Stop Crying Your Heart Out - McLennon AU

34.

(A/N- Some George and Ringo content in the next two chapters)

3rd May, 1963

George lead the boys down the blacked out steps that lead down into the club. It was dark, and had a sort of blacked out disco theme. But it was also basically underground, meaning it got very hot, very quick.

All three of the boys looked around and through the crowd of boys and girls on the dance floor in hopes of finding Ringo.

"Wait, won't he be on stage?" Paul shouted to the other two boys over the song 'I wanna know' by The Droppers, which was coming to an end.

"Shit, yeah." John cursed, forcing his way through more couples and groups of people and now leading the way to the stage himself.

Ringo was up there alright, but there was no way of getting his attention, he was way to into it and the music was just too loud. George could barely hear himself think.

"Fuck it. I'm gettin' a drink." George called to Paul.

"What?" John asked him, but George had already began to make his way to the bar.

The stuffy room was beginning to make him sweat, he had to take his jacket of or he thought he might pass out.

"A vodka and coke please." The younger man asked the blonde, short-haired waitress, passing her a £3 note.

"Of course." She nodded.

"Oi, Geo!" George turned his head at a voice calling for him, thinking it must be either John or Paul. But it was Ringo.

"Ritchie? I thought you were up there a minute ago?" He asked him, voice lower as the music was quieter near the bar area. But now there was someone else stood on stage in Ringo's place. "Wait, who's that?"

"Oh. That's Pete." He spoke, resting his left arm on the bar and hopping into one of the seats.

George thought he might as well do the same, as when he looked back into the crowd of people, he saw John and Paul now... Dancing? They looked very occupied, so he thought his best bet was to stay and talk to Ringo. He didn't want to look like a third wheeler.

"Pete?"

"Yeah, he's called Pete Best. I do the first half of the night from like 7 till' 10 he does from 10 to around half 12 ish, then I do up until half 2 and from then on it's just like a record player until the bar shuts at 3am."

He'd only been working there for around a week and yet he seemed to have it all planned out.

"Here, love." George heard the woman call, passing him his drink.

"Cheers."

"Can I help you?" She asked Ringo.

"Oh uh, I'll have what he's having please Jess." With a nod, she walked on.

"You seem to have it all planned out?"

"Yeah, we have like routine type thing." He explained. "So like on Fridays and Saturday's we do this, then on Sundays we don't work and there's some band that plays here. On Monday and Tuesday we work but swap shifts so he's longer, and then on Wednesday we have another day off and on Thursday the bar is shut, so it works out pretty well."

George was amazed by everything Ringo was saying. The atmosphere in the room was crazy, and it was something that the younger man was beginning to enjoy. Everyone looked to be enjoying themselves out on the stuffy dance floor and on tables in the far corner.

"It sounds amazing, Rich."

"Aye." He grinned. "It is, Geo. You'd love it here, pal. It's right up your street I'll tell ya."