Chapter 39
Eliza
‘Are you sure about this?’ Angus hesitates with his key in the lock.
‘It’s a bit bloody late now,’ I snap jokily. ‘We’ve come all the way to Sale. Do you think I’m going to go and crash on Mum’s floor?’
He smiles as he opens the door, flicking on lights as he leads me inside.
Neither of us is wasted, but neither of us is sober, either, which is how we agreed it should be the next time we went to bed together. That idea seems to have flown out of the window. I really hope Rose doesn’t come home anytime soon.
‘Did Rose tell you I came here earlier today?’ I ask.
‘Did you?’ He looks taken aback.
I remember what she said about him being angry if he discovers she’s reading Phoebe’s diary. I don’t want to land her in it. ‘I was in the area, flat hunting.’ I look around. ‘This is a great apartment.’
‘Thanks. Do you want something to drink?’ he asks, his eyebrows pulling together.
‘Just take me to your bedroom, Angus.’
He looks amused as he nods, his fingers running slowly down the length of my arm as he comes to stand close beside me. He gazes into my eyes, and my heart is in my throat as I stare up at him. Then his fingers close around my hand and he leads me into his room. He closes the door behind me and locks it, and then his hands are on my bum and he’s lifting me from the floor. I wrap my legs around his waist and he presses my back against the door, his mouth finding mine.
I’m glad he’s supporting me because my entire body turns to jelly with his kisses. When he carries me to the bed, I notice it’s still unmade, but then I’m not thinking about anything other than his lips on my bare stomach and his tongue tracing the sensitive skin around my bellybutton ring.
‘I like this top,’ he murmurs. ‘I’ve wanted to kiss you here all night.’
I shudder with longing and claw at his T-shirt. He straightens up and tugs it over his head, revealing his leanly muscled, honey-coloured chest.
He lifts my top over my head and unclasps my bra, skimming his fingers over the curves of my body. I frantically reach for the buttons on his jeans, but I’m too clumsy and he takes over instead.
I want him on top of me. I want to feel the weight of his body pressing into mine. I want to feel consumed by him, so I pull him down, gasping as our skin collides. We kiss passionately, and a minute later we shed the last of our clothing and he takes me completely.
Afterwards we lie in the dark, side by side, staring into each other’s eyes.
‘We were supposed to be sober,’ I remind him.
‘What are you doing tomorrow night?’ is his response, accompanied by a cheeky grin.
‘Working,’ I reply with a smile.
‘Bunk off,’ he urges.
‘I can’t. It’s our busiest night of the week.’
‘Sunday, then?’ he suggests. ‘We’ll go on a proper date.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah.’ He kisses me gently. ‘How do you think tonight went?’
The corners of my lips tilt downwards. ‘Okay, I think.’
He props himself up on one elbow and stares at me gravely. ‘What is it?’
‘Joe introduced me to two men from Red Vox Records,’ I reply weakly.
‘And?’ he prompts.
‘The head guy left straight after meeting me so that was a bit gutting, but his second-in-command stayed and talked to me for a bit.’
I’m still trying to come to terms with what he said. The man, Sean Nottingham, reminded me of Dad, quite fatherly and nurturing, and his advice was kind, but truthful.
Angus looks concerned as he reaches over and runs his fingers along my arm, from my shoulder to my wrist.
‘It’s okay,’ I tell him. ‘I’m okay.’
Deep in my heart, I knew it already. The record industry is a tough place and labels are only taking on bright young things. No one else is getting a look in. But Sean asked me if I had considered other roles within the music industry. He said that his boss, the head of the label who had already left, needed a new PA. They hadn’t advertised for the position yet, and he said that they could do without the stress. It would be a junior role and I’d be an all-round dogsbody, starting at the bottom and hopefully working my way up.
‘What do you think?’ Angus asks tentatively after I fill him in.
‘I think that I love you for always believing in me.’
He leans forward and plants a tender kiss on my lips. When he pulls away, I have tears in my eyes. ‘But I also think that it might be time to try something else.’
‘You don’t have to give up on your music,’ he says seriously.
‘I know. I’d like to still do gigs, but God...’ I shake my head as the reality of what Sean is offering starts to sink in. ‘It would be pretty amazing to be able to leave waitressing for a job in the record industry.’
He nods, impressed. ‘I’ll say.’
‘Sean said there’d be perks. I’d be able to go to gigs, and sometimes I’d get to go on album shoots and that sort of thing.’
‘It sounds right up your street.’
‘Yeah.’ I smile at him, feeling a belated bubble of excitement.
Dad always used to say that we needed to discover our passion in life and then find a way to do it. He said that we’d meet like-minded people, doing what we love. This is my chance to meet people in the music industry, and who knows what the future might hold? Maybe one day I’ll get to write songs for the next big thing, or even sing backing vocals for another artist. I’m not set on being the front person – I just want to get by, doing what I love.
The more I think about it, the more at peace I feel.
Angus kisses me again. ‘I’m so proud of you,’ he murmurs. ‘Your dad would be proud, too.’
‘Thank you,’ I murmur, my nose prickling.
The sound of a key in the lock makes me start.
‘It’s just Rose,’ he whispers.
‘I hope she’ll be okay about me being here in the morning,’ I whisper back, fretting as I listen to her go into her room and close the door behind her.
‘She’ll have to be.’ He kisses the tip of my nose. ‘Everyone will have to be. I don’t want to be apart from you again. From now on, we’re in this together.’