The Way That You Love Me (Michael Graham/Boyzone Fic)

Four

Four

He motioned for me to sit down beside him and shifted himself closer to Shane so that I could do so. "So, what in god's name made you become a reporter?" I laughed. Keith had never been one to beat around the bush.

"You can't ask her that" said Stephen obviously shocked.

"Why not?"

"We grew up together, I can ask her anything. Right?" he winked at me.

"Only you could get away with that..." I retorted and grinned at Michael as he sat the other side of me.

"I'm not really a reporter as such" I blushed as they all looked at me. "I work on like, the smallest local paper, ever" I knew the lads didn't really have a lot of time for the press, and I can't say I blamed them, they had all had so much shite written about them it was unbelievable.

"Anyway, my boss thought we needed to be a bit more down with the kids" I said with a wink, "so she sent me to see what all the fuss was about"

"So how much do we need to bribe you?" asked Shane.

"I doubt that'll be necessary, I've heard only good things"

"Actually, I must confess as soon as I found out Mick and Keith were in the band, I've kind of been tracking you guys"

I waited for the mickey taking to ensue. I'd heard that the lads loved a bit of banter (when had people from Dublin ever not?!), instead it was Stephen that spoke. "So hang on a sec"

"If you went to School with those two, that means your nearly four-" he asked mischievously before being cut off by Keith swearing at him.

I grinned at their exchange and shook my head, "not quite...."

"I'm Thirty-Six, and if my memory serves me correctly Mick here is Thirty-Seven and Duster, Thirty-Five?"

"Hey" laughed Keith, "not so fast, I've another month of being Thirty-Four yet"

We all laughed at this. "Sorry"

"Anyway know that we know that you're not just gonna print any old shite just for the sake of it, we can get started on the booze"

I rolled my eyes, half thinking to myself that I should of at least got my pen and notepad out by now. "I knew that table was too good to be true" I pointed, laughing.

"We thought we were getting some tabloid eejit. Especially when you were so late"

"Oh god! I'm so sorry about that. My car broke down this morning, I had to get a lift to the station, a train to Bath and a taxi from there on"

"Christ that must have cost you a fortune?!"

"It wasn't bad actually, the only thing is... and I hate to ask, but strictly off the record of course, where are you lot staying tonight?"

"The Priory in Bath. We can get you a lift back with us if you want? There's plenty of room" said Ronan.

"Was I not coming with you?" piped up the blonde girl with a harsh Dublin accent.

"There's plenty of room in the dancers transport" muttered Stephen under his breath. I suspected he didn't want Ronan to hear.

"Nah Fran, sorry love, you know the rules"

So she was a dancer. I didn't know much about dancers, but she looked like trouble.

"If you're sure, that would be really grand. Thanks"

"You don't sound very Irish, if you don't mind me saying" she had now stood up and was standing very close to Ronan. She seemed uncomfortable with another female presence in the room.

Tough shit.

"I'm half Welsh" I explained.

"Me Da's Irish and me Mam's Welsh, I was ten when we left Ireland" I said, "I think Ma wanted to get out of the country as fast as she could after her and Da split up"

"I've lived in South Wales ever since, well apart from a brief spell in Kent, and London for Uni, but I'd love to go back to where we grew up"

She stared at me. She was making me feel uncomfortable, looking at me as if she thought I was crazy.

Knock knock

I was rescued by a knock at the door. Mark went to open it, to reveal several members of security staff laden down with crates of Guinness, several bottles of JD and some cheap looking non-descript lager I'd never heard of.

Mark shook his head as he let them in and they placed the alcohol in any available space they could find.

"Sound check first" he growled.

"What about Vicky?" asked Keith.

"She can watch"

"Fran. Back with the dancers please. NOW!"

Stephen smirked. I got the impression he didn't like her much. On first impressions I wasn't sure I did either. It didn't look like Mark was in the mood for pissing about so Mick asked me just to follow them and showed me where I could watch from the side of the stage. The rehearsal went without a hitch, I suspected the lads were concentrating particularly hard so that they could be let loose on the alcohol, but I didn't see fit to mention this to them as we made our way back.

"That was great"

"You're just saying that"

"No really it was fab"

By this time we were back in the portacabin and Keith had other things on his mind. Alcohol..

"Anyway, let's get cracking on this lot. Mick?"

"JD and Coke please...if we've got any?"

"Aye. We've plenty of JD...." Retorted Ronan.

"I meant Coke you idiot!"

I laughed at the banter between Mick, Ronan and Keith.

"Vic?"

"That cheap stuff looks interesting..."

Keith plucked a can from the box and chucked it at me, I surprised myself by catching it.

Minutes later I was settled in between Keith and Michael on the sofa and we were swapping silly stories about primary school, my actual reason for being there, long forgotten.