Alain hung up, and turned around triumphantly to find Eric, Steve, and Mal all staring at him in utter disbelief. "What?" he said.

"What did you just say, just then?" Eric asked. The other two still looked dumbfounded.

"What, 'what'?"

"What?"

"What?"

Eric shook his head. "What did you mean, when you said you were our manager?"

Alain grinned, but before he could say anything Steve suddenly turned to Mal:

"Did you say he could be our manager?" he demanded.

"What, me?" Mal protested. "No way! No fucking way! No offence, dude" he said to Alain as an afterthought. He turned back to Steve. "He came up with that all by him fucking self!"

"Aww, come on guys" said Alain. "I had to tell the guy something, didn't I? What was I gonna say, that I'm some tough guy and I'm gonna come 'round and beat him up if he doesn't write an apology? Then I might have to deliver!"

"Why didn't you just say the truth?" asked Eric. "That you're a friend of the band. Well -" he looked at Mal pointedly - "of the bass player, anyway."

Alain laughed dismissively. "Big deal. Angry friend. Scary! No-one listens to friends. I had to tell him something impressive."

"A lie."

Alain smiled slyly. "Doesn't have to be."

This got Eric quite animated. "Oh no, no way. No fucking way."

"Oh man" Alain whined, "why not?" Don't tell me you couldn't use one!" He shook the magazine at them as a reminder. "I'd be a kick-arse manager."

"You don't even like our music that much!" complained Mal.

"Pfft, I'm not asking to join the band. But you need someone. You need someone like me. To kick people's arses when they're outta line, shit like that."

"I don't think that's really what a manager does, so much" said Steve.

"I can book gigs too! At places you've never even heard of! Hot places, the coolest places. Just give me a try." He looked pleadingly at Mal.

"Dude?"

Mal, Steve, and Eric all looked at each other. Eventually Eric shook his head. "No way" he said, "this is not a decision we've making here and now. We're gonna have to have a talk about this some time." He turned, a little angrily, to Alain. "Band members only" he said.