Real Love: Chapter Thirteen
Real Love
Title: Chapter Thirteen
Authors: lovely_rita_mm & jenny_wren28
Starring: The Beatles (specifically John Lennon) and Maggie Sue
Rating: R for language, sex, & implied drug use.
Disclaimer: We don’t own any of the Beatles, this obviously never happened, and much to the real Maggie’s disappointment, is a complete work of fiction.
In this chapter, we check in with some of the girls!
Previous updates are located HERE.
Chapter 13
“Maggie, can you hand me a towel? I’ve managed to spill some paint.”
Maggie tossed Chris O’Dell a clean rag. “Oh, it’s fine. That’s what the dropcloth is for.”
It was a mild Saturday afternoon in early September. John was over at Paul’s working on songs for their upcoming album, and Chris was helping Maggie paint the baby’s room.
“How are you feeling?” Chris asked as she wiped up the puddle of paint.
“In general, pretty good. I’m not as tired as I was in the first trimester. I could use a break from painting though. My back is aching! Shall we go make some tea?”
“Tea would be great.” Chris surveyed the walls, which were primed and half painted in a pale yellow. “I like the color. Aren’t you… you know, rich, though? You could have paid someone to paint it in probably half the time.”
“I know - I kind of wanted to do it myself though. I find painting relaxing. There’s so much going on at work these days that the thought of going home and just moving a paintbrush up and down somehow seemed appealing.” Maggie grimaced and rubbed her back. “It seems a little less appealing now, maybe, but I’m sure when we’re done we’ll feel a sense of accomplishment.”
Chris grinned at that. “Hard labor is good for the soul.”
“Exactly.” Maggie smiled back. “Thanks for offering to help me out.”
“Anytime!”
The doorbell downstairs sounded.
“Do you want me to run down and get that for you?” Chris asked. “I’m a little faster right now.” She looked at Maggie’s stomach apologetically.
“If you wouldn’t mind. With Dot off today, there’s no one else to answer the door except us.”
Chris grabbed a towel to wipe her hands with and then dashed out the door and down the steps to see who was waiting outside. Maggie soon heard Linda’s voice float into the foyer and up the stairs. Maggie leaned over the railing and waved. “Hi Lin!”
“Hi Maggie! I hope you don’t mind me popping by. The boys were working on something they told me was top secret, so they told me to come over here so that whatever surprise they were concocting wasn’t ruined.”
“A surprise? For you? Hmm…” Maggie thought as she walked down the stairs to join Chris and Linda. “Well, your birthday is coming up soon, maybe they’re writing you a song? Oh!” Maggie suddenly realized that “Birthday” was on the White Album, and she hadn’t heard the band play it yet. Hadn’t Paul written it for Linda for her birthday? Maggie grinned at the thought.
“You know something,” Linda accused.
“No, no, I don’t know anything. John didn’t tell me what he was going over to your place to work on,” Maggie denied. But she couldn’t stop teasing Linda with a knowing smile.
“You definitely know something. And you know what I mean.” Linda gave Maggie a meaningful look.
Outside of the Beatles and the late Brian Epstein, Linda was the only one who knew that the truth about Maggie having time traveled from 2006. Though Maggie had felt obligated to warn Linda about the breast cancer in her future, so that they could hopefully prevent it, she’d tried not to let too much else slip.
“My lips are sealed!” Maggie motioned zipping up her lips. “Come on, let’s get some tea,” she said, putting an arm around a slightly bewildered Chris. She waggled her eyebrows at Linda before turning towards the kitchen. “Chris, why don’t you grab some cups and I’ll get the hot water going.”
The three women bustled comfortably around the kitchen, setting out small plates for the biscuits Linda had brought, as well as the things they would need for tea.
“So, what are you two girls up to today?” Linda asked. “You’re both all smudged with paint.”
“We’re painting the baby’s room,” Chris explained.
“Even though I’m rich.” Maggie added.
“Well, to each their own,” Linda said cheerfully. “How far have you gotten?”
“About halfway?” Chris looked at Maggie, who nodded.
“I can help you finish up later if you like,” Linda offered.
“Are you sure?” Maggie asked. “Do you want me to lend you some old clothes so you don’t get paint on what you’re wearing?”
“These old things?” Linda looked down at her Saturday outfit of old jeans and a maternity smock. “Nah. Besides, I’m rich too,” she said with a wink. “Chris, we have to land you a successful musician so you can live the high life like us. It’s very glamorous being a rock star’s wife, you know.” Linda reached out and gently wiped a bit of paint off of Maggie’s cheek. She looked at her thumb, made a face, and then with a quick smile, wiped it on her jeans. “If only the fan mags could see us now!”
Maggie gave Chris, who was still giggling over Linda’s joke, a sly look. “If Chris plays her cards right, she could have a rock star.”
“Oh, which one?” Linda said, leaning closer to Maggie.
Chris turned red and got up to pour herself more hot water.
“Mick!” Maggie said triumphantly.
“Please, anyone could have Mick,” Chris said as she sat back down at the table. “It’s Mick.”
“Yeah, who hasn’t had him?” Linda said.
Maggie raised her hand. “I would like to make it clear that I have not.”
“You must be the only one, then,” Linda chuckled.
“He does get around,” Chris said nodding.
“How was he with you?” Linda asked Chris curiously.
If Chris was taken aback by the directness of Linda’s question, she didn’t show it, other than blushing a little. “Nice, actually. Very considerate.”
“Oh, I agree, I thought he was quite considerate too. Mind you, this was back in ’66. I imagine he’s learned a few things since then.”
Maggie watched amused, as her two friends talked in detail about Mick’s technique in bed. She wished John and the others were here to witness it. They’d been horrified when they’d found out that groupies they’d been with had apparently talked with each other about it. Here was further evidence that comparing notes was exactly what women that slept with rock stars did. In fact, now Linda was comparing Mick’s performance with Jim Morrison’s.
“I actually had a musician in my bed last week,” mused Chris. “Only not in that way,” she hastened to add. “He just needed a place to crash. He’s some new guy that Apple is working with. He wrote a song in my room and then used half the bed. The next morning he was gone. I thought his song was really good though.”
“Which musician is this?” Maggie asked, her curiosity piqued.
“His name is James Taylor.”
“James Taylor?! Wow, really?” Maggie’s eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Yeah, why? He’s no one famous or anything.”
“I’ve, well, got a feeling about him,” Maggie said lamely. Linda gave her a pointed look. “What?” Maggie said defensively. “I’ve heard a few of his songs… um… at work. I think he’ll go far.”
“Carolina in My Mind - I think that’s what he called the song - was pretty good. It was all folky and acoustic,” said Chris.
“And he wrote it in your room.” Maggie shook her head. “Wow.”
“Aren’t you married to a Beatle?” asked Chris, confused.
“She did the same thing the first time she met Jim Morrison,” Linda said. “All star struck. It was so cute.” Linda reached over and ruffled Maggie’s hair affectionately. “Come on girls, time to go finish painting the Beatle baby’s room before Maggie realizes the room is for John Lennon’s child!”
Maggie stuck her tongue out at Linda, which made her laugh. But Linda wasn’t far off from the truth. Maggie’s life still amazed her and sometimes she wondered if it was all a dream. It certainly felt real enough, she mused, as she ran her fingers gently over her swollen stomach. Yes, this was real. She was married to John Lennon and they were having a baby together. And first thing on Monday she was going to hunt down Peter Asher in Apple’s A&R department and make sure she got to meet James Taylor.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for reading! The story about Chris O'Dell and James Taylor is more or less true. We moved up the recording of Birthday just slightly and though we can't prove it was written for Linda, it's possible that it's true! Also, that Mick gets around, doesn't he? ;-) (No, he and Chris didn't really hook up at this time in real life, but reliable sources had them leaving our fictional party together, so we were sure things came to a natural conclusion!)
Continue to Chapter Fourteen
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