Winter Queen (Roger Taylor fanfic)

29. ...she asked them a favour

When the holidays were over, Josie phoned Freddie and begged him for a meeting with the whole band as soon as possible. He offered her to visit them in their studio next day.

Scott wasn't home, so she wore the jewellery from Roger. She put on a white blouse and, after almost two years, she took out from the wardrobe her Burberry trenchcoat, she didn't have the courage to wear it before.

When she entered the old industrial complex, where their studio was, her heart beat fast. She rang the doorbell and Brian asnwered it. He helped her from the coat, she noticed he had tiny wrinkles around his eyes, he look worried. She smiled nervously.

They were all waiting for her. She sat down on a chair and took a deep breath. Roger look to her cleavage, at the snowflake pendant, she looked like a winter queen in the white blouse. Except for her heart-warming dark blue eyes, when they looked at each other.

"What's going on, darling?" Freddie interrupted the silence. Josie shuffled her feet, toyed with her hands and sighed. They almost didn't dare to breath.

"So I've made some mess... I was stupid, I had to save the situation or myself maybe, and it got complicated."

"Josie, what happened?" Brian urged her.

"I have a favour to ask you. Big one. I know it's gall, if it can't be done or you don't want it, I'll lie out of it again or maybe I'll just tell the truth, I should do that..." Her train of thoughts was of the track.

"Josie, what do you need? I'm sure we can help." Brian pressed her. Deaky imagined she needs to bury a dead body and thought about the best place to do it.

She smiled insecurely.

"Jo." Roger addressed her. She looked into his eyes nad gulped.

"I need... I told Scott and his family I got a job offer from you, to translate you on the tour."

The boys exchanged looks and laught out loudly.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I thought you killed somebody." Deaky explained.

"Darling, please, that's no problem. Just tell us the money and the contract will be ready tomorrow."

"Oh no, I don't want anything or maybe just to pay the expences, I don't have much of my own money right now. Are you sure it's no problem?"

"None at all." Freddie assured her.

"I think it's great you'll finally join us on tour. At it will be convenient to have somebody, who can make ourselves understood everywhere. I think we can manage in Europe with your five languages." Briand said.

"I made a progress with a bit of Spanish!" she said quickly, so they were sure she can do it.

"So how much did you make in the UN?" Brian asked. She said them a bit unwillingly, it wasn't much, but she had the company flat and that was enough for her.

"So what about double and expenses are on us?"

"You can't give me that."

"Well, we can talk again after first press conference." Brian smirked.

She looked at them and their reaction moved her so deeply she had tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, so much. I really appreciate it. It would be amazing to go with you, to see you play again. But this..."

"Come here." Brian invited her and moved to he edge of the couch, so she had some space between him and Deaky. He hugged her and kissed her into her hair.

"And if I may ask, what happened you said that at home?" Deaky asked.

"Scott's mother asked me if I'll be a housewife."

Roger bursted out laughing. She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

"Sorry." he chuckled.

"Well and I of course said I already have a job offer. And then I had to quickly come up with one."

"And Scott doesn't mind you'll leave with us for a month and a half?" Brian asked.

"No, we already talked about it. And when I really think about it now, tour with you sounds absolutely amazing. I can't wait." she grinned.

"Oh you bet, it's gonna be wild!" Freddie promised. "So, gentleman, let's go."

Three members of the band got up and went to their instruments, only Roger stayed in his armchair.

"You've never seen us play." he said quietly.

"What?" she wondered, she was nervous only from talking to him.

"You said it would be amazing to see as play again. You've never seen us."

She recalled the only Queen's show she ever seen. The incredibly euphoria during the show, so happy to see them again, to be with them again, to see how happy they are up there. And then the huge pain in her chest, when he broke her heart, the pain that never really stopped. After almost two years, she could find some understanding, or maybe excuse his behaviour, since they never promised each other anything, they weren't in a long distance relationship. Yet she hoped he'll expect her in New York.

"Rog, you going?" Brian called.

"I have." she whispered. He still watched her, when he sat behind his drums.