And Your Girl Can Sing

Chapter 49: I Feel Very Unintentionally Awkward (Dot, Dot, Dot)

Hi y'all, I know I sound like a broken record but I'm pretty excited for this chapter, it definitely came out better than I thought! Let me know what you think and also as always enjoy the chapter!

Mazie xoxo

"You got the kit right, Cora," Pete said, standing over me. From my viewpoint on the ground adjusting his pedal, he looked like a giant.

"Yes...?" I offered meekly with a slight smile.

"Nice."

Pete offered a smile and a hand to me and I stood up, careful not to reveal too much in the dress I was wearing. "You do a better job than Neil," he whispered, one hand concealing the compliment in the corner where the drums were being set up. "I'm sure he'll get it one day though."

I shook my head, bemusedly hiding a smile. Yes, it was so after so many months playing with the boys I knew every inch of Pete's drum kit and how he wanted everything tuned. It had been a busy night—the van had broken down suddenly and we had to do an emergency repair. "On the last day we play at the Casbah," George had complained, throwing his hands up in the air. Paul clapped a hand on the younger guitar player's shoulder. "Then, George," he said, strangely calm for once, "It's off to Germany."

"We'd better have some better sleeping quarters, then," George grumbled, but then Neil had gotten the van moving and we all piled in.

People must have known that this was the last gig the Beatles were playing before they set off to Germany again, because the line for the club stretched halfway around the block, and it wasn't even opening time yet. I nodded my head to a few faces I recognized in the line and entered the club, and after that we had started to set up. March 26th, 1961, and then tomorrow it was off to Germany, the second round, March 27th! I had missed Germany, the sights and sounds where I had first fallen back in time. It would almost be like returning home.

The Casbah was, in a single word, tiny. The three black wooden walls which boxed the musicians in didn't help make anything look any larger either. And so when Neil's face peered round the entrance and told us, "Someone here to see you, John," we all heard his announcement.

"Who is it?" John asked, confused.

"She just wants a quick word with you. I think you'd better go." Neil disappeared back towards the van.

John shot a confused glance at me, showing he was just as befuddled as I was, and walked round the front of the club where I heard an exclamation. I went back to securing Pete's drum kit, but it was all set up. I looked around for something else to do and Paul noticed my empty hands.

"Sit down, love, you don't have to help us so."

"But I want to help," I smiled at him.

"Ye want to help? Fine, then, grab... oh! Get my guitar from the van, will ya? I think Dot wants to hear me play something later," he said in response to my questioning glance at the guitar, and turned his head back down to connect some cables. And so I climbed the steps outside and instead of turning the corner to the van, went the other way. I wanted to see who this mystery girl was.

"—and you'd better eat, John, when you came back last time you were as thin as a rail," I heard someone saying and I knew who it was. Attempting to bow out of the scene, I wasn't fast enough. She caught sight of me and said, "Cora."

"Mimi," I managed gracefully.

"What are you doing here?" John asked.

"The van—Paul asked me to get his guitar—"