Eventually Mal came back, before Steve even had.

"Where have you been?" Eric asked him.

"Just around" Mal said. "I bumped into some friends. Got talking."

"That Rona chick?"

"Nah" Mal said. "Someone else. Why, you seen her?"

"No, Steve said she was coming so I just thought . . ."

Mal thought he knew what Eric was getting at. "Dude, are you keen on her?"

"What?" Eric looked at him in astonishment, but Mal didn't read his expression correctly.

"'Cause you know she's single now, she broke up with her boyfriend and everything."

"Mal -"

"You two would make a really cool couple, I reckon."

"We really wouldn't" Eric said. "Seriously, we wouldn't."

"I mean she loves music, you play music . . ."

"Then why haven't you hooked up with her?" Eric shot back. He was wondering how he'd even been drawn into this conversation.

"Dude!" Mal laughed. "It's Rona! Dude, that's fucked up. I've known her for, like, ever."

"Where the fuck's Steve?" Eric asked the air. He was suddenly desperate for someone else to talk to.

"I think I saw him puking in the toilets."

"What? Oh, come on!"

"Just pre-gig nerves, man. You know how he gets." Mal started looking around the room, standing on his toes to see over people's heads.

"You see him?" Eric asked.

"Nah man, I'm looking for Rona. So I can introduce you."

"I've already met her, Mal" Eric pointed out. "I mean she interviewed us, for Christ's sake."

"Oh yeah." Nonetheless, Mal kept looking. "I can put in a good word for you" he said. "I can totally do that."

"I need to get a drink" Eric said.

"Dude, from the rider? You're hitting that already?"