“Wow” she said, nodding and smiling wearily and unsure of what else to say “Er… yeah wow”
Pete kicked his small suitcase under one of the bunk beds and flopped down on the bottom one. He tucked his hands behind his head and looked up at them “When are we playing?”
“Tomorrow night” said Paul “Why, are you planning on bloody well showing up this time?”
“Maybe” Pete shrugged and shut his eyes “Going to have a kip now, leave me alone”
Gabrielle sat in the lone chair and watched them get their things settled in and then John announced he was going in search of Astrid and Stu. George wanted to stay behind and sleep too. (“Not like I’m going to get another chance for six months”) Paul decided to come with John and that they should take Gabrielle and dump her on Astrid.
“Don’t worry she’s really nice” Paul assured her. She had her arms hooked through John’s and Paul’s and was in the center. She felt a bit out of place like she did everywhere else she went where people were extreme when it came to clothing and lifestyles. Both the Beatles on her arm were in the usual leather trouser and jacket uniform, and all around her were the vibrantly colored mini skirts you saw at the Cavern only now the seemed to be worn by hookers or those scary Bohemian people you always heard about. Gabrielle was just wearing a navy blue a line skirt and a blouse with pumps.
“Don’t worry you’re supposed to be our manager remember” said John
“Yeah you look lovely”
“A bit stuffy” added Paul
“But lovely” John nodded
Gabrielle groaned “Astrid better have something for me to wear”
Paul laughed “It’ll be black, that’s all them modern artists wear now a days”
They approached a table where two men and a woman sat, they all had the same shaggy mushroom like haircut and were talking very passionately about something in German. The woman looked up at them and gave a squeal of surprise and happiness
“Beatles! You’re back, for good this time Ja?”
“Ja, for good” said John, looking around anxiously “Where’s Stu?”
“Oh he’s getting us something to drink, we just got here” said one of the other men.
“You’re Gabrielle, Ja?” asked Astrid, looking at Gabrielle and motioning at her to sit with them.
John nudged Paul “Gonna find Stu” he said stuffing his hands in his pockets and slouching off to the bar in search of his mate.
Paul nodded and sat next to Gabrielle “Right this it Astrid” he said pointing at the Petit blonde woman who seemed to do most of the talking “And Jurgan, and Kause”
“Nice to meet you” she said smiling at them uncomfortably.
Astrid moved seats so she was sitting next to Gabby “You are juts like they said you know” she laughed “And these Beatles, they never tell the truth, you know”
“Oh,” Gabrielle nodded enthusiastically and shot Paul a look “yes, I know“
“Gabby’s a right proper English lady she is” said Paul, he grinned and tossed his arm over her shoulder “Take a close look, she’s just like the Queen she is”
“Piss off, will you” she laughed and shrugged out of his grasp. She looked back at Astrid who was looking very amused “Sorry, but I don’t know if they asked. Is it all right if I stay with you while I’m here?”
“Oh, ja, of course it is” Astrid nodded enthusiastically “Stuart and I would love to have you” she turned her head towards the bar and caught sight of Stuart and John. She smiled, waved and giggled before turning around again to the conversation “Do you have anyone er, how do you say, special?”
“Special, like a boyfriend or something?” Gabrielle asked. She leaned her elbows on the table and cocked her head to the side, ignoring the broken English and German conversation Jurgan Klause and Paul had started up.
“Ja, ja” said Astrid, she leaned on the table as well. Gabrielle could see how thin her arms were through the black roll neck she wore. She wondered if everyone in Hamburg was starving. But she could see why the lads were so fond of her, the same reason why they liked her so much. Gabrielle had an idea that they liked to feel as if they had someone they needed to protect. Cynthia was like that, co dependant . But Gabrielle identified with Astrid’s sense of independence, she was lucky she had Stu, usually blokes weren’t all to interested in all that. It made for having a lot of friends that were male but not romantically involved.
Gabrielle could feel Astrid looking at her with interest. “No” she said offhandedly
“I understand you Gabby” she said, as if reading her mind, “You’re like me, Ja, we will get a long famously I think”
Gabrielle grinned “I think so”