hear my call | brian may

present--six

April 1974

Sera had forgotten how much she actually liked the taste of rum and Coke, having gone without drinking one since university. She liked the burn of the alcohol mixed with the sweetness of the Coke, which balanced each other out nicely, and it always made her chest feel warm and her head pleasantly light.

That being said, whoever made this horrid concoction and then charged her ten quid for it was going to answer to her quickly if she got sick off of this. Sera gagged, forcing herself to sip the drink again to see if it would be any better, which it wasn't. She set it on the table, repulsed by the liquid. It was like someone put sour milk in her mouth and then mixed it with lighter fluid.

"What's the matter, Sera? Can't handle your drink?" Will teased, grinning.

"I was part of a sorority in college. Believe me, I can handle a bit of booze," Sera replied, coughing a couple of times. "But I think I've just been fucking poisoned."

"It can't be that bad," Will reasoned, examining the drink. "It looks alright."

"Taste it." Sera pushed the drink towards him. Will shrugged, removed his straw from his strawberry daiquiri, and placed it in the glass. He picked it up and sipped it, waited a moment, and gagged just as she had. He visibly forced himself to swallow his sip and set the glass back on the table.

"That is an injustice to rum and Cokes everywhere," Will gasped out, coughing. "Here. Have my daiquiri, I'll order another one." He proceeded to slide his glass over to her and went back up to the bar.

Sera grabbed an extra straw from the table and unwrapped it, placing the straw in the slush and taking a sip. Much, much better.

She looked around at her company. They were all seated at a long rectangular table in the middle of the small pub, being the only patrons there (it was around eight o' clock in the evening). Sera was seated in between Freddie and Will, with John across from her, drinking his beer quietly.

"Four bloody hours, stuck in this airport," Brian said, putting his face in his hand. "I reckon that puts us a bit behind."

Freddie, ever the optimist, shrugged. "Can't be too bad, if the show isn't for another few days."

Sera wished that Jessie would have that mentality. She hadn't spoken to her since before she left to find the bar, but she imagined that she was still running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Sera liked being early to places, but she was never one for arriving to a place half an hour before she was due to be there. Jessie was obviously the opposite and probably flipped her lid when she wasn't at an event at least an hour early. Sera only had so much patience for people like that.

Will came back just then, holding another daiquiri and his bill. "Lady and gents, I have just determined something once and for all," he announced, setting his drink on the table. He brushed a piece of dark hair out of his face.

"What's that, Will?" Freddie asked, leaning over Sera to look at him.

"That airport pubs are bullshit and their prices are astronomically high for serving rather cheap liquor." Will huffed as he sat down, shaking his head.

"I'll drink to that." Freddie promptly raised his pint of beer and drank, turning back to the conversation he'd been having with Roger.

"How much was that daiquiri?" Sera asked.

"About fifteen quid."

"Oh my God, Will. I have to pay you back." Sera reached for her purse, which she'd sat on the ground. She was just about to pull out her wallet when Will stopped her, putting out his hand.