Coming Home

Chapter 19

I was woken up by a shriek coming from downstairs.

I looked around the room and realised that Alex was nowhere to be seen.

"Fuck," I muttered as I quickly got dressed and hurried downstairs only to be met the sight of my mum holding Alex in a tight embrace.

"I knew it!" She shrieked as she saw me, "I knew you liked eachother. Always have known," she turned to Alex, "I used to tell Isobel's dad all the time, he just -"

"Let me stop you right there, mum!" I interrupted her before she could make the situation any worse, "there's nothing going on between Alex and I. He just spent the night here because he was too drunk to find his way home last night."

My mum looked confused as she took turns looking at me and Alex.

"It's true, Josie," Alex said and gave her a small smile, "I'm damaged goods. She doesn't want me," he winked at her with a laugh. I rolled my eyes as my mum started to reassure him that he 'indeed was a good boy' and that 'every girl would be lucky to have him'.

After the most awkward breakfast I had ever experienced, I went upstairs to get changed.

As I got downstairs again, I could see Alex in deep conversation with my mum over the petunias in her garden. Poor guy.

"I'm leaving for work now," I called out as I put on my shoes.

"I'll take you!" Alex said, "your mum said I could borrow her car!"

"You definitely don't want to drive that," I said, referring to my mum's old Toyota Corolla. I imagined Alex in Los Angeles riding motor bikes or cabriolets - and definitely not beaten down cars like my mum's.

"I haven't driven a car with stick shift for a while but I honestly don't mind," he said and put on his leather jacket.

My mum waved goodbye to us from the front porch and I suddenly remembered all the times Alex had picked me up in his parents' car. My mum and dad had always waved goodbye to us just like my mum was doing now. Nostalgia washed over me.

"Where's NME anyway?" Alex said and I plugged in the directions on the GPS.

"Are you hungover?" I asked him.

"I definitely felt like a stampede had trampeled on my head this morning. Just went downstairs for some water when your mum noticed me. I'm guessing her shriek of delightment awoke you."

"Yeah, it did. I think she might be in love with you!"

Alex laughed a hearty laugh making my heart hammer just a tiny bit faster.

"You know what? I'm starting to think so too," he said.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" I asked him, nervous of what he might answer.

He laughed, "I remember many failed attempts of climbing onto the roof and that's about it. I was a bit confused as to where I was when I woke up but the NWA poster above the bed gave it away soon enough."

I was a bit disappointed that he couldn't remember our conversation. But I didn't want to bring it up just in case it was drunk-Alex who had said it without sober-Alex meaning it at all.

As he pulled up outside NME's building he turned to look at me, "what are you doing tomorrow?"

"No plans after work. Do you have anything in mind?"

"Me and the lads are driving down to London to show the demos of the new album to the head of Domino Records. I thought you might want to join," he said in a nervous tone before he quickly added, "we'll be there all day tomorrow and will drive back the next day so you might have to ask your boss if you can get tomorrow and the next day off"

"I'll go talk to my boss immediately. Thank you for the lift," I said and waved at him before I exited the car and started walking towards the big double doors to NME

-

Sent at 10.34 a.m to Turner:
All set for tomorrow!
When are we leaving?

Received at 10.56 a.m from Turner:
Pick u up at home around 9 a.m.