Debbie Doll | Ringo Starr ✅

30

We heard a car pull up outside of the flat, and the familiar sound of a Scouse drawl. There was only one person who it could be. Ritchie was in the bath, and I had just started on dinner. It was early evening, and I had spent all day getting George's room ready. I'd washed and dried his bed sheets, putting them back on the bed, I'd lit a fragrant candle so the room smelt nice and I'd also made sure that everything was perfect.

I was exhausted.

I checked out of the window to make it sure it was George, and indeed it was. I went to the bathroom door and knocked just once, slowly pushing it open. Ritchie looked up at me as he heard the door creak, "hello, my love," he smiled at me, "George is outside. Did you want to get out?"

"Do you mind if I finish up here, first?" Ritchie asked, gesturing to the water. It was quite steamy in the bathroom since there wasn't a window in there.

I shook my head, "of course not -" the doorbell rang. "That'll be Geo. I'll help him with his bags -" Ritchie got out of the bath. "What're you doing?"

"I can't have my wife carrying in my best mate's bags." Ritchie wrapped a towel around his waist and pulled the plug on the bath before he gestured for me to lead the way to the front door.

We left our flat briefly to open the main door of the building for George. He grinned at us both, though furrowed his thick eyebrows at Ritchie's dripping figure standing in the doorway. "I couldn't have my wife getting your bags, Geo!" Ritchie took one of George's suitcases and took it into our flat. I took a step back so George could get by me with his other two cases, but he put them down. He kissed my cheek.

"You look lovely, Deb." I blushed, "very bright - London's done wonders for you already, hasn't it?"

I hadn't even left the flat - how could London have done anything for me? Other than the four walls of our new home, I had seen nothing of the surrounding city. I didn't want to explore by myself, so I was just waiting for Ritchie to ask me out for the day with him.

"Thanks, George." I paused as he grabbed his bags and let me lead the way back to the flat, "good trip?"

He nodded, "was alright, yeah. Sat next to a proper clobber on the train, though..." he continued to drone on about the idiot beside him on the train, but as soon as he got into the living room of our flat, his jaw dropped. His eyes flew around the room. "This place is nicer than anywhere back home!"

Ritchie was standing in the middle of the room, now in a pair of trousers though his chest was still bare, his golden St Christopher necklace glistening in the warm light of the fading afternoon.

I loved seeing him like that: so carefree. I'd never seen him like it before we had moved to London, but now he seemed to be like it at any and all times of the day. It was perfect.

"Your room is first door on the left, George," I told him, "ours is right across and the bathroom is next door to yours. We've got our own bathroom, so don't worry if you leave yours a little messy." Our en suite bathroom was bigger than George's, so there was never a situation where either Ritchie or me would have to use his instead of our own.

"Thanks, Starrs." George grinned at the two of us, "you're both gear, letting me stay here and all. Let me know if I can do anything to pay you back -"

"No need." Ritchie promised, but then he looked at me with a slightly teasing look on his face, "though I think Deb might appreciate a friend to go shopping with -"

"Any time." George promised, smiling at me.

I smiled back, clapping my hands once as a finality. "Right, well, dinner's on. It's steak pie and mash tonight, George, but I know that's one of your favourites."