About six months passed, and the Beatles rose to the top, (of course with the help of Cassandra and Brian Epstein, the man who took her shoes on the night of the nightclub) becoming a #1 hit with their single, “Please Please Me”. Eppy was thinking of sending the boys to the USA to be on the Ed Sullivan Show. But the four had their own philosophy. Today, Europe. Tomorrow, America. Next week, the World.
But what about Paul and Cassandra? Nothing really that exciting happened. After Cassandra’s horrifying incident, Paul treated her with the most ultimate respect any woman could get. He took her out to movies, dance clubs, plays, and concerts. But for the sake of society, the two kept their relationship businesswise. If they did fool around and the press heard about it, they’d be followed by photographers everywhere, and their private lives would shrink by the tenth of a second.
Cassandra didn’t mind. She still dreamt of the day that Paul would plant his lips on hers during some slow dance, and without her noticing, he’d carefully slip a ring on her finger. How wonderful life would be, she thought, if that would happen. I’d be the luckiest girl alive, she thought.
But that day would have to wait. And she still didn’t open up the little note he gave her the night after they met. Cassandra was so unsure about what it would say, that when she’d look at it and hold it in her hand, she’d put it back in the little black box in which she kept it.
And Paul didn’t mind the business relationship, either. He found her amazingly attractive, but his feelings were not as strong as Cassandra’s. He didn’t love her as a girlfriend. He loved her as a playful, younger sister. Though there were times when considered asking her out for a date.
So back to the present. It was October, and Mr. Epstein had called the boys for a meeting. He and Cassandra arranged for them to perform in Stockholm for a few nights.
As the boys sat down, Brain started to talk, “You may be wondering why I called you here today,”
“Free women down at Harrods? Thank you God! My prayers have been answered!” he smiled.
“Or was it just the fancy evening wear they wear that’s on sale?” Paul chimed in, with his pathetic humor. Cassandra couldn’t help but smile and blush.
“Oh sod off, Macca!” cried George.
“Just because you’ve got the looks and the bachelor life doesn’t mean you have to rub it into his skin,” cried Ringo. “Don’t make it worse for him.”
“And the way you’ve been hanging with our ‘Sandra here, it seems like your bachelor days are numbered,” pitched in John.
Cassandra exchanged glances with Paul. Oh I wish, she thought.
“C’mead, boys!” cried Brian. ‘We’re getting way off subject here. We’ll be going to Sweden in a couple of weeks. Miss VanGotti has arranged for a large six-room suite for us all. Settled?”
“Yes Mr. Epstein,” the four said with a schoolboy accent.
“Hello?”
“Cass?”
“Hey Jane! How’s life!” cried Cassandra as she clutched her phone in her living room.
“Not bad. Our play got great reviews last night. Just a couple more performances and I’ve got myself a two month vacation!”
“Oh that’s great! Listen, I’m going to Sweden. The boys are doing gigs in-”
“Oooh. And how’s Paul?” Jane asked teasingly.
“Aww, come on! You know we only have a business relationship.”
“Sure. But you wish it was something else!”
“Oh sod off!”
“What?”
“Sod off. It’s an expression.”
“Let me guess. You learned it from-”
“Paul. Yes yes. But I didn’t call you to teach you what’s the fab thing to say. I’m just calling ‘coz I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Where are you staying?”
“I think it’s called the Scandinavinn. It’s a play on words, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. Listen, Cass. I have to call someone, so...”
“Oh sure! Yeah, I’ll see ya after I come back.”
“Ta.”
Gee, Cassandra thought. Why is she so restless again? Is it because I’m hanging around Paul so much and she doesn’t have a male friend? Who knows? She’ll just forget it I guess.
She sat in her seat, waiting to take off. Cassandra glanced at her leather-bound watch. 10:30. Just five more minutes and then we’re off, she thought. How excited she was to finally get out of the country. And yet, she felt so alone. Her parents were dead, her aunt....well, she didn’t want to worry about her. With her alcohol problem, Aunt Katherine was such a handful. And Jane...poor Jane. What was up with her? Hopefully, this bad phase will pass.
And being the only girl on an all-male flight was very lonesome. Sitting by herself made Cassandra feel quite awkward. Until,
“C’mon. Talk to her! She looks so lonely. And awkward. imagine if you were her, sitting all by herself-”
“I think I get the picture, but-”
“What are ya? Shy? Come on! It’s a girl! Remember? You don’t have to marry her, though I’d love to see you do that.”
“Oh fine!”
The mystery Beatle (even though Cassandra had the tiniest bit of a clue as to who it was) slapped the chair in front of him, which jerked a bit. coincidentally, it was hers. She heard three hesitant footsteps, then looked up.
“May I join you?” the Beatle asked.
“Be my guest,” Cassandra replied. The peculiar thing was as he made himself comfortable, he was dangerously close to her.
“Come on!” A distant voice cried.
The guy (you probably have figured out who this man is) reluctantly wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She shuddered, and shook all over. Even worse, the man tried to grab her arm to calm her, but accidentally grabbed....well, something else. Cassandra stood up and screamed, while the plane was in the middle of the flight. She slapped the man across the cheek. And she slapped him pretty hard. So hard, he had to step back a couple steps, rubbing his wound. He looked up at Cassandra with pain and hurt in his eyes. It was then that she realized what she did. Her eyes widened, and she covered in mouth in shock.
“I’m so sorry, ‘Sandra,” he cried. “It was John who dared me to it. Honest.”
She looked at him, then at John, with a sweet, sarcastic smile on her face.
“John? Can I see you for a minute in the lavatory, please?”
She reached over and grabbed John’s ear, as if Cass was a teacher, and John was the mischievous schoolboy, and dragged him to the bathroom, where she slammed the door and slapped him, too.
“YOU IDIOT!” She cried. “How could you do this? I have been trying so hard to keep myself as good-natured as possible. Did you know that I like...well love him?”
John looked at Cassandra. He began to look sick.
“I didn’t know, luv. It was only a joke .”
“It’s okay. What Paul ended up doing was an accident. But I’m CRAZY about him. I think about him, and I mean this literately, all the time. He saved my life.”
“How?”
“I’ve said too much. Don’t tell Paul about this whole situation, In fact, no one should know. But please, John...Does he like me?”
“I’ve asked him a couple of times, and he’s said that you are really cute. Actually, you’re ALL he’s been talking about lately. Makes me sick!”
“Really? What does he say?”
“Oh you know, the usual.”
“Well, hello! As you can see, I’m not quite the social type!”
“Honestly, I would think of you as an outgoing person. You seem bouncy, energetic, fun to be with...”
He looked straight into her eyes, Cassandra would never have thought that John Lennon would ever have a liking towards her. But she never noticed how handsome John was. As he started to get a little closer...
On to Chapter 5.
Get back to Chapter 2.
Get back to Intro.
Copyright 1998 Kate Stocker. DO NOT reprint this without written permission from the author.