A Rock & Roll Romance

Eighty Two

The two hour drive to Palm Springs seemed to take two days. Meg was anxious enough but sitting in the car alone was driving her crazy. She had flicked through every playlist on her phone and couldn't settle on anything that would keep her mind at ease. She checked the time once more. It was 5:30. She knew Johnny wasn't due to leave his hotel until 7:30 at the earliest and she was only 35 minutes away according to the GPS. She prayed she made it in time.

Meanwhile, Johnny was sat in his hotel suite chain smoking whilst his team ran around attempting to get ready for the evening. He sat back on the couch texting his children and noticed the background on his phone, a photo of him and Meg with the kids. Her smile was radiant. She was beautiful inside and out, and he couldn't believe that just by becoming his girlfriend she had become almost the most hated harassed woman on the planet. He missed her like crazy and took a deep breath, he had been thinking of slowing down for a while, possibly even retiring, maybe now would be a good time in order to protect her and take care of her? Maybe this was his last year of films, press tours and festivals, he didn't need the circus, never had done. He stood stubbing out his cigarette and vowed to discuss it with his team as soon as possible.

Meg pulled up at the hotel and dumped her car, she grabbed the attention of a nearby valet who unloaded her car and piled her case and dress bag onto a trolley. As they began to walk towards the large lobby, Meg saw Malcolm leave a car and walk towards the hotel too. "Meg!!" He said loudly rushing over. "What are you doing here?" He asked shocked. "I've changed my mind, if Johnny will have me, I want to be by his side." Malcolm smiled and tipped the bell boy generously guiding him to the elevator. "Come freshen up in our suite and I'll take you to Johnny." Meg smiled before nodding and following the men into the lift.

"John.... You're gonna be late." Sean said pacing just under an hour later. "Let me try her one more time..." Johnny said lighting up another cigarette. He was sat on the edge of the bed, his leg crossed over his other thigh as he held the phone to his ear. It rang and rang and just before he was going to hang up she answered finally.

"Hello!" She sounded flustered.
"Doll! There you are... I wanted to call you before the red carpet, sorry for being MIA today it's been carnage."
"It's good to hear your voice..." she said and he thought she sounded emotional but didn't comment on it.
"It's good to hear yours too after a long day." Johnny smiled puffing on his cigarette. "What have you been up to?"
"Oh I umm did a work out, did a little shopping.."
"Nice, I hope you spoiled yourself."
"You could say that.." he heard her smirk and was happy that she was happy.
"Doll? It sounds like you're rushing around.. shall I call you back?" He said deflated that he probably wouldn't get to speak to her until after his event now and that was hours away.
"Umm yeah actually Johnny, I'll speak to you shortly. Love you.."
She had quickly hung up much to the surprise of her boyfriend but he didn't have time to dwell as Sean approached holding out his suit jacket, before Samantha his stylist neatened up the look, and the make up artist smudged a little more eyeliner into the corners of his eyes.

Meanwhile, Meg giggled nervously as she hung up the phone. "Ready when you are..." Malcolm said as he stood in the corner of the room. She nodded before sending the photo of her outfit to her sister.

Thank you for the wise words sis. Love you x x

Meg followed Malcolm down the luxurious hotel corridor nervously, she was fidgeting like mad when the security guard turned to her. "Stop fidgeting, you look very beautiful," he said seriously. She smiled touched at his words before he gestured to the double doors in front of him. "Now is your time to shine." He discreetly stepped back as Meg took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She waited for what felt like hours before she heard somebody come to the door. "John it's for you..." she recognised the voice as Sean. "Me?!" She heard Johnny respond and she could sense he was rolling his eyes before she heard footsteps, quickly adjusting her dress for the millionth time she donned her best smile and waited.

The door opened wide as Johnny turned to talk to Sean before his head snapped back and his jaw went slack. "I told you we would talk shortly..." Meg said nervously before closing her eyes cringing. Surely she could have thought of a better thing to say than that? Sean sensing the situation gestured to the others in the room. "What say we give these two a moment..let's go check everything is on track to leave." The group wandered out the room before Johnny slowly gestured for her to come in. As she followed him into the suite, she looked around, it was distinctly Johnny. The cigarettes, the guitar on the couch, the random pieces of clothing thrown around, it made her smile. Johnny turned on the spot. "I realise I've been incredibly selfish, in fact stupidly selfish, because quite frankly you're the best thing that's ever happened to me and if being with you means that people from all walks of life, who have never met me, feel the need to judge me and write about me and harass me, then I guess all I'm getting is a taster of what you've been through the past 30 odd years, so what I am so incoherently trying to say is, if you'll still have me, then I would love to still be your girlfriend in every way. Public eye or not, because it killed me knowing you were out here on your own battling the vultures by yourself. I wanna be the one to stand beside you and be your strength because you're my strength in every way." She said sincerely before taking a large breath and biting her lip nervously, looking up at Johnny.