Drowse -- Roger Taylor

2

Queen was definitely royalty. I haven't seen a band this good in ages. It's one thing to be a good performer and to be entertaining to look at, but to have the stage presence that they carried and on top of that play amazing music, takes talent. The lead singer, Freddie, commanded the whole audience. It was like he was speaking to each person individually. Brian, the guitarist, was so calm and collected but played so energetically. The bassist, John, just seemed so pure and happy to simply be playing music. And then there was the drummer. He was insanely good, and not to mention attractive, both of which he was fully aware of. He knew people were watching him in awe. He radiated confidence. All the members complimented each other perfectly. They lived up to the name.

The energy of the room was what I fed off of. In the midst of all the craziness, I felt calm. As the band finished and thanked the crowd, people began to disperse.

"Holy shit, they were bloody brilliant!" Nick exclaimed. "The guitarist was fantastic!"

"And that lead singer was incredible," Mandy snickered. "Easy on the eyes for sure."

"If you want to talk about easy on the eyes, did you see that drummer?" I added, raising my eyebrows.

"I knew you were gonna say that," Tabitha shook her head laughing. "Totally your type. Hot, confident, and probably an arsehole."

"Bugger off," I rolled my eyes at her.

"Anyone wanna go order some more drinks?" James asked. Everyone nodded and began heading back to the bar. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Queen heading outside.

"Hey, I'll be right back, just gonna go use the loo," I told them as I began to turn away.

"Okay, want me to get you something?" James called after me.

"Later," was all I said with a wave, as I was distracted by trying to find where the band went out. I walked through the pub with my shoulders back and head up. I felt the stares of men as I passed them, and I smirked at the influence I had over them. I wielded this power like a sword. Mandy would say I needed to treat myself with more respect, that I shouldn't just throw myself into men, like I tend to do. But it's more than that. I know what I'm doing, and it gives me a sense of control over things. If I can't control other things in my life, at least I have this. It sometimes makes me come off as a little bit of a bitch, or a whore, but I don't give two fucks.

I pushed open the back door and was greeted with the cold bite of London weather. I wrapped my denim jacket tightly over my orange jumpsuit and pulled down the brim of my black cap to cover my eyes. I saw the band sitting outside a few yards away. Their van was parked up against the brick wall of the pub. The guitarist and the drummer both sat in the trunk of the van with their legs hanging out, each smoking a cigarette. The lead singer and the bassist both leaned against the brick wall, also with cigarettes in hand. The drummer had this sorta skeptical but charming look on his face, his blue eyes half-lidded looking dazed but aware at the same time. His blond hair was messy and his shirt was unbuttoned to reveal his toned chest.

"Great show tonight," I said as soon as I was close enough that they'd hear me. "It hasn't been that packed here for a while."

Their heads turned in my direction at the same time, the lead singer being the first to reply. "Why thank you, darling, we appreciate that," he said poshly. Dressed in satin head to toe, he was for sure a glamorous one.

"Yeah, good to know we're doing something right," the guitarist with the huge hair exclaimed with a chuckle. "Just need a record deal now."

"You guys sure as hell deserve one. I'm here every week and you're definitely one of the best bands I've seen play," I tell them.

"Thanks," they all say in unison, nodding their heads as if they're realizing I might be right. All except for that drummer, who's just been looking me up and down. I catch his eye and give him a smirk. He just raises his eyebrows with an impressed look on his face.

Suddenly, the bassist spoke up, surprising me slightly as I took him to be more of a quiet man. "How long have you been coming here?"

"Probably a year or more, so I've seen quite a lot of groups."

"Well then you're opinion is quite qualified," the bass player responded, grinning widely.

"Guess it is," I shrugged. "That's all I wanted to say. Enjoy your night." I smiled and turned to go, but I had a feeling I would be stopped.

I knew I was right when I heard a voice calling me to wait. I didn't recognize it so I assumed it was the only member who hadn't spoken. I turned around and met the eyes of the drummer. I raised my eyebrows expectantly. He jogged up next to me and smiled, slightly out of breath. His striking blue eyes looked at me curiously as he held out a pack of cigarettes. "Wanna fag?"

"Charming," I replied, taking one from the pack despite my sarcastic response. Once I placed it between my lips, he leaned over unnecessarily close and lit it for me with his lighter. I inhaled deeply as he did the same.

"The name's Roger, by the way. The boys and I were just gonna go grab some drinks down the street, and I was wondering if you wanted to join, maybe we could, uh, get to know each other a little bit," he tilted his head to the side and looked at me awaiting an answer.

Knowing damn well what he meant by "get to know each other," I took another long drag of my cigarette to make him wait just a little bit longer for a response. "Sure, why not. Not every day you get to grab a drink with the drummer of Queen," I finally said.

"Lucky for me too, since it's not every day I get to go out with someone as gorgeous as you," he winked at me.

Smooth, I thought to myself. I'm sure that's not true.

He put his arm around my waist, hand resting on my hip. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way." We began walking down the street, my mind briefly thinking of my friends who were probably wondering where I was, but as soon as Roger's hand grazed my lower back, my thoughts dissipated. 

They'll be be fine. I'll be fine. I'm always fine.