"Thank you and good night!" Freddie says into his microphone. The band heads off stage, the crowd cheering loudly for them. All of them are sweaty and jittery. It was a really good night for them.
Melanie watched them walk into the back room from afar, accompanied by Anna. Melanie has been stressed throughout the night. Stressed about Roger, along with problems with speakers not working in rehearsals. Anna has picked up in his stress and has been worried about him since the morning.
"Mel, what's up with you today?" Anna asks quietly.
"I'm so tired, I need a bed." Melanie sighs. "It's just been a long day."
"There has to be something more than that."
"There's nothing else I can tell you, Anna, I'm just tired," Melanie grumbles as her eyes scatter the room.
"You're my best friend, you're obligated to tell me."
"I'm not obligated to tell you anything."
"Do you not know how best friends work?"
Melanie feels relief when John jogs up to them. She looks up at the bassist with a faint smile.
"Hey, um, Freddie is having a party thing in a hotel room thing. It's kind of a quiet thing and the boys and I want the two of you to come along." John says. He is a bit tired, but his facial expression is sweet and soft.
"I'm up for it! It sounds fun!" Anna tells him, soon to look over at Melanie.
"Sure!" Melanie says, faking happiness.
"Anna, I hate to ask, but can I steal Melanie for a second?" John questions.
"Of course!" Anna nods. She touches Melanie's arms. "I'll talk to you at the hotel." She whispers in her ear and soon enough, she walks away.
"What do you need to talk about?" Melanie asks John shyly.
"You're sad." John states.
"I'm not sad."
"Well, something is bothering you," John states, walking her to the side of the hallway to talk more privately. "Roger talked to you, didn't he?"
"How'd you know?"
"How did Roger word it?" John asks her.
"He told me he and Dominque aren't actually divorced yet, they're just separated," Melanie tells him. John can tell that her heart is sinking.
"And he didn't tell you he was worried all the time?"
"No, not really?" Melanie looked at the bassist funny.
"That bastard."
"John, I-"
"How do you feel, that's what's important?"
"I don't know like I'm letting him cheat on someone. It feels terrible." Melanie looks away from the bassist and leans up against the wall.
"Sweetheart, I know his relationship with Dominque is not good at the moment, but I can tell you now, Roger loves you," John says, taking both of Melanie's hand.
"It doesn't feel that way, not today at least."
John looks at Melanie wide-eyed. His heart breaks. "What? Is he not treating you right? I'll go talk to him right now!" John growls like he's possessed. He got so angry so quickly, Melanie could swear she could see fumes coming out of John's ears.
"No, no, he treats me very well, it's just...I feel like...he doesn't like me the way...I don't know." Melanie sucks her face. "It's just frustrating. I want to make him feel loved but there is someone else still in his life that can make everything better for him if that makes any sense." Her voice his shaky. "I don't want to be in the way of things."
John brings her into a tight hug as Brian walks up to the two. Brian looks at them questionably until he realized Melanie is upset. He immediately goes to them and places a hand on Melanie's back.
"Don't say that, don't you dare say that," John tells the roadie.
"Let's try to get her into a more private space," Brian whispers in John's ear as a person passes. John nods in response. He leads her closer to a different hallway. Melanie stays quiet as the two men stop in the next hallway. She looks at them cautiously.
"Melanie, I don't think you understand how much Roger loves you. He has so much new love." Brian tells her.
"You do realize he didn't stop talking about you till he finally fessed up that he was in love with you," John says. He watches Melanie carefully. She is still shaky.
"I'm so sorry, I'm being so dramatic. I'm so stupid, what am I doing?" Melanie looks up at the ceiling.
"You're not stupid Melanie, nor being dramatic. Even though you might be overthinking, your feelings are completely normal." Brian states.
"Has he been around any other girls?"
"What?" The two men say in unison.
"I mean, has he been...romantic or touchy with other girls when I'm not there?"
"If we've seen anything, we would've told you by now, love," John tells her.
"Brian! Roger! We have to head out, darlings, we-" the three hear Freddie shout, but by the sound of his voice, he wasn't finished with his sentence.
"You should go, guys, I really don't want to cause drama. I'm unnecessary." Melanie states.
It's almost like she meant to say...it's unnecessary.
Soon enough, the sounds of people flooded the hallway behind Freddie. Melanie's heart raced faster when she sees Roger step next to Freddie. A hurt smile appears on his face.
"I have to go back to work, I'm sure I'm needed somewhere," Melanie says quickly before she walks back to backstage.
"Melanie." Roger takes her arm gently as she almost walked past him.
"I'll see you later Rog, I have to get to work."
"Babe, what's up?" His focuses too gentle for her to hear when she was able to walk away.
Roger looks at John and Brian. John is very distraught and Brian seems worried. But, they soon had to go have an interview for the press. They couldn't talk now.
Melanie made her way through people. She made it to backstage and helped put together anything space to put the equipment to pack. She smiles at her friends she made throughout the tour so far. The roadie has too much on her mind.
Roger.
YOU ARE READING
His Personal Roadie
Fanfiction**Roger Taylor** Melanie is a young woman fresh out of graduate school, but not following the path she was expecting. She had graduated as an artist, yet struggling to get her start. But when she is offered to be a roadie and assistant...
