THE LOVERS

Chapter 3

September 12th, 1970, Abbey Road Studios

It was one of those days in which Nick was lost in his own thoughts. For some reason, he couldn't forget what the woman who was reading the tarot cards said to Eleanor. Patience, communication. The two basic things his previous relationship lacked. He remembered his relationship with Lindy and how it ended. It was pure bliss at the beginning, then everything changed. The two demanded things that the other could not give at the time. They thought about getting married. Like if that would make the relationship work, it was going to be their biggest mistake. Unspoken things piled up in the room, leaving them without air to breathe. By April, the two understood that there was no point in staying in a relationship that was only tearing them apart. It was something that wasn't meant to be. A marriage would be a complete disaster. They went separate ways, wishing the best for each other.

"Nicky!" Roger snapped his fingers in Nick's face to get his attention.

"Sorry, What?" Nick was unaffected by his friend's action.

"You look so detached today. What's on your mind?" Rick asked.

"Is it... about Lindy?" David was cautious with his words.

"No." A short, simple, and clear answer. Nick didn't want to talk about his last relationship anymore.

"Okay... So, what do you think?" Roger showed him the concept art samples for the album.

The meeting for choosing the album cover was probably the least stressful part of recording an album. At least, that's how Nick felt. He left the studio and drove to his house. Atom Heart Mother was their fifth album. He had a lot of hope for this album to be a success. They put a lot of effort into recording every song. He remembered when he and Roger recorded in one take the "Atom Heart Mother" track, a very ambitious move. But they were satisfied at the moment. Once he arrived at his house he found it, again, empty. Of course, he had furniture, but he felt it like an empty space, even when Lindy lived there, he felt like that. He put on an Elvis record, got a beer, and sat on the couch looking at the ceiling. It was going to be a long night.

September 12th, 1970, Bristol

Her breathing was slow. She had the microphone in her hands, but her hands were shaking. She could hear the voices of the audience. They were waiting for her. She peeked just a little and saw that the place was full. Her first concert, in a full theater. Her bandmates were nervous too. Jack, his drummer, assured her that the nervousness never goes away but you get to control it. He was warming up, ready to give everything to the audience. One of the roadies told them that they could go on stage. Everyone got excited. Eleanor introduced herself to the crowd. Then she introduced her band.

"I'm so glad that you're here with me tonight." She said with a smile.

The concert was a complete success. Everyone danced, sang along, jumped... By the third song she forgot she was singing to a big crowd. Eleanor was filled with the crowd's energy. Everyone in the band was fantastic. Eleanor knew this was only the beginning, but she had the feeling that the next concert would only get better and better.

After the show, they all went backstage, still laughing and screaming with excitement. There she saw a familiar face, Rosamund C. Duke, with her camera in her hands.

"Rosamund," Eleanor screamed, and ran towards her. She hugged her, like if she was an old friend. "I can't believe you made it!"

"Yeah! I almost didn't catch the train. You were terrific!!!"

They all went to a room to get their things. Jack started to hand out whiskey shots. Eleanor was still getting used to all the drinking experience. She remembered the party; she didn't drink that much, but it still had an effect on her the next day. Rosamund took some pictures, nothing controversial. Just material about the "after concert." Jack got out of the room to smoke; he was aware that Eleanor disliked the smell. Soon, the roadies informed them that everything was about to be packed. Rosamund interviewed Jack and Patricia first, just a few questions like: What was it like working with Eleanor so far? What was their favorite song from the album?... While everyone was being interviewed by Rosamund, Eleanor took the time to make a call to her house. The phone was answered by the nurse. The woman reassured the young girl that her mother was doing fine, she was asleep.