Just The Music • • Robert Plant

third

It took Georgia a minimum of three hours to get ready for the Led Zeppelin show. In all honesty, she spent a good hour and a half of that time staring at herself in the mirror while dancing to records.
Her lipstick was a shade or two darker than her dress. Her hair laid in large ringlets, she held her bangs back with clips that looked like flowers.  Georgia filled her purse with emergency makeup, mints and a small flask of vodka. Bonham told her to head to the concert a few hours before it begun so they could see each other. Excitement and anxiety filled Georgia with a million questions. What if John had changed? What if the band doesn't like her? What if they were bad live? Georgia seriously doubted the last one but still, she couldn't lie to the band.

Taking a taxi to the hotel, Georgia sat in the back fiddling with the sleeves of her dress. Once at the hotel, Georgia saw multiple rocker-looking fans walking in and out of the lobby, groupies getting ice and filling their purses with snacks from the vending machine. In the elevator, Georgia stood next to two stoned guys. One was braiding the others hair on the ride up.

Seeing all these eager fans made Georgia even more nervous. All of them looked like if you told them Jimmy wasn't that good of a musician they'd slit your throat. Once to the bands floor, people were walking in and out of rooms laughing and drinking. The entire hallway was dazed with smoke. Georgia slowly walked through the hallway, trying to see John in one of the rooms.
A closed door burst open and flew out a mess of brown hair. Georgia stood back and held her purse to her chest, she almost was hit by a flying man! Laughing erupted from the room as the man stood up.

"I'm going to kill you, Jimmy!" The man said standing up. Shaking his hair out of his face, the man looked over at Georgia. "Georgie?"

Bonzo jumped up from the ground and into Georgia's arms. He spun her around in his arms then set her down, kissing the top of her forehead.
"You've grown so much! You're hair is miles long!" John said. Georgia giggles and moved John's bangs out of his face.

"You look like a fisherman, Johnny" Georgia laughed and embraced him again. John picked her up and put her on his shoulders. Georgia could tell he had a small buzz, mainly because his beard smelt as if he split beer in it. John walked into the room he just flew from with Georgia on his shoulders.

"Everyone! May I introduce the queen of Redditch, the mistress of Elvis Presley, and the most renowned artist of New York, Miss Georgia May Olsen!," John set her down in the middle of the room. She felt embarrassed at John's remembrance of her childhood crush and at the fact everyone in the room was staring at her. Couches were full of groupies and road hands. Some of them looked at Bonzo and her as if they ruined a perfectly good moment. Others just laughed.

She recognized John Paul Jones as he walked by her to sit on a couch next to Jimmy. He was staring at her curiously     as she stood in the middle of the room.

"So this is you're new pen pal, Bonzo?" Jimmy said, looking up at Bonham who handed Georgia a solo cup. Bonham nodded and elbowed Georgia.
"She's been my partner in crime before you lot," Bonham said. Georgia smiled, hundreds of old memories flooded her mind. Those memories quickly left her mind when Robert walked into the room.

"Does anyone have a lighter?" Robert said with a cigarette in his mouth. Georgia turned around and held out her green lighter. Robert looked down at her and smiled. He leaned in and lit the cigarette. Robert was about to say something when Bonham spoke.

"Percy, remember that girl that made that tree painting in my house you like? This is her!" Bonzo wrapped an arm around Georgia. Robert looked from Bonzo and Georgia and smiled at her.
"I love that little tree painting. It's so colorful," said Robert, puffing out smoke. Georgia was in awe. Never had it ever registered officially in her mind that she would meet Robert Plant. The man looked just as all the descriptions from avid fans.
And the fact that he complemented a painting she did? That made the situation even more unimaginable. Georgia thanked Robert, trying not to make direct eye contact with the man.

Georgia quickly got over her fan girl phase over Robert and hung out with Bonzo. He hadn't really changed since they were kids, except now he could cause havoc without parents yelling at him. The two were actually more similar than either thought. They both loved to drink, party and listen to good music. What more could you want in a friend?

At the small get-together that was in the room, Georgia met a girl named Cynthia. She was a groupie and she had been with the Beach Boys before Zeppelin came to America. Cynthia was probably one of the most beautiful women Georgia had ever seen. She had dark skin, and a pixie cut. Georgia was at least 172 cm but Cynthia was near 178. When Georgia first met her all she could think about was that Cynthia was probably an Amazon woman.

The bands  manager, Peter, walked into the room, stopping most of the conversations. He called the band out, giving a ten minute warning to get on the bus to their venue. Jimmy and Bonzo were sitting with a group of people smoking, Bonzo took a last hit before he got up and dragged Jimmy out of the heap. Quickly, Bonzo ran up to Georgia and grabbed her by her hips, taking her out into the hallway with the rest of the band.

Georgia rode with them, along with a few other groupies and roadies. Cynthia came with them, but sat with Jimmy. Once to the venue, the band filed out and messed around backstage. Bonzo and Georgia went to the snack table. It had bowls of stale pretzels and store-bought sandwiches. Bonzo tried to start a mini food fight before  Georgia threatened to kill him if he messed up her hair.

Sticking his tongue out at her, Bonzo took a flower clip from her hair and added it to his own. Georgia laughed at him until Robert walked over. He was about to start another conversation before Peter called everyone to the stage.

Robert looked at Georgia almost apologetically and walked away with Bonzo. Georgia quickly found Cynthia and went with her to the front of the stage.