Chapter 42

The "working week" goes really quickly, but neither Lori or I see much of the boys as they throw themselves into recording, working later into the evenings, locking up the building themselves on Mr Nickels authority. Their collective juices flowing they had worked on a few more songs, honing them and tweaking them until they were all happy with the results. They had 5 definite tracks for the album now and said they were working on a cover too but wouldn't say what it was.

I got to see them in the mornings when we travelled in to the studio together and briefly throughout the day when I would pop them in food. I could have stayed with them and watched, but I didn't want to hinder their process or be a distraction. Lori and I were getting together in the evenings to try and organise some more fun things to do at the weekend and we had a shopping trip Thursday in readiness for our plan for Friday night.

She had been discussing the damp squib that was Stringfellow's with the owner. He of course was not happy to know his club had fallen short of pleasing the boys, but took it on the chin. He let her know he had another establishment that might go down a bit better if we wanted to try that and arranged for us to visit Friday night from 9pm.

Lori and I would need to dress in a specific way, the boys only needed suits again, but that is why we went out Thursday to buy what we needed. The owner had recommended someone and said they would sort us out.

We had fun trying on various outfits and modelling them for each other. Trying to gauge what the boys would like us in before both settling on an outfit each. When Friday night rolled round Lori and I got ready in one room, leaving the boys to get ready in the other.

We had the music going, our little ritual before a night out, a few drinks, and did each others hair and make up. We both decided on curly hair tonight and had dark smoky eye makeup. She went for a dark plum lip and I rocked the red again. We looked in the mirror and we

were pleased with our efforts.

The boys again had to wear suits, each of them going for black, with black shirts. They looked beautiful, and they all smelt fantastic. Jimin was wearing sauvage by Dior, Yoongi aqua di gio by Giorgio Armani and Namjoon cool waters by Davidoff.

When we came out of the bedroom we both had full length coats on done up so they couldn't see our outfits. We explained they would see them when we got there, but that we didn't want to give away where we were going.

They nodded their acceptance but commented that our hair and makeup was lovely and that they were excited to see what was going on under the coats. Ji-Ho and Min-Jun were going to be coming with us tonight. Myself and Lori feeling having a presence around us might be more reassuring for everyone.

We made our way down the the people carrier and set off, the day just coming to an end and the sky alive with shades of pink and orange as the sun was setting. I love this time of the day in the spring and summer months, the sky reminds me of the fruit salad sweets we used to eat as kids, the calm serenity of the blurring of the colours from the cool blue of the day through this warmth before the dark navy of the night.

I'm trepidatious about this. I think Jimin will love it and I would like to think Namjoon will. I'm not sure about Yoongi but Lori assured me he will. We only have a few short moments left in the car, we have driven out of the city, to the outskirts of Essex. The sky now well on its way to its final stage for the next few hours. The stars twinkling, no cloud visible.

The car pulls into a valet parking area, the hulks exiting and Min-Jun handing over the keys to a young lad in a burgundy waistcoat over a white shirt. The boys open the doors and help us out of the vehicle. There is a short walk on a limestone pathway up to the main entrance. This is it. They are going to see where we are now.

We round the corner and there is a large wooden set of double doors with an awning over the top in the same burgundy colour as the valets waistcoat. Above the awning is a neon sign welcoming patrons to "The Crave Club".