Paramour | 𝗥𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿

Chapter 24

"What time did you wanted to meet?", Grace asked Roger over the phone.

"Do you want to have lunch with me?", he asked as she was looking at her dresser.

"Sure, where?"

She went silent when her bedroom door opened slowly. Eliza was standing there, looking at her with a sad expression on her face. She wasn't listening to Roger anymore.

"I'll call you in a few, ok? Gotta go", Grace didn't even explain herself as she hung up. "Do you need something?", she didn't meant to be rude, but she wasn't sure if Eliza had a valid reason to be there.

"It's a lovely flat", Eliza simply said with a wry smile. Grace kept waiting for her to talk. "I think I need to explain what you saw the other day", she said.

Grace smiled and tapped her bed, where she sat a few seconds ago, inviting Eliza to seat beside her. "First of all, I think I overreacted there", she admitted. "It's just that a lot of things happened in 24 hours and I wasn't sure if I could handle it"

"Nah, it's okay", Eliza said and she looked at her friend. "You look better"

"Do I?", Grace snorted and Eliza nodded.

"You look happier"

A lot of things had happened the last few months. Meeting a rock band, managing it, falling for the drummer, the girlfriend thing, her inner fight, her family, etc. A paycheck worth a month for her managing services was given to her in the airport, where Reid had signed with a note glued to it saying 'No hard feelings'. And it saved her life, her mother's life too. It made her change.

"We got wasted one night", Eliza started telling her, after she went silent. "There's no feelings between us and we didn't fuck that night - we were touchy but we are good friends, you know? That fucking picture should've been destroyed, the writing in the back isn't even our handwriting, it was from the waitress that thought it was fucking funny"

"When did that even happen?", Grace furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding in what moment it happened.

"Of course you wouldn't notice it, you were too busy drooling all over Mr. Taylor", Eliza mocked her and as they laughed, she took the picture from her pocket and shattered it with her hands. "Things like these, risk too much... there are things that are better unknown"

"I'm sorry, Lilibeth", Grace asked while sharing a meaning look with her best friend.

"No, I'm sorry Gracie poo", the blonde girl said while sharing a hug with the brunette. "I love you"

"I love you too", she said and after a few seconds, she remembered she had to call Roger back.

At lunchtime, Roger was waiting for Grace on a restaurant she decided they would meet. He had his sunglasses on as he sipped on a glass of water, he was thirsty after having a cigarette and he turned around to ask the waitress for another glass of it.

"Sorry I'm late!", Grace appeared and it seemed that she ran to get there. As soon as Roger saw her, he smiled brightly and stood up to embrace her.

"You're not late", he said with a smile as he kissed her cheek. "C'mon, I'm sure you're hungry"

After ordering food and drinks, Roger took something from his coat pocket and handed it to Grace that was also drinking a glass of water. "What's this?"

"Freddie's organizing a New Years Party at his place", he said while looking closely how she looked at the envelope. It was a very elegant one, she opened it and it read: 'You're invited to Freddie Mercury's New Years Party at his 12 Stafford Terrace home...', suddenly Roger said: "Did you know I live a few houses away from him?", he asked as she blinked repeatedly.

"Really?", she smiled.

"I can show you where we live after we eat", he said with a cheeky smile. She smiled widely too, he wanted to spend time with her. "Maybe then we could visit Kensington High Street and do some sightseeing..."

"Where are you from?", Grace asked suddenly, interrupting him.

"Cornwall... why do you ask?"

"How long have you been living in London?"

"Ten years I think, why?"

"Where?"

"Here, at Kensington...", he couldn't understand why she was asking all those things.

"Then I guess I have a perfect tour guide", she said with a bright smile as Roger sighed in relief. He was getting scared of all those questions.

After lunch, Roger guided Grace to his car and drove to his house. She gasped at the sight of a beautiful house in Phillimore Gardens, between that Holland Park and Hyde Park. He was living in a posh neighbourhood. He parked right in front of his house. "So, this is 21 Phillimore Gardens and now, we shall walk to Freddie's house if you feel like paying him a visit", he said while taking her hand.

"Will he be home?", Grace asked as they crossed the street.

"At his time, I'm sure he'll be", Roger smiled and they didn't walked much until they were in front of Freddie's house.

Freddie opened the door and Grace smiled at the sight of him in a silk robe.

"Gracie!", he said, happy to see her. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was just showing her around", Roger said as they were getting in.

"Good thing you caught me when I was without company, then", Freddie cheekily said. "Mary said she'd be coming at three, but I'm sure she might come later than expected...", he said as Grace looked his home in awe. It was all perfectly organized and a wall piano was the first thing she saw. As she let Roger's hand go, she felt the impulse to press a key or two as Freddie walked around his house blabbering about people she didn't knew.

"I wanted to spend the day with her, where do you suggest I could take her?", Roger asked Freddie as he noticed Grace was mesmerized in watching Freddie's home decor.

"You could take her to a dumpsite and she'd still fancy you", Freddie rolled his eyes as Roger shook his head laughing.

An hour later, Grace had a long chat with Freddie about the upcoming leg of the tour where she would be handling things - since now, the one handling basic tour stuff was Jim Beach, she would be meeting him in the first week of January - and how she was now the sole responsible for them.

Now, Roger and Grace were leaving and she only followed him as he was talking about the band. He was telling her that ten years ago, he came from Cornwall, wanting to be a dentist, but ended up having a biology degree and becoming Queen's drummer. He was telling her how he had always known that he was destined to great things.

"You're great now", she said, blinking repeatedly as they entered Hyde Park.

"I could be greater", he simply said while pulling her closer. It was cold, but it was nice walking around and talking with her.

"I would like it to let you see yourself the way everybody else sees you", she said while hugging his waist.

"I only care about how you see me", he mumbled while kissing her temple.

"Even better! You'd see how wonderful you are", she smiled brightly before pecking his lips.

Roger looked at her and the way the sun rays hit her face, made her look even more beautiful. Her cheeks were rosy because of the cold and her smile could lit up his entire world in just a few seconds. His eyebrows raised as he realized the way he truly felt about her. He wanted to freeze that moment, memorize her face and whenever she was away, he would only close his eyes and see her.

It took his breath away how fond of her he was. How needy he was of her.

"Thank you for giving us a chance, Grace", he said, smiling back at her.