behind blue eyes ― jimmy page

ix. NINE

︵‿︵‿୨ 1972 ୧‿︵‿︵

     RAIN WAS FALLING in sheets against the window of the seventh floor office while Sadie sat inside, staring at it. The rest of the band was discussing their new record deal with their manager now that the album was completed. Usually she'd be interested in talking details, but after weeks of very little sleep and very long days she found herself distractedly gazing outside while the conversation flowed around her without ever reaching her ears. Her mind wandered to the previous night's conversation on the phone with Jimmy, which had been a nightly ritual for more than a couple of months now...

     "What do you think Sadie?" Her blue eyes switched suddenly from the grey sky outside to the expectant mocha-brown of her bassist. Rene arched an eyebrow which clearly accused the blonde of not listening, which she had every right to since that was exactly what she had been doing. "Do you want to bring the release date forward?"

     A deep sigh resonated from the man behind the desk in front of them, and their manager lent forward with his chin resting on steepled fingers. Colin Burton, their manager and unofficial party babysitter, fixed deep-set green eyes on Sadie and explained himself again. "There is only a few weeks left of summer and soon kids will all be back in college. Since college age students account for more than half our record sales I want to launch the album and organise tour dates before exams come and we lose half our audience."

     Sadie shrugged, "You're the boss. What is our new timeline?"

     "I want to launch in a fortnight," Colin told her, tentatively, clearly wary of their reactions. And he probably should have been, considering that four jaws hit the floor on the other end of the table. They'd finished recording only hours before, and now they were already organising to release it to the world in only 14 days. Colin took their silence as an opportunity to keep talking. "I can have marketing put out the call tomorrow to organise press, cover art and a release party."

     Lela, who seemed the most collected of the women, spoke first. "And the tour?"

     "I'll have to make a few calls," Colin told her, green eyes moving between the four of them to gauge their expressions. "But I can have you on the road around September, and in the State's by October. It won't be as big or long as your last tour but—"

     Penny cut him off there. "That's fine. Last year nearly killed me, literally. And I'll take as little time in the Midwest as I can." Sadie couldn't help but agree. Their last two tours had been almost back to back, and Sadie had only been properly sober for a small percentage of it (which she knew couldn't have been good for her poor liver). It had been fun, exciting and everything else a rock tour should be, but it left her drained, and she was glad someone else in the band was the one to say so. And, as Penny had said, the Midwest sucked.