Be my Starr (Ringo Starr)

Chapter 9 part 3: Quite unique

Once they were outside, Ringo was hesitant at first but Susan wasn't taking no for an answer and that was obvious by the look she was giving him so he gave in and handed her a cig, lighting one for himself as well. They both stood side by side smoking.

Susan took a very very small drag to the point where she didn't smoke any of it at all.

"Thought you were an expert?" He joked.

"I'm being cautious."

"Anythin' else you're an expert at?" He asked, blowing out a ring of smoke. Susan rolled her eyes, leaving his question unanswered. She was mostly focused on making sure she didn't trip out again. Ringo watched her take another tiny drag and sighed. "You'll have to do better than that."

"I'm getting there," Susan said sharply and looked out into the distance. "So, when's your next gig?"

Ringo looked out and took a drag. "We've got a show soon right here in Liverpool actually. A couple of miles away. We'll be staying in a hotel an all. 5 star." He glanced at Susan.

"Really?" He nodded. "Do you get nervous before you go on?"

"Nah." He shook his head and gave her a warm smile.

"Are you lying?"

"Course I am." He boomed. "We're all nervous before we go on. Even when we're on but once we get through the first number that's it. We're off!" He effused.

Susan loved watching him talk. He could be so animated at times and it made her wonder what was behind those walls of his. "How many shows are you doing?"

Ringo snorted. "What shows are we not doing." "We're like prancing ponies in front of a load of men wearing top hats and those glass eye things." He scoffed and gestured to his eye.

"A monocle?"

"Yeah, that's the one!"

"Why don't you take a break?" She asked.

He gave her a look. "A break? Mind you Luv I don't know what that is anymore." He looked away, taking a hard drag of his cig.

Susan could tell that work wasn't as fun as the news made out. She realised that they really knew nothing about these men at all. Ringo seemed so tired and the thought of work only seemed to fuel him up.

"Can't you say something?"

"What possibly could we say? This isn't like any other job Susie." Ringo sighed and turned away. "You wouldn't understand."

"Help me." She said after a moment. "Help me understand."

"You're better off in the dark. All of you." Ringo didn't sound like his cheeky self anymore. He seemed drained. What was going on?

"...Are you okay?"

Ringo looked at her smiled. "I'm fine Luv. Sorry for... Y'know." He sighed. "Fucking the mood up an all."

"It's not your fault." Susan smiled back.

"You're quite unique aren't you Susan..."

"Wright." She finished for him.

"Wright. Susan Wright." Ringo's eyes widened with glee. "What a beautiful name."

"I thought I was average." Susan laughed nervously. She looked down at the cig she had hardly touched.

"Forget what I said before. I was wrong." Susan looked back at him to see him staring at her with what seemed like fascination. As if she was something he had never seen before.

"You've changed your mind then." She joked.

"You changed it." They both stared at each other for a moment. Their eyes completely entranced in each other's. They both snapped out of it pretty soon, both feeling equally embarrassed. "Blimey, I haven't asked you anything yet." He blushed, rubbing his neck.

"It's fine. There's not much to know anyway."

"That's no way to talk about yourself."

"Well, it's the truth." She huffed. "I am really just an average person." Ringo stepped closer to her and ran a finger through a lock of Susan's hair.

Susan froze. Her eyes were glued to his face. She could feel her breaths quickening as he softly ran through her hair. Finally, he forced himself to stop and looked at her with a tender expression.

"Are you gonna smoke that?" Susan blinked, her mind pulling itself back to reality.

"What?" She managed to say.

"Your ciggy." He gestured. "You've hardly touched it."

"Oh." She lifted it up. "I know."

"I'll have it if you're not." He suggested.

"You've already got one." She pointed out.

"So."

"You're not having two!" She declared.

"It's a waste." He insisted.

"No." She snatched his cig from out of his hand while he was distracted and stomped them both out on the floor. "You're not having any of them." Ringo watched, his face completely unchanged.

"...Come with me." She gave him a confused look. "We're not done yet Luv. There's somewhere else I want us to go."