Just to Dance with you

Francine's

Liverpool, November 9th 1961

"Guys come on I'm starvin', we've been walking round for two hours now and there's no sign of this bloody shop!" I groaned, throwing my head back as we continued walking for what seemed like a lifetime and a half
"Quit your moaning George, we need to find this shop so we can meet Mr Epstein, look if you're that hungry there's a café just there, look" my mate Paul protested pointing to a small, run down looking place, but me being me and wanting to prove a point to the rest of my mates, John and Pete, I nodded and quickly marched over.
"Right then, in a bit lads" I smiled excitedly being able to get away from walking, for at least 10 minutes
Paul scoffed and shook his head as I waved cheekily to him from the café door as I entered, the room was bright and warm and smelt of greasy breakfasts....I loved it!
I quickly perched myself in a booth, in the middle of the room and immediately started scanning the menu, I should feel bad about leaving the guys to look for the shop by themselves, but who am I kidding they'll have found the local pub by now.
My ears suddenly came into function and were filled with the ambience of the small shop, quiet chatter from the locals, the spitting of fat in the kitchen, the shrieking of a kettle, the jukebox playing.....what was that? Buddy Holly? This place has style.....a greasy, coffee stench, dingy kind of style but a style I could get behind none the less.
My focus was soon disrupted when a voice spoke up, "Welcome to Francine's café, what can I get for you today sir?"
I immediately looked up and I was surprised to see an incredibly beautiful girl talking to me. Her face was small and delicate, her mousy brown hair in perfect bunches resting effortlessly on her collar bones, her lips curved into an enthusiastic smile, exposing her dainty dimples and last but certainly not least, her eyes.....wow her eyes of warm honey glistening in the not so flattering, artificial lighting of the café. Oh god! I'm staring.....speak.......hello? Speak Harrison.....anything?
"Sir? Are you alright? Do you need a drink?" She asked tilting her head to a side slightly expressing her concern
"Oh um sorry I lost my train of thought" Finally! Words! I managed to get some out and cleared my throat, glancing back at the menu
"Oh no worries sir, can I get you anything to drink?" She repeated sweetly, obviously on a tight schedule, having to wait tables for the other customers
"Yeah uh I'll get a cup of tea please" I said firmly making my choice
She looked down to her notepad, giggling to herself exposing those adorable dimples of hers again as she scribbled down my order.
"Is something funny?" I chuckled out trying not to seem coarse
She quickly looked up, seemingly embarrassed
"Oh no, not at all sir! I'm sorry it's just.....you must not come here very often" she trailed off apologetically
"What gave me away?" I asked grinning as if to let her know she hadn't offended me
"Well let's just say "a cup of tea" is not our most popular beverage" she giggled shifting her view to the locals of the café, I followed her gaze and instantly acknowledged the merry locals by the window with their pint glasses of amber liquid, I raised my eyebrows in realisation and chuckled to myself
"Ah, I see......aye maybe I'm not a frequent here but neither are yourself" I noted looking back at this beautiful girl
"What gave me away?" She said copying my earlier answer making me blush slightly
"Well 1) your accent....I mean you don't sound very scouse to me love and 2) well I mean a bonnie girl like you working in a place like this with 10am drinkers?" I questioned kind heartedly
She blushed looking down at her notepad, her lips forming into a bashful smile as she nodded
"Well you're right about the accent, I'm from York, my father got transferred up here for work and my mother being the stubborn woman that she is decided that we'd all move up here with him" she shrugged shaking her head, still smiling, god I loved that smile of hers,
"AMELIA!"
We both jumped and turned to the attention of a thin, ragged looking woman, stood behind the counter of the shop, was this the owner?
Once she saw that she had our attention she spoke up (quite loudly) again
"Amelia quit courting and get on with yer work! There's more tables to clear ye know?" Her sharp, nasal voice cut right through me sending chills down my spine with every word she spat out
"Oh but Francine I wasn't-" Amelia started gesturing back to me, I finally knew her name.....Amelia....how lovely
"NOW!" Francine spat, making Amelia jump as she turned back to me
"Lovely woman" I said sarcastically and she just hummed a disapproving tone
"Sorry so a cup of tea, anything else sir?" She spoke quieter now as she just got a telling off
"Oh please call me George, but I'll take a stack of your "famous house pancakes" I read from the menu grinning at her hoping to see her grin back.
She flashed her dimply smile at me and nodded scribbling down the rest of my order, as she began to walk away I quickly called back to her
"Oh Amelia could I get one more thing?" What are you doing Harrison?
"Yes George?" The use of my name from her lips made my heart skip a beat, she asked walking back to my table
"Could I get your phone number?" I asked not really knowing what I was doing, this wasn't my "thing", this wasn't me, this was more Paul's thing, he was the charming one not me
I quickly looked back up furrowing my eyebrows ready for rejection
I noticed Amelia giggle and blush as she looked down at her pad quickly flicking through it for a clean page, she bit her lip and scribbled yet another note on her pad
I couldn't believe what was happening, was this girl really giving me her phone number? Or was she just being polite by writing me a note to tell me to shove it where the sun doesn't shine?
I braced myself for the rejection as she passed me her note and to my absolute, incredible surprise her phone number looked me dead in the eye, I couldn't contain my smile any longer as I chuckled to myself as she walked, well practically skipped, to go place my order,

That went well......