𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧' 𝐆𝐮𝐲 ➺ 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝒶𝓃 𝑀𝒶𝓎 & 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃

(32) 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳

So much just happened in the space of sixty seconds.

I started my course in 1971 and I had little to no interest in management, or going into an office job in general. I would have been fine going into waitressing or any stereotypical occupation that was female dominated. I probably wouldn't have even gone to university if my parents didn't force me to go, and the thought of that terrified me. Because now we were in early 1973 and I was finally waist-deep in all things management and the music industry, enjoying my studies and influenced by the new friends I had made. I would have never made those new friends if I didn't come to Imperial. I was more or less happy with how my life was – from an outsider's perspective, I understand that I had a lot on my shoulders and living with Emma had become slightly unbearable, uncomfortable even. But I promise you all: my life in February 1973 was heaven compared to some other periods of my life. And there I was, face to face, eye to eye, with the person I had indulged my studies in. What the fuck is going on?

I'm sure he thought I was a fucking idiot as I stood there, wide eyed and my mouth hung open ever so slightly. I heard the boys burst out laughing and I instantly snapped back into reality, blinking my eyes and feeling my cheeks burn up in embarrassment. I felt Brian's hand reach around me and pull me into him. He squeezed my side as an act of comfort, his laughter dying down with everyone else's.

I looked up at Brian with furrowed eyebrows. "Am I dreaming?" I asked him, rather seriously, and rather amusingly, as they couldn't hold in laughter once again. I nudged him with my elbow. "Stop laughing at me!" I whined, huddling into him more. I felt so awkward. So, so awkward.

"I'm sorry, love." Brian chuckled, keeping me close beside him.

"You're not dreaming, darling, this is all real. And this is John Reid stood right in front of you at this moment." Freddie chimed, leaning against the wall.

"I didn't realise I had such admiring fans." John said calmly with a friendly smile, holding out his hand. "Already been introduced, but I am indeed John Reid."

I immediately held out my hand, shaking his. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr Reid." I grinned. "This is mad..." I trailed off, speaking my mind as I pulled my hand away.

This made him chuckle, clasping his hands together. "Please call me John. I'm pretty much the same age as all of you, I don't want to be treat like an old man."

I laughed, clasping onto my own arms, and quickly realising I hadn't put my jacket back on. It's fine, he won't look at your arms, there's no reason for him to. He won't see the scars... "So, um... I still think I'm dreaming." I said timidly, glancing at Brian.

"It came as a shock to us, too. What else can you expect when you're in a professional recording studio? Managers will come and go out of this building more times than we realise." Deacy explained – he seemed too calm for this. But I'd known him long enough to understand that it was difficult for him to open up to new people, even if 'people' meant John Reid.

"Precisely! I'm always on the lookout for new talents, and I've only been in the business for about four years. I have to look around every recording studio in London if I want to be successful, and that is a tip from me to anybody interested in that line of work." I knew this man was Scottish from the hours of research I had done, but the more I listened to him talk, the more I realised I wasn't ready to actually hear the accent in person. Not only that, but my brain began to reel with all these possibilities once he mentioned management. Maybe if I told him I was studying for that and I was interested, he would take me on and help me. Maybe he'd like me more, even though there's not much reason for me to think he didn't like me. Alas, I didn't have to open my mouth; Freddie jumped to my rescue without knowing, practically flying across the little circle we had formed and standing on the other side of me, pulling me into him and out of Brian's grasp.