Chapter Text
'...Y/N?...'
'...Y/N!'
The young girl winced at the scream and jerked her head up. "...Oh, what? I'm not sleeping!" she replied energetically, but then, before she could stop herself, she yawned and covered her mouth with her hand.
The man standing next to her, neatly dressed in an expensive suit and polished shoes, chuckled and nodded. "Oh, yeah, of course," he said, rolling his eyes with a smile before raising an eyebrow. "Been busy with homework again? I can give you a couple of days off if you need to study for your exams."
The girl shook her head, rising from the cash register counter where she had been sleeping a few seconds ago. "No, Brian, really, I'm fine, I'm just tired, that's all."
Brian frowned slightly, as if searching for hidden truth in the girl's eyes and words, before nodding. 'Okay. "Then be a good man and put the records away, or before you know it, they'll be gone, just like the customers." He said, smiling as he handed her the box of records.
The girl rolled her eyes, but silently took the box and went to put the records away.
Y/N had been working for Brian Epstein for a few months now. It all started when, while studying at the Liverpool College of Art, she was faced with a difficult choice: earn extra money or starve. Wanting to live a little longer than she was now, she started looking for part-time work. After working as a waitress in several bars, she finally came across a NEMS advertising brochure and went for an interview. Brian became a wonderful boss, willing to give Y/N extra time off or a reasonable raise if she needed it. Over the few months they worked together, Brian had become something of an older brother figure to her.
Y/N silently put the records on the racks, Brian spent a while prompting customers while Brian sat at the counter and started reading the newspaper. All was well for a few minutes until Y/N noticed a customer looking for something. "Can I help you with anything, mister?" she asked, tucking away her shorts and wiping her hands on her shirt.
The guy nodded and pointed to a Mersey Beat magazine, the cover of which featured four guys with short, curly hair and musical instruments. To Y/N, they looked almost identical, considering the current fashion for leather jackets and boots among guys. "Yes, tell me, do they sell Beatles records here?"
"Beatles?" the girl asked.
"Well, yeah, those guys who play during the day at the Cavern Club on Matthew Street. Some call them the Rising Stars. I thought you had their records?" the guy asked.
The young woman shrugged and considered. "Um... No, sorry, unfortunately I don't remember us having any records by that band. But I'll ask the boss if we have anything in stock or if we can order some. Leave your number on the counter and we'll call you if we find anything, okay?"
The guy nodded and rolled up the magazine, tucking it under his arm. "Okay, just remember to put this aside especially for me," he added half-jokingly and headed for the store exit.
Y/N stared after the man for a moment, trying to figure out if the mysterious band actually existed, and then approached the counter. "Brian?"
"Yes, dear?" he asked, peeking out from under the newspaper.
"Do you know anything about the Beatles? Customers have been asking for their records for days."
Brian raised an eyebrow, folding the newspaper in half and thinking, trying to recall their warehouse catalog. "Hmm...Yeah, I heard something about them from some magazine, but I don't recall them having any records. I doubt they even have any, you know how proud I am that you can find any record in my store..." he said, and then paused again. "...Did the customer say where the band was playing?"
The girl shrugged. "Some club called 'Cavern'."
Brian looked at his colleague, even more surprised. "Hmm, that's weird. I always hang out there on Saturday nights, but I've never seen that band. Maybe we should stop by sometime during the day."
Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "We?"
The man nodded. "I'm not going to add some random person to the store's catalog without consulting my best employee."
The girl rolled her eyes at the flattery and nodded slowly, thinking. "...Okay, I'll go with you. Just call first and book a meeting, and I'll see if I have a class that day."
Brian smiled and nodded.
Soon, Brian managed to get through to the club owner and persuaded him to let him and his assistant skip the line for the concert. Luckily for Y/N, she didn't have a class that day, and dressed smartly, she and Brian went into the crowded club. Barely pushing their way through the crowd, they found a spot near the stage and prepared for the band to perform. Just then, the four guys from the cover of that magazine climbed onto the small stage, and everyone held their breath. As soon as the DJ shouted "Beatles," the entire audience perked up, whispering among themselves before falling silent as the first notes of the song rang out...
...Y/N doesn't remember how long they were there, but it was already evening outside. She and Brian listened to a few of the band's songs, and Y/N had to admit, they sounded pretty good. They weren't professionals, you could tell they were self-taught, but they were also brimming with experience and energy. The band went down to the dressing room, and the two of them went inside to talk to them. The dressing room was no bigger than a broom closet, but it was better than nothing. The four guys looked at the newcomers in surprise, and Brian adjusted his tie slightly awkwardly.
"Uh...So, I—"
"You're Brian Epstein from NEMS!" interrupted the guy with the straight nose.
"Oh! That guy from the store, the Jewish one?" asked the guy with the round face and soft features.
"Yeah! The one from the record store!" replied a guy with high cheekbones and pronounced fangs.
Brian raised his eyebrows in surprise at the guys' words, and another guy, who hadn't spoken yet, stood up from his chair and approached them. "We all buy records from you," he said, raising an eyebrow when he noticed Y/N. "Is that your girlfriend?"
Brian recovered from his surprise and grinned, shaking his head. "Oh, oh no, that's my assistant, Y/N. We came to your concert together."
The guy nodded slowly and after a few seconds extended his hand to shake Y/N. "Pete Best."
"George Harrison," replied the guy with fangs, leaning on Pete's back and extending his hand to Y/N.
"John Lennon." "The straight-nosed guy said, leaning against George's back as well, extending his hand to the girl.
"Paul McCartney," the soft-featured guy replied, leaning against John's back. Instead of simply offering his hand to Y/N, he took her hand in his and kissed the back of it, earning a mock-displeased look from his bandmates.
The young woman giggled at the boys' behavior and, taking her hand from Paul's, took their three hands in hers and shook them vigorously. "I'm very pleased to meet you too, guys."
The boys smiled at her words, and three of them finally climbed off Pete's back.
"So, why did you two come together? To ask me out? Sorry, my heart is already taken," John replied, winking at the guests.
Brian chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand and looking away. Y/N knew about her boss's unusual tastes for their time. She'd repeatedly witnessed him visiting men's clubs in the docks, and once she'd had to treat a cut on his face that some guy had given him. But she didn't really care, the important thing was that he was a good man. "Oh, no, no, we wouldn't have thought of that. We just came to say hello and congratulate you on a successful concert."
"Mmm..." John agreed. "In that case, we're glad you liked The Bottles," he added, earning a collective chuckle from everyone.
Brian and Y/N chatted with the guys for a few more minutes before leaving the club. Outside, they both decided to grab a bite to eat, having both missed lunch due to the concert, and stopped at a cafe. After ordering a cup of tea, they both sat down at a table, and a comfortable silence enveloped them. Finally, Brian, playing with a teaspoon, raised an eyebrow at Y/n in front of him and decided to break the silence. '...Do you like them?'
The girl shrugged. "I don't think they're bad. Too energetic and loud for their own good, but they're not bad musicians."
Brian nodded, smiling, and then fell silent again for a few seconds before adding, "...And I think they're wonderful! Their sense of rhythm, their charm. Have you seen them play? Even professionals couldn't pull off that from scratch."
The girl nodded with a smile, undeniably admitting that the boss's cheerfulness was infectious, and took cups of tea from the waiter who had just arrived.
As soon as the waiter left, Brian leaned conspiratorially toward Y/N. "You know...Do you think I should manage them?"
The girl's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she nearly choked on the tea she'd just sipped. She cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow at him. "Manage them?"
He nodded. "Why not?" I feel like they'll have a bright future, they just need a little push. You'll see, under my management, in a couple of years, all of Liverpool will be proud of them!"
"Oh...What about the store?" she said, suddenly worried.
"It's just an idea, we'll wait a bit, see how their record sales go. But I think they'll live up to my expectations. If necessary, the store will go to my mother. But you," he said, placing his hand on Y/N's. "You'll be my personal assistant. You'll help me keep the boys in line. If that's okay with you, of course."
The girl thought for a few seconds and then looked away thoughtfully. She didn't want to lose her job, especially Brian, who had become an important part of her life. And she didn't want to drop out of school either. After a few seconds of silence, she sighed and slowly nodded, taking Brian's hand. "...Okay, we'll see how it goes. Otherwise, what if you ask me not to work for you?"
Brian grinned and nodded. "Then it's a deal!"