Sometimes, It Takes A While - A Creamcakes FF

Chapter 2

***Gary's POV***

I'm back at the hotel after the show and I'm just pottering around my room aimlessly. I can't sleep. I'm still on a huge adrenaline rush from the show and I'm wide awake. Happens every night pretty much. Around 12.30 or so, I'll just feel extremely tired and crash. I check my phone to see how long I have left that I'm going to be bouncing around the walls.

22:47

Great. At least another hour and a half. What am I supposed to do for the next 90 minutes? Well, I guess I could go for a drink. We do have tomorrow off anyway. We don't have a show tomorrow, so I guess a drink wouldn't do any harm.

''Yeah, a nice glass or two of red would be lovely right now'' I say to myself as I pad around my room, grabbing my phone and room key before I head down to the hotel bar. 

Just as I'm about to head towards the door of my room and head downstairs to the hotel bar, there's a faint knock on the door. I nearly think I'm hearing things as it doesn't knock for a few moments so I swing my head back around to where I'm gathering my stuff. That's when I hear it again. Two knocks. Louder this time.

''Who is it?'' I call, not looking back around at the door this time.

''It's me..'' comes the reply.

I know I'm good but I'm not that good.

''Who's 'me'..?'' I call again as I spin around.

''It's Rob...it's Robbie'' comes the little and somewhat timid sounding voice through the door.

Oh, it's just Rob. He's probably in the same situation as me. He is probably still on a high from the gig and can't sleep and is looking for a chat or something to wind down.

''Erm...yeah hang on, mate. Coming now'' I call as I shove my key and phone into my pocket and head for the door.

Swinging open the door, I find Rob leaning against the frame of the door, head down and breathing heavily.

''Rob? Are you OK?'' I ask slightly worried when he doesn't look up at me when I answer the door.

''Rob? What's up, lad?'' I ask, now feeling very concerned.

This isn't Robbie. This isn't my best mate. I reach my hand out towards but he flinches and backs away as soon as I get anywhere near him.

''Rob?! Come on mate you're scaring me now, buddy. Is anything wrong?''

All he does it stand there and silently shakes his head very slowly.

''Listen, mate. I was just heading down to the hotel bar for a nightcap as I can't sleep. How about you come with me and we'll have a proper chat over a glass of red, yeah? Just like the old days? How's that sound?''

I ask as I slide out the door and close it softly behind me. He just nods his head in return. Wow, he's really shaken up about something, I just don't know what. Hopefully, I'll get some answers out of him when we have a drink or two.

*****

We settle down at the bar after I order a nice bottle of red and I get ready for what is to come. I hope it's nothing bad. I mean, it's not like I'm going to judge him. He's my best friend, I would never do that and he knows that all too well at this stage. He knows he can tell me anything but this is unusual seeing Robbie this quiet and anxious. He's usually bopping around the place to music on the radio or something and is always very talkative, but he has been acting ever so strange since we finished the gig tonight. I hope that he knows he can tell me anything. I hope he feels comfortable enough to tell me whatever it is that is troubling him because this will only stay between the two of us. Whatever he says will stay between him and I, and this nice expensive bottle of wine we are both enjoying.

''So...what's up mate? Any news?'' I ask in a feeble attempt to make conversation in our secluded area of the bar downstairs

 I'm nearly halfway through my first glass of wine at this stage, but Robbie hasn't even looked at the glass I've poured for him. He just continues to play with his fingers. He does that when he's nervous about something. That's one thing that we have in common. Well, I normally play with my fingers anyway, as it is, but this is different. I can just tell that he is worried about something and now it is deeply worrying me.

This could affect him for the rest of the tour and we still have half the tour to complete. We still have all of Europe to conquer! We can't afford any slip-ups on this tour. Being back as a five-piece and releasing an album is one thing, but going on tour is different. A tour can tear a band apart. Just look back at our 'Nobody Else' Tour in 1995. We were a man down with only weeks to go until the first show. It is so important to stick together when you're on the road as a band. It is vital!

After deciding I've had enough of waiting for him to speak, I move from the armchair that I'm sitting in and sit beside him on the leather couch. He flinches slightly when I sit next to him and that makes me say it.

''Fuck sake, Rob. What is up with you? You're terrifying me now with this, mate. If I can help you I will, but you need to tell me what is goi-''

I'm cut off by a pair of lips being clamped onto mine. Not just any lips, his lips. Robbie's lips. Rob is kissing me and I don't know why.

''Rob?! What the fuck, mate?!'' I say as I push him off me and back away from him a little with a confused look slapped across my face.

Rob looks at me for the first time tonight and his eyes just plead with the hope of forgiveness. Almost as if he's begging me to forgive.

''Rob...'' I say more calmly this time, realizing that I came across a little too harshly the last time.

''Why...why did you ki..kiss me?'' I splutter as I try and regain my breathing after he caught me off guard and actually left me breathless when he pulled away.

He moves his mouth and I can see that he's trying to get the words out, but no sounds seem to fall out of his lips. He just continues to shuffle awkwardly on the couch before he flies up on to his feet, so quickly he almost knocks the table over.

''I...I'm sorry Gary... I..gotta...I gotta go'' and with that, he dashes from the hotel bar and heads out towards the lobby of the hotel.

''What the hell was that?'' I breathe out in a whisper.