The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (10 page)

Mark’s mother was standing in the
hall as the pair walked down the stairs.

‘What was all that shouting
about?’ she asked. ‘Is Marky alright?’

‘Nothing that a damp flannel and
a bottle of TCP won’t put right, Mrs F,’ Roy
replied with a wry smile as they left the house, leaving her with a bewildered
expression on her face.

‘Want a fag now?’ Roy
threw Eddie the cigarette packet after they’d driven several miles in silence.
‘Light one for me too.’

‘Fucking hell, Jane will go mad!
She told me not to hurt him.’ Eddie lit two cigarettes and passed one to Roy.

‘The bastard asked for it though,
Ed. He can’t go around calling our girls tarts and get away with it.’

‘Yeah, you’re right, he did ask
for it,’ Eddie agreed, ‘But Jane will still go mad. What if he presses charges
for assault?’

‘He won’t if he’s got any sense.’
Roy drew up outside his home.
‘Fancy that joint now? Then we can get down to practising some songs for
tonight.’

‘Please, but don’t let me overdo
it. Angie’s collecting Jonny later from my folks and she’ll kick up a fuss if
she suspects I’m even
slightly
stoned.’ Eddie ran his hands through his
hair. ‘What a bloody day!’

‘You need a bit of a lifter, Ed.
You deserve it with all the crap you've had to put up with. I won’t let you
overdo it, I promise. You can catch up tonight at the gig. I’m really glad you
got the job, by the way.’ Roy
patted his shoulder as they made their way indoors.

***

‘Mark, who were those lads,’ his
mother called, struggling upstairs.

‘Nobody, Mum.’ He held a
handkerchief to his nose. ‘Just leave well alone, please.’

‘They said they were from the
group. Oh, Marky, what have they done to you? I thought they were your friends,
love.’

‘Well now you know different.
Call Tony for me before he comes to pick me
up. I can’t play tonight looking like this. I’ll probably have two black eyes
later.’

‘Young thugs! All that black
leather and the way they swaggered upstairs as though they owned the place. I’m
calling the police.’

‘No, you’re not, Mum. Do that and
I’ll walk out and I won’t come back.’

‘Don’t be such a silly boy, Mark.
They attacked you in your own home. I don’t care what you say, I’m calling the
police.’

Mark stood in front of the door,
barring her way. ‘You’re doing no such thing. And for fuck’s sake, I am
not
a
silly boy. I’m a bloody grown man. Jane was right about you today when she said
you ruled my life.’

‘Jane? When did
you
see Jane today?’

‘I saw her at lunchtime. I asked
her to give me another chance. But she doesn’t want to know.’

‘I’m beginning to see things a
bit more clearly now.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘One of those lads was the
married man she dumped you for. She sent them round here to sort you out,
didn’t she?’ She clutched at her chest. ‘I feel quite ill when I think of how
close you came to marrying that little trollop. Your father was a wonderful
man. He would turn in his grave if he knew how you’d been carrying on with
her.’

‘Oh, don’t start the fucking
theatrics again, Mother. I didn’t have a father. Why do you go on and on about
him as though he was some bloody saint? Okay, so you had a roll in the hay with
some bloke who cleared off when he knew you were in the club!’

She caught her breath as Mark
yanked open the top drawer of his dressing table and threw an envelope at her.

‘I found this last year in one of
the boxes you keep your private papers in. It’s my birth certificate. It states
quite clearly
Father Unknown
. Don’t
look so bloody surprised, you old fool,’ he spluttered as she collapsed on his
bed. ‘How long did you intend keeping the truth from me? Telling me he passed
away before I was old enough to have known him properly. Knowing all the time I
was a bastard! Well you’ve dragged it out for a little too long, Mother. All
that bloody virtue and piety. You called Jane names; never gave her a chance,
when all the time
you
were no better.
Talk about pot and kettle.’

She watched Mark throw the
bloodied handkerchief to the floor and pick up his jacket from the bed.

‘Forget calling Tony for me. I’ll
get cleaned up at his place.’ He stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

Maude sat for a moment, breathing
deeply. She could hear Mark rummaging around downstairs, probably looking for
his car keys. She wiped her eyes and heaved herself off the bed. She made her
way onto the landing and could hear her heart thudding in her ears. It drowned
out the sound of her voice as she tried to speak. The front door slammed shut.
She lost her footing on the top stair and yelled his name, but Mark was out of
earshot as she tumbled head first to the hall below.

***

CHAPTER
EIGHT

Eddie strolled into The Roulette
Club, shook hands with Mario, his son Vincento, and gave Mario’s daughter Rosa
a kiss on the cheek. He waved at Roy and Phil who were standing beside the
stage where Kris was setting up his drums.

‘This place looks fantastic.’
Eddie looked around at the cream painted walls hung with gold-framed publicity
photos of stars and wondered how long it would be before
The Raiders
were up there with them. The seductive lighting cast
shadows in the corners where chrome chairs, and tables decorated with vases of
colourful freesias, stood. His feet sank into the plush black and cream carpet.
The place smelt of fresh paint and he breathed in the heady scent of the
freesias, reminding him of his mum's perfume. ‘Looks like the lounge in a posh
hotel. It’s a vast improvement on the old coffee bar, Mario.’

Mario smiled proudly. ‘Thank you,
Eddie. The flowers are Rosa’s touch. It will be good to
see you back with the boys. It’s been a long time.’

‘Too long,’ Roy
said as Kris dropped a cymbal and stamped about on stage.

Eddie turned and stared
thoughtfully at the young man, whose skinny profile seemed to be bristling with
suppressed rage. He was distracted by the opening of the entrance door as
Stuart arrived with Sammy and Pat.

‘Where’s Jane and Tim?’ Roy
asked, planting a kiss on Sammy’s lips.

‘Tim’s unloading his gear. Jane’s
on her way with John Grey and Margaret,’ Sammy said, slipping off her coat and
scarf. ‘Is the cloakroom open yet, Rosa?’

‘Follow me,’ Rosa
said. ‘I like your outfit, Sam. Is it one of your own creations?’

‘It is, and thanks,’ Sammy said,
of the blue silk halter neck top and short black velvet skirt. ‘Can we reserve
that large table at the edge of the dance floor, please?’ she asked as she and
Pat followed Rosa to the cloakroom.

‘I’ll get you a card from Dad’s
office.’ Rosa took their coats. She handed over numbered
tickets and smiled as Sammy slipped hers into her shoe.

‘Safest place. I can never find a
cloakroom ticket if I put it in my bag,’ Sammy said.

Rosa got
the reserved card and gave it to Sammy. ‘The tables to the left are reserved
for family members. Though why all my aunts and uncles want to come, God only
knows. They’ll only complain about the noise. But it’s a special night for Dad,
so I suppose their presence is to be expected.’

‘Mac and Jackie are coming later.
We’ll need quite a few chairs,’ Sammy said as she popped the card on the table.

Roy’s
face lit up as he overheard the girls’ conversation. ‘Mac’s coming? Brilliant,
I’m almost out of supplies.’

‘Shhhh!’ Vincento looked over his
shoulder to where his father was standing by the bar, his back to them. ‘If Dad
thinks Mac’s dealing in the club he’ll ban him forever.’

‘It’s okay,’ Roy
said. ‘I’ve enough to be going on with. My folks have gone to the caravan for
the weekend so we’re back at my place after the gig. You and Rosa are very
welcome to join us.’

Vincento’s face broke into a
broad smile. ‘Okay if I bring a bird?’

‘Bring as many as you like,
Vinnie. The more the merrier, although
I
of course only have eyes for my
lovely Sammy,’ he added, as Sammy shot daggers at him.

‘Watch your step, Cantello,’ she
said.

‘Of course, my petal. Is that bar
up and running yet? A man could die of thirst in this place.’

‘I’ll go and see,’ Sammy said.
‘Come and help me carry the drinks, Pat.’

‘A quiet word, Roy.’
Eddie pulled him to one side.

‘What’s on your mind?’ Roy
offered him a cigarette and a light.

‘It’s Kris.’ Eddie took a lengthy
drag and exhaled slowly. ‘Don’t think he’s very happy that I’m singing with the
band tonight. Hasn’t even let on to me yet.’

‘He’s a miserable beggar at the
best of times,’ Roy
said. ‘Probably sulking because I told him you’ll be drumming with us again in
a few weeks.’

‘I thought so. Look, I don’t want
to upset the applecart with the group.’

‘This band was ours, Ed. Me you
and Tim,
we
founded
The Raiders
. Kris was only brought in on
a temporary basis and he’s always known that.’

‘Yeah, but he’s been with you
three years now. He probably looks on it as a permanent job. I can’t afford to
buy another kit at the moment. You need to keep him sweet.’

‘I know.’ Roy
patted his shoulder. ‘But you’ll be able to buy a set when you start your new
job. Get them on the never, never. You’ll get a good staff discount, too.’

‘I will. But let’s get tonight
out of the way first. Feel a bit nervous. It’s a long time since I was on
stage.’

‘Well look.’ Roy
pointed to the door where Jane was entering with John Grey and Margaret.
‘Here’s the love of your life looking incredibly sexy in that little black
dress.’ He handed Eddie a set of keys. ‘Go and relax with her in the back of
the van for a while. We’ll do the sound check without you this one time.’

‘You sure?’

‘Positive. We sounded pretty good
together earlier. But then, we always did,’ he added modestly. Eddie burst out
laughing and went to greet Jane.

He kissed her and took her hand.
‘I love you,’ he said.

‘Love you, too.’ She wound her
arms around his neck and kissed him back.

‘You look lovely in that little
black number.’ He squeezed her arse affectionately.

‘Thanks, Ed. Mum said it was too
short, as usual.’

‘It’s just right. But don’t bend
over in front of Phil and Roy,’ he teased. She blushed and smacked him on the
arm. ‘I take it you didn’t get any aggro from your mum about me when you got
home.’

‘Nothing was said. Mark must have
been bluffing about going to see her. Did you have a word with him?’

‘Err, yeah. We need to talk about
that. But not right now.’ He dangled the van keys in front of her. ‘Fancy half
an hour on our own?’

Her eyes lit up.

He slung his arm around her
shoulders and led her outside. ‘Love your perfume. What is it?’

‘Chanel No. 5. I treated myself.
Needed cheering up after the row with Mark.’

‘He won’t be bothering you
again.' He unlocked the van door and helped her inside.

‘It’s a bit dark,’ she muttered,
stumbling over something.

He flicked his lighter on and
looked around. ‘There’s some blankets and cushions on that little bunk.’ He
grabbed an armful, spread them out on the floor, pulled her down besides him
and kissed her. ‘I can’t get enough of you, Jane.’

‘Nor I you.’ She sighed
blissfully as his lips lingered on hers and his hand stroked her thighs.

‘We haven’t got long. Take your
dress off. It’ll get really creased.’ He undid the back zip, helped her out of
it and placed it on the bunk.

‘Ed, did you remember to get
anything? We can’t leave it to chance again.’

‘Course I did.’ He fished a Durex
from his jeans pocket, wriggled out of his clothes and flung them on top of
hers. He pulled her back into his arms, dropping kisses down her front, his
fingers exploring.

She reached to stroke him. His
response was instant.

He kissed her, sighing into her
hair. ‘Oh, babe, I need you so much.’ He quickly rolled the Durex onto his
erection. ‘I’ve dreamt about moments like this so often.’

She arched her back as he entered
her, and wrapped her legs around him, running her fingers down his spine,
pulling him ever closer as he thrust into her, lips searching frantically. Her
orgasm was intense and she shuddered and cried out his name. With every nerve
in his body on fire he felt relief almost simultaneously and collapsed on top,
his face buried in her shoulder.

‘Christ, Jane that was so good!’
he gasped. ‘Sorry it was short, but it was most definitely sweet. We’ll have
more time later when we go to Roy’s.’

They lay a while longer, locked
together, murmuring endearments when someone knocked on the door.

‘Only me,’ Sammy called and
pushed the door open slightly. ‘Are you decent? Can I come in for a minute?’

‘Hang on, Sam.’ Jane pulled the
blankets around her and Eddie. ‘Okay, come in and shut the door, quickly,
before anyone sees us.’

‘Sorry to intrude. Roy
sent me to say the group’s on in ten. Also, Cathy’s just walked into the club
with a few girls. I didn’t see Angie, but I thought you should know.’

‘Bloody Hell! The sodding coven’s
the last thing I need in there tonight.’ Eddie sat up and lit a cigarette. ‘You
sure she wasn’t with them?’

‘I’m positive. Rosa
hasn’t seen her on coat check. Neither has Vinnie on the door.’

‘She told me she was going into Manchester
tonight with Cathy and the girls from work.’ He frowned. ‘So where the hell is
she?’

‘Maybe they changed their minds.
Perhaps Angie’s gone home already,’ Sammy said.

‘I doubt it. She’s never home
before
two o’clock
when she’s out with
that lot.’

‘Well she’s definitely not in the
club, so don’t worry about it. But I thought I’d better come and warn you about
the others. It’s getting quite crowded in there now. They’re sitting right at
the back. You can probably sneak in without them seeing you.’

‘Thanks for that, Sam,’ he said.
‘We’ll get dressed and come back in separately. Tell Roy
I’m on my way.’

‘Okay. See you soon.’ She closed
the door behind her.

‘I
hope
Angie doesn’t turn
up,’ Jane said, reaching for her clothes.

Eddie took a final drag on his
cigarette and stubbed out the end on the van floor.

‘So do I. Bet she’s sent Cathy to
spy on me.’ He jumped to his feet, pulled on his pants and jeans and Jane
handed him his T-shirt. ‘I’m sorry to drag you into this bloody mess,
Jane.’

‘Hey, don’t be sorry,’ she said.
‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t love you.’ She put her clothes back on, brushed
her hair and touched up her lipstick. ‘You ready?’

He nodded. ‘Fancy a ride on the
bike tomorrow?' he said as he helped her down the van steps. ‘We could go out
to Westlow, have a look at the new shop then take a stroll in Norman’s
Woods. We need time to talk about Mark. I don’t want to spoil tonight by
talking about him now.’

‘What’s so bad that you can’t
tell me later,’ she said as he locked the van.

‘Because we’ll be at Roy’s
house and everyone will be there. Much better if I tell you tomorrow.’

At the club entrance he pulled
her into his arms. ‘You go in first. Tell Roy
I’m coming. He’ll no doubt have spotted Cathy and the coven. He’ll understand
the delay. I love you, Jane. Thanks for a wonderful time’

‘Thank
you.
I love you too.’

He watched her walk away, shapely
hips swaying, and glossy brown hair swinging on her shoulders. In spite of the
problems he knew lay ahead for them, he was proud as Punch that she was his
girl.

***

Jane found Roy
at the reserve table chatting with Phil, John Grey and Margaret. They were
joined by Roy’s dealer friend Alan
Mackenzie and his girlfriend, Jackie.

‘Jane, long time no see.’ Mac
greeted her with a friendly grin. ‘Roy
tells me things are back on with you and Ed.’

‘They are,’ she said, smiling at
the handsome young man who had the mysterious dark looks of a Romany Gypsy.
‘But it’s kind of top secret.’

‘My lips are sealed,’ he said, as
Eddie sauntered into the club and waved in their direction. ‘He’s looking a bit
worse for wear. What have you done to the poor lad?’

She giggled and handed the van keys
to Roy. ‘Thanks, Roy.
Much appreciated.’

‘Better than The Lakes last
weekend, eh?’ Phil winked knowingly.

‘No comparison.’

‘Well that’s it now. You’ve blown
your chance, Jane. You’ll never forgive yourself for not taking me up on my
offer of a date.’

‘What I’ve never had I’ll never
miss, Phil,’ she quipped.

‘Sammy’s trying to catch your
attention, Jane,’ Roy said. ‘Looks
like she’s bursting with gossip. Go and see what she wants while we get Ed
ready to go on stage.’

Jane joined Sammy by the coat
check with Rosa. ‘What’s up?’

‘I asked Cathy where she’d been
earlier. She said The Royal Oak. I asked where Angie was, and she said she’s
probably with Eddie. I told her Eddie was here tonight to sing with
The
Raiders
and her face went really red. Said she’d forgotten about that. But Eddie said
Angie was going out with Cathy tonight, didn’t he?’

‘He did,’ Jane confirmed.

‘Well she’s obviously lying to
him about where she’s going and who she’s with,’ Sammy finished on a triumphant
note.

‘I don’t know what to think,’
Jane said, frowning. ‘Unless she’s gone into town with some of the girls she
works with.’

‘Two of the girls with Cathy are
from the salon. They looked sheepish as well,’ Sammy said.

‘Oh well, as long as she doesn’t
turn up here tonight, I don’t care. I’m going out with Ed tomorrow. He’ll
probably have an idea what she’s been up to by then. Anyway, look, they’re
going.’ They watched as Cathy and the coven rose as one and made for the door.

***

Eddie took another drag on the
joint he was sharing with Roy and
handed it back. ‘Feel better for that.’ He changed into stage clothes of red
satin shirt, black leather trousers and matching waistcoat, identical to the
other
Raiders
.

‘Ready, mate?’ Roy
asked, grinding the joint end out on the dressing room floor. ‘You do a solo
first. Then we’ll go straight into our
Everly
Brothers
duets. You still feeling nervous?’

‘I’m okay. The joint helped.’

‘You’ll be fine,’ Tim said and
Phil patted his arm while Kris nodded in his direction.

‘It’s like riding a bike, Ed,’ Roy
said. ‘You need to get back in the saddle. You’ve a fantastic voice, not to
mention your bloody good looks. The birds will go crazy when they see you
again. Right come on, jukebox has just gone off. Stand behind the curtain and
I’ll give you a big intro.’