Lovely Rita
Chapter 17
I closed the door, listened to the click, and looked up and down the hallway, seeing Paul head up the stairs just up the hall. I walked silently after him, trying to catch him up. I skipped up the steps as he disappeared, missing every other step as I went. There was a door at the end of the steps, quite high up, and I opened it slowly, not knowing where I was going.
It opened out onto the roof, to my surprise, and I stood out in the light wind on the black tiled roof. It had a flat top and was kind of sectioned off; clearly they were used to people going up there. I could smell cigarette smoke, and followed it. I found Paul slumped by a wall around the area where the chimney sat, with his knees up to his chest, smoking a cigarette.
"Paul, baby..." I said, walking over to him apprehensively.
"Save it." He said, turning his face away from me and biting his lip to save from crying, I guessed.
Those words hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Paul, sweetheart, we all knew this was insane anyway. You knew I would have to leave eventually..." I said, slumping down next to him. He looked at me, his dark eyes burrowing into mine.
"But, I didn't think it would be this fucking soon! Surely you knew you would have to leave soon? Why didn't you just tell me 'no' to save all of this?" He pressed, bringing the cigarette to his lips again and taking a long drag. His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked pretty pissed off as he turned to look out in front at the Mersey view.
"Pauly, I didn't know! I woke up here, I couldn't remember a thing and didn't know any better. When you have a man, like you I mean, attracted to you, it's not easy to turn down. I really like you Paul. That's why I didn't say no. Sweetie, I never wanted to hurt you. I never thought I would make such an impact here... I assumed we both realised this time would eventually come." I tried my hardest to soothe him. I rubbed his arm. It was tense and I could tell he was probably gritting his teeth behind those soft lips.
"You know I'm a sentimentalist. If you at least knew you were leaving, then why sleep with me? I never wanted you to be a one night thing. That's why it's upset me so much." He yelled at me, standing up and walking to the edge of the roof, leaning on the metal fencing around the top. He frustratedly scratched his head and then dropped it into his folded arms.
"Paul," I started as I walked over to his side. "Paul, sweetie, I made love to you because I like you. Like I said, I really like you, and it appeared that you liked me too. I wanted to make the most of the time I had with you, however short it ended up. Clearly, it's all gone to waste. I'll just leave if that's what you really want-" I said, turning my head to him, only to be met by his wonderful lips on mine, as he clutched my face tightly, pushing himself onto me. I melted into it, drooping my arms around his neck and kissing him back ferociously. This felt so much better than fighting.
He pulled back and studied my face with his eyes.
"You've got some bite, Rita. That's one of the things I love about you. I do want you to say, more than anything. I just get emotional when it comes to this sort of stuff. You know that from the songs. You're beautiful, funny, intelligent, talented and kind. Everything I could wish for. I want to hold you for as long as you like. You amaze me..." He said, looking intently into my eyes. I felt my eyes well up at what he had just said. Noone had ever said anything so poetic and beautiful to me before in my life. I felt the tear roll down my face and he wiped it away with his thumb.
I felt the need for a hug at that point, and just wrapped my arms around his waist. He rested his head on mine, stroking my back.
"I think we better start figuring out some ways to get you back to modern day Liverpool then, honey pie. As long as you come back to me someday. That's the catch." He smiled, brushing my hair out of my face.
"Oh, don't worry. All I want is for that. If I get through that audition it will be because of you and the guys, and I'll finish it and come back to stay with you. I never want this to end, believe me." I half smiled. He kissed my forehead, and I dropped my hands simultaneously with him to hold them.
We walked down the stairs and back to the studio, and they continued practising until the day came to an end. When we got back, I exchanged knowing glances with John, and he nodded back at me as if to say, 'glad you sorted it.'
Now it was just the feat of getting me back home. I didn't want to leave in all honesty.
It opened out onto the roof, to my surprise, and I stood out in the light wind on the black tiled roof. It had a flat top and was kind of sectioned off; clearly they were used to people going up there. I could smell cigarette smoke, and followed it. I found Paul slumped by a wall around the area where the chimney sat, with his knees up to his chest, smoking a cigarette.
"Paul, baby..." I said, walking over to him apprehensively.
"Save it." He said, turning his face away from me and biting his lip to save from crying, I guessed.
Those words hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Paul, sweetheart, we all knew this was insane anyway. You knew I would have to leave eventually..." I said, slumping down next to him. He looked at me, his dark eyes burrowing into mine.
"But, I didn't think it would be this fucking soon! Surely you knew you would have to leave soon? Why didn't you just tell me 'no' to save all of this?" He pressed, bringing the cigarette to his lips again and taking a long drag. His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked pretty pissed off as he turned to look out in front at the Mersey view.
"Pauly, I didn't know! I woke up here, I couldn't remember a thing and didn't know any better. When you have a man, like you I mean, attracted to you, it's not easy to turn down. I really like you Paul. That's why I didn't say no. Sweetie, I never wanted to hurt you. I never thought I would make such an impact here... I assumed we both realised this time would eventually come." I tried my hardest to soothe him. I rubbed his arm. It was tense and I could tell he was probably gritting his teeth behind those soft lips.
"You know I'm a sentimentalist. If you at least knew you were leaving, then why sleep with me? I never wanted you to be a one night thing. That's why it's upset me so much." He yelled at me, standing up and walking to the edge of the roof, leaning on the metal fencing around the top. He frustratedly scratched his head and then dropped it into his folded arms.
"Paul," I started as I walked over to his side. "Paul, sweetie, I made love to you because I like you. Like I said, I really like you, and it appeared that you liked me too. I wanted to make the most of the time I had with you, however short it ended up. Clearly, it's all gone to waste. I'll just leave if that's what you really want-" I said, turning my head to him, only to be met by his wonderful lips on mine, as he clutched my face tightly, pushing himself onto me. I melted into it, drooping my arms around his neck and kissing him back ferociously. This felt so much better than fighting.
He pulled back and studied my face with his eyes.
"You've got some bite, Rita. That's one of the things I love about you. I do want you to say, more than anything. I just get emotional when it comes to this sort of stuff. You know that from the songs. You're beautiful, funny, intelligent, talented and kind. Everything I could wish for. I want to hold you for as long as you like. You amaze me..." He said, looking intently into my eyes. I felt my eyes well up at what he had just said. Noone had ever said anything so poetic and beautiful to me before in my life. I felt the tear roll down my face and he wiped it away with his thumb.
I felt the need for a hug at that point, and just wrapped my arms around his waist. He rested his head on mine, stroking my back.
"I think we better start figuring out some ways to get you back to modern day Liverpool then, honey pie. As long as you come back to me someday. That's the catch." He smiled, brushing my hair out of my face.
"Oh, don't worry. All I want is for that. If I get through that audition it will be because of you and the guys, and I'll finish it and come back to stay with you. I never want this to end, believe me." I half smiled. He kissed my forehead, and I dropped my hands simultaneously with him to hold them.
We walked down the stairs and back to the studio, and they continued practising until the day came to an end. When we got back, I exchanged knowing glances with John, and he nodded back at me as if to say, 'glad you sorted it.'
Now it was just the feat of getting me back home. I didn't want to leave in all honesty.