Maybe It's Been You All Along - Alex Turner

69

  The 'Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino' was now mere hours from opening its doors. A London venue was having its finishing touches as it was decorated in celebration for the release of yet another album. Feet kicked up on a white wooden coffee table with arms stretching across the back rest of a modern settee sat Alex in complete relaxation. His eyes were darting with the moving images on the screen before him. His female counterpart was elsewhere, he expected roaming somewhere around the house. Alex liked Rosanna's London townhouse much more than the 'mansion' in LA, it was more comfortable, more welcoming, it had no bad memories and it didn't constantly worry him whether or not she felt okay in her surroundings.

The sound of footsteps grew louder in his ear shortly followed by a quiet, breathy sigh. "Al are you ever gonna get up and get ready?" Rosanna spoke from behind him. Alex looked over his shoulder with his eyebrows raised. Call him childish but he was watching the cartoon 'Danger Mouse' when he'd been interrupted.

"Sorry love?" he asked, barely noticing her slightly unhappy demeanour.

"Are you gonna get ready soon?"

"Party's not for another two hours?" Alex said, genuinely confused as to why she seemed so hurried.

"Never mind, forget I asked," she said, shaking her head as she walked off down the hall, her brown hair sliding down her shoulders like a chocolate waterfall. Alex held a puzzled expression on his face for a few moments, eyes lingering on where she'd been standing. Hoping he wasn't the cause for her tone, he turned back to the television for another half hour.

Rosanna hadn't emerged the entire thirty minutes so accordingly, Alex got a little worried and got up off the settee, switching the distraction off. He followed to where she'd walked and heard her voice coming from the bedroom. It was all muffled until he was right at the door which was left ajar.

"I told you I couldn't!" Rosanna exclaimed, her voice irritated and quick paced. Alex guessed she was on the phone and stepped back as to not eavesdrop. "For fucks sake!" Rosanna's voice groaned loud enough that Alex, now down the hall, could hear her.

I better check on her, he thought to himself and this time pushed the door slowly open as he approached it. "Ro?" he asked softly, "everythin' okay?"

Rosanna looked over at him and tossed her phone onto the bed. "Yeah...yeah I'm fine," she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She looked back at Alex and saw that one face that made her insides groan. It was one he always pulled when he knew she was hiding something that she was just itching to say, always having her figured out. "I'm fine Al," she said and looked away before that look could convince her into venting all her problems to him.

She heard him let out a sigh and felt his presence nearer as he walked into the room. His fingers danced on the palm of her hand, probing her to respond to his affection. Gently, she closed her hand and let Alex sink his in her grip.

"What's troubling ya?" he asked her, moving to face her as his thumb brushed over her knuckles.

"Don't worry about it," Rosanna sighed, "just focus on the launch party baby."

Alex pouted and his brows drew closer like a magnet sat in the centre of his forehead. "You know you can tell me anything," he stated more than offered.

Rosanna bit her lip momentarily and nodded. "Yeah I know," she said quietly and brought his face to hers. Slowly kissing his lips as his regrown beard grazed against her skin. Her shoulders seemed to relax, like he'd managed to take away all her frustrations with just one kiss. She let her fingers seep into the locks of his hair and pulled back to look him in the eye. Immediately she could already see the worry interlaced with that brown colour, speaking all his words for him. "I'm okay Alex," she told him. "I don't want you to be concerned over nothing on a day like today."