Page 103 of Doc Rock
“Sie’s front garden is full of reporters,”Ford supplied.
“Iknewit,”Steve exclaimed triumphantly.“You’re her! Your voice when you sing gives you away. As soon as Iheardyou sing, I thought to myself, she sounds so familiar.”
“That’s what I told her,”Ford agreed.“That’s how I found her, too,”he added more quietly.
“How did the reporters find you?”Steve questioned.
Mai huffed a breath.“I’m sureit waspretty easy. I was at the pub with Ford, as myself. And I played with my Sie wig on. Then I told the landlord who I was.”
“What are you going to do?”Steve used his stick to support himself as he led them in through the back door of his house.
“I’ll go and stay at Creekside Lodge for a few days. Wait for it all to blow over a bit.”Mai shrugged.
“Creekside Lodge?” Steve sounded horrified. “Do you want to get bed bugs?”
Mai blinked. Had he said bedbugs? Sheknewthe hotel wasn’t great, but bedbugs? She began tofeelitchy at the thought. But what choice did she have?
“You’re not staying in that place,”Ford growled behind her.
“That’s okay,there’s another hotel about an hour away. It’s close enough to commute to work.”Mai turned to face Ford, who literally rolled his eyes at her.
“No, you’re not. The press will be relentless. You’re coming to stay at the house with us.”
Mai huffed and rolled her eyes in return.“You’re in a four-bedroom house. And you’ve got Donnie, Joel, Scotty and yourself intherealready.”She held up her fingers, counting to four to support her statement.
“I’ll sleep on the sofa. You’ll be safest if you stay with us.”
Mai sighed deeply, about to try and argue some more, when Steve said,“That sounds like an excellent idea. I would offer you my spare room, but moving next door won’t help you evade the paparazzi. And you won’tgetbed bugs if you stay with Ford.”
Mai’s skin crawled again at the mention of bedbugs.Shit, she really didn’t want togetbitten and infested.
Huffing a breath, she grumbled,“Fine. But on one condition?”
She glared at Ford, who answered,“Name it.”
“I’ll take the sofa. I’m not kicking you out of your bedroom.”
Ford stared at her.“What do you think I’m going to say to that?”
Mai tilted her head, remembering the man she onceknew.“You’re going to say yes, and as soon as wegetto the house, you’ll insist I take your room, however much I protest.”
A broad grin broke out across Ford’s face.“Well, that saves me an argument. So we’re in agreement. You’ll take my room.”
Steve chuckled gleefully. “He’s got you there!”
“Fine.”Mai threw her hands up in disgust.“Thank you, Ford. I appreciate the offer.”
“No worries,” Ford said.
Mai examined Ford, and he had an expression on his face that she recognised. He was delighted and trying to hide it.
“Iknowyou want to head to bed, Steve.”And now she looked at the older man properly, she realised he was dressed in his pyjamas.“We’llgetout of your hair.”
“What hair?”Steve ran his hand through the wispy strands on his head.
Mai groaned.“Your jokes are terrible,”she said dryly.
“They are,” Steve chuckled.
