Overdue - A Rockstar Romance

Chapter 3 - Elliott

Chris strummed his guitar and Erik tapped his drumsticks against the window and on the edge of a small table in front of us.

"I'm all outta luck, now that you're not here, missing my four-leaf clover lucky girl, please don't break my heart." I sang, my husky voice conveying a depth of emotion I hadn't felt since the beginning of our last tour.

Rehab had been tough but getting back on the road with the guys was tougher. We weren't even touring yet. Just working on our new album but the urge to have little drink in the evenings was a struggle.

"Sounding good guys." Our manager Victoria smiled as she turned in her seat to listen. "If you can take a short break, I'd like to go over the plan for the day?"

We all sat up a little straighter and nodded our agreement, "Sure."

She smiled a stood up, "So this morning we will be filming the music video for Overdue. I'm expecting three to four hours filming with a twenty-minute break. Aiming to leave there about three so we can make it back to London in time for a radio interview. How does that sound?"

"Good." We chorused.

She chucked, "You guys are too easy to work with. I'm getting suspicious."

We laughed nervously and exchanged looks. Victoria had taken over our management after we 'encouraged' Darren, our tour manager to leave. He was what they called in my help group, an enabler. Always offering to grab me another drink or inviting the party guys and girls to spend time with us. The band had insisted that getting rid of him was the best idea for making sure I didn't slip up.

After speaking to Victoria she had been flattered that we wanted her. She was one of the people who discovered us, but she hadn't wanted to travel when the record label was so new, meaning she had no idea how off the rails I had gone. All she knew was what the press was saying, and she believed most of it was lies. I felt the guilt of not telling her eating away at me again. Chris squeezed my arm, a silent comfort that said he understood and I threw him a grateful look.

I could do this. My bad boy persona didn't have to be me. It was an act for stage and the fans.

"We've hired a dozen actresses and models for the day but expect us to only need three or four. Just pick who you get on best with, we want the chemistry to look real." She turned to Chris, "And no sex on set. I'm not comforting a load of crying girls this time."

Chris gave his best 'who me?' look and I snorted.

"You too Elliott. I know all about that string of broken hearts you leave in your wake." She warned.

I waved a lazy hand, "I never promise them more than I can give."

"That doesn't stop them falling madly in love with you. Half of them have already picked out the kids names by the end of the first date." Erik laughed.

"Oh ha ha very funny. Let's make fun of the weirdos who are obsessed with me. Never date a fan guys." I said solemnly.

"Drama queen." Kyle threw in.

I glanced over at him, quietly sketching in his notebook as though he hadn't said anything and tried to come up with a cutting response.

When none sprang to mind I settled for sticking my tongue out at him.

"Boys," Victoria stood, hands on hips apparently unaffected by the coach moving, "I was just saying how good you were."

"He started it." Erik snapped at the same time as me.

Our eyes met and we both burst out laughing. Victoria laughed too and slid back into her seat, clipping in an earpiece and immediately striking up a conversation with someone.

I lay back in my seat and gazed out of the darkened windows. Fields and trees rolled by and I frowned. Where was she taking us? I knew the basic theme I wanted for the song when I wrote it but beyond that I'd pretty much left the rest down to the production team to come up with.

"Five minutes out." Came the shout from the driver.

For a moment I flashed back to preparing for our final performance of the last tour. That was a definite low point for me. Off my face drunk, sweating buckets and messing up my own lyrics. We had hit the headlines the next day for all the wrong reasons. 'Are the outlaws on the out?' 'Crash and burn of pop rocks heart throb' 'End of the outlaws?' 'True Outlaws fall from grace'.

It killed me because it wasn't the band, it was just me and I was letting them down.

I was shocked that they stood by me really. Would I have been so forgiving in their position?

'Everyone loves a good redemption story' Erik had said with his usual tact.

But I didn't want it getting out. Didn't want that weakness becoming public knowledge. I knew what the press was like when they smelled blood in the water. Like sharks they would surround me, waiting for the perfect moment to rip me apart.

I looked out of the window as we rolled into a village that looked like it belonged on a chocolate box. All little cottages and shops, a post office. I didn't know they were still really a thing.

Our huge tour bus probably looked so at odds with the surroundings. Sleek black gloss with tinted windows. They had removed the logo that was emblazoned on the side when we first got it after an incident of crazy fans following us down the M25.

We rumbled to a stop in a small car park alongside a tiny church and a river. I frowned, "How is this going to work?"

"That," Victoria said triumphantly pointing to the little church-like building, "is our library."

I looked it up and down with a whistle. Stained glass windows and quirky flint and brick made for a beautiful looking building. I only hoped it was as good on the inside.

We piled off the bus quietly, without our customary celebration at the freedom of being off it. It didn't seem quite right to make so much noise in a sleepy village like this.

Victoria led us to the door, chattering away but I was hardly listening, too focused on our surroundings and how inspired I felt.

The door opened and that's when I caught sight of her. Mousey brown hair in a messy ponytail, her lip caught in her teeth as she stared intently at the screen through black rimmed glasses. That creamy turtleneck jumper didn't hide her as much as she thought it did.

I fixed my best fan favourite smile on my face and elbowed my way to the front, marching up to the desk with purpose.