Two - Wayne 63

 

[For a quick guide go here: Quick guide.]

[Old back story is here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and read more recent Wayne episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

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“Thanks for being here,” said Jezzy.

“Don’t thank me, thank Dave,” said Wayne. “I didn’t want to be here. He said I should. Sometimes I have to listen to him or he gets really annoyed and impossible to live with.”

Jezzy smiled.

“It’s not funny,” said Wayne, dully. “It is what it is. I’m not a hard man, you know me, but this is taking some getting used to.”

Jezzy didn’t smile anymore.

“I’m guessing here and just guessing mind, that you’re only in it for the money, yeah? That they’re offering you a huge advance or some ridiculous slice of the action if you ever manage to put anything out there, because why else would you want to hang out with those other two?”

Jezzy sniffed. “Bit of fun, mate, you know?”

“And I’m not fun?” snapped Wayne, regretting it immediately as he just sounded like some spoilt school kid. “I thought we were doing something together, right? Something special and different and that you were absolutely one hundred per cent behind it.”

“I am behind it,” protested Jezzy. “I honestly wouldn’t be here if I weren’t, right?”

“They’ll make you a hanger-on again,” said Wayne. “Just the bloke at the back pressing the buttons. They never let you speak or sing, did they?”

“I don’t mind that much,” said Jezzy. “Just wanted to be part of something.”

Wayne stared out the window at the passing countryside. “Well, like I say, Dave said go for it. And Cath tells me I have no choice,” he said. “But then she would, right? Something about my word being a bond or papers being signed or expectations being legal or something I dunno. She’s meant to do things for me but obviously she’s got other people to think about too now. Can you slow down a bit?”

The masked driver of the Range Rover nodded in the rear view mirror. Wayne sighed. You just couldn’t get the staff these days. Or maybe you could get the staff and he was being too precious about it. But what’s the point of having your own chauffeur to drive you round if he did it in a way that half terrified you?

The countryside was relaxing to watch spin past, however and Wayne tried to relax. They were on their way to Berkhamsted, or somewhere near to it as Cath was a bit worried that there wouldn’t be a suitable hotel for Wayne to hang out in there. Wayne couldn’t work out whether this was because Cath thought he had specific tastes and preferences or whether it was because she needed to find somewhere that would put up with him, especially if there was a large party or something after the front room gig. Whichever way it worked, Wayne had insisted that they get a good night’s sleep before the event so he’d be fresh in the morning. It was all very rock n roll to just roll up and do the show right there, but in the current circumstances this might not actually result in much rock n roll being played. Or grime for that matter.

They pulled up outside a cheapo chain hotel. Separate rooms. breakfast included. Small bar with a garden overlooking an industrial estate. Jezzy and Wayne had something to eat and drink and they sat outside, Jezzy vaping and both on the beer.

“Do you think it’ll ever be normal again?” asked Jezzy,

“No such thing as normal ,” said Wayne. “I’m thinking there probably never was any. Everything could get disrupted so quickly and chop and change without notice, you know? Were we ever just standing still?”

“I was,” said Jezzy. “I was standing still. And then the Stormerz started. And then we messed up. And then you saved me.”

Wayne smiled. “Steady on man, I didn’t do…”

“Yeah you did,” said Jezzy. “I might not have told you or anything but. It was hard. I wasn’t doing anything again. Just standing still with all this - rubbish - going on around me. And you wanted to work with me and… well, the rest isn’t just history, the rest is just here. I am just here.”

Wayne was trying to find the right thing to say next but wasn’t sure what it was. 

“Did you bring the tripod for the phone camera?” he said.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Jezzy. “You had it on my list so I packed it. I’ve got everything. Checked it twice.”

Wayne took a sip of his beer and looked out across the industrial estate. 

“You’re a good man, Jezzy,” he said.