“Wait, wait. Okay, I wanna’ see if I can match you all up. I already know you two are married so that eliminates you.” David, the co-pilot, had come back into the coach to discuss some particulars with us and simply chat and get to know us all a bit. We had stopped for fuel about a half-hour ago which was when he had decided to come join us. The time was now 11:24. We all had fallen asleep quickly and were all feeling much more rested by now. Mary’s voice had mostly returned to normal

 “I think you, and you go together.” David pointed at Chrissie and Freddie. “You and you definitely go together.” He pointed at Roger and myself. “An’ you with you.” He said putting Brian with Mary.

 “Hey babe.” Mary blew Brian a kiss and winked at him. Brian turned pink as he so often did in these situations. Freddie laughed at David’s selections.

 “You got half of us right. Mary is with me! And Chrissie is with Brian!” Freddie got up from the booth in the back of the bus to pull the tea off the stove. At the last stop, Mary had boiled the water in hopes it would be ready before we took off again.

 “What made you so sure that these two go together? How do you know I don’t keep this one on the side?” John asked pointing to Roger. I was up helping Freddie find the teacups. David smiled.

 “It’s very obvious. Look at her and then look at Roger here! So, please tell me a little about you. How the hell did you all meet? How long have you known each other? As you know, I’m David and I’ve been workin’ road crew for about four years just here and there; various events really.”

 “Oh! I wanna’ start! I wanna’ start! I’m Freddie, this is Mary and we live together in Kensington. Um…let’s see. I’ve known these three for what feels like forever.” Freddie pointed to Brian, Roger and John. “Mary and I met in the Kensington market about a year and a half ago. Oh! And we have a cat! Okay, sweets, you go.” Freddie kissed her cheek.

 “Well, there’s not much left to tell, really. I work in Kensington market where we met. Um…ooh my, I’m so very excited about this! I have no idea where to start. But, it’s very nice of you to come meet us, David. Oh! We party hard. You should know that about us. It’s very important.” Mary shook her head and Freddie agreed with her.

 “Yes, yes…listen to my Mary!” Freddie said, pulling her over beside him. “Oh! Oh! And we love Scrabble! We dearly love Scrabble!” Freddie added. The agreement from Brian, John and Roger was unanimous and enthusiastic. David found this to be very amusing.

 “Alright, very well. What about you two?” David directed his attention toward Brian and Chrissie.

 “You go.” Brian nudged Chrissie on the shoulder. She blushed a little.

 “Let’s see. I’m Chrissie. Chrissie Mullen. I brought a few books with me to read on this road trip and I’ve recently become a vegetarian like, Brian. I very much like it!” She looked over to Brian and put her arm around him. She couldn’t wipe that smile off her face.  “I met Brian through Lydia over here. It was one of the greatest moments of my life! I work at a grocery store and…well, I won’t lie. Brian is just my whole world!” Chrissie was so giddy when she said it. Veronica and I looked to her with the most endearing of looks on out faces as Brian kissed her.

 “Chrissie is the sweetest of the sweethearts! There’s the seven of us and then one angel…and it’s her!” Freddie gushed over Chrissie and of course, she turned blood red.

 “I beg to differ! Don’t let him sway you! She may have that precious look on her face but my god! Don’t you go trustin’ her and all that so-called innocence!” Veronica assured David. This naturally sent Chrissie into a torrent of laughter. Freddie stood up once more, steadying himself in the moving coach to pass out cups of tea.

 “Are you two married?” David asked as he pointed to Brian and Chrissie. Suddenly, you could see the awkwardness overcome both Chrissie and Brian. Chrissie’s demeanor had become introverted and sheepish. Brian’s actions were a near carbon copy of hers. It was as if David had hit a sensitive nerve.

 “Uuuhhh…huh…uuhhh…nnn…nuh…no” Chrissie stumbled over her words and fidgeted. She shook her head and shot her eyes to the floor of the bus

 “I’m Lydia.” Chrissie needed saving right now. I didn’t bother giving Brian a chance to say anything. “And I want you to know, that these four are the very best of friends.” I pointed to Freddie, Brian, John and Roger. “And us four? We’re a very close second.” I winked at Veronica. She knew I had saved Chrissie and Brian from taking an already awkward situation and making it even worse.

 “Well….Lydia. Tell me something…have you ever considered modeling? Damn, you could easily be one. You’re gorgeous.” David sighed and shook his head.

 “No. I’m not into that kinda' thing. I was an art student until last semester and I worked in an art gallery. However, I quit both of those to follow this one around and just…be here for him.” I smiled and reached an arm around Roger, shaking his shoulder.

 “It pains me to know you’re spoken for, Lyd.” David said. My eyes shot up to him, followed by Roger’s, then Veronica’s, Chrissie’s, Mary’s and Freddie’s.

 “Excuse me…allow me to make something very clear. No one…NO ONE…calls me that except Roger! Now, I don’t know where you got that from or if you heard Roger call me as such but kindly refrain from ever using it again. Are you fuckin’ me? NO. To you, I am Lydia.” I promptly corrected him. I could tell Freddie was about to laugh. David laughed nervously.

 “I…I’m sorry…” he smiled uneasily.

 “Lyd’s a great cook. She an’ Veronica get together and they can make anythin’. Of course, she’s got a lot of other talents too. She brought ‘er sketchpad. She can draw anything. Actually, there’s not much she can’t do.” Roger looked at me.

 “We all have our thing, David. I’m flashy, Brian is smart, John is soft-spoken, and Roger is easy…to get along with!!” Freddie laughed at himself. Roger smiled that heartwarming smile of his. “And these delightful ladies? Well, as I told you. Chrissie is the sweetheart; Veronica is the mum…literarily and otherwise, Lydia is the glamour and my Mary is the heartbeat!” Freddie squeezed Mary again.

 “It’s great to know you all. It really is. Don’t hesitate to tell Vince or me if you need anything. We’ll arrive at Branport Music Hall at 6:30. There’s a small thirty-minute press conference before the sound test so you need to determine which of the four of you will do most of the talking. Show starts at 8:00.” David explained. Roger looked at Brian, Brian looked at Freddie, John looked at Brian and Freddie looked at Roger.

 “Uh…Freddie. Freddie should do it.” Brian said. “Right?” Brian looked to John for reassurance. John shook his head in agreement.

 “Why not you?” Freddie asked of Brian.

 “Because, you need to do it. I think you are most inclined.” Brian told him.

 “Yeah, you need to head the conference.” Roger agreed.

 “Oh! You all are simply making me blush!” Freddie smiled all over, not being able to hide his excitement.  “Alright! I’ll do the talking! But don’t hold it against me, darling if I say something risqué!” he warned.

 “Noooo! Never!

 “You? Risque!?”

 “Ooooh you’d never!” were the simultaneous comments from Brian, John and Roger. The intercom system toned in and Vince announced that he needed David to join him once again.

 “Gotta’ go. It’s been a real pleasure. I look forward to our time together.” He said before disappearing through the door that separated the driver cabin and the rest of the bus.  It was now 12:36. The first show of the tour was eight hours away.

 “Alright boys and girls! It’s time for Scrabble. I happen to know the board is right there in storage above Roger and Lydia!” Freddie announced.

 “You all do that. I know we’re movin’ and all but we’ll take care of the sandwiches for lunch.” Mary announced wiggling out from behind Freddie. “Hey, Lydia? You know what goes great with sandwiches?”

 “Martinis?” I asked her rather facetiously. Mary shook her head slowly and smirked.

 “Martinis.” She repeated. “Okay, boys. Don’t go thinkin’ we’re gonna’ drink ourselves into a stupor now. These are just kickin’ off the tour martinis. Ya’ hear me?” Mary asked, making her way over to the wet bar. As I looked at Roger, I could tell he was thinkin’ the same thing I was. This whole touring thing? It beat the hell out of a nine to five job.