never let me down | a. wilder (depeche mode)

11 - A Question of Time

Evie

I wake up in my hotel room, and replay the events of last night.

Wow.

I'm actually dating Martin Lee Gore.

We had met a few months ago, at a cafe. The server was giving me a really hard time because I was short a few pounds in paying for my lunch. Martin was right behind me in line and gave me the extra money.

We've been friends ever since.

I get up and start to get dressed.

As I'm sitting on my bed, putting on my shoes from last night, I notice a piece of paper that was slid underneath my door.

I get off the bed, kneel down by the door, and read it.

Dear Evie,
Gone off to the studio- it's our last day working on this album. Eat breakfast with Charlie and meet us at the studio at 2 o'clock.

Love,
Martin

I read the note a few times over, a warm fuzziness coming over me every time I read the 'love, Martin' part.

I leave my room and knock on Charlie's door.

A groggy Charlie opens the door.

"Hey Evie, come on in." She says sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"Do you want me to come back later?" I ask her.

"No, no. I'm just not used to drinking beer, that's all." She says.

I glance at the floor and see she has a similar note from Alan. I pick it up and hand it to her.

"I got a similar one from Martin," I tell her.

"Well, it's my day off, so let's go out. I work in the hotel restaurant, so I want to avoid it. There's a deli right across the street that makes really good sausages." Charlie says, rifling through the dresser drawers for clothes.

"Here." She says, tossing me a shirt and pants. "You can't wear your club clothes to breakfast. We'll stop off at wherever you live to get your stuff. I hope I'm not being forward, but chances are, Martin and the boys will want you to stay on with them."

I shake my head. "Don't worry about it." I head into her bathroom to change.

Charlie

Evie is really sweet. We like the same music, movies, books and so on.

I really hope Martin asks her to join us.

After picking up her stuff, just a couple outfits just in case she stays for a while, we take a cab to the studio.

Andy is waiting outside for us.

"Guess who just put the finishing touches to Black Celebration?" He says as we get out of the cab.

"You!" I exclaim, giving him a celebratory hug.

"Let's go in and congratulate the others." Evie says.

Alan

"So, what's the album like?" Charlie asks me.

We're both sitting in front of the Emu Emulator II, on stools.

"Well, it's called Black Celebration, and I like it a lot. You'll just have to wait until it's released," I say. I play a little bit of A Question of Time just to tease her.

"Wait until March!" Dave calls from the other side of the room. He's talking to Andy, and Martin and Evie are sitting together near them, talking.

"That sounds really cool!" Charlie says.

"I could teach you. Did you ever take piano lessons?" I ask her.

"When I was very little. I don't remember much." She replies. "I would love it if you taught me."

"It's settled then." I say.

I start to go over the basics with her, and I feel nervous.

I think I might be in love with Charlie.

But she can't ever know. I'm not the kind of person who would go after someone who my friend also likes. My friendship with Dave is more important than that.

We're interrupted by Martin.

"C'mon you two, we're going out for lunch!" He calls.

We get up and walk out of the studio.

We can't all fit in the seats, so Dave offers to sit in the trunk.

Andy drives, I'm in the passenger seat, and Martin, Evie, and Charlie are sitting in the back.

Dave

Sitting in the trunk wasn't that bad, just cramped. I found a coat hanger and poked Martin with it.

"Dave, what are you doing?" Charlie asks, laughing.

When we arrive at the restaurant, people give us stares as Andy opens the trunk and lets me out.

"It looks like we abducted you!" Says Evie, trying not to laugh.

"Ha ha, funny. Someone else is going back there on the ride back to the hotel." I say.

They all laugh and we head inside.