“Erm, yes… I slept with Paul” she couldn’t even imagine his reaction. She just wasn’t going to tell him. So that meant basically acting as if the kiss didn’t happen either. Ignore it. It wasn’t going to happen again and Paul had been extra careful as of late not to hug her, put his arm around, or generally just avoid contact with her. It was a little disheartening.
“So” said Ginger haired bloke from the art school. Third date. It was better then moping around the house. She would rather be at the Cavern though. The Beatles were playing there tonight, they’d worked out some deal with the club’s owner and played there quite often as of late. She wanted to be there. Not out to dinner with ginger haired bloke from her art class. Maybe she should call him Aaron, as that was his given name.
“Er… Aaron?” she asked
“Yes, luv?” he looked up from his menu. Really, quite good looking for a ginger head. Good looking in a conventional way. Strong bone structure and all that. Not good looking like Paul though. Damn it.
“I’m just gonna run to the ladies room” she smiled kindly at him and shot out of her seat as quick as she could.
This was getting very pathetic. Three dates with Aaron, two with Tyler, another bloke from art school, and a ‘romantic interlude’ with Arthur Kelly outside of the Cavern. After five minutes of passionate snogging (yet not so passionate as the Paul snogging. Damn it) she slapped him and called him a tart and ran back inside.
Art school, cavern, home. It was very pathetic. Very tedious too.
And for some reason, she was relating heavy breathing with Paul’s face now. Possibly since she didn’t *actually* remember having sex with him, it was like, some subconscious memory. Oh great. Just what she needed. Sex forever related to Paul McCartney. Sex she didn’t even remember half of. Still, possibly very good sex.
And she was thinking about George too. Though, not in that way either. She would think about George and get sad and think about New York. And then she didn’t want to go because she would miss him. And then she would get depressed and two days of sitting around the house in her pajama’s would ensue.
June fifth, that’s when she left. Three months, two weeks and five days. Shaz, was of course thrilled to the extents of the universe that she got to go. Even if it was just for a week. Shaz was no help now. Freddie broke up with her and she was trying to find ‘a decent lad to settle down with’.
Honestly, how sad it that. What kind of a life is having babies and cooking and living in the suburbs.
Gabrielle blinked, where was she? She was looking for the restroom but somehow ended up outside. That’s what comes of thinking to hard.
“Oh shut up” she muttered
Aaron came out and stood next to her “What’s going on?” he asked
“Oh!” she exclaimed “I’m sorry, I don’t know.”
He nodded “You don’t like me like that…. Right”
Gabrielle opened her mouth and closed it again. Cavern Cavern Cavern. Damn it “Oh…. No” she managed to say
Aaron gave her a dubious look and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket “It’s all right Gabrielle”
“No, no, that’s not it” she gave him a smile and kissed him on the cheek “No, you’re lovely. It’s me. Really, I’m a bit schizophrenic you know”
He chuckled “It comes across in your work”
She giggled “Ta, I think… but really. This isn’t the best time for me to be starting something up” Considering, said a little voice in the back of her head, that you have never started something up with someone *ever*! “I’m going to leave in a few months” And George isn’t coming with you. “And I’m, well. That’s it” she hung her head “I’m sorry”
Aaron shrugged “That’s ok” he said “I mean, I really like you and all…. We don’t have start something serious. It can just be fun.”
Say yes! He’s lovely// No, I can’t be bothered with a relationship// he’ll keep your mind off Paul!//No…
“Oh..” she squeaked out. And shook her head.
“Yeah” he nodded and pulled out a pack of cigarettes “Because like I said, I like you. But we’ll just not be serious. Besides” he added with a wink as he lit up a ciggie “I’d luv to have the prettiest girl in all of Liverpool on me arm for a bit”
“Ah,” she slapped him on the arm “Yer just saying that”
“No!” he laughed “I’m not. And, I’d be honored if you would agree to be Arm Candy at a party I’m having next Saturday”
“Erm” she hesitated “What sort of party”
“Oh you know” Aaron shrugged “General drunkenness and debauchery, mayhem amongst the youngsters of Liverpool. That sort of thing”
“Yes, sure” she nodded “Sounds fun”
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye “So, does that mean you’ll be my girlfriend until you leave?”
Gabrielle sucked in a deep breath. YES YES YES// NO! Fucking hell…//yes…
“Yes” she nodded “But I’m warning you, my mates… they’re quite mad”
Aaron chuckled “I like a few mad birds”
“Oh, they’re not birds” she laughed “Ever been to the Cavern?”
“Yeah”
“The Beatles, I’m best friends the lead guitarist”
“George is your friend?” he exclaimed “Fuck me, my little sister camped out with her friends under Pete Best’s window a few days ago”
Gabrielle laughed “I can introduce you to them. They’re lovely”
“Yeah that’d be great. That John Lennon, he’s cheeky but he does a great Jerry Lee Lewis”
Gabrielle giggled “Wanna go now?”
Aaron blinked “They’re playing the Cavern tonight?”
She nodded “They are”
“Well lets go then”
* ***
“Oi! Paul!” John yelled across the stage. They were playing a night time set like they did once a week. Usually they played the Cavern Lunch hour. Playing at night was better though, everyone was generally a bit more inebriated. It made for louder cheers and more girls stumbling on the stage to hug their favorite Beatle.
“Aye John?” Paul yelled back,
“Toss me a fag will ye mate?” John yelled “So,” he continued after catching the ciggie and lighting it up “What d’you want to hear then?”
People were yelling things, John took a drag off his fag and ignored most of them
“’Till there was you‘!” yelled some bloke from the back
John’s head shot up “That was a bloke” he said lowly into the microphone, there was burst of laughter from the Cavern people “No really” said John, a smile curling up on his lips “Don’t’ be a twit man… honestly”’
“I wanna do ‘Till there was you’” said Paul
“Yeah” George laughed “Only cause you get to sing it”
Paul shrugged “So we’ll do ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ next”
“Ok” George agreed
“Are we doing the fucking tune or not?” Pete asked irritably
“Yes” Paul muttered “One, Two Three” they struck into the song and the fast moving sea of people turned into a sort of slow wavering mass of slow dancers.
There were bells, on a hill
But I never heard them ringing
No I never hear them at all
Till there was you
Gabrielle and Aaron descended into the club.
“Ah” she nodded “Slow tune, wanna dance?”
He nodded and put his arms around her. Gabrielle settled against his chest and listened to Paul’s voice. Her shortness was again a problem for being noticed. She urged Aaron through the sea of dancing couples. Shaz should be here, she wondered vaguely. She was just happy to be in familiar territory. As opposed to on her own with Aaron at some posh restaurant that she had no time for. This was better. And there was a certain amount of pride over the fact that she *knew* these Beatles. People were starting to really listen to them, they were slowly becoming one of the biggest bands in Mersey side.
And they were *her* best mates.
Aaron twirled her around and then they were behind that protective row of girls again. She wasn’t going to throw her shoe this time. Gabrielle tugged on his hand as the song ended There was soft clapping and Paul bowed with flourish. They started ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ George song. She giggled and then someone yelled out to her. Shaz and Cynthia. Sitting next to each other in that space near the edge of the stage they always seemed to be occupying. Arthur Kelly was with them as well as a blonde girl who looked vaguely familiar and Michael McCartney as well.
“Oh come on” she said tugging at Aaron’s hand
“Who’re they?” he asked, following her
“I’ll introduce you to our entourage”
He raised his eyebrows in amusement “Entourage?” he asked
She giggled and ran over to them. “Hullo guys, this is Aaron Callahan”
He nodded at them and put his arms around Gabby. Mike and Arthur exchanged looks. “Gabby’s yer bird?” asked Mike.
“Yeah” said Aaron with a certain amount of uncertainty.
Mike nodded and looked at Arthur. They exchanged another look.
“Erm…” said Gabby “They rude one with the blonde hair there is Mike McCartney” she jerked her head at the stage “Paul’s brother”
“Hi” said Mike, he grinned cheekily at Gabby and she grinned back, rolling her eyes. Not as good looking as his older brother but defiantly as cheeky and charming. McCartney charm. That was it. Paul was more diplomatic then his younger brother though.
“That’s Arthur, Arthur Kelly. He’s been hanging about with us for ages. Dunno why”
“Hey, don’t be cheeky” said Arthur “I was in George’s first band”
“That wasn’t a band” Gabrielle snorted “That was him trying to figure out how to play guitar and you strumming a washboard along with that little welsh bloke on a tea chest bass”
“Still a band” Arthur pressed “I’m his male best mate”
“Yeah ok” she rolled her eyes “He’s insufferable, he is.”
Aaron gave her an amused look “Erm, this is Cyn, John’s bird. And Shaz, me mate. She’s nutters”
“Yeah” Shaz said gravely “I am”
Aaron sputtered with laughter “This is the entourage?” he laughed
“We’re very dysfunctional” Mike explained “We’ve just lost our manager you see, so now we’re mangerless…I guess”
“Oh” said the blonde bird “Someone will want to take them on, surely”
“This is Linda, by the way” said Arthur “My date. She works at NEMS. The record store, you know”
“Ah, I thought you looked familiar” Gabrielle nodded and waved at her “Hi, I’m Gabby”
Linda smiled at her in a friendly sort of way.
‘Roll Over Beethoven’ ended. John screamed and then sighed “What’s next?” he asked George
George shrugged and wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand
“Do something for yer bird” suggested Paul
“Who, Cyn?” John peered into the crowd “Cynthia me luv!” he screeched his voice breaking “what d’you want to hear?”
Cynthia put her face in her hands “Why does he insist on embarrassing me”
Gabby laughed “Oy, Lennon!”
“Gabby?”
“Yeah!” she yelled over the people’s head “She wants ‘Love Me Do‘!”
John and Paul exchanged a look. A, do we want to make fools of ourselves with our own stuff look. Paul shrugged and John nodded “Got it Cyn! Love Me Do it is”
Aaron, Gabrielle, Arthur and Linda danced in a sort of blob near Cynthia and Shaz. They’d changed the words to love me do again from ‘Someone to love, Someone who’s true’- to ‘somebody new’. Gabrielle closed her eyes, she could see that song going to number one. She could see those silly long haired Beatles being famous. She wondered what that would be like.
**
John, Paul and George hopped off the stage, one after the other, Pete ignored them and went about butting his drums away. The three fronting Beatles ran over to the space that their ‘entourage’ was occupying as usual. John was in an incredibly loving mood tonight is seemed because he pulled Cyn up to her feet and gave her a big kiss in front of everyone. George and Paul looked at each other and chuckled.
“John” Cynthia laughed, he was kissing her still. Smacking kiss after kiss on her lips despite her giggling. It was moments when he was like this that Gabrielle could understand why Cyn loved him so much. Because he did love her, and he depended on her. And John was really, underneath all the tough bravado, a very loveable guy. A lovable guy who liked cats at that.
“John” Cynthia pushed him away and he pouted
“What Cyn, I want to” he sang “Make sweet love to yooooo…”
“Gabby got a boyfriend” he froze over her lips, he turned around and looked at Gabrielle and Aaron
“Reaaaaaaly” he trilled “Oy, Beatles, Gabby’s got a boyfriend”
“God john, fuck off. It’s a thing” Gabrielle laughed
“A thing?” he repeated, fluttering his eyelashes
“Yeah, a thing” she giggled
John looked at George and Paul “It’s a thing” he told them knowledgably, and then looked back at Aaron. He wrinkled his nose “Well at least he’s clean” he tiffed
“Aye,” Aaron nodded “I am”
“He’s in our lettering class Cyn” Gabrielle said
Cynthia eyes went wide with recognition “Oooh Is this red headed bloke from art school!?”
Gabrielle felt like slapping herself. Aaron chuckled “That’d be me”
“She’s leaving you know” said Paul, he was forcing a smile. It was obvious. To Gabrielle at least. She caught his eye and he looked away. She looked at George. And then she wanted to laugh. George was sizing Aaron up. As if he were thinking about his chances of winning if they got in a fight.
“Yeh I know” said Aaron. “America, very exciting, that”
“It’s not like we’re getting married or anything” Gabrielle shrugged
George and Paul winced. Gabrielle didn’t notice it but John did this time. He watched the two of them for a few minutes. Neither looked happy. Why? He wondered vaguely if it was a jealousy thing or a protective thing. God, John hopped it wasn’t a jealousy thing. But if it was it would probably be very entertaining.
“I wish all bird were like you Gabby” Arthur sighed “Seems like all they usually want to do is get married.” All males present groaned and nodded.
Gabrielle sneered “I don’t want to get married”
Linda, Cyn ad Shaz all blanched “Why!” they cried
“You don’t want to fall in love?” demanded Cyn
“Or have kids?” asked Linda
“Or grow old and gray and have someone who loves you even if yer tits are saggy or you go doo-lally-tap on them?” Shaz. Of course.
Gabby looked at them warily. “Erm. I didn’t say that… marriage just isn’t. You know. My first priority” she shrugged and looked at John “I just want to have fun for a while, you know?”
“Amen to that” sighed Arthur
“Well” said Mike with a dramatic shrug “That settles it I guess then. Had she been born mute and possibly blonde, Gabrielle would have been the perfect woman in every sense”
Paul slapped his brother around the back of the head and everyone else laughed. “Mike, he snapped “You are a twat of enormous proportions that have never been reached until a few seconds ago”
“Ah, sod off James”
Paul rolled his eyes.
Aaron laughed “Mike was right, you all are dysfunctional”
“Yeah” John cackled “And you haven’t even met the Drummer”
“Why, what’s wrong with Pete?” he asked
“Don’t ask” Gabrielle muttered shaking her head
Aaron’s eyes brightened “Hey, I have an idea. I’m having a party next weekend, you lot can come if you want”
“All of us?” asked Mike
“No not you son, yer to short” John laughed
“Aw, fuck off Lennon” he sighed
“Yeah” Aaron nodded “Bring as much alcohol as you can carry I live out by Penny Lane”
“That’s where John lives,” said George “with his Auntie Mimi”
“Great, you know it’ll be a bunch of mates and their birds and stuff. Fun fer all”
“Drunken debauchery!” Gabby laughed