Undoing the Lyrics

Somewhere in the back of your mind

"Somewhere in the back of your mind." - If Anyone Falls

March 3rd 1977

The band tentatively made their way into the room, (un)dressed and ready to shoot their cover for the Rolling Stones magazine. The artificial lighting was harsh and the buzz in the room was deafening, everyone seemed to be on high-alert for any kind of gossip they could sponge off of the highly controversial rock band.

The breakdown of Stevie and Lindsey’s relationship had been in the limelight for months by this point, but unbeknownst to the general public, they hadn’t even really spoken about it with each other for weeks. It hadn’t been difficult; they were both experts at giving the silent treatment, so unfortunately it was the rest of the band who were having to tread on egg shells around the couple.

But today, shooting for this magazine in Lindsey’s house was the last thing Stevie wanted to be doing, it was all too close for comfort…

“Hello! Welcome all! It is a pleasure to work with you all today.” The highly-acclaimed photographer, Annie Leibovitz, proclaimed cheerily above the general hubbub in the room. “We are ready for you now.”

A swarm of assistants led the band over to a king-size bed sat in the centre of the room, with a platform built above it, from where Annie would capture her legendary image.

On seeing the bed, Stevie was instantly filled with dread, and hoped that they wouldn’t ask her and Lindsey to lie beside each other. She couldn’t imagine anything worse.

“You okay, Stevie?” Mick asked, sensing her apprehension and holding his hand out for her to take.

Stevie made an effort to smile at him and took his hand willingly, allowing him to lead her over to the bed.

It was obvious that Lindsey had also had a similar train of thought and so he had latched onto Christine, taking up his place with her on the far side of the bed.

“Mick, we’re going to need you in the middle.” Annie called out from the platform above.

“It’s because I’m a giant, isn’t it?” Mick jested, causing an uproar of raucous laughter in the room.

Once Mick had been placed at the centre, Stevie breathed a sigh of relief. She swiftly took up her place lying alongside Mick’s long, skinny torso, and was joined on the other side by a very chilled-out looking John.

“That’s great guys! Now Christine, can you drape your arm across Lindsey… Yeah, that’s brilliant!” Annie directed. “And uh, Stevie… if you could turn in a little, and lean towards Mick… maybe put your hand on his chest… Yes, that’s perfect!”

A cautious glance by Lindsey up towards the other end of the bed had not gone unnoticed by Stevie, but she tried her best to ignore it.

Instead, she relaxed into Mick’s strong and warm embrace, revelling in the feel of the rise and fall of his chest against her head and she slowed her breathing to sync with his. What had begun as a rather tense undertaking had now become a very enjoyable and calming photo-shoot, and she pushed her problems with Lindsey to the back of her mind.

As Stevie lay in the crook of his arm, her head resting on his chest and her dainty hand gently caressing his skin, Mick began to feel something he had never felt for Stevie before. Intimacy. It exuded from their close embrace; the sweet smell of coconut from her hair, the soft circles she traced over his chest, the feeling of her dainty body pressed up next to his… It was the closest he had ever felt to her, both physically and emotionally, and that startled him a little.