Winter Queen (Roger Taylor fanfic)

8. ...they had dinner

Because of Marge's comments, Josie was nervous the whole afternoon. Of course, she suspected from the beginning, that Roger's main goal is to get her to bed. Then for some time, she believed it's just his good heart, but now Marge unsettled her.

She made sirloin with pepper sauce and baked potatoes, the only food she knew she won't screw up. She wore simple white t-shirt and long black skirt, she really didn't mean to be too provocative. Just a few minutes after seven, the bell rang and there was Roger with flowers in his hands.

"You call that nothing?" Josie asked

"Oh shut it. It smells amazing."

The table was laid, Josie just looked for a vase awhile, before giving up and puting the flowers to a pitcher. Then she served the dinner.

"Here's to your new job." Roger raised glass, she smiled and clinked with her glass.

"That's much better than any restaurant!" Roger praised her, when he tasted the food.

"You can't do much wrong with that."

"You really can't take a compliment."

"I beg you pardon?"

"I noticed that. Whenever I compliment you on anything, you just shoot it down in flames. Last time, I told you you're beautiful, but you reacted so sharply I actually lost he courage to say it again." He reminded her. She touched her hair subconciously.

"I really am not."

Roger shook his head "And what I just told you?"

"Well you can't say such obvious lies as compliments."

"I don't."

His snippy voice took her aback. He used it a few times already, when he refused to discuss something further. She looked at him, his eyes full of determination, he was incredibly hot right now.

"It'll get cold." she whispered. He smirked, but continued to eat. She felt tight in her chest for a moment, she couldn't name that feeling, she couldn't define what's going on and it was making her nervous. She brought her attention back to her plate.

"If you want to come, there's a little party at my place tomorrow. We're going back to the studio on Monday, leaving to Oxfordshire, to finish the album. So, just a little party, before hard work again."

"I'll come. What do you enjoy more - recording or the tour?"

When it came to the band, it wasn't hard to make Roger talk about it. He'd be able to write long essay about this topic, but eventually he came to the conclusion, that tours and gigs are the reason, why he always wanted a band.

"I'd like to see you play."

"I'd like you to see us play." he smiled. "But the first gigs are next year and in America. Of course we'd take you along, if you want."

"To America?" she laughed. "They wouldn't let me."

"Come on, that's our manager's job. There's plenty of room on the plane, we'd take extra room on the hotels, Mary will surely go too, so you won't be the only girl."

"Mary?"

Roger realized she hadn't met Freddie's exgirlfriend, so he explained it the complicated history of their relationship.

"Is Freddie happy?" Josie asked and Roger shrugged.

"Who knows what's going on in his head? Perhaps, I hope so. We're all a bit high on the fame, you see things differently in that state. Deaky and Brian are happy, that's for sure."

"Are you?"

He smiled, put down the cutlery and moved the plate aside.

"I am. Are you?"

"Look at me!" she laughed. "I have a job, place to live, I have..." It was on the tip of her tongue, when she stopped, she saw the tender look in his eyes, as if she really said it.

"I have the most amazing people around." she finished, because she had no courage. Roger narrowed his eyes.