Chapter 4
After
escorting a renewed Ben to the S Club show, Candy and Lori-Beth realised it was
almost time for the Westlife set. They
mished it down to the 3rd row from the front, after all, they didn't want to
look like desperate boppers.
Candy
and Lori-Beth bopped their way through the set, all the time waiting for their
favourite song. Finally, as the set
drew to its conclusion, the opening bars of 'When you're looking like that'
sounded, and at that moment Shane - resplendent in riding gear - noticed Candy
and Lori-Beth in the crowd, and remembered his promise to show them his prized
horses.
"I
see a couple of girls in the crowd who need to be up here on the stage to sing
this song with us", Shane put on his best cheesy popstar voice, as the
boppers screamed and waved their hands in the air.
Shane
pointed at Candy and Lori-Beth, and one of Fred Durst's 'minders' pulled them
out of the crowd and on to the stage, where they did their best Shane Filan
bop/Newsboy move/broomdance combination. As
Shane's verse ended, he whispered in Candy's ear "See you at the stables in
10 mins...Ronan will meet you there, blonde guy wearing fake snakeskin pants and
ruffled shirt".
Candy
and Lori-Beth made their way off the stage, to backstage, where they passed an
elated Ben after his S Club experience.
As
Candy and Lori-Beth approached the stables, Lori-Beth spotted Ronan - true to
form, wearing a classy ruffled shirt and snakeskin pants.
Faster than Candy could say 'teenybopper', Lori-Beth had whipped out her
TOTP Boyzone poster mag and was asking Ronan to sign it.
"Lori-Beth",
Candy sighed, as she got her flick-up mirror and pretended not to know her.
Just then a stablehand walked past, trowel in hand, flashing Candy a
cheeky grin. He looked familiar, but Candy couldn't pinpoint exactly who
it was...but she did feel an overwhelming desire to take him home and let him
clean her house.
"Lucky
I read all those top quality Saddle Club books", Candy took off after the
stablehand, leaving Lori-Beth to swoon over the Irish popstar.
"Hey!"
she yelled, running to catch up with the stablehand.
"Hi,
I'm Candy", she shook his hand as she caught up with him.
"Nath",
he replied, "Official Big Day Out stablehand"
And
all round nice guy, Lori-Beth thought, somewhat bitterly, as he hadn't checked
her out.
"So
what've you been up to?", Nath made friendly chat as Lori-Beth told him
about the events of the day.
"All
in a day's work", Nath laughed, as they approached the stable-place where
Shane's horses were housed. "Shane
asked me to give some journalist a tour...he's interviewing Shane's horses,
should be here soon...feel free to come along".
As
Nath finished his sentence, a tall guy in a white shirt and suit jacket - orange
juice spilled down the front - appeared. "This must be him now", Nath shook the hand of the
journalist, who introduced himself. "Hugh
Grant...Horse and Hound magazine. Sorry about the mess, just went for lunch with Julia...you
know how it is."
"Hi,
Hugh", the newcomer introduced himself to Candy, "And if you're Candy,
I just ran into some girl...Lauren something?...who said that Shane has arrived
and to stay by Shane's stables, they'll be here in a minute".
Flustered,
Hugh looked at the stablehand expectantly.
"Ready for this tour then?"
"See
you later Candy", Nath said, "Going to the after-party?"
"After-party?"
Lori-Beth panicked.
"The
person to ask would be Ro...he'll hook you up"
And
with a smile and a wave, Nath disappeared into the depths of the stables with
the Horse and Hound journalist.
"Weird..."
Candy muttered, as Shane and
Lori-Beth approached.
"Ready
to see these horses then?" Shane
flashed the impish grin again.
Of course she was, she'd been waiting all day.