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finished yet.

 
     
    Chapter Five
     
     
     
    JAX
     
    Somebody hammers nearby, banging into my dreams. I squint open an eye. Unfamiliar bed, mattress hard against my aching back, the detergent scent of the sheets strange. Hotel room. The banging intensifies. I grope around for my phone on the table next to the bed, and remember I threw it across the room because the damn thing wouldn’t stop ringing.
    I sit.
    Jesus, my head .
    The rhythmic thud on the hotel door continues. Spilling out of bed, I head over to answer.
    “What?” I snap as I yank open the door.
    Will, far too perky for a guy who I swear drank as much as me last night, steps back, appraises me in my boxers and shakes his head with a small smile. “Dude, you look like shit.”
    “I’m tired. What do you want?” Unimpressed, I head to the mini-bar and pull out a bottle of water.
    Will follows and crosses his arms over his chest, bright green eyes meeting mine. He matched me in drinking last night; why doesn’t he look like crap too? Although I’m pretty sure that’s bite marks on his neck.
    “Jax, it’s one p.m. You’re late for the sound check.”
    I freeze. “Shit. Really?”
    “First gig on a European tour with Phoenix and you’re in bed! We have shit to do, man.”
    I spot my jeans by the end of the bed and grab them. “Fuck. Sorry.”
    “What the hell happened to you? Since when can’t you handle your booze?” Will sinks onto the end of the bed. “Or your women.”
    Before we went to the club, at the hotel bar, I knocked back more beers than I realised, distracted by Tegan and later by the prospect of a celebratory night. The night before Ruby Riot opens for Blue Phoenix on their European tour. Blue Phoenix . Unreal. Must’ve been the champagne. I never drink champagne. Yep, definitely that. I rub my head.
    “Where’re Nate and Ruby?” I ask.
    “They’ve gone ahead to the venue. I’ve spent half an hour calling you and gave up, came here to haul your ass out of bed.”
    “And the Phoenix guys?”
    Will pulls his lip piercing in his mouth and glances around the room. “Dunno. Haven’t seen them. No chick with you?”
    “No.”
    “That’s right you couldn’t stand up.” He laughs and claps me on my bare shoulder.
    I shrug him off; pleased it wasn’t Ruby outside the door. At least Will’s laid back about my shit start to the first day of the tour. “Give me ten. I’ll grab a shower and meet you in the lobby.”
    Will heads off, unperturbed. Often, I’m glad the twins are chilled guys. Reckon I’ve seen them fully stressed once and can’t remember why. Life rolls over them and they grasp at the fun parts, letting the crap sail by. I guess Ruby holds enough tension for the four of us.
    The warm water flows over my aching head as I replay last night. I remember dancing with a chick, then she wasn’t there, and I spoke to Tegan. No clue what I spoke to Tegan about. Shit, I hope I didn’t make an arsehole of myself in front of her.
    Months I’ve waited for this day. I’m playing a stadium gig tonight with the biggest band in the fucking world. Thousands of people. This is huge and what do I do to prepare? Get wasted and wake up half-dead. Ruby’s going to lose her shit if I’m below par for our final rehearsal and sound check.
     
     
    ****
     
    TEGAN
     
    “Morning!” I call to Bryn as I approach him in the hallway between our hotel rooms. I head back to mine as he leaves his.
    He stops. “Where’ve you been?”
    “Where does it look like I’ve been?” I indicate my sweaty self, yoga pants, and gym vest.
    “Working out? You didn’t go to bed until three a.m.!”
    “And?” I wipe a lose strand of hair from my damp forehead. “I usually get up early.”
    “I doubt you’ll find anybody else does. Weirdo.”
    I flick Bryn’s ear. “Funny. Did you find someone to take Jax back to the hotel?”
    Bryn makes a derisive sound. “Yeah. What a joke.”
    True. I smile at the memory of Jax’s performance.