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☆✼★━━━━━━━━★✼☆
THE DOOR SLAMMED shut loudly and Valentina jumped, it gave her a shock. She was making some dinner in Rogers kitchen, awaiting his arrival back from a meeting about the album. Judging from the slamming of the front door, it hadn't gone well. She winced, preparing herself for him to burst in and begin ranting.
He came into the kitchen, a large frown upon his face, but Valentina still smiled at him. He was wearing a brown patterned blazer with a black shirt underneath, unbuttoned at the top to show a bit of his chest, a necklace sitting there – a look he often wore that Valentina loved. His expression softened when he saw her making dinner and smiling at him, he was pleased to be able to come home to her, despite what had just happened.
"Ah you're cooking. Thanks doll" he managed a smile, before leaning back against the counter opposite her, and frowning down at the floor.
"No problem! Now, are you going to tell me what happened at the meeting because you're quite clearly in a huff about something" Valentina gave him a raised eyebrow, trying to encourage him to get it off his chest. It didn't take much.
"You won't bloody believe was Ray said, Tina. Fucking prick!" he started, she braced herself for a long rant. "He says that BoRhap is too long to be the single, they won't play in on the radio or some bollocks. We said we weren't going to settle for another song on the A side, because nothing else fits that role. BoRhap is the masterpiece, the centre of the album, it has to be the single!" he rambled angrily. "So, we said this and Ray wasn't having it, so we got up and left. We'll make a fortune from this single, and he'll be sat in his shitty little office regretting the day he let us go" Roger finished, a frown permanently etched to his forehead.
Valentina's jaw dropped slightly, trying to take in everything that had just been said to her. "Wait, sorry, so.." she blundered, "so you just left him? Like, he wouldn't let you have the single so you just fucked off?" she was shocked. Roger nodded, his arms crossed.
"Bloody hell Rog, you lot have got some nerve. Well good on you, I think. He'll be the one hating himself in a few months time! But, what's happening now though?" she was intrigued by who was going to take Ray's role for them.
"We're not sure yet, Miami said he'll sort things out for us, and Fred's already looking for a radio station that will play it. He's got friends in that department though so it's looking hopeful" Roger explained.
"Alright, that sounds go-" Valentina cut herself of, "wait, who's Miami?" she laughed.
"Jim Beech, y'know. Fred decided to start calling him Miami a few weeks back, a more interesting name" Roger explained, smirking.
She giggled, "sounds just like Fred."
•••
Valentina was sat next to the little radio in her kitchen. It was a Tuesday evening and Bohemian Rhapsody was going to be playing on the radio for the first time tonight, it was an exciting evening. Freddie had managed to find a station that would play it, as he was friends with Kenny Everett, who agreed he would be happy to play the single and be the first to broadcast it to the world. Roger and the boys were together at Brians place, all wanting to be together whilst they listened to it, and Mary was there with Freddie at the studio to watch him release the song on the radio.
She had her legs crossed on the worktop as she turned the volume up, excitement and nerves for Roger and the boys running through her body as Kenny began talking. "In the studio today, singer Frederic Mercury!" Kenny introduced, and Valentina grinned. "So what have you got today for us? Have you got a little taste of the new record?" he asked.
"I'm really not supposed to.." Freddie teased.
"Oh, forbidden fruit? Don't temp me" Kenny sang, "oh, I'm in Love with My Car" Valentina let out a laugh unexpectedly, knowing that the B side was not the song that the boys were most proud of.
"Other side" Freddie hastily added, probably feeling embarrassed of the title of Rogers song.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" Kenny read the unique title with interest.
"The BBC won't play it" Freddie informed Kenny, "in fact, no one will play it on the radio, so EMI won't release it" he revealed the story behind the song, and Valentina felt her whole body stiffen a little. She didn't know whether he was supposed to expose them like that.
"What's wrong with this song?" Kenny was intrigued now, wondering what was so bad about it that nobody would play it.
"Nothing's wrong with it at all, except that it's six minutes long" Freddie elongated his words for dramatic affect, and Valentina smiled.
"6 minutes?!" Kenny seemed surprised.
"You'd have to be mad to play it!" Freddie joked, and Valentina could hear where it was going.
"You'd have to be bonkers" he replied simply.
"I positively forbid it" Fred continued with his sarcasm.
"Let's hear it" Kenny gave over, sounding excited to hear the six minute masterpiece that was this single – or soon to be single at least. There was a faint sound of clinking glasses before he spoke again, "ladies and..ladies, a Capital radio exclusive, for the first time ever – Bohemian Rhapsody!" he introduced the song with enthusiasm, before the beginning of the song faded in, and Valentina felt her heart rate quicken as was aware that people all over the country would be hearing this for the first time now, and she really hoped they all loved it like she did.
The song ended and Kenny applauded loudly, "what a wonderful song. Let's hope the world now see's that this needs to be released."
"Indeed my darling, thank you for having me, and more importantly – playing the song!" Freddie replied.
"No problem Freddie, congratulations!" he replied, and they exchanged goodbye's before the radio show continued, and Valentina turned her radio off, looking off across the kitchen and out of the window that looked down onto a busy London street. She had a small smile on her face as she observed, her head filled with thoughts of the bands hopeful success. She just knew they would do well, she had a gut feeling about it.
a u t h o r s n o t e ! the lengths of my chapters and kinda varying at the moment so sorry for that haha. this was quite dialogue heavy and it was mostly just a repeat of the movie scene, instead of actual valentina/roger content or anything, but I hoped you enjoyed it nonetheless! the next chapter is one I really liked writing so stay tuned for that.
this chapter is dedicated to... harryslewisfor inspiring my writing a lot, and for her continued support at the beginning of this book when i was just starting it off. she wrote a wonderful roger book titled "without me" which i loved, so go and check that out too :)
