Page 105 of Doc Rock
“Say yes,”Ford said, his words hanging in the air.
Sie hesitated before she said,“Yes. I can’t promise how much I’ll be able to play. I’ve spent a long time working on my stage fright, but I don’t think I’ll be able to play your big shows and work certainly won’t give me the time to tour with you guys.”
“You’re still going to work as a doctor, even with all that money?”Ford asked.
“Yeah. I make a difference every day, even if it’s only a small one, and I want to keep on doing that. Although I’ll cut my hours. I don’t need to work more than full-time like I do now.”
“What will you do with the money then?”
“I’m going to take a holiday,”Sie answered without hesitation.“I was going to Hamilton Island.”
Ford winced at the recollection of Hamilton Island and how much carnage he'd caused with Ryan, and how much damage control Donnie had done for him.
“But I think it’s time togetmy passport and go a bit further than Australia.”
“You don’t have a passport?”Ford asked, incredulous.
He had spent so many years globetrotting that it seemed insane that she didn’t even have a passport.
“I never had the time in the last few years to go anywhere, and no one to go with. Then, when I became a consultant, I was saving money to buy my house. But now with the cash from the songs, I can go anywhere in the world!”Sie said excitedly.
“Where were you thinking?”Ford said, and silently added to himself,‘and can I come with you?’
“I want toseepolar bears. So either Svalbard or Churchill in Canada. Depending on when I can book time off. Oh, and I’m going to fly business class, maybe even first class.”
Ford blinked and blinked again. He’d assumed she would mention a tropical paradise, where she would relax and drink cocktails. Although now he thought about it, that didn’t fit with the Sie he’d onceknown, she had never sat still. If she wasn’t writing music with him, she had been studying or practising. So her declaring her ideal holiday was something adventurous didn’t surprise him.
He didn’t say any of that, instead commenting,“First class is okay.”
“Okay?”Sie laughed.“Spot the world-famous musician who takes it all for granted.”
Ford thought about it and realised that he’d never travelled on a plane in economy. They were so young when Midnight Thunder became famous that even their first trip out of Australia was in business class.
And his parents, when he was a kid, certainly didn’t have the money to take him and his three siblings out of the country. When they went on holiday,it wasto the local national park, where they camped for cheap. It had given him immense satisfaction to buy his parents a house and give them a great lifestyle. And he’d made sure that his siblings had all been able to achieve their potential. His sister, Jean, was a co-director in Donnie’s firm. And his two brothers, Michael and Paul, co-owned a car dealership and mechanics, for which Ford had provided the initial start-up capital.
“Yeah, you might be right,”Ford said with a chuckle.“I’ve actually never travelled economy.”
“Not even Jetstar?”Sie asked.
“No.”Ford shook his head.“When we’re in Australia, we either go by tour bus or private jet.”It had all seemed so normal to him, but now he looked at it through her eyes, he was starting to realise just how abnormal his life was.
“Private jet! How nice,”Sie teased.
Ford used the hand that wasn’t on the steering wheel to rub at the back of his neck.“Yeah. Now I say it out loud, it does all sound a bit pretentious.”
“Nah. Don’t be embarrassed. You guys earned it.”
“It can be tricky togetthrough airports without the VIP treatment. People can be a little overexcited when theyseeus.”
“Do you mean you?”Sie guessed, rightly, that most of the attention was focused on him, and Joel and Scottycouldwander through an airport with minimal problems.
“Yep, it cangeta little hectic. The pub incident was pretty small fry; it cangetout of control, so I usually don’t put myself in that position.”
They were flanked by bodyguards and ushered through to the VIP section of clubs and restaurants.
“I’m sure it’ll settle down in Burra Creek once theygetused to you,”Sie said.
Ford’s eyes flickered across to her, and he wished he weren’t driving andcouldlook at her face. Did she want him to stay?
