* * *
Later that evening, as the sky darkened, Stephanie pushed open the door of The Smugglers Inn. Matt, his girlfriend Fiona and Michael followed her through. Matt nudged Stephanie. “You can legally drink here this time, Steph,” he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him. Matt was tall and solid, with short cropped blond hair. Typical rugby player build, with a nose that looked to have been broken on more than one occasion. It somehow gave his face character. “Come on, little cousin, come and meet some of the guys.”
The half-timbered building was one of the oldest in the village, proudly displaying a sign which read ‘since 1550’ above its low Tudor doorway. Above the windows at the front, a dozen hanging baskets, overflowing with colourful flowers, swayed gently. Inside, the front room was a traditional old style English pub, with wood panelling and busy patterned carpets and a long wooden bar along one wall with a food serving hatch on opposite side. Through a large archway at the back of the room a modern extension had been added, with a stage at the far end was hung with red velvet curtains. Tables and chairs were clustered throughout. The carpet ended about ten metres before the stage and in its place a wooden dance floor stretched across the width of the room.
The lights were dim and the tables were full of groups of people, none older than about thirty. The area in front of the bar was crowded with people standing around talking and laughing. The stage, which was lit with coloured lights, had a drum kit on a raised platform towards the back, a keyboard on one side and three microphones across the front. A mixing desk stood off to one side with two racks each holding five different guitars. The whole setup looked very professional.
Not what you’d expect from a country pub, thought Stephanie, her excitement rising. I think I am going to like spending my holidays here. From around the age of fifteen, whenever she was visiting London, Stephanie and Anna had gone to as many concerts and music festivals as they were allowed.
“Hey, you’re quiet,” Matt boomed. “Wanna drink?”
“Yeah, just taking it all in.” she said. “Let me buy you one, since you drove me, eh?”
“Okay. Just a diet coke for me. Pre-season training,” he explained, pulling a face. “Fi will have white wine,” he added, smiling at his girlfriend who was already deep in conversation with several people sitting at a nearby table.
“Coming right up. Michael?” She raised her eyebrows, silently asking him the same question.
“I’ll come with you,” he said.
Stephanie and Michael pushed their way to the bar, excusing themselves around people who were standing drinking and chatting. The bar staff were busy working the crowd, but it took Stephanie less than a minute to attract attention.
“What can I get you?” The young barman gave Stephanie a flirty smile.
Stephanie and Michael gave their orders and showed their IDs to the barman.
“Geez, you got served, like, twenty minutes quicker than I would’ve,” Michael complained pushing his glasses up his nose. “It is so unfair that the less attractive amongst us get ignored,” he complained dramatically.
Stephanie laughed. “I don’t think it’s attractiveness, just assertiveness. Catch their eye and don’t let it go and they feel compelled to serve you.”
“Who are you trying to bewitch now?” said a voice on the other side of her.
Stephanie spun around. James was at her shoulder looking every inch a rock star in fitted black jeans, tight black t-shirt and denim jacket. His dark fringe was pushed back off his forehead with hair product and his eyes were amused, as he smiled down at her. She was speechless for once.
“Glad you could make it, Stephanie,” he said.
“Yeah, looking forward to hearing the ‘local band’. I do hope I won’t be disappointed,” she replied cheekily, recovering her composure somewhat.
James grinned at her teasing understatement and said, “Well, we’ll just have to blow you away then, won’t we? See you after the gig? We’re having a small get together at the café.”
“Maybe,” she said indifferently, but underneath she felt her blood racing. So much for having nothing to do with me, she thought.
The barman placed Michael’s bottle of Heineken in front of them and Stephanie turned to pay for the drinks. When she turned back, James was gone. She and Michael wound their way back to where they had left Matthew, balancing their drinks carefully.
She handed Matthew his coke and he introduced her around his group of rugby mates and their girlfriends. Everyone was really friendly, although she had to correct them when they assumed that she was Australian.
“Love your shoes,” a girl named Felicity commented, smiling and looking down at Stephanie’s three-inch denim wedges, which put her on eye level with most of the guys in their group.
“Thanks,” Stephanie replied. “Shoes are a bit of an obsession, I’m afraid.” Whilst shoes really had become something of a passion of Stephanie’s, she had learned fairly young that the way to direct people’s attention away from a spotty face and round tummy, was by having something gorgeous or unusual on your feet. And now that the acne and puppy fat were, mostly, a thing of the past, she still had a wardrobe full of great shoes.
A loud guitar chord cut across the room and the lights immediately dimmed further. The stage was plunged momentarily into darkness and suddenly the room was alive with a wall of sound and flashing lights as the band launched unannounced into their first song.
Stephanie watched mesmerised as the lead singer strutted his stuff across the stage. Boy, does he own it, she thought. By contrast, Andy was a laid back figure holding it all together with a tight bass track, his eyes roving the crowd. Her attention was inevitably drawn to James on lead guitar. His hair now flopped over his forehead as he concentrated on a guitar riff and flicked back as he launched into the fast strumming of the chorus and stepped forward to the microphone to harmonise with Liam. Wow, he is really hot, Stephanie thought, blushing as she watched him.
The rest of the set continued at the same frenetic pace. Dave’s dreadlocks bounced as he danced and played the keyboard. During a couple of songs he broke away from his position and joined Liam at the front of the stage, performing a fast and furious rap. Jack was a demon behind the drums, beating out frantic fills and occasionally tossing a stick into the crowd. Stephanie danced with Michael, Matt, Fiona and others in their group.
The band took a break after a long first set and James sought her out, beer in one hand, G&T in the other. His hair was wet with sweat and pushed back up on top of his head making him seem even taller. He offered her the G&T.
“Thought you might need a top up, after all that dancing,” he murmured.
“Thanks,” Stephanie said smiling at him. So he’d not only noticed her dancing but he had taken note of what she was ordering at the bar earlier!
“So – what’s your verdict?” he asked, looking down at her with a half-smile on his face. He was down to just the t-shirt and jeans, and she could see the hard curve of muscle on his upper arms. His t-shirt had the words Guitarists do it better emblazoned across the front.
“Actually, not bad for a village band,” Stephanie replied, pretending to be thoughtful. “You might even go places, eh. Rye for instance,” she said, naming a town near theirs.
James threw back his head and laughed. “You’re unbelievable,” he said. “I’m used to a little more respect than this.”
She laughed. “Respect? Really, old man?”
He opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Jack beating out a march on the drums.
“That’s my cue. See ya.” He turned and made his way back towards the stage. Only he didn’t have to push through the crowd, it somehow magically parted for him. Stephanie watched him walk away. When she turned back to Matt’s group, she found a number of them looking at her open mouthed.
“What?” she said quietly to Michael. “Do I have something on my face?” She put her hand self-consciously to her cheek.
“No
one talks to the wonderful James Knox like that, Steph,” Matt said sarcastically. “You do know that they are The Fury, not just some garage band?”
“Yeah, of course. I was just having a bit of fun. He knew that I was kidding….I think.” Stephanie looked up at the stage where James had slung a guitar across his body and winked at her.
Oh yeah, he knew, liked it and came back for more, she thought, her heart racing a little.
She glanced around the bar. Victoria was standing off to one side with a group of older guys and several of her look-alike girlfriends. She looked over at Stephanie as if she were something that she had trodden in.
Stephanie sighed. Oh great, I should have known you’d be here.
The second set was even more energetic than the first, with James and Liam leaping and jumping and Dave performing somersaults and cartwheels across the stage. After the gig ended, the crowds began to disperse, some still singing the band’s final number enthusiastically as they left the pub. Stephanie watched James rack his guitar and look over to her. He held her gaze with such intensity that she blushed and looked away.
Matt had one arm around Fiona and threw his other arm around Stephanie’s shoulders and turned her away from the direction of the stage, shooting a dirty look over his shoulder at James as he did.
James swore under his breath and took a step towards them, but was intercepted by Victoria, who took his hand and said loudly, “Where to now, baby?”
Stephanie turned at her voice and saw them standing close together, James’s hand in Victoria’s. She dropped her eyes, her face hot. How could you be so stupid to think that he would be seriously interested in you? she angrily told herself. She did say that he is way out of your league. She allowed herself to be propelled to the door by Matt, with Michael trailing along behind.
James pulled his hand out of Victoria’s, having just caught the look that flashed across Stephanie’s face as she turned away. He started after them, but Victoria grabbed his arm stopping him, “Now, now, Jamie. Don’t go getting all hot over her. She’s a Wakefield and you know what we think of them,” she said.
James shook his head with a look of distain. “For God’s sake, Vic, that’s ancient history,” he said.
“Try telling that to your grandfather or your brother for that matter.” She nodded towards the door, where James’s brother Alex stood laughing with a group of people.
“Whatever, Vickie,” he said, emphasising the nickname that he knew she hated. He pulled his arm out of her grasp and strode towards the door. Victoria stood with her hands on her hips glaring at his retreating back.
Matt was holding the back passenger door of his car open for Stephanie, when James caught up with them in the car park.
“Hey, are you guys coming to the café?” he asked, trying to catch Stephanie’s eye. She kept her head down. She felt really stupid for letting herself so publicly flirt with him, when everyone else obviously knew he was with Victoria.
“I don’t think so, Knox.” Matt slammed his door and started the car and backed out of his parking space, looking protectively at Stephanie in the rear view mirror who was staring at her hands.
James sucked in a curse and, lip curled, stomped back inside to pack up his gear.