Nobody Wants To Know Him

LIV - Surprise Surprise

Thursday 22nd November 1973
Liverpool, England
9.03am

"It's been a year, y'know."

John glanced over at me, his eyes twinkling with expectancy. Meeting his gaze and then looking around, I tried to cast back my memory. What had happened last November?

Then, it dawned on me.

Exactly one year ago today, I had appeared on John's doorstep with a newspaper in hand. He had been isolated from the outside world for goodness knows how long, and my arrival seemed almost predestined. He invited me in for tea, and from there, a cascade of events unfolded.

The past year had been a whirlwind. Suzy's party was unforgettable, of course, along with the hazy morning that followed. There was that Christmas, where I had officially become John's lover and met his closest friends, whom I have since had the pleasure of getting to know more. New Year's Eve, the Tim debacle (who, by the way, was still with his new girlfriend), our trip to Hamburg, and the monumental decision to move in with John - one of the best decisions of my life.

It was impossible to overlook George offering me a job as his designated photographer, however little work I did, followed by our trip to Henley, plus the entire 'John wants to make music with Paul again' episode. Meeting Mimi for the first time was an ordeal I'd rather not repeat, but it led to the whole Julia event, which, in hindsight, was beneficial for everyone involved in the long-term. As a result, John began to open up and start therapy, revealing a much happier, more content version of himself.

In more recent events, there was Silverstone and everything involving George. Although he had fully recovered, he was only now grappling with the reality that he would never race again, which was hitting him like a freight train, or so I'd heard. He'd managed to find solace in a new gardening job and with tending to Friar Park's expansive gardens, and with that he was able to be kept distracted enough so that the despair of the ugly truth wouldn't engulf him.

Spending summer in Wales was fantastic, and John's birthday the following month was a highlight. My own birthday had also come and gone, marking a year since we met. John celebrated it with a quaint restaurant dinner, followed by a night of passionate love-making. What a night to remember.

"We should go out," John continued, shifting his gaze to the window. The trees stood bare, stripped by the encroaching winter, and the air outside now carried a sharper chill. "Y'know, to celebrate it being a year."

"Today?"

"Yeah, when else?"

John seemed unusually restless this morning, his eyes darting around and his fingers fidgeting. I watched as he twirled a strand of auburn hair around his fingers, letting it spring back before repeating the motion - one of his signature nervous habits. Despite knowing John so well, I couldn't quite pinpoint what was bothering him today.

This was another one of John's spontaneous suggestions, but his unpredictability was part of his charm. It kept me on my toes, and I cherished that. Life with him was never dull.

"Alright," I enunciated slowly, a smile spreading across my face. It was a great idea. I loved spending time with John, and what better day to go out than on the anniversary of our meeting? "Any plans?"

John scoffed, feigning offense. "Of course I have plans."

My eyebrows shot up involuntarily. John had plans? This day was becoming increasingly intriguing, and I found myself eagerly anticipating what he had in store.

_____

10.00am

After preparing ourselves for the day (John had insisted we 'dress nicely'), he revealed his intentions by summoning a taxi to pick us up from the house. From what I could discern, it appeared the taxi driver was to serve as our chauffeur for the entire day - likely racking up a considerable fare, but that was beside the point. I was entirely in the dark about John's plans.