The Art of the Heart

LindseyB1949

Standing outside Stevie's door, Lindsey was, for a moment, overtaken by his doubt. What if she really fucking means it? What if she's waiting and she just stares right through me like she did at soundcheck? What if she's moved suites without telling me? I'm getting too old to pretend I'm randomly wandering into people's rooms and climbing into bed with them because I'm coked up! What if she hasn't even bothered listening to the disc.

He realised, however, that this was his last chance. If he didn't try tonight, they'd have moved on to somewhere where he hadn't been given his own card for Stevie's room on arrival. Then there'd be no chance. He really just needed to think himself lucky she hadn't decamped to a different hotel - that had happened more than once in the past.

Pushing the door open gently he was surprised to find the lights still on. He had waited until he was sure even she would have gone to sleep before launching this, his final desperate attempt to get through to her.

What the fuck? Uhhh. Really? Am I that predictable? Uhhhh, well, I guess it wouldn't be the first time.

He was staring at the bedroom door. It was shut tight and in front of it stood a chair. Propped up on the chair was a massive piece of white cardboard
on which was written in the now strangely familiar black pastel

DO NOT STEP A FUCKING INCH CLOSER WITHOUT LISTENING TO THE TWO SONGS ON THIS DISC. LET'S SEE IF YOUR COMPREHENSION ABILITY HAS ADVANCED BEYOND AN AMOEBA'S YET. I'VE TRIED TO MAKE IT PRETTY FUCKING CLEAR JUST IN CASE, ASSHOLE.

Oh, shit! That's not the sort of reception I was hoping for! At least she must have listened to my disc, I guess. That's so typical. Everything is like a goddamn chess game to her. Or a card game. She's always got to see my hand and raise me!

Picking up the disc slowly, he looked around for the nearest device that would take a cd. Stevie's laptop sat open but either turned off or in sleep mode on the sofa. It still had her headphones plugged into it so he decided it was the best option.

He crouched in front of the sofa and turned the computer towards him. Dragging his finger over the touch pad he was irritated to discover that it was indeed in sleep mode and that he was going to have to figure out her password to be able to use the disc drive. Racking his brains, he remembered an old password she had confided once and typed it in. Incorrect password

Then he remembered a conversation they'd had about changing passwords the other day. He had told her his favourite one that combined numbers and capitals and she had laughed, momentarily flattered by the way thoughts of her bled into even the most mundane aspects of his life. It was a definite long shot, but he had nothing to lose. LindseyB1949

He grinned as the screen came to life. So, she loves me enough to make me her password even though there's been an emotional void since 1977, huh?

There were several minimised windows and though he knew it was wrong, he couldn't help but start clicking across the taskbar, left to right, to see what she had been up to. You can gauge a lot about a person's mood from their computer habits and he needed all the help he could get.

His grin did not diminish in scope as he examined each new window. In fact, it grew broader. The first five were all browser windows and each had a different YouTube clip paused:

1. Lindsey Buckingham ~ Go Insane ~ Live 1992
2. Go Your Own Way. Lindsey Buckingham LIVE IN CONCERT Wilmington Delaware 6-11-12 2012 by CLUBDOC
3. Lindsey Buckingham ~ Awesome Guitar Solos ~ #2
4. Lindsey Buckingham performs The Chain acoustically live 11/11/2013 (Fleetwood Mac)
5. Lindsey Buckingham - Stars Are Crazy (from "Songs From The Small Machine")

He was just thinking smugly that for someone who had had NO REAL FEELING SINCE 1977 she was unusually interested in watching his solo performances when he got to the last tab on the taskbar. Oddly, it indicated she had been using Word. Surely she's not moved into the 21st century and started writing on the computer instead of in her journals? He couldn't wait to see what she'd been writing about. Inhaling slowly, he clicked the tab. Awwwww! What the fuck? FUCK IT!

It had given him such a fright that he found himself sitting three feet back from where he had previously been crouched, looking at the screen. Written in 20 point bold Times New Roman, was

Stop fucking admiring yourself, Buckingham you vain asshole! Just listen to the cd or so help me God, I will come out there and kick your ass myself. Motherfucker!

Awww, shit! Why is she always one goddamn step ahead? I'm a clever guy, right? Right? All right. Let's give this sucker a spin.

Crawling back to the computer, he inserted the disc and waited. The knot in his stomach felt like it was tying and untying itself while he put the headphones on and adjusted the volume down. He didn't need to check to know that was necessary - she always listened to everything so loud!

As the first percussive beat hit his eardrums he sat back down on the ground in shock. What the hell? What the fuck does that mean? Is she trying to get me to remember that AGAIN? Or is she teasing me? I have no idea what else that could possibly mean! I thought she said she was going to make it perfectly clear? If it's supposed to be clear, that would mean.....but, hold up.....what? She can't mean.....

Lindsey found himself listening, once more, to the hypnotic, evocative combination of bass, percussion and violin he had only just rediscovered. Latlit.

If that's the first song, maybe the second song will be the clear one. I fucking hope so. This is killing me! Aww, Christ! How can I even get a boner at a time like this? I swear this thing has a mind of its own.

He just about fainted from the combined shock and relief when he heard John Lee Hooker's guitar come alive in his ears. He listened only long enough to confirm he was not imagining or misremembering the song before he clambered up and made his way to the bedroom. It took just the first two lines:

I'm in the mood, baby
I'm in the mood for love