Chapter Forty-One
“He’s
on the phone, he won’t be long.” The receptionist at Byrne Blood informed Del.
“He knows you’re waiting.”
“Okay,
thanks.”
“He’s
gonna kill them.” Mark said to Chris as they sat on one of the blue couches in
the reception area at a1’s management’s offices.
“Yep.”
Ben
and Paul burst in through the double doors.
“It’s
okay, we’re here!” Ben said, pleased to see that the meeting hadn’t started
yet.
Del
he could deal with, but the wrath of Tim wasn’t pleasant.
“Where
have you two been?” Del asked. “You’ve known about this meeting for ages.”
“We’re
didn’t forget, we’re just late!” Paul said. “And we’re not late actually
coz you haven’t gone in yet.”
Del
just turned away from Paul in exasperation.
“What’s
up with you two? You look like you’re waiting to be fired!” Ben said, sitting
down on the couch opposite Mark.
“You’re
asking to be fired.” Chris said, flicking though a magazine.
“Shut
up! We have a very good excuse for our actual non-lateness.” Ben said.
Del
sighed.
“We
were song-writing.” Paul continued.
“Yeah,
got carried away.” Ben said proudly.
“Good
for you.” Mark said, completely uninterestedly.
“It’s
a really good song!”
“What’s
it called?” Del asked.
“Caught
In The Middle.” Paul said. “It’s wicked, man.”
“Tim’s
free to see you now.” The receptionist announced.
“Thanks
Elaine.” Del said, leading the way to Tim’s office.
“Thanks
Elaine.” Ben mocked once they were out of earshot.
“Hi
Tim, how are you? Yeah I’m sorry Ben didn’t make it to the meeting, I had to
kill him.” Del said.
“Er,
Del? We’re not even there yet. You’re talking to thin air.” Mark said with a
smile.
“Why
do I work with you lot?” Del asked.
“Because
you need the money!” a1 chorused.
Del
shook his head and knocked on a varnished wooden door displaying a gold plaque
saying:
“Come
in.” Said a voice from behind the door.
Del
turned the handle and Ben, Mark, Paul and Chris trooped in behind him.
“Good
afternoon. How are we all today?” Tim asked.
There
were general all-round grunts of “Okay” and “Not too bad” as a1 and Del took
their seats around Tim’s glass-topped desk.
“Good.
Well, there are a few things I’d like to discuss with you this afternoon.” Tim
began. “Firstly, the Asian tour that we had roughly scheduled for October has unfortunately
been cancelled due to safety issues.”
“Typical.”
Chris muttered.
Ben
grinned happily at this news but toned it down after a disapproving look from
Tim.
“We’re
trying to re-schedule for possibly some time early next year, but nothing’s
been confirmed as yet. We’ll just have to find something else for you boys to
do.” Tim said, smiling.
“Is
it definitely going to be re-scheduled?” Mark asked.
“Oh
yes, even if it takes until 2004 we’ll get you out there working hard for a
couple of weeks!”
“Good.
We’ve had a good response over there, don’t wanna lose any fans.”
“Don’t
worry, it’s all in hand.” Tim assured him.
Mark
nodded.
“The
second issue is somewhat more of a light-hearted matter. I’ve been approached
by ITV concerning the next celebrity instalments of Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire.”
Tim
paused for effect and all four members of a1 looked up, anticipating what was
coming next.
“You’ve
been asked to appear as contestants on one of the shows.”
Ben’s
eyes lit up. “Really?!”
“No
way!” Mark exclaimed.
Tim
nodded. “The dates are a bit sketchy at the moment, but it’ll be filmed in the
next couple of months. You won’t be paid for your appearance and you’ll be
playing for charity, but it’s good publicity and it should be quite fun. Are
you interested?”
“Are
we interested?! Yeah!!” Ben said excitedly.
“We
have to have a unanimous agreement. It wouldn’t do to have only half the band
appearing.” Tim said. “I take it you’re in favour, Ben?”
Ben
nodded enthusiastically.
“Chris?
What do you think?”
“Do
we get to choose the charity we play for?”
“Yes.
You can either play for one, or several, splitting the money you win between
the charities of your choice.”
“In
that case yeah, I think it’ll be good. I’m in.” Chris said.
“Mark?”
“Yep,
definitely.”
“Paul?
You don’t look quite so enthusiastic.”
Paul
shrugged. “I dunno. I’m all for the idea, you know, money for charity, stuff
like that. I’m just not too keen on the idea of being exposed as totally
thick.”
“Ow
Paul, do it!” Ben said.
“Paul,
if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. I told the producer of the show
I’d ask you lot and get back to them, so it’s up to you.” Tim said.
Paul
thought for a moment.
“We’re
playing as a team, yeah? Not individually?”
“You’ll
all be up there answering the questions at the same time. And there’s no
qualifying round before you get to play. There’s just a running order and when
the team in front of you on the list finish playing, you’ll be up.”
“So
I could just sit there and not say anything?” Paul asked.
“If
you wanted to.”
“Okay.”
Paul said.
“Yes!”
Ben exclaimed. “Thanks Paul.”
“You
guys better know a lot of stuff. I’m not looking like an idiot.” Paul warned.
“Oh
it’s alright, coz of course Ben knows everything.” Chris said dryly.
“I
do!” Ben protested. “Hey, do we get phone a friends?”
“I’ve
got copies of the details and a contract for you to sign.” Tim said. He pressed
the intercom button on his desktop telephone. “Elaine, can you have the Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire documents printed off for me please? Thanks.” He turned
to Del. “You can collect them from reception on the way out.”
“Sure.”
“Who
else is doing it?” Mark asked.
“I
don’t know that yet, I’ll get a lot more information through when it’s
confirmed that you’ll appear on the show.”
“Cool.”
“This
is so cool! I can’t wait, it’s gonna be brilliant!” Ben said. “I can’t wait to
tell Chloe! She can came and watch. Or she could be a phone a friend! She’s
really clever.”
“Everything
you need to know should be in the information I’ve had Elaine organise for you.
I suggest you take it home and read it all through. If you’ve got any questions
about anything before you sign the contract, just give me a ring. Okay?”
“Yep.”
“Yeah.”
“Right,
on to the next subject then.” Tim consulted his computer screen. “Ah yes. The
new album. How’s that coming along?”
Ben,
Mark and Paul looked to Chris. He was the nominated spokesperson when they were
asked about things like that because he was very very good at talking vaguely
about things without actually getting to a point. Tim hadn’t quite sussed out
this technique of theirs yet.
“It’s
good.” Chris said. “We’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio recently,
working on songs together and separately. Things are coming together nicely.”
Tim
smiled. “Good! I’m glad to hear it. So how many tracks would you say you had
finished?”
“Well,
we don’t like to call them finished really, it sounds so final. Personally, I
think that a song isn’t finished until it’s in the shops. And even then,
there’s always some way you can improve or change it. Just by then, it’s too
late.”
Ben
and Mark exchanged smiles. Chris really was an expert.
“That’s
fair enough. A good frame of mind to have.” Tim commended him. “You’re working
hard then?”
“Oh
definitely. You know us!”
“I
certainly do. And I’m very pleased with your progress. You’re really making
this new sound work for you.” Tim paused again to allow for comments. “Right,
well, I think that’s about it. Any questions about anything? Any subjects you
feel we haven’t talked about that need discussing?”
No-one
said anything in the form of a question or subject for discussion.
“Everyone
happy then?”
Everyone
seemed to be.
“Good,
you’re free to go then.” Tim said, smiling at his band. “Oh, except Ben. I’d
like to have a word with you, if that’s alright? The rest of you can go.”
Mark
and Chris exchanged confused glances. What could Tim want to talk to Ben about
that they couldn’t hear?
“Uh
okay, we’ll wait for you outside, Ben.” Mark said.
“Yeah.”
Ben said.
He
looked as confused as Mark.
Everyone
left the room apart from Ben and Tim.
“What
was that about?” Mark asked as they walked down the corridor back to reception.
“Yeah,
that was weird.” Chris agreed.
“He’s
gonna get a bollocking.” Paul said.
“How
do you know?” Mark asked.
“Coz
I’ve been in there alone with Tim and it’s not fun. Remember last summer?”
“The
drinking thing?”
“Yeah.
He had a right go at me. It’s scary, wouldn’t like to be Ben right now.”
“But
what’s it about?”
“That
I don’t know.”
“Do
you know, Del?” Mark asked.
“No.”
Del said in the most unconvincing way possible.
“You
do know! Tell us!
“Yeah,
what’s Ben done?”
“I
can’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“Coz
it’s…”
“Private
and confidential.” Mark, Paul and Chris said in unison.
“It
is! Tim would have my head if I told you. No doubt Ben’ll have a good moan
about it when he gets out anyway.”
Paul
laughed. “Too right, mate. That boy could moan for England!”
“Can
you give us a clue?” Chris asked Del.
“No!
Stop asking me!”
“Tell
us tell us tell us tell us tell us tell us tell us tell us tell us tell us tell
us tell us tell us tell us!!!”
“Paul
stop being a pain.” Del said as they entered the reception area.
“He
can’t, that’s what he does.” Mark said.
“Yeah,
he’s always annoying, he can’t help it.”
Paul
shot Chris a dirty look.
“Oh
yes, and a pure evil look-giver.” Chris continued.
“You’re
the pain.” Paul said, pushing Chris.
“Now
now children, play nice.” Mark said.
Practically
everyone in the whole building jumped as a door slammed loudly and a very angry
Ben came storming into reception.
“Just
a guess, not good news?” Chris said quietly to Mark.
Mark
raised his eyebrows by way of reply.
“You
okay, Ben?”
“I
hate that man, I hate him! Why is he even our manager? I hate him!”
“What
did he say?”
“I
cannot believe the nerve of him! What right does he have to talk to me like
that?! Well I’m not staying here a minute longer. I am going home.” Ben
announced.
The
three a1 guys exchanged glances again. It was that kind of day. Except this
time they were exchanging frantic glances. If Ben went home now, they’d never
know what Tim had said to him.
“Why
don’t you calm down Ben…”
“Calm
down?! Do you know what he said to me?!”
“No,
we really don’t.” Paul said. “Why don’t you tell us?” he added.
Ben
sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back off his face.
“No,
I just wanna get out of here.” He said.
“Well
why don’t we all go and get a coffee or something? Discuss the meeting.” Chris
suggested.
“That’s
a very good suggestion Chris, let’s do that. What do you think Ben? Fancy a
coffee?” Paul asked.
“I
need something stronger than that.”
“Oh
for god’s sake, just tell us what Tim said.” Mark said, surprised at his own
impatience.
Ben
exhibited similar surprise.
“Let’s
all go back to mine, yeah? I think there’s some alcohol left over from last
night.”
“You
mean you didn’t drink it all?!” Mark said.
Ben
grinned at him. “We barely got started, Mark.”
“How
are we all getting back to your place?” Chris asked Ben.
“Well
me and Paul got a taxi here. We didn’t think it’d be very sensible to drive after
last night. How did you two get here?”
“Separate
cars.”
“Great,
we have a lift back then!” Paul said, as they left the building and headed
towards the car park.
Chris
laughed. “One in each car?” he said, looking at Mark.
“Good
plan. I get Ben.”
“Why
do you get Ben? I want Ben!”
“This
is new.” Ben said with amusement.
“They
want you Ben.” Paul said.
“So
I see. Either that or they don’t want you.”
“I
hadn’t thought of it like that…”
“I
think I’d rather go home with Mark.” Ben said. “I’m less scared of his
driving.”
“There’s
nothing wrong with my driving!” Chris said indignantly.
“No,
if you’re a racing car driver!”
“You
do go quite fast.” Paul told him.
“I
like going fast.”
“Good
for you. I like going slow.” Ben said.
“Hey!
I don’t drive slowly!” Mark protested.
“Just
get in the car and don’t say anything else, or neither of us will have a lift
home.” Paul said.
“Okay.”
Ben said, getting into the passenger side of Mark’s car. “See you back at home!”
“Yeah,
see ya.” Paul said, getting into Chris’s car.
“I
do not drive slowly.” Mark said as he started up the car.
“No,
just carefully.” Ben said diplomatically.
Mark
smiled. “So what did Tim say to you?”
“It
was about Chloe.” Ben said, putting the radio on. “Well not directly about
Chloe, about that story in the papers.”
“Oh
god, I’d forgotten about that.”
“So
had I.”
“So
what, Tim was asking you about it?”
“If
you call threatening me asking, yeah.”
“What?”
“He
said that it better not be true or I’d be in a lot of trouble.”
“He
said that?”
“Yep.
Word for word.”
“That’s
a bit harsh.”
“Tell
me about it.”
“So
what did you say?”
“Well
I kinda got a bit angry…”
“Ben…”
“I
know I know, but he made me cross, I couldn’t help it! Anyway, I said that it
was none of his business what I got up to in my spare time.”
“That
can’t have gone down too well.”
“Understatement.
He said that as long as I was under contract with him, it was most definitely
his business, especially if what I did in my spare time involved sleeping with
underage girls. He said any rumours affected him directly. Well that made me
even more mad coz it was like he was suggesting that things like that didn’t
affect me.”
“Yeah.”
“So
I said, well shouted actually, that if he’d bothered to ask me if it was true
instead of accusing me before he knew anything about it, he’d have found out
that he didn’t have to worry about his precious reputation being called into
dispute coz it wasn’t true. And then I said that if he had any faith in me to
start with, he wouldn’t have even believed the rumour. Well then he said that
he didn’t believe it, which is total crap as I told him. I said that in
that case, he was making an awful big deal about something he didn’t believe
in. Then I walked out.”
“You
didn’t consider just staying calm and explaining it to him?” Mark asked.
“Well
I would have done if he hadn’t have started having a go at me! I couldn’t help
it.”
“Yeah,
I know.”
“Am
I in huge amounts of trouble now?” Ben asked worriedly. “This is so bloody
typical, why can’t I just have a full good day without something ruining it?”
“You
might wanna ring up Tim and apologise.” Mark suggested.
“Why?
It’s not me in the wrong.”
“Ben…”
Ben
sighed. “Okay. But I’ll do it when he won’t be there so I can just leave a
message.”
“Such
a wimp.”
“Shut
up, you’d do the same.”
“I
wouldn’t shout at him to start with.” Mark pointed out.
“That’s
coz you’re infuriatingly calm and sensible.”
“Better
than being short tempered.”
Ben
smiled. “I guess.”