(Copyright 2001. All rights reserved).
All characters and events are fictitious.
"How many girls do you want let into the hotel?" Natasha herd Tim asking H as she helped herself to a piece of cheese flan from one of the tables set up to hold the buffet for the after show party in the Bands hotel.
"I think what we have here will do them fine tonight." H replied surveying the room.
She looked around herself. There had been well over one hundred people in the hotel ballroom when they arrived back from the stadium. There had been many faces she recognised instantly and others she had when Dave had mentioned their names and still others who even having been told their names, she was non the wiser.
The three Americans and Frankie all seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The girl in the silver dress was there with an entourage of six and her own film crew who recorded her every move as she moved from celebrity to celebrity.
There had been a short sharp row between Marianne and the other two girls in her group. Then there had been a public reconciliation after Merry had taken them all into a side room for fifteen minutes. Marianne was sitting on a chair by the piano on the raised platform at one end of the room listening to Dave tinkling. The expression on her face reminded her of the look on the face of one of her father's dogs once. Total devotion. She hoped Dave didn't notice, he run a mile.
Though if she thought about it, it might not be such a bad idea after all. He was twenty-six. Famous, successful and loaded. Quite a catch in fact.
Maybe she should try for one of the other members of the group? Larry the drummer perhaps? No, he seemed fully occupied with their two backing singers. Geordie? Hardly a fruitful union there. Mike? No, she'd already been there. Jeff then? He had talent, that much was true. A born showman. He was very good looking. A shame he had the morals of an alley cat. There he was now talking to Laurie and Amanda with Mike. He had Frankie on one side and Taylor on the other. Frankie had her head on his shoulder. She looked to be asleep or drunk.
She looked across at Dave again. Was her being here spoiling the party for him? And after, when the bedroom combinations were decided would he miss out because of her?
Shame.
The two hard looking girls from FoxArt were talking, no arguing with Dave. He was standing between them and Marianne. Marianne was holding his hand. She just had to know what was going on.
Taking two glasses of Champagne from a table she walked across to the piano.
"Oh, hi Nat." Dave said as she approached, he seemed really pleased to see her.
Nat slipped onto the piano stool and placed a glass on either end of the keyboard before running her fingers over the keys.
It had a nice tone. She played one of the tunes they had used in their concert that evening. She knew them all. She'd been present when Dave had written some of them. She slowed it down so it sounded how Dave had originally written it. Marianne was singing. Dave had written some great lyrics for this song. Too good to be lost in the sound that came from the full band. Marianne could sing as well. She had a lovely clear voice.
Nat kept playing. Aware that the other two girls had left. Loosing herself in the music.
"That's how you should perform that song." She heard H say.
"I can't fucking sing like that." Came Jeff's reply. "I'm for bed. Coming girls?"
"Jeff." Nat called reprovingly to him.
"You get yourself off to bed Frankie. You've had a long day." Nat suddenly felt a surge of responsibility for her.
"She can come if she wants to." Taylor objected. "Come on. You'll enjoy it." She urged.
Nat stopped playing as Marianne finished singing. There was a round of applause. She looked across at Frankie. She had a please say yes look on her face.
Why did she need her approval?
"It's up to you."
Nat shrugged her shoulders. She was old enough. She wasn't her keeper. She doubted very much if she was a virgin. Few girls her age were.
"I'm going back to my hotel now Dave." Nat said to him. "Anybody coming?"
Nobody replied, then Marianne spoke.