December 8th 1975
The chilly, winter air whipped around me as I walked along the busy London streets, people pushing past me on their way home from work, desperate to get out of the cold outdoors and into the comfort of their warm houses. I, too, had the destination of home in mind; looking forward to the idea of curling up on the couch with a cup of tea in my hands, after finishing another long, and frankly, stressful day down at the clinic.
Pulling my jacket closer to my body as I felt droplets of rain beginning to fall, I tried to forget about today's events and think about the anticipation of returning to my warm, dry flat...well, the 'warm' part was yet to be seen as the heating only worked when it wanted to in my place. Knowing it was only a couple of blocks away, I upped my pace, hoping to get there before the rain really started bucketing down. However, as I turned the corner at the end of the street, I almost had a head-on collision with someone walking in the other direction. Bumping into them slightly, I stumbled back and regained my balance, before quickly apologising.
'Oh, sorry!' I exclaimed, hoping I didn't hurt, nor infuriate the unsuspecting person. Looking up, I was met by a pair of green eyes belonging to someone I had definitely not been expecting to see.
'Amelia?' the long, brown-haired man asked timidly.
'John?' I replied, equally as surprised. The two us broke into huge smiles before pulling each other into a quick embrace, 'Oh my god, I can't believe it! I was not expecting this at all! How have you been? My, it feels like ages!'
'Doesn't it just?' he chuckled, 'And I'm not too bad, yeah. Pretty tired, though; lot of sleepless nights but apart from that I'm doing fine.'
My eyes widened, 'Of course - the baby! I completely forgot. Oh, congratulations! Boy or a girl?'
'Little boy.' he said smiling, 'His name's Robert. Came just days after we arrived home from Sussex.'
'Good timing then,' I laughed, 'Aw, that's truly precious, I'm elated - for you and Veronica.
'Thank you,' the bassist beamed. As we stood on the pavement, the rain starting to come down pretty heavily now, John suddenly shivered, 'Bit chilly to be standing out here, isn't it? Surprised it's not snowing, to be honest. Do you...want to go grab a coffee or something to warm up? There's a cafe just along here somewhere.'
I smiled at the idea, 'That sounds great right now.'
Walking hurriedly down the street, we made our way towards the cafe John had mentioned as the rain pelted against us, almost soaking us through to the bone. Stepping in the door of the cafe, the warmth of the indoors was welcoming as we found a table and sat down at it, a waitress coming over to take our order.
'Two coffees, please.' John told her, as she scribbled it down on her notepad and returned to the counter. As we waited for our hot drinks to arrive, I sat there with my chin propped up on my hand and my elbow on the table, sighing quietly.
John raised an eyebrow at me, 'Tough day at the office?'
'Don't even get me started.' I said, rolling my eyes, 'Let's just say there is far more to veterinary nursing than just looking after cute and cuddly animals.'
'Hm, I can imagine. Must be a rather stressful job...can't be very enjoyable at times, either.'
'Not unless you like coming home with bites and scratches all over your arms every night, it's not,' I chuckled, making John chuckle too, 'But the joy of being able to help and make a difference to their quality of life makes it all worth it in the end. There's nothing else I'd rather be doing.'
'Well, that's good.' he nodded. The waitress then came back with our coffees and placed them in front of us. Thanking her, I quickly brought the mug to my lips and took a sip, the hot liquid instantly warming me up. I looked up at the bassist.
'So, how's life been treating you since I last saw you - apart from the excitement of a newborn son? I would have thought it'd be pretty good especially after the release of Bohemian Rhapsody. What a success that was for you guys!'
He laughed lightly, 'Yeah, I know. I couldn't quite believe it when I found out we'd gotten to number one! Still is, as far as I know.'
'Yeah, I was so happy for you and the boys when I first heard the news. You really deserved it. I know how much time and effort you put into that song.' I told him.
'Thanks, Amelia. I'm just glad that we finally got our big break.'
'So am I,' I nodded, 'Anyway, on the subject of the band, how are the others doing? Rowdy and boisterous as usual, I suppose?
'How'd you guess?' John took a sip of his coffee, 'Yeah, they're fine. When they're not at my, or each others, throats. Although I must say, I think a certain someone has been missing you quite a bit...'
'Is that right?' I smiled softly as I looked down at my mug, my mind flashing back to 6 months ago, '...I would have thought he would have forgotten about me by now.'
John looked at me in disbelief, 'Roger? Forget about you? Not unless you wiped his memory. If we bring you up usually he gets all flustered and embarrassed. But occasionally he opens up and then goes on about you for the entire evening. Lee, this. Lee, that. I've never seen him so smitten by a girl before.'
'Really?' I asked, chuckling.
'Oh yeah, most definitely. Why, if anything, I think he might be in love with you, Amelia Andrews.'
Blushing like mad, I took sip of my coffee in an attempt to hide my face; the prospect that Roger might be in love with me almost making me fall off my chair. But then again, after we'd kissed, the whole ball game changed, didn't it? Although we never actually got to build on that. So perhaps John was right. Maybe he was in love with me. But the only person I was going to find that out from for certain was Roger himself...
'Mind you, I think part of him still feels guilty for leaving you behind,' John continued, snapping me out of my thoughts, 'I can tell by the way he talks about you sometimes...'
My heart shattered into a thousand pieces, 'Why does he feel guilty? It's not his fault he had to go back up to London.'
'I tried telling him that but he still thinks he made a huge mistake,' John told me, whilst I looked down at my hands as sadness overcame me.
After a couple of minutes of silence, John sighed before speaking up again, 'Look, we have a show on Christmas Eve at the Odeon in a fortnight's time. You might have heard about it. I'll have someone send you tickets and a backstage pass, and you can come along to the show and see us afterwards. Have a catch up with the others. If you want to, of course?'
'Oh, John,' I smiled humbly, 'That's incredibly sweet of you, of course I'll come and see you guys play. I've been meaning to for a while now.'
'Fantastic - I'll get your tickets to you as soon as I can,' he beamed, as the two of us finished off our coffees. Scribbling down my address on a piece of paper for John to give to whoever was in charge of tickets, I handed it to him before we left the cafe as he said simply, 'Rog is going to be over the moon when he sees you.'
Smiling back, I replied, 'He won't be the only one.'
* * *
The next two weeks flew by and before I knew it, I was in a cab rushing through the streets of London on my way to the Hammersmith Odeon. As promised, I'd been sent a ticket and a backstage pass about a week beforehand, and had generously been given a front row seat, meaning I'd be able to experience the show even better up close. When I arrived at the famous venue, the place was unsurprisingly chockablock with people; the queue leading from the doors to the end - and around - the corner of the street.
As I paid the cab driver and got out, I looked up to see the large illuminated sign on the front of the building reading 'Queen Welcomes You To A Night At The Opera'. Joining the end of the queue, I was glad that I'd decided to dress practically rather than fashionably - unlike half of the people around me - and was quite snug with my trench coat on over my outfit of a skirt, tights, blouse and knee length boots, making standing outside in the cold a little more bearable.
Thankfully, it wasn't long before the front doors opened and everyone began eagerly flooding into the theatre. It was chaotic, as concerts are, but eventually the audience were seated and waiting for the show to begin. Looking around, I was stunned by the number of people in attendance - only then truly realising how popular Queen had become.
When the lights eventually went out, there was a feeling of tension in the air, before the roaring sound of a guitar filled the room, making the fans go crazy. Within seconds, a silhouette of Freddie appeared on the stage, as he began to sing the opening lines of what I recognised to be Now I'm Here (I'd been listening to their albums..)
'Here I stand, here I stand. Look around, around, around, around, around...'
The singer finished the intro of the song and with one large pyrotechnical flash, which almost blinded me considering I was right next to the bloody thing, the four members rushed out onto the stage and kicked their set into full swing. I was mesmerised by it all - the lights, the sounds, the way they played their instruments so masterfully. Even the costumes they were wearing. It was unlike any concert I'd ever been to before - it was more like a theatrical production than anything else - and the atmosphere was indescribable. You could tell just by the way the boys presented themselves that they knew exactly what they were doing, and that they were completely in the zone. I knew that they were amazing musicians beforehand, but this really set it in stone.
The rest of the evening was unforgettable; each song more sensational than the last. I watched all of the band intently, noticing little quirks they all had as they ran about on stage, which only made me smile. Freddie using his mic stand as if it were a sword, John doing little dance moves here and there, Brian bending down and strumming his guitar dramatically before dashing off with his cape floating behind him. Even Roger, who was banging away on his drum-set with incredible speed, force but most importantly of all, skill.
My eyes wandered to him frequently during the show, as he sat there proudly on his platform near the back of the stage, showing off his talent and keeping the rest of the band in time. Watching him gave me a strange feeling of both wonderment and pride. He really was a fantastic drummer, there was no denying that, and I would happily watch him perform again and again.
When the show came to an end, there was a feeling of disappointment in the room. After what had truly been a night to remember, the band finished off their set with their own rendition of 'God Save the Queen', which everyone in the audience sang along to. With the band thanking the audience one last time and wishing us all a very Merry Christmas, they exited the stage, before the house lights came back on and people began to leave. Knowing this wasn't the end of the excitement for me, I had to figure out exactly how to get backstage, which was easier said than done. As I squeezed past fans whilst trying to get the the side of the stage, I was approached by a big, burly man who looked like he worked for either the band or the venue itself.
'Amelia Andrews?' he asked simply, as I stopped in my tracks.
'Yes, that's me.' I replied, my statement sounding more like a question than an answer as I was a bit startled that he knew my name.
'I've been asked to escort you backstage by the band,' he told me, 'You have a pass, I presume?'
'Oh, yes. Of course.' I said, a little flustered as I showed him the card on the end of the lanyard that was around my neck.
He nodded, 'Very good. Right, if you'd now like to follow me, I'll take you to their dressing room.'
Doing as instructed, I followed the man to a guarded entrance to the backstage area, as my nerves started to kick in. Passing by crew members who were rushing around packing up equipment, we walked along several narrow corridors until we reached a door with a sign saying 'Dressing Room 1' outside of it. Opening the door for me, I thanked the security guy before taking a deep breath and anxiously stepping inside.
The dressing room was just as crowded as the rest of the building; press, promoters, managers, fellow musicians and privileged fans drank and ate whilst conversing about the show. Feeling a little out of my depth, I didn't know where or who to turn to first, but luckily I was approached by a familiar face which quickly put my mind at ease.
'Amelia, you made it!' John came over, a glass of wine in hand, as he put his arm around me and gave me a hug.
I laughed, 'Of course I did, I wouldn't miss it for the world. You were absolutely amazing tonight, by the way. Undoubtedly the best concert I've ever been to. Oh, and I liked your funky moves on stage, too. Very suave!'
'Cheers! Glad someone noticed I've been working on them.' he told me as he gave me an example of one of his groovy dance moves, making me laugh. In the midst of my fit of giggles, I hadn't noticed a curly-haired guitarist had appeared at my side.
'Hello there, stranger. Long time no see.' he smiled down at me.
'Brian!' I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him and giving him a big hug, 'So great to see you. How are you?'
He nodded, 'I'm very well, Amelia, how are you? Did you enjoy the show?'
'I'm grand. And it was brilliant, Bri! Your guitar playing was beyond words.'
'Thank you.' he replied, modestly.
The three of us chatted for a couple of minutes, catching up on everything since June, until our conversation was interrupted when a certain singer came up behind me and poked my sides, making me almost jump out of my skin.
'Jesus Christ, Freddie! You almost gave me a heart attack!' I exasperated, placing a hand on my chest as I glared at the singer who was laughing at my reaction (and by the looks of things was already half pissed).
'You didn't think I'd allow you to have a little catch up with these two without saying hello to me, did you?' he winked at me.
'Apparently not,' I replied, before breaking into a smile and giving Freddie a hug, 'It's lovely to see you again, Freddie. You sounded amazing tonight, by the way.'
'Why, thank you, my darling,' he beamed, flicking his hair out of his eyes, 'I'm very glad that you were there to enjoy it.'
As I talked to the three band members, I couldn't help but glance around the room every so often in hope of spotting the missing drummer who was nowhere to be seen.
Freddie must have noticed this, as he put a hand on my shoulder and said in my ear so only I could hear him; 'If you're looking for Blondie, he's over by the buffet table.'
Thanking Freddie for his directions, I excused myself from the conversation and apprehensively made my way to the other side of the room, squeezing past people as I did. Sure enough, when I made it to the buffet table, there Roger was, standing with a drink and a cigarette in his hands as he talked to a man dressed as if he were of great importance. Roger, on the other hand, was dressed in velvet trousers and jacket with his shirt open at the top, looking jaw-droppingly handsome. I think I'd actually forgotten just how handsome he was until I'd seen him in person again.
Anyway, not wanting to be rude and barge in on their conversation in case it was a serious one, I waited for a moment, until the two men laughed which indicated that it was just a casual chat. Once I knew that, I found the courage to approach Roger and decided to greet him in a similar way to how Freddie greeted me. Slowly creeping up behind him, I stopped about half a meter away and tapped the drummer on the shoulder, waiting until he turned around and faced me.
'Hello, Roger.' I smiled up at him.
With his mouth half filled with food, Roger stood there and looked at me with complete and utter surprise on his face. He just stared at me, obviously not quite believing that I was stood in front of him until about ten seconds after I'd made my presence known.
'Lee?' he asked, almost so quiet I couldn't hear him. Nodding my head in reply and holding back laughter, he put his glass down and his cigarette in an ashtray, before a huge smile appeared on his face.
'Oh my god, I DON'T BELIEVE IT!' he exclaimed as he flung his arms around me and hugged me so enthusiastically he practically lifted me up off the ground, making me laugh, 'What on earth are you doing here? Why didn't anyone tell me you were coming?!'
'I met John out of the blue a fortnight ago,' I told him as we pulled back from our hug, but stayed holding onto each other, 'He gave me a ticket and a backstage pass so I could watch the show and come and see you afterwards. It was a surprise.'
He rolled his eyes chuckling, 'Typical. That lot are always keeping things from me.'
Still smiling like an idiot, Roger pulled me into another hug, gently swaying me from side to side as he rested his chin on the top of my head, 'I still can't believe you're here. I've missed you like crazy.'
'Likewise.' I replied, closing my eyes, feeling very at home in his arms. After a couple of seconds more in each other's embrace, we heard someone clear their throat, making the two of us retract. Standing there with a smile and an eyebrow raised, was the man Roger had been talking to before I'd intervened.
'Who's this, Rog?' the man asked him in a distinct Scottish accent.
'Oh, sorry, John. Forgot you were there,' he laughed nervously before turning to me, 'Amelia, this is John Reid, our new manager. John, this is Amelia. Her dad owns Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey.'
Extending my hand, I shook his with a smile, 'Pleasure to meet you.'
'As to you.' he replied kindly. Roger spoke to Mr. Reid for a minute or two more, finishing off their conversation, before he was approached by a journalist who wanted to talk to him about the success of the show. This meant that I now had Roger to myself, who was currently leant against the table and finishing off his drink.
'Are you wanting something to drink, Lee? There's plenty champagne going around.'
'Um...yeah, okay. Go on, then.'
Roger beckoned a man who was carrying a tray of champage flutes over, taking one for me and himself. Handing me a glass, I thanked him before taking a sip, knowing I had to stay relatively sober tonight as I had to drive down to my parents for Christmas tomorrow.
'Y'know, we're having an after-party at The May Fair later if you'd care to join us,' Roger told me, 'It's no big deal, it's just drinks and something to eat - kinda like right now but fancier and not in a dressing room. You'd be more than welcome to come along.'
I thought about it for a second, 'Yeah, why not? Free food and booze sounds alright to me.'
So I did, and pretty soon I found myself in the back of a private car with the band on my way to the heart of Kensington to continue what had already been a fabulous evening. When we arrived at the iconic hotel, I was taken aback by the splendour of it; the place being far too fancy for someone like me.
Everyone gathered in the lounge bar, where there was at least ten times the number of people there'd been back at the dressing room in the Odeon. It was much easier to talk to people in here too, as we weren't in such an enclosed space. I met a lot of people that night, as the band made an effort of introducing me to as many as they could - especially Freddie who had me shaking hands with virtually everyone in room. Surprisingly, a lot of them knew of my father, as they'd either visited Ridge Farm themselves or knew of people who had, showing what a small world we lived in.
Anyway, after a lot of conversing, and not to mention a lot of drinking, I excused myself from the room and headed outside to get some much needed fresh air. Stepping out the front door of the hotel and into the night, the cold winter breeze hit me like a wave as I buttoned up my coat to keep warm, whilst a dozen other people stood outside as well, chatting and smoking.
Walking a few steps along the dimly-lit pavement, I leant against the wall, rummaging through my pockets for my packet of Marlboro's, before taking one out and lighting it up. As I stood there with my cigarette in hand, I didn't notice a figure appear from the hotel doors, eventually noticing me and walking in my direction.
'I thought you were trying to quit?' the all-too-familiar voice stated. Turning my head, Roger's facial features appeared out of the darkness, illuminated by the street lights around us as he lit up a cigarette too.
'Well, I was. But I guess old habits die hard, don't they?' I said, taking a puff of my cigarette, 'Anyway, you're hardly one to judge - you're like a fucking chimney!'
Laughing, Roger leant against the wall beside me, 'Alright, I was only making an observation. No need for insults.'
'Well, if you're going to ask a stupid question you should expect a stupid answer.' I winked at him, the two of us chuckling as we stood there with the sound of the city and laughter from within the hotel ringing in our ears.
'So how have you enjoyed tonight?' Roger asked all of a sudden.
'It's been a wonderful evening,' I smiled at him, 'The concert. Seeing you lot again. I just wish we could have done it sooner.'
'Me too. But, at least we're here now,' the drummer replied, taking a drag from his cigarette. He then gave me a look of surprise, 'Hey, you're wearing the necklace I bought you!'
Having completely forgotten about that, I reached up and touched the charms on the end of the silver chain, 'Oh yeah. I'm always wearing it - it's one of my favourites actually. It was incredibly thoughtful of you. Thank you. Clever idea hiding it in the tack room, by the way.'
'I just thought 'where's the most obvious place she'll find it?' so the stable seemed like the wisest choice. And you're very welcome.'
There was a moment of silence between the two of us as we watched snowflakes beginning to fall from the sky, creating a white dust on the road in front of us. We stayed dry, however; hidden away underneath the overhang of the hotel entrance, but there was no doubt that the temperature had plummeted nonetheless.
Roger looked over at me again, 'Y'know, I've really missed you, Lee. Like, a lot. I'm sorry I had to leave you behind back at Ridge Farm.'
'Don't be silly, Rog, there's no need to apologise.' I gave his arm a gentle nudge, 'I missed you too. But even though we had to say goodbye for a while, it didn't stop us reuniting, did it?'
'Yeah, I suppose that's true,' he nodded, throwing the end his cigarette on the pavement and stamping it out before turning to face me, 'But I'm not going to let it happen again...'
I looked at him confused, putting my own cigarette out, 'What do you mean?'
It may have been dark outside, but I could see the nervousness in Roger's eyes as plain as day. He sighed, 'Look, if you don't want to, I'll totally understand. But...I was thinking about everything that's happened, especially what happened the day I left the farm, and I was wondering if perhaps...maybe...you'd like to go out with me? Y'know, officially. It doesn't have to be anything serious, we can just take it slow and see what happens. But only...if you want to, of course.'
It felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest as I couldn't hide the huge smile that was desperate to appear on my face, 'Roger, what are you talking about, you muppet?! Of course I'll go out with you!'
'Really?'
'Yes!' I giggled, 'Rog, meeting you was one of the best things to have happened to me in a long time. I think the world of you - of course I'm not going to say no. But I must make perfectly clear that I will not be taken for an idiot, alright? If you screw me over, believe me, you'll be in for a world of pain. Do I make myself crystal?'
Roger stared at me, slightly intimidated by my sudden change in tone, before nodding nervously, 'Cross my heart and hope to die.'
'Good...I know you won't, though,' I smiled, going back to my usual friendly self and pulling the blonde drummer into a tight hug, resting my head lightly against his shoulder.
As we stood in each other's embrace, the sound of Big Ben could be heard echoing across the city in the quiet of the night, especially being not very far away. Pulling back, I looked down at my wrist-watch to see the clock had struck midnight. Roger obviously knew this too as he smiled at me, his kind eyes locking with mine as we stood there, our faces just inches apart.
'Merry Christmas, Amelia.' he said softly.
I smiled up at him, 'Merry Christmas, Roger.'
With the clock tower chiming in the background and the snow falling all around us, we leant in slowly until Roger's warm lips met with mine, the two of us losing ourselves in a soft and tender kiss, giving me a wondrous feeling that was almost impossible to describe.
I knew at that moment, standing outside The May Fair Hotel, that this was where I wanted to be. Most people would say I was making a mistake, putting myself in the firing line of getting hurt. But as far as I could see it, I was starting a new chapter of my life, one including Roger, that I looked nothing but forward too. And at the end of day - what's life without taking a few risks, eh? Everyone's got to every now and then, it's what makes it so exciting.
And I guess that I was just a little bit more willing than others to take them.
THE END
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Hello everyone, hope you're all well! 💗
So that's it. This is the end of the book. I can't quite believe it myself, actually, I was getting rather emotional writing towards the end of this chapter to be honest. Omg I can finally put that little tick mark on my book now, haha!
I really don't know what to say to you all other than thank you. Thank you to every single person who has ever voted, commented and supported this story since I began writing it 7 or 8 months ago. Never did I think that so many people would enjoy, or even read, my writing. The comments you guys leave honestly melt my heart. I really hoped you enjoyed reading Summer of '75 as much as I enjoyed writing it, it's been truly a wonderful journey.
But the journey doesn't have to end here! Roger and Amelia may return one day in a sequel. I'm not sure how soon that will be, though, as I might work on other things for a while instead, after spending so much time on this. I hope you understand :-)
Once again, thank you for everything!
- Anna :-)
Completed 15/10/16