The One For Me | John Taylor

Goodbye

circa november 1984
-

"Wait like this," she asked while trying to learn the beginning of the bass line from 'Planet Earth'. She slowly shifted her hands between each line, remembering how he showed her.

"You're getting it," he cheered. He was amazed by how fast she was catching on. Watching her plucking the strings and read the note sheet with her eyes full of pure determination to get it done made him smile. But what was even cuter for him was her tongue sticking out from concentration.

Over an hour of Beth trying and failing, she finally had got the first part down. It might've been slow and a little off but it would be the closest she'll ever get.

"Johnny, I did it," she had a huge grin plastered on her face. His large sleek black bass in her arms made her look smaller but adorable at the same time.

"I think you're good enough to replace me as the new bassist for Duran Duran," he joked. "I loved it Beth, you're a quick learner."

"All thanks to a great teacher," she gently placed the instrument on the stand. "Oh that was so much fun! You should teach me another!"

"Let's perfect this one first and then we could move onto another ," he laughed at her excitement.

"Oh okay," she giggled. Beth walked behind John, who was sitting on a stool from across from her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Is that how you're paying for your lesson today," he faced her. "Because I'm going to need a lot more than that."

She instantly smothered his face in soft quick kisses and left one long and meaningful one on his lips.

"I love you Johnny," her green eyes looking deeply into his. "More than-,"

John jolted awake from pounding on the front door. He rubbed his face to get rid of the grogginess he was feeling. He saw the bottle of hard liquor and filled him up a cup for a quick drink. The dream he had was a memory that he could never forget, it grew a smile on his face but pained him at the same time. Whoever was at the door pounded on it again.

"Alright, alright," he staggered to it and swung it open and saw Simon on the other side of it.

"Good afternoon, oh don't you look lovely," he greeted him sarcastically and took in the features of a washed up John. Taylor had a glass in his hand, bloodshot red eyes with huge bags underneath them, and looked paler than ever.

"What do you want," he asked but Simon already welcomed himself. Le Bon assessed the area and saw empty bottles of alcohol, empty packs of cigarettes, and sloppy fixed lines of disaster.

"I came to see if you wanted to have late lunch," he checked his watch. "Or early dinner."

"Thanks for the offer but I'd rather not," John kept the door open. "You can leave now."

"You haven't left this pigsty in weeks, you've ought to have no food left," he gestured his hands around the room for John to notice. "Plus I think you need to get out, it's not healthy to keep coping inside like this."

"Did you just loose the love of your life? Did you lose the one person that brought you pure happiness? No you didn't! Now I'd like to be left alone and could loose your nitpicking."