Page 108 of Marley

We were now entered into everyone’s contacts list as Fag & Butt.

The following Christmas, Jimmie had gone to a local retirement home and asked the old dears to knit us a couple of jumpers with our names on. Then offered to donate one thousand pounds to a charity of our choice if we wore them all day. Len and Cam also adding a thousand if we went through with it, leaving us with little option but to agree.

Hilarious ...Not.

The amount of times we’d been in the company of Americans and had to explain that Fag Ash and Fag Butt had nothing to do with neither very burnt, or the backsides of homosexuals.

“Children, children, back to the matter in hand. I’ll email you a rehearsal schedule as soon as it’s done, that way you’ll at least know when to expect others to be turning up. The riggers and electricians will be in and out all week, so they may need the power switched on and off at various times too. Anything else?” We all remain silent.

“This year’s event is bigger and better than any other. We’ll be able to add at least ten more charities to our books next year. Goes without saying that whoever we choose, we’ll bear in mind where Maca would’ve liked the money channelled.”

Ashley comes and curls into my lap as Len talks.

“He’d be so proud of what you’ve achieved with this, so fucking proud.” Ash states, loud enough for the others to hear on their ends of the phone.

I hear Len clear his throat, but George remains silent.

“Porge?”

“Don’t, Marls, don’t.”

“All right. Well, that’s it for now then, boys and girls. I’ll be at the offices all day tomorrow. I’ll see ya there if you’re about.” He hangs up. I hear George sniff and then she’s gone so I disconnect from my end.

“Wanna watch a film or SamCro with me?” Ashley asks.

I slide my hand under her vest and love that she’s braless. So much so, that I have to give her nipple a little suck.

“What, so you can sit and get all wet and excited over Jax?” I ask.

“Well, come on. Even you get a hard-on over Jax.”

I throw my head back and laugh as if she’s being ridiculous.

“Seriously, you know full well that its Bobby my heart belongs to.”

“Whatever. You watching or not? I have the whole of season six to get through. I’m sick of avoiding spoilers everywhere.”

“Put it on, but d’ya mind if I read?” I question. I feel guilty that I’ve done nothing but read these last few days.

“Go for it,” dhe tells me before kissing my mouth, sliding off my lap and heading out the door.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

1989/2014

The following years saw Carnage go on to bigger and better things. Our tours were worldwide and we played at the biggest stadiums in the biggest cities. Our albums were multiplatinum selling, and our singles always went to number one.

In our personal lives, all of us, but Maca, became fathers. Some of us a lot sooner than expected. It turns out I knocked up Ash the very first time we had sex.

What a champ.

In March 1990, Ash gave birth to our son. Watching what she went through to give me a gift I’d never be able to thank her enough for, was the most moving experience of my life.

I’d like to say that Ash was amazing and coped brilliantly with the labour, but I’d be lying. She was a fucking nightmare.

She screamed at me, the midwives, and doctors, and when a team of student obstetricians came into the room to ask some questions, she threw her jug of water at them.

Finally, when none of us could take any more, the anaesthetist arrived to set her up with an epidural. I requested he put it in her jaw, but apparently that’s not standard practice, so I got a no.