Pills of love

One man, one woman

Benny took the last drag of his cigarette leaning against the windows of his hotel room which looked out over the city immersed in the darkness of the evening which was already starting to slowly slip into night. He sighed slowly, disappointed, while he looked higher at the drizzle that continued to fall mercilessly as it had done throughout the day and the day before, alternating real thunderstorms with cloudy skies, rain and wind. He looked down at the street below, at the dark pavement and the wet cars traveling slowly. They had gone there to escape the cold of their city, yet he loved that type of weather, perfect for staying at home with the fireplace lit, something warm next to him and a good book in his hands... or a piano to lose himself in all the night.

He was in Malmo with his band for the last gigs of their tour. They were going good. Great, to be honest, and that tour was something everyone had wanted and it was going very well. It was their second tour that year and, much like the first one, it had been selling very well so far. He felt proud and happy, because he could feel that they were getting better and more famous day by day. Even if for everything else regarding the management of the group they were a landslide. Everyone. Nobody excluded.

Even though the arrival of their new manager, Stig, had started to make things work better, to make them more responsible. He was very lucky to be there following his dream of becoming someone in that world. From home basements to hotel rooms, on tour.

The fact that he wanted to leave the group and do something else was another story for another night.

His eyes moved towards the little clock next to the television and he smiled slightly when he saw again all the bouquets and small gifts that he had collected in those days. He loved touring and meeting the fans, seeing their smiles and cheerings and love. They were one of the reasons why he did that now.

But, apart from that, he felt exhausted. Of course, not everything was rosy. It was hard, late work and it could become monotonous sometimes. City after city, hotel room after hotel room, party after party. It happened to him that sometimes he forgot where they were playing, fortunately Svenne was instead impeccable in that sense.

Being away from his family and friends was hard too. His sister tried to call him every night and he tried to call her too, but sometimes it was too late or he was too trashed to be coherent enough. During that tour, she and her father had come seeing them and it was truly a pleasant surprise. Something more normal.

They'd have a couple of copies of their new album signed in the next few days and then they'd return to Stockholm for one last gig.

His eyes returned to the gloomy weather outside and he sighed again. He had been closed into his hotel room for hours; the others in theirs too or already secretely around the city during their free day. Because of course it had to rain during their free day.

Stig had told them to stay in the hotel to avoid getting mobbed by the fans, or worse, getting sick. But he was starting to feel anxious and nervous. He had seen a lot of gift shops and restaurants and parks around the city during the few times they had managed to see something beyond the stage or the inside of some house where some party was taking place.

Benny ran a hand over his beard and then sighed.

He had decided. The hotel was good and all, but he was feeling closed in and he needed to get out of there. Rain or not.

He moved away from the windows and put out his cigarette in the ashtray before grabbing his wallet and pack of cigarettes from the television cabinet and his coat from the armchair and heading towards the door quickly, almost as if he had waited a few more seconds his plan would have been ruined.

When he went down to the reception, Benny looked around almost like a fugitive, internally snorting at that. He headed to the reception, where a smiling young lady welcomed him.