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March, 1983
The news spread like wildfire across glossy magazine covers and radio waves—Valerie Moltisanti, 20, the enigmatic lead singer of The Velvet Reverie, was officially dating David Sylvian, 25, the avant-garde former frontman of Japan. Headlines like “Dream Couple of the New Wave Era” and “Valerie and David: The Perfect Harmony” splashed across teen magazines, fueling endless speculation and adoration from fans.
The Velvet Reverie were in the middle of their promotional tour for Fragments of a Dream, “Velvet Visions Tour”, and Valerie had thrown herself into interviews and photo shoots, barely leaving time to process the whirlwind that had become her life.
John Taylor, meanwhile, couldn’t escape the headlines—or the conversations in his own circle. At first, John dismissed the buzz as just another tabloid fabrication. But as the band gathered in the studio to review mixes for their next album, the chatter among his bandmates became impossible to ignore.
“Look at this,” Simon held up a copy of Smash Hits, open to a spread featuring a candid photo of Valerie and David walking hand in hand through a place full of paintings. “David Sylvian and Valerie at some gallery opening. They look like they stepped out of a bloody painting, perfect together.”
Nick, sitting next to John, smirked. “His aesthetic. The man’s an enigma.”
Roger Taylor leaned back in his chair. “Valerie and David, huh? Makes sense.”
Andy shrugged. “You’ve got to admit, mate, the bloke’s got style. The guy’s like a walking sculpture.”
John felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “Yeah,” he said tersely, flipping through his notebook to avoid meeting anyone’s gaze.
Nick turned to him, his eyes glinting with curiosity. “Didn’t you go to one of their shows last year? You must’ve seen it coming, surely?”
John froze for a moment before forcing a shrug. “Not really.” He didn’t want to explain further, especially not to Nick, who always seemed to see through him.
But the conversation lingered in his mind long after the studio session ended. That night, unable to stop himself, John called Valerie.
The line clicked, and Valerie’s familiar voice came through. “Hello?”
