AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She lifted her head and we fell into another kiss, long, slow, heady, and full of anticipation of when we could finally be alone.
“Right,” I eventually said. “Let’s get this award thing done, then I can get you naked.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
When my wife laughed it was the best sound I’d ever heard, and I couldn’t wait for the next chapter in our lives.
JOEY
As Destiny messed around with the strap of her tight fitting, sexy black dress, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s wrong, Dais, not enjoying wearing that thing?”
She glared at me with narrowed eyes. “No, I’m fucking not. And you,” she said, leaning closer to me, “are a twat for making me wear it.”
“I didn’t make you,” I said with a laugh. “I told you to wear whatever you felt comfortable in. I told you to wear your leather trousers if that was what you wanted.”
“Yeah, well, I knew the girls were wearing dresses so thought I should too.”
“When have you ever done anything because someone else is doing it?” I pushed her hair from her eyes, desperately trying not to kiss her pouty red lips.
“I wanted you to be proud of me.” Her eyes gave a brief hint of the insecurity that she felt occasionally. Being older than the other wives she always thought people compared them. No one ever did as far as I knew. She looked twenty years younger than she was and had the zest for life of a teenager. I was the one who struggled to keep up at times.
“Daisy, I’m always proud of you. Every single minute of every single day.” I gave in and kissed her. It was just a quick one, though, I didn’t dare risk anything more. Although sex at an awards ceremony wouldn’t be the first time. We still liked a bit of danger from time to time.
“I just wish we could go home. I’m worried about Sheena Easton.”
No, the Scottish songstress from the eighties didn’t live with us. She was our Cocker Spaniel and she and George Michael, our black lab, were having puppies. The names were courtesy of my mother who I now had a better relationship with, courtesy of a constant nagging from Destiny. We’d rescued both dogs when they were puppies and my mum had been staying at our farm with us at the time, so she’d been given the task of naming them. I regretted that decision then and now, three years later.
Destiny and I had bought the farm that the band had thought about buying for a studio. It had been a couple of years after we got back from Florida, and I was surprised that it was still for sale. After checking the guys were okay with it, I offeredthe guy a fair price. He tried to argue I was ripping him off but when I threatened to walk away he changed his mind. In the seven years we’d lived there we’d updated and improved it massively. The house had been modernised, the barn was rebuilt and had a pool and a gym in it, while the outbuilding had been turned into an office for both of us. Destiny never went on tour anymore, but she still ran the business with Laura, while Ryan and his opposite number, Georgia, headed the tours. I used the office, too, because while we didn’t tour any longer, we still released an album every year and we’d all taken on a role within management of the band. We hadn’t been able to find anyone to take Ali’s place, so as well as introducing us to a friend of hers for any help we needed, she’d stayed on for another year, teaching us the ropes. She was now retired, living in Devon with Ingrid.
It was my responsibility to deal with any releases, including all the PR and marketing around it. We did use a marketing company, but I was the one who made the decisions on what the final campaign would look like. Beau ran the studio, organising producers and engineers and making sure we always had the best, most up to date equipment. Ronnie was the liaison between us and our record company which we’d finally decided to call Creek Music. We had a great board of people who ran it, but ultimately we were in charge with Ronnie being the one who attended meetings if necessary. As for Elliot, well he organised everything else for us as a band. Public appearances, interviews or TV shows were all down to him. He did a great job and kept us all on the straight and narrow.
“Sheena Easton will be fine,” I told my wife, kissing her forehead. “Mum will call us if anything starts happening.”
Destiny looked horrified. “No, she needs to call the vet. How are we supposed to get back in time?”
I pulled her into my arms. “Daisy, calm down. The vet told you she’d got at least three weeks left.”
“I know, but what if there’s a problem?”
“I’ll text her to call the fucking vet, okay?”
She nodded. Giving her a reassuring smile, I kissed her, my heart puffing up with more love for her. I hadn’t missed not having kids, but I knew Destiny had. I also knew she’d have been a great mum. She was feisty, bossy, and swore like a trooper, but put her around kids and animals and she turned to mush. She was all the kids’ favourite auntie. Firm but a real pushover whenever they wanted anything. She’d been the one to buy a new set of drums for Ethan’s band when the old set got damaged, and all the girls had recently been treated to a little girl’s pamper day for no other reason that Destiny wanted to treat them. As for Jude and Levi, she had gifted them a professional Karaoke machine just for winning spots on the school football team. The boys had good singing voices, but I still didn’t think Amber and Ronnie would ever forgive her. They were regularly woken at six in the morning with a rendition of Thin Lizzy’s, The Boys Are Back in Town. Good taste in music aside, it wasn’t the best alarm call.
“Did you call Maria back by the way?” Destiny asked. “She said it wasn’t urgent but sounded a bit stressed.”
“Yeah, she wanted to complain about me paying for her and Enrico’s flights for next week.” I was on good terms with my youngest sister, and we met up regularly with her and her new husband, Enrico. Things weren’t so good with Cosima. Destiny still called her Frosty Knickers because that was exactly what she was, frosty. We talked occasionally and if Destiny and I went to Italy we shared the odd meal, but that was it. She was definitely in her mother’s corner, who I hadn’t spoken to since that day at their house. As for Rosa, well she was off in Africa building wells and laying water pipes, so no one really spoke to her very much. We were friendly, though, she was always happy to hear from me if I managed to get hold of her.
“She did tell you not to.” Destiny raised an eyebrow. “But you never listen, do you?” She grinned and playfully poked my stomach. “Anyway, I think they’re ready for you,” she said, nodding over my shoulder.
I glanced to see Elliot beckoning me, while a woman with a clipboard stood next to him.
“I guess it’s showtime then.” I took her hand in mine and led the way.
“We’re ready to start,” the woman with the clipboard said. She turned to our wives who were all standing together, Ethan in the middle of them. “If you’d all like to take your seats in the auditorium.”
We kissed them all, thanked them for their good luck wishes and then the four of us moved to the wings of the stage, waiting as we were introduced by the host of the show.
