Page 18 of Rock Giant

“Don’t you think it might be a bit weird tomorrow, when you’re not wasted on cider?”

“When isn’t he weird?”

“Shut up, Ash.I’m not wasted.I’ve barely had a drop.”Ronnie had in fact only had a couple of swigs from the one Paul had opened for him.He, on the other hand, was possibly a little bit tipsy, because he was currently at fifty-fifty on saying sod it, fine, get on with it if it’s going to make you happy, and only his recent brush with Elspeth was really stacked on the against side.Now, when things were finally settled, he wasn’t about to do owt that’d jeopardise the internal stability of the band.P.S., he ought to mention she was around but couldn’t face the inevitable downer that would result.

“It’s just a friendly bro-job you’re offering, right, Ronnie?”Xane was stirring again, evidenced by the fact he was completely straight faced.

“Right,” Ronnie chirped from Paul’s lap.“Just a friendly bro-job between friends.Where’s the harm in it?”

“Fine.Look, if you wanna blow me, blow me.”

“For real?”Ronnie rolled onto his stomach.His pointy chin dug into Paul’s thigh as he gazed along his body.

“Wait a minute.”Alle whistled.“I thought you were straight, or at least rock star straight.”

“What the fuck is rock star straight?”Ash asked.

“He just rolls with the flow, don’t you mate?”Xane laughed and flashed everyone a glimpse of his tongue-stud.“Also, I give fucking good blowjobs, which is why no bugger in their right mind turns them down.Even ‘straight’ boys.”

“What I want to know is when this blowjob between you and him occurred?”Ginny asked.

“Way back,” Xane replied.

It had been a tidy while ago, back when they still had their original line-up, before Xane’s stint in rehab, and Bertha’s drowning.His memory got snagged up in the recollection of Bertha’s demise.Those twelve or so hours of him being a hostage lived rent free in his head as a top tier experience.Not that any of the guys knew about it.Three years on, and he’d never breathed a word about that night.They all thoughthe’dstranded them at the services and drowned Bertha, and he was good with that.It was his little secret.His and his hijacker’s—crazy, captivating Jodi Castle.Plus, Bertha Bus II was way nicer.

What was Jodi Castle doing with her life now?Something equally demented?She’d been a catastrophe on legs.Maybe that’s why he’d liked her.And he’d liked her a lot.She’d needed someone to fucking save her from herself, and he’d enjoyed stepping up for the few hours they’d spent together.Maybe it was nostalgia, but his cock got perky at the thought of her, and not just because she’d been blessed with huge tracts of land.

“Paul?”Alle prompted.

“Where?Huh?Oh, what, me and Xane?”

Conveniently, Spook stepped in and answered for him.“It was at the festival where Ash and Steve got stuck in a Portaloo and it rained so incessantly the stage was practically floating.”

Yeah, that was right.No one bothered asking how Spook knew.He probably had photographic evidence of the event stuck into a scrapbook.

“And you?”Ginny nudged her hubby in the ribs with an elbow.“When and where was it?I know it happened.”

Ash sighed.

Spook helped him out, too.“The Chetwode near Milton Keynes.The night before Paul dearest rolled the bus down that embankment almost killing everyone on it, which happened to be everyone but Xane and Ash.

Ronnie, having smudged his already smudgy eyeliner, was patting down his pockets in search of sugary comfort.“Well, I feel completely left out.”

Alle leant over and gave his belly a pat.“Function of joining this crazy train ADL—after Dani and Luthor.”

“Luthor’s being very quiet,” Ginny remarked.

That’s because Luthor knew when to keep his gob shut.

“When did you two get together?”Alle asked Dani.

“Wasn’t it while the rest of us were cosied up with Ginny in your hotel room?”Paul said, prompting Ash to drop the beer crate, so it landed with a thump.He glared at Paul, lock jawed.“That’s twice that’s been referenced now.Drop it, you lot.In fact, never mention it again.”

Ginny barked out a laugh, then tickled her hubby’s cheek.“Aw, you’re getting all possessive.It’s so cute.”

“Give over,” he tried to bat her away, but failed.“I’m not cute.Nor am I a possessive arse.I just don’t need reminding that you’ve wrapped your lips around my bandmate’s trouser snake.”

“Yeah, but you were eating me at the time, and that’s the part that sticks in my head.”