𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝘼𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛, 𝘽𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙚!

THREE- Skin and Bones

Mari woke up around 10:00 a.m that morning, forgetting completely where she promised to be later that afternoon until she got a call from John about an hour later.

"I'll pick you up around 8:30." He said, leaning back on his sofa. Yoko was just getting up, fixing herself a pot of coffee. Mari paused, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "What for?" she asked.

"The party, Christ," His speech ran into a slight mumble as his face strayed from the telephone for a moment, "Losing your head."

"Right! The party. If I told you I was too sick to go, would you believe me?"

"Ah, don't play that shite, I know you too well to--"

"Oh, I was only joking," she smiled, crossing her legs as she reclined on her seat.

John gave a sarcastic laugh, "You're very funny." he mumbled as he adjusted his position.

"You know what's funny? You sound seventy-percent more Liverpudlian when you're irritated." She commented, a small smile still on her face as she took a sip of her drink and put it back where it laid on the coffee table.

John laughed, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I ran into the press this morning on my way home from going to the shop to get a few things. I get so tired of their goddamn questions. 'John! John! When's the Beatle reunion?' 'John, What came first, the chicken or the egg?'"

His last words grew quiet as he strayed away from the telephone once again, though he could still hear Mari laugh through the line.

"I see. I didn't think the press would even recognize you anymore if you didn't have Yoko next to you, that's all they care about anymore. They hate to see a happy couple." Mari said, shifting in her seat.

"I know, I'm just tired of it." he agreed.  Mari paused for a moment, thinking of anything else she might have left to say before ending the call.

"Did you ever figure out who would be there? At the party, I mean."

John thought for a split second, gathering his thoughts and burying his frustration, "Only a few. I called Mick, said he'd be there, called Elton, said he'd be there, and then I got tired of talking over the phone so I didn't call anyone else."

Mari nodded, she'd never met Elton John, but she knew he was a very close friend of John, she also, of course, thought he was a very talented musician.

"Right, good to know. Hope I don't embarrass myself like I did last time I went to one of these."

John tilted his head, curious, "What happened the last time you went to one?"

"David Johansen of the New York Dolls came up to me and tried to start a conversation."

"What'd you say?"

"I didn't know who the hell he was!"

John laughed as Mari continued, "Literally had never in my life heard of New York Dolls, I asked him what he sang and he was like, 'oh I'm in New York Dolls', I thought he was trying to sell me something."

*

John and Mari arrived at the party at around 9:00, John still had no clue who's house they were at, he was barely even sure they were at the right place until he saw all the expensive cars lined up at the side of the house.

Mari'd had a hell of a time figuring out what she was going to wear, finally settling on a bra-like top, bell bottoms and a flowy cardigan, the clogs she decided to wore clicked with every step the two took towards the entrance of the home until they finally arrived, knocked on the door, and before John could knock again Keith Richards opened the door.