The Memory of Your Face (sequel to TSTORA), chapter 8
The next morning I was awoken by the shrill ring of the telephone.
"Hello?" I groggily answered as Billie moaned burying his head under the duvet.
"Erin?"
"Hey G," I sighed rubbing my eye with my hand.
"Erin dear hello."
"G it's 7 oclock."
"It's nine here, how funny is that?"
"Comical," I groaned, exasperated at my mother's stupidity.
"Anyway dear I'm ringing to remind you that is mine and your father's 50th wedding anniversary in two weeks and we are having a party. Everyone is coming over to Greece for it."
"Oh... nice," I groaned, I hated family parties.
"So yes, will you be bringing people?"
I sighed. "Yes G."
"Oh! Who?" she delved, desperate to find out what was going on.
"Well Adele and Matt will come; Dave will want to bring a girl probably... "
"And you?" she hissed.
"Well, err... " I gulped as Billie lifted his head from under the duvet, his hair scrunched around his face. I grinned at him, he was so cute.
"I'll come," he moaned before diving under the duvet again. I sighed, he had no idea what he said he'd come to.
"Well, remember Billie Joe?"
Silence erupted down the phone.
"G?"
"Yes I remember," she spat. "Are you with him again? I thought he lived in the US?"
I swallowed at the sharpness of her voice, "Well yes he does, but he's been over here for a week and we met up and... "
"Is he still married? I will cut his balls off if... "
"No G."
Silence erupted again down the phone.
"Oh."
Silence.
"Right, well, okay bring him, will he be bringing his two children too?"
"Probably," I sighed, a throbbing in my head exploding at the mess of it all.
"Bring his little friend Tre along too then."
"Well, if Tre is coming then you will have to invite Mike and his girlfriend."
"Who's Mike?"
"Billie's other band member."
"Oh yes the tall one... okay, yes that's fine. Honestly Erin, were so used to you being just you and now we have Erin plus six. You're turning into a friggin gypsy girl." I laughed and said goodbye putting the phone down like it was a hotcake relieved that the conversation had ended.
I muttered to myself and joined Billie under the duvet.
He turned around and smiled at me.
"What was that?"
"G's anniversary party, you're all coming."
He chuckled, threading his fingers through mine.
"Nice... will there be brandy?"
"You're not having any," I giggled. He leaned forward and kissed me slowly, enveloping me in his body. His hand brushed up my thighs and my mouth excreted a moan at the feeling of his tender hands against my warm skin...
"Erin when did you take this?" Tre laughed looking at the pictures of him and Billie fast asleep on each other.
"In the car on the way back from Leeds," I laughed pouring myself a glass of wine.
"Jesus if I don't say so myself, that is fucking cute., Billie grinned as Tre showed him the photograph.
Adele sighed and leaned back into the huge cushion she was nestled in. "Sell them on the internet we could make a bomb."
"I think there's more than enough embarrassing photographs of me on there Adele," Billie grinned.
It was his and Tre's last night and I, Adele and Dave decided to take them to the Shisha restaurant that was a block away from our house. It was very relaxing in our little corner, surrounded by plates of Turkish food, wine and cushions. The huge shisha that we were gathered around gave off the most aromatic apple scent that wafted clouds of calmness around us as we each grabbed a smoking hose of our own and gently puffed away.
Billie handed me back my phone and shuffled himself deeper into his cushion clutching his hose tightly to his lips before exhaling a gigantic puff of smoke from his mouth. It was very sexy, the warm aroma wafting through my nostrils as I took a drag of my own hose and exhaled my own cloud of smoke. I couldn't quite believe how quickly the week had gone, I willed myself to not think about Billie leaving me the next morning.
Dave started spluttering next to me, he wasn't much good at the whole shisha smoking thing, he had protested at first to the idea of bringing Tre and Billie here but the guys were totally taken by the idea of lounging around and smoking flavoured tobacco.
Tre raised his eyebrows seductively as he exhaled the smoke, watching the waitress come over and turn the charcoals of the shisha with a pair of tongs. I shook my head at him and smiled as he winked at me cheekily.
"I can't believe you guys are going home," Adele sighed looking at her feet where her wine glass rested.
"I know," Tre grinned, "its gone so fuckin quick."
"Yeah but we have G and P's party to look forward too," Dave chipped in stuffing his face with pita bread.
"Oh don't start with that," I sighed not taking my eyes of Billie slowly puffing away at his pipe.
"I can just imagine all the drunken aunties now," Adele groaned exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.
"I kinda want to see G and P again, you know, to re-build my status as a good boy," Billie sighed, his eyes looking dazed from all the smoke.
"Mmmm," I mumbled puffing away at my pipe, "You'll be more concerned with running away from mine and Adele's crazy relatives," I grinned at him.
"Yeah," Adele laughed sipping her wine.
Billie grinned at me, "I'll be fighting off G again soon enough."
"G wanted me you loser," Tre cut in exhaling a mushroom of smoke.
"Oh Jesus," Dave sighed, "Billie... pass that garlic bread."
I watched as Billie took a big gulp of wine and smiled at me. I inhaled some shisha and exhaled it slowly thinking of one particular cousin, Adele glanced at me worriedly she knew what I was thinking. One cousin Charlotte, who I hated with every breath I took, I was scared, scared of her meeting Billie, terrified that I couldn't trust him, I had such a history with that particular relative.
"So are you able to come on Friday?" I asked agitatedly down the phone, I was nervous encase he said no, it felt like my body was being taken up the top of a rollercoaster and that fiery panic began to set off in my toes as he inhaled deeply down the phone. My heart stopped for a few seconds, G had gone around telling all the family that I was bringing Billie Tre and Mike to her party and if they couldn't come now I think I would have to die right here to save the embarrassment.
"Well... " he began, taking another long pause, "I would come but I have nothing to wear."
I exhaled down the phone, "You little... you knew how nervous I was," I moaned as he chuckled down the line.
"You're a mean man Billie Joe... "
He chuckled harder down the receiver, "sorry I couldn't resist."
I smiled into the receiver. God I missed him, we talked on the phone every day since he flew back to the US two weeks ago today, but it wasn't the same as having him here.
"Have you booked some rooms?" Billie asked me turning serious for a second.
"Yeah, four, two are adjoining like you said for Joe and Jake. I was thinking I may join Tre's and Mike's together but Mike and Brittany would probably kill me."
He laughed down the phone, "Yeah... but still do it."
I laughed then, "Well, me Dave and Adele are flying out on the Thursday to help G and P but I'll come and get you from the airport on Friday morning."
"Great," Billie sighed down the phone. "Hey... isn't Matt coming?"
I swallowed. "Err... no, he and Adele broke up."
"Shit... why?"
"Well... " I couldn't tell him, Adele would kill me if Billie found out.
"Well what? Come on Erin tell me."
I swallowed again, my mouth becoming dry. "Well, they had a fight and decided to break up."
"Yeah right like you want me to believe that, they fight every hour."
I inhaled...
"Erin."
"She doesn't want you to know encase you tell someone."
I could imagine Billie frowning down the phone.
"Erin that sentence was bullshit."
I giggled, "Well... "
"Just tell me without mentioning any names... "
"That's the whole problem."
"Erin."
"Okay, okay," I sighed, "Matt and she broke up because during sex Adele said someone else's name."
The phone went silent.
"WHAT?" Billie laughed down the line,
"It's happened a couple of times... "
Billie's breath hitched as he tried to control his laughter.
"Oh that's so funny... hey whose name? Was it... "
"No Billie I have to go... "
"Erin... was it by any chance Tre?"
"God I'm so nervous I mean, what happens if it all goes horribly wrong?"
"It won't Erin, you thinking too much into it."
I frowned at Rodger, he was at my house cutting my hair for me before me Adele and Dave departed for the airport.
"This is also very silly as my hair is going to get creased on this 4 hour flight."
"Oh shut it Erin" Rodger grinned tapping me on the head with his comb.
"So Adele and Tre eh? That would be funny... "
I sighed, "Billie didn't say Tre liked Adele, he wouldn't do that, but I... I have a hunch, I mean he did give off a BIG hint."
"Does Billie know Ashley Simpson?"
"I don't know Rodge."
"Bugger, you and him seem quite good at this matchmaking business".
I giggled at him before asking, "You going to Paint it Black tonight?"
"Yeah... "
"Nice," I grinned at him. "Did you ring Phil the DJ for a guest list."
"Yeah, they don't even bother waiting for a call from me anymore, they just put my name down every Thursday."
I laughed harder; "You don't have to go every week Rodger I wouldn't be offended."
"Stop laughing and sit still... " he sighed, pretending to be annoyed with me. "I go because I like it... but... how have you and Billie been after his failed proposal?"
"It's not been any different really; I think we both have just ignored it. It wasn't the right time. I really miss him though."
"I'm sure you do," Rodger stepped back admiring his finished work.
"When I'm apart from him... I realise how much I love him."
Rodger grinned at me, "Don't tell me that you wouldn't have said yes if he'd of asked."
I laughed and slapped him playfully, his words daggering me with the reality that I could never say no to Billie Joe, but the reality of this party was slowly wavering over me. The wave of sickness washed over me again, the sickness that came every time I thought of Billie meeting that particular cousin.
"Hello?" I groggily answered as Billie moaned burying his head under the duvet.
"Erin?"
"Hey G," I sighed rubbing my eye with my hand.
"Erin dear hello."
"G it's 7 oclock."
"It's nine here, how funny is that?"
"Comical," I groaned, exasperated at my mother's stupidity.
"Anyway dear I'm ringing to remind you that is mine and your father's 50th wedding anniversary in two weeks and we are having a party. Everyone is coming over to Greece for it."
"Oh... nice," I groaned, I hated family parties.
"So yes, will you be bringing people?"
I sighed. "Yes G."
"Oh! Who?" she delved, desperate to find out what was going on.
"Well Adele and Matt will come; Dave will want to bring a girl probably... "
"And you?" she hissed.
"Well, err... " I gulped as Billie lifted his head from under the duvet, his hair scrunched around his face. I grinned at him, he was so cute.
"I'll come," he moaned before diving under the duvet again. I sighed, he had no idea what he said he'd come to.
"Well, remember Billie Joe?"
Silence erupted down the phone.
"G?"
"Yes I remember," she spat. "Are you with him again? I thought he lived in the US?"
I swallowed at the sharpness of her voice, "Well yes he does, but he's been over here for a week and we met up and... "
"Is he still married? I will cut his balls off if... "
"No G."
Silence erupted again down the phone.
"Oh."
Silence.
"Right, well, okay bring him, will he be bringing his two children too?"
"Probably," I sighed, a throbbing in my head exploding at the mess of it all.
"Bring his little friend Tre along too then."
"Well, if Tre is coming then you will have to invite Mike and his girlfriend."
"Who's Mike?"
"Billie's other band member."
"Oh yes the tall one... okay, yes that's fine. Honestly Erin, were so used to you being just you and now we have Erin plus six. You're turning into a friggin gypsy girl." I laughed and said goodbye putting the phone down like it was a hotcake relieved that the conversation had ended.
I muttered to myself and joined Billie under the duvet.
He turned around and smiled at me.
"What was that?"
"G's anniversary party, you're all coming."
He chuckled, threading his fingers through mine.
"Nice... will there be brandy?"
"You're not having any," I giggled. He leaned forward and kissed me slowly, enveloping me in his body. His hand brushed up my thighs and my mouth excreted a moan at the feeling of his tender hands against my warm skin...
"Erin when did you take this?" Tre laughed looking at the pictures of him and Billie fast asleep on each other.
"In the car on the way back from Leeds," I laughed pouring myself a glass of wine.
"Jesus if I don't say so myself, that is fucking cute., Billie grinned as Tre showed him the photograph.
Adele sighed and leaned back into the huge cushion she was nestled in. "Sell them on the internet we could make a bomb."
"I think there's more than enough embarrassing photographs of me on there Adele," Billie grinned.
It was his and Tre's last night and I, Adele and Dave decided to take them to the Shisha restaurant that was a block away from our house. It was very relaxing in our little corner, surrounded by plates of Turkish food, wine and cushions. The huge shisha that we were gathered around gave off the most aromatic apple scent that wafted clouds of calmness around us as we each grabbed a smoking hose of our own and gently puffed away.
Billie handed me back my phone and shuffled himself deeper into his cushion clutching his hose tightly to his lips before exhaling a gigantic puff of smoke from his mouth. It was very sexy, the warm aroma wafting through my nostrils as I took a drag of my own hose and exhaled my own cloud of smoke. I couldn't quite believe how quickly the week had gone, I willed myself to not think about Billie leaving me the next morning.
Dave started spluttering next to me, he wasn't much good at the whole shisha smoking thing, he had protested at first to the idea of bringing Tre and Billie here but the guys were totally taken by the idea of lounging around and smoking flavoured tobacco.
Tre raised his eyebrows seductively as he exhaled the smoke, watching the waitress come over and turn the charcoals of the shisha with a pair of tongs. I shook my head at him and smiled as he winked at me cheekily.
"I can't believe you guys are going home," Adele sighed looking at her feet where her wine glass rested.
"I know," Tre grinned, "its gone so fuckin quick."
"Yeah but we have G and P's party to look forward too," Dave chipped in stuffing his face with pita bread.
"Oh don't start with that," I sighed not taking my eyes of Billie slowly puffing away at his pipe.
"I can just imagine all the drunken aunties now," Adele groaned exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.
"I kinda want to see G and P again, you know, to re-build my status as a good boy," Billie sighed, his eyes looking dazed from all the smoke.
"Mmmm," I mumbled puffing away at my pipe, "You'll be more concerned with running away from mine and Adele's crazy relatives," I grinned at him.
"Yeah," Adele laughed sipping her wine.
Billie grinned at me, "I'll be fighting off G again soon enough."
"G wanted me you loser," Tre cut in exhaling a mushroom of smoke.
"Oh Jesus," Dave sighed, "Billie... pass that garlic bread."
I watched as Billie took a big gulp of wine and smiled at me. I inhaled some shisha and exhaled it slowly thinking of one particular cousin, Adele glanced at me worriedly she knew what I was thinking. One cousin Charlotte, who I hated with every breath I took, I was scared, scared of her meeting Billie, terrified that I couldn't trust him, I had such a history with that particular relative.
"So are you able to come on Friday?" I asked agitatedly down the phone, I was nervous encase he said no, it felt like my body was being taken up the top of a rollercoaster and that fiery panic began to set off in my toes as he inhaled deeply down the phone. My heart stopped for a few seconds, G had gone around telling all the family that I was bringing Billie Tre and Mike to her party and if they couldn't come now I think I would have to die right here to save the embarrassment.
"Well... " he began, taking another long pause, "I would come but I have nothing to wear."
I exhaled down the phone, "You little... you knew how nervous I was," I moaned as he chuckled down the line.
"You're a mean man Billie Joe... "
He chuckled harder down the receiver, "sorry I couldn't resist."
I smiled into the receiver. God I missed him, we talked on the phone every day since he flew back to the US two weeks ago today, but it wasn't the same as having him here.
"Have you booked some rooms?" Billie asked me turning serious for a second.
"Yeah, four, two are adjoining like you said for Joe and Jake. I was thinking I may join Tre's and Mike's together but Mike and Brittany would probably kill me."
He laughed down the phone, "Yeah... but still do it."
I laughed then, "Well, me Dave and Adele are flying out on the Thursday to help G and P but I'll come and get you from the airport on Friday morning."
"Great," Billie sighed down the phone. "Hey... isn't Matt coming?"
I swallowed. "Err... no, he and Adele broke up."
"Shit... why?"
"Well... " I couldn't tell him, Adele would kill me if Billie found out.
"Well what? Come on Erin tell me."
I swallowed again, my mouth becoming dry. "Well, they had a fight and decided to break up."
"Yeah right like you want me to believe that, they fight every hour."
I inhaled...
"Erin."
"She doesn't want you to know encase you tell someone."
I could imagine Billie frowning down the phone.
"Erin that sentence was bullshit."
I giggled, "Well... "
"Just tell me without mentioning any names... "
"That's the whole problem."
"Erin."
"Okay, okay," I sighed, "Matt and she broke up because during sex Adele said someone else's name."
The phone went silent.
"WHAT?" Billie laughed down the line,
"It's happened a couple of times... "
Billie's breath hitched as he tried to control his laughter.
"Oh that's so funny... hey whose name? Was it... "
"No Billie I have to go... "
"Erin... was it by any chance Tre?"
"God I'm so nervous I mean, what happens if it all goes horribly wrong?"
"It won't Erin, you thinking too much into it."
I frowned at Rodger, he was at my house cutting my hair for me before me Adele and Dave departed for the airport.
"This is also very silly as my hair is going to get creased on this 4 hour flight."
"Oh shut it Erin" Rodger grinned tapping me on the head with his comb.
"So Adele and Tre eh? That would be funny... "
I sighed, "Billie didn't say Tre liked Adele, he wouldn't do that, but I... I have a hunch, I mean he did give off a BIG hint."
"Does Billie know Ashley Simpson?"
"I don't know Rodge."
"Bugger, you and him seem quite good at this matchmaking business".
I giggled at him before asking, "You going to Paint it Black tonight?"
"Yeah... "
"Nice," I grinned at him. "Did you ring Phil the DJ for a guest list."
"Yeah, they don't even bother waiting for a call from me anymore, they just put my name down every Thursday."
I laughed harder; "You don't have to go every week Rodger I wouldn't be offended."
"Stop laughing and sit still... " he sighed, pretending to be annoyed with me. "I go because I like it... but... how have you and Billie been after his failed proposal?"
"It's not been any different really; I think we both have just ignored it. It wasn't the right time. I really miss him though."
"I'm sure you do," Rodger stepped back admiring his finished work.
"When I'm apart from him... I realise how much I love him."
Rodger grinned at me, "Don't tell me that you wouldn't have said yes if he'd of asked."
I laughed and slapped him playfully, his words daggering me with the reality that I could never say no to Billie Joe, but the reality of this party was slowly wavering over me. The wave of sickness washed over me again, the sickness that came every time I thought of Billie meeting that particular cousin.
