Ghost of You ▸ Roger Taylor

Pt. 4 - Mid-1975: Ridge Farm

Warnings: sorta swearing? Suggestive comments?

Lena killed the engine of the car far out of sight of the old farmhouse she knew to be Ridgefarm. Only a few windows remained lit, but she focused on the one she knew to be Roger's. Freddie had explicitly forbade anybody but the band and recording personnel to be present during this last couple weeks of recording because he wanted there to be no distractions in their attempts to finish this album. Lena understood that, but sincerely doubted that the band was accomplishing as much as Freddie insisted they were without distractions. So Lena had elected that the best way to see Roger was to sneak into the Ridgefarm grounds at various times throughout their stay there. Shutting her car door silently Lena reflected that this action was exceptionally unlike her, sneaking into somewhere to see a boy. But much of what she these days was unlike the way she imagined herself to be; it was not all bad, just different.

When she reached below Roger's window she hoisted herself up the trellis and through the vines growing on the side of the old building and up to the glass. Peering in the room, the appeared to be empty, although the lamp was on. With a careful push she slid the window open with minimal noise and slipped inside. The door to the room was shut, but she caught snippets of the conversation from the rooms below and guessed that it would be a long while before this particular band discussion was over.

Lena laid down on the bed, wrapped herself in quilt and stared at the ceiling. The quilt smelled distinctly of Roger and Lena felt a wave of relaxation wash over her. Despite how odd her life had become and how she found herself doing the strangest of things to spend time with him or avoid being pursued by paparazzi, it was joy to be doing such things by her own desire rather than spending her every waking moment dedicated to her job as she had for too long spend doing. She lay contemplating this and day dreaming of the summer days left to spend with Roger and the rest of them, before long drifting off to sleep.

"Roger Meddows Taylor! Get your ass up here!" a voice laughed loudly as the bedroom door slammed, causing Lena to sit straight up on the bed and stare at Brian with wide eyes. Roger burst into the room a moment later.

"What!" he demanded harshly, and then concluded with a soft "Oh" when he saw Lena, a slight grin on his lips.

"You send me up to get your dumb lyrics and proceed to forget that you illegally, by Freddie's rules anyway, invited Lena. That's a whole new level of forgetfulness, even for you Rog," Brian grinned.

"Really Roger, I did tell you I was coming," Lena said, pretending to pout.

"I really am sorry love. It's just this discussion," he looked pointedly at Brian, "that we are having over the b-side of our single."

Before anyone else could respond Freddie's voice called up the stairs, "What's going on up there? We have things to do you know."

"Lena was just-" Brian began to call back before Roger slapped a hand over Brian's mouth.

"Lena? Lena isn't supposed to be here?" Freddie's voice returned, coming closer now. He stepped into the room a moment later frowning at Lena. "Really you couldn't stay away for just two weeks?"

"Well arguably, it's been longer than two weeks and the time you all have spend recording this thing have been months beyond that."

"Valid. But darling we have still so much to do."

"Well from the sounds of it you all were doing nothing but arguing over whose songs are most important-"

"Potentially, but now that you're here, new subject, because I finally procured your birthday present," Freddie said.