Driven By No One

Chapter 2 - The Interview

In a spare room of the Musireviews headquarters, Kyra Duke was making sure that everything was ready for her first interview. She tested her handheld recorder a few times, added annotations to the few lines about Brian May's latest album on her index card, read her questions a few times, adding some additional ones. She also made sure that the room was perfectly clean, and that the temperature was neither too warm nor too cold. On a table she had covered with a paper tablecloth, she had settled biscuits on plates and different drinks, if her guest was hungry or thirsty. In the middle of the room, she had settled two chairs ─ one for herself, and the other one obviously being for Brian ─ that were facing each other. They were not too far from each other, so it would be easier to talk, but not too close either, so the interview would not be too intimate.

Kyra checked her outfit one last time. Being someone really serious in her job, she was wearing a blouse under a black blazer, along with a pair of dark trousers with darts. With all that, she was wearing a pair of black stilettos that were not too high. For once, she had applied makeup on her eyes and cheeks. She always preferred her natural looks, but as she felt like the reputation and the fate of the magazine were in her hands, she voluntarily took care of her appearance.

She sat on her chair and crossed her legs, holding her list of questions in one hand. She waited for her guest to arrive, and she knew he would soon be there. During his unexpected call that evening, they both decided that Thursday morning was the perfect time to do this interview. Both agreed on meeting at half past ten, and there she was, sitting in the room she had booked for the occasion.

Before she could even take a look at the clock, somebody knocked at the door. Kyra got up and took large steps to answer it. The one and only Brian May was standing at the doorstep, a grin lighting his face up.

"Good morning, Mr. May," Kyra smiled, shaking his hand, "I was waiting for you."

"Good morning, Ms. Duke. I hope I'm not late."

"You're right on time. Please, come in. Do you fancy biscuits? Or anything to drink?"

"Maybe later, but thank you for suggesting. Wow, you took care of everything!"

"It would've been very unprofessional to leave this room as it was. My co-workers like meeting here to listen to music while having drinks. They're a group of long-time friends, you see. They often leave this room dirty. Anyway. Shall we start?"

Brian nodded with a grin and let het sit on her own chair, turning on the handheld recorder. As he sat down on his assigned chair, he let out a brief chuckle.

"Please ask me about anything you like, except Freddie Mercury and Queen."

Kyra looked up and put her recorder on her lap. She looked up at Brian and smiled politely.

"Don't worry about that, Mr. May, I didn't have the intention to ask you any questions on those topics. I have a list of questions right here, but as you may guess, I won't always stick up to that list. It'll all depend on your answers, and maybe some new questions will pop in my mind as we talk."

"As I said, ask anything you like, as long as it doesn't mention Freddie or Queen."

"Also, if any of my questions makes you feel uncomfortable, please do tell me. This really is the last thing I want to do."

Brian shook his head and sat up on his chair, a hand on his knee with his elbow bent in a right angle, while his other hand was pressed against his cheek. Kyra crossed her legs and cleared her throat before starting to record.

"8 October 1992. I am here today at the Musireviews headquarters with the multi-instrumentalist, animal rights activist and astronomy lover, Brian May. Good morning, Mr. May."