1971
Dear Addy,
Firstly, congratulations on graduating! The boys and I are so proud of you, and Freddie asked me to let you know that he thought you looked radiant in the photo you sent. The band's been doing well, though we're all missing our moral support and number one fan. We haven't heard from Tim lately, so I couldn't tell you if the Band That Shall Not Be Named is making it, but we're all hoping life is treating him well.
Judging by the schedule you sent me with your last letter, I think it's a good time to tell you that we've scraped together enough money to fly you back over for a bit. It's been a lonely year without you, and we want you to see just how far we've come. I'm sorry this letter's so short, but everything I want to say would make it twelve feet long. I hope to see you, soon, and so do the others.
All the Universe,
Brian
"You're sure you gave her the right address, Roger?"
"Yes, Brian, I'm sure. You're so paranoid."
The two men were sitting just outside a small coffee shop, the one they first brought Addy to the previous year. Both of them were looking around, just waiting to spot their friend. Brian was bouncing his leg under the table, and Roger was drumming his fingers on the table top. But when he lifted his head, he spotted Addy not too far down the sidewalk, and she waved at him. He saw her put a finger to her lips, and with a small smile, he watched as she came up behind Brian and covered his eyes.
"Guess who!" she laughed, and Brian set his hands over hers. He moved them from his eyes, gave them a squeeze, and let go so she could wrap her arms around his neck in a hug.
"Addy! It's so good to see you again," Brian said, holding onto her arms gently.
"It's good to see you, too," she said, pressed a kiss to his cheek. She then let go of Brian and walked over to Roger, who stood from his seat and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Hey, Addy. How've you been?" he asked, then kissed both of her cheeks as she did the same to him.
"I've been well, Rog. And you?" she asked, smiling up at him.
"Never better," he said, giving her another squeeze. He smiled when she giggled, and the way she looked up at him nearly melted his heart. There was a certain sparkle in her eye that he'd missed a lot more than he'd ever thought he would.
"Where are the other boys? I'd love to catch up with them, too," she said, keeping her arms around Roger.
"We're actually going to go pick them up for tonight's show. But we're definitely gonna be a little late if we don't get a move on," Brian said, looking at his watch.
"Right. You remember where you sit, Addy?" Roger teased, nudging her arm gently.
"It's been so long, I might need help," she said, and the three of them laughed. Then, to her surprise, Roger scooped her up into his arms, and he carried a laughing Addy over to the van, with Brian walking beside him.
After John and Freddie had gotten comfortable in the backseat with Addy, the group was off down the street. The ride was enjoyable, with radio sing alongs and many questions for Adeline. Her stories of her time back home carried them all the way to the countryside, but the merriment was cut short due to an odd clunking sound within the van. Slowly, they puttered to a stop on the side of the road, and immediately, they all climbed out.
"Not again!" Roger groaned, hitting the side of the van with a closed fist.
"Again?" Adeline asked.
"I'll get the tools," John muttered, walking around to the back of the van. He came back with a few items Adeline couldn't identify, and he crouched down by the tire. Meanwhile, Roger had gotten his sandwich from the front seat, and Freddie was leaning against the side of the van, the newspaper in hand.
"This is bollocks!" Roger called from across the street. Addy rolled her eyes and hopped up onto the hood of the van, swinging her legs ever so slightly.
"It's counterclockwise, I think you'll find, John," Brian suggested, and a grunting John paused and looked back at him.
"Oh, is it? Thank you, Brian. Would you like to do it? Please, feel free," he countered, and Brian held his hands up.
"No, no, no, you're doing a good job."
"We sold out every pub and uni south of Glasgow, and I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere, eating a ham sandwich!" Roger said, walking over to the group.
"And not sharing," Adeline pointed out, and he opened his mouth to argue when Freddie spoke up.
"Trouble is, we're just not thinking big enough," he said, and Brian raised his eyebrows.
"What've you got in mind, Fred?"
"An album."
"We can't afford an album," John said, setting a hand on his hip as he leaned against the van.
"Oh, we'll find a way," Freddie muttered. "how much do you think we can get for this van?" he asked, and Adeline's eyes widened. She and Brian shared a look, and Brian turned to look at Roger.
"I hope you're joking."
***
"He wasn't joking."
Adeline, along with Roger, Brian, and John watched as a man slapped a wad of money into Freddie's hand.
"Rog, calm down —" Brian started, but Roger cut him off.
"I will not calm down! That's my van we've just sold!"
"Roger, you had the chance to say no, and you didn't. You want this, too," Adeline said, crossing her arms over her chest. Roger remained silent, much to her surprise, and he watched Freddie count out the money.
"I might as well go make sure we've got everything out of the back. Come help, Addy?" he asked, setting a hand on her shoulder.
"Since you asked so nicely, and I wanna make sure you don't damage it," she said, and after giving Brian's hand a reassuring squeeze, she left with Roger out to the van.
"I can't believe I agreed to this," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"That makes two of us," Addy said, pushing open the door with her hip. She watched Roger fumble with his keys before unlocking the back two doors of the van. He threw them open as hard as he could, and Adeline grabbed his arm before he could really lose his temper.
"Rog! Calm down!" she said, looking up at him. He looked back down at her, his chest heaving with every breath he took. Slowly, she released his arm from her grip, and within seconds, his hands were cupping her face, and his lips were pressed firmly against hers. Adeline gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him closer, gasping when the backs of her legs hit the edge of the van. One of Roger's hands left her face and ran down her side, lifting her up slightly so she was sitting on the floor of the van. She wrapped her legs around his waist, effectively pulling him closer to her body. She felt him lift her up again ever so slightly, and then her back was flat on the floor of the van, with him hovering over her. They parted for only a moment, allowing Roger to shrug off his jacket, before their lips connected once more. Her hands went to his hair as his ran down her sides, stopping at her hips. He hooked his index fingers in her belt loops, but her hands left his hair and gripped his wrists instead. He pulled back from her again, taking a deep breath as he looked down at her.
"I just had to do that at least once," he murmured, letting his fingers trail up and down her sides.
"Kiss me? Because you did that last year," she whispered back, looking up at him.
"Not just kiss you, but kiss you in the back of the van. Been thinkin' about it for a long time," he said, a small smirk on his lips. She rolled her eyes and cupped his face, letting her thumb trace over his cheek.
"How romantic, Rog," she said, and he laughed.
"Mhm."
He slowly got up, then extended his hand to her. He pulled her back out of the van, grabbed his jacket, and then pulled a few other things to the edge of the van.
"We gotta make it look like good," he said, nudging her arm.
"Good plan," she teased, lifting a box into her arms. Roger followed suit, and they both closed the doors to the back.
"What, did you two get lost?" Brian asked as they made their way back inside.
"Not at all. Roger's just a hoarder," Adeline said, looking up at her friend. He nodded, casting a glance at Roger.
"How're we gonna get this stuff back home if I don't have my damn van?" he asked, huffing quietly. Freddie chuckled, then slapped a few notes into Brian's hand.
"Call a cab on me, darling."
"Gee, thanks, Fred," Roger muttered, and he turned back to Brian.
"So? What's the deal? Please tell me that for the low, low price of my van, we'll be getting to record something," Roger said.
"Soon, darling," Freddie said with a smile. "so very soon."