𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙶𝙴𝚃 𝙷𝙴𝚁࿐ ྂ ᴊᴇꜰꜰ ʙᴜᴄᴋʟᴇʏ

ꜰᴏʀᴛʏ-ᴛᴡᴏ

JEFF HAD FOUND POLLYS NOTE IN HIS POCKET,
he'd looked at it confused at first but soon became amused at the thought of his girlfriend sneaking a letter into his coat.

He smiled as he read, and Dave glanced at Jeff next to him, but soon realized what he was reading with the love, Polly at the end of the note.

Jeff-

I think that I should write you a letter like this more often, but it would seem like a joke compared to your songs & writing. I will anyways...

I just wanted to say a lot of things I've been thinking, that you probably already know. (But I don't say enough) you make me better, which probably isn't easy to do, and I think you're a big reason that I am the way I am. In a good way, of course. I don't wanna sound sappy, but just thank you for being around.

Jeff laughed slightly at her self-criticism, not finding the random letter odd. Polly just wanted to remind him she cared, that she was thinking about him, which he of course knew anyway. He read on-

I love you a lot and I thank you for loving me back. The tour will go great, I know it. The record sounds amazing so far and I will miss you and your voice like crazy

love,
Polly

He tucked the note back in his pocket carefully, staring out the small window of the plane as it flew farther from the JFK airport. Dave passed him a tour book, which he looked over, it contained dates and the venues info, the hotels they'd stay at, the few promotions Jeff had to do. It was all a reminder that everything was becoming something. His dreams were slowly developing into reality.

Throughout the six-hour-long flight to Vancouver, he went in between writing random thoughts into one of his notebooks and staring out into the sky, feeling like an excited little kid.

Once the two men stepped off the plane and into the Vancouver airport, Dave sat waiting for their baggage and Jeff walked around the airport, buying a postcard to ship to Polly once they got to their motel. He vowed to himself to send her a postcard of every city he had a show in, or just ones he was passing through. So she wouldn't miss out on anything.

It was easy for Jeff to lose himself in the beginning craziness which was the tour, but his thoughts always seemed to land back on New York, to Polly. She kept his mind entertained even though nearly three thousand miles separated the couple.

༻✦༺

Dave leaned against the company car in the parking lot of the Railway Club, blowing out cigarette smoke slowly, his demeanor different from Jeff's, who was clearly frustrated- or as clearly frustrated as Jeff Buckley could be.

His gig hadn't gone the way he'd imagined it, the atmosphere far different from anything he'd experienced at Sin-è and he scolded himself for thinking it'd be the same. The crowd was lame, and Dave had agreed with him on that. But he also advised him not to lash out at an audience member requesting him to play his father's songs.

He'd told the bargoer, in simple terms, to fuck off. He didn't know Tim, and he especially didn't want to play his songs at a show to promote his EP.

"I forgot to fucking call her."

Dave looked up at Jeff from the zippo lighter he studied carefully in his hands, contemplating if he wanted another cigarette. "Who?"

"Polly. I told her I'd call before the show."

He took the last drag off the Spirit and put it out on the ground with the heel of his shoe, "Don't worry about it. You can call in the morning."

For some reason, this simple mistake Jeff had made seemed to upset him more than his shitty first show, but the manager didn't question it. He envied his concern, Dave hadn't ever felt distressed about a phone call other than one concerning work, and especially not one with a girlfriend. He quickly was learning that Polly was one of Jeff's top 'priorities.' And that could either be a very good, or bad thing.

At least there would be no messy hookups along the tour, but Dave knew as well as anyone how hard it could be to maintain relationships while having a career like Jeff's. A new musician, busier than ever with shows, promotions, writing new material, and dealing with shitty crowds.

If missing one phone call affected Jeff, Dave worried about how he would deal with other touring-induced relationship pressures.

Maybe it was cynical of Dave to think that way, but his years of touring with musicians, all sorts of them, had taught him to be that way.

But then he just reminded himself that Jeff didn't appear to be anything like any of the other acts he'd managed. He was far different, special. Dave trusted him to balance his personal life and the music, but he knew that along the road ahead decisions would be made that would affect their relationship.

Somewhere, Jeff knew this too. That was why the phone call had bothered him so much. Now, their relationship practically would rely on phone calls and postcards.

The phone rang a few times before Polly picked up, and she answered quietly. "Hello?"

"Hi." He replied. "I'm sorry for not calling earlier."

"Don't worry about it, you're busy." She yawned, but he could tell by her voice she was smiling.

Through the phone he smiled back and they continued talking into the night, finally hanging up when they both agreed they needed rest for the next day.

༻✦༺