Time Passages (Queen or Freddie Mercury Fanfic)

16. The Reluctant Millenial, Part Two

Freddie

"By the way, do you want me to pick up some Stoli tonight?"

I snapped out of my daydreaming. It was easier to relax now that she wasn't driving like a bandit. "What's that?"

Julia repeated patiently, "I said, would you like for me to grab a bottle of Stolichnaya before I come home this evening?"

"That would be lovely," I nodded. "Thank you."

"That is your favorite, isn't it?"

"I would say so, yes." Favorite, of course, was putting it very mildly. Stolichnaya was usually the only vodka I ever drank (last night, of course, I had to make an exception). Funny, I said to myself. She remembers that, of all things.

As we came upon the grounds of Princeton University at last, I realized that the tables had turned in yet another way. She was the one heading off to work now, while I was left to my own devices to make something of myself until night fell. "When do you get off usually?"

She looked at me with a sly smile. "Missing me already?"

"I just want to know when to expect you. I get lonely," I murmured, winking to make it seem I didn't mean the words as much as I really did.

"So lone-ly," Julia sang, and I laughed. Touche, my dear.

"Danny comes home well before I do, so you won't be alone," she finally answered. "I should be back, with the booze, to make dinner, around six or so. I was going to do something with a chicken, haven't decided what yet. Sound okay?"

"Sure," I nodded, but to myself I said, Oh, God, I shall be so bored till then.

It was then that "Back in Time" (apparently a Huey Lewis thing; she had basically put her entire music collection on random, so we were sampling songs from all over the place) ended, and became a song I hadn't listened to in a very long time, mostly because in 1977, the year I first heard it, the song had not yet been recorded.

"Ooo," I said, turning up the volume. "I remember this."

She looked surprised. "You do?"

"I've never heard anybody else with a voice like that," I replied. "It sort of stuck in my mind."

Unfortunately, before the lead singer for Maroon 5 could begin, the music cut out, and the car spoke: "Message Received From: Stuart Little."

I looked at Julia and burst out laughing, covering my mouth. "Oh, please tell me that's not really his name."

Her face turned bright red. "Of course not! Danny did that- I forgot to fix the contact- one second."

So, the name had been Danny's little prank? That alone made me decide right that very moment: I liked him. Ah, Mr. Phantom, there's hope for you yet.

The color in her cheeks slowly receding, Julia tapped the screen button that said, "Play," and in the next second, a clear, rather strident male voice boomed around us, while the words he spoke appeared on the screen, scrolling up rather like one of those teleprompter things:

"Hey, Jules, do you mind if I stop by your house a moment later tonight? I've got a few things to talk to you about, and I'll be tied up with Speck for most of today, so I won't be able to see you in your office. Will that be okay?"

"Stuart calls you Jules?" I asked when the music came back on.

"Uh-huh," she said.

I frowned. "It doesn't suit you though."