Where There's a Will... Read online

  “Sorry?” He looked at me, “I don’t think I can enact a paradox.”

  “You know what I meant. What’s your business proposal, and why my pub?”

  “Why not your pub?” I had no response. “It’s a great space and I think it would look great in the band’s new video. We could get a bunch of people in and play a short, intimate show and get great footage.”

  I thought about it, could I justify closing the pub for a whole day? A whole host of scenarios flipped through my mind; the band performing in my pub, fans coming here to see them perform for the first time in forever. The good things that could come out of me agreeing, the bad. I couldn’t quite think of anything bad at that precise moment, but I could guarantee something would come to mind eventually.

  “We could do it on a Sunday when you don’t normally open, so you don’t lose any of your regular customers and possibly make you extra money in the process.” Could this guy read my mind? He’d obviously being doing some research while I’d been working. “You’d be doing us a favour. Just think about it and get back to me.” He held the door of the post office open for me before handing me a business card.

  “I’d need to speak to the brewery because of the live music and my lack of an entertainment licence, but I can find that out this afternoon for you. Why are you already in the country if you don’t have somewhere to shoot a video?” We joined the end of the queue while we talked.

  “We were out scouting for locations when we walked into your place for a drink at the end of a pretty long day. The guys and Mary were getting pissed because we couldn’t find anywhere, then I saw the room you were hiding from us in.”

  “I wasn’t hiding.” I spoke a little too loudly causing people to give us strange looks. “I just needed a little space. it’s not every day your favourite band turns up at your place of work.”

  “I guess not.” I was called to the counter, paid in the banking, and walked with Will back outside. “Will you think about it at least?” He touched his hand to my arm as he spoke, attracting my attention to his face. For a moment, as I looked into his dark blue eyes, I forgot how to breathe. He really was a good-looking guy, something I’d forgotten while Cosmic Tush had been off the scene, as it were.

  “I promise I’ll contact the brewery, and find out if it’s possible.” He walked me back to the pub where he’d left his hire car.

  “Thanks.” He cocked his head as he looked at me. “You looked great in that bunny outfit.” I was never going to live that down, even after all these years. It had seemed like the best idea at the time, now it was biting me in the arse, I wasn’t so sure..

  “Thanks... I think.” He laughed.

  “Believe me, it’s a compliment. The guys spoke about you and your friend a lot after the tour ended. But I have to say, as good as you looked, you look better in everyday clothes.” He gave me a kiss on the cheek. “We’ll probably be in for a drink tonight.” He climbed into the car and pulled away. What the fuck was going on here?

  Gwen arrived within an hour of me sending her a frantic text.

  "What did the brewery say?" Was her greeting as she joined me in the office.

  "They haven't got a problem with it. We're not in a highly residential area and it would bring in extra revenue. They’re applying for a single licence for the day as we speak. All I need to give them is the exact date, and it’ll be good to go. If I applied, it would take about a month, but because the brewery are doing it, it should only take a matter of days."

  "But...? What’s holding you back?" She knew me too well.

  “It’s going to be a bit weird isn’t it. I mean, without Johnny and Preston... I guess I’m scared I won’t like the music without them.”

  “You sap. Just say yes, revel in it, take the extra cash and have a great time.” She wanted to say more yet was holding herself back. I gave her a look that clearly said, ‘spit it out’. She cleared her throat, looked a little shifty then spoke. “Well, maybe I can get chatting to one Mr Samuel Hollis... and from the sounds of it, Will wants to see you more.”

  “Will Harvey was simply doing his job as a director; scouting locations.” Gwen was very unladylike when she snorted. “Plus, if they want a decent crowd, this Sunday wouldn’t work and I’m sure they all need to get back to the US soon.”

  “Oh please. You know for sure if they tweet about doing it here, there will be a queue at least a mile long on Sunday morning outside your door.” She was right; Cosmic Tush fans were rabid. Not so much now that Preston and Johnny had left, but they knew how to mobilise... and fast. “I see that look in your eyes, you’re going to do it aren’t you?” I nodded.

  “I am.” I picked up the phone and dialled Will’s number, reading it off the card he’d given me. He sounded excited that they had the go ahead. Mary was going to send out a tweet aimed at any fans based in the UK. I told him I had contacts with a few fan pages that I could talk to that would really get the word out. By the end of the call, I was feeling confident we’d get a decent sized crowd for the guys within the next few days. I prayed silently that the brewery could wangle the required stuff in time.

  Gwen hung around for the rest of the evening after hearing Will tell me that he and the guys would probably be in for a few drinks at some point. She hovered at the end of the bar like a bad smell, mingling with the regulars who knew her almost as well as they knew me. The weekly pub quiz was just about to start when the band walked in, causing my entire clientele to rubberneck.

  “Eyes on the prize people!” I called out, reminding them of the eight pints that were at stake. Immediately eyes were focussed once more on the answer sheets on the tables in front of them. Grinning, Will came over to the bar.

  “That was just like in the movies, never had that happen before.” He flashed his cheeky smile at Gwen, whose eyes, along with Casey’s were locked on Sam. This could be interesting.

  “Have you considered that because you and the band are ridiculously pretty, that everyone stops and stares?” I mentally facepalmed myself for saying that out loud. Gwen laughed out loud while Will just looked at me before ordering a round from Casey. Sam waltzed over to me.

  “I just want to say thanks for helping us out with our video. I hear people are already making plans to be here for the filming.” Again, his eyes didn’t look as full of life as in the past.

  “It’s my pleasure. I’m looking forward to it, so are a lot of the Brit fans. It’s like that December all over again.” I smiled at him to hide the fact that I was lying. It wasn’t like that December at all, but the fans were excited. I was just lucky I had such a large flat upstairs. Six people already had called dibs on a room.

  “I just hope we live up to it for you all.” A hint of his well-known smile returned for a while. “Can we have a tab again?” He handed me his card which I tucked behind the till letting Casey know.

  “Hey, Zoe. Would it be okay if I go into the other room with my camera to check out the lighting?” Will asked as Sam went to join the others. Over Will’s shoulder, I saw Mary give me a small smile.

  “Sure, I’ll take you through, show you where the lights are and what not.” I let him in behind the bar and led him through to the other room. I pointed out the switches and dimmers for all the lights, including those behind the bar. He hoisted his camera up onto his shoulder and began walking round filming. I left him to it and went back to help Casey in the public lounge.

  The quiz was in full swing, so it was quiet. I found Casey and Gwen sat at the end of the bar, heads together chatting about the ‘perfection’ that was Sam. He must have known they were talking about him as every now and then he would look up from the answer sheet the band had in front of them and smile at them.

  The two guys who had been brought in to replace Preston and Johnny were smiling widely at something Mary was saying to them. I didn’t know much about them other than their names. Martin Ambrose was seemingly a demon on the bass, while Bryan Emerson played keyboard and trumpet. Both seemed like
nice enough guys, but many fans disliked them on principle, which was ridiculous.

  “You two are like a pair of pre-pubescent school girls.” I teased as I poured myself a drink; I had a feeling alcoholic lubrication was going to be needed for the rest of the week. I decided to ignore my friends’ snickering, so I sat at the other end of the bar and chatted to some of the after-work crowd who had hung around for the quiz.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Sam approach the bar for a refill. Gwen suddenly sat up straighter as he began chatting to her and Casey while the quiz took a quick break. Sam seemed happy enough, in his element even. Ed Abraham, only ever referred to by his surname, walked over to help him with the drinks and the four of them chatted. I made my way behind the bar to help out, not really wanting to interrupt the flow of conversation as a fifth-wheel, so to speak.

  After the quiz had finished, complete with grumblings about the ‘Americans’ winning, the regulars started to filter out to go home after a long day working, and the pub quietened down. Casey was making the rounds collecting empties while I went down to the office to do a safe check, and send off the food order. I’d only been there for about five minutes when Gwen came down to join me.

  “Why is Sam so much better looking than I remember?” She flopped into the spare chair in my tiny office. “And he remembered me… well, us as bunnies, but still.”

  “Don’t you think he looks a bit... off?” I blurted out. She considered it for a moment, then shrugged and offered me a half smile.

  “Even if he does, I’ve always had a knack for fixing people.”

  “Oh, shut up. You know what happened the last time.” She rolled her eyes, “either way, doesn’t matter. You’ve got competition.”

  Gwen had attempted a relationship with a guy straight out of a long term relationship, determined she could make him forget about his exes’ cheating, but it ended up a complete mess, and the pair of them were a complete mess after six months.

  “Do not mention that.... utter lapse in judgement to me ever again.” I burst out laughing. “Plus, a little competition can be healthy now and then.” I pitied poor Casey; I knew my best friend better than anyone, she would be relentless in her pursuit of Sam, even if she knew nothing would happen. “Anyway, what about you and Wilhelmina out there? Oh, I’ll show you where the lights are... Yeah, so you could turn ‘em off while he turned yo-.”

  “Shut the fuck up.” It was her turn to laugh out loud.

  “Oh, come on! The last time I saw that much chemistry was in year nine.”

  “You bunked off most of year nine, so you have no idea what you’re on about.” I yelped as she slapped my arm.

  “Methinks the lady.” She pretended to cough. “Doth protest too much.”

  “Oh, shut up and go get wasted.” I pushed her out of the door. “I have a kitchen to scrub.”

  “I love your rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.” I watched her enviously slender form climb the stairs before walking into the kitchen I had been forced to abandon when Will showed up. Thankfully, it wasn’t too bad and wouldn’t take me too long.

  “Zoe?” Jesus Christ, how did he do it? All I did was think about him showing up earlier in the day and he appears again.

  “In the kitchen.” I heard his footsteps get louder as he walked towards me. I finished filling the dishwasher, and flicked it on before sanitising the work surfaces.

  “Hey, I’ve finished in the back room. “It’s perfect, but I will have to bring in a few extra lights if that’s okay with you.”

  “Fine with me. I’ve put the word out to people about the ‘show’ and from what have seen, at least thirty people have already planned to be here.”

  “That’s awesome. You have done so much for the band, and not just with this.” I looked at him strangely. “I did some research on you this morning.”

  Research? What fucking research?

  “Uhm... I suddenly feel a little scared of you.” I grabbed the bucket and dropped it into the sink to fill with hot water. I was sorely tempted to threaten him with the mop that was clutched in my hand.

  “No need. Well, I know we’re friends on Facebook, you follow me on Twitter, but other than that, you have been a constant force in the Cosmos.” If that’s all he found out, I was going to be fine. I just hope he didn’t go looking too closely.

  “Well, they deserved, and still do, the support.” I pushed him out of the kitchen, so I could mop the floor. “So, do you need to move anything around in the room for Sunday?” Once again, I muttered a prayer that everything could go ahead as planned under my breath.

  “I don’t think so, but that may change once we get all their gear in there.” I heard footsteps on the stairs.

  “Zo! Get your arse upstairs to your adoring fans. Also, Sam wants to know where Wilhemi- oh, hey.” Gwen blushed as she spotted Will standing next to me. I felt her eye scrutinising us, but as I had a mop in my hand and the floor was wet, she couldn’t read anything into it.

  “Yeah, I’m done down here. I just need to wash my hands and I’ll be up.” Gwen simply winked at me and went back up to the bar.

  “What was that all about?” Will asked me.

  “I wouldn’t have a clue.” I put everything away and went back upstairs. I was half way up when Casey called down asking if I could change a barrel of lager. I turned around and almost fell down the stairs. Will managed to catch me and prevent me giving myself a black eye on the bannister. “Sorry, and thanks for the save.”

  “Any time.” He squeezed past me and went up to the bar. I shook my head and went into the cellar to deal with changing the barrel.

  When I finally emerged into the lounge, the band, Casey, Gwen, and Will were all sat round a table screaming with laughter. Smiling, I poured myself a drink and caught up with Twitter and Facebook behind the bar.

  “Hey. Where have you been hiding?” Sam slurred at me, a goofy grin on his face.

  “I’ve been working, but it’s all done for the night.”

  “So, why don’t you come and join in with the fun?” He indicated the group behind him as he lowered himself onto a barstool.

  “I’ll be over in a bit, just catching up on stuff for the weekend. I need to know how many people are coming, especially ones who want to stay here.”

  “Thanks again for doing that.” I waved away his thanks. “No, seriously. It’s been tough for the last couple of years.” there was the sadness again.

  “Change is hard to deal with, but you’ve all dealt with it really well. Well, at least that’s how it’s looked to the fans.”

  “There’s been moments, but we’ve pulled through it all and we never would have if there weren’t fans to perform for.” I poured him a drink sensing he needed it. I didn’t want to say anything, it seemed as if he really needed to say it, and I was the person that he wanted to hear it for some reason. “I think this weekend is going to be a bit of a turning point for us. The ‘show’ and the new video involving the fans. It might even get some of the hardcore fans to start accepting Martin and Bryan too.”

  “I’m sure it’ll work out just right. Can I ask a favour though?” He nodded. I wasn’t sure how to phrase it, so I went with blunt. “Don’t play Forever. Any other song, just not that one. Please.” A look of hurt flashed across his eyes. “I know it’s a lot to ask with it being such a huge crowd pleaser, but I know the fans, and they won’t appreciate hearing that particular song.” He sat on a bar stool, Will and Gwen moved away, giving us some semblance of privacy.

  “I have to admit, there are certain songs I don’t feel right performing anymore. It was okay when Preston missed a show here and there, but it’s different now.” I placed a shot of whiskey in front of him.

  “I can’t imagine that, but as a fan, I just wanted to give you a bit of advice. The new material is working for you, so you can afford to let some songs get left by the wayside a little. Make the most of the new guys rather than making the fans think about the old setup.”

  Loo
king up at his face having not being able to say any of that looking him in the eye, I was shocked to see tears in his eyes. He was seriously struggling to hold it together. “Come with me.” We walked through to the back room. “You look like you needed a little privacy.” We sat down at a table.

  “Thanks.” He knocked back his drink. I stood up and grabbed a fresh bottle and placed it in front of him.

  “Am I right in thinking you’ve not dealt with the ‘split’?” He didn’t need to answer, it was written all over his face. “That’s really not right. Not healthy. Sorry to say, but you look like shit.”

  “I know. I just thought if I didn’t think or talk about it, it would go away.”

  “Yeah, that’s working well for you.” I watched him pour himself another drink. “Have you spoken to Johnny or Preston at all since they left?”

  “Now and then, but nothing like before, and never face to face.” His voice was thickening as he fought to keep his emotions in check. It broke my heart. there was nothing worse than seeing a grown man cry, especially one that was always so positive like Sam Hollis, man-child, used to be.

  “It never was going to be the same, even if they had stayed. With everything going on, change was inevitable, but surely things didn’t end on that sour a note?” He didn’t answer me, which told me everything. “Can it be resolved?”

  “Honest answer? I have no idea.” The tears were rolling down his face freely now. I didn’t know what to do or say to him, so I simply said nothing. I noticed his hand was shaking slightly as he poured another shot.

  “Do you want it to be?” As he thought about it, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Will and Abraham both indicated to me not to say anything. It was almost as if they had been waiting for this breakdown.

  “Yes, but it’s never going to be the same.” He took a deep breath. “I miss my best friend.” He finally broke and began to sob. That was when Will and Abraham made their presence known. I left the three of them talking and went back into the lounge. I needed a fucking drink.