Chapter 3 - Where does Timetraveling take you?

Chapter 3

“Everybody, follow me!” an obviously gay and very happy young man with a clipboard waved his hands. “Press conference is about to start in 10 Minutes, take your seats and wait for the band. Everybody without this,” he pointed at his own backstage pass, “will be escorted outside and to the stage to wait for the band and take some pictures. I got…” checking his board again he let his gaze run over the small crowd in front of him. “Radio 7, Neue Woche and Flashlight for separate interviews and a small shooting.” With a smile of satisfaction he turned around. “Room four, be quick!” he drove the waiting reporters on like a herd of cattle.

I shouldered my bag, drawing a deep breath. Time to meet my husband.

Winking at the woman by my side, I grabbed her arm to pull her along.

“Elena, whatever you have gotten me into, I want out!” she whispered, making me giggle like an eleven year old. Luckily Martha had been quick to accredit her as well and so my younger sister was right now magazine-staff with a camera that we had borrowed from our oldest brother.

“Don’t wet yourself, it’s gonna be fun!” I whispered back, still pulling her along the corridor and into the little conference room we were shown to by the young man with the clipboard.

I had given my whole situation a few more minutes of thinking, suddenly realising, that my sister Anna had met the worst of her boyfriends at a party that very evening. So why only do something for myself? I had called her right away and invited her to join me at the concert and for the interview as my private photographer.

Of course at this instant she had ants in her pants and wanted out, but I knew for sure that the lads would win her over like they had won me so many years ago… well, that very day to be more precise.

Smiling and also a little excited I started sorting my notebook and pens on my lap, throwing little gazes at the door at the other end of the room. Soon they would walk inside. Raul first, followed by Samu, a smile on his full lips. Then Osmo and SAMI, still in some conversation and then Riku, my Riku with his incredible eyes. The last time I had been in that chair, I had been so baffled, staring at Samu the whole time, but not this time, smiling to myself I looked at the door again. Oh yes, this time I would give Riku a closer look.

At least I had thought so. But when the door suddenly opened, I felt my heart skipping a few beats. My mouth went dry and all I could do for a few intense seconds was staring at Samu. He threw a look across the room, his typical smile on his face but then is eyes were locked with mine and everything else suddenly faded. Look at Riku! A little voice inside my head yelled at me. Look at Riku, he is walking by! Look!

But Samu was already seated at one of the three tables at the head of the room and somehow he held my stare. Trying hard to breathe, I managed to bite my tongue and turn my head. Damn. I still felt his intense blue eyes on me.

Riku on the other hand didn’t even waste one look which made it even harder to try and look at him. God, he was so young! Had he ever been that young? His hair was full and fluffy and he looked like a cute schoolboy!

Quickly I shook my head a little. SAMI was talking already and I intended to listen, hastily making notes for the upcoming interview with Samu and Riku. “Take a few pictures!” I told Anna and she woke up from staring, lifting the camera with blushing cheeks.

It was all over in a split second and I gathered my stuff to walk over to the friendly little man with the clipboard but suddenly Anna beside me stumbled. We had just passed the conference tables where the lads were still standing and I saw a hand reaching out for her. She was grabbed and pulled back to her feet by a smiling Sami. Without letting go he slid over the table top, standing between us. “Well, hello, beautiful press-girl! Want an interview?” he said with a huge smile, pushing me further aside, whilst Riku was as well pushed farther away from us by another group of reporters. This wasn’t happening! He hadn’t even given me one proper look! Grumpily I turned on my heels, running into something that felt virtually solid. “Au!” holding my nose that definitely hurt from the contact with his ribs, I looked up into a broad grin.

“And hello to you too, sweet pie.” Holding me at arm’s length for a second, Samu looked down at me. “Neue Woche Frankfurt.” He managed to read from the little card on my top. “Well, lucky you, I got time.”

What on earth…? Staring after Riku that was already about to leave the room, I cleared my throat. “Well…” I mumbled, shouldering my backpack.

He laughed but it sounded surprised. “Well what? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to impose myself on you.” Stepping back he put his hands into the pockets of his pants and I was quick to grab his arm. He was still by far my best chance to make contact with Riku and for all I knew by now he was my only chance, because this was definitely not going the way I had expected it. “You didn’t.” I smiled at him, feeling the soft tingle in my stomach I always got from his amazing smile. “Come on, let’s find some private place to talk, I have loads of questions!”

“Very well then, lead the way.” Nodding at Sami that followed with Anna by his side, we left the conference room and headed for a little corner table by a window only a few corridors ahead.

“So.” Sami turned is chair around, facing us. “What secrets are you trying to extort from us?” Putting his feet on the table between us, he waved at another clipboarded young girl that came rushing along the corridor at an instant. “Can we get some coffee over here?”

Laughing inwardly at his very cool younger self, I pushed his feet aside a little. “He meant ‘I beg your pardon’ and ‘Can we get some coffee over here, please’.” I gave Sami a serious look and almost giggled, when he sat up straight, arranging his t-shirt.

“Of course.” He nodded at the assistant that was still standing next to him with big eyes and a stupid smile.

As soon as she was out of sight, he leaned over the table. “I don’t like you!” he simply stated with a half grin.

Softly I patted his arm. “You will soon enough, Sami.”

Samu broke into laughter, pulling his chair closer to rest his arm around the backrest of mine. “Well I do like you. A lot!” he gave me a smile and a wink, and I felt my stomach doing a few backflips.

At least I wasn’t close mouthed this time. I even managed to return Samu’s smile and give him a conspiratorial wink without being blown away from the familiar and intoxicating scent of his after shave. “Thanks for that.” With my pen I pointed at him. “So tell me, what is it like to be part of this band now that you finally broke through? You guys clearly broke the sound barrier during the last weeks!”

He chuckled at my word play (that I was really proud of) and leaned closer. “Well, my dear reporter-girl, it turns out that being part of this band is…”

“Really fascinating!” Sami interrupted, shooting a stern little gaze at his bandmate that had clearly been on the edge of telling me something inappropriate.

Sighing I nodded at Sami. “What changed? All the fans, hotel rooms, another town, another show every night.”

“Awesome!” was Sami’s answer, but Samu next to me snorted.

“Overwhelming and lonely.” He corrected and shot a look at Sami. “But maybe I just shut up and you give the interview, Osala. Thanks a lot, beautiful assistant!” he added, when the girl from before approached with a tray of paper coffee mugs. He gave me another wink before taking the tray and putting it in the middle of the table.

“We have visited half of Europe and will start another tour in Asia next year!” SAMI kept talking enthusiastically. “Our fans are great and supportive and it is exciting to be on the road.”

“Thrilling!” Samu obviously couldn’t hold his tongue. “I love small bunks and bad food on long flights.”

“Seriously, mate?” Sami pushed one of the cups in Samu’s direction. “Have a sip and put the whiny crybaby away, will you?”

“Sorry.” Samu mumbled after a few seconds, turning back at me with a smirk on his full lips. “Standing on the stage is actually the best feeling in the world. Well maybe beside the best feeling in the world.” He gave me another wink. “Unfortunately we haven’t seen much of the cities we visited so far, most of our time is filled with work.”

“How does your schedule look like? Can you give us a little insight into your ordinary tour-day?” I was still so totally overjoyed that I was confident in the presence of my biggest and most secret heart-throb, that I picked up speed. I even moved closer to Samu a little, putting my hand on his arm.

He gave me a bright smile, bending over in my direction. “Well, Osala over there gets up at six in the morning and does 100 push ups. Then he has a healthy breakfast, gives a few autographs and consecrates the concert hall with holy candles.”

Surprised I broke into laughter, knowing exactly why this guy had somehow become a special friend of mine despite all the weird longings and feelings that came to life in his company. Nevertheless I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt his hand on the naked part of my upper back. He obviously sensed it but didn’t remove his hand and kept playing around with some strands of my hair.

“You’ll come to see us play tonight, right?”

I nodded, torn between moving away and leaning into his touch. “Really looking forward to it. Now come on,” with some bother I finally managed to lean forward again and escape his weirdly soft fingertips. “Tell me some stuff, I need to write about you guys, give me insight! We don’t have all day.”

“Why don’t you join us for some clubbing tonight?” Samu suddenly offered, his hand on my forearm now, playing with the goose bumps he caused. “Bring the camera and your very silent photographer and get your own behind-the-scenes story.”

“Sounds great!” I flashed a gaze at Sami. “Are you alright with that?” I asked as politely as possible, knowing Sami and his temper after being ignored and even mocked. “It won’t be inappropriate and I will send you a first draft to get your blessings for it.”

The frown disappeared immediately and he even gave me a smile. “Fine with me.” He said and I sent a small thank you to the Gods above for giving me the advantage of knowing all of them inside out.

“Just answer a few more regular questions, I need material, alright?” giving both of them a Sunday-smile I even went one step further and secretly brushed my hand over Samu’s knee when I bent down to pick up my little tape recorder.

Now both of them were extremely compliant. Samu for obvious reasons, still trying to keep physical contact with me, and Sami for being in charge, flattered and treated like the little price I knew he was deep inside.

Suddenly someone rushed by, stopping in his tracks and almost running into us. “Thank God, normal people!” Riku exclaimed, quickly taking Anna’s chair that was free at this moment because she had started taking some more pictures of us. “I was in some room with a weirdo that was curious about my sexual orientation and asked a lot of really inappropriate stuff about me and SM.” Inhaling deeply he flashed a bright smile at me. “Now look at that!” his smile grew even wider and he offered his hand to me. “Riku, pleased to meet you! No, wait, delighted!” the smile grew another impossible inch wider and he leaned in my direction. “Wanna find out some secrets?”

At first I had been completely staggered and out of words. My husband! Riku. Confused I stared into his beautiful eyes for a second or two, almost touching his cheek and kissing him because I was so used to doing that. With my heart beating in my throat I managed to return his smile. “Well if you could confirm the existence of the Higgs-Boson-Particle, I’d be impressed. These are indeed still a secret but I would love to discuss God-Particles with you.”

Now he laughed along with me, resting his elbows on his knees to lower his head to the level of my little clipcard. “Well, well, Elena. Beautiful and smart, what a surprise.”

“Elena just agreed to meet up after the show and join us for a little clubbing.” Samu suddenly said. “You want me to show you around backstage now?” he offered, putting his arm around the backrest of my chair again.

Riku gave him a look and his brows furrowed slightly.

“I’d love to, why don’t we all go?” trying to sound a little more enthusiastic I gave Riku a smile. “And for the clubbing, I could give you my mobile number and we set something up.”

“Sure!” Samu jumped up behind me and felt around the pockets of his jeans.

“Leave it, I got this!” Riku said with a strange undertone in his voice and I saw Samu’s brows furrow now when Riku was quick to open his mobile and type.

“Your number?” he still smiled at me, but I saw the little glance in Samu’s direction. Secretly looking up at him as well, I found an unfamiliar look on the other man’s face, trying to remember the way it had been during my first interview with them. It hit me like a bolt of electricity when I realized that it had taken place almost precisely like that. Samu had asked for my number, but I had given it to Riku because he had been quicker with his mobile.

My eyes were locked with Samu for a brief moment of silence. This was it. The point of decision. Right here I had chosen Riku. Subconsciously maybe but from this point on, Samu had been out of the picture. He had not shown any interest in me any longer and I had soon been too involved with Riku and our conversations to even see him.

It was different this time. Riku had only joined us and I had definitely had a better start with Samu. Confusing feelings washed over me and I still watched Samu that now pulled a mobile out of his back pocket. “Your number, reporter-girl.” He demanded in his husky voice that sent a shiver down my spine. With a short look at Riku over my head, he nodded firmly. “I got this.” He insisted.