"Did he happen to say why he wanted me to be here?" Yoko asked, he could hear her slightly aggitated/curious tone.
"Not really...he just wants you there...to give an opinion."
John fought to keep from laughing as he heard Rita talking to Yoko. Rita was on the phone in the living room...he was evesdroping with the one in the guest room. If his, love only knew he was listening in...she'd probably hurt him.
"So," Yoko continued. "What did you think of my showing last night?"
"Great statement Sweets. I wish those stupid egotistical males would realize they are beating us down with everything they do the same way you do. Wasn't nervous when they were ---" Rita was cut off by Yoko's response.
"A little," Yoko confessed with a slight laugh. "So...hows your little Lennon doing?"
"He went down for his nap about an hour ago. John, of course, couldn't let his play friend sleep alone so he laid down with him," Rita laughed. "What do you think of John anyroad?"
"Rita Lorraine McCartney," Yoko laughed in a scolding tone.
"What?" Rita said with an aire of innocence that could have fooled anybody except the two people on the other ends of the line.
"I know how your mind works. You've told me that he's miserable in his marriage, and you know I am as well...If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to get the two of us together."
"Sweets! I didn't know you cared," Rita giggled. "Just be ready tomorrow when I come pick you up alright?"
"Alright, I'll be sure to Ms. Tart."
John listened for the entirety of the conversation Rita and Yoko had over the phone...all two and a half hours of it. He just liked hearing Yoko and Rita's voices. Rita had been right, he had come to realize, the two of them were too much a like to be happy...Yoko however...he liked her style and grace. And an artist nonetheless! He listened in silence as Yoko asked a few slightly personal things about him, to which Rita answered truthfully until the inevitable question came up:
"What about you and John?" Yoko asked.
"The two of us are like a brother and sister. I want to see him happy. I want to see you happy as well...I think you two would be perfect."
"The truth Rita," Yoko said firmly. "Hell, he's the father of you child, you can't tell me it was always a brother/sister deal."
John's jaw dropped. He was Len's father?
"Actually, it has always been brother/sister...with an occassional slip into the heat of passion...Just don't tell Johnnie...Please...Hey, do you want to come over tonight?..."
John unplugged the phone, hung it up, then plugged it back in. He slipped quietly back to Len's room. He looked at the small body sleeping on the floor pallet. A small life he had taken part in bring into the world. Rita didn't want him to know that tiny tidbit of info, so what was he going to do now?
***
"Put down! Put down! Put down!" Len laughed as John started carrying him upside down through the flat.
"Nevah!" John replied in a playful voice. "Do you want to go wake up yer mummy?"
"Hai."
John grinned at the fact Len had picked up Rita's habit of saying the Japanese word "Hai" instead of the English word "Yes". The poor kid would probably never hear the English word until he started school...The two of them silently tip-toed into Rita's room. Her head was under the pillow and she was laying on her stomach. John carefully set Len on the bed. Together, the two of them started tickling their victim.
She instantly curled into a tight ball in a fit of laughter. "No fair, no fair! The lot of ya got me outnumbered! Stop it!"
John quit tickling and looked at Len. "Len...Could you go play in your room?"
The little kid looked at John and nodded as if he understood every word. "Come with?"
John picked Len up and carried him back to his own little room to play. "I have to talk to mummy. I'll be in here later. Ok?"
"Tay."
Smart kid, John thought as he walked back to the room where Rita had resumed her nap. He quietly closed the door behind himself and sat on the edge of the bed. "Quit faking, I know you're awake. You've already had your hour of napping."
"What do you want Johnnie?" she asked, pulling the covers from over her face.
"Look, before I go pursuin' this thing with Yoko...I want to know some things."
"Such as?"
"Will you marry me?"
"Nice joke Johnnie," Rita chuckled. "Me and you...that's a laugh."
"I'm serious Rit," John clarified. "I'm willing to finalize mine and Cyn divorce, disappear where no one can find us, marry you, and adopt Len as my own son." Even though he knew the secret about Len, he couldn't let her know that.
Rita sat up and pretended to study her pillow for a moment. "John..."
He listened with intrest, hoping she would personally tell him the truth. Instead she said, "My son's name would be Lennon Lennon...And, I can't do that to your career...we would be miserable...we're too alike...and it would mess up our friendship..."
"Screw our friendship! Some of the best marriages start as best friends," John informed. "Can you truthfully and honestly say you have never wanted anything more than a friendship with me?"
She was quiet for a moment then replied. "Yes, I can."
"No, the hell you can't. I can see it in yer eyes Rit..."
"Maybe, there was one time," she said quietly.
"Quit lying."
"You want to know the truth John?" Rita's emerald green eyes seemed to glow. "I've thought of it ever since we met. Until I met you I didn't think there was anyone out there that could ever understand me. But you did John...You know every last thing I was going through even though you wasn't as well off as I was. But now I've come to the terms that we could never make eachother happy."
"Yes we can...We've been great friends through the years. You've made me happy by being me best mate...Hell, yer the only bird I can actually cry in front of..." John could tell this talk wasn't going well. He had hoped she would throw herself in his arms and run away with him...but she didn't. She had thoroughly convinced herself that "John and Rita" couldn't work. "Forget it..."
"I am," Rita replied simply, with a shrug. "Question is...will you?"
"One day," John sighed. "I just wish you would have said something..."
"John," Rita put her hand on his shoulder. "I know that this isn't what you want to hear but..."
"Then don't say it," he put his finger over her lips to silence her. He replaced his finger with his own lips, he made sure it said more than any friendly kiss could.
"You've been eatting chocolate again..." Rita grinned after their kiss ended. "You should see a support group for that y'know." All John could think was She would make light of the situtation...somethings just never seemed to change.
"Rit, I have another question...How many of our songs do you think are about you?" He had to know if she could hear her influence in their songs...
"Well...just that one Paul had on Sgt. Pepper," Rita smirked. Then she playfully sang, "Lovely Rita, meter maid. New nursury ryhmne by Paul McCartney..."
"That's what I did..." John chuckled. "There's more than that one song y'know." The look on her face said that she didn't know...he decided to start with his songs. "Let's see...There's Day Tripper, Your Bird Can Sing, In My Life..."
"That song was about me?" Rita gasped in surprise.
"You write about what you know...or would like to know...y'know. In the case of In My Life, it was what I knew..."
"John...not to sound mean...but could you please go home?" She had her fingers at her temples. "I'll bring Yoko by the set tomorrow..."
"Alright," John said in a low tone. Slowly, he got up and left the room and left (making sure to tell Len good-bye first of course, the kid never would have forgiven him he'd left with out saying bye!).
John walked down the street toward his house. The moon gave very
little light, the stars even less...mainly because the cliche fog had already
dropped. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a mistake telling
Rita about his real feelings...
