Satin Fantasy

45. Brian Time

She walked in to a receptionist who was asleep and decided to just go past her and walk straight to the studio which Queen uses. It's the one at the far end of the main floor with the band's emblem on the door.

She quietly went inside towards the locker area by the wall when she almost jumped from fright at someone calling her name.

"Belle? Why are you here? Don't tell me Fred's making you run errands at this time?"

"Ohh!!.. heyy! Golly, you almost killed me from fright, Mr.Brian. Uhhh, why are you here? I mean! I mean, of course well this is where you work but ahh, but it's Sunday and.."

Smiling, Brian walked towards her from the recording booth where he previously sat while writing lyrics. He leans to kiss her on the cheek and mess her hair on top of her head with a soothing chuckle.

"Drop the mister, missy.. Brian. Call me Brian ok? Well.. I was at home getting nothing done and decided I'd rather spend some time here in the studio."

She was caught off guard by his bit of playful side and went shy. When she looked to his eyes though she kind of caught a sadness she didn't notice before. He was now sporting a week's worth of stubble from his chin and upper lip and seemed more lanky than usual. He must be going through something, she thought.

"Oh, I see.. well I was just dropping something off in Freddie's locker and will be on my way after.. Soo, umm please don't let me disturb you." She smiled at him, looking to offer some comfort but deciding against it as it's obviously out of her place to pry on his life.

"Freddie must be making it so hard for you having to go all the way here to drop his things. Can't that wait till Monday?" Brian sounded irritated.

"No, no, nothing like that.. it was my decision.. To. Go. Here. To. Uhhh.. bring these!" She lifted her hand with the letter and the keys very quickly and puts it behind her just as quick before Brian can even take a proper look.

"Oh...? Why what must those be? Must be pretty important that you had to bring it over tonight.?

"It is very much, actually.. Well, all right then, I'll just leave these on his locker and be on my way."

"Hmm... well, if you don't mind listening to this little bit of uhh, song I'm doing after you're finish, that would be really nice. It will take just a minute.."

She looked at Brian and saw his warm smile.. that didn't reach his sad eyes.. Maybe she could stay awhile, the studio is not too far from her place anyway.

She smiled at him and slowly nodded "I guess it's all right.. I'll just put these in." Brian's smile seemed to brighten up before he went back to the recording booth where all his writing implements were.

Isabella looked at Brian when his back was towards her and wonder; why would he rather spend his one free day locked in a studio, alone and sad. She tore her gaze as she almost miss a step. She opened Freddie's locker after punching the code and placed the small envelope with the letter and his flat keys inside.

His polo shirt she forgot to bring and will just drop it off another time after she's washed it. She blushed to herself for the reason she hasn't gone to wash it yet. She just wants to smell it some more, is that so bad?

Done with her personal imposed ordeal, Isabella walks inside the recording booth behind the glass where the instruments are. Brian sat on the piano humming a tune as he writes.

"Heyy, you done?" He smiled with that tired smile. "Come, you can take a sit here." He motioned to the side of the piano bench where he was also seated.

After sitting down, Brian showed her a piece of paper with scribbled notes in his script which is pretty but hard to read. Brian saw her struggle and laughed a little before offering to help.

"Right, let me help you. It's not the first time someone had a hard time reading what I wrote." Instead of reading, he sings to her the whole phrase. It was an emotional piece made more emotional with Brian's soft voice.

"There, this one's called 'Teo Toriatte', it easily translate to 'let us cling together' in Japanese. Our fans there are very wonderful, we are so lucky they love us." He smiled and glanced to her before continuing. "This is a way of thanking them. Showing how special they are to us."

"Ohh, that's nice.. they would really find it wonderful, I'm sure. But why such a sad tune? Umm, that is only if you don't mind me asking." The message of the song feels very personal.

She felt touched for the Queen fans in Japan who will be in for a treat when this song is done. For it's never the norm that an artist be the one to give so openly to their following. But these boys, they're always so generous to their fans, clawing at each other if need be to get the best output.

Putting hours after hours in recording time and even on their private moment of rest, they go write a song as an ode of thanksgiving.

"I don't really mind, no... hmmm.. well, I must be in this mood these days where stress and personal problems mix, creating this compounded feeling of sadness and anxiety. But writing songs and creating music helps me, to the point where I don't know what I'll do without it."

Isabella was quite, listening intently to Brian's words. She didn't know he was suffering from sadness. She understood what that is like.

They were quiet for a moment before she spoke, hoping to bring him out of his sadness."Would you mind singing the whole song if it's already finished? I would love to hear it."

Brian looked at her smiling face and was very willing to accommodate her request. This time with piano accompaniment.

Although a few parts is yet to be polished, the song is fairly complete. After listening, she clapped in delight. What a heartfelt song it is!

"Ohh you! You make me blush!" Brian said jokingly, grinning as he does.

"That was really good! Oh I can't imagine how the Japanese fans would swoon when they hear that! What a treat!"

"You think so? I'm just a little worried you know, it's the first time we'll be doing a number in a different language."

"Ohh, don't doubt yourself. You are the best band there is and your fans love you!" She beams at him.

Brian feeling relieved let's out a sigh, his face turning to melancholy before looking down to the piano keys. "You know, this song is also one I have for the band.. For those three sillyheads who stuck with me."

"Ohh... what do you mean?" Intrigued at this confession, Isabella looked to his side profile intently.

"Well, fairly early in our career, just as we were getting on the groove of recording and starting to tour as a support band, I got pretty sick. They had to bring me home, cutting our first out of the country exposure short. I was sick for awhile and you know a fairly new band couldn't afford to pass on big opportunities that are so hard to go by."

Brian looked at her with soft eyes. "I've accepted it really. I was just waiting for them to let me know I'm booted out.. but instead, those three stayed in the studio and put the extra work so when I get back, I could just add my parts on our new album.."

He shook his head slowly, remembering how grateful he was then as he is now, before looking at Isabella one more time and smiling. "Who gets to be so lucky to have that? I thought that was the end of me.. basically the end of my life and music career. But it was a rebirth. From then I know I couldn't abandon this band, our band. I will always hold our fort steady, my silent promise to those three. Thus, the song says 'let us cling together as the years go by.."

She was speechless at the utter sweetness of his message. She knows how attached they were towards each other but didn't expect it to run this deep. All those bickering would easily mislead anyone to think they were just a band out to make money. But really if you look closer and listen well enough, they could not be anymore well suited to anyone else than each other as a band of four equal parts.