boag_patience-4

PATIENCE by Boag <<< part 3

PART 4

The gig had been explosive; they’d never played together like that before and probably never would again. A few minutes into the set James had pulled off his t-shirt exposing the six-pack he had been working on and leaving him in the tightest pair of white jeans and huge black DM’s. Nicky had a pair graffiti-covered white jeans, the same Dunlop Green Flash, as always, and a tight garish leopardskin blouse that pulled taut over his tall stature. His hair was spiked skilfully and his eyeliner was completely over the top. He’d done a beautiful job. Sean had a pair of tight white jeans that showed off his arse and a simple plain t-shirt. His hair was long, thick and messy. He’d never looked more perfect. And then there was Richey, tight white jeans, the MSP uniform, black Chelsea boots and a white t-shirt covered in multicoloured Marilyn Monroe prints ripped down the armpits and round the neck exposing some of his pale chest. His hair had been dyed the day before and was a luscious jet black. His eyeliner was so thick it almost made Nicky’s jealous. They looked sickeningly gorgeous.

There had been minor technical problems before the gig so the extra time in the dressing room had been spent wisely on getting horrendously drunk. When the problems had been resolved and it was time to go on they had to link arms and womble to the stage to stop themselves falling over but as soon as the lights hit them and the screams started they had sobered up just enough to pull it off. Sean drummed hard and split his time between concentrating on the music and trying not to fall off his stool, it didn’t work, and he fell off repeatedly. Nicky ran around the stage in circles and appeared to have very little control over his legs. Richey jumped up and down on the spot attempting star jumps, one went very wrong and sent him flying into James who caught him and pushed him back up again only to end up falling on top of him when he lost his balance.

The music stopped whilst the others all laughed at the four white legs sprawling in the air, the crowd joined in and cheered when James eventually found his feet. Tenderly he helped Richey up and the show continued. Nicky had taken the drink particularly badly. By half time he was knelt in front of James unzipping his fly threatening to suck him off. When James had rebuked him he started on Richey wrestling him to the ground and dry humping in to within an inch of his life. Richey laughed so hard he nearly threw up.

The aftershow was packed, mainly with friends and music business associates, but a few hardcore fans and groupies had managed to blag they’re way in. Richey circulated downing sparkly white wine as he went. He scanned the room looking for someone worth talking to but he decided his bandmates were the only people he wanted to be with. It had been such a wonderful night that he was reminded of why they worked so well as band and as friends. He spotted Sean and Nicky reclusively laughing and joking with each other at the bar to the exclusion of the eager onlookers around them. He strode towards them snuggling under Nicky’s arm for the benefit of the fans.

“Where’s James?” he asked them
“Oh he’s smitten, look over there; he’s been talking to that girl since we came offstage”
“Oh…she’s not really…his type” Richey mumbled in response.
“Mmmm no, she’s not the best looker in the world but she has got something about her which James seems to like”
Nicky squeezed him “Jealous android?”
Richey realised he had to laugh it off quickly otherwise what had been kept so secret would be obvious.
“Yeah, you’re my boys and you know how possessive I am!”

The laughing and joking went on but Richey gradually became more and more distant and spent all his time watching James and the girl. Sean and Nicky didn’t really discern as he dropped off their radar, too drunk and too used to Richey’s changeable nature. As the night went on and James failed to return to them Richey’s mood darkened, he couldn’t believe how James could be so captivated by such a mediocre specimen. He could have hooked up with a groupie himself but decided against it; ultimately it would make him feel worse and wouldn’t have anything more than a minimal impression on James. If anything it would backfire and James would somehow think Richey was taking steps to get over him and that certainly wasn’t the case as Richey felt more in love with James than ever, maybe it was his heart desiring what it couldn’t have.

Making the album had been arduous, they’d all put everything into the process and although they’d spent hours together it was focused towards a purpose, there had been no time for anything else and tensions had run high with lots of fights breaking out and tears being shed. Now the album was finished and they were touring to support its release they had hours of free time travelling or waiting for gigs and could spend it with each other. It had been brilliant, they spent the hours on the tour bus battling against each other on the Sega, reading and discussing books, watching TV and films, listening to music and sleeping. At times it could be frustrating especially for James who enjoyed having lots of do and absolutely hated sitting around but Richey had taken it upon himself to occupy James’ every second and James didn’t seem to have any objections and they’d grown closer than ever.

Up until tonight there had been no groupie action, mainly because the drinking went on so late that everyone was too pissed to do anything other than crawl to bed. Nothing much had happened between Richey and James except a bit of cuddling, groping and kissing when no one was looking despite their intimacy. They had nearly slept together one night on the back of the bus in the dead hours when everyone else was asleep in the blackness. Richey had crawled into James bunk but just as their kissing and groping became more urgent Nicky had woken up and asked what was going. They lied and said they couldn’t sleep and were talking, Nicky seemed to believe them and dropped off again in a matter of seconds but the mood was gone and Richey returned to his own bunk unfulfilled. Still, the lack of sex hadn’t bothered him, he was just too happy, until now.

They returned to hotel, James and the girl still hanging off each other and kissing and giggling all the way. Regardless of how he was feeling inside Richey didn’t want anyone to realise and do their sums so he tried to remain inconspicuous. His room came first and he departed from the mob quietly almost unobserved and started to unlock his door. But James did heed him and knowing just how badly Richey was likely to react to his new friend made a dire error in judgement to try and right the situation. James back stepped flung an arm around Richey’s shoulder and whispered “goodnight” into his ear thinking that somehow this compensated for the betrayal. Richey was furious, he raised his eyes to James and glared at him with dark clouded eyes before slowly and deliberately pushing him away.

The smile on James’ face dispersed like gas and he mumbled “fine, be like that you arse, you can spend tonight listening to me and my little art fucking our brains out!” before turning his back on Richey and shaking his head.
“What the hell was that all about James?”
“Dunno, you know Android blows hot and cold all the time, why not ask him Wire?”
“You two are so funny with each other sometimes”

Nicky turned to Richey and caught the glare, he started walking towards him but Richey opened his door and slammed it shut behind him putting all his against it and swallowing hard. He instantly regretted what he’d done mainly because they’d had an audience. James was in the next room, the walls were thin and Richey’s troubled thoughts were interrupted by the lovers. To avoid them he stripped off, leaving the clothes in his wake, and ambled into the shower. He turned the water temperature as high as he could endure and stood underneath savouring the burning sensation beating into his skin and penetrating to his core. He focused on it and it forced everything else out of his mind.

It took 40 minutes before he felt ready to step out and as he passed a mirror he noticed his normally pale white skin was bight red and didn’t match his jet black hair at all. He dried himself haphazardly leaving himself slightly damp and then lay on the bed to air dry. He could feel the heat leaving his body as the water evaporated off his skin, it was a tingling and relaxing sensation. Although he had been troubled by the evenings events he felt composed and ready to sleep but the noises from next door started up again. Feeling oddly fair he gave them an hour and when they appeared to have settled he crawled half under the duvet and tried to sleep but no sooner had he begun dozing James and the nameless woman started all over again. He banged on the wall in protest but the only response he got was a sharp “fuck off!” from James followed by laughing. He slept fitfully managing to get a few hours kip but when he woke in the morning to the sound of Nicky hammering his door down he felt as if he might as well have stayed up all night for all the good those few hours had done him.

“Edwards what are doing in there?” Open the door you bastard”
Richey, forgetting his nakedness, went to the door unlocked it and opened it. Nicky looked down he threw his head back laughing as he pushed Richey back in.
“You silly git, you’re starkers, you trying to scare the chambermaids or summat?”
He instantly appreciated why it had taken so long to get a response from Richey, the poor thing had obviously had hardly any sleep. He looked awful; he was freezing to the touch, had dark and heavy bags under his bloodshot eyes and moved with a slow clumsiness not common to him.

“What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t fucking sleep did I!”
“Oh again?”
“No, those two next door kept me awake fucking every hour, I was perfectly ready to sleep but they just kept going, drove me nuts!”
“Why didn’t you bang on the wall?”
“I did! He told me to fuck off!”
“Oh well, young love an all”
“What the hell has love got to do with it?!”
“Why don’t you have a shower and get dressed, we’ve got to get going soon, you won’t have any time for breakfast but we’ll get you something tasty when we stop”
“Ok”
Nicky took hold of Richey’s shoulders and directed him into the bathroom. He started the shower running and pushed Richey under it waiting until the creature showed some signs of life before he left the room.

Nicky walked down the hall and started to descend the stairs catching James going the other way as he did so.
“Where’s your girlie gone?”
“Put her in a taxi, she’s got work today, her name is Emma” James beamed.
“Well you and Emma have proper upset our Mr Edwards, you kept him awake and he’s in a shitty mood even by his standards”
“Oh great” James rolled his eyes and laughed, this was the aftermath he’d been preparing himself for.
Nicky stuck up for Richey “you could have been a bit more considerate James, he said he banged on the wall and you told him to fuck off!”
“Oh I know but well we were having fun weren’t we and besides I thought he was just being bashful”
“Yeah but you know he has trouble sleeping and now we’re all going to have to sit on the bus with him whilst he sulks!”
“FOR FUCKS SAKE, I’M SORRY ALRIGHT!”
“Alright, alright!” Nicky always backed down when James shouted, it scared him a little bit.
“You gonna see her again?”
“Yeah, well probably, we exchanged numbers and I’m gonna call her, she’s coming to the gig tomorrow” James blushed.
“I like her…a lot…we clicked last night”
“Yeah we all noticed!”

part 5 >>>

<<< Boag's stories