𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎// john deacon

chapter eighteen - open mic night

THE NEXT TWO days Valerie had spent with Roger and Brian. And John. The two of them had been going out for coffee everyday.

    It was about two days before the band was leaving, and Valerie and Brian had planned a night out to this local pub nearby.

    "Brian will be back a little bit late to pick you up, Payton. You sure you can manage on your own?" Valerie asked as she tied up her hair in a ponytail.

Payton was still sick, and the doctor said it was the flu, but that she'd get over it within the week.

"Valerie, I'm almost thirty. I can handle making a meal when I'm sick." Payton mumbled, buried underneath some blankets with a book in her hands.

    "I suppose I should give you more credit," Valerie said as she dug around in her purse for lipstick, "I think Roger plans on stopping by in about an hour or so. I'm not sure, I think he's staying the night." Valerie said, knowing that Roger was avoiding his flat because he had gotten into a fight with his flat mate. It had turned out very horribly, and a coffee machine and records had been broken.

    "Makes sense, seeing as he destroyed Jimi Hendrix albums. He made a mistake last night." Payton said, her eyes narrowed slightly in a half hearted effort to stay awake.

     "Yes, Hendrix should not be fucked with. But you should understand that Roger gets angry easily." Valerie said as she took a coat from the coat rack and slipped it on.

     "I'm aware. And where are you and Brian going out tonight? You look cute!" Payton exclaimed as she blew her nose into a tissue. She was meant to go out with Valerie and her fiancée, but now she was sick. She didn't mind, though.
    
      "Some pub he discovered a few minutes away from here. He's been with the band before, and said there was always live music. I think it'll be nice."

     "I think you'll get bombarded with fans. Well, not you, but Brian. After all, he is famous." Payton said with a yawn as she lied back on the couch, so used to the paparazzi around Brian. She too was bombarded with questions when they went out,

"Either way, it'll be a great night out. I can't remember the last time we went to a pub together, just the two of us." Valerie said as she fiddled with a necklace she had found that morning when she was sorting through her things.

     "Yeah, it's certainly been a while." Payton mused as she closed her eyes.

     Valerie buttoned her jacket and smoothed it out, picking off a few stray hairs she found on it. She had been hanging out at Freddie's flat the other day, and his cats had slept on her coat.

    Valerie looked in the mirror she hung up by the door just the other day and she fixed her hair. "I'll see you later, Payton." She said, even though she knew Payton was probably already asleep.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Payton didn't respond. Valerie gave a light laugh as she opened the door quietly and shut it with care as she made her way downstairs and to her car, avoiding talking to her neighbors at all cost.

She did get caught in a five minute conversation with her elderly neighbor about flowers, but she managed to promise to come over for tea the next day to discuss them with her.

Valerie made her way over to her car and got herself situated before starting it and making her way down to the pub to meet Brian.
*****

"Ah, you're later than I thought you would be." Brian said when Valerie found the booth that he was already sitting at.

It was a rather odd to see Valerie show up later than Brian, as he was the one with the absolutely awful time management skills.

      "I got caught in a conversation with Mrs. Haggertay about begonias." Valerie told him, knowing that between the two of them it was the most normal thing in the world. Brian often got caught having tea with her just to talk about pansies or poinsettias, or how blueberries grow. The two of ere very kind to her. In fact,  the whole band was.