Love Bites

Chapter 7

You eyed the alarm: 7.45pm. In fifteen minutes, the band would perform in the restaurant. You looked back at the ceiling. You had stayed in your room all day long, ignoring the knocks at your door and the phone. You sat up straight. You hadn't eaten all day, but weren't hungry. A lot of feelings went through your mind: Joe telling Sav your secret, Sav being a bitch more than ever, and your ex wandering in the same hotel as you. You sighed. Well, Sav being a bitch... You couldn't deny he tried to make a move towards you.

But you had rejected him.

He deserved it after all.

Your mind wandered to what happened this morning. You smiled. The sleepy face he had when...

You got up and shook your head. What the fuck? It must be the lack of food.

At first, you didn't want to go out of your room. You didn't want to bump into your ex, nor face Sav, but you felt like you were going to explode if you stayed in there.

You put the key in your back pocket and got out. The carpet smothered your steps.

You got out of the elevator and crossed the hall, the noise of your heels filling the nearly empty space. You could hear muffled sounds from the restaurant. You approached and waited some moments on the doorstep.

A stage had been installed where the buffet usually stood. The lights were dim, and coloured projectors propelled green and blue spots everywhere.

A man who worked there approached you and said: "You should come grab a drink here miss. In some minutes, there is a British band, Def Leppard, who will perform one of their songs, and after, there will be a magician show." He smiled at you with all his teeth. You shrugged: his strong Dutch accent amused you. "Okay, you convinced me." You gave him his smile back and entered. You mindlessly headed to the bar and asked the barman something to drink. You sat on a high stool and sipped.

A little further, you heard metallic sounds. You turned: on the stage, some men were installing material. You guessed Rick taking place behind the drums. A little after, you saw Sav and another man climb on the stage. You reckoned it was the guitarist with him. The bassist grabbed his instrument and placed himself behind the mic, on the right of the stage. A spot behind him highlighted his hair. He swiped the audience – more some couples not understanding who those men with long hair were and people from the hotel – with his gaze and met yours. You don't know why, but you kept contact for some seconds when Joe entered and passed in front of him, breaking the link. You blinked, turned back to the bar and watched your glass. Behind you, you heard Joe introducing the band and the song they were going to perform.

Some people applauded and you heard the keyboard start playing. Joe started:

If you've got love in your sights

Watch out, love bites

The others started; the song began.

"Can I?"

You turned and nearly spat what was inside your mouth when you recognized him.

He reached out his hand to invite you to dance. You threw a look at the stage: Joe was eyes closed, concentrated and living the lyrics. You swore you saw Sav's gaze leave your direction when you looked at him.

You looked back at him. You don't know why, but you took his hand. He smiled at you.

When you make love, do you look in the mirror?

Who do you think of, does he look like me?

Do you tell lies and say that it's forever?