The slope of the driveway was steep and Neil was out in front by a good couple of lengths. John slowed a tad, he wasn't much of a runner, hated exercise in fact and this was ridiculous. Louise would be sitting in the bar of some posh swank hotel in downtown LaLa Land .... not sitting in the bloody gutter waiting for the cops to open the gates, wouldn't she?
Wouldn't she?
But that reporter was describing her, her eyes, her cheek bones, the way she glared as he passed. Something twigged after the fourth time the reporter had approached with the enquiring description.
Something in the way the reporter pursued the matter, not backing down. Pursuing to the point the pushy fellow even asked for a bloody photograph of Louise to confirm his thoughts. John sent Mal to trudge down the halls to Eves room, find her mummy's photograph and bring it back.
She was barmy that girl.
Louise wanted to experience the show from the bleachers, never backing down, not taking his word that it was a fools caper to do so. She went and now, at two in the morning, his brain thought more and more about her whereabouts to the point of standing, staring out the bloody front window overlooking LA.
And then the reporter...
Perhaps I should have listened a little more closely, but what do reporters know.
Neil took that exact moment to yell in the direction of the bobbies, coppers, whatever... "Louise!!"
And that's when John saw her, head ducked down to be pushed into the back of a bloody police car.
If it wasn't so late, and he could see her face he would have laughed at the scenario but he instead yelled her name in time with Neil. In harmony like one of the songs he had sung earlier. The police officers pulled her about like a ragdoll and turned her toward the gates.
"Louise. Let go of her you goons. Fucking hell Louise why didn't you just tap on the door like a normal person" John grouched but he was feeling the love too. Lou rolled her eyes as one of the officers pulled her back from stepping forward again, toward her husband, toward the ninny who just said something about knocking on the front door like a blasted Avon lady.
John then bellowed louder as he watched them rip her about "Take your bloody hands off my wife!!!"
Slow motion seemed to swallow her, one moment she was being swung around like a ragdoll then the next she was hands and knees on the ground. After John had bellowed at them, both officers released and Louise hit the pavement hard.
"Do you know this woman sir?" The burly sergeant still hadn't cottoned on to the situation, radio in hand as he pulled the cord tight out the window of the police cruiser, leaning heavily against the front door, he lifted his cap and scratched his forehead slowly.
Movie Star constable reached with John to rescue his wife "Take your hands off me missus. Gee Lou are you ok, how long have you been out here darlin?" The look she gave him, all at once he was knocked for six.
Her eyes held him. Swirling emotions mixing. Hurt, tension, fear and exhaustion, all mingling, pulling at him, making him lift her up close against his body "Baby, you good?"
Lou squeezed him tight, struggling to keep the composure harnessed. Struggling to appear calm and collected. She tore her gaze from the dirt and blood on her hands that clung to his shoulder to look at his face, to find her anchor.
John marched her off up into the darkness of the driveway, leaving Neil to sort the policemen out.
"Talk to me luv" Johns hands rubbed her arms as she clung on to him, he didn't need to hold her she was doing an amazing job of wrapping herself to him, legs binding his waist, sore hands cinching his neck. "How long?"
"Hours and hours" Lou grumbled tiredly "I had all good intentions too. Was going to ravish you from sundown to sunup" Lou leaned back and did an Eleanor Bron impersonation. The hand movement from the Help! movie scene.
John grinned... she said it like it was a business dealing gone sour not a bloody romantic escapade gone out the window. "And why was that?"
"Because I was horny for a Beatle"
He laughed into her neck kissing her, fingers wrapping her back he squeezed her close "Any one of em or do you have a fancy?"
"The big brute that stands to the right"
"Ringo?"
"John" she whined loudly as they rounded the drive the mansion coming into view. John hesitated, should he go in the front door with all and sundry watching on or sneak in the back. Brian swung the door open and Johns decision was taken out of his hands ~ as per bloody usual.
"All's well?" Brian enquired genially.
"No Brian, all's not well. She's been down there hours for fucks sake. Didn't you tell them she would be turning up?" John rubbed her back and felt her stirring, readying to climb down from his arms but he wanted her here, safe in his embrace for once.
His voice rose, he was peeved with this. Stuck behind fences and police like he was the prisoner "Hours Brian, sitting in the damn gutter"
"Of course I informed the superintendent of police, he assured me-"
"He didn't tell the minions Brian" John stomped into the large opulent foyer and glanced toward the main room to his left, chockers full of press, women and old farts that hadn't a clue to how to hold their liquor or operate their tongues. Paul's eyes widened and instantly clarified and understood what had happened, tapping George on the shoulder they wove swiftly toward John and Lou. "Clear the house Brian I want the place empty"
"John that's not a good id-"Brian fumbled with the front door, the keeping up of appearances so engrained he failed to realise Johns request was, in fact, an order. John struck the glass from his hand, scotch splashed across the floor.
"Get. Rid. Of. Them. Now"
"Alright John I'll sort them. You take Lou up to the room" Paul quickly deflected Johns wrath and clapped his hands together to get Brian moving toward the suddenly silent room. "George wanna help John or round up the farts?"
"Round up the old tarts more like it. Com' on Brian say the word" George grinned, the old party every night routine, that once was a load a fun was stale now, so stale in fact he hated having to prance about smiling at strange old men and women that touched him without asking. "Rings' parties over"
"Oh righto, wasn't bothered with all the fuss anyhow. John found Louise then?" Ringo stood on the bottom step, and took a last sip of smooth scotch, setting the glass in a large vase filled with blooms.
"The police had her bailed up almost in the paddy wagon" Neil strolled in the door hands shoved deep in pockets as the first of the partygoers retrieved their coats and jackets.
"Oh! to be a fly on the wall there!" George grinned then looked up the stairs frowning "She doesn't need the bother though, does she"
"No... but she did go out in public to the concert, without escort" Paul reminded them as they began ascending the stairs to stand on the large landing that separated the levels "I'm amazed she's in one piece not twenty"
"Shouldn't need guarding to go to a concert Paul" Richie countered as George stumbled up the stairs all feet and no knees.
"True that"
Watching the throng of gawkers leave was great "Brian must have lit a fire, the way they are tumbling out the front door" Paul pushed Richie up the wide staircase ever higher, the timber stairs visible either side of the thick plush cream carpet "My jaws tired from the natter"
"My jaws sore from the hard sweets" George grinned "nice though, want one" He extracted a fist full from his jacket pocket.
"Hey" John approached from behind, watching the three lads moving about, leaning over the banister railing to see Brian leading a rather grumpy rotund chap toward the door. "They gone?"
"Nearly, don't know what will be written about that" George grinned then added "Beatles snub Hollywood- Screwing over press reporters" leaning back against the rail he let John rub his face (Johns own face, not George's you weirdos ) before enquiring to his sisters well being "Is my sis recovered from the melee of concert goers?"
"Wasn't the problem mate, 'twas the pushing her into the back of the police cruiser that finished her off. She's absolutely knackered. And to think she was going to make all my dreams come true too....."
"How so?" Richie asked knowing full well he was heading into a nasty answer.
"Was horny as buggery at the concert apparently, was coming home to ruin me she was"
"You're already ruined mate" Paul slapped his shoulder with a brotherly wack. "All good though, she can ruin you tomorrow morning, George will entertain Eve won't you"
"Noo you can, and thanks for the dirty filthy image I don't want at all in my head you great knob" George was striding off to catch up to Richie who was about ready to slam his door shut.
"I thought he had grown up?" John smirked at Paul as they watched the youngest member stumble over a carpet runner and nearly knock a crystal vase of lily's to the floor.
"Nahhhh, That's but a dream la'. ...... He did try last Tuesday but then that cute little maid bent over and his brain went 'poof!' Exploded straight out of his head" Paul did an excellent job of imagined explosions by his ears, smiling in delight. "Night mate"
"Night Macca"