KISS THE RING ☆ Taylor Hawkins

15. London is for lovers

London, 1997.

"And so I came to the conclusion that we should celebrate the end of the UK tour." - "Dave, we've only done 5 dates." Pat announced with a wrinkle of his nose. "And for this we must not deprive ourselves of a party organized by myself and Mr. Hawkins himself." The singer hugged the blond who raised his hand, greeting those present and laughing like a fool. Diane put her hands on her face while her band mates giggled in amusement, followed by Claudia who, frowning, looked at her friend with a confused expression on her face. "I don't know." She said covering her mouth so as not to be discovered by the two Foos. "Eric, you're already drunk." The redhead announced trying to get the bottle out of his hands with poor results. "Foxy, I think you know how I am when I'm drunk. I still have all night ahead." Taylor continued to look at him smiling, he seemed to be watching a show, he was only missing the popcorn and that's it. "It's okay for me, the most important thing is that you don't get us kicked out of the hotel." Nate threatened them, glaring at the two, but especially at the drummer who opened his arms to the bassist. "I'm looking forward to the moment when you'll accept my presence here, Nathan." He stated, taking, in all its glory, a middle finger from the redhead. Pat looked at the bassist and reassured him with his eyes, shaking his head slightly, before putting a cigarette on his lips and observing the scene. The rest of the L7s seemed interested in Dave's proposal, in fact they followed him along with the Garbage boys, leaving Nate, Claudia, Pat and Diane behind. Taylor turned to the redhead, who appeared to be the last remaining opener in the hotel's 13th-floor corridor, and held out his hand, immediately squeezing hers before heading to Dave's suite where the singer had set up a table full of bottles of any kind and three speakers for music. "Well, it won't be the best, but it's still something." The host of the evening announced, positioning herself behind the alcohol table and opening his arms to welcome his guests. "What time are we taking off tomorrow?" Diane heard the bassist ask Pat the question and giggled at his being very precise, meticulous. "You have nothing to worry about, Nate. We leave Luton at 7pm, we even have time to sleep!" The guitarist explained, reassuring him before forcing a cocktail into his hands that Dave had passed him earlier. "What's this?" Nate obviously asked, arching an eyebrow as he tried to scan the contents of his crystal glass. "Man, I have no idea. I would still drink it if I were you."

They continued to drink and party as if they were in Encino, in fact the FF frontman did nothing but repeat throughout the evening that they would have to organize an absurd party to celebrate the end of the European tour. Diane wasn't so convinced about that, she didn't wanted to organize this kind of assisted suicide, especially since she and Pat were going to clean up everything the next morning, while Dave would: a) Try to sleep his drunk away; b) Continue to drink to fight back.

"Cherry..." Taylor squeezed Diane's hand, drawing her attention to himself. "Would you mind coming with me?" She shook her head with a hint of a smile before following him out of the suite, heading into his. Dave had just put on 5150 of Van Halens by then, causing the blond to moan in frustration. "If you want to listen to it, we can always go inside." She told him amused by the whole situation. "No, I know he did it on purpose." He put the key in the lock of his door, letting the redhead in first and, following her, he closed the door behind him. "Much better." He announced and in the meantime began searching his pockets. "So no one will ask weird questions..." He then added pulling a sachet of coke out of his pants, throwing it on the table to start preparing the lines. "Of course, because actually not seeing us, no one will ask questions, no?." She retorted with her arms crossed over her chest. "Yeah well, still better than being caught in the bathroom, I suppose." The redhead made a face not so convinced by the words of the other, staying away from the table where he was preparing everything. At some point he stopped, looking up at her and placing his eyes on her. "Would you like to have some?" Diane shook her head, waving no even with her hand and he looked at her curious. "I don't want to." - "Diane." She hadn't heard him say her name in days and it seemed very strange. "Taylor." She copied him, trying to get up to his level when he reached her and stopped a few inches from her body. "I hope you have kept your promise." The redhead nodded, looking up at him as she tried to keep an expression as serious as possible. "Are you sure?" The drummer put his hand on her neck, gently massaging her skin, getting a nod in response. "Good girl, I want to believe you." He leaned over her to print a kiss on her forehead before returning his attention to the coffee table. "So if I wanted to check your arms, I wouldn't find any new holes?" He asked after a few minutes, with his back to her and the redhead swallowed her own saliva. "No, T. You wouldn't find anything." She lied, continuing to wander restlessly around the blond's room. "Bullshit." He stated after making two strips. "But listen, you lecture me like you're in a better position!" She raised her voice, watching him as he rose from his chair to face her again. "Do you understand that these are two different things?" - "Great, now you too with the same story as Dave! Why don't you go tell him that you do coke?" He looked at her with a disappointed expression painted on his face and ran towards the table, scattering, in a fit of anger, the lines left on the table on the floor, then heading towards the bathroom to go and pour the remaining contents of the his sachet in the toilet. Diane watched the whole scene without being able to say a word, she just followed with her eyes the blond's movements only with admiration, then sat down on his bed. I wish I were like him. "I'll help you stop." He almost threatened her as he returned from the bathroom, pointing at her with his index finger before approaching her, kneeling and crouching on her legs. 

"No I can't recall any love at all. Baby this blows' em all away." They heard from the next room, almost as if a choir had risen along with Sammy Hagar's voice. "It's got what it takes, so tell me why can't this be love?" Diane laughed at the words of the song, making the drummer rise at her level who, looking at her with shining eyes, sang with them: "Straight from my heart, oh, tell me why can't this be love?" The redhead hugged him, the love she was feeling at that moment was too strong to be able to handle alone. "Cherry..." whispered the blonde before leaving some kisses on her chin. "Let me help you." She closed her eyes, letting two tears fall down her face, feeling guilty about how she treated the one person who could get her out of that shit of hers. "I'm so sorry." He took her face in his hands and leaning his forehead against her, closed her eyes together with her. "No, no, no... Diane, love. Will you let me help you?" The redhead nodded slowly reopening her eyes and, staring at him, she tried to force a smile before he gave little kisses on her half-open mouth. "I don't want to hurt you, Taylor." She claimed as if she had lifted a weight from her chest, shaking her head slightly before he pinned again her face in his hands, making her shut up and continuing to kiss her. "I'll know how to handle the situation." He then stated with a bitter smile, making her smile too. "Can I stay here tonight? I don't want others to see me like this." She whispered into his lips as he nodded, wiping her tears gently with his thumbs. "Stay as long as you want, D."