Golden Slumbers (Book 1)

Chapter 4 For No One

Four days later...

Chapter 4

The car slowly spuddered towards the airport that chilly autumn afternoon. I looked out the window at the different tints of orange and red splashed onto the trees surrounding the road and sighed. 

'I was probably just drunk,' Amelia's words played over and over in my head. Did she really mean that? That all these years I'd been hanging on by just drunk nothingness? I guess it really doesn't matter anyways. Love is so overrated.

George noisily shifted his weight beside me, bringing me from my thoughts. His visit to his parent's house back with Pattie was long overdue so he decided to take the next aeroplane over. I had only to pick up Jane from the airport for her late birthday so I decided to take the same cab.

As soon as we stopped in front of the airport, I had the strong urge to grip onto the car and never let go. To scream and cry even. But I got out of the car, cool and collected, paid the cab driver and made my way with George and Pattie trailing behind to the enterance. The building was crowded and noisy, an endless sea of blurred colors. We just barely made into the door when a voice of sweet morning dew came to my ears.

"Hey, stranger," the familiar voice came from behind me. I quickly turned around to find Jane in a pink wool sweater. She smiled sweetly up to me and I down at her. 

"Jane," I whispered as we embraced. 

"Hey Jane," George smiled and gave Jane a quick hug. "This is Pattie. This is Jane," he introduced the two women and they shook hands and smiled warmly. "Well, we better be off. Got a long trip ahead of us. Nice seeing you again. Bye." The two walked away and dissolved into the crowd. 

Jane turned towards me " I'm so glad to see you again, Paulie." We embrassed again and our lips met. Her tongue tasted like rasberries and cream. It tasted so good I couldn't help but want more... Before we could go any farther, I pushed away from her. Jane's eyes were still closed as she licked her lips and stepped back. Slowly, her soft green eyes looked into mine and a calm smile formed on her face.

"Come on," she said softly, lightly touching my arm. I knew she was hurt that I had pushed her away  from showing me how much she missed me but I didn't want to be tempted like that. 

We walked for most of the way to the hotel, taking secret, winding paths and following cold, bending creeks. She was the on who did the most talking, me the most listening. She told me about her friend Marge and how she was expecting a baby soon. As usual my mind was somewhere else. Floating in the clouds, tangled in the trees. 

"Paul?" I looked over at Jane who looked as though she was trying to get my attention for a while.

"Uh- sorry, "I stammered, "thinkin' about... a session." 

"Oh.. um well, I've been thinking lately." Oh no. This could only go one way...

"When are we going to move to the next stage of this relationship?"

"What do you mean?" I asked stupidly. Jane reached for my hand.

"Do you think it's time to get married?" My body went frozen. I pushed her hand away from mine and walked toward a crooked tree. The bark, moldy and peeling. The grass below my feet was yellow and soft from the late October rain. Jane walked up to me with a sympathetic look upon her face. 

"It's fine if your'e scared. Everyone gets scared sometimes." Another attempt at my hand. 

I turned away from her at the creek beside the old tree. "Jane. I.." I couldn't say that I loved her because that wouldn't be compeletly true. "I've known you for only year. Give it some time. I just want to get to know you better."

***

The room was empty when Jane and I arrived. It was a bit awkward after what had happened on the walk over here. Right after that incident, Jane called a cab.

"Make yourself at home," I thrusted my thumb back at the couch as I made my way to the back bedrrom. I pulled out my bass. Sitting on the bed, I plucked at the cords, mumbling silent nothings to myself.

"Paul?" Jane again.

"Yes, love?" 

"I'm not mad at you or anything."

"Why would I think that?" I asked, not looking up at her.

"I dunno. I thought maybe.." She walked over and sat next to me on the bed.

The front door burst open just then, making the two of us jump.

"Hey-oo!" John's voice carried into the bedroom.

"Come 'ed," I said to Jane as I carefully set down my bass and walked to the mainroom.

Two of the three other Beatles stood in the main room, waiting for us... along with Amelia. Amelia?

I shot a worried, angered look at John. Jane looked questioningly at Amelia and then at me. 

"You.. friends with her, Paul?" Sweat dripped down my back as I looked from Jane to Amelia, having no idea how to respond.

"She's with me," Ringo spoke up. Amelia gave a sweet smile and stood closer to Ringo.

"Yeah. I'm Amelia by the way," she held out her hand and Jane accepted with an uneasy smile. 

"Beautiful name," Jane commented. Amelia thanked her and we all stood there in silence. Only I broke it when I said, "I think we should celebrate Jane's belated birthday," I moved my hands around her as if to display her, "with a bottle of champaign."  They all murmmered in agreement and sat around in the living room. I called room service for their finest and quickly sat down next to Jane. To my utter surprise the two women seemed to be getting along.

I looked questioningly at John and Ringo. They only shrugged and shook their heads.

"Wow, I am so glad I met you! You're the only gal I met so far that actually enjoys making doyles!" I'm not a hundred percent sure what they were actually talking about because I didn't understand the foreign language they spoke but it was something along those lines.

When the champaign came,. the girls drank  their share and continued clucking among themselves, paying no attention to the rest of us. 

My two worlds were melting together. This thought made my chest feel tight. I felt as though I was falling into a hole. 

I called out their names into black nothingness but it came out sounding as if for no one.