Do You Want To Know a Secret?

4. Boys

The next week passed painfully slow. Ever since I saw my uncle at the Cavern Club, it was as if suddenly like I'm not sure who he was anymore. His nights out became more frequent, he started giving me odd days off at the shop that I hadn't ever had off before, and he seemed to act like a completely different person whenever we spoke. It was as if he was nervous and tense around me, like he was hiding something.

In the back of my mind I was curious as to if this was all directly connected to The Cavern Club. I hadn't any idea why my uncle had any interest in clubbing at all, he once told me he wouldn't be caught dead in anywhere that was so unsanitary and rowdy as the Cavern. Yet there he was it the midst of it all, throwing that whole speech out the window and leaving me without any explanation whatsoever.

I tried to let it slip from my mind until the next Friday, when the four rock n rollers made an appearance at NEMS that would change everything.

"You cheated!" Alistair exclaimed throwing his cards down accidentally scattering them across the table and onto the floor.

"Did not!" I spoke childishly crossing my arms. He scoffed and I rolled my eyes at his constant habit of assuming I'm always up to no good.

"Fine, let's play again then!" He said taking the cards off the floor and table and shuffling them being the sore loser that he was.

"Alright children, there's work to be done around here." My uncle spoke sternly. I was about to complain to him when the door swung open suddenly to reveal the Beatles making my jaw drop to the floor.

"Brian!" They all called warmly towards my uncle. This wasn't happening was it? I'm dreaming right? I pinched myself only causing me to wince reassuring me I was very much awake.

"Boys!" My uncle spoke nervously glancing over in my direction. "You know Alistair," he spoke and Alistair waved nonchalantly as if this whole situation wasn't crazy. Was I the only one that was blown away by this sudden entrance?

"And this is my niece Poppy." He introduced me proudly making my hands shake slightly and the colour drain from my face. I waved nervously and they all waved back as chipper as they were the last week at the Cavern.

"'Ello darlin'. I'm John, but you can call me, anytime you'd like." John spoke cockily coming over to the counter with a suggestive smirk.

"It's nice to meet you anytime you'd like." I shot back a sarcastic remark. His smirk faltered for a second but only grew wider hearing the cackles from his band mates behind him.

"Cheeky."  He spoke approvingly with a nod. In seconds yet another one of the boys came over to greet me making the nervous pit in my stomach grow.

"I'm Paul, I'm sorry about Johnny here, he's a bit soft." Paul leaned in and whispered making me giggle. His doe eyed gaze stuck on mine filling my cheeks with colour once again. My uncle soon cleared his throat making Paul awkwardly break away from my gaze to look over behind him at his fellow band members.

"Erm, That's Pete," Paul said pointing to the drummer who shot me a wink. I felt my blush spread from all the sudden attention feeling all the eyes in the room on me. "And that's George." Paul said introducing the shy and mysterious lead guitar player. I shot him a warm smile which he returned meekly.

"Alright boys, well, since you're here, let's get you to signing those contracts." My uncle said leading them to his office as I sat there baffled. I looked at Alistair who was dealing the cards calmly as if nothing had just happened.