An Hour Alone Ch. 04

It was Naomi's idea, she said she thought we all looked beat. We had been traveling by day and gigging nightly, away from home for eight months solid. Mike had just come back full time, but was already exhausted. She said we needed downtime, we needed a break. Mac said he agreed and it wasn't as if we needed the money, after the record deal and plugging the album, we should just sit down and take it easy for a week or so.

Bob spoke to the Record Company, they agreed and said we should just lay back and chill, the album was bubbling under, the tour a success. If we timed it right, recharged and refreshed we could go back and really ride the curve. Think about the second album, they said, but with a few beers and our partners. We spoke to Dave, the owner of our residency, since we were due to come back after the tour. He was surprisingly happy about it, said he now had three or four bands rotating, all waiting for the break like ours. Go enjoy were his final words to me that night, over the phone.

So we decided on a group get-together, after the last gig. Mac, Bobby and Mike's wives flew out to join us in Paris. We had a great weekend paid for by the company we had formed, fronted by Frank, my Brother in Law. So Sunday afternoon, at a restaurant on the Champs Elysee we tossed ideas back and forth. The majority wanted a quiet place, but 'Sun and Sand' were a must have. We made suggestions here and there. The wives wanting somewhere private but with all the facilities, sauna's, massage, pedicures and manicures. Holly just sat back like me, letting everyone else blow off steam. We both smiled, that was our style, let the others do all the hard work then throw in the answer.

"Well?" Naomi said grinning, knowing how we shared the family trait, Holly beamed

"Menorca,"

"Really?"

"Uh Huh!"

"Holly, where did that come from?"

"Mum and I had a brilliant holiday there years ago, it was lovely. I bet we can find something there, small secluded and with free beer."

"I vote Holls organises it."

Mike said with his hand up. Everyone elses shot up to join it.

"Sold to the beautiful lady in the green top." Mac said grinning.

After that there was a general consensus that we had done enough organising and there were more important matters arising. Bobby, Mike and Mac with their partners were off to the Quai d'Orsay Museum. We were meeting back at the hotel in the evening, for a final meal, prior to going to the station for the eleven fifty Eurostar back to the UK. Splitting up, Naomi and I were going back to the hotel. Frank, Gill, Holly and Bob were going sightseeing. after the goodbyes and hugs Naomi and I walked down the Avenue Kleber arm in arm.

"So we never really get chance to talk and unwind, no chance to actually sit back and just enjoy each others company."

"Yeah, a holiday will be good, a little 'us' time would be welcome."

"Naomi, you are happy aren't you? I mean how we are now, aren't you?"

"Weird question Don, you having regrets?"

"Only that I didn't know about you and Holly sooner, God I wish... well anyway, you're here now and that's all that matters."

"For me too. It's a shame we don't have more kids, but we have Holly."

"Yeah we have Holly, thank God for her."

"Every single day, believe me."

We hugged harder and walked along the sunny street, heading down towards the Trocadero, where the looming sight of the Eiffel Tower would be in front of us across the Seine. A final romantic view across a stunning city. Later at the hotel we made love, slowly and easily. We fitted together as if we had been this way since back in the day. It was easy to forget it was only just over a year since we had met again. Drawn together by Holly, her voice and talent.

We went down to eat with the others, all suitably edified by the beauty of Paris. After the meal we were quieter, realising that we were now headed home. The larger items of our kit, my piano and Farfisa organ, Mac's drums were going back by courier, a man and a van all wrapped and tied down by expert packers. Mike's guitars and Bobby's horns were in their hard cases also in the van. So we had our luggage and ourselves as the only things to worry about. Sadly we made our way to the Gare du Nord and home.

A couple of days later, we were at Dave's, we were just jamming, playing for the sake of it, we had no residency here now, but Dave ok'd our meeting during the day. After years of the rehearsing, playing, rehearsing, playing, loop, we found it hard to break out of the habit. Holly and Naomi wandered in, Gill perked up and went to greet them. We shambled on through 'So what' a little piece of Miles Davis we all loved. Holly waved and we finished, downing instruments and wandering over.

"OK I got a deal. Ten days room and breakfast, at a private hotel, our own beach, Ten rooms, I booked them all. So we're all set to go."

"Wow, sounds good, but all ten rooms?" Mac asked.

"Well that means it's just us, we can make as much noise as we want, or not, plus with a private beach to ourselves, we can wear as little as we want or again not, as you please."

"OK, I'm sold," said Bobby, pulling one of the hotel flyers Holly had brought with her, off the table.

"Deal," Mac said, looking at the menu's on the reverse of the leaflet.

"What's the cost?" I asked.

"Wellll, here's the deal, Bob has got the Record Company to pay for it, so it's a freebie. Plus they're covering the bar and all our meals."

"When do we go?" said Mike smiling broadly.

Holly had booked the hotel from the coming Saturday, so it only remained for us to book travel and pack our cases. The guys broke away to tell the wives, we sat in a huddle in a booth.

"Hey Dad," Holly liked to throw that in every now and again, "This is The Booth, this is where you interviewed we for the job."

"Hey you're right, well this calls for champagne!"

Dave's head craned round the bar and grinned. Moments later he appeared with a large bottle of bubbly and glasses.

"Guys get your backsides over here. Champagne!"

Gill sounded off and Mac, Bobby and Mike appeared grinning, stashing phones and reaching for a glass."

"To Don and the boys, thank you for your good humour, your patience and your music. I love you all. Mike, Mac, Bobby, my stepdads and Don my very real and perfect Dad."

"The boys," Gill and Naomi chorused.

We drank, it was good.

"Hey Dave, this is pretty damn good Champagne."

"Yeah, I was saving it for my retirement, but thanks to you guys, I can buy the whole goddamn Chateau, cheers."

Dave waved a glass at us and chugged it down, making an "ahhh" noise of satisfaction as he finished.

"Such taste and poise," quipped Mac.

Four days later, we arrived at Gatwick airport's South Terminal, with a few additions. Mike's daughter, Chloe and her friend Annis, had begged to come. Holly said yes, as they were her age. Then Mac had asked if his son's could come, Mac junior and Peter, they were twenty one and twenty three respectively. Bobby and Liz were childless by preference, but they each had a mother on their own, so could they come, Holly said absolutely, so Marlah and Trudy would be joining us. At the terminal we finally all found each other and introductions were made. We stood in Departures, having gone through passport control and security. Finally we were told to go to a gate, from where we were ushered onto the aircraft, in front of all the others.

Wow, wow, wow! We had been upgraded by the airline to Business Class and had the pick of the seats. settling in, we watched the rest of the Business Class roll on. Twenty minutes later we're airborne and settling back with a complimentary drink and the movie starting. I fell asleep, completely zoned out, until Naomi nudged me awake to fasten my seat belt. I saw the Islands dry and parched fields, then greener one's until we were skimming over the perimeter fence and heading to the terminal.

Customs and Immigration completed we were meet by three drivers and whisked by stretch limo's to the Hotel. Soon settled in we gathered in the rear of the lobby and the exit to the pool and bar area, which lead to the steps down to the beach. A variety of Parasols with loungers were set out on the hot fine sand. Two fins of jagged rocks, about a hundred yards apart, showed the edges of our kingdom. The beach was about a hundred and eighty to two hundred feet deep. Clean and quiet, the deep blue Mediterranean Sea just gently lapped away at the shore..

"Holl, perfect, one hundred percent!" Mike said as he held Zoe, his wife's hand. Clad in a pair of long Bermuda's he sucked in the warm dry air. Zoe, in just a pair of loose shorts and no top, grinned.

"Arden, I love you, this is fucking great." Mac and Sara, his wife had wandered down dressed in just identical tartan shorts. God bless you Mac, you never cease to amaze me, I thought.

Mac Junior and Peter wandered down both in speedo's but with the bodies to support it, they looked impressed, as they stood by their parents. A series of laughs and giggles announced the arrival of Marlah and Trudy. They wore bikini bottoms and were chattering away, until they looked down at the view. Stunned they walked on in silence. Peter looked round and smiled at the two sixty five year olds,

"yeah it does that doesn't it," he said as he looked back out to sea.

Mike, Linsey, Chloe and Annis appeared, likewise clad in as little as possible, likewise breaking off talking as the view grabbed their attention. Gill and Frank walked down without speaking, mesmerised by the view

"Hi, well is everything OK?" Holly asked as she looked anxiously at everyone.

We all just nodded as we stepped down the three steps onto the warm sand. The hotel staff came down with trays of iced drinks, freshly pressed fruit juices, sparkling water and cold beers in a large bucket jammed full of ice. The fruit juices won, we eagerly grabbed a drink and washed the cool nectar down. We arranged ourselves on loungers and just chilled. The boys went for a swim, encouraging Marlah and Trudy, Chloe and Annis to join them. We could hear the fun they were having right up at the top of the beach were we had stretched out. We sun screened and blocked, then just lay back. I could hear Bob snoring gently. Holly had earphones in. Mac was reading a cheap novel. Bobby and Mike had a chessboard set up.

Sara, Zoe, Linsey, Naomi and Gill wandered down the beach idly chatting, looking at the six bodies leaping about in the water. Reaching the waters edge, they wandered along, the surf breaking over their feet.

"Your mothers are going to sleep well tonight!" Mike said to Bobby with a grin.

"Damn well hope so, they were like a pair of budgies last night, yak, yak, yak, blah, blah." Bobby, made yapping mouths with his hands. Mac snorted and turned a page.

Holly's head was nodding and bobbing, as she listened to her i-pod. She caught my gaze and winked. I winked and took a pull of my drink.She pulled the buds from her ears.

"We going to talk about the next album soon?" This was aimed at us all.

"No!" came the chorus from Mac, Mike and Bobby.

Holly laughed and stood up,

"I know you want to boys, come on!"

"Later, important championship game about to start." Bobby said eyes on the chessboard. Mac put his book down.

"Okay, if we do it now can we have the rest of the week off?" he asked.

"You can have eight days off," Holly said generously.

"Hey, this is my band I say who gets time off." I growled.

Holly sat in my lap and hugged me.

"Daddy, we all know you're in charge, and we all respect your input, but we do need to sort this out."

The boys laughed at Holly's very unsubtle approach to getting round me. She poked her tongue out and grinned at them. I had to laugh, I had this very beautiful nineteen year old sat on my lap, cuddling me, on a beach, on an island in the sun. Life doesn't get much better than this. Unless, Naomi would switch places with our daughter. I hugged her, feeling her slender body against mine.

"OK, sessions open, where and what do we want to go and do."

"I think we need to go "live", this time," Bobby said.

"Good idea that'll really give people the chance to get involved with the music. We could record a week at the residency and pick out the best performances to go on the album."

"Bob's been recording some of the gigs we've done anyway, there might be stuff there we could use."

"Only if we agree nothing from the first album, done live, we keep that back. Anyway I always think a live album of stuff we've already recently released is a rip off for the public. They want new, different. We can always release those tracks later."

"I agree with that, do we vote or just take it as read?"

"I think we're all agreed?" I said to nods from they boys and Holly.

"OK, we'll speak to Bob and see what we can piece together. We might have to do a bit of cut and paste and Bob will want to edit it out, but we can all sit in on that. I want you all involved in this, it's a group project, yes?"

Again they all nodded, I looked towards the sea, everyone was now in the water, splashing in and out the waves. Frank had wandered down and was busy swimming across the point, about twenty yards out. I grinned and lifted Holly up.

"Right, meeting closed, I got me a swim to organise." As I stood, Holly grinned and sped away across the sand.

"Last one in's a soggy seaweed," she yelled over her shoulder. I ran after her as if my life depended on it.

We hit the water side by side and dived forward. I felt the water over me bubbling around, then broke the surface. I spent the next twenty minutes tearing around in a fast front crawl, backstroke and breast stroke, until exhausted with the effort I stood and padded towards the beach, waves lapping round me. Marlah lay on her back just drifting. I waved as I passed her, she lifted her hand slightly and waggled her fingers. Chloe and Annis were in deep conversation with Trudy, they stood up to their waists in water, the two young women obviously enjoying the older woman's story. Frank was walking up the beach, his efforts for the day over, Gill holding his hand and grinning at whatever he was saying.

Naomi and Zoe were sat at the waters edge, the waves lapping at their spread legs, they were chatting idly and oblivious to my trudging past. Mac junior and Peter were attempting to body surf, with nothing more than wavelets. meanwhile Linsey and Sara were swimming easily across the bay enjoying the exercise. I wandered on up the beach, hearing Holly padding up behind me.

"Dad, wait up, wait for me." I slowed to allow her to catch up. Felt her hand slip in mine.

"Dad, I need to talk to you for a minute or two, in private, can we stop and sit please." I nodded and sat in the sun on the beach with my beautiful, beautiful daughter.

"Dad, I..." she stalled and I saw a look, not of fear exactly but something akin to it.

"Holly, baby, what is it, you can tell me, please I'll help if I can you know that?"

"Dad, I think I'm pregnant," she gripped my hand tightly.

"Baby, that's wonderful, does Naomi know, what about Bob?"

"I... you're the first person I've told."

"Wow, I'm honoured and astounded, I mean you and Bob, you and your Mum, you're so close, I'm really flattered I'm first."

"Thanks, look, can you be there when I tell Mum?"

"Of course, " I felt the penny drop, "You think she's going to be upset by this?"

"I don't know, I'm worried she'll think I might be wasting my chances, especially as the whole band thing is breaking."

"Holly you lovely, beautiful, silly nutcase, of course I'll be there for you. When will you tell Bob?"

"I'm going to take him upstairs now, can we pretend it was him first?"

"Of course lovely lady, I think you're mum might have guessed though, go on, go tell the boy."

I pulled her to her feet and hugged her. Then turned her and gently pushed her in the back, she laughed and trotted up the beach. I saw Zoe standing and brushing sand off her bottom, so trotted down and sat beside Naomi. Zoe grinned and turned to walk up the beach. I stretched back, feeling the water lapping over my spread legs.

"I saw you talking to Holly," Naomi fixed me with her awesome smile,

"She's pregnant isn't she?" It was more a statement than a question, I nodded.

"Yup and she's worried you'll be angry with her,"

"Me! Why would I be angry with... ohh, OK, yeah I can see that."

"Are you?"

"No, I think she'll be a good mother, probably better than me."

"Rubbish, from all accounts you were brilliant."

"Says who?"

"Says Holly. Constantly and loudly."

"Really?"

"Scouts honour."

"Were you ever a Scout?"

"No too musical to bother."

Naomi laughed, her breasts jiggling appealingly.

I took her hand, raised it to my lips,

"I believe her, from the moment we met again, I knew you were one hundred percent a great mother."

"Flatterer,"

"Kiss me?"

We kissed, it was good, then we returned to looking out to sea.

"When will she tell Bob?"

At that point the whole beach heard a whoop and a scream. I looked at Naomi,

"Round about now I think," I said grinning.

Everyone was now looking up at the hotel, where Bob stood on the balcony,

"I'm going to be a Father," he yelled.

Scattered applause and shouts of encouragement echoed across the bay. I felt a hand on my shoulder, Trudy knelt and kissed Naomi then me.

"Congratulations, Nanny and Grandad," she whispered, before patting us and walking up the beach.

"I hope to God I can be as brave as her and Marlah at their age, walking about topless with all those young girls and their pristine bodies around."

"You will and you'll look as sensational then as you do now."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere buster,"

"Worth a try, " I grinned.

We stood and wandered up the beach, seeing Bob and Holly emerge from the Hotel. Naomi started to run, I jogged along slightly behind her. I saw her and Holly embrace in a fierce hug, I could hear the crying as I slowed to a lope. I reached them and threw my arms round Bob.

"Well done son, I think you just made my daughter very happy."

Bob had a grin eight miles wide and slapped my back.

"Thanks, Dad!" he grinned.

"Cheeky sod, " I managed before laughing with him.

The women were all crowded round Holly and Naomi. Hugs broke out all round. Mac. Bobby and Mike all grabbed Bob in turn, until Frank finally grabbed him, and signaled the others. Before Bob could react, they had his trunks off and were slapping his bare bottom, then were running with him held between them down the beach. I saw his body go up then disappear into the sea. Seconds later he re emerged and dripping wet emerged from the sea. They all trooped back up the beach and Bobby threw Bob a towel. Drying off he seemed in no hurry to put his shorts back on.

As if on cue I noticed Marlah and Trudy slide their bottoms off, as did Chloe and Annis. Mac Junior and Peter followed. Soon we were all naked, and as off hand with it as we always had been. I saw the four youngsters with Marlah and Trudy, laughing and joking, eyes sparkling. Turns out they were planning on getting a taxi after the meal and going into town to go clubbing. Good news, it seems we were all gelling together nicely. We spent the rest of the day lazing or running in and out of the water.

We'd arranged a meal with the Hotel and wandered down around half seven to meet in the bar, the drinks flowed and we went in to an exquisite room, with swags of curtains tied back against windows overlooking the bay. The waiters were attentive, but unobtrusive. The meal was perfect, lamb with herbs and spices, cous-cous, salads and vegetables on the side. Local bread and more wine and drinks. Dessert was fresh fruit, lots of fresh fruit. I saw a piano in the corner and asked if we could use it, the staff said go ahead.