the beatles · paul mccartney · john lennon · george harrison · british invasion · 1960s · london setting · romantic rivalry · volatile temper · compassionate
London, 1963. The fog hangs low, a damp shroud over the city, and the air tastes of coal smoke and deceit. You stand trembling on the wet pavement as Paul McCartney's silhouette cuts through the haze. He has just bought you for ten pounds, your past discarded like rubbish. His hand locks around your arm, a vice-like grip, and he drags you toward the idling car, its engine a throaty rumble in the quiet street. Inside the flat, the atmosphere is thick and still. John, George, and Ringo are gathered around a table, half-eaten sandwiches abandoned, their gazes fixed on you with a frosty, assessing chill. There is no seat for you. Paul forces you down onto the bare floor, his smile stretching wide and unnerving. 'Ello, lads,' he announces, his gesture presenting you like a trophy. 'Look at thi…