In My Life

Two of us

If the following months taught Paul and John one thing, it was how much public displays of affection they could get away with without anyone noticing. The band performed nearly every day – sometimes several times in one day – and they had amassed quite an impressive group of fans, many of whom religiously attended every single one of their shows. Since they were now the most popular band in Liverpool, they were subject to a lot of attention. They were being photographed left, right, and centre. Yet somehow, nobody seemed to notice what John and Paul could see in the photos taken by their fans.

It astonished them that neither the fans nor their band mates took notice of the loving, sometimes even lusting glances they exchanged on stage, or the little touches that were completely redundant, and a clear testimony of their affection to anyone looking for clues. And still, nobody ever said anything when they sat pressed together on sofas that were sufficiently large enough for them to sit apart, or when they simply stared into each other's eyes for long periods of time. People just accepted this was the dynamic between them, and gave it no other thought. Neither John nor Paul was complaining about it; their busy schedule didn't allow them to spend a lot of time together, so being able to get away with some public flirtations was just fine by them. Hiding in plain sight was more fun than either of them had anticipated.

Time flew by, and soon the depressingly gloomy winter made way for spring. The world awoke again, bringing new life and new adventures. One evening at the end of March, John and Paul were wandering the streets of Liverpool – first up to Penny Lane where they got some scran, and then back south towards Allerton: one last tour of their neighbourhood before their second trip to Hamburg would take them far away from home once more. The setting sun turned the sky into an ever-changing painting of pinks, yellows, purples, and blues, and the air was full of the scent of fresh foliage and blossoms. The beauty of it all wasn't lost on the two young men, who walked and watched in silence, shoulder to shoulder, their thoughts perfectly translated by the blackbirds' evening song.

It wasn't long before they reached the massive wrought iron gates of Calderstones park. "John, what are you doin'? The gate isn't locked, y'know." Paul laughed at his mate, who was making a show of climbing up onto the wall next to the massive atlantes on either side of the gates. John teetered dangerously, then regained his balance and casually flung an arm around one of the four statues adorning the wall. "Aye, but it's so much more fun to pretend we're trespassing, isn't it? Where's yer sense of adventure, Macca? Come on up here, and say hello to me friend....erm... Summer, I think."

"Why don' I give me regards to miss Autumn instead? At least she's got 'alf a nose, whereas yer miss Summer has none." Paul guffawed, as he quickly hopped onto the other end of the wall. He watched with glee as John addressed the statue, "Don' listen to 'im, luv. Ye may not have a nose, or hands, but yer beautiful on the inside, where it counts." Then, cackling loudly, he jumped off the wall and tore off into the park, yelling "Catch me if you can, McCharmley" to Paul, who immediately engaged in the pursuit.

Within seconds, Paul caught up and grabbed John by the waist, causing them both to topple down onto the damp soil. They held each other tight and kissed greedily, hidden from sight in the darkness provided by the dusk and the canopy of the trees. "Come'ead, let's say hello to the old oak," Paul murmured against John's neck. John nodded and scrambled to his feet before pulling Paul up and holding his hand as they walked, their fingers intertwined.

"Do you think our music could be like this tree, John?" Paul allowed his hands to caress the bark of the ancient oak, allowing his senses to really register the rough texture, the mossy smell of decay, and the rustling of the millions of leaves.

John was sat at on the ground with his back against the trunk, and observed Paul with slight frown on his forehead. "I'm not entirely sure I understand what you mean, son."