⇾ 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈

Chapter Eighty-Five: Flustered

August 15, 1962

Like something out of a storybook, I didn't wake up once during the night. It was the first time I'd slept all through the night in months. I woke up feeling much better than I had in a while.

The band had just played a lunchtime gig at the Cavern and it was the first time I was getting to talk to John that day.

"Good night, then?" he asked me as he sat down by my side.

I nodded. "Actually wasn't too bad." I gave him a reassuring smile.

He nodded happily. "No dreams, then?"

"Well," I began. "Not exactly none. It just didn't really bother me this time, I guess. I was too drugged up to notice, y'know?"

He chuckled. "Oh, I know."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure you do."

"What's my little lady love doing today, then?" He asked, leaning back in the chair and lazily slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"Working at NEMS. Nothing too extraordinary."

I'd been doing that a lot lately, what with having stopped a lot of my traveling. I suspected that it wouldn't be long before I could start the traveling again. Although I knew Brian would be strict about easing it back in. That was inevitable.

John watched towards the door of the club as Pete sulked out, saying goodbye to no one.

"How's he been? Not good, I presume?" I asked and he returned his focus to me, shaking his head.

"He's not going to last much longer," he said. "I don't know what we'll do without him though." He sighed and ran his hand back through his hair before resting his head on his hand and glancing around as Paul and George joined us at the table.

"What'd you do to him, Epstein?" asked Paul teasingly. "He was fine just a minute ago."

I shrugged. John sat up. "Let's go to my house," he said. "We can rehearse. Clearly Pete didn't want that," he grumbled. "So we'll do it alone."

The others nodded curtly, not offering any objections. We left the Cavern after going back to retrieve the boys' instruments. When we split ways and I went towards NEMS, John's mood had improved slightly. He seemed torn between his friendship with Pete that was slowly falling apart, and by the future of the band along with their contract with George Martin.

When I made it to NEMS, Thomas was waiting for me with his usual smirk that told me he was ready to hear everything that had happened since we'd last seen each other. It had become a routine for us.

~~~

Trixie and I were both at the Cavern the night it all happened. It was a blur by the next morning. No one knew how much everything was about to change. Brian was sitting up by the stage.

The band went on at six as they always did.

"Well she needs no coaching on making love / All she needs is the stars up above / Oh, baby," Paul sang onstage an hour or two into the band's set. They were nearly done.

With the music in the background, Trixie and I indulged in conversation as we always did. She was still stressing about what would happen to her and George if the Beatles did end up going off and getting famous.

"Oh, c'mon Trix. One thing at a time," I said. "Right now, he's still George from Liverpool. Focus on that."

She nodded, then laughed. "This is what I would have been telling you six months ago. You've changed, Donna."

"Have I?" I asked nervously. "I don't feel any different."

She snorted. "Sleeping with Lennon's changed you," she quipped.

I dropped my head into my hands, blushing, as I laughed in response. "You didn't have to bring that up."

"Oh, come on, I'm only kidding. I'm happy you've loosened up finally. It's easier to get you to do things."

I frowned at her. That can't be the only thing good about it."

"Well, for John, it's probably much more." She gave an expectant look at me.

"Okay, you can stop now." I laughed.

I turned my attention back to the stage where John and Paul were crowding around one microphone, signing off for the night in a fit of wisecracking. With another loud cheer from the audience, the four ran off backstage and we followed, catching up with Brian as he went through the door, watching as the Hurricanes made their way into the stage to follow.

The boys were all silent when we went back there. John was locked in an intimidating stare with Pete, in the middle of putting his guitar into the case.

"You're not a bad fucking drummer," John said, trying his best to not yell too loud. Pete started back blankly, sheepishly looking like he could cry. "Get your head out of your arse or you're fucking done."

Pete threw his drumsticks aside and brushed past Trixie and I, the unfortunate ones in the way of the door, harshly. George and Paul stayed silent through the whole ordeal, cautiously tucking their instruments away, their eyes flicking up every now and then.

John fell back onto a sofa in the corner, plucking a few of his guitar strings out of habit. When he caught sight of Brian, his eyes widened. He flipped his guitar into his case and tried to pretend nothing had happened. "Sorry, Brian," he muttered.

Brian shook his head and cleared his throat. "I was going to talk to you about that anyways," he said sympathetically.

John nodded, sitting back. The others leaned against the couch, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"He needs to go," said John gloomily and it fell so silent you could hear everyone's breathing. "I know."

"Whenever you think's best," said Brian.

John nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." He looked down, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.

"Well, good job tonight," said Brian with a reassuring thumbs-up. "I'll see you all tomorrow at NEMS for your set in Chester." With that, he shuffled out of the room.

"Well," John said, clearing his throat and sinking more back into the couch. "That's that, then."

"Who's gonna be our drummer now?" asked George sadly. No one had dared to approach the question until now.

"We'll find someone," said John bitterly, not looking up to meet anyone's eye.

"That's good, then. We're—uh—going to go watch the Hurricanes, John. Are you coming?" I saw that George had taken Trixie by the hand and was standing by Paul at the door.

"I'll be out in a minute," mumbled John. The other two nodded and left awkwardly.

"Did you want me to go too?" I asked after a moment.

He looked up at me, alarmed. "No, I really didn't. C'mere." He patted the section of couch next to him. I went over towards him and he pulled me down and into his arms. "You look so beautiful," he said lightly. "I didn't get to tell you earlier."

I looked down at the plain dress I'd changed into before coming down to the club and blushed. "Thank you," I answered.

He put his lips to mine. "You're so welcome." He looked around at his surroundings and then smirked back to me. "You're making it hard for me to control myself," he said and I gasped sarcastically at his sudden dirtiness. "I love you," he said finally after planting another kiss on my lips. "Let's go find the others before I do something bad." He winked and stood, motioning for me to follow. I followed alongside him, flustered, not knowing in the slightest what the night would come to.