Trying Your Luck // Joel Hokka

XI

TW: sexual content (oops)

I have been spending more and more time with the boys and Joel, and mostly it was around the studio so I even got myself a new nickname Yoko, which I found quite amusing because I was literally named after The Beatles song, but at least I wasn't the lonely girl John Lennon and Paul McCartney sang about. I had all these crazy, but wonderful people around me, and loneliness wasn't really an option.

I tried not to intervene in their creative process, but sometimes I saw the problem better than they did and I offered help. After all, I spend too much time around musicians. But often my advice got a few grunts from the boys, so I just sat back and waited till they concluded that I was right and that got even more grunts and complaining.

Most of the time I was just polishing the new script for the new film I will be working on next spring. Niko would be by my side all the time trying to read bits and pieces saying that writers could help each other out, but I knew that he just wanted to know what I'm working on. Even though Niko's taste in movies was sometimes questionable, he was a film buff and he loved to talk about the movies as much as I did and he and Joonas always were interested in what goes on behind the camera. Joel also showed interest in what I have been working on, but he knew not to press it too much, he knew that if I wanted to show him something I would.

They were almost finished with the recording, the last bits were Tommi's drumming parts and it was the last day in the studio, so the band decided to have dinner and some drinks to celebrate. At first, I didn't want to go because it was their night, but they all insisted and it has never been too hard to convince me.

We went to a restaurant nearby and it was just a cheerful night. I was sitting between Tommi and Joel, opposite to us Aleksi and Olli, and even though they talked mostly in Finnish I didn't feel left out. It felt like old times. It felt like times when I went on tour with them, Olli was talking some bullshit and trying to convince Joonas to serenade the waitress he had been eyeing the whole night.

"If he does that, I'm quitting the band. I have had too many embarrassing moments with you,'' Tommi complained.

"Just ask for her phone number, what could be the worst that's going to happen?" I tried to convince Joonas because everyone around the table saw that he was into the girl.

"She says no?" Joonas snapped.

"But you like her, I mean, I also kind of dig her. She is way out of your league because she is 10, but you... I say about 6 or 7," I joked but Joonas showed me his middle finger, "Okay, okay, you are a catch darling. You are like a male character written by women."

The waitress in question was tall, she, like Joonas, had fluffy hair, only hers was black and she had big green eyes. She had a tattoo sleeve and a septum. She even made her waitress clothes look cool. She was pretty and I couldn't deny that, I also knew that she was Joonas type, not that he had any, because often the guitarist was ready to confess his love to any woman that would show him the slightest interest.

"Want me to be your wingwoman?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I don't need your help, thank you!" Joonas was getting irritated, so he left for a smoke.

"Aww, he really likes her!" Olli was expressing his joy, "It almost reminds me of how Joel was when he was crushing on you."

"Don't start," Joel rolled his eyes.

"I'm not starting anything, I'm just remembering how you woke us all up after she kissed you for the first time," Olli let out a laugh, "And Tommi promised to break his bones if he won't shut up about you."

"God, I would kill to see that," Aleksi admitted and laughed at the friends reminiscing about the past.

"He was like a lovesick puppy," Tommi agreed, "And remember the first gigs she joined us?" Tommi pointed to Olli and he shook his head agreeing.