Page 68 of Not Quite Dead Yet

Nell went back to staring at her wine. ‘Your dad doesn’t want to do that. He has two children. Doesn’t think it would be fair on you, to give the company to Luke.’

‘Well, lucky for Luke, I guess that’s not going to be a problem anymore. Dad’s only gonna have one kid left by the end of the week.’ Jet took another sip. ‘Excuse me – someone’s trying to steal my table.’

Jet made her way back, eyeballing the man who was reaching for her chair until he backed off.

‘Thank you, thank you,’ Billy said, his breath tickling the mic. ‘OK, next I’m gonna play one of my own songs.’ The crowd oohed. ‘I know, I know. I wrote this song a while back, so you might have heard it already. This one’s called “For Her”.’

Billy’s fingers skipped across the strings, picking out the chords, eyes down on his feet.

‘If you asked my heart how long, it could only say it’s been a while,’he sang.‘And I’d ask you instead: how could you not love that dangerous little smile? She laughs like an old man dying, and I gotta keep it together, I’m really trying. Loved her since the start, since day one, but day one won’t ever be one day ’cause …’

He strummed harder, the guitar picking up for the chorus, Billy’s voice too, gravelly beneath the notes. He sang:

She might not ever love me back,

Wrong place or time or maybe neither.

But she looks at me with those earthy eyes,

And I’m not sure I can breathe ugh.

Don’t think it’s in the cards or stars,

Not on the same page or track.

But, hell, I’m gonna play it,

Because I wrote this little song … for her.

Billy swallowed, stepped back from the microphone. He looked nervous, Jet could tell, eyes still on the ground.

‘Whoooo,’ Jet called between her cupped hands, clapping them together. ‘Come on, Billy!’

The crowd joined in.

Billy’s smile came back, and so did his eyes, surveying the bar, having fun with it now.

‘She’s my cup of tea, my bit of me, why yes, I’ve watched BritishLove Islandon TV, why do you ask?’

Jet laughed.

‘No, stop asking, we’re just friends, stay on task, I’ve got a verse to sing. She’s a queen but I’m no king, I’m just royally fucked, and I’m sorry for swearing.’

Everyone laughed, and Jet’s cheeks glowed harder. That washerfriend up there.

‘Got you a beer.’

Billy took the seat opposite, resting his guitar case against the arm.

‘Thanks.’

‘So,’ Jet said.

‘So?’ Billy asked, gripping the bottle, eyebrows up, forcing little folds onto his forehead.

‘You’re not terrible.’ She smiled, could only feel it on one side.

Billy laughed. ‘I told you I wasn’t terrible.’ He took a sip,mouth creased at the corners, almost dribbling his beer, catching it with his sleeve. ‘I’d never lie to you. Wh-why are you prodding your face like that?’