Chapter 19

Jon motioned for a shaky Al to come and sit by him, she collapsed into the chair, and Tico dived on the one next to her before Richie could stake a claim.

‘Seeing as you two took an hour or so to get dressed.’ Snickers rounded the table, ‘You’ve got half an hour before we’ve got to leave, so fill up.’ Jon grinned at Al, she looked shell shocked. Before them a table groaning with food, and covered dishes, the smell was driving Al mad, she was starving.

As a lull hit the table, her stomach made itself known and growled loudly. All eyes swung to her, she went bright red. The men cackled. Richie grabbed her plate and the rest of the guys filled the damn thing to overflowing, ladling all sorts onto it. She just looked at Tico who shrugged and laughed as the plate was gently placed in front of her.

She looked around the table at the grinning mugs, shrugged her shoulders, picked up her knife and fork and dug in. ‘Well hell she’s not a picker.’ David chortled, ‘Damn a woman that eats. I think I’m in looooove.’ He batted his eyelashes at her, making her nearly choke.

Swallowing her mouth full she grinned at David, ‘But you can’t love me.’ Her bottom lip pouted prettily.

‘Why not?’ David wondered if he’d left himself open to being punked. They’d only just been talking about her ability to nail their asses to the floor.

‘Cause I don’t have any coffee sat in front of me C.D.’ she sat and waited.

They didn’t disappoint her. Coffee appeared as if by magic, and she added cream and sugar.

‘Ok I’ll bite and take it like a man, what’s the C.D stand for.’ Dave looked like he was in front of a firing squad.

Taking a big hit of caffeine, she waited for it to wash into her veins. Looking deep into David eyes, she fluttered her own, ‘Why Cupie Doll of course.’

There was dead silence as she started to eat again. A choking sound came from Dave, his face going bright red. The rest of the table exploded with laughter, tears running down Richie’s cheeks, Jon gasping for breath, Tico choking on a sip of coffee, damn he shoulda realised she’d have a come back. The rest howling with mirth, David knew that he’d be called C.D for months if not years to come, fuck! He was supposed to be the joker of the pack!

Al looked about the table with her big green eyes wide and innocent looking, ‘Are you guys ok, or should I call the paramedics, it’s not good at your ages to laugh so much. You could have a heart attack. Seriously!

They all stopped, looked at her and went off again. Jon couldn’t remember ever laughing this much, damn she was good, not just for Tico, but for the rest of them, talk about being cut down to size.

After the snickering stopped they started to talk about what they’d got to do today, and phone calls that needed to be made. The interview was with Frank Skinner, Jon had been on his show before and loved the guys humour, so had agreed to revisit but with everyone this time. He loved London, it was like another home for him, he walked around here better than America, and no one bothered him at all here. Well unless a fan caught him.

‘So Al you are coming with us aren’t you?’ Jon watched as she nearly choked on her drink, his baby blues sparkling with laughter.

‘Erm … well I really shou ..’

‘Yep she’s coming with us if you assholes stop trying to kill her off. You ok sugar.’ Tico gently pounded her on the back. He glared at Jon, who held his hands up as in WTF I do.

Jon stood up, ‘Look the cars here in a few minutes, we’ll go and get our gear while you two finish up, meet you in lobby in ten mins.’ With that he jerked his head and the rest of the guys moan, got up and went off leaving Al and Tico looking at one another.

‘Before you go of on one I want you to come with me. I don’t want to let you go just yet. You need to call someone to let them know you’re not going into work. Please darlin come with us.’ He tried Richie’s puppy eyes.

Al snorted and hit his arm, ‘Sweetie those eyes only work for Richie, give it up. No I work for myself, and when you put it like that, I’ll go with you. But sometime today I need to go home. Ok?’

Tico leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, ‘That’s more than fair, means I may get to know answers to some of those questions you say I need to know.’ He smiled and kissed her again. ‘You about done here?’ He’d never seen a woman pack it away like she had, he loved it.

‘I’m stuffed, I haven’t eaten since yesterday lunch, I was too busy, and then it was concert time. So yeah I’m done now.’

‘Oh so you mean you don’t normally eat well?’

‘Sorry darlin, I always eat like I’m starving, hence the extra padding I carry about on me.’ She grinned at him.

‘Well I just love where you stash your padding.’ He leered over her boobs.

Al’s laugh could be heard by the guys waiting for them in the lobby. It struck a cord in all of them, it was just plain dirty!