Love Is Strange - Chapter Three, Part One
Title: Love Is Strange
Pairing: Ringo Starr/Charlie Tillman (OC)
Rating: G (But, subject to change)
Summary: Interracial. During The Beatles first trip to the States, Ringo Starr connects with Charlie Tillman, a member of the black girl group The Debutantes and friends of The Beatles. What happens when two people who appear to have nothing in common have more in common than they thought possible?
Notes: Takes place during the events of ‘Dearest’.
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Chapter Three, Part One - Untitled
Ringo wiped his hand across the foggy bathroom mirror. He smiled and waved at his reflection.
“Meeting yourself for the first time?” Paul spoke up and made his mate aware of his presence.
Ringo turned to Paul. “I can’t get rid of him.” He dryly remarked and pointed to himself in the mirror.
Paul chuckled and nodded his head. “Right.” He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yesterday was something, wasn’t it?”
“It was,” He turned to stare at himself in the mirror and wondered if he could get away with not shaving today.
He continued, “But, it was nice to see the girls, yeah? Too bad they couldn’t stay longer.”
“It was,” Ringo absentmindedly remarked and picked up his jar of shaving cream and unscrewed the lid. “Here to watch me shave?” He looked over at Paul.
“I have to make sure you don’t accidentally -” He comically dragged his thumb from ear to ear.
Ringo laughed. “You haven’t got to worry about that.”
“It really is too bad they couldn’t stay longer. I didn’t get a chance to talk with Charlie.” He pointed out.
“But, I did? Not for long.” He flatly replied. Now, Ringo knew why Paul was there and it had nothing to do with dropping in to chat. He dipped his shaving brush into the jar and covered the bristles in a white cream.
“You two seemed to hit it off.” He chuckled. Ringo covered the lower half of his face with shaving cream. Paul carried on, “She seemed to take a shining to you.”
Ringo knew Paul would’ve felt differently if he’d had actually heard his brief and somewhat awkward conversation with Charlie. “Did she?” He set down the jar and brush and picked up his doubled edged razor. Ringo carefully dragged the blades down the side of his face.
“Well, what would you say? Do you think she’s interested?” Paul unabashedly questioned. Ringo didn’t answer and continued to shave. “Ringo, she’s one you’ve got to be careful about.”
He felt his mate’s warning didn’t have anything to do with him being genuinely concerned. Ringo remained silent and wondered how long he could go without saying a word before his mate would notice.
“I’m not saying anything against her. It’s just - it’s just John and I know her. So, be careful, yeah?”
“Yeah, yeah.” He dismissively replied. Ringo wasn’t some lovelorn teen and he knew how to handle himself around a woman. He didn’t appreciate what he thought was Paul’s false concern and underestimation of him.
(****)
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Charlie rolled her eyes. The Beatles were everywhere these days and that included Stan’s kitchen.
“Good morning,” He broadly grinned. “There’s coffee on the -” She walked over the table where Stan was sitting and picked up the portable radio and turned it off. He laughed, “You can’t be sick of hearing them already. I thought you liked The Beatles. You shared a bill with them.” Stan pointed out.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was repetitive. She placed the radio back onto the table.
Stan reached out and turned it back on. “I like it. It’s catchy. You can sing to it.” He good naturedly stated.
Charlie knew a good song when she heard it, but that didn’t mean she wanted to listen to it everyday all day.
“What’re they like?” He drained the last sips of coffee from his cup.
“I don’t know.” She flatly replied.
“You spent a month with them.”
Charlie had stories but none that she wanted to share with a young man who’d opened up his apartment to her. She needed to be careful about what she said or she was out on the street and looking for another place to stay. “They were busy and didn’t have a lot of time to spend with the supporting acts.” Charlie thought Stan was disappointed with her answer. He didn’t reply and sipped his cup of coffee. “But, the time we did get to spend with them was fun.”
He smiled, “Oh, yeah? They seem like they’d be fun.”
Charlie nodded, “Yeah, they are fun and quick witted. A nice group of guys.” She felt odd talking about them. But, she also felt like a liar. She hadn’t ever allowed herself to get close to Paul or John and Charlie knew even less about George and Ringo.
“Which one is your favorite?”
“Ringo.” He was the safest answer.
“Which one is that?”
“The drummer.”
(****)
“Not that I have to tell you guys and girls out there, but that was The Beatles with ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’. I don’t think there is one girl in the state of New York that doesn’t want to hold hands with those four boys from England. They’ve taken over the Big Apple and are scheduled to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show tonight.”
Ringo lowered the volume on his transistor radio. He got a kick out of carrying around the handheld electronic device to listen to coverage of The Beatles on american radio. He stopped in the doorway of George’s bathroom and watched his mate apply shaving cream to his face. It was just the other day that George was still terribly ill in bed.
“Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” He spoke around the cigarette pressed between his lips.
“I’m fine. Better than yesterday. Don’t have much of a choice.” George picked up his double edge razor. “What about you?” He placed it against the side of his face and carefully dragged it through the shaving cream.
He blew a cloud of cigarette smoke into the air. “What about me?”
“You’re looking made up.” He good-naturedly pointed out.
Ringo grinned. “I’ve gotten meself a date tonight.”
“A date?” He turned to Ringo. “With who?”
“Charlie.” He unabashedly answered.
George’s eyes widened and his arched blended in with his fringe. “John’s bird?”
“She isn’t his.” He pointed out but still appeared easy going and continued to puff on his ciggie.
George nodded. “I suppose not.” He turned to face the mirror and resumed shaving his face.
Ringo continued. “His wife is here.” George nodded, acknowledging the truth of his words. “Haven’t seen much of her since we got here. She stays in their suite and when she does come out -” He abruptly stopped talking when he felt a pang of guilt for touching on the subject of John’s marriage. “It isn’t any of our business.”
“I agree. You and Charlie? How’d that happen?” He finished shaving, turned on the faucet, leaned over and splashed his face with warm water.
He shrugged. “It just happened when that manager of theirs brought them to see us. Charlie stood next to me, John was busy with Annette and Paul got stuck with Wanda.” He offhandedly remarked.
George frowned and turned off the faucet. He reached for the towel on the edge of sink. “Busy with Annette?” He patted his face dry.
“It wasn’t like that, not really.” Ringo haltingly spoke.
“What was it like?” He asked and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Cynthia was there.” He pointed out.
“Some good that did.” George mumbled.
“Nothing to get down about.” Ringo advised him and tried to smooth things over. “Don’t think too much on it, yeah?”
“Yeah.” He flatly responded and shuffled out of the bathroom.
Ringo followed him. “John being John.” He plainly spoke and tried to explain their mate’s behavior.
“Doesn’t give him the right to act the way he does, does it?”
“It’s just his way.” He lamely replied.
“Maybe, I should have a talk with him about his way and get a few things between the two of us straight.”
Ringo winced. He hadn’t meant to cause any trouble but he’d gone and done it without even trying to do so.
(****)
Charlie stood in front of the bathroom mirror and applied a powder foundation to her face. There was a knock at the closed door. “I’ll be right out, Stan.” She testily responded.
“You’ve got a phonecall.”
Charlie thought he sounded irritated and hesitated to open the door. “I’ll be right out.” She repeated herself. “If it’s Howard -”
“It’s not.”
“I’ll -”
“Be right out, Stan.” He cut her off.
She set down her makeup brush on the edge of the sink and waited until she heard him walk away from the door before she opened it. Charlie knew who was calling for her. She felt badly for giving out Stan’s number but she didn’t have a choice. Charlie hoped Stan had gone into his bedroom or even the living room at the front of the apartment so she wouldn’t have to face him. She breathed a sigh of relief when she stepped into the empty kitchen. The receiver was resting atop the phone against the wall and picked it up. “Hello?”
“I thought I had the wrong number.” Ringo replied.
“It’s not really mine.” Charlie carefully responded and kept her eyes on the kitchen entrance.
“I guess this means we aren’t going out tonight.”
Charlie lowered her voice. “We are still going out.” Se corrected him.
“Alright then.”
Stan appeared in the doorway his large frame easily taking up the space. He looked closed off to Charlie.
Ringo continued. “I just wanted to make sure we were still on for tonight.”
“We are,”
“After Sullivan then?”
“Yes.” She abruptly hung up the phone.
“You’ve got Beatles calling you.” Stan crossed his beefy arms over his chest.
“Just the one.” Charlie defensively replied. She felt he was implying something about her character. It reminded her of the other day and what she thought was Wanda’s harsh criticism of her.
“Your favorite one. Not that it’s really any of my business.”
“But, you’re making it your business.” She pointed out.
“Christ,” He dropped his hands to his sides. “You’ve got some guy phoning my place looking for you, Charlie.”
“I’m just staying here for a few days.” She coolly responded. It was more than that but she didn’t want to define what they could be to each other.
“You’re doing a bit more than that. I told you you could stay for as long as you need to but if you’re going to be doing this -”
“What is this that I’m doing?” She defensively asked and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Goddamnit, Charlie.” He exasperatedly shouted. “Why have you got to make everything so hard? Nothing can ever be easy with you, can it?” He accusingly questioned. “You’re always thinking ten steps ahead of everyone else and nothing about you is genuine.”
Maybe, what he was saying was true at least about her professional career in the music business. Charlie didn’t think she was calculating when it came to her personal life. She wanted to tell him that but she believed it was better for him to think the worst of her. You couldn’t disappoint someone when they didn’t expect anything from you. “I have to finish getting ready.”
“I think you need to start looking for another place to stay.” He abruptly replied.
(****)
Ringo stepped out of his suite. Cynthia rushed by him down the hallway. The young woman’s head was down and she was wearing her sunnies. It was a bit odd for him to have Cynthia hanging around. But, he thought John was happy to have her along. Why else would she be here if John didn’t want her around? “Cynthia,” He called out and shut his door. Ringo watched her hesitate before she stopped walking and turned around to face him. “Where’s the fire?” He jokingly asked. Ringo could tell she’d been crying because her nose a bit red and she sniffled. He immediately regretted having stopped her.
“I don’t know.” She shakily answered.
“Missing Julian then?” He prompted her with a reason for being upset.
“Missing a lot of things.” She vaguely replied. “I just need a bit of fresh air.”
Ringo didn’t think she should be on her own. Regardless of how uncomfortable he felt hanging around his mate’s upset wife. “I don’t know how fresh the air is around here, love. I don’t think it’s any better than what we’ve got across the pond.” He wise cracked.
“I suppose you might be correct about that.” She took off her sunglasses and wiped at her teary eyes with the back of her hand.
“If you let me fetch, Mal or Neil we could go downstairs to the hotel restaurant and have a spot of tea.” He proposed.
(****)
Charlie watched Howard shovel a spoonful of chili into his mouth. “What’s the point of these meetings? So, we can watch you eat?” She testily questioned and pointing her cigarette at him.
He self consciously wiped his face with a paper napkin. “I’m talking to people.”
“That’s great, Howard.” Charlie sarcastically replied.
Wanda spoke up. “What people?”
“Radio stations. I’m working on lining up interviews for you.” He ate another spoonful of chili.
Charlie laughed and took a long drag off of her cigarette. “How’d you manage that?”
“I am the manager. I manage. You should remember that.” He prickly shot back. “Being friends of The Beatles comes in handy. I’m using it to our advantage. I’m also talking to a few bar owners about allowing you girls to perform in their clubs -”
“You’ve got nothing lined up for us. Just admit it.” Charlie argued.
“It’s as good as done. Just let me do what I do.” Howard shot back.
“Then do it.” She snapped and slide out of the booth. Charlie grabbed her coat off the back of the seat and stormed out of the diner. She stopped a few feet away from the diner and stood near the edge of the sidewalk.
“He’s doing his best.” Annette spoke up.
She hadn’t noticed that her friend had followed her out. Charlie snorted, “Do you really believe that?” She turned to face her.
“He’s done a lot for us.” She softly spoke.
“You’re fine with him using your boyfriend’s band?” Charlie bluntly asked.
“I’m not comfortable with -”
“Tell him off. Why don’t you say anything? Why do I always have to be the bad guy with him?” She questioned. It wasn’t just about Howard but everyone in her life that Charlie felt she needed to take a hard stance with to protect herself. She watched Annette rub her arms through the sleeves of her sweater. “Nothing to say? You never do.” She disdainfully spat. “If it’s not about your wonderful boyfriend.” Annette turned away. Charlie frowned. “Walk away. It’s what people do best.” She miserably spoke, a rare moment of vulnerability being displayed.
Annette turned to her. “Ever since we got back you’ve been angry. Especially at me.”
“I haven’t. I’m not.” She snapped. “I’m going.” Charlie abruptly stated. “Tell them,” She casted a fleeting glance at the diner. “Tell them whatever the hell you want.” She walked away.
(****)
Ringo briefly looked over his shoulder at Mal sitting a couple of table away from him and Cynthia with a police officer. They couldn’t go anywhere without some sort of security. It was a bit of a drag being confined to the hotel. “What do you think about the air in here?” He playfully asked.
Cynthia lightly laughed. “It’s nice.” She sipped on her cup of tea. “Not quite the same as being outside.” She wittily remarked.
Ringo nodded and puffed on his cigarette. He didn’t know what to talk about with John’s wife. They weren’t close and after a couple of years with the band he still didn’t feel like he knew her all that well. He was still even a bit suspicious of her because it’d been quite awhile before he’d been clued into John’s marriage. At times he saw her as a reminder of how much of an outsider he was within the group. “I don’t suppose so. You haven’t had a chance to see anything on your own?”
She shook her head. “I did try. The other day I came downstairs on my own and went to the hotel gift shop. I had trouble getting back up to our floor. It was quite embarrassing for me. They thought I was lying about being John’s wife.”
He perfunctorily nodded. Ringo thought about Maureen and wondered how she might’ve reacted to being in Cynthia’s place. She could handle herself but this was completely different from the scene back in Liverpool. Ringo thought he should phone her but he wasn’t in any rush to reach his on and off girlfriend. He had a busy day ahead of him, a dress rehearsal and later on in the day scheduled live performances. Afterwards, there was his tentative plan to meet up with Charlie but he wasn’t too sure that would happen. She didn’t sound too happy when he called and he wondered who that bloke was who’d picked up the phone. He considered that Paul’s warning might’ve been more genuine than he initially thought.
End Of Chapter Three, Part One - Untitled
Chapter Three, Part Two - Getting To Know You