Ballad of Flavia & Sarah: Bridge

This is part 3/6 of "The Ballad of Flavia and Sarah".

Many thanks to

DawnDuckie

for editing this story.

Sarah pressed the last skirt into her suitcase as hard as she could, but it wouldn't fit. Giving up, she hung it back up in her wardrobe, then zipped up the green case and placed it on the floor. Her packing complete, she headed downstairs and made tea for her mum.

When she handed over the drink, her mum looked up from watching the television. "All set then?"

Sarah sat next to her on the sofa. "Yes. A three day tour isn't much, but it means a lot to us."

Her mum turned back to the television. "Well, I hope it works out for you. Now you've left school, you've got to start earning money."

Sarah took a sip of her scalding tea. "I know, but it's just small clubs to build the band's reputation, and between van rental, petrol and hotels, we'll lose a bit of money." She took a deep breath, readying herself to discuss something more important. "You know I've been seeing someone?"

"Your fancy man? I know almost nothing about him, and you've been dating for months. Have you split up again?"

"No. Quite the opposite -- things are going really well. And when I come back, I think you should meet."

"So I finally get to meet him. I thought you were ashamed of me."

"Of course not. But there's a couple of things you should know." Her mum turned back to the television. "He's a she."

Angry eyes stared into hers. "A girl? Oh Sarah, how could you? Now I see why you've kept it secret all this time -- you're ashamed of her, and what you've become."

"Not at all. I couldn't be happier with her, and I was just worried about how you'd react."

"You know the Bible's clear that what you're doing is sinful?"

"I'm not sure that's true. What exactly does it say?"

Her mum huffed. "I don't remember the whole book; it's huge. But--" Her finger rose to point at Sarah. "--it's wrong. Unnatural."

"Love is not unnatural." Her heart beat faster. "And there's something else you should know about Flavia; she's a couple of years older than you."

"I knew no good would come of you joining a Rock and Roll band. I warned you. But would you listen? And now you're going through a phase with females. I should never have let you play football as a child."

"Football? What's that got to do with it?"

"It's a boys' sport. If you hadn't played it, maybe you'd be attracted to boys like you're meant to be."

Sarah stood and picked up her mug. "Enjoy your tea; I'm going to my room. You're not going to talk me out of this. She means too much to me."

"I'll pray for you."

🎤

Sarah lay on her bed and video called Flavia, who answered almost immediately.

"Hi,

innamorata

. I just finished tea with Marie. Are you excited about tomorrow?"

"Yes, all set. I keep getting texts from the other girls; we're all nervous."

Flavia sat in her armchair. "I'm sure it'll go well. You remember our video chat with your father? Well, I had a separate one with him today."

"And?"

"He's fine with me being a woman, which isn't surprising. But he's worried about the age gap. I did my best to reassure him and let him know I'd always do what's best for you. I can't blame him for being worried; if Marie was dating a man my age, I'd have kittens."

"But he wasn't furious? He's been distant when I've spoken to him."

Flavia shrugged. "He understands falling in love with the wrong person. He loves you and doesn't want to see you hurt or making a mistake. But he can see that we're committed, and he's going to give me a chance to show I'll be good to you. He told me he'd come down here and kick my arse if I hurt you."

"He didn't? I've never heard him threaten violence, or even use a word like 'arse'."

"Oh, he did. And I told him that if I did hurt you, I'd gladly let him kick my arse. How about you? Did you chicken out of telling your mum again?"

"No, I did it! I came out to her."

"Good for you; I'm so proud. How did she take it?"

"Terribly."

"Not so good for you."

"She thinks I'm going through a phase, and she's praying for me. She'll probably get the church to pray for my soul. On the other hand, she didn't seem at all bothered about your age."

"The opposite of your dad then. Maybe she'll come round in time."

"Maybe. Perhaps I shouldn't have told her."

"Sarah, you are what you are, and shouldn't have to hide it from your loved ones."

"Have you told your mother yet?"

"It's not the sort of thing I can do over a phone. Next time I'm in Rome I will."

"OK." Sarah stared at Flavia's face. "I'm going to miss you while I'm away."

Flavia laughed. "We don't see each other much during the week anyway, and with Marie home for the summer, I don't think I should have you over at weekends. Honestly, I feel like a teenager, sneaking around trying to find a way to see my girlfriend. But we'll talk on the phone every night. And I'll miss you too."

"Take care."

After hanging up, Sarah had trouble sleeping. Her thoughts were on the tour, and her mum, and her dad. And Flavia. They'd been dating for months, but neither had told the other she loved her. Sarah felt deep love for the older woman, but was afraid to tell her after what had happened with Lena. And though Flavia was affectionate, she'd never put it into words. Was that normal in a relationship?

🎤

Sarah and the rest of the band climbed out of their transit van, stretching their cramped limbs under the bright sun. Georgina led them into the Travelodge, where she had two rooms booked. Keys in hand, they fetched their bags and found the rooms, clean but plain, a pair of twin beds in each.

Georgina said, "Right, so me and Kira in this one, the rest of you in the other."

"What?" said Daniella. "Why do you get to have just two to a room?"

Georgina flushed red, but Kira spoke up. "We're gonna work on new songs, so we need to be in the same room."

Bethany said, "Well, I'm not sharing a single bed. Let the two lesbians have it."

"Thanks," said Sarah. "Let's get unpacked, then check out the venue."

"One other thing," said Georgina. "We've only paid for four people, so someone's not going to breakfast tomorrow."

🎤

The crowd gathered in the dark club, chatting and drinking as the speakers boomed out rock music. Peering from behind the curtains, the girls' nervousness was a growing and almost palpable presence.

"There's a lot of people," said Daniella.

"Nah," said Bethany, "it's not that big a place. Just bigger than the pubs we're used to playing."

Georgina said, "It's bigger than the Cavern Club."

"How big's the Cavern Club?" asked Kira.

Georgina shrugged. "Dunno. But I'd guess it's smaller.

Their chatter was halted when the music cut out and an announcement through the PA introduced them. They walked out onto a stage lit by many colourful lights, staring at the sea of expectant faces.

Daniella whispered to Sarah, "What's the Cavern Club?"

"Huh? Oh, I'll tell you after."

Taking their places, Sarah envied Daniella her place at the back, with a drum kit in front of her. Sarah was in front with just a mic stand. But Daniella kicked them off with the drum roll to begin

I Want Your Love

, and the rest of the band joined in. It wasn't long before Sarah added her own pleading vocals.

And the crowd loved it! They jumped around and joined in with the chorus. By the time they'd hit their third track and Sarah introduced the band, there was a party mood, and things flowed smoothly. Even

Silent Tears

went down well, though Sarah doubted many there had heard it before.

🎤

"Flavia?" said Sarah into her phone as the older woman's face came visible. "The first night went amazingly. They cheered for encores until we ran out of songs. We even played

Take a Chance on Us

."

"I'm so happy for you. I told you the tour would go well. Wait -- who was that?"

Sarah looked behind her, to see that Bethany had walked past naked on her way from the shower to her bed. "Bethany, do you mind? I'm talking to Flavia on video chat."

Stepping into her pyjamas, Bethany said, "Lighten up. I probably gave your girlfriend a thrill. You should be thanking me."

Turning back to the phone, Sarah said, "Sorry about that. The fun of sharing a room, huh?"

"All part of the wannabe rock star life,

innamorata

. So which of you got the spare room?"

"We only got two rooms. Daniella's sharing with us."

At that point, Daniella walked by, waving hello to Flavia.

"So you got a triple?"

"Double. I'm sharing a bed with Daniella."

"A double bed?"

"A single. I swear, there's nothing to it. But if you want, I could--"

"Sweetheart? I trust you. I think you might be in for an uncomfortable night, but I trust you. Have you spoken to your mother?"

"Yeah. She's no happier, but she's realising that I'm going to see you with or without her blessing. How do you feel about lunch at my house next Wednesday?"

"I have plans, but I'll move them. My girlfriend's far more important."

They chatted a while longer, Sarah telling all the details of her day, and Flavia talking about working with an architect on the pub extension, with a big planning meeting in a couple of days time with the council.

Finally, Sarah found herself yawning. "I'd better go to bed. I miss you. Just two nights to go."

"I miss you too,

innamorata

."

After she hung up, Bethany said, "Ahhh, so sweet. But why didn't you tell your girlfriend you love her?"

Laughing, Sarah threw a pillow at her, and was proud to hit her right on her face.

Not long after, they went to bed. They couldn't afford the rock lifestyle of drinking and partying. Flavia was right about one thing: sharing a single bed with Daniella was uncomfortable, with almost no room to move, their bodies jammed against each other. It was nothing like sharing a bed with Flavia. And she hadn't realised Daniella snored.

🎤

Sarah woke feeling grumpy and sore. The three dressed quickly, wanting to get down before breakfast finished. They knocked on Georgina and Kira's door, to hear some hurried sounds of movement.

Poking her head around the door, Georgina said, "What's up?"

"Breakfast. You'd best hurry not to miss it," said Daniella.

After Georgina opened the door they entered, to see Georgina and Kira scurrying to get dressed.

Sarah said, "Why's that bed been made?" Her voice was huskier than usual.

Kira stared at it red-faced while she put on her bra. "I always make my bed when I've finished sleeping in it."

Bethany said, "We're leaving this town today, so they'll clean the bedding. For someone who left getting dressed till the last moment, you seem to have wasted time on something pointless."

Sarah said, "Any luck with the new songs?"

"New songs?" said Georgina.

"That's why you two got a room together. Did you manage to write any?"

"Right. We tried, but nothing seemed to work out. Maybe tonight."

Sarah agreed to stay in the room during breakfast, since they'd only paid for four people. Bethany managed to smuggle some rolls from the buffet, and she ate those with a cup of tea. It hurt to swallow the hard bread.

🎤

After a day of wandering round a dreary park filled with vagrants and junkies, then watching a not-funny-at-all comedy at a cinema,

The Unnamed Band

were ready to rock another town. The venue was smaller than the previous night's, so confidence was high. Sarah's voice had begun to hurt all the time, but she'd drunk plenty of water, and quite liked the raspy edge when she spoke.

With far less nerves this time, they went onto the stage. The first three songs went well, and it seemed they had another success on their hands. But then Sarah's voice began to croak, and she found it hard to hit the right notes, coming in squeaky and sharp.

Kira and Georgina helped out, taking on vocal duties while Sarah dropping back to being a backing singer. But neither Kira nor Georgina had the powerful voice or stage presence of a lead singer, and they struggled to play their instruments while singing. The crowd's intensity dropped and never recovered, even when the band pushed out their covers of classic anthems.

🎤

"Sarah? You sound awful."

Sarah gazed at Flavia's beautiful face on her phone; that always cheered her up. "I feel pretty awful too. My voice gave out and we didn't sound great."

"Oh, sweetheart. You can't go on tomorrow then."

"What? The show must go on."

"You want to be a singer, and your voice is your most important asset. I think it would be a bad idea to sing until you've recovered. You should see a doctor."

"But it's just one more night. Are you saying you won't allow me to sing tomorrow?"

"

Innamorata

, you're an adult, and besides, I'm not your mother. The choice is yours. Whichever, you should drink plenty of fluids."

At that moment, Daniella placed a glass of Coke next to Sarah.

Flavia winced. "Hot drinks or water, not fizzy drinks. I'll look up throat problems online. You should try to talk as little as you can." She talked for a while longer, but asked Sarah not to speak, so that her voice could recover. "You look shattered,

innamorata

. Get some sleep. I miss you so much. Nod if you miss me too."

Sarah nodded.

🎤

Sarah and her room-mates woke early the next day. After dressing, they went to Georgina and Kira's room. But as Sarah was about to knock, she heard sounds of pleasure that she recognised only too well.

"They've got a boy or two in there," she whispered to the others. They left them alone and went to get breakfast without them. Sarah didn't have much appetite, but made sure to drink several cups of tea. Her voice hurt, so despite the delicious aroma of mushrooms and veggie sausages at the buffet, she stuck to just fluids.

On returning to their room, they knocked, but there was no sign of the boys, just Georgina and Kira getting dressed.

🎤

The Premier Inn in the next town felt just like the other hotels they'd stayed in. After checking in, Sarah sat in their room, nursing her throat with a cup of hot chocolate she made from a sachet. The rest of the band had decided to investigate clothes shops, but Sarah felt it best to rest.

She was dozing on her bed when a knock at the door woke her. Opening it, she was surprised to see Flavia in skin-tight jeans that showed off her curves. They embraced, her lover's lips probing and insistent on her own.

"Come in," said Sarah.

Flavia put a finger on Sarah's lips. "No speaking. I don't want you to damage your voice. Here..." She fished in her black Louis Vuitton handbag, bringing out a small notepad and a Biro. "I'd never want to stop you expressing yourself, but use this until you're better."

Sarah took it with a smile, and wrote

why here?

.

Flavia pecked her lips. "Because my wonderful girlfriend's voice is hurting, so I'm here to be her nursemaid."

Sarah quickly scribbled

costume?"

.

Flavia laughed. "No, I don't have a sexy nurse costume. I didn't realise you were into that sort of thing. We have seven hours until your show, and I'm going to give you as much care and attention as I can."

Sarah wrote

planning meeting today

.

Flavia sighed. "There are more important things than extending my pub." She prodded a finger in the middle of Sarah's chest. "You, my sexy little significant other, matter so much more to me." She placed a series of kisses on Sarah's throat. "Tomorrow, I'll take you to the doctor back home. Now then, let's start with some hot water and honey."

🎤

The final venue was the biggest they'd ever played, and was supposed to be the climax to an amazing tour. As they strode on stage, Sarah felt her throat tighten. It had improved after Flavia had tried some medicines she'd found on the Internet, but would it last? A smoke machine billowed, and she coughed when she tasted its acrid tang. The band started with a few numbers that didn't call for much power from Sarah. Her voice held out, and she took frequent swigs from a bottle of Evian. The crowd loved the music. Perhaps the previous night was just a blip.

With growing confidence, Sarah put more and more power and passion into her songs. If anything, the huskiness added a newfound intensity to her voice. And the crowd responded, cheering and applauding as each song ended, pushing the band to greater heights. Even the pain in Sarah's throat had lessened. This was all they'd dreamed of. And Georgina had heard a rumour that there might be a journalist from an industry newspaper in the audience; would they get a good review, something to really put them on the map?

With smiles to the rest of the band, Sarah listened to how the instruments were working together, forming rhythms, playing off each other. They'd really improved as musicians, and now it had all come together. And then as she pushed, her voice turned into a croak, the atmosphere falling flat immediately. She quickly found herself unable to even whisper backing vocals. Kira and Georgina took over lead vocals, but it wasn't the same. Their moment of glory slipped away, and Sarah could do little but become a dancer while the rest of the band tried to soldier on.

Georgina thanked the audience for attending, then they trundled off-stage, heads down. Nothing was said on their way back to the hotel. Outside their rooms, Flavia was waiting in a grey trench-coat. Sarah held her for a long time before the older woman took her into the room to have a hot drink and pack, then carried the bag out to the Audi. Was it Sarah's imagination, or was Georgina leading Kira into their room by the hand when Flavia led her out of her room?

🎤

Sarah didn't speak on the drive to Flavia's hotel, for fear of damaging her voice any further. Somehow, Flavia kept up a good conversation anyway, and Sarah sat in glum contemplation of the darkened streets, where revellers made the most of the warm weather. They soon pulled up at The King's Arms, a medieval inn whose timber frames held more character and history than all the hotels the band had stayed in combined. Passing the reception desk, Flavia led her up a narrow and twisting staircase before unlocking her room with an old-fashioned metal key. Inside was an immense room, a large bed waiting temptingly in the corner. No sharing a single with Daniella tonight!

like our 1st nite

, wrote Sarah.

Flavia kissed her, slowly and romantically. "Why don't you get into bed? I'll hang up my coat."

Not wanting to waste time looking in her bag for nightclothes, Sarah undressed and slipped into bed naked, feeling the cool touch of the crisp sheets. Somehow the tour ending badly didn't seem so bad, not when she had Flavia with her. Her thoughts went back to her previous fantasies of being a housewife to Flavia. That had to be easier than trying to become a rockstar.

But her train of thought thoroughly derailed when Flavia came back into view. She'd lost the raincoat, and Sarah now understood why she'd worn it. Because there before her, in a fancy-dress slutty nurse outfit easily two sizes too small, was the most beautiful woman Sarah had ever seen. Flavia's curves were accentuated by the dress, and her bountiful breasts threatened to spill out with every move she made. That's if the straining button at the top didn't pop off first. There was even a small hat on top to complete the costume.

Smiling at her reaction, Flavia pirouetted slowly. "You seemed to like the idea of me being dressed up as your nurse, and since I couldn't get a ticket for your show, I spent my time finding a shop where I could buy this. They had some in my size, but I thought you'd prefer the one I chose."