But I'll Be Back Again

Chapter 27 It Never Rain but it Pours

It was St Valentine's day, for everyone's surprise the song that won was September in the Rain, it was an older song from the ones they usually had in their repertoire. But the mood was a lively one, the stage was decorated to fit the mood of the date, and everyone seemed to be celebrating with their friends or partners. Ella was picking all the papers with names from the raffle, when the two winners approached to her.

"We wanted to thank the hand that chose us as the winner," one of the girls, named Anette said to Ella."This is my cousin, Wendy , I bought those tickets so she could dedicate the song to her fiancé, but he bailed on her."

The girl laughed, "Oh my god, you're such drama," she turned to look at Ella, "he didn't bailed on me, he has to work," Wendy took the arm of her cousin, jokingly telling her to stop.

Ella took the box with the tickets and told them, "I'm glad then, because when they," she pointed at the band, "get popular, you may tell your future husband how he missed the opportunity of getting a song dedicated and performed by the Beatles."

Wendy, elbowing her cousin's stomach said, "See! I can use that in my favour, to blackmail him with that, 'Remember when you had to work and you missed the opportunity of a life time? ... I think we need a new stove'" she joked.

"Colin's gonna need a new shift at work," Anette replied.

"I'm Ella," she said, "by the way. Congratulations on your engagement! I'm still glad I chose you as the winners."

"Are you from around here, Ella?" Wendy asked.

"I've been here since last October, I work at NEMs, with mr. Epstein" she told them.

The Beatles had ended their last number, as another band was settling their instruments.

"Oh that's right, he's with the Beatles now, right? I always knew they meant to do this professionally," Anette said,

Ella was going to ask them if they knew them, but before she could ask, Wendy answered her question.

"I see Paul is back with her again," she stated, "I had no idea Cleo came back,"

Ella turned and saw Cleo in fact hugging Paul, she was rushing him to tell goodbye to his bandmates.

"I guess she's no staying at her mum's," Anette answered, she saw Ella was confused , "that girl!," she pointed, " was a classmate of ours, she lived next to our flat too, Paul was always visiting her,"

"Was?" She didn't turned to see them, Ella stared as Paul was holding Cleo's hand , and  they left the place.

"Yeah! This was back in the 60'? Or no! I think it was last summer."

"Last year?" She could barely ask, her mind was going in circles, thinking on how was this bad, or maybe good? She had no idea how to process the news, "They knew each other from before?" Ella thought she had thought that last question, but in fact it had left her lips.

Looking at her cousin then, looking at Ella, Anette stated, "You didn't know her?"

"I did! I mean I do," she turned to see the girls, "Cleo is Paul's girlfriend," she said nervously ,that made her drop the box with the tickets, "I'm sorry I'm a fool," she began to pick up the papers.

Wendy was a very empathetic person, more that she's wanted, unlike her cousin, she understood that this girl they'd just met was in shock, "We're going for some chips, wanna join?" She said helping her with the box.

They were being very friendly, and at that time Ella truly needed someone to talk to, she took the box, and agreed to join them.

"It was destiny, wasn't it? Me... choosing your names out of the 139 people in that raffle?"she asked them after a short conversation.