WestFiction- "If You Love Something" by Mary

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If You Love Something...> chapters 11-12

“We are in the right place, right?” Shane asked Kian.

“Relax Shane, so their running a little late,” replied Kian as he eyed a girl who was sitting a few tables away. The club was swinging at the moment. Most were dancing on the dance floor, some were just sitting around and chatting.

Mark, Kian, Shane, Graham, Michael and Derek set up a band named IOU. They were quiet well-known around Sligo, nothing big. Shane’s mum who was managing them at that time put them in contact with Louis Walsh and he must have saw potential in them. Walsh wanted to try them out first and that came in the form of opening for the Backstreet Boys when they had a concert in Dublin, which went fantastically. In the process they caught Ronan Keating’s attention who happened to be there. They were in the right place at the right time. That was a dream come true for them. And it was short lived. Kind of.

Apparently they didn’t want all six members and three got dropped. So their soon-to-be-management, which was both Walsh and Keating, out-sourced another two members. Shane, Kian and Mark officially met them this morning and this was their informal meet. Samantha wished Ashley were with her as she sipped her drink, but she was at home nursing a flu and refused to let her sit at home on a beautiful Friday night. Samantha didn’t want to come but somehow the other three had managed to persuade her. She really felt like the odd one out, after all she wasn’t part of the band.

“Hi, mates,” said a voice which Samantha recognized. She looked up, “Bryan!”

“Samantha!” he said surprised. After giving her a hug, he asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Visiting Ashley and just hanging with them,” she said as she pointed to the lads who had surprised look on their faces.

“I guess introduction is unnecessary then,” said Shane, “he’s the other member of the currently-nameless band.”

“You know him?” asked Kian, as she took her seat.

“He’s a friend of Ashley’s,” Samantha said.

“Ashley’s the close friend she keeps telling us about,” offered Mark.

“Yeah, well, it’s more or less official now,” Bryan whispered to Samantha. She knew what it meant. Ashley and Bryan were an item, sort of. They took it slow, very slow in the beginning. At first glance, most would assume they were a couple but friends around them were breaking up and both of them didn’t want to rush into things. Basically, it was on a minute, off the next. It was a bumpy start and rocky two years. Samantha guessed that has changed now.

“I’m happy to hear that,” she said to him sincerely.

“So this is the Mark, eh?” he asked Samantha putting two and two together. She nodded.

“Is she the one?” Bryan asked Kian. Kian nodded.

“The one what?” Samantha asked looking at Bryan then Kian.

“The friend they wanted me to meet,” said Bryan “I should have guessed it was you after all the things they told me about you.”

“Nice things I hope,” Samantha looked at Kian suspiciously but he just gave her a broad smile. Instinct told her Kian had something up his sleeve.

They continued chatting telling each other about themselves. A blonde guy at the door caught her attention. He looked familiar but where did she see him before? He made his way towards their table and he smiled. That smile and immediately her brain clicked, “Nicholas!” she said out loud before she could stop herself. This caught him by surprise, “Yes,” he said cautiously in his thick Irish accent, “Have we met?”

“She knows him too?” muttered Kian too Shane in disbelief.

“Not officially,” intervened Bryan quickly, “Nicky this is Samantha. Sam this is Nicky, the last of the lads from the band.” Nicky took a seat and instantly conversation continued where it left off.

“Well, you all seem to get along fine.” Samantha froze. It was the voice she never dreamed of hearing in such close range. She didn’t dare turn around. She glanced around the table. Shane, Kian, Mark and Bryan had big smiles plastered on their face, Nicky looked amused.

“No,” Samantha barely whispered.

“Yes,” said Mark beside her, then he got up, “Ronan this is Samantha our friend. Samantha, Ronan.”

“Nice to meet you, Samantha” said Ronan as Samantha gave him a firm handshake, “Nice to meet you too.” Samantha managed to say.

“I never thought it was possible. Samantha Micah is actually speechless,” said Kian and laughter rang around the table. Samantha desperately tried to calm her nerves, after all she never lost her cool, no matter what the situation.

~ ~ ~

Mark and Samantha were on the dance floor dancing to a slow song. After meeting the whole band she was sure they would do well. Nicky and Ronan had to leave early. Bryan wanted to see Ashley, flu or no flu. Shane and Kian were somewhere around the crowd.

“You smell nice,” Mark whispered in her ear, “What is it?”

“White Musk.”

“So how was it, meeting Ronan?” he asked.

“I’ll thank you once I get over the shock,” she said to him.

“As much as I love to take the credit for that, it wasn’t my idea. It was Kian’s.”

“Kian?” Samantha was surprised. So this was what he was up too. All of them were in it.

“Yep,” said Mark, “we all knew how disappointed you were about the magazine episode. Maybe this could make up for that.”

Not long ago, Samantha entered a competition in a local magazine where winners had a chance to win tickets to Boyzone’s Where We Belong Manchester gig. Samantha came in one of the second five winners who were given two tickets. Two days before the concert, she got a call from the magazine saying that she had a chance to meet Boyzone before the concert as one of the first five winners couldn’t make it due to unforeseen circumstances.

One hour before the meet, she was told that the original winner made it after all and they didn’t have a chance to inform her earlier. Samantha was crushed. But she did get a chance to watch them perform from the third row, which she totally unexpected. It was the best night of her life.

“All good things come to those who wait,” quoted Samantha. Had she met them before the concert, she was sure they wouldn’t even remember her name at the end of the day.

“I agree with that. Well, what do you think about the rest?” he asked her.

“Things are definitely looking good,” she said. Exhaling a long breath he finally admitted, “I’m scared. Don’t laugh.” Samantha wouldn’t laugh at him, in fact she understood, “Look, it is a big step, a very big step. Take the risk.” He still looked uncertain, “Don’t look back when you are 60 and say ‘what if’.”

“Thank you,” he said as he kissed her.

“For?” she asked him.

“The kiss? Or the gratitude?” he joked with her and more seriously he said, “For the support. For having faith. I love you.”

“I know. I love me too,” she said playfully then she laughed, “I love you, too.” Mark couldn’t resist to pull her close for a deeper kiss.

~ ~ ~

CHAPTER12

“I just don’t want to get my hopes up,” he said as he lay on Samantha’s bed and tossing a basketball around. Samantha was working on her PC beside him. She said, “Try and be more positive. Give it a year or so.” Mark was home for three days and then he’s off to Dublin again. She felt funny not having him around as she used too.

"It's like every step forward, we are pushed two steps back," he said as he continued tossing the ball with a glum look, "First Derrick and Graham had to be dropped out, then they couldn't decide on Bryan or Nix to join IOYou, so they kicked out Micheal instead, I think Mike still upset over it by the way, he wanted this just as bad as I did. And then there was problem with Westside and now Shane's blonde or else he would be dropped and we won't get signed. At the rate things are going, all the original members will be dropped and then what you'll have is a different band altogether! There is just something or another.” Samantha repressed her urge to giggle. She couldn’t get over the fact that Shane coloured his hair blonde, it just wasn’t him. In Samantha’s opinion he looked absolutely horrid, but she knew better to tell him that.

“You forgot the good points,” said Samantha who was facing Mark now.

“Like what?” he asked.

“One, Walsh tried you out. Two, Ronan Keating’s your co-manager. Three, last time I checked Walsh is ‘the’ man in the industry. Four, there are five guys who can actually sing. Five, and play instruments. Six…” she tried to think of something and when she couldn’t she said, “anyways the point is, the destination as appealing as it is doesn’t count as much, it’s the journey to the destination that matters.” Sam saw that she still hadn’t convinced Mark. “Look, this will sound harsh. Walsh and Keating invested heavily on the band and they wouldn’t have done so unless they thought the band is really good and if there’s one thing I know about businessmen is that they want to see returns in what they invested in. So, even they would try to make the band take off. And don’t forget you have to work hard too…Give it a go Mark, it’s what you’ve always wanted…You have nothing to lose.”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?” he said after mulling over it.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” she smiled, agreeing with him.

“What are you surfing about?” Mark asked as he strained his neck to see what Samantha was doing.

“Colleges, Universities etc.” she replied as she clicked on a link.

“You already applied, right?” he asked her.

“Yeah. Uni.’s all around Europe.”

“Production?” he asked.

“Business,” she corrected him, “and minor in production.”

“Where are you hoping to get in?”

“Maybe somewhere in the U.K.”

“At least if you do get to go there, maybe we’ll get some time for us. We’ll be around Dublin and England for the next few months,” he said referring to the band. They have talked about their relationship the whole day yesterday. It was gonna be tough, as he wouldn’t be around often. But she was positive about it. It can work out. So was he.

“Come on,” he said getting up and holding out his hand to her, “I’m in the mood for some ice-cream.”

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