Read Online Black Girls and Bad Boys: Changing his Tune by Neneh J. Gordon - Free Book Online Page A

now?”
    “Go on tour and make shedloads of money.” This all suited John
perfectly – he’d made it clear he still thought Noah was thinking with his trousers.
    He shook his head. “I’m not ready.”
    “Course you are. You’ve managed without her up until now.”
    “No. I’m not.” The only thing that had got him this far was the idea
that she’d come on tour with him and keep him steady. What would happen when
the first gig was over and someone brought out a celebratory bottle? John said
they’d make it a dry tour – no drink or drugs for anyone involved – but how the
hell was that going to work?
    “I need to talk to her.”
    “Here.” John held out the phone. “It’s the last number I dialled.”
    “No.” Noah got up. “In person.”
    “You’re kidding me, right? There’s no time. You said you wanted to
oversee the digital release of the album and you’ve still got to pack for the
tour. You’ve got rehearsal time booked in the studio with the band.”
    “I’ll be back for rehearsals.” He went to the door. “You deal with
the other stuff.”
    “Noah!”
    He slipped out of the front door before John came up with another
five reasons why he couldn’t go.

CHAPTER 8
    ––––––––
    A ngelique reached the bottom of the drive, waved her fob at the
Cloister gates and stepped out onto the street. The weather was good enough for
her to forget the bus and walk home. Rooting around in her bag for her
cigarettes, she turned the corner without looking.
    “I didn’t know you smoked.”
    She almost walked straight into Noah. He moved neatly out of the
way.
    After stopping for a moment, she marched past him.
    “Hey!” He jogged to catch up with her and they walked together for a
while.
    Eventually, she couldn’t take the silence any more. “I already told
John I’m not coming.”
    “Why?” He came to a stop and she did too. “Why won’t you come? I
need you.”
    She looked into his big, brown eyes. It had been so much easier to
turn John down over the phone. “You seem fine to me. I can tell you’re clean.”
He’d even put a little weight on. Not too much. Just enough to make him fill
out his t-shirt in a way that he hadn’t before.
    “Tour’s different.” His easy manner slipped and she saw how worried
he was.
    “I’m sure your new assistant will look after you.” Her mind skimmed
over the idea of someone else in her place, sleeping in the room next door to
his, sitting across from him at the dinner table. After what had almost
happened in the garden that night, John was bound to have hired a man, but in
her imagination it was always a woman.
    “There is no new assistant. I didn’t want anyone else.” He looked
away, his silence leaving so much unsaid. “Please, Angie. You know what it’s
like.”
    “Which is why I can’t get mixed up in something like that. You’re
nervous about going on tour – how do you think it would be for me?” Ten times
worse – at least he was a part of that world. She had no experience of touring
with a band. She’d be on the back foot right from the start.
    “Please. Hear me out. Let me buy you a coffee.”
    She wanted to. That’s why she didn’t say no straight away. Her
hesitation brought a smile to his lips.
    “Come on. My car’s round the corner.” He took off with that boyish
exuberance she remembered.
    One coffee. And then she’d politely turn him down and go on with her
life.
    ***
    N oah had no idea where to go for coffee, but Angie said she knew a
place not too far away so he followed her directions and found a parking spot
across the road.
    It was a bit twee for his liking – more afternoon tea than skinny
latte – but they hadn’t gone there for the ambience. He had to find a way to
make her come on tour with him. It wasn’t until he set eyes on her again that
he realised how much he’d missed her. Whether she felt the same or not, he
considered her a friend. And he had too few of those left to lose her