Within You Without You ~ George Harrison/The Beatles

Chapter Seventeen: Beatlemania

July 1964

America was amazing, and Connie felt like her life was a dream.

She still couldn't believe she was there. After the premiere of A Hard Days Night, Brian had told the lads that they had another American tour lined up, and George hadn't hesitated in asking Connie to come along with them. It went down a lot better than the last time he asked her to go to America with them, because now at least they were courting and it wasn't like she was just running off to the other side of the world with her best mate pretending she wasn't madly in love with him.

As soon as he'd asked her along she'd booked off the whole Summer at work. She used all her days off and worked massive overtime to make up for it, but the idea that one of their best journalists was going on an international tour with the Beatles was something the New Times didn't want to say no to. She'd promised the magazine a lot of content about America, enough content to the extent that the trip could be counted as work, but it was still the greatest trip ever.

Or, at least it was the greatest after her nerves settled. Flying terrified her, as well as the thought of being in another country for the first time ever. Being a working class Liverpudlian, London had felt terrifying, let alone travelling all across America. She knew she'd be safe though, she'd have the lads, and John was bringing Cynthia along so she'd still have company even when they were playing their gigs and doing press. Maybe she'd have felt more confident about the trip if they weren't in the public eye so much, but as soon as they'd stepped off the plane they were surrounded, practically suffocated by the American press and the enthusiastic fans. Given the fact that she'd nearly had a fight with John on the plane after he made up a cruel joke to wind her up, it was all very overwhelming. The excitement around the lads didn't settle, Beatlemania exploding around them, but as they went across the states it became more normal, or as normal is it all could be.

Connie went to the first few concerts, watching from the wings with Brian and Cynthia, but after a while she and Cynthia decided to just go off on their own, exploring the cities they were in or just chilling in their hotel. The Beatles were given the penthouse suites in whatever hotel they were staying in, the suites divided into separate bedrooms for each of them, and the grandeur of it all was the sort of luxury Connie hadn't really known before. Once, the lads all came back from a concert to see her surrounded by room service platters, trailing through all the American channels on the television. Even if the lads were confined to concert halls and hotel rooms it was still such an exciting time, and it was like she was watching history in the making, the trip being utterly life changing.

Each morning that they didn't have to be up for travelling the lads were expected to be awake bright and early to do press or rehearse for their concerts. The early starts didn't extend to the girls obviously, but considering she shared a bed with George she got woken up when he had to get up. That wasn't a problem for Connie though, because in bed in the mornings was her favourite time with him. Any time she spent with George was special, but waking up next to him was always the best reality check for her. She was actually there abroad with him, she was actually his girlfriend, and nothing reminded her of those two facts more than waking up in his arms.

That morning in New York was no different. As the alarm clock buzzed, it woke Connie up immediately, her eyelids snapping open. The night before the two of them had gone to bed early after he'd gotten in from the concert, and after fooling around with each other for a while George had passed out with his arms wrapped around her, his head buried into the crook of her neck. He must have been exhausted though, the alarm not even causing him to stir. She let out a quiet, tired laugh, reaching out to the bedside table to switch the clock off before she ran her fingers up and down his bare back, causing goose bumps to rise. George murmured tiredly burying his face further into her as if he was trying to hide, and with a content smile Connie moved her hand to stroke his hair, running her fingers through the thick locks at the back of his neck.