Come Together

‘Oh, and your lover boy is hogging the bathroom.’

The door between the front and rear sections opened and closed. ‘I was just brushing my teeth, actually.’ Xane dropped his washbag onto the table between her and Ash before motioning for her to shuffle up. He settled on the chair beside her. ‘Morning,’ he said, giving her a minty-fresh kiss.

Ash wrinkled his nose. ‘Please,’ he pleaded. ‘Don’t get all doe-eyed. I’ll puke.’

Xane kicked him beneath the table.

‘Ow!’

‘You found your suitcase?’ Xane asked her.

‘Yes, thank you.’

‘We’ll get your stuff stowed when we stop. It shouldn’t be too much longer.’

Dani peeped outside. They were driving through what appeared to be a residential area. Xane leaned over and rested his chin upon her shoulder. ‘Was Ash behaving?’

Ash snorted and shot her lover an offended look. ‘I hadn’t even tried it on. Did I try anything on?’

‘I only just arrived. He was reading.’

Xane looked around for evidence of a book and failed to spot one. ‘What were you reading? The invisible book?’

‘A magazine,’ Dani said.

‘Cosmo again? Heat?’ Xane shook his head. ‘You could probably write most of their articles. Is it really necessary to sift through it for tips?’

Ash shot him a dark look that seemed to suggest he’d been keeping up to date with how many kids he’d supposedly fathered or something along those lines. Then he forced a smile. ‘Even masters have to keep up-to-date to remain successful.’ He levelled his gaze at Dani. ‘If this guy ever fails to please, you send him to me for tips. That curl thing he does with his tongue. He learned that from me.’

‘That is such bollocks.’

‘You have a tongue stud too?’ she asked.

‘No way.’ He stuck out his tongue. ‘I have skills without the need for adornment. You just ask your friend Ginny, if you don’t believe me.’ He winked at her.

Damn, she’d never had a chance to say goodbye to her. ‘Did she get off safely?’

‘Condoms were used, yes.’

Oh, God. That wasn’t what she’d meant. Her face filled with heat. ‘I didn’t … I meant …’

Xane started to laugh. ‘Let it go, Dani. He can’t help it. He has a filthy mind. Stuff like that always slips out.’

‘Home safe,’ Ash confirmed, holding up his mobile phone to show her evidence of a text from Ginny. ‘She sent a thank-you once she arrived home and climbed into her jammies.’

‘And that’s all the information we need,’ Xane insisted, holding his hand out to cover the screen. His brows suddenly furrowed. ‘Hey, how did you get that? You know you’re not allowed.’

‘What, this?’ Ash stuffed the phone back into his deepest pocket. ‘I don’t have a phone. What are you talking about, Xane? You know I never carry one. Sally would have kittens.’

Xane shook his head, but he was still smiling. ‘Don’t fuck up,’ he warned Ash. ‘I’ll skewer you, never mind Sally. You got us into no end of shit the last time you misplaced one of those damn things. Ash is distinctly absent-minded when it comes to his possessions,’ he explained to Dani.

‘Can I help it if the world is full of thieves?’

The bus pulled to a stop and Spook wandered up from the front. ‘New phone,’ he remarked. ‘You must have had nearly as many as you’ve had women.’

A man the size of a forklift truck, with a buzz cut and a moon-shaped face, followed him. Dani gathered that this must be Cave Troll, their driver. She could see where the name came from. He did bear a certain resemblance to a man-eating giant.

‘Time for some shut-eye,’ he mumbled, pushing his way past Spook, and Ash, who’d stood. He paused only long enough to check her out before wading into the lower bunk room and diving onto the nearest empty berth. ‘Cute chick,’ he called. ‘Didn’t think we allowed birds on board. Did the rules change?’

‘They did not,’ Xane hollered back.

Ash returned to the table. Rather than sit, he leaned over it, propped on his elbows, so that he was only a few inches away from Dani. ‘What do you think? Is it fair that only Xane’s allowed to party on the bus? Shouldn’t we all be allowed our fun?’

‘I … well … it’s not really up to me.’

‘But you’re here. Don’t you think it’s unfair that you guys get to hang out, but the rest of us have to stare dreamily at each other?’

‘Don’t even think about staring dreamily at me,’ Spook muttered.

‘Well, if you were going steady with someone, then I guess it would be fair for them to be here too,’ she replied, seeking Xane’s approval with her eyes.

‘Ash can’t even hold his guitar steady, let alone a relationship,’ Rock Giant remarked, coming through from the bedroom. Now that the bus had stopped, everyone seemed to be congregating. Seeing that there was no space at the table, he hunched down on the floor with his back to one of the kitchen cupboards.

Dani stared at him. Of all the members of the band, Rock Giant was the one she found most intimidating. He scared her even more than Elspeth, who, to her relief, didn’t appear from the bedroom. He looked different this morning, less frightening without his hair styled into spikes, kind of adorable actually with his thick growth of stubble and his loungewear pants.

‘I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed,’ he continued, ‘but he does this funny jiggly thing while he’s playing, like he’s being electrocuted and can neither grip nor let go of his guitar.’ He simulated Ash’s stage pose.

‘What is this? Pick on Ash day? Fuck you.’ Ash waved his raised middle fingers at them all. ‘Can we eat now?’ he asked after a moment. ‘Now we’re here.’