when he
looked at her like that; it reminded her of how she'd broken his heart all
those years ago. She felt confused, full stop. She loved sleeping with him,
she was fond of him, she liked him, but she couldn't think about a full time
relationship. She wanted to concentrate on getting her music together, not her
love life; the last time she'd fallen in love she'd let everything slide, and
she was scared of doing that again. Besides, Dave was clearly still so
involved with Janice; of course he was. Did Janice want him back? If so,
Ariel didn't want to be the cause of her upset. There was a child to be
considered. Dave was evasive when she asked him about the current state of
play on Greyfriars Estate. Getting too involved with a man who was still so
committed elsewhere was asking for trouble.
She knew, though, that if she felt as much for him
as she suspected he did for her, she would put all these misgivings to one side.
At least she had a job, now; Shane had mentioned to
his Uncle Vic that she was looking around, and he'd snapped her up to work in
The Bandstand immediately, even though he didn't really need another member of
staff. Bar work was ideal; she was a morning person, and, thus, these were
left free for writing songs and practising her guitar. Dave had been telling
her all about Thor's MySpace page; perhaps she ought to do that, too. Her
father had a computer. Perhaps she ought to stop thinking gigs and the
traditional route, and start thinking YouTube, social media. The music business
was changing, and she didn't want to get left behind, just a girl and her
guitar sitting on a stool in a pub.
"I'll see you on Saturday then, shall I?" Dave
said, fiddling with the zip of his leather jacket. He seemed reluctant to go.
"Yes," she said; and then something occurred to
her. "Will Janice be there? Only I don't think - well, if she's there I
don't think we ought to look as if we're - well, as if we're - "
"We won't. Yeah, I think she might be there,
actually. I know what you mean." He smiled. "We'll just act like we're long
forgotten history and save it for when we get back here, shall we?"
She breathed out. "Okay." There. That proved it,
didn't it? If their relationship, such as it was, had to be kept a secret from
Janice, then it wasn't right, not really. Hmm.
"You can let yourself out, can't you?" He laughed,
a bit nervously, she thought. "Or you can stay here, if you like. I'll be
back by eleven."
"No, I've got to go home. I'm working on a song."
"Okay. I'll see you, then."
He left, eventually; Ariel snuggled back down under
the luxurious, warm duvet, and fell asleep.
***
Janice had entered a whole new world!
MySpace was brilliant!
She'd signed up for the site with the idea of doing
no more than following the progress of Thor so that she could do as Dave
suggested, i.e., post comments on their page as if she was their biggest fan.
But no sooner had she set up her page, chosen a sunset
as her background picture, added her music ('Keep the Faith' by Bon Jovi),
'friended' Thor and written a bit about herself, than she began to get friend
requests! Other people who liked rock music, too; local people, who went to
see bands in the area, the friends and family members of the rest of Thor, like
Shane's sister Zoe. They'd seen her on Thor's page, and wanted to include her
in their cyberspace lives, too! She loved it; she could chat to them online,
too, on all those long evenings when Harley was asleep and she was fed up with
watching telly. It was like having a social life without leaving her living
room - and on the occasions she went to see Thor play, she could say hello to
all the people she'd met on her laptop! She almost liked Thor - it was giving
her a new life.
Their page looked terrific; Ritchie had made a
background of Vikings and darkened skies, and they'd posted some professional
looking photos of them looking very serious - like a real band!
This Thursday lunch time she'd logged on for
looked at her like that; it reminded her of how she'd broken his heart all
those years ago. She felt confused, full stop. She loved sleeping with him,
she was fond of him, she liked him, but she couldn't think about a full time
relationship. She wanted to concentrate on getting her music together, not her
love life; the last time she'd fallen in love she'd let everything slide, and
she was scared of doing that again. Besides, Dave was clearly still so
involved with Janice; of course he was. Did Janice want him back? If so,
Ariel didn't want to be the cause of her upset. There was a child to be
considered. Dave was evasive when she asked him about the current state of
play on Greyfriars Estate. Getting too involved with a man who was still so
committed elsewhere was asking for trouble.
She knew, though, that if she felt as much for him
as she suspected he did for her, she would put all these misgivings to one side.
At least she had a job, now; Shane had mentioned to
his Uncle Vic that she was looking around, and he'd snapped her up to work in
The Bandstand immediately, even though he didn't really need another member of
staff. Bar work was ideal; she was a morning person, and, thus, these were
left free for writing songs and practising her guitar. Dave had been telling
her all about Thor's MySpace page; perhaps she ought to do that, too. Her
father had a computer. Perhaps she ought to stop thinking gigs and the
traditional route, and start thinking YouTube, social media. The music business
was changing, and she didn't want to get left behind, just a girl and her
guitar sitting on a stool in a pub.
"I'll see you on Saturday then, shall I?" Dave
said, fiddling with the zip of his leather jacket. He seemed reluctant to go.
"Yes," she said; and then something occurred to
her. "Will Janice be there? Only I don't think - well, if she's there I
don't think we ought to look as if we're - well, as if we're - "
"We won't. Yeah, I think she might be there,
actually. I know what you mean." He smiled. "We'll just act like we're long
forgotten history and save it for when we get back here, shall we?"
She breathed out. "Okay." There. That proved it,
didn't it? If their relationship, such as it was, had to be kept a secret from
Janice, then it wasn't right, not really. Hmm.
"You can let yourself out, can't you?" He laughed,
a bit nervously, she thought. "Or you can stay here, if you like. I'll be
back by eleven."
"No, I've got to go home. I'm working on a song."
"Okay. I'll see you, then."
He left, eventually; Ariel snuggled back down under
the luxurious, warm duvet, and fell asleep.
***
Janice had entered a whole new world!
MySpace was brilliant!
She'd signed up for the site with the idea of doing
no more than following the progress of Thor so that she could do as Dave
suggested, i.e., post comments on their page as if she was their biggest fan.
But no sooner had she set up her page, chosen a sunset
as her background picture, added her music ('Keep the Faith' by Bon Jovi),
'friended' Thor and written a bit about herself, than she began to get friend
requests! Other people who liked rock music, too; local people, who went to
see bands in the area, the friends and family members of the rest of Thor, like
Shane's sister Zoe. They'd seen her on Thor's page, and wanted to include her
in their cyberspace lives, too! She loved it; she could chat to them online,
too, on all those long evenings when Harley was asleep and she was fed up with
watching telly. It was like having a social life without leaving her living
room - and on the occasions she went to see Thor play, she could say hello to
all the people she'd met on her laptop! She almost liked Thor - it was giving
her a new life.
Their page looked terrific; Ritchie had made a
background of Vikings and darkened skies, and they'd posted some professional
looking photos of them looking very serious - like a real band!
This Thursday lunch time she'd logged on for
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