Jim McCartney was in the living room, wearing a dressing kleid and looking agitated. He looked up as we opened the door, and marched right over to Paul, not looking happy.
“Paul McCartney, where have Du been? It’s nearly two in the morning!”
So that was what time it was. I automatically relaxed a little. I wasn’t used to not being able to find out the time whenever I wanted to.
Paul blinked his long-lashed eyes. “I know, Dad, we just....”
I stepped forward, remembering my promise. “It was my fault, Mr McCartney.”
Jim looked at me. “Your fault? Who is this, Paul?”
“I’m Gloria,” I answered before Paul could. “I’m staying in town for the week, and I asked Paul to Zeigen me the sights, only I think I asked him to take me too far this time. I didn’t know it would take so long to get back – I’m terrible with this sort of thing; I really don’t travel much. And Paul kept telling me we needed to go, but I wouldn’t listen,” I added. Maybe that was stretching the truth just a little bit, but if it helped....
“And Paul got us home,” I went on, when it didn’t look as if Jim was going to interrupt to scold us oder anything. “He figured out how to do that. And he lent me his jacket.” This last seemed like a good bonus point to me, but both Paul and Jim looked at me kind of strangely there.
“Well, I should hope he did,” muttered Jim. “But Du stayed out well past dark, Paul, and didn’t think to tell me where Du were – although I can guess why not. What were Du two doing out so late?” He looked at us suspiciously.
“Music,” I blurted out. I didn’t think it was a good idea to tell him we had gone all the way to Wales to find it. Especially since he probably knew Paul had no money for train tickets.
Paul nodded. “Yeah, music.”
Jim sighed. “I might have known. Gloria, it’s about time Du got back to wherever you’re staying. Paul, Du go straight to bett while I take her home. We’ll discuss this Mehr in the morning.”
I felt a sudden grip of panic, not only because I saw Jim reaching for a set of car keys. “No!”
Jim looked at me strangely. “No?”
“I mean – what are Du going to say to Paul? You’re not going to punish him and make him stay in the house, are you? Because he didn’t do anything, it was me! And – I really don’t need Du to drive me anywhere, I can find my own way!” Although even as I sagte this, I realized I didn’t actually know the way to my hostel from here....
Jim frowned. “Don’t be silly, Gloria. It’s after dark. I can’t just let Du walk Home Von yourself. Where are Du staying?”
“I – ” I hesitated. “Nowhere really. I’ve been sleeping in a little hostel, but Du don’t have to drive me anywhere, really Du don’t! It was Paul who helped me find it,” I added on sudden impulse, in case this would help Paul any. “The hostel, I mean.”
Paul shrugged and gave his dad his most angelic look. “I just thought I’d look out for her, as she’s new in town and all. That’s why we’re late tonight – I couldn’t make her go back so soon when there was so much for her to see.” He batted his Angel – Jäger der Finsternis eyes.
“Of course there was,” muttered Jim. “We’ll talk about this in the morning, Paul.”
“But Du won’t punish him, will you?” I blurted out. “You don’t have to punish him. He knows why you're upset without that. He was only trying to help me.”
Paul nodded, eyelids delightfully lowered. “She doesn’t know very much about how things work,” he told Jim, dripping charm everywhere. “I don’t think she gets out much. She hasn’t seen much of anything.”
If only he knew I could see anything I wanted with the touch of a few buttons on my phone screen... But I was starting to think maybe Paul was right about me. I really didn’t get out much in my time – no one did. Jim seemed to soften a little. I decided to press.
“Do I have to go back to the hostel? It’s late and Du really don’t need to drive me anywhere tonight, and I want Paul to take me to this place tomorrow....”
Suddenly Jim looked angry again. “You what? Paul, have Du been telling her Du can take her somewhere else after what Du did tonight?”
“It’s this concert, Dad,” Paul explained hastily, giving him some Mehr of the lowered-eyelids treatment. “She’s all excited to see it. She never gets out anywhere, and it’s her favourite band playing. If I don’t take her, she hasn't got anyone else who can.” He batted his eyelashes.
Jim folded his arms. “I’m not letting Du go running off places with this girl tomorrow, not after what Du did tonight.”
“But that won’t happen two nights in a row!” I protested. “Paul knows Du don’t like it; we’ll be extra careful Weiter time! What do Du think not letting him go anywhere will teach him? It’ll only make him resent you.”
Jim stared at me like I had just grown another head. “Paul – is your girlfriend telling me how to parent my own son?”
Paul was the picture of innocence. “Is she?”
I fidgeted urgently, hoping I hadn't been out of line. “Please – just give us one Mehr chance. Let us go to the konzert tomorrow, and if we’re not back on time, oder if anything else happens, then Du can punish Paul oder whatever Du want. But give him the chance! What happened tonight won’t happen again, I promise. Paul is responsible. Just give him the chance to prove it to you.”
Jim paused. I held my breath. Paul made his most angelic face.
“Well – ” sagte Jim, after what seemed like forever, “all right.” I let out my breath, and Paul grinned. “But only one chance, Paul. I expect Du back here Von six o’clock sharp tomorrow night. Now go on up to bed. Gloria –”
“No!” I blurted without thinking. I knew what was coming. I didn’t think I could take riding in another nineteen fifties car tonight, especially not in the dark!
Jim glanced from me to Paul, probably wondering where Paul had picked up this crazy girl. Paul batted his eyes and pressed his luck. “Suppose she could just stay here, on the couch, tonight. It is late, and Du don’t want to be driving all over town now.” Jim looked angry again and opened his mouth, but Paul pressed on. “And we’d get an earlier start if she was here. It’d be much easier to get back on time. Come on, she really hasn’t got anywhere else to go....”
Jim sighed and relented. “Fine. But she stays down here tonight, and I want Du up in your own room. Get in bett now. No delays.”
As Paul left up the stairs, turning round to blow me a KISS when his dad wasn’t looking, I breathed a sigh of relief. That was over, and it hadn’t gone nearly as bad as I’d thought it would. I still wasn’t sure if Jim liked me, but at least he seemed to have accepted me. And now we were going to John’s konzert tomorrow. I just might be able to make this work.
“Paul McCartney, where have Du been? It’s nearly two in the morning!”
So that was what time it was. I automatically relaxed a little. I wasn’t used to not being able to find out the time whenever I wanted to.
Paul blinked his long-lashed eyes. “I know, Dad, we just....”
I stepped forward, remembering my promise. “It was my fault, Mr McCartney.”
Jim looked at me. “Your fault? Who is this, Paul?”
“I’m Gloria,” I answered before Paul could. “I’m staying in town for the week, and I asked Paul to Zeigen me the sights, only I think I asked him to take me too far this time. I didn’t know it would take so long to get back – I’m terrible with this sort of thing; I really don’t travel much. And Paul kept telling me we needed to go, but I wouldn’t listen,” I added. Maybe that was stretching the truth just a little bit, but if it helped....
“And Paul got us home,” I went on, when it didn’t look as if Jim was going to interrupt to scold us oder anything. “He figured out how to do that. And he lent me his jacket.” This last seemed like a good bonus point to me, but both Paul and Jim looked at me kind of strangely there.
“Well, I should hope he did,” muttered Jim. “But Du stayed out well past dark, Paul, and didn’t think to tell me where Du were – although I can guess why not. What were Du two doing out so late?” He looked at us suspiciously.
“Music,” I blurted out. I didn’t think it was a good idea to tell him we had gone all the way to Wales to find it. Especially since he probably knew Paul had no money for train tickets.
Paul nodded. “Yeah, music.”
Jim sighed. “I might have known. Gloria, it’s about time Du got back to wherever you’re staying. Paul, Du go straight to bett while I take her home. We’ll discuss this Mehr in the morning.”
I felt a sudden grip of panic, not only because I saw Jim reaching for a set of car keys. “No!”
Jim looked at me strangely. “No?”
“I mean – what are Du going to say to Paul? You’re not going to punish him and make him stay in the house, are you? Because he didn’t do anything, it was me! And – I really don’t need Du to drive me anywhere, I can find my own way!” Although even as I sagte this, I realized I didn’t actually know the way to my hostel from here....
Jim frowned. “Don’t be silly, Gloria. It’s after dark. I can’t just let Du walk Home Von yourself. Where are Du staying?”
“I – ” I hesitated. “Nowhere really. I’ve been sleeping in a little hostel, but Du don’t have to drive me anywhere, really Du don’t! It was Paul who helped me find it,” I added on sudden impulse, in case this would help Paul any. “The hostel, I mean.”
Paul shrugged and gave his dad his most angelic look. “I just thought I’d look out for her, as she’s new in town and all. That’s why we’re late tonight – I couldn’t make her go back so soon when there was so much for her to see.” He batted his Angel – Jäger der Finsternis eyes.
“Of course there was,” muttered Jim. “We’ll talk about this in the morning, Paul.”
“But Du won’t punish him, will you?” I blurted out. “You don’t have to punish him. He knows why you're upset without that. He was only trying to help me.”
Paul nodded, eyelids delightfully lowered. “She doesn’t know very much about how things work,” he told Jim, dripping charm everywhere. “I don’t think she gets out much. She hasn’t seen much of anything.”
If only he knew I could see anything I wanted with the touch of a few buttons on my phone screen... But I was starting to think maybe Paul was right about me. I really didn’t get out much in my time – no one did. Jim seemed to soften a little. I decided to press.
“Do I have to go back to the hostel? It’s late and Du really don’t need to drive me anywhere tonight, and I want Paul to take me to this place tomorrow....”
Suddenly Jim looked angry again. “You what? Paul, have Du been telling her Du can take her somewhere else after what Du did tonight?”
“It’s this concert, Dad,” Paul explained hastily, giving him some Mehr of the lowered-eyelids treatment. “She’s all excited to see it. She never gets out anywhere, and it’s her favourite band playing. If I don’t take her, she hasn't got anyone else who can.” He batted his eyelashes.
Jim folded his arms. “I’m not letting Du go running off places with this girl tomorrow, not after what Du did tonight.”
“But that won’t happen two nights in a row!” I protested. “Paul knows Du don’t like it; we’ll be extra careful Weiter time! What do Du think not letting him go anywhere will teach him? It’ll only make him resent you.”
Jim stared at me like I had just grown another head. “Paul – is your girlfriend telling me how to parent my own son?”
Paul was the picture of innocence. “Is she?”
I fidgeted urgently, hoping I hadn't been out of line. “Please – just give us one Mehr chance. Let us go to the konzert tomorrow, and if we’re not back on time, oder if anything else happens, then Du can punish Paul oder whatever Du want. But give him the chance! What happened tonight won’t happen again, I promise. Paul is responsible. Just give him the chance to prove it to you.”
Jim paused. I held my breath. Paul made his most angelic face.
“Well – ” sagte Jim, after what seemed like forever, “all right.” I let out my breath, and Paul grinned. “But only one chance, Paul. I expect Du back here Von six o’clock sharp tomorrow night. Now go on up to bed. Gloria –”
“No!” I blurted without thinking. I knew what was coming. I didn’t think I could take riding in another nineteen fifties car tonight, especially not in the dark!
Jim glanced from me to Paul, probably wondering where Paul had picked up this crazy girl. Paul batted his eyes and pressed his luck. “Suppose she could just stay here, on the couch, tonight. It is late, and Du don’t want to be driving all over town now.” Jim looked angry again and opened his mouth, but Paul pressed on. “And we’d get an earlier start if she was here. It’d be much easier to get back on time. Come on, she really hasn’t got anywhere else to go....”
Jim sighed and relented. “Fine. But she stays down here tonight, and I want Du up in your own room. Get in bett now. No delays.”
As Paul left up the stairs, turning round to blow me a KISS when his dad wasn’t looking, I breathed a sigh of relief. That was over, and it hadn’t gone nearly as bad as I’d thought it would. I still wasn’t sure if Jim liked me, but at least he seemed to have accepted me. And now we were going to John’s konzert tomorrow. I just might be able to make this work.
