August 13th, 1971
Running water was the
first thing I heard when I woke up. Neither of us had slept much, but I
would have gladly spent all night awake to comfort Cameron.
I sat up and stretched, my mind returning to last night. He’d been riddled with guilt when I managed to pry his feelings out, but I would have been lying if I’d told him I didn’t feel the same at times. It tore my heart to see him so hurt, still pained for our loss nearly one year after the Rotterdam concert.
I had comforted him well into the night, until we eventually succumbed to sleep as the sun rose. It was now just past ten o’clock, and I was sure that Cameron felt much more exhausted than I did.
I walked into the bathroom and poked my head behind the shower curtain. “Good morning, my sweet,” I cooed.
Cameron turned to face me. “Good morning, my beautiful,” he replied. The smile on his face was refreshing to see.
“Got room for company?” I asked, though I didn’t wait for an answer before lifting my nightshirt over my head and tossing it to the floor.
Cameron looked me over with a cheeky smile. “I suppose I can make room,” he teased.
I laughed as I stepped into the tub and wet my hair. Cameron put his hands on my waist and held me in his firm grip. I closed my eyes and let the water pour over me.
“What do you want for your birthday?” he asked.
I opened my eyes. “You.”
“You already have me, Emily,” he reminded me with a shy smile.
I hummed, exaggerating my thought process. “How about you, but guilt-free and happy?”
Cameron’s expression became bashful and his eyes flashed downwards. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he murmured.
“You didn’t. Not in a bad way,” I assured him. “I’ll always be upset when you’re upset, but I’d rather be hurting with you than blissfully unaware.”
Cameron’s shy smile returned. “You must really love me.”
I replied in mock shame. “If you’re only realizing that now, I must be doing something wrong.”
Cameron had left around eleven to meet up with the rest of the band, as they had a lunch time radio interview at the leading rock radio station downtown. I wished him luck, and reminded him to ask the others if they had any letters to mail.
I knew that Lee would have a letter for my sister; he’d asked her permission to write to her before we’d left Scotland a week ago. I had my own letter for Liliane to write, so after having sketched for a while, I sat at the small table in the room and set to work with the hotel stationery.
Lil,
I hope you’re keeping well. Right now, we’re in Chicago. I’m writing this from the hotel, the guys are at a radio station doing an interview to promote tonight’s show. It’s a little weird to be touring again, it’s been ten months since the last one ended.
Have you heard the album yet? I think it’ll be out by the time you get this in the mail. I won’t ruin your first listen, but it’s really good! It reminds me of… absolutely nothing I’ve ever heard before!
We’re doing good, though, and I hope you are too. We’ll be in Atlanta on my birthday, so it’ll be fun to see how we’ll celebrate it. I’ve told Cameron I don’t want anything special, but I doubt he’ll listen!
Ah, Cameron just came back from the interview. I’ll write to you again in a few days. Keep safe, sister.
Love, Emily
I put the pen down and folded the letter just as Cameron placed two envelopes in front of me.
“One is Colin’s,” he explained, “and the other is Lee’s for your sister.”
Colin’s letter was already sealed, and addressed to AJ Dunn. The name, as well as the California address below it, confused me but I dismissed the thought and picked up the second envelope. I slid my letter in beside Lee’s and sealed it, then wrote my sister’s address on the front.
“Not even a little curious about Lee’s letter?” Cameron asked mischievously.
“Immensely,” I answered. “Too much for my own good. Do you know what it says?”
Cameron shook his head. “No.”
I shrugged despite the sly grin on my face. “I’m sure if it’s particularly unseemly, she’ll tell me next time I call.”
Having dropped the letters off at the post office, I headed to the venue and showed my backstage pass to the security guard standing at the loading door. He let me through and was nice enough to give me the directions to where the band would be, which I followed dutifully.
I saw Dale first, who greeted me when I walked up to the drinks table. I’d barely spoken a sentence to him when Colin strode up to me as I poured myself a drink and politely interjected himself into the conversation.
“Have you dropped off the post?” he asked hastily.
“The letters? I just came from the post office, yes.”
“That’s good,” Colin breathed in relief. “Do I owe you for it?”
“Not at all,” I assured him. “It didn’t cost more than fifty cents for yours and mine together.”
“You’re sure?”
I took a sip of my drink and nodded. “You can put the thirteen cents on your tab,” I told him with a wink. “Though, I do have a question. Who’s AJ Dunn?”
“My friend in Liverpool,” he answered.
“Who’s in San Fernando?” I retorted.
“Staying with relatives,” Colin explained. “Worldly travel has never hurt, has it?” he added rhetorically.
I agreed with him, and then a thought came to mind. “Have you thought about inviting them to the festival? Lancaster isn’t too far from San Fernando,” I added.
“I hadn’t,” he admitted. “Though I think Jo would enjoy it.”
I flashed him a smile and shrugged. “I’m sure Cameron could help arrange something.”
Colin thanked me for the advice, and went off in search of Cameron. I wondered how much time was left before the show would begin, and though I couldn’t spot a clock anywhere, I knew it wouldn’t be long. The opening band, one who would be with us for another week, had just exited the stage and entered the backstage area.
I meandered about for a few minutes, watching everyone in their various activities. Most of them were drinking or chatting, and a few were sitting next to women. Including myself, there were five women backstage but I was the only one given any semblance of respect. I was with Cameron, and that by itself was enough for everyone to be polite and friendly to me.
Lee was the next person to approach me, and I smiled at him when he greeted me.
“Hey, how did the interview go?” I asked curiously.
“Very well,” Lee answered. “I think it served its purpose, there’s quite a crowd here tonight.”
I nodded in agreement. “If you handled Detroit, you can handle Chicago,” I said with a wink. He chuckled, but twisted his hands as if nervous. “Everything okay, Lee?”
He sighed, and beckoned me to follow him. We walked to a small table nearby and sat down facing each other. “Do you think she was just pacifying me?” he blurted.
“Who?”
“Liliane,” he explained. “About sending letters to her.”
A small smile crossed my face. “You really care about her,” I noted.
“I do. I don’t know what to do with it all,” he added with a dry laugh. “I’m just worried about… being a bother, I suppose.”
“You shouldn’t be,” I told him sincerely. “Lil is a strong woman. She learned how to be independent to avoid pain. But she isn’t stupid, and she wouldn’t string you along just for the fun of it.”
Lee pondered my words for a moment in silence.
“I like the French saying better,” I told him, before telling it to him. “If you take it literally, it means that they wouldn’t encourage false expectations. And I know that she wouldn’t do that to you.”
Lee gave me a shy smile. “You didn’t read the letter, did you?” he asked, with slight worry in his voice.
“No, not at all. I put my letter in the envelope with yours and sealed it.”
He nodded, and a grin appeared on his face. “Thank you, Emily. Really,” he emphasized. “Last summer you came out of the woods and into our lives, and you brought such good things with you.”
I sat up and stretched, my mind returning to last night. He’d been riddled with guilt when I managed to pry his feelings out, but I would have been lying if I’d told him I didn’t feel the same at times. It tore my heart to see him so hurt, still pained for our loss nearly one year after the Rotterdam concert.
I had comforted him well into the night, until we eventually succumbed to sleep as the sun rose. It was now just past ten o’clock, and I was sure that Cameron felt much more exhausted than I did.
I walked into the bathroom and poked my head behind the shower curtain. “Good morning, my sweet,” I cooed.
Cameron turned to face me. “Good morning, my beautiful,” he replied. The smile on his face was refreshing to see.
“Got room for company?” I asked, though I didn’t wait for an answer before lifting my nightshirt over my head and tossing it to the floor.
Cameron looked me over with a cheeky smile. “I suppose I can make room,” he teased.
I laughed as I stepped into the tub and wet my hair. Cameron put his hands on my waist and held me in his firm grip. I closed my eyes and let the water pour over me.
“What do you want for your birthday?” he asked.
I opened my eyes. “You.”
“You already have me, Emily,” he reminded me with a shy smile.
I hummed, exaggerating my thought process. “How about you, but guilt-free and happy?”
Cameron’s expression became bashful and his eyes flashed downwards. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he murmured.
“You didn’t. Not in a bad way,” I assured him. “I’ll always be upset when you’re upset, but I’d rather be hurting with you than blissfully unaware.”
Cameron’s shy smile returned. “You must really love me.”
I replied in mock shame. “If you’re only realizing that now, I must be doing something wrong.”
Cameron had left around eleven to meet up with the rest of the band, as they had a lunch time radio interview at the leading rock radio station downtown. I wished him luck, and reminded him to ask the others if they had any letters to mail.
I knew that Lee would have a letter for my sister; he’d asked her permission to write to her before we’d left Scotland a week ago. I had my own letter for Liliane to write, so after having sketched for a while, I sat at the small table in the room and set to work with the hotel stationery.
Lil,
I hope you’re keeping well. Right now, we’re in Chicago. I’m writing this from the hotel, the guys are at a radio station doing an interview to promote tonight’s show. It’s a little weird to be touring again, it’s been ten months since the last one ended.
Have you heard the album yet? I think it’ll be out by the time you get this in the mail. I won’t ruin your first listen, but it’s really good! It reminds me of… absolutely nothing I’ve ever heard before!
We’re doing good, though, and I hope you are too. We’ll be in Atlanta on my birthday, so it’ll be fun to see how we’ll celebrate it. I’ve told Cameron I don’t want anything special, but I doubt he’ll listen!
The door opened, and Cameron entered the room. “I arrive bearing messages,” he announced.
“Great,” I responded. “I’m just finishing up mine.” Ah, Cameron just came back from the interview. I’ll write to you again in a few days. Keep safe, sister.
Love, Emily
I put the pen down and folded the letter just as Cameron placed two envelopes in front of me.
“One is Colin’s,” he explained, “and the other is Lee’s for your sister.”
Colin’s letter was already sealed, and addressed to AJ Dunn. The name, as well as the California address below it, confused me but I dismissed the thought and picked up the second envelope. I slid my letter in beside Lee’s and sealed it, then wrote my sister’s address on the front.
“Not even a little curious about Lee’s letter?” Cameron asked mischievously.
“Immensely,” I answered. “Too much for my own good. Do you know what it says?”
Cameron shook his head. “No.”
I shrugged despite the sly grin on my face. “I’m sure if it’s particularly unseemly, she’ll tell me next time I call.”
Having dropped the letters off at the post office, I headed to the venue and showed my backstage pass to the security guard standing at the loading door. He let me through and was nice enough to give me the directions to where the band would be, which I followed dutifully.
I saw Dale first, who greeted me when I walked up to the drinks table. I’d barely spoken a sentence to him when Colin strode up to me as I poured myself a drink and politely interjected himself into the conversation.
“Have you dropped off the post?” he asked hastily.
“The letters? I just came from the post office, yes.”
“That’s good,” Colin breathed in relief. “Do I owe you for it?”
“Not at all,” I assured him. “It didn’t cost more than fifty cents for yours and mine together.”
“You’re sure?”
I took a sip of my drink and nodded. “You can put the thirteen cents on your tab,” I told him with a wink. “Though, I do have a question. Who’s AJ Dunn?”
“My friend in Liverpool,” he answered.
“Who’s in San Fernando?” I retorted.
“Staying with relatives,” Colin explained. “Worldly travel has never hurt, has it?” he added rhetorically.
I agreed with him, and then a thought came to mind. “Have you thought about inviting them to the festival? Lancaster isn’t too far from San Fernando,” I added.
“I hadn’t,” he admitted. “Though I think Jo would enjoy it.”
I flashed him a smile and shrugged. “I’m sure Cameron could help arrange something.”
Colin thanked me for the advice, and went off in search of Cameron. I wondered how much time was left before the show would begin, and though I couldn’t spot a clock anywhere, I knew it wouldn’t be long. The opening band, one who would be with us for another week, had just exited the stage and entered the backstage area.
I meandered about for a few minutes, watching everyone in their various activities. Most of them were drinking or chatting, and a few were sitting next to women. Including myself, there were five women backstage but I was the only one given any semblance of respect. I was with Cameron, and that by itself was enough for everyone to be polite and friendly to me.
Lee was the next person to approach me, and I smiled at him when he greeted me.
“Hey, how did the interview go?” I asked curiously.
“Very well,” Lee answered. “I think it served its purpose, there’s quite a crowd here tonight.”
I nodded in agreement. “If you handled Detroit, you can handle Chicago,” I said with a wink. He chuckled, but twisted his hands as if nervous. “Everything okay, Lee?”
He sighed, and beckoned me to follow him. We walked to a small table nearby and sat down facing each other. “Do you think she was just pacifying me?” he blurted.
“Who?”
“Liliane,” he explained. “About sending letters to her.”
A small smile crossed my face. “You really care about her,” I noted.
“I do. I don’t know what to do with it all,” he added with a dry laugh. “I’m just worried about… being a bother, I suppose.”
“You shouldn’t be,” I told him sincerely. “Lil is a strong woman. She learned how to be independent to avoid pain. But she isn’t stupid, and she wouldn’t string you along just for the fun of it.”
Lee pondered my words for a moment in silence.
“I like the French saying better,” I told him, before telling it to him. “If you take it literally, it means that they wouldn’t encourage false expectations. And I know that she wouldn’t do that to you.”
Lee gave me a shy smile. “You didn’t read the letter, did you?” he asked, with slight worry in his voice.
“No, not at all. I put my letter in the envelope with yours and sealed it.”
He nodded, and a grin appeared on his face. “Thank you, Emily. Really,” he emphasized. “Last summer you came out of the woods and into our lives, and you brought such good things with you.”
The communication is flowing so well! Really enjoying this story.
ReplyDelete