Rock All Night(110)

I narrowed my eyes. “I think you mean ‘quid pro quo.’”

“Oh yeah. ‘Quid pro quo.’ Just think of it as… ‘quid pro coochie,’” she said, and snorted like a three-year-old hearing her favorite poop joke.


I sighed in disgust and walked out of the room.

“Quid pro coochie, Clair-eeeeeese!” she yelled after me, then started laughing maniacally again.





90




Poor Ryan.

I wound up discussing the Riley situation with him. Actually, venting to him is a more accurate description.

Derek was no good for that; he was more of a ‘Bulldoze through it or quit bitching’ kind of a guy, so trying to get any sympathy from him was like extracting water from a stone.

I’d already had one bad experience with Killian’s weird, so-not-comforting take on Aesop’s fables.

Miles? I’m laughing right now as I type this.

And Riley was the source of the problem.

Which left poor, longsuffering Ryan to listen to me rant. On several occasions.

He was sympathetic every time, and very kindly never pointed out the obvious – that I was just using Riley’s obstinacy as an excuse to procrastinate.

After I complained to him for fifteen minutes, I would usually feel a little better, after which I would go along my way and find other reasons to avoid writing the article.

After a half-dozen encounters with Riley, ranging from annoying to infuriating, I had written off ever getting any sort of a real interview from her.

Until I heard her talking to Ryan.

I didn’t think anyone had that kind of influence over her.

I was wrong.





91




It all happened during the band’s stay in Seattle. Ryan and Riley were in the kitchen together, which was separated from the rest of the penthouse. Anybody inside the kitchen couldn’t see much of the rest of the suite, which is why they didn’t know I was there.

And no, I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping.

Although I didn’t exactly announce my presence, either.

Derek was in his room writing lyrics, and Killian was off in his getting baked or taking a nap or God knows what. I was attempting to avoid writing the article when I walked in and heard their voices over the sound of pouring drinks – ice clinking against glass, the glug glug of liquid.

“Riley, I need you to do me a favor.”

She sighed theatrically. “Alright, f*ck it. Whip it out, I know it ain’t been sucked in awhile.”

“UGH. Gross,” Ryan groaned, mirroring my own thoughts exactly.

Riley cackled. “Just kiddin’, Ry. I love you man, but you got one part too many, dude.”

“Well, we can both be glad about that, then. But I need your help.”

“Need me to get some chicks for you? Tired of moonin’ over Blondie?”

As soon as I heard my nickname, I froze in my tracks – still out of sight. More than anything, I didn’t want to see the look on Ryan’s face if he found out I had heard that comment.

“I’m serious.”

“So’m I. You need to get the f*ck over that shit, man. You’re too f*ckin’ good for her, anyway.”

My heart alternately swelled a little at her sweetness towards Ryan – and prickled at her bitchiness towards me.

Ryan used his ‘stern dad’ voice. “Riley…”

She huffed in annoyance. “Fine. What.”

“I need you to do the interview with Kaitlyn. A real interview, not some cutesy crap.”

I frowned in surprise.

What?

“Hahaha! That’s a good one, Ry.”

There was a long silence from the kitchen. I could almost see Ryan’s look in my mind’s eye: head tilted down, the I’m not kidding expression.

Judging from Riley’s reaction, my imagination was spot on.

“Aw, man – seriously? Come ON.”

“I really need you to do this for me.”

“Bullshit – this isn’t for you!”

“It is for me. You’d be doing this for me, not her.”

“Fuck that! This isn’t gonna make her fall in love with you, or whatever the f*ck you want!”

“I know that. I’m not asking because of that.”

“You’re askin’ cuz you’re totally f*ckin’ in love with that bitch, and she goes after the f*ckin’ moron instead of you! Seriously, man, why do you do this to yourself?”

Again, mixed emotions: my heart broke for Ryan, while my stomach raged on Derek’s behalf… and a little bit on my own, too.

“Riley… please? For me?”

“God dammit…” she grumbled. “…quit lookin’ at me like that…”

“Thank you.”

There were a couple of seconds of silence. Somehow I knew instinctively that Ryan was hugging her, and it made my heart hurt even more.

I must have been right, because after a couple of seconds, Riley started groaning again. “Aw, cut it out, don’t get all f*ckin’ mushy on me…”

“And don’t hit on her, okay? Don’t get her drunk and make passes at her, alright?”

“Maaaaan – ”