We found our way back to the pub we'd stopped at before and I halted at the door. It was late afternoon and the the chill breeze had gone, leaving a warm musky air lingering in the streets.
The gig was still hours away so Mick had left his stuff back at mine.
"What's wrong?" he asked when he noticed I'd stopped.
"What if they don't like me? You know what I'm like when I meet new people," I said, remembering the fluster I'd got in when I'd bumped into Mick this morning. He grabbed my shoulders gently and swivelled me round to face him. He looked right into my eyes and didn't look away once.
"Stop being stupid, I can't think of any reason to not like you. They'll dig you just as much as I do. Well, almost" he dropped his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out, letting go of my shoulders.
"What do you mean, 'almost'?" I said defensively. Did he mean they wouldn't like me that much?
"I mean, it would be very hard for someone to like you as much as I do," he grinned, a mischievous look in his wide eyes. I suddenly stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. He looked surprised for a second, and then glanced back at the ground again, suddenly seeming shy.
"You're blushing!" I said.
"No I'm not," he started laughing and shoved past me and opened the door. I followed him in, giggling to myself.
The pub was dirty and smoky, and there was hardly anyone there. There were two girls over in the corner playing snooker, and three guys sat drinking at the bar.
"I hope it's gonna be a little busier than this tonight," Mick said, raising his voice. The three guys turned round to hear where the voice was coming from. One of them smiled when he saw Mick and beckoned him over.
"Where've you been then, eh?" said another who I remember from the poster. He had on a ripped t-shirt and combat trousers just like mine, and wore the same dark glasses as in the picture I'd seen of him earlier. Mick headed towards them, taking my hand to comfort me. And of course with boys being boys, as soon as they saw Mick holding my hand, the whistling and "ooh-la-la!"s started.
"Who's this then, eh?" teased the guy with the glasses, but he gave me a warm smile to ease my nerves. Another guy with spiky blondish-brown hair leaned over the guy with the glasses to take a closer look at me.
"God Mick, you've only been here less than a day and you're already fucking Scottish chicks left right and centre," he muttered, but he laughed afterwards so I knew he was kidding. I blushed and looked at the floor. The guy reached for my hand and shook it.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Paul"
"April," I said quietly. This guy was wearing a leather jacket and ripped fishnet shirt underneath, which I liked a lot. Boys round here are always too busy trying to get it on with everyone that they rarely have time to think about wearing something interesting. Mick blushed and muttered something about how we'd only met a few hours ago, nudging the first guy's shoulder and walking over to where Paul was sitting.
"Move," he said, slapping Paul's arm with the back of his hand.
"Oh nice one, now he's going to be in a strop all night," laughed the skinny guy on Paul's right, who was now being given a rock solid glare by Mick. Paul and the skinny guy who introduced himself as Topper (I guessed that wasn't his real name), moved up so Mick could sit next to the dude with glasses (who did eventually turn out to have a name) and I on Mick's right. The bartender came over and I ordered drinks for me and Mick.
"So, April, how long have you and Mr. Jones been in on it?" asked the guy with the camo pants, who I assumed was Joe, since Mick had mentioned that name before. Mick shot him a warning glare, but I just laughed.
"Met him at the train station. Well, I say "met", but what I mean is he bumped into me," I laughed.
"Nice one," chimed in Paul, obviously just to annoy Mick. Mick ignored him and turned to me.
"Oi, you bumped into me!"
"What?! Are you serious? No, you-"
"Yeah! 'Cos you weren't lookin were you was going and I-"
"Well neither were you!" I playfully punched his arm and he laughed.
"Their first fight!" Mocked Paul, and Joe laughed.
I'd only been in their company about 10 minutes, but I loved them already.
These guys know how to have a good time, I thought to myself.
