My Fair Lady

Chapter 12 - 1964

The sound of the first doorbell didn't stir Eliza from her sleep. But when it kept ringing repeatedly, she let out an annoyed groan. A dull heaviness shot through her brain as she groggily sat up. It was nine am on a Sunday. She was going to murder whoever it was at the door.

Trudging out of her room with slow steps whilst tying her robe, she opened the door to find Nick standing on the other side, looking every bit the curious journalist. At first, she stared back hard, wondering what brought him over on a Sunday.

"Where the hell were you last night?", he demanded.

Oh...that's why.

She stifled a yawn behind her hand. "Morning to you too Nick. Better come inside first." 

She moved to allow him access inside her flat. Without glancing back, she headed for the living room & sat on her couch. Nick followed close behind.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?", he began to rant. "I waited at the cafe a good fifteen minutes for you & every minute was an agony. I beat myself up for ditching you in the hall. I thought the fans crushed you on their way out & I was worried out of my mind."

"I'm sorry Nick, I - um got lost inside", she tried to come up with a story. Shit, she didn't even get time to prepare an excuse for last night.

"Lost?", he repeated slowly.

She nodded, not meeting his hawk-eyed gaze. "Lost in the sense that I got caught in a swarm of girls heading for the exit from the back end. They were - erm, hoping to catch the Beatles before they left. And then you know how claustrophobic I can get-", she paused to glance at him. He made a hmm sound. If she laid out her story well, he might just buy it.

"-So when I tried to escape, more of them kept piling around me. Probably word had spread that the Beatles were making their exit. I was stuck with them for at least an-"

"Do you know how hard I searched for you? I even came to your flat after midnight but you didn't answer the door-"

"I was passed out that's why", she blurted, holding her head in her hands.

"What do you mean 'passed out'? Did you go clubbing or something after leaving me to hang dry?"

Memories from last night flashed before her mind's eye. The dark lights, the music, the dancing couples on the floor, the incessant drinking & smoking by the boys. She remembered sitting between George & Ringo whilst Neil & Paul shamelessly flirted with the girls serving them drinks. She couldn't remember where John had gone to after the topic of her family; specifically her father halted the conversation. But she did remember the blonde with the big bust & tight black dress saunter over & sit by George's side later. After some flirty banter, they rose to their feet & disappeared into the crowd.

Ringo was the only one who hung by her that night. When she was too tired & drunk to go back home, Ringo made sure to tuck her into the passenger seat of Mal's car by the back exit. She remembered him giving her a sloppy kiss on the forehead with a "Good night Liza" before letting the car drive away. By some miracle, she must have given Mal her address because thankfully she woke up in her apartment, still hungover but safe nonetheless.

"No, I just got back home really late. There were no cabs around considering the late hours so I had to walk halfway to my apartment before I found a cab. I was so tired I passed out the moment my head hit the pillow."

She was getting really good at lying because he questioned her no more. He went into the kitchen & got her some pills to get rid of the headache. He lingered around until her eyes closed. When he was sure she was fast asleep, he quietly left the flat.