Later that evening in Mimi's apartment
"Mimi, why would you break up with Roger? I thought you loved him." Maureen asked as Mimi set things up in her old apartment.
"I do love him Maureen, but I know he doesn't love me. Not the way he's supposed to." she said looking over at her at she unpacked her bags.
"But Sweetie, he wrote you that song and he took care of you until you were better." she said looking up at her.
"Yeah and I can't let him keep doing it. I had to let him go, so he could do something with his life other than take care of me. He's positive too. He deserves to be happy and I knew he wasn't happy taking care of me." she said looking over at her.
"What are you gonna do now sweetie?" she asked looking up at her as Mimi sat on the couch next to her.
"I'm gonna make sure Roger lives his life and finds someone to love for the rest of his days the way he deserves to love. I owe him that much." she said looking over at her.
"How are you gonna feel about that? Seeing him with someone else?" Maureen asked turning to her.
"As long as he's happy, I'll be happy. He deserves it." she smiled before getting up to go to the dresser to finish unpacking.
A week later
Roger began walking around New York City. He walked past the bar he used to work in and peeked through the window. There were a few patrons sitting at the bar drinking their beer and a young woman up on the stage singing. He could hear her voice and it made him smile. He used to perform on that very stage, but that was a long time ago. He looked down at his feet before shoving his hands in his pockets and continuing on his walk. A little while later he found himself standing outside a large apartment building. He looked up before walking into the lobby and taking the elevator upstairs. When he got out of the elevator, he walked down the hallway to a familiar apartment. He knocked on the door waiting for someone to answer.
"Roger, what are you doing here?" Allison smiled as she opened the door of hers and Benny's New York apartment.
"I uh... heard you talked to Mimi and let her off the hook for what happened between her and Benny. I just wanted to say thank you. It means a lot to her." he said quietly looking down at her with his hands shoved in his front pockets.
"Yeah well, it wasn't her fault. She's not the one who married me and then cheated on me." she said looking up at him.
"Um... can I come in? Please?" he asked looking down at her.
"Of course. Yes, come in." she smiled opening the door more to let him in. "What brings you up here? I know you hate leaving bohemia." she smiled closing the door behind him.
"I um... I missed you Allie." he said quietly looking over at her.
"I missed you so much Roger." she smiled reaching out to hug him.
"I'm sorry for everything. We were pissed at Benny and we took it out on you too. After everything you did for me after April... I was an ass to treat you the way I did." he said holding her tightly in his arms.
"I understand, I didn't make things easy for you. I should have said something to Benny, but I just chickened out. It was him and my father against just me and I didn't have the guts to stand up to them. I'm so sorry honey." she rambled as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Me too Allie. I love you so much and I treated you like crap after everything." he said kissing her head.
"Forget it Roger. It's done now. I forgive you. If you forgive me for not doing anything." she smiled looking up at him.
"Of course Allie. I could never stay mad at you. I love you." he smiled kissing her head again.
"I love you too Roger. I never stopped." she smiled looking up at him.
"So what are we gonna do now?" he asked looking down at her before letting her go.
"We forget the whole thing ever happened and become friends again. That is... if you want me." she smiled looking up at him.
"Of course I do Allie. You've always been one of my best friends." he smiled looking down at her.
"So how's Mimi?" she smiled leading him over to the couch to catch up.
"She broke up with me." he said looking over at her.
"I'm sorry Roger, but you do know it's for the best. For you and her." she smiled looking over at her.
"She said she wants me to get on with my life. I'm thinking of trying to get my old job at the bar back." he smiled sitting next to her.
"That's great Roger. How long until you're performing again?" she asked looking over at him.
"Allie, I just decided to get a job. One step at a time, OK?" he laughed looking over at her.
"OK, but you better get onstage again. I miss hearing you perform." she smiled reaching over to his hand. "Promise me you're gonna perform again." she pleaded looking into his green eyes.
"I'll try. It looks like they have a new band playing. I looked through the window and saw them practicing." he said looking over at her.
"I bet their not as good as you were." she smiled looking over at him.
"I don't know. She was great. Um... the lead singer. She was really good." he said looking over at her.
"The lead singer is a woman? Really? That sounds interesting." she laughed looking over at him.
"Don't start Allie. I'm nowhere near ready for a relationship yet." he warned looking over at her.
"OK, I hear you." she smiled looking over at him as they continued talking.
"You went to Allie's? What brought that on?" Mark asked looking over at him.
"Mimi called her to make amends for sleeping with Benny and one thing led to another and they're friends now." he smiled looking over at him.
"So now you're talking to her too?" he asked drinking his tea.
"Mark, she's done a lot for me and I treated her like crap just because of Benny and her father. I wasn't fair to her." he said looking over at him.
"How is she?" he asked looking over at him.
"She looks good. She seems unhappy with her life. I wish there was something we can do for her." he said looking down.
"What do you mean?" he asked looking over at him.
"I don't know. I wanna ask her to start spending more time with us again. Maybe get some of the old times back. They weren't all bad." he said looking over at him.
"I think that would be a good idea Rog. What about Benny? Do you want to let him back in too?" he asked looking over at him.
"I think that should be up to Allie. But if it makes her happy, I'm up for it." he said looking over at him.
"Mimi really changed you, didn't she?" Mark asked smiling at him.
"Yeah she did. Um... I'm also thinking about making some other changes around here too." he smiled over at him.
"OK so, what's the plan?" Mark asked looking over at him.
"I'm gonna go to the bar and talk to Tommy about getting my old job back." he smiled looking over at him.
"You're getting a job? You? Roger Davis? Getting a job?" Mark asked looking over at Roger in disbelief.
"Yes Mark, I'm getting a job. Why is it so hard for you to believe? I have worked before. I was working when we met." he said putting his leather jacket on.
"Yeah, but you haven't worked since..." he said looking over at him.
"I know, since me and April got into drugs and I got fired. Yeah, I'm well aware of the past. I was there." he said looking over at him. "Mimi wants me to get on with my life and I owe it to her to do it." he said looking over at him.
"Good for you Roger. I'm glad you're taking what Mimi said to heart." he said looking over at him.
"I have to man. She's right. I've been putting my life on hold for too long. If I'm gonna do anything with my life, I gotta do it now." he said looking over at him.
"Well good luck Roger. Are you gonna start a new band?" he asked looking over at him.
"I'm gonna take it one step at a time." he said as he left the loft. He walked around the corner to the bar he worked in years earlier. He opened the door and walked in.
"Can I help you kid?" the older gentleman asked as Roger sat on a stool.
"Tommy, it's me. Roger. Roger Davis." he smiled looking over at him.
"Roger. I haven't seen you since... how's that girl of yours? April, right? Are you two still together?" he asked looking over at him.
"She um... she died." he said looking down at the bar.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Are you OK? Is there anything I can do?" he asked looking over at him.
"Yeah, no, um... I'm OK. It was a long time ago. I mean, I'm clean and I'm just looking for a job. I was hoping that my old job was available?" he asked looking over at him.
"Of course. You were always the best bartender I ever had. The girls loved coming in when you were here. When can you start?" he smiled looking over at him.
"Whenever you need me. I really appreciate this Tommy. I won't let you down this time. I swear." he smiled looking over at him.
"I know you won't Roger. Do you want a beer to celebrate? I can tell you what's been going on around here since you left." he said looking over at him.
"Yeah, I'd really like that." he smiled looking over at him as he poured him a beer.
"Man, I can't believe I'm looking at you after all this time. I have so much I have to tell you. We have a new house band. They're not as good as you guys were, but the lead singer is incredible." he smiled setting the beer in front of him on the bar.
"I can't wait to hear him." he smiled picking up the glass and taking a sip.
"She's great. Her name is Keely. I'm telling you, the first time she came in, I thought about you. She's perfect for you." he laughed drinking his water.
"Oh yeah? Well I'm sorry to break this to you but I just got out of a relationship and I'm really not ready for another one." he said drinking more of his beer.
"You should see her Roger. I swear she's your type. She's real pretty and she's got this kick ass voice. A real rock chick. You two would sound great together." he smiled leaning on the bar.
"Well like I told you, I just got out of a relationship and I don't think I'm ready to get back on stage. At least not yet anyway." he said setting his beer back on the bar.
"If you say so Roger." Tommy smiled looking over at him as they continued to drink and talk.
"You got a job? Roger, that's great. I'm so proud of you." Mimi smiled as she and Roger sat in her apartment.
"Yeah, it's my old job. My boss is already trying to set me up with the lead singer of the house band." he laughed looking over at her.
"He realizes you're not gay, right?" she laughed looking up at him.
"Of course he does Mimi. The lead singer is a girl." he smiled looking over at her.
"Well is she hot?" she asked looking up at him.
"She's pretty, I guess. I saw her through the window yesterday when they were rehearsing. But I'm not ready for another relationship. We just broke up." he said looking over at her.
"Roger, you don't know how much longer you have. You can't waste anymore of your life then you already have." she told him getting up to walk around the apartment.
"Mimi, one step at a time. I just got a job. You can't expect me to rush into everything all at once." he argued looking up at her.
"Roger, don't freeze yourself off like you did with me. If you like her, don't fuck it up. Ask her out." she said looking over at him.
"Fine Mimi. If I like her after I meet her, I'll ask her out." he said looking up at her.
"You need to be open to another relationship. It sounds like this woman is perfect for you. She's a rock chick." she smiled looking down at him.
"I said fine Mimi. I'll give her a chance. Now, come on. I'll take you out for lunch. I'm working now, so I think I owe my friend a meal." he smiled looking up at her.
"I'd love that. I'm starving. You can tell me about your lead singer. What's her name?" she asked as she slipped her boots on and they left the apartment.
"Mimi, she's not my lead singer. All I know is her name is Keely and she's a real rock chick. She's really pretty. She has long blond hair and her voice is incredible. Tommy said as soon as he heard her sing, he thought of me." he told her as they walked down the stairs.
"A rock chick, huh? Sounds like she's your type." she smiled leaving the building with Roger and walking towards the Life Cafe.
2 days later
Roger was standing at the bar talking to an elderly customer. The door opened and a beautiful young woman came rushing in. She was dressed in a pink body suit and pair of gray sweatpants. Her hair was in a tight braided bum. She had a pink duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She rushed towards the back room where Roger watched her struggle with the door.
"Come on you son of a bitch. Why are you always fucking with me? Open already you bastard." the young woman yelled at the door before kicking it with her sneakered foot. Roger rushed out from behind the bar to save the door from certain damage.
"Um... can I help you with something?" Roger asked approaching the young woman mildly amused.
"No, it's OK. I get it eventually, but it likes to make me fight for it." she said looking up into his green eyes.
"Um... I'm um... I'm Roger. Roger Davis. You must be Keely." he said looking down at her.
"Yeah... um, how did you know?" she asked looking up at him.
"Tommy told me about you. You sing with the band, right?" he asked looking down at her.
"Yeah, that's me. I'm supposed to meet my band here, but obviously they're later than I am." she said before the door finally opened. "Got it. See, I told you I get it eventually."
"Tommy told me you're really good." he said looking over at her.
"Wait a minute. You're that Roger Davis? The same Roger Davis who used to play with the Well Hungarians? Wow. Tommy told me so much about you too. He said you were really good too." she smiled standing in the doorway.
"Um... that was a long time ago." he smiled looking down at her.
"I'm sure you're still good. I'd love to hear you some time." she smiled going into the back room.
"Maybe some other time. Um... I gotta get back to work." he said looking down at her in the doorway.
"Thanks for offering to help. Um... if the guys come in, can you just tell them that I'm getting changed in here?" she asked looking over at him.
"No problem." he smiled looking down at her as she went into the room and closed the door.
A/N: I hope you're all excited about Keely. I am. I'm gonna be updating pretty frequently now. I hope you can keep up. Enjoy.
Renthead621