(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.
"I need to get away from here."
"There's a spare bed in my room. In fact you can have a room of your own if you want to. It doesn't look like they'll be using it." She nodded to where the three Americans and Frankie were allowing themselves to be steered towards the lifts.
Like lambs to the slaughter, she thought. She wondered if they knew what they were letting themselves in for. What were they letting themselves in for? A night of sex? She could do with that herself. She looked around the room there were still perhaps a dozen people there, all male apart from her, Marianne and another girl who looked to be high on something.
There were some good-looking men there. She could have one if she really wanted. She knew the signals to send but if it didn't mean anything why do it for the sake of it?
Dave was walking with them to the front doors. The crowds that had been hanging around at the gates to the hotel had mostly gone. There were still a few who appeared to be camping out in sleeping bags.
There were still a few late taxis outside and the car Howie had sent from his hotel to collect them. They walked towards the car, Dave with his head low to avoid being recognised. He held open the door for them. Nat looked past him as she kissed him on the cheek goodnight. That was strange. That looked like Geordie getting into a taxi. It couldn't have been.
Marianne was kissing Dave on one of his cheeks. Then his other one. Then full on the lips. Nat could see Dave was taken back at first then he relaxed and he responded, first with his lips and then with his hands.
Should she lift them from her ass cheeks? Marianne didn't seem to mind they were there. In fact, the way she was grinding her hips against her brother's she seemed pleased they were.
They had broken their kiss and were looking deep into each other's eyes. Then they stepped back two paces and looked at Nat.
"Goodnight Nat." Dave said, circling Marianne's small waist with his arms and pulling her ass back into his groin.
Nat climbed into the back seat and allowed Dave to close the door on her. She watched them hurry back inside with their arms around each other's waists. Some camera lights popped so they knew that it was going to be anything but a secret romance.
"To the hotel, Miss?" The driver asked.
"Yes please." She replied sinking back into the soft leather upholstery.
The car pulled up at a set of traffic lights and waited for them to change. That did look like Geordie in the taxi in front.
