KISS THE RING ☆ Taylor Hawkins

16. ...but honey you're a bit obscene

Louisiana, January 1992.

Diane found herself, as soon as she woke from her long sleep, looking the plains bathed by the Mississippi River, realizing that they had almost arrived in Baton Rouge thanks to the road signs. The trip from Florida had been longer and more tiring than expected, but she recovered quickly at the thought of being able to spend some days off with the group. The year just passed had flown by in a heartbeat, it didn't even seem real. Not even 12 months ago, Diane was coming out from one of her worst nightmares and now she seemed to be living another life, or at least: life had remained more or less the same, she did the same job as always luckily, only with different people. She had the opportunity to grow both as a person and musically, thanks to Matt she had also resumed playing the drums, an instrument that she hadn't touched since Joan took her to the rehearsals of the Runaways, just before the dream of the all-female group dissolved into nothing (or almost).

"Hey, honey... have you thought about my proposal?" Izzy asked, dragging the words onto the girl's shoulder as he tried to settle into his reclined seat. Perhaps the sudden braking by the driver seconds before had woken him. "What do you mean?" The redhead furrowed her eyebrows, turning to look at the boy who, running a hand quickly over his tired eyes, looked at her almost immediately. "For the arrangement of the rooms, Diane..." He took her hand, making her fingers intertwine with his before bringing the back to his lips to leave a kiss. "Yea, you're right." She nodded, moving closer to the boy to rest her head on his soft purple velvet jacket. "If it's okay for you to have my clothes lying around, yes." She giggled, stroking his hand before moving her gaze to his face. "It isn't, as far as I'm concerned we might as well exchange them." The guitarist laughed and in the meantime he brought a cigarette to his lips, lighting it immediately afterwards. "Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to draw from Roxy Roller's closet too." Duff emerged from the seat behind them, pulling his glasses over his head and then leaning back against the seats of the two. "Duff, man, come on..." - "Ok, only if you give me your CBGB shirt." The redhead knelt on her chair, turning to shake hands with the bass player who nodded laughing and leaving Izzy with one hand on his forehead as he shook his head, now surrendered to the complicit relationship developed between the two.

"Hey, Danielle?" A girl approached the redhead who remained the last to pick up her bags from the tour bus, under the watchful eye of Izzy who was waiting for her at the entrance of their hotel. "It's actually Diane, but I'm listening." She put the suitcases on the ground, pulling her hair back before taking a shot from her blue camel. The girl in front of her rolled her eyes, bringing her arms folded across her chest. "Whatever." She affirmed keeping her gaze fixed on the amused expression of the singer who remained silent to understand where she wanted to go. "So you and Izzy are a thing?" The redhead giggled while she stubbed out her cigarette with her shoe more than two puffs from the end before taking back her bags and heading towards the dark-haired man who didn't quite understand what was happening. "As I imagined, you wouldn't be within his reach anyway!" Screamed at her the girl who stood still near the entrance stairs, leaving Izzy with a frown, who, with his gaze, asked Diane for answers. "I think that's one of your groupies, Iz." She affirmed with an ironic half smile printed on her lips, so the guitarist turned to look at the girl behind her and almost the cigarette fall from his lips. "Adriana?" Diane returned to a more serious expression within seconds, observing the other girl who was waving goodbye to the guitarist with her hand before starting to walk away. "Fuck, I haven't seen her for at least two years." The redhead continued to look at him waiting for answers from him. "Jeffrey?" There the guitarist realized that she was starting to get upset. "Don't get me wrong, honey. Let's just say she was with Axl until some time ago." He adjusted the black duffel bag on his shoulders before hugging the girl and printing a light kiss on her lips. "You haven't removed my doubts anyway, Jeff." The guitarist laughed at her, entering the hall with her girlfriend, holding her tight against her shoulders. "I might think again about having to share a room with you."

"Did you see who?" Saul leaned over his friend before bursting out laughing loudly. Matt sat on the lobby couch, trying to pay attention to the newspaper he held in his hands in vain, while his bandmates were grouped in a circle with their respective bags beside them. The redhead, on the other hand, was sitting on the arm of the sofa, with her legs dangling while trying not to go crazy due to the wait for the availability of the rooms. "I can't believe it." Axl announced placing a hand on top of his forehead, covering his eyes and sighing heavily before throwing his head back. "But are we really talking about that Adriana?" Duff asked with a hand over his mouth who, despite this, managed to make himself understood. "I tell you, it was her. She stopped Diane for I don't know what reason." The redhead looked up at him from her rings, peering carefully at the four who turned to her. "She asked me if you were with Jeffrey, nothing special." They all immediately went back to looking at the guitarist who, with a confused and slightly annoyed expression, looked at the girl and raised her arms. "Jeffrey, I think you've got yourself in a bad situation." The singer announced before patting him on the back. "Very funny Axl, too bad she's not my ex." - "She's not even mine!" Diane raised an eyebrow, getting up to get closer to them and try to understand the situation. "Explain yourself better." After putting her glasses on her head, pulling her red locks back, she crossed the arms over her chest waiting for a response from the guitarist. "Adriana is Steven's ex-girlfriend, our ex-drummer." Duff announced, making the redhead cheer up a little. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're a bit hasty, huh Roxy?" Saul chuckled while he managed to dodge the punch the girl had given him, making everyone else present laugh too. "Who the fuck is this Adriana?" The redhead asked exasperated by now, continuing to ask her questions to Izzy. "Well... you know the moans that are in Rocket Queen?" The guitarist looked at her, narrowing his eyes slightly and flattening his lips in the meantime. Diane threw her eyes for the umpteenth time, not knowing whether to laugh or do anything else. "Y'all are absurd." Izzy heaved a sigh of relief before bringing his arm back around the girl who, smiling, turned to him to print a kiss on his neck. "You, on the other hand, look very cute together, you have finally opened your eyes." Matt added himself to their speech before picking up his bags and heading to the reception desk where, seconds before, someone had lined up the keys to each of their rooms. The last key left on the wooden top was Izzy's one who, taking it in hand, looked at the redhead, bowing his head slightly to the right, waiting for a response from her. "No, I haven't thought about it Jeff." She replied, looking down as she was rearranging her luggage on her shoulders. "Still upset?" He asked, approaching her face with a smile that at other times would have infuriated her. "Not much, but you better still be on the alert." - "Don't be so dramatic, honey." He whispered, putting his arm around her hips as they entered in the elevator. "We have two days off: let me prepare you a nice hot tub with bath salts and maybe some candles." He left a trail of kisses down her neck that made her arch back from the electrical discharge that filled her along her spine. "Lavender, chamomile, rose petals ... a blunt?" Diane laughed at his question, trying to get away from him due to the tickle he was causing her with the tip of his nose. "Of course, so I'll sleep until tomorrow morning." She put her arms around his neck before kissing him on his lips, kiss that he returned with enthusiasm. "Sleeping wasn't in my plans, but yes, it might as well be."