Okay firstly thanks 2 my BETA Radar, I hope ur having a good holiday u lucky cow lol...: D
And thanks also 2 everyone who reviewed and read this rubbish lol...
So thanks 2 SisiDraig, xXxBooshLoverxXx, chugirl2526, and BeckyRocks-x 4 their amazing reviews: D
Okay so I don't own this, not even secretly: D
Oh and yes I know Vodka Penguin is a really stupid name but it is the name of my boyfriend's comedy group, which I am in: ) We have a regular gig in the comedy cavern Bath, and Sunday nites up the SU...woop woop : )
Ohhh I'm officially back at UNI third year scary pants: D
Enjoy: D
Weeks quickly trickled into months and before they'd known it they'd recorded an album. An album a real album it was something that he'd only dared to dream of, but it had become a reality. When he Googled himself, which he hardly ever did; the words following his name no longer read...
Howard Moon- Leading British Cream poet, adult Jazz porn star, former male prostitute who will bum you silly for 1 euro.
Instead it now read Howard Moon- One half of the successful brother sister Jazz combo Vodka Penguin.
Vodka Penguin God that was a stupid name a name, which she had come up with.
'You like Penguins, right Howard? And I love vodka.'
But what could he do he hadn't had a choice, as she'd correctly informed him he played all the music, wrote all their songs wouldn't let her style him all she brought to the table was her looks and her voice she'd had him over the proverbial barrel when it came to naming their band.
Anyway for the fist time ever they were both really, really happy Paris was both good to them and for them. He'd started to forget about the shop, forget about his old life it all began to slip away from him fading like a dream. He was losing Vince as well, the things that had once been burned on his memory about his best friend slowly started to seep out of him. He'd started to get confused about events, what had happened in what order and when. It had all started to blend together and then been forgotten.
'You know you're not coming tonight?' He nervously asked her as she appeared in the living room of his hotel suite.
'Yeah, yeah I know.' She shrugged back clambering over the cream sofa spreading herself over the crumpled cushions, clutching her hand to her head dramatically. He can't control himself he chuckles at her like an adoring indulgent parent, he loves her most when she's like that.
'Naboo's smuggling Bollo over later we're gonna watch the box set of Peacock dreams. I still can't believe Bollo can't stay in the hotel, I mean what's their fucking problem?'
'I think their fucking problem is the fact that's he's an ape.'
'I bet they never did that to Bubbles, fucking racists.' She complained, sitting up a large tub of Rollo flavoured ice cream appearing on her lap.
'Don't you think, you know you better give that stuff a rest tonight.' He directed his question in the direction of the ice cream tub. Not in a million years had he ever thought he'd been telling her to watch her calories she'd always been unhealthily thin borderline Anorexic, if not an actual Anorexic. But she had started putting on weight and she seemed to be eating all the time, and not just eating but eating the weirdest stuff like bacon with white chocolate melted over it. It turned his stomach.
'What, no-way!' She cried indignantly clutching the tub protectively to her chest.
'You should you know, you're starting to pork out a bit.' She was upside down now the blood rushing to her head her still skinny legs hanging limply over the back of the sofa.
'I know.' She giggled, resting her hand on her stomach.
'So where's Monsieur Neon taking you tonight?' His face contorted with frustration as he attempted to actually tie-up the tie he was wearing.
'Jack's not taking me anywhere, this is just a business thing.' He defended himself a little to seriously, what had he been defending? He was single, he'd always been single. And Jack was single, well since he'd split from his fiancée. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was betraying Vince, spending time with someone else.
'Oh so you wont mind me coming then, since it's you know a business thing.' She teased, he hoped she was teasing.
'Come here,' She changes the subject he can tell she's getting bored of watching him failing to dress himself.
'Girls do this better.' She informed in a mater-of-fact tone of voice kneeling up straightening his tie, knotting the fabric perfectly the first time. Her hands are idle for a few moments and they just stared at each other, he can tell by the way she looks at him that there is something on the tip of her tongue something that's been there for weeks, something which she couldn't bring herself to say.
'You need someone to look after you, Howard.' She breathed, pulling away backing out of the moment. The look in her eyes was gone, her courage had failed her.
He slipped out of her grasp pulling on his rumpled jacket.
'You look cute,' She stated grinning from ear to ear.
'But you'd look cuter if you ironed that thing, you know there's a laundry service here. Think about it a maid would actually be ironing your clothes, how amazing would that be I get mine done.'
'I don't look 'cute', Mabel Moon I'm a man of action. Men of action do not look 'cute' they look rugged and well, manly.' He confirmed puffing out his chest a little with the last line.
'You're ridiculously deluded, Howard.' She sighed rolling her eyes as she spoke. Grabbing her around her slender neck he planted a rough 'good-bye' kiss on her forehead.
'No trouble.' He warned, before leaving.
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And then she was on her own with nothing to do. The room had suddenly felt at least twice it's actual size. She glanced down at her watch knowing that Naboo and Bollo would still be en route crossing the Channel. Her eyes shifted falling on the phone, which sat on the coffee table in front of her. She thought about calling Saboo but he was busy doing something with Tony Harrison and Kirk, she knew his phone would be switched off; he always annoyingly switched it off when he was with them. She mentally scrolled through the contact list in her head. Before eventually deciding she didn't really feel like speaking to anyone.
What she felt was hungry.
Picking up the hotel phone she jabbed in the numbers calling down to room service.
'Je veux ordonner une pizza.' It was pizza she wanted, right? Well what she really wanted was one of those pizzas that had the Heinz hula hoop base, she tried it once when she'd been about twelve she'd hated it but now she'd become obsessed with it; she even dreamed about it...well that and Colin Farrell. Both together.
It didn't take her long to order what she wanted, which turned out to be a banana, black olive and anchovies combination topping. Usually she hated bananas they smelt funny, tasted like mush and just looked really wrong but now she couldn't get enough of them she wanted them on everything. Thankfully she still couldn't stand potatoes though, chips on the other hand were still okay as long as they were deep fried and really crispy.
There was a knock at the door and she gleefully jumped off the sofa, still running through the list of food she would and would not eat as she swung open the door.
There was nothing. She blinked for a few moments glancing down the empty corridor. And then she saw it out of the corner of her eye just as she was turning to go back into the room. A small black business card. She bent down picking it up, turning it over in her hand reading the name embossed in red on the back of the card.
'I'm Old Gregggggggggggggggggggggggggggg.'
And then there'd been nothing, except blackness mixing with the distant sound of screaming.
Her own screaming.
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(Flashback 1)
'We're the super magic men, we stay up till 5 am. Although we're bound by Shaman law, what goes on tour stays on tour!'
'Calm it down Harrison, Ladies present.' Dennis the head Shaman had barked from the front of the carpet.
'Dennis you dinlow, that ain't a lady that's Saboo's fucking 'Misses'!' Tony Harrison had shirked back as some kind of defence.
'Alright love.' The pink many tentacled ball-bag shaped head had asked her as she had climbed onto the carpet.
'Leave it out Harrison.' Bollo had warned in response to the sly wink Tony Harrison had flashed her. She couldn't help but giggle, which seemed to only encourage his behaviour.
'Come and sit over here with me.' Kirk, the small child-like Shaman had propositioned her patting the empty space next to him.
'I wouldn't if I was you.' Naboo had cautioned her in his laid back manner.
'Back off, she's sitting with me!' Saboo had piped up. She liked it when he got all possessive and protective over her.
She had been just about to seat down when Dennis had called out from the front of the flying carpet.
'Nonsense Saboo, if the young lady is sitting anywhere it will be at the front next to me.' So then she'd been forced to sit at the front next to the head Shaman.
'Can you read a map?' Dennis had asked her.
'What happened to you're internal Tom-tom?' Saboo had muttered under his breath, she could tell he'd been seething. She liked Saboo being jealous, it meant he cared.
(Flashback 2)
Her vision had been swimming, she couldn't focus she couldn't think straight everything seemed to be swirling around her. She'd felt sick. Her heart had been beating so fast, the sound of the drumming in her ears had only served to make her feel sicker.
It had been red, red surrounded her...not blood. The smell of exhaust fumes had almost choked her. And then laying there trapped somewhere between the most vivid dream she had ever had and blistering reality, lost in her own limbo she had realised that she was in the boot of a car.
Slowly her senses had started to come back, which had only made it worse because she couldn't move. She'd been paralysed. The fear had been thick in her throat.
Howard...Howard would save her! Howard would come...
But what if he didn't, what if he couldn't find her?
She'd closed her eyes and tried to think, what would Howard do?
She didn't want to die, she wasn't ready...
And then there'd been light and voices, voices she recognized.
'Where did she find it?'
'Blue blanket, blue baby blue blanket boy...ahhh!'
'Listen to me Fossil you idiot, where did Howard Moon's little filly find this!' She rolled her eyes her fear fading fast, she knew she wasn't going to die.
'Ahhh...near the jungle room my Bainbridge!'
'Tommy, so he's still alive then.'
She knew she shouldn't have drunk that drink Bob Fossil had offered her in his office. For a start it had been green, bright lime green and she'd only asked for a tea. It had tasted really funny, she'd understood why now. She should have just kept that stupid necklace she'd found, she'd had a dress it would have gone really well with; black strapless.
'What?'
'What, nothing you inbred moron!'
And then it had been silent for a few moments and she could tell that Bainbridge was working out a way of getting rid of Fossil, she could hear the thin gold chain rattling in his hand.
'What are we going to do with her, Bainbridge?' If she could have she would have burst out laughing, she'd known exactly what Bainbridge was going to do to her. Still at least she hadn't had to pretend to enjoy it.
'Nothing Fossil leave her with me, I'll take care of her.'
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'So, what do you think?' The question reverberated around his head, mixing with the two bottles of wine he'd consumed at dinner.
'Howard, Howard?' A hand waved in front of his face snapping him helpfully back into sober reality.
'Umm...I'm not sure, I don't know what to say.' The glass in hanging limply in his hand was quickly refilled.
'Are you trying to get me drunk?' He asked frowning in his tipsy haze.
'Yes.' Jack answered simply, crossing the room taking up the empty space on the large sofa next to him. He was taken aback by the other man's blunt honesty. He chuckled as the space closed tantalisingly between them.
'Don't say anything, there's nothing to say the slot is yours.' He coughed for no reason struggling to clear his throat, focus his addled thoughts. Jack leaned forward fetching his own glass of the polished hardwood table in front of them. He'd been blown away by Jack's flat. It looked like it belonged sandwiched between the glossy pages of some lifestyle magazine, all polished hardwood floors and quirky modern art. He'd never been in a place like that before, he felt shabby in comparison.
'Are you sure you don't want a band with a you know, higher profile?' As soon as he'd finished speaking he took a large gulp from his wine glass, swallowing hard trying to steady his nerves.
'Howard that's what Pie Face Show case is all about, highlighting new talent. You had a spot on there once before, didn't you?' Vince. Somehow it always came back to Vince, everything came back to Vince.
'Yyess, but that was...that was along time ago. And it was different this is opening the show, this is... ' He gulped. '...serious.'
'You're a very talented man Howard Moon, and you're sister has a very beautiful voice.' He shifted awkwardly against the sofa cushions as Jack brushed his fingers across his hand. It felt different being touched by Jack from the way it had felt when he'd been touched by Vince, it was still exciting but it wasn't electric. It didn't send shock waves through his whole body. It didn't make his feel like he would die at any moment if he didn't touch Jack again, he didn't feel like that. The thrill was there, but the rawness was missing.
'It wont be to long until you'll be leaving us.' Jack mumbled a despondent note filling his voice.
'Leaving you?'
'Well yes, I assumed you'd be going back to London once all the post production on your album is completed.' It was the first time he'd ever thought about going back, back to London, back to Dalston, back to the shop, back to the flat...back to...
He must have sighed because the next thing he new Jack's hand was on his face.
'Cheer up mon ami.' He wanted to he desperately wanted to 'cheer up' but he couldn't, the thought of going back to nothing depressed him. Because that's what he had in his so called 'home' nothing. He was sick and tired of waiting for Vince to come to his senses and fall as deep in love with him, as he was with Vince.
He was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't registered that Jack was kissing him. He pulled away, blushing furiously.
'I'm sorry!' They both exclaimed in unison. The tension suddenly broke between them and they both chuckled, embarrassingly.
'It's late, I can walk you back to the hotel if you like?' Had that been a observation or an invitation. He had never been brave, and he had never been spontaneous. But something inside of him seemed to snap, screaming over and over again in his head; Howard Moon you're 32 years old, life is to short and you're not getting any younger just go for it!
So he did...
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Kissing Jack, like touching him was a completely different experience to how it had been with Vince. It was hard to describe because different didn't always mean bad, it just meant that it was different. For instance when Vince had kissed him it hadn't just been kissing it had been kissing that was going somewhere, Vince wouldn't have been prepared to stop in the same way Jack was.
And it had just been kissing, he still wasn't ready for anything more. If Jack had been disappointed he certainly hadn't let on.
They'd walked back to his hotel hand in hand laughing and talking, and kissing. He felt light for the first time in his life, and it had nothing to do with how drunk he was.
'I'll see you later?'
'Yes you certainly will, Sir.' He was surprised by how much will power he actually had, maybe he should go on that diet.
He caught Jack before he had the chance to leave him grabbing him by the fabric of his jacket he pulled him into another kiss, long and drawn out filled with pent up passion.
And then Jack had finally gone, and he had found himself struggling to use the key card system for his room.
'Harold!' The door swung open and he was suddenly and roughly dragged into his room. He sobered up quickly when confronted by a trio of worried expressions.
'Is Mabel with you?' Naboo inquired, glancing behind him gazing at the hotel door.
He started to feel sick.
'No, no she isn't the last time I saw her was here. She was waiting for you and Bollo.' Saboo launched himself from the sofa he'd been nervously perched on the edge of, stomping back and forth across the room muttering to himself.
'Why, what's going on?'
'Show him, Naboo!' Saboo demanded desperately, interrupting Naboo before he had a chance to speak.
'I found this.' Sheepishly Naboo handed him a small black calling card.
'Tony Harrison and Kirk are already out looking for her.' The tiny Shaman informed attempting to assure him.
It took him a few moments for the name on the back of the card to register and for the full horror of the situation to hit home.
'This can't be happening.'