If I Fell│John Lennon/Beatles FanFiction

Chapter 60 - 8.Nov.1964

Chapter 60

November 8, 1964

Just because I'd agreed to tell John the truth didn't mean he had to like everything I did. And he did not approve of my latest outing; he'd made himself beyond clear...multiple times over. But I didn't care. Mimi was driving me bonkers, and I had to get out of bed and out of the house. So when I'd checked in with work after weeks of recovery and found that they wanted to send a photographer to Liverpool to photograph the Beatles concert, I volunteered right away.

I pulled my jacket tight around me and tucked my cheeks behind a scratchy scarf as I walked toward the Liverpool Empire Theatre. My camera hung around my neck, and my heels clicked against the sidewalk. It was a bit nutty to wear heels, especially since I hadn't worn a pair since that night I got left behind at the London Palladium. But I had something to prove...to show John that I was perfectly capable of working again, even if I hadn't sat in bed for the entire eight weeks the doctor recommended. And the more put-together I looked, the more I felt I could make John shove his warnings up his arse.

With a hat on my head and my hair still brown, I slipped easily through the growing crowd of fans who were chuffed to bits that the Beatles were finally back in Liverpool for a live performance after nearly a year away. Only a few birds gave me a second glance, but most of them didn't recognize me, not in time to say anything, anyway. I was off their radar after months of not being photographed next to John, with the exception of being caught leaving the hospital.

I rounded the back of the building with my credentials in my hand. Someone bumped into me from behind, throwing me a bit off balance, and the shouting all around me pierced my ears. The screams were just as I remembered them, if not louder. I steadied myself, regaining my balance, and bit the inside of my cheek as I pushed forward, trying to get out of the crowd as quickly as possible. It wasn't too much trouble getting in through the back door of the venue, and I headed toward the dressing room to pop in to say hello, unbuttoning my jacket along the way.

There was a bit of an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach, maybe from not eating enough throughout the day, or more likely because I hadn't been to one of the boys' shows in almost nine months. Being in their small, smoke-filled dressing rooms had once felt like a second home. But now I was so far removed from all of it, removed from them and their tight inner circle...and I knew just how hard it was to penetrate that circle.

I pushed through the door, and the room was practically empty. I took one step forward and waved at Neil, who sat in the corner forging signatures on a stack of photos, his shoulders hunched over. The next moment, I smacked right into someone. My hand flew to my head, making sure my hat stayed put. I looked up, my gaze meeting dark hazel eyes and a smile that I'd recognize anywhere.

"Christ, Paul," I mumbled as I stepped away from him. "Sorry."

"Aye, Liv. Look at you all upright and walkin' around." Paul smirked as he steadied me. His eyes dragged over my body. "You clean up well."

"For the last ruddy time, Paul, eyes are up here," I said through tight lips, and I had to stop myself from flicking the look off his face.

"Oh, feelin' feisty again, I see." He fiddled with the top button of his white dress shirt. "Yer lovely disposition should go well with John's. He's in a right shiny mood. And he says I have you to thank for that."

I shrugged. "Couldn't stay in bed forever, could I?"

"No, suppose not." His lips tipped into a frown. "Though I could think of a few different places for yer first outing that might be a bit less loud...and crowded."