Ace Huxley's Daughter

2

I looked up from my phone when there was a stomp of 2 feet on the Lino floor. A grin I'd recognise anywhere.

"State your name and business here." I landed 3 fingers on my forehead in the brownie salute.

"Olive Calliope Huxley. Reporting for duty."

"Accepted. Proceed." I chuckled, dropping my bag and running the couple dozen feet into my dad's arms. He groaned slightly, lifting my feet off the ground for barely a second. "You need to stop growing."

"I have. Well. Almost." He always smelled the same. No matter how long it had been. If he'd just come off stage or just before he went on. Like sea salt and vanilla and smoke. Always Joe's smoke. He let me go, grabbing my bag from the floor and wrapping his arm over my shoulder.

"Nice dress." I scoffed. "You can dress yourself Olive."

"It's just easier to deal with it dad. You know how she is." I grumbled, quickly taking the cardigan off. "She complains a whole lot less if I just wear the dresses, cover my skin. Hide the tattoos."

"Does she know?"

"Does she fuck. Are you kidding? She'd have posted my head to you."

"Mmm. First class, recorded, before 1pm." He rolled his lips and sighed. "How is she?"

"Mum's mum. David's David." He grunted. "It's fine. Not worth the drama." He breathed out slowly.

"Callie. You're nearly 21. You cannot continue not being yourself because of her."

"I am myself." He stared at me, head still facing forward as he walked me back to their dressing room. "She pays for everything dad. I have a roof over my head, food, everything I want and need. All I have to do is play dress up for her and hide the tattoos."

"And work for her in a job you don't want, after getting a degree in the industry you don't want to work in, whilst being told you can't do what you really want to do. I pay for all of that Callie. Not her. You know that."

"Painting is not going to pay the bills dad." He ran a hand down his face. I wasn't having this conversation with him for the millionth time. We'll skip over the whole him paying thing. It just makes things even more complicated. "Bad vibes."

"Your mother gives me bad vibes."

"You slept with her, not me."

"Yeah, married her too. But, I have you so it's worth it." I could hear the guitar strumming as we got closer to the room, dad tugging me into him as a half hug. "We can talk about this another time. I thought she'd have put you in something stuffy, there's a change of clothes in the bathroom."

"You are an actual saint."

"Saint Ace Huxley. Sounds good to me." I chuckled. "Did you get in okay?"

"Yeah. Got a funny look by the door guy so I had to give him my ID. Might have been a little rude. And then there was 3 guys, I think roadies or something. I've not seen them before but look that kind of guy. One of them said he was you."

"You told them you didn't know who I was again didn't you?"

"I can't help it! It's so funny!" He shook his head. "They get so defensive and start getting aggy and then when they eventually work out who I am they get all embarrassed and stutter and ugh." I chuckled to myself. "Hilarious. Every single time."

I've lost count of the number of people I had pulled that with. Each one always ending the same and each one funnier than the last. Valor is one of the biggest bands in the world. Have been since the mid 90's when they broke into the market. Everyone knew who they were. It's one of the reasons no one knew who I was.

The one thing mum and dad could agree on when it came to me was that they wanted me to have a normal life. As normal as possible. When I was born, dad was already a household name. So, despite my birth certificate naming me a Huxley, I had almost always gone by Ellison, Mum's maiden name. It had worked. I'd formed friendships, had relationships, all without anyone knowing who my dad was. When people asked, he worked away a lot. It was easier when they separated. People stopped asking and I stopped having to make stuff up.

I wasn't sure if I'd be opening up about it now I could. Now I was out of school and everything. But being with him for the whole 7 weeks meant we would inevitably be pictured together and my face would be out there as his daughter that had been kept in the shadows since just after she was born. People knew Ace had a daughter. He talked about me often in interviews. Never any details, but saying I was at uni studying, that I was graduating top of my class. Even with my privacy, he found a way to make sure the world knew he was unbelievably proud of his daughter. He was the best.

"I'll run your bag out to the van."

"I need my book."

"Of course, you do." I pulled at the bag, taking my current read off the top before rezipping it up and dropping it carefully. "They're waiting for you. Blake's running around here too. Doesn't know you're staying though."

"I should hope so. I'm the light of their lives." I grinned, turning on my heals and walking into the room, door slamming against the wall as they turned to look at me. I might keep it from Blake I'm staying for now. He's fun to mess with. "God uncle Nig, you could at least tune it before you have cats crying at the windows."

"It is fucking tuned, cheeky bitch." I crinkled my nose.

"Hi Pops." Zeb pulled me into a sideways hug as I snatched the guitar from Nigel, twisting the keys and strumming before passing it back.

"Hi Uncle Zeb." I leaned into him. "How's Hannah?"

"She's good honey. How are you?"

"Fabulous."

"Yeah you look it yah ponce." Nigel looked me up and down. "Meeting the king?"

"Just came back actually, he's certifying you a dickhead. Aren't you lucky?" I smiled, leaning over the arm of the sofa to kiss his cheek before taking large steps over to Joe and hugging him quickly.

"Where's your father?"

"Dropping my bag in the van, beating the shit out of the security guard that didn't believe I was me. I dunno." They all laughed as I stepped into the bathroom and locked the door.

"Hannah went shopping with your dad's card." I smiled. Normal clothes. Callie clothes.

"What a fucking angel."