Tattoo'd Lady (A Brian May Fanfiction) -English-

A tattoo with a deep meaning

"And anyway...yes, Amalia broke up with me while I was still in the United States" I explain to her without even knowing why "When I was in New Orleans I met a girl, Deborah, a Dungeon dancer, a famous nightclub in the Parisian district and..."
"...I don't want to know anything else" she stops me and I notice a little bit of resentment in her bitter gaze "I'm sorry, maybe I seem to you to be a abrupt person, but..."
"Oh no. I started talking to you about my life for no reason. It's just that...I don't know, I feel comfortable with you"
"And I...I'm happy for this Brian" she smiles at me and luckily, her eyes become happy again like two minutes ago.
"But...but let's talk about you now" I take courage " I mean... if you want to"
"Of course, if you enjoy listening to my life, even if there is nothing interesting like yours
"What are you saying? Every life is unique and therefore interesting"

Lilibeth smiles at me shyly and I too smile at her. It's wonderful when she smiles, I could sink into her smile.

"Well... I'm a student, I'm in the last year of the literature faculty at King's College"
"Oh, it's interesting, are you going to continue after that? Are you going to do a doctorate?"
"I don't think I'm going to do a doctorate. I rather think I'll find a job. Even now I work, but it's not a big deal"
"Why? What's your job now? " I ask her, but maybe I hurt her because suddenly her face becomes purple and Lilibeth lowers her head.
"I...well...I'm a..."

"Brian! Brian! The lever, please! " my father screams, right now.

I puff, I'm a little irritated to have being interrupted right now, and I turn again to the electric meter "Yes, Dad, I'll lift it up immediately!" I scream, but in my heart I hope that the Harold May's genius still hasn't been able to solve the problem at the Hill's electrical panel.

I lift this damn lever up and nothing happens also this time. I lower it again and I scream to my father: "Nothing dad, try again!" and I go back to the only reason why I went down to this basement to moisten my bones: Lilibeth.

"So...What were you saying? What's your job?" I ask her, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I...well, I work in a... in a sort of club. It's the same place where Jessica and Emma work, Emma is the other girl who lives here since Jessica's parents left for Australia"
"Where you lived before?"
"I lived in Strand, near the university. I had a room for rent"
"Why? Are you not from London?" I ask her again, I'm so afraid that time goes by too quickly to satisfy my voracity for information about her.
"No, my father is English, my mother is Italian, I was born and grow up in Italy and I moved here in London to go to the university. I have always worked and studied, but my landlord asked me for a rent increase right now that I'm so close to the graduation. Jessica's proposal came at the right time: I saved a lot of money thanks to her"
"When will you graduate?"
"In September, at the end of September"
"Oh, well, it's ... it's a good news" I lie, that means that in a month she will go away forever from London.
"Yes but... anyway, Jessica's parents will be back in a few days, so Emma and I could stay here just a little longer. I'm sorry to leave this house because I feel good in this neighborhood: Feltham is a quiet place, with quiet people who minds their own business"

"Oh yes, because you have never noticed the undersigned who spies you from his window whenever you go out in the garden" I think to myself, but obviously I refrain from revealing her my secret nature of next-window maniac.

"And then..." she goes on, looking into my eyes "... and then, I have an illustrious neighbor here" she concludes, and in her gaze appears something seductive that makes me tremble with excitement.
"But you...you have never came to visit me" I provoke her, but I'm immediately ashamed about it because I was the first to never have had the courage to knock on her door "Other fans would have done anything to have this possibility"
"I'm not the kind of girl who makes these things Brian, I..."
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to offend you"
"Oh yes, I know it" she still smiles at me "And then, with what excuse could I have come to you?"
"Well... for example, you could have come to tell me why you had a seahorse tattooed on your right ankle"

Lilibeth stares at me in perplexity, she bows her head to her ankle and then lifts her head to me again. I'm sure that now my cheeks are red due to embarrassment.

"You're an acute observer" she winks.
"Yes, I... that is, I'm... I'm interested in tattoos, this is the reason" I lie, I never give a damn about tattoos, but I couldn't to say that.
"Oh, i understood. I didn't know this thing"

"Neither do I" I think to myself, but now...

"Actually, I love the sea very much" she explains " And the seahorse has always intrigued me, not just for its elegant shape, but most of all because it is faithful animal: it's monogamous, it chooses a partner that will be the same for the rest of its life and this is a beautiful thing, something that few human beings can imitate"

Lilibeth looks at me and at this moment I have to say that I feel like an asshole. I felt bad for cheating on Amalia, very badly, much more than what my father or Amalia could have imagined. Maybe it's for this reason that Lilibeth wouldn't listen to the whole story of my crazy night at the Dungeon, she just doesn't tolerate betrayal. But which of us would tolerate it? What if it had happened to me? If Amalia had cheated on me, how would I have react to it?

"Your tattoo has a deep meaning" I comment, in this way my mind stops from grinding hypotheses and assumptions.
"Yes, it has a meaning that not everyone is interested in, actually. You've been one of the few to wonder why I chose to tattoo a seahorse and..."

"Brian! Brian! The lever please!"

My father's screams come in the best time. I think I've touched on a sensitive topic for Lilibeth and mentioning my adventure with Peaches has not certainly contributed to give her a good image about me. I sigh and turn to the electric meter. I lift the lever up and a soft, amber light turns on to illuminate this dark basement and my thoughts as if by magic.

"Oh, finally the light!" Lilibeth exclaims.
"Dad made it" I comment "Dad, it's all done!" I scream.
"Well, I'll wait for you at the entrance!" he screams too.

I look around, there are trunks full of old clothes, abandoned furniture, a small pantry for food supplies and the leaking sink. When I turn to Lilibeth I see she has just turned off the torch, her face is pensive, maybe she is still reflecting about the betrayal thing.

"So, shall we go upstairs?" she whispered to me.
"Oh yes, but I...I hope to see you soon"
"We'll meet each other again sooner than you think, Brian" she replies, her eyes become mischievous again.

I sigh: I think that I'll reflect very much on her last words in the next few hours.