⇾ 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈

Chapter Forty-Four: The Devilishly Handsome John Lennon (In Glasses!)

December 23, 1961

"Donna, are you dressed? Can you help me?" Brian called down. I looked at the red dress I had chosen one more time and cringed. Today was the day Brian was to meet all of the boys' parents. He was having a little Christmas dinner and had told me to dress up. News flash, I hate dressing up. It doesn't let me blend in like I'd like it too. Quite frankly, I didn't even want John to see me in this because I thought it didn't look that good, but it was all I owned that wasn't casual, so I had to go with it.

I put one last bobby pin in my hair and stumbled downstairs to help Brian. He was setting the table, wearing a red sweater. The house had a few little Christmas decorations scattered about. The tablecloths were changed, the Christmas tree was up, and the stockings were hung even though we wouldn't be spending Christmas here. There were a few other little things around that made the place feel homey and cozy.

"Is this too much?" I asked him hesitantly, looking down again.

He looked at me and shook his head. "You look lovely, kiddo," he said with an encouraging smile. "And you-know-who will enjoy that." He winked and I rolled my eyes. "Now, come help," he said.

"Oh, yeah. What do I need to do?"

He handed me a stack of plates. "Put these out, please." He smiled.

As soon as all the plates had been set out, the first knock on the door came. Brian quickly looked around again before turning to me frantically. "Breathe," I said with a laugh. "It's just a dinner party."

He nodded. "You're right! Okay, here goes nothing," he said with a nervous chuckle, going to open the door to whoever had shown up. I suspected it would be John and his aunt, considering they lived just next door, and it was. I hid behind the table as much as I could, but my insecurity didn't get to hide too long because John spotted me while Mimi and Brian were greeting one another and his face broke into a wide smile.

He was wearing a white button-up with some dress pants under his black trench-coat. He was wearing the glasses I'd only seen him in once or twice before, which I suspected Mimi had forced him to wear. I had to admit, he looked devilishly handsome in them.

He shifted and cleared his throat and I was jerked out of my trance as he turned to greet Brian. I looked down at my feet, blushing.

A moment later, I saw his feet and he lifted my head up to face him by my chin. "Bloody hell, you look gorgeous," he whispered and I blushed harder.

"You look amazing," I stuttered.

He smiled. "Aww, love, really, in these?" He gestured in his glasses. "I'm flattered."

"I think you should wear them more often." I shrugged with a laugh.

He wrinkled his nose amusedly. "I'd rather not."

There was another knock on the door and a moment later we were joined by the voices of George and his mother and father, Louise and Harold.

"Donna, come over here and meet the lovely people," said Brian and I frowned, suddenly feeling self-conscious again.

George's eyes searched me silently, impressed, and I blushed yet again.

"Donna." I turned to Mimi standing behind me. I hadn't seen her since John and I had officially started dating and I wasn't, and never really had been, looking forward to it. "How are you?" She smiled fondly at me and I lost my voice suddenly, vainly opening my mouth and saying nothing.

"Ye okay, Donna?" asked John seriously. I nodded and smiled assuredly. He took my hand discreetly and I found the nerve to respond.

"I'm good," I stuttered, letting out a deep breath.

"That's good, then." She pursed her lips, no doubt confused, and perhaps irritated, by my behavior.

"Ye need ta stop goin' all pale on me, dear," John whispered, leaning down to my level when Mimi turned to talk to George's parents. "Ye always look like yer going ta faint onto me." He grinned at how tense I became suddenly.

By the time the rest of the band arrived, I'd already become overwhelmed with the activity downstairs and had excused myself to the bathroom, but finding myself in my room instead, taking a moment to myself to breathe.

"This isn't the bathroom," I turned and saw Pete standing behind me.

"Definitely not," I replied. "Down a little further on the left."

"Why're you up here all alone? Party's downstairs." He leaned against the doorway.

I shrugged. "I don't like crowds."

"There's barely any people here," he said stubbornly.

"It's a lot to me," I retorted.

"Pete?" John asked, joining him at the door.

"Get your girlfriend downstairs. She's a host," said Pete, and I rolled my eyes.

"Fuck off, Pete," blurted John moodily. I could tell he was irritated with Pete's tone, for he barely ever cursed around me.

Pete rolled his eyes and went off to find the bathroom. John scowled at Pete as he walked away, then smiled at me. "Ye okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed a moment is all." I smiled, looking at the picture of my parents on my dresser. John followed my gaze and looped his arm around my waist. He didn't say anything. It was a dead silence: a comfortable silence.

When he saw my teary eyes, He tugged on me. "Maybe we should go back down. They'll be searchin' for us."

I nodded, my face hardening. "You're right. I shouldn't have run off, I guess." We laughed and turned to leave.

Seemingly no one noticed our absence. We were able to slip back in as if nothing had happened. They were all chatting happily with one another.

I looked up to see John staring at me with a smile. "What're you looking at?" I asked, flustered.

"You," he said. "Yer too beautiful for me ta look away."

I blushed. "I don't like this," I admitted, gesturing to the article of clothing bitterly.

John frowned and put his arm around me teasingly. "Why?" he whined.

"I can't blend in in it."

"But yer so gorgeous," he cooed.

"I'm gagging." Paul came up behind us and John removed his arms around me.

"Hey, Paul," said John.

"How's Dot?" I asked.

He shrugged. "She's fine. Kinda sick all the time, but I guess we can't really help that."

I nodded. "That's good, then?"

He nodded and I heard Brian start calling out that dinner was ready.