How Not To Be A Groupie

Chapter Twenty Two: Party

I shifted my weight from foot to foot as Stelle waited coolly. Both of us stood outside the hotel room door, waiting to be let in. Stelle was once again dressed to the nines in a short dress while I stuck with my t-shirt and jeans, bringing along my leather jacket. I held my notebook to my chest, tapping the back of it with my fingernails. The door opened and there stood a roadie. "Hey there," he said. "And what can I do for you two sheilas?"

"We're with the band," Stelle said holding up her camera. She nudged me and I held up my notebook like a child showing their mummy a drawing. The notebook was bulging with flyers and the newspaper. The roadie looked us over and stood aside. 

"Band's inside," he said. "Help yourselves." I could feel my cheeks burn. Right away I saw Phil sitting next to a friend. Stelle hopped over me and trotted up to him, plopping down right on the couch next to him. She waved me over and I took a timid seat next to them. 

"Stelle," Phil said nodding at her.

"Phil," she smiled, itching to take more photos. I had seen some of the ones she got developed the day before. The ones she had tossed to the floor. One was of the band onstage and another was of Phil sitting on a chair backstage. In the photograph he looked much like he did now. One foot crossed over his knee and his arms crossed. Tired from the two hour show they just played. 

"I uh...don't suppose you're on break today?" he asked us, looking at our things. 

"Course we are," Stelle said. "This is just for fun, right, Hannah?" I nodded and Phil smiled. "Where are the others?"

"Bon's out getting drinks," Phil said. He looked over his shoulder. "Ang's in the kitchen with Cliff an' fuck knows where Mal went."

"I saw him outside the hotel," Phil's friend said. "Dunno what he was doing." Phil shrugged and looked back at us. 

"So he's outside," Phil said. Stelle frowned.

"We didn't see him on our way up," Stelle said. "Maybe he took a walk." Right at that second the hotel room door slammed open and in walked Bon carrying a cooler in his arms, a box on top of the cooler, and a paper bag in his mouth. He tried announcing his presence but all we heard was muffled speech. Some guys came over to help him with his things and he took the paper bag out of his mouth. 

"Should last us a couple hours, eh?" he laughed. He stood around talking to his friends while Stelle talked with Phil and the other man. I sat there listening and watching and observing.

Like a fly on the wall. 

Some people appeared to be already drunk while others were still going strong. Bon being one of them. I noticed him glance ever so slightly at me and he smiled and winked, holding up the paper bag in his hands. 

You'd think there was a string bikini in there with the way he grinned. I gave him a big grin in response, not at all sure what he was so giddy about. But he turned back to his friends and carried on the conversation. I looked around the room and opened my notebook. There wasn't much to write. Just a lot of sweaty men and a few women. I looked around for the Glamour Girls. Surely Bon invited Hollywood at least. 

And at last I saw them. Cliff came out of the kitchen and they were very interested in him. I could see he was being polite, but very clearly dismissing any advances. He had a girlfriend after all. Trouble was right up against him, her arm touching his. He was all smiles. And he kept his hands in his pockets. 

Phil had mentioned both Cliff and Angus were in the kitchen. And since Cliff and the women were making their grand exit...Angus was alone...

And I was much too shy to go talk to him.