I'm begging you to

Chapter 12 - Flashback (Paris, 1979)

Flashback (Paris, 1979)

“Can we please take a break?”, Frida’s annoyed and exhausted voice rang through the hall. “We’ve been rehearsing for hours now.” If one didn’t know Frida and would look at her now, standing there dressed in white trousers and a white shirt adorned with delicate leaf patterns on it, you would think she looked absolutely fabulous without a hint of exhaustion. But Agnetha knew her and saw it was enough for now. They were good and knew all the words and steps by heart. They deserved a break. “We’re going to take a break,” Agnetha called out to Benny and Björn and without waiting for a reply, she took Frida by the arm and walked towards the door.

The backstage area was bustling with crew members and fellow musicians preparing for their own acts. After forcing their way through the corridor behind the stage they found themselves at the top of a narrow, winding staircase that led to the dressing rooms below. The dimly lit corridor seemed a little eerie, but it offered the privacy they sought. Frida walked ahead as they both descended the steps, taking each one cautiously, as the chatter from above gradually faded away.

Unbeknownst to them, one of the steps was a bit loose, and as Agnetha placed her foot on it, the unexpected wobble caught her off guard. She lost her balance and stumbled forward, clutching onto Frida for support. Without being able to prevent it, she pulled the woman next to her to the ground with her.

“Frida, are you alright?” Agnetha asked, her voice trembling with concern. Her fall had been broken by Frida, and she immediately worried more about her well-being than her own. “I’m fine, don’t worry,” Frida assured her, relieved that neither of them seemed to have sustained any major injuries. They both looked at each other breathing heavily and burst out laughing in relief as they still sat on the floor.

After trying to collect themselves they tried to carefully check for any signs of injury, when Agnetha noticed a sharp rip on her shirt at the shoulder. “Oh no, my shirt!” she exclaimed, seeing the damage. The fall had caused her shirt to catch on a protruding piece of metal, ripping it in the process. The whole upper half drew a deep tear along her shoulder down to her breast, revealing parts of her bra. It would not even have been possible for her to hold it together with her hand.

Fortunately, they had worn their everyday clothes in this rehearsal. She didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if she had ruined her stage outfit the day before the performance. But still, she cursed herself for being so clumsy since she had not thought of bringing additional clothes with her. She would also probably have to give an interview later and somehow get home too. But the tear in her shirt was too big.

Frida’s eyes widened in surprise, but a smile quickly replaced her worried expression. “Well, at least it’s just the shirt,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. Agnetha forgetting for a second that she didn’t have anything else to wear couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation. And even if she wouldn’t admit it, she also loved it when Frida laughed and couldn’t help but smile herself.

“You’re right. It’s just a shirt.” For a short while that seemed to last forever, they looked into each other’s eyes, smiling. Then Agnetha remembered and her smile disappeared. “But Frida, I didn’t bring a spare shirt. Nothing at all. I obviously didn’t expect that something like this would happen. What do we do now?” Panic rose in her, because she knew she couldn’t go out in public like this.

“Hang on.” Frida moved a little closer to Agnetha to examine the tear. She also wanted to assess the damage and figure out how to fix it or if there was even a way to fix it. She could have said with one look that the shirt was beyond saving and yet she wanted to try at least for Agnetha. Or maybe she was also subconsciously taking advantage of the situation a little. Since the tear was right at the shoulder, Agnetha’s silky blonde hair half covered it. After a slight hesitation, Frida gently touched the golden hair and held it aside to look at the tear on her shoulder.

“Your hair really is absolutely beautiful you know that don’t you?” Frida murmured without looking at her, her eyes fixed on the shirt. While saying that Frida‘s fingers brushed against her hair strand and slighlty touching her shoulder as well for a second. A jolt of electricity surged through Agnetha’s body. The intimacy of Frida‘s touch overwhelmed her, and it felt as if Frida‘s presence would maybe forever linger in the tips of her hair. For a split second she even wondered if she would ever have the courage to cut it off, wanting to hold on to that connection and moment for as long as possible.

In that fleeting moment, Agnetha‘s heart swayed between excitement and fear. She could not explain why this unexpected closeness and touch had triggered this reaction in her, when they had already been much closer on stage before.

„It‘s quite a tear but I’m sure we can fix it later.“ Frida reassured her, placing her hand on Agnetha‘s shoulder now. Agnetha winced slightly as Frida moved her hand but tried not to let on. Frida’s voice had been so comforting and soft like a soothing balm to the younger woman’s concerns.

After a while the darker haired woman opened her mouth but slightly hesitated for a moment before speaking. „Hey, I have an idea,“ her voice as warm as before, but there was something else in it that Agnetha could not quite grasp. „I just remembered that I have another shirt with me that I can change into and for now you can have mine. I don’t care if someone sees me. But I know you do.“

Agnetha hesitated for a moment, her heart fluttering at the thought of wearing Frida‘s shirt. But she couldn’t understand why. It was just a shirt. She was torn between wanting to accept the offer and the voice in her head that, for some reason, was telling her that this would not be a good idea.

„Are you sure?“ Agnetha asked, trying to sound nonchalant but failing to hide the vulnerability in her voice. „I mean, you‘ve been wearing it all day, and—“

Frida interrupted with a reassuring smile, her eyes meeting Agnetha‘s with a genuine warmth. „It‘s alright. I don‘t mind at all, really. Of course I understand if you do though since yeah I’ve been wearing it all day.“

Agnetha found herself giving in to the pull of Frida‘s offer, her heart beating faster with each passing second. „Thank you, Frida, “ she said softly, feeling a rush of emotions she couldn‘t quite define. Then she hastily added for fear that Frida might change her mind and withdraw the offer: “Of course I don’t mind.”

With a subtle nod showing Frida that she really was okay with it, Frida gently touched her own shirt ready to remove it. As Agnetha realised that Frida was about to take off her shirt right here and now she tried to suppress the gasp that threatened to come out of her mouth. With a jerk she had taken it off and underneath, only her bra. Agnetha turned around and forced herself to fix the metal bar of the stairs with her eyes. Frida laughed. “Don’t make such a fuss. I’m sure you know what a bra is and what it looks like. We’ve changed in front of each other so many times. It’s okay.” Agnetha noticed that her face was slightly turning red and she was infinitely glad of the darkness in the stairwell now.

As Frida handed the shirt to Agnetha, she couldn‘t help but notice the faint scent of Frida‘s perfume lingering on the fabric. And not just her perfume but also her own smell. It filled her senses, making her feel closer to Frida than ever before. Her heart raced as she put on the shirt, the closeness to Frida‘s essence stirring strong emotions she couldn’t understand.

As Agnetha looked up to meet Frida‘s gaze, she found herself at a loss for words. The depth of her feelings left her shy and overwhelmed, unsure of how to react. Frida, sensing Agnetha‘s vulnerability, stepped closer and tenderly brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

A distant sound of voices pulled them back to reality at once. “We should go. I said I don’t mind if someone sees me but I’m not too keen on it either.”

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Notes:
This chapter is based on true events. (real) At least the part with the shirt. If you google pictures of Abba in Paris in 1979 look at the pictures from the rehearsal and after the rehearsal ;)