Among The Roses

Chapter 10: Getting the Band Back Together

AN: I need a cover for this bad boy, you guys! Pls send to peteanddaisy@icloud.com, and thanks!

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"Now this is what I'm talking about," Gary declared as he walked in the front door of Langton. "What a really great house, Drew, old man, and an absolute bird magnet, I'll bet." He slung an arm around Drew's neck, drawing him in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. As usual, his brown hair was a little bit long, a little bit unkempt, and his smile reached his bright brown eyes. He wasn't known as "the flirty one" of Manderley Dreams for nothing.

"Hold up, Gars, hold up," Drew said, removing the arm from around his person. "I didn't buy this place to be a 'bird magnet.' I need a break from the birds, and from all that shite, that's why I bought a place way out here, yeah?" He looked over at Ned, shaking his head slightly.

Ned looked back with a grin. They were both used to Gary and his ways by now.

"Yeah, right, of course," Gary agreed, nodding. "But you could throw a hell of a party here if you'd a mind to, couldn't you?"

"Tell you what, Gary, why don't you buy a place and throw a party? I'll come, and so will Drew, and we'll bring the drink," Ned suggested, noogeying Gary's head.

"I'll stick to my London place for now," Gary said with a grin. "I'd love a place like this, but I'm a bit short of funds at the mo," he admitted.

Ned and Drew stared their friend as they sat at the kitchen table with cups of tea.

"You can't be," Drew said. "We just got the last deposits from the tour last week, right?" He looked to Ned for confirmation. "I mean, I don't know how your company's set up, but it's got to be thousands of pounds--"

"Ahh, I didn't drive all the way down here to talk business," Gary said, waving a hand airily in the air. "Come on, man, show me around, let's see this amazing music room and studio you're putting in, where the pool's going to go, where we're going to play tennis and that, yeah? And when's Lucas going to be here?" He took a sip of his tea and looked around expectantly.

"Luke will be here within the hour, his plane arrived a little after yours," Drew told him. "But seriously, Gary, what happened to your money? You can tell us."

Gary took a deep breath.

"It's not that big a deal," he finally said. "I finally reached a settlement with that LeeAnne girl, so that cost quite a bit, and HMRC finally twigged that I had a load of funds stashed away in my nan's name, so they came round asking for their share of it, that's all." He shrugged. "I'm just a little cash poor right now, nothing a little time won't cure."

He looked between his two friends, from green eyes to blue. "Come on, fellas, why the long faces, I'm fine, honest! I still have all my properties, my house in London, my co-op in New York, my mansion in Beverly Hills, all's well."

"What about your cars?" Ned asked.

Gary loved fast cars, and had many, bought and shipped to Los Angeles from all over the world.

Gary cut his eyes to his tea.

"Gars, what? What happened to your cars?" Drew was aghast.

"Nothing, I just converted a couple to raise some fast cash," he finally explained, raising his eyes to Drew's.

"You sold them?"

"Just two of them. LeeAnne needed a lump sum cash settlement up front right away, and that was the fastest thing to do."

Ned and Drew looked at each other.

"Erm, Gars, I know those cars are worth a lot of money, but how could you not have the cash? Where did your money go?" Ned asked the question they were both asking in their heads.