The Luckycharm -A Brian May fanfiction- English

Any other musicians

"But what the hell you scream Enzo?" Maria explodes furiously while she walks through the door "I have the focaccia on the stove, I can't come away from the kitchen when you want!"

It's the first time I see Maria, Enzo's wife: she has her hair gathered in a tall and thick ponytail, her face is pink and smooth like a child's and her eyes are large, blue, they're a glow in this little, poorlighted room.

"I know that if you don't come here soon it's because you have something on the stove" her husband replyes irritately "But we have two important customers tonight and we must not keep them waiting"

Maria, intrigued by who these two important customers are, turns to Brian and me, she observes us for a few seconds and then she exclaims aloud: "No! I can't believe you're here!"

Brian and I turn to each other and we stare at each other for a few seconds with a questioning look.

"No! In our restaurant! It's really an honor to have you here, your music is wonderful!" Maria continues amazed.
"Well..." Brian hesitates, bowing his head "Really me..."

That's not good. In the troubled mood he's in in this moment, I think Brian would just want to be as relax as possible, he would want to avoid seeing a lot of new people, fans, but... It's true, he's a very humble person but now he can just pretend to be happy.

"I know it Maria" I say to her "I know it may seem strange, but... it's strange to find such a famous person in front of you, but... but you know: even musicians have a stomach!"
"But you, Miss Lilibeth, though you eat a little more you never get fat.You're always beautiful, I always follow you and your band, RodaViva, you girls make wonderful songs"

Brian and I turn back to each other again, but this time with a startled look.

"So... so you..." I stammer, turning back to her "So Maria, you...are you talikng about ... about me?!" I ask her shocked, pointing the index finger to my chest like I was a serial-killer.
"Of course Miss Lilibeth, I'm talking about you. I don't see any other musicians around us right now"

Coff... coff... coff...

The sudden cough of Brian, that I think it was not so much spontaneous, reminds me of his presence.

"Oh... well..." I still stammer, I don't know between Brian and me who is more embarrassed in this moment "... it's right...you're right Maria, how stupid I am!"
"You and your friends are very good musicians. My husband told me that you came here last night with your friends, but I was not here unfortunately: our daughter has to give birth next month and I was with her at home"

"Oh well, I understand. Give her my best whishes"
"Thank you" she proudly replies to me "Anyway, I saw you on tv yesterday night: your song is beautiful, you four were beautiful, but ...but I think your dress was the more elegant with that blue ribbon...you were amazing, Lilibeth"

I feel a slight embarrassment blushing my cheeks, an embarrassment that grows when Brian also compliments me: "Of course Maria: Lilibeth is amazing" and once again his eyes shine like stars.

I feel completely powerless in front of such beauty, his beauty. My hand instinctively goes up to his cheek, but it stops as soon as I remember that we are not alone in this place. Brian notices my hesitation, he approaches me, he's about to whisper something to me, but the loud ringing of the microoven's timer startles both of us.

Tin...

"Oh, very good! Your farinata is ready, Brian"

Enzo says, turning back to the microwave "And you, Maria, is the focaccia of Recco ready for Elizabeth? She wants a slice of it"

"But sure, it's ready. I was just going to get it. Everything is always ready for you, Lilibeth"
"Thanks Maria, you're very kind"
"It's a great pleasure for me, but... but, would you sign an autograph for me? I have some papers here, under the cash desk..." and she is about to bend down, but her husband stops her: "You must first take Elisabetta's slice of focaccia or it will burn" he grumbles, taking the piece of farinata out of the oven.

"Yes!" she complains "You're always in hurry, uh?"
"Yes, I'm in hurry because you have to work as I do!"
"I work, I always work and I'm never tired. I really don't know how...."

Maria comes back to the kitchen and her complaints are lost in the labyrinth of the laboratory. Brian, Enzo and I remain silent for a few seconds, then the Enzo speakes again.

"Do you two eat here or I have to wrap them?" he asks to us.

Brian turns to me, he doesn't know what my intentions are and, since he is a gentleman, he wants me to choose where to have dinner.

"You can wrap everything Enzo, please" I reply "We have dinner on the waterfront"
"Excellent choice Elisabetta. The sea is always an excellent choice" he concludes smiling.

Enzo pulls out a sheet of yellow paper from a shelf next to the microwave, he wraps the slice of farinata in it and closes it properly. When Maria comes back from the kitchen she has in her hands a huge, round and steamy baking tray: the sweetly and intense scent of stracchino that fills the Focaccia of Recco intoxicates the whole small room in less than ten seconds.

"How is Mr. Baudo in person, Lilibeth?" she asks me, placing the baking tray on the counter.
"Well as he's... he's exactly how you see him on television: he's tall, very...very serious, severe"
"Precisely because he's so serious I don't know how he chose that ... that Beppe Grillo! He doesn't make me laugh" Enzo comments critically.
"But he's Ligurian, like...like you"

I try to change his mind, he's just a comedian after all.

"I know that, but I don't like him anyway" he ends, cutting my slice of focaccia.
"Lilibeth, can I take you the paper for...for the autograph?" Maria asks me again, the women never give up and this Enzo still hasn't understood it.

"Of course Maria, take it and ... and tell me how much we owe you"
"Lilibeth, you don't owe us anything, absolutely"
"No Maria, this is not good" I insist with her, opening my purse.
"No Lilibeth, you offend me in this way"
"Maria, tell me how much I owe you, please" and I take my wallet out of my shoulder bag.

Maria sighs undecided and she turns to her husband who is wrapping my piece of focaccia. He nods, narrowing his eyes slightly, then his wife turns back to me and says: "Two thousand lire, Lilibeth"

"Ok Maria, thank you" I say her, I always feel embarrassed when someone treates me like a star, since I'm not.

I open my wallet and go to the cash desk where Maria has already made the receipt, but Brian reaches me and he exclaims decisively:

"No! This time it's me who says no"

I look at him, he holds his wallet in his hands and he has already pulled out the two thousand lire "Ladies must never pay" Brian says caustically and he puts the brown banknote next to the cash desk.

"I didn't ... I didn't think you had Lire with you...maybe I didn't explain myself well..." I mumble confused.

I don't want to offend him, it's just that I didn't think he had changed Pounds in Lire for just two days here in Sanremo.

"Yes, I understand what you mean" he replies "But ... but you know: I like to be always independent and then... a pleasant unexpected can always happen"

Brian smiles mischievously and I smile at him while Maria takes the money and puts it in the cash desk.

After signing her an autograph, Brian and I warmly greet Enzo and Maria, I grab our dinner, so hot that almost burns my fingers, and we leave the focacceria. As soon as we cross the threshold a small group of guys sees us.

"But... but isn't he Brian May of Queen?" one of them says to his friends "Yes, he's Brian May of Queen"

He points to us and all his friends turn in our direction .

"Brian, we have to walk faster" I whisper to him, grabbing his left hand.
"Why?" he asks me.
"I'll explain you the why later. Follow me now"

Hi dear Queenies!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter ☺️ I just want to tell you that in the next days I'm going to publish a new special one-shot, "Living with the fear of living", set in East Berlin in 1978. Stay tuned!
Kisses
Manuela-Rhapsody