You Take My Breath Away - Brian May

7. Lazing On a Sunday Afternoon

"Yes.  I remember the smell of earl grey wafting across the table to me as we chatted. Milk and/or sugar?"

"Just lots of milk, please. I like my tea very creamy."

"There you are," he said, presenting her with a mug of tea.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

They returned to the table, Brian  carrying the platter stacked full of pancakes. The others had already gathered around the table, tucking into the cereal, toast, and yogurt with honey. 

"So when's your next gig?" Lettie asked the band. 

"Next Friday."

"You going to be there?" asked Roger from across the table.  

"We'll see. Hopefully I'll have heard back about my application by then."

"Hopefully, then you can have some fun again," remarked Tina.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, ever since you applied it seems like everything you do it all based around that one call."

Lettie wanted to protest, but Tina was now the second person to comment on this.  "I'm just excited is all. And everything kind of does hang on this. It's the start of my future, of everything."

"At least you've got a plan," said Roger, still chewing his pancakes.  "I switched from biology to dentistry, but I'm still not sure."

"No one's as planned out as Brian," said Tim, nodding to his curly-haired band and flatmate across the table. "Nor as organized."

Brian shrugged.  "I like having a plan."

"Agreed," said Lettie. 

After breakfast Tina and Tim cleared and cleaned the dishes.  Brian made more tea for everyone while Freddie, Mary, and Roger played scrabble in the living room

"I should go, I have a lot of work to do," Lettie announced.  She would have to become better at her time management when she got the new job.   "I've been putting it off, and now it's piled up."

"Where are you going?" Brian asked.  "The coffee shop again?"

"Just to the arts college."

"Would you mind if I join you? It's damn near impossible to get any work done around here, and I usually go to my university, so the change of scenery would be nice. But I totally understand if you'd rather be alone."

"No need to explain - I can only imagine with this lot..." Freddie and Roger were spraying the last of the whipped cream at each other mid-round of scrabble. "Of course you can come along."

He grinned. "Brilliant, thanks. I'll just grab my books."

"Bye everyone, thanks for breakfast," Lettie called.

"Bye Lettie!"

"See you soon at the shop!" called Mary.

"You know it!"

"Be back later," Brian called, and the two were gone.  He led the way to the college from the flat.

"That was nice," Lettie said.

"Yeah, it was. We'll have to do it more often."

"I'll have to have you lot over for a Greek feast."

"Sounds lovely."

The boys' flat was about a fifteen minute walk to the college.  Once on campus, Lettie led the way to the library where she and Brian found a table to sit at.

"God, your poor back must be breaking carrying that thing around with you all the time," she sympathized when he withdrew his massive textbook again. "Do you really have to bring it with you everywhere?"

"I try not to.  I try to take notes at home so I can just bring those along instead. But I usually bring it to class."

"I don't envy you."

He chuckled. "You sound like Tim and Roger. Though Roger's biology book rivalled this one." 

The chatting faded and both turned to their books and notes. Lettie found that, while both were buried in their work, she was glad for the company, for the other presence, and found that she liked it better than working alone.

"Sorry to interrupt."

"No, go ahead, that's fine," Brian assured her.

"Thanks.  I was just thinking: it's really nice having someone to work with.  I know we're working in completely different fields, but would you be interested in having a study buddy, or, well, work buddy?"

He smiled at her over his stack of books and notes.  "I would like that very much."

They ceased talking again, but both turned back to work smiling.

------------------------------------------ 

Two weeks after submitting her application, Lettie received her desperately awaited call.  No one was home, unfortunately, as the whole family had been working at the grocery shop, but thankfully the answering machine was there to take the call. 

"Hello, this is Maureen Watson calling for Juliette from Biba Department Store. We've looked over your resume and are pleased with your application and would like to schedule an interview. Please call us back to schedule a time for an interview."

Ms. Watson went on to recite her phone number but Lettie barely heard her - she could barely breathe. 

This was it - she was in!  

(This chapter took me longer than I'd hoped, but here it is! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))