Coming Home

Chapter 14

Three days passed where I didn't hear from Alex. I was starting to wonder if he had only come to fix his bad conscience and then leave as soon as he had gotten the apology out of the way. To stop my thought from spiralling out of control, I buried myself in work.

I was surprised when a text message ticked in on Friday afternoon.

Received at 3.46 p.m. from Turner
Are you free tonight?
The lads and I are grabbing a beer at the old pub

Sent at 4.03 p.m. to Turner
Sounds like fun but I'm actually working tonight. Say hi to the lads for me, yeah?

Received at 4.05 p.m. from Turner
Working?
Friday night?
Bar or Magazine?

Sent at 4.22 p.m. to Turner
Bar

Received at 4.24 p.m. from Turner
Scratch the old pub!
We'll be your favourite customers tonight

-

Somehow, I managed to keep four seats at the bar vacant for the lads. They came in at 12.30 a.m. already pissed. Jamie could barely walk and Matt was shouting every word he said. Nick seemed a little distant but I could tell that I had Alex' full attention. He was wearing black aviators despite the fact that it was actually dark outside. If he wore them to disguise that he in fact was Alex Turner, he was doing a horrible job: From the moment the lads swaggered in, people started ogling and pointing at them.

I poured five pints and sat one down in front of each of them (even though they probably didn't need anymore to drink) before I took a sip of the fifth.

"What were you guys up to before you came here?" I laughed at them.

"Matt's parents were having us all over for dinner and he brought out the whiskey and the wine," Alex laughed as Matt had started to hiccough uncontrollaby.

"Sound like fun," I called out as I tended to a girl at the bar who had ordered a Margarita.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" She whispered to me and I nodded, "that guy over there - isn't he that musician?" She pointed to Alex.

"They are all musicians. Alex is the lead singer if that's who you mean."

"You look like you know them," she said and took a sip of the drink that I had placed in front of her.

"We went to school together," I smiled at her.

"Oh so you're friends? Do you know if he - I mean if Alex - is seeing anybody? Do you think you could introduce me?" She said and pointed towards Alex who was laughing at something Nick had said. His Adam's apple was bouncing up and down and his wide smile revealed a row of straight teeth with the right incisor being just a little crooked. A lump in my chest formed as I was looking at him laughing like that. His hair was perfectly gelled up and his black attire gave him certain look that was a mixture between mature sweetheart and bad-boy at the same time. I noticed that my breathing had become ragged. He looked over to me and saw that I was staring straight at him. Before he turned towards Nick again, he shot me a small wink.

"Yeah, he's seeing some American model," I managed to croak. Exactly why I lied, I didn't know - I just knew that I didn't want her to go over and talk to him.

"Shame," the girl sighed before she picked up her drink and went over to her friends who were clearly talking about the lads.