciously but I knew he was a bit starstruck too. Cliff only shook her hand but a stud like him was hard to resist. "They can't stay long but they wanted to hear your friend play. Especially after her performance at the studio."

"Are they always this friendly?" I asked as Bon shamelessly wrapped an arm around her.

"Well, Cliff has a girlfriend an' Bon....ya' know, Bon's Bon."

I laughed. Angus took my hand in his and laced his fingers through mine. We stepped inside the room and went to the kitchen for some privacy. 

"You do look really nice. ya' know," he muttered in my ear. A shiver went down my spine. 

"Thank you," I said. "So do you."

He kissed me. One hand rested gently on my neck where the bruise was. It still ached but I wasn't sure he could tell it was there. Once again my arms wrapped around his neck. His hair was too neat to tangle up so I gripped the back of his jacket instead. His other hand stayed respectfully on my hip. We broke apart unable to stop the giggling. "What is it?" he asked laughing, eyes sparkling.

I could only shrug and pull him in for a hug still laughing over his shoulder. Warm and safe, that's how I would always remember him. I wanted so badly to tell him that I...

Loved him?

Did I love him?

I had never been in love before. I didn't know what it felt like. I was young, what did I know about love? Only that it was more than a feeling. More than butterflies.

Though there were plenty of those too. 

Angus and I jumped apart at the sound of Bon's voice. "Oi, you two! You comin' or what?" That fucker had the cheekiest grin on his face when he saw us. "Or should we leave you here to continue?"

"We're comin', we're comin'," Angus said waving Bon away. 

"Tell me about it," Bon laughed walking away. Angus turned back to me with shining mirth on his face.

"Ready to go?"

**********

The bar wasn't too far away. Brett called his friend and got us another black limousine. This one had a mini bar inside and Bon helped himself to a bit of champagne before the gig. "When they're kind enough to hand you a free drink the least you can do is take it," he said. 

When the limo parked out front we all piled out to see the flashiest bar any of us had been to. It was hard to read the curly cursive writing out front but I think it said "The Palace". The place was guarded by a velvet rope and a very large man in black sunglasses holding a clipboard. People milled about socialising. To be honest it looked more like a night club than a bar. There was a "No Smoking" sign posted on the doors. 

"Aw, now that's a load of shit," Angus said. 

Honestly I doubted anyone followed that rule.

Our group got to the front of the line to where the large man stood. "Names?"

"Maude Fielding," Brett answered. Maude looked too frightened to speak. "We're her guests."

The man looked at our large party and huffed then looked through his clipboard. "Alright, you're on in half an hour," he said pulling the rope back for us. We all stepped through before he latched it behind us. I couldn't believe he didn't ask me for an ID. 

Must be the dress. 

Certainly wasn't the pigtails.

Inside the lights were low and the tables were packed. We found one near the back and claimed it. A small group of three playing folk music were up onstage. The woman singing had a beautiful voice. Right away a bottle of wine and a bottle of whiskey were placed on our table by a passing barmaid. As Angus predicted Bon immediately helped himself and Cliff had a glass of wine. Brett poured some wine for Maude but she didn't take it. The guitar case holding the Les Paul sat on her lap. She stared at the tablecloth. 

"Are you okay?" I asked. 

Of course she's not okay, stupid.

She shook her head. For a minute I wondered if the wine would calm her down. Brett leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Then he stood up and left the table, heading towards the curtains behind the stage. 

"Don't worry about it, love," Bon said setting down his glass of whiskey. "Once you're up there the nerves disappear." He snapped his fingers. "Like that." Cliff rested his hand on her shoulder. 

"We'll all be right here," he said. "When you're up there jus' look for us."

Maude didn't respond. 

The folk group had left to a quiet applause and a curvy woman with dark brown skin took their place. She wore a black dress that dragged the floor and matching gloves up to her elbows. Bon whistled as she took the stage. 

"This one's for all you lovers out there..."

Bon then elbowed Angus a little too hard. "Ow!" He retaliated by stamping on Bon's foot. "Fuckin' hell," he muttered rubbing his arm. 

The woman's song was a sultry one of love and lust. The men were enchanted. Most of the women were either bored or politely listening. I could see one woman in front blushing a deep crimson. Her body language onstage were that of a siren's. One man stood up to leave holding a whiskey bottle a little too close to himself. In the dark corner to our right was a group smoking joints and one cut a line of powder on the table. 

Now this was where the big kids partied.

I folded my hands across the table. This wasn't exactly the place I'd frequent if I had the choice. The noise was too loud and the stage lights were too bright. Brett had been gone a long time behind the curtain and I wished he would come back. 

After one last pose the curvy woman finished her song and walked offstage, blowing kisses to a wild audience. Cheers, whistles, and even a rose went flying her direction. I could tell she was going places. I'd have her album right next to Miss Ella Fitzgerald.

A man with a comb over took the stage by the microphone. "Let's hear it for Melinda Jo!" The room erupted again with Bon clapping the loudest. I made eye contact with him and he stuck his tongue out. Comb Over raised his hand to quiet the room. "We have a new act tonight, one who promises to rock this place like a hurricane. Give it up for Maude Fielding!"

The audience cheered again and Maude slowly stood up from the table clutching her guitar case and following the bright stage lights. Once she got up there she opened her case and pulled out the Les Paul, hooking it up to an amp. Suddenly Brett was up there, also with a guitar. They must have been tuned in record time because Brett took to the microphone. "Good evening, everyone, we hope you enjoy the show." He gave Maude a kiss on the cheek and took his place behind her. Standing there a second, Maude's eyes scoured the room and landed on us. 

On me.

Her fingers plucked and played the way they had all week and this time I recognised the song. Maude stepped forward and began to sing. 

"Ooh, bet you're wonderin' how I knew....'bout your plan to make me blue..."

Everyone at our table cheered, especially me. Did I mention my best friend is an incredible singer? 

"With some other guy that you knew before....between the two of us guys you know I loved you more...."

I watched her and Brett play through the song with pride. Quickly glancing around the room I didn't see anyone throwing tomatoes or booing. They all watched and listened intently, some of them even dancing in their seats. Angus and I shared a smile. He seemed to approve. 

Maude smiled too and looked like she was starting to have fun. Her voice, a little shaky at the start, grew with power. Brett watched her with love in his eyes as he strummed along. 

We all lost ourselves to the music. It was like magic.

**********

Maude slammed her glass of wine down, now perfectly empty. I pounced on her for a hug. Brett grabbed her and dipped her in a passionate kiss. We all cheered again, clinking glasses and giving our congrats. After the happy couple separated Cliff patted her shoulder. "Great job, love," he said. 

"Couldn't name one person who could do it better," Bon said, his shirt completely unbuttoned now and hanging off his shoulders. His cheeks were rosy. "Not even me."

"Glad we came, you're a hell of a player," Angus said. "It's too bad Mal didn't get to see ya', he would have loved it." I frowned at that. Where was Mal exactly? And Phil? Were they off somewhere in the city running around in suits too?

"Thank you," Maude said pouring herself another glass of wine. Brett already had a full one in his hand. "Shit, I was so nervous! You really think I did alright?"

"Alright?" Bon cried. "There ain't a dry seat in the place!" Maude laughed. After a few extra drinks Bon and Cliff excused themselves to go. I didn't know where they were headed but I'd guess back to their hotels. It appeared to have been a long day for these men. Brett and Maude were getting quite tipsy and were getting a bit affectionate too. I think at one point one of them had rolled a joint. Angus and I shared a look. 

"Uh..." Angus coughed. "Hannah an' I were thinkin' of headin' out," he said. "If you two wanted to come with us...." They continued to pash. "Or you can stay here..."

"We'll be right out," Maude said as she came up for air. Angus stood up from his chair and offered me his hand. I took it and we left the place. 

Cold cold air slapped me in the face. I shivered uncontrollably in my thin satin and mesh dress. Angus wrapped an arm around me and kissed my temple. Heat flooded through me but not enough to banish the London night. "Your friend is really good, ya' know," he said. "I figured she was....but shit." He pulled out his packet of cigarettes and lit one. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. 

"Bet that felt good," I said. 

"You've no fuckin' idea," he said. He held out the pack. "Want one?"

"No thanks," I said leaning on his shoulder. Putting it away he replaced his arm around my waist. "Where's Malcolm and Phil?"

Angus coughed a few times and shifted his weight. "Uh....they couldn't make it tonight," he said. My nosy arse didn't like that answer. 

"But where are they?"

Angus looked from his shoes to my eyes, almost guiltily. "Mal got married today," he said. "He an' Linda got married this mornin'. They wanted it private, ya' know? Close family an' friends....I wasn't gonna tell ya'...not that we didn't want ya' to come but....ya' know...the guest list an' all....everythin' was sort of a done deal an'....we met up last minute, ya' know?"

So that's where they had been. That explained the suits too. And I didn't imagine the ring on Linda's finger. 

"Mal didn't come 'cause...obviously their honeymoon, ya' know. We're gettin' a few days off to let 'em celebrate. An' Phil..." Angus sighed, staring at a shrub. "I dunno what's goin' on with him. We invited him but he said he had someone to meet up with. He's not been doin' very well lately." Angus looked up at me with mist in his eyes. "I'm worried about him."

I tackled him in a hug. He held me with one arm, holding the cigarette away from me. A breeze almost carried us away but we hardly noticed. My eyes felt heavy as his lips brushed my hair. 

"You're not upset I didn't tell you?" he asked. 

"No," I murmured. We could have stayed like that for an eternity if not for a loud hiccup behind us.

"Oops, sorry," Brett said sheepishly gripping the guitar case. He had lipstick on his face again. 

"You two ready to go?" Maude asked. We nodded and all four of us made our way down the street back to the hotel. 

Somewhere down the line Angus looked at his watch. "Huh, almost midnight."

"Midnight?" Maude asked. She grabbed my hand. "Hannah, we can't miss Big Ben, hurry!" She took off down the street with me in tow, Brett and Angus running to catch up. 

Despite being halfway between tipsy and pissed, Maude weaved her way through the crowds of people with ease. Except the one time she bumped into a lamppost and said, "Sorry, sir."

Out of breath and a stitch in my side, I finally stopped running and looked up to see the enormous Clock Tower. Several tourists and English people stood around in their coats and gloves waiting for the clock to strike twelve. I turned around looking for the men we ditched but couldn't find them. Cameras clicked and some people waved torches around. Clopping down the street came a white horse with his rider in red. One large group of teens all had party hats and noisemakers. A black dog tugged on his leash after spotting me. 

"There you are," Brett said emerging from the crowd lugging the case. "Almost lost you both a block away." Angus should have been right behind him but he wasn't.

Instead he was right behind me. 

Two arms grabbed me from behind scaring me senseless. "Don't be scared, love, it's only me," he said. I stuck my tongue out at him. 

"Hannah, look!"

Maude pointed up at the Clock Tower right as it struck the hour. Glorious bells and chimes inside rang out. The crowds stayed quiet so everyone could hear. After a few seconds of suspense, the hammer struck Big Ben and twelve bongs filled the night. 

And that was it.

The teenagers hollered and blew on their noisemakers. People cheered and the black dog barked. You'd think it was ringing in the New Year. 

Maude and I shared an excited smile. I didn't care how silly it seemed. I finally got to hear the giant Bell. 

**********

Exhaustion carried me back to the hotel. Angus didn't seem as tired only because he played two hour shows every night for a living. Maude and Brett had been getting pretty friendly on the walk back and it looked like Brett was going to stay at our place for the night. Angus must have sensed my discomfort. 

"You uh...goin' up with them?"

I grimaced. "Unless you have a better idea." He smiled shyly. 

"Well...ya' know, if ya' didn't mind....you an' I could find a motel to stay at," he shrugged. "Like old times...."

Oh my....

I took his hand and waved goodbye to my roommates who stumbled through the revolving doors. On the way we talked and caught up on our lives. At the wedding Linda smeared cake on Malcolm's face so he kissed her in retaliation. Angus had plans to see his parents this Christmas and maybe go somewhere on holiday. "A beach or somethin', this cold is killin' me."

"Come on, Ang, you're a Scot."

"Below the belt, maybe, but right now me Aussie face is growin' icicles." I told him about the new babies mum and I cared for and about the dogs I watched. "Rosemary, huh? Sounds like a cutie."

"I miss her..." I said feeling my eyes getting wet. "But Koa is pretty okay."

"An' these dogs of yours....any breed you like best?"

"Well....years ago I took care of a Westie before he died. He was one of my favourites," I said. Angus smirked. 

"Seems you got a thing for us Scots," he said. I blushed.

Maybe....

We found a decent motel a couple blocks away. Much nicer than the one I took in Sydney. We were dressed a bit nicer too, looking more like a couple coming back from a date rather than a rockstar getting a room with his groupie. After getting our key and finding our room I just about took a swan dive into our bed.

Our bed?

Only one. One large bed just for the two of us.

Memories of the tour came to mind. Snuggles and whatnot. Angus started pulling his tie off and loosened a button on his shirt. "Fuck, that feels better," he said throwing his crumpled tie on the nightstand. "The dogs are howlin' tonight." He sat on the bed to take his shoes off. My feet were cramping up too and it felt wonderful to take off my boots and leather jacket. My muscles were on fire. 

After kicking his shoes to oblivion Angus removed his jacket and let it fall to the floor. Perhaps hanging it up would have been a better choice but neither of us cared at this point. 

"I'm goin' straight to bed, so you can have the shower," Angus yawned. I deeply considered stepping in a heavenly shower with steaming hot water but decided against it. I'd just be even colder when I got out and I didn't feel like sleeping with wet hair. Instead I sat next to him on the edge of the bed and leaned on him. "Long fuckin' day, huh?"

I nodded. "Especially for you." He started to bounce his leg and clasped his hands together. 

"A bit, yeah....wonder if....Bon an' Cliff made it home. Or if Bon made some new friends, he's always makin' new friends, ya' know..."

"He's a popular guy," I said.

Angus started laughing to himself. "An' even when he's not he still gets crabs." That started him up again and his whole body shook beside me. 

"It's not that funny, Angus!" I said crying with laughter. I wasn't laughing at Bon's expense, just the fact that Angus got so tickled over it. 

"I dunno why...." He coughed a bit. "I dunno why that gets me so good. Crabs ain't fun, let me tell ya'." The goofy grin on his face returned. "Might jus' be the fact that of everyone on that airplane he's the one that catches somethin'."

"Maybe others got it too," I said. 

"Yeah, maybe...." Angus assented. He giggled. "Poor guy."

We stayed like that for a while. I wasn't expecting my stomach to start growling. I thought maybe Angus didn't notice but he patted my leg. "Sorry," I said.

"We'll get ya' some breakfast tomorrow mornin'," he said. "Mal an' Linda had chocolate cake at the weddin'. Had about three slices before callin' it quits, I couldn't eat a thing right now."

Oh? Our date continues?

"Guess we better get some sleep then," I said. Angus' gaze met mine. 

"Guess so," he mumbled. 

Only we didn't go to sleep. 

Minutes went by with us gazing at each other, unable to look away. Up close I could see every imperfection on his perfect face. He was able to see all of mine too but I couldn't care less in that moment. He inched closer to me until our noses touched. Then our lips touched. 

He was even more gentle this time than the last. Sleepiness could have been prohibiting him from acting on animal instincts. He still picked me up in his arms just the same, carefully laying me down in the middle of the bed. Since the night was almost over I forgot about keeping his hair neat and let my fingers wander through it. 

He wasn't lying about the chocolate cake. 

For a quick second he pulled away. "You're pretty," he muttered.

"So are you," I said. He smiled and resumed kissing me, his body hovering over mine. I let one hand rest on his shoulder, then pressed it firmly against his chest. My fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt and gently tugged, pulling him closer. His hand wandered to my leg again, the length of my dress swept aside. Delicate touches, gentle massages. Just as I was unfastening a button on his shirt my thoughts kicked in again. 

Don't you want something more than this?

More than a motel room?

I let go of his shirt and pulled away again. Angus' hot breath hit my neck as he pressed his lips against my jawline. "Ang?"

"Hm?" He pushed himself up to look me in the eyes. Once again his were much darker than they had been before. 

"I....I've never....done this before...." I admitted. 

He waited for me to go on. When I didn't he shrugged. "I don't mind, ya' know...."

My heart was racing. It was now or never. "I just meant....I want my first time..." He stared at me expectantly. I was so nervous I almost wished the bed would just swallow me whole. 

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted my first time....to be in your bed."

He didn't answer right away. It felt like hours before he said anything. A small smile broke through my clouds of doubt and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "My-my bed?" he asked. I nodded. His smile grew. "Why?" 

I shrugged. Why indeed. Did I think I'd feel safer in his apartment? Was it the principle of thing? "Is that okay?"

He started laughing a bit. "Y-yeah, that's....that's perfectly fine." 

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Nothin'," he said. "I jus'....I dunno, I wasn't expectin'....my bed." He started giggling like a schoolboy. "Of all the beds in the world....an' my girl wants mine..."

"You act like that's unheard of."

"It is for me," he said. "Ya' know what it's like bein' surrounded by hungry women on the road? They'd take a supply closet over anythin' else. An'....sure, maybe they like that sorta thing...but..." He started laughing again in disbelief. "Ya' sure you want it to be mine?"

I nodded. "Yours."

He grinned. "Mine it is then." Glancing at his watch he pushed himself off of me. "Gettin' late, sweetheart. Now we really should get some sleep." I scooted over to one side to let him take the other. Pulling the covers back we climbed in. Angus wrapped his arms around my waist and I buried my face in his chest. A nice smelling cologne seeped into the bed sheets. My perfume probably got in there as well. Within a minute I fell asleep. 

**********

The next morning Angus and I were inseparable. 

And by that I mean I couldn't escape his arms to go the toilet. He was still out cold.

When he finally did wake up I got myself ready for the day, erasing any signs of deep sleep. My hickey was finally starting to fade, the deep purple now a nice shade of lavender. Angus still hadn't noticed and if he did he didn't say anything. I mean, how do you bring that up anyway?

With his crumpled tie in his jacket pocket and his shoes back on he took my hand and we left the motel. 

We looked quite a picture at the breakfast diner. Maybe the other guests thought we were dressing extra fancy but it looked too out of place at a joint that served Heinz beans and matching t-shirts. 

Angus and I settled for eggs.

After brekkie we walked back to my hotel where I was sure Maude and possibly Brett would still be sleeping. Our arms and legs were killing us and it was best we both went home to our respective places for a proper rest, shower, and change of clothes. I gave him one last hug, the cologne still strong. "Thanks for the night out, love," Angus said. "I had fun."

"Thanks for breakfast," I said. Without food I don't think I would have made it back without a stretcher. 

"Anytime. Say hi to Maude for me."

"Give Malcolm and Linda my best. And say hi to the rest of them."

"I will," he smiled. "Gonna need a checklist. See ya' soon, then." With one last lingering kiss I entered the hotel and found my room. After struggling to get the key working and tripping on my way in, I finally stumbled over to the couch to see Maude already sitting there in her dressing gown.

With her famous shit eating grin. 

"You," she said pointing at me. "are going to tell me everything."