The cool night air hit my face and took a huge grateful breath, happy to not be smelling garlic any more.

Moments ago we'd wrapped for the day, and now the five of us were staggering around in the dark lot outside of the studio, punch-drunk and delirious.

"I feel like I have wasps in my head," Niall complained.

I pinched my fingers to the bridge of my nose. "Honestly?" I said. "I know exactly what you mean." My nerves were so fried I had no idea how I was going to drive us all safely back up the mountain. I'd forgotten how hard it was to be 'on' all day. In the sound-booth, there was no chance to stare off into space or fuck around on my phone for a ten minute brain break. Especially not after I'd rather loudly suggested to Jimmy that tone down the shrieking dive routine. He'd settled down but all the while I'd been sitting next to him, I could feeling the aggrieved resentment rising off of him in waves. I stretched, feeling my spine pop and rolled my head atop my neck. "Fucking hell," I exhaled.

"You all right there, love?" Jules asked, suddenly at my elbow.

"I'm fine," I said, lifting my chin, ready for the argument.

But for once there was none. He just looked...concerned.

From my perch in the sound booth, I'd watched him. Starting out the day crisp and confident, but slowly losing focus as the day dragged on. I'd been able to see him slowly unraveling from afar, but out here, under the harsh yellow glare of the lone light in the parking lot, I got an up close view.

He looked completely worn out in a way that made something in my chest tighten. "How about you?" I heard myself ask. "You okay?"

"Nothing a whisky won't fix," he said, some of the gleam returning to his eyes. He looked at the van. "You're not seriously taking us back to the cabins now, are you love?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Where the hell else would I take you? You have a ten o'clock call tomorrow."

Jules rubbed his hand across his forehead like I was causing him physical pain. "We just spent thirteen hours at the mercy of a bloody tyrant, yeah? There's no way in fuck you can expect us to just go back to our rooms without blowing off a little steam." He opened his eyes a little wider, pleading. "Have a little heart, love. Show some mercy."

The corner of my mouth twitched, and I looked away before he could see that he'd made me smile. "Well where the fuck do you expect me to take you?"

"Nearest pub would be nice."

It was dark in all directions. I looked at him, sincerely baffled. "I have no idea where that would be."

"Isn't that why God invented smartphones?" Niall piped up. He stepped a little closer and fished his from his pocket. "Fucking hell, seriously?" he muttered as he glanced at his screen. "1x? Where are we, 1997?"

"Mine's a brick too," Ewan added. "I can call, that's it."

"Maybe we should dial directory assistance?" Hudson asked.

"That still exists?"

"We could ask Jimmy," Hudson ventured.

"I'm not going back in there until I absolutely have to," Ewan growled.

"Plus he'd probably direct us to a biker bar where they'd murder us for our foreign accents," Niall added.

"Nah mate, just you." Ewan slung his arm over Niall's shoulders. "The rest of us don't sound like the upper class twit of the year."

The two of them started scuffling, black boots sending up clouds of dust from the gravel lot. I laughed, for once not worried that they were going to fuck up each others faces before a show. We were recording now. I could relax a little.

"Can we focus here, mates?" Jules laughed. He turned back to me. "A pub, love. A proper one, too. With a dart board and a juke box." He bent a little closer. "Don't you always tell us to leave it to you, you'll work your magic? I need your magic."

I swallowed. "I might be able to think of something," I said slowly, trying to stall for time as I wracked my brain. But it felt like I was trying to pull a boot from quicksand. I shook my head, honestly sorry. "I would have to get on Wi-Fi and..."

"Love, I'm begging you," Jules said, dropping down in front of me. "Look, I'm on my bloody knees."

"Get up off the ground!" I hissed, looking around for some reason. As if I couldn't let anyone see us this way.

He grinned up at me and pressed his hands together in prayer.

I rolled my eyes to the heavens. And a sudden thought occurred to me.

"Ah there it is," Jules said encouragingly.

"Fuck!" I threw up my hands. "I have an idea."

"Yes!" Jules leaped up and brushed the dirt from his knees.

"But it involves going back to the cabins first."

He cocked his head. "This isn't a dirty trick, is it love?"

I lifted my chin. "I don't play dirty."

He leaned in a little closer. "My underwear situation says otherwise."

I felt my cheeks go up in flames and gave a silent prayer of gratitude for the cover of dark. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I hissed. Then a little louder I said, "We just have to go back real quick. There's someone I can ask where to go. Ten minutes, okay guys?" I promised my band, part of the magic again. "Just give me ten minutes and then I'll get you your drinks."