It was strange, all the previous times Issy had been to the city, she had been in the jeep, now they sat in the Lincoln and it was so low to the road she feared the next bump would graze her derriere.

"Twenty-nine" Issy leaned to one side and rubbed her bum, she knew where the potholes were.

"Twenty-nine what?"

"Potholes you've hit. There won't be any springs left on this car by the time we reach the big smoke"

Issy passed over an apple and rummaged around for a bottle of water under the cans of Tab she had packed. "Water?" Offering the flask, John shook his head.

"Tab please" John grinned with his devilish smile, all her rummaging around and he wanted what had been on top.

"I hope it fizzes all over you, you evil man"

"Maybe you can lick me clean"

"And have you driving even more erratically, I think not" Issy sat straight faced, counting to five.

"Hey!!! I'm ok at driving, it's just the road and traffic are arse about face"

The 'Tab' spluttered and fizzed up dangerously close to the edge of the can as John pressed the two button openings in quick succession.

Issy pointedly wiped her brow, having skirted the perils of Johns erratic driving whilst covered in sticky cola. Her chauffeur was not amused, the roll of the eyes making her giggle and push his arm, the 'Tab' spilt on his trouser.

"Lick that up!... gee my favourite trousers too; they'll be ruined if they aren't licked immediately"

"Don't you mean soaked in bi-carb?" Issy held the water bottle up daringly over Johns leg.

"Don't you even dare.....Truce! Truce! You don't play fair.... The correct response was to mash those lips of yours all over my inner thigh and work ever upwards. Not make me wetter than a virgin on her first night of passion"

"Never broke mine"

"Broke?... Broke what?"

"Hymen"

"Geezessss Isabelle! ..... It's official, you are my equal, there is no other way to put it. Your retorts are stinging me love ... I love it" John swigged at the can of soft drink and held it out for 'Issy The Can holder' to hold for his future refreshment pleasure. "It didn't hurt?"

"Nope"

"Well that would have been nice and easy"

"He said I wasn't a virgin and told my dad"

"Fucking hell"

"Yep, jumped out of our bed on our wedding night and found a phone-box to call my father. Two hours and some not nice words later they walked into the night to drink my sluttiness away"

"Charming"

"I was an idiot for staying even then but idealised that silly romantic thought that marriage, love, the perfect partnership existed, you know. I cried, I was hurt, but I wiped my tears and kept going. The next day was better the one after that not so. But that's what I thought ideal was, my mum was hit, verbally abused. It was my normal and I ..... accepted it"

"Well I may not be prince charming but I'll be somewhat closer to perfect than the other one, ok"

"You're already perfect"

"Not even close"

"As close as I need you to be, you make me happy"

"And that's what I strive for.........." John frowned at the road ahead then grinned, flashing a toothy smile Issy's way "How do we go from joking about my inner thighs to old war stories?"

"Because we can talk- it's good. We can have a conversation and whatever tack we're on we can handle it"

Issy's hand was covered, smothered in the heat of his hand over hers, safe.

******

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!!!!!" Issy smiled singing loudly along with Lesley Gore on the radio, hand clapping and making movements to match the lyrics. Rubbing her eyes to 'cry', shrugging not knowing where 'Johnny had gone'

"Judy's wearing his ringgggg" Tapping her finger in front of John for the ring, making John laugh as he concentrated on the ever-growing tide of traffic.

"Its my party and I'll cry if I want to!.... You would cry too if it happened to youuu"

"Maybe we could be the next ex-Beatle and partner on tour"

Issy scoffed loudly.

"Just think, I'll be able to show you all the best hotel bedrooms in all of the world... Don't get a better offer than that every day, do you now!?"

"That I don't" Issy pointed up ahead the road was gridlocked and John had to slam the brakes on "Welcome to New York City, the city where the traffic never moves"

"What did Jules do with that vinyl you made?"

"Used it as a frisbee at the dog park"

"Stop it"

"Pot holder"

"Isabelle....."

Spare tyre"

"Really - spare tyre?"

"Ok, OK! Melted down to plug a hole in a deflating tyre"

"Damn Issss!"

"Oh no...... he's agro now, calling me Iss. I'm quaking in my boots"

"Shit"

"Wrong colour"

"Issabelleeee"

"Yes Johnny?" She replied sweetly.

"Please stop it with the alternate uses of your little record... you sounded fine in the studio"

"You were plastered" Stating the obvious, Issy crossed her arms, thinking she had won.

"I could be pushing up daisies and still know good vocals when I hear them"

"That is impossible"

"Isabelle"

"OK. O.K"

"Isabelle it sounded ok"

"Oh.... so only OK now, was fine a few moments ago...." Issy smiled secretly as she gazed off out the window, the freeway was jam-packed and they had miles to being anywhere close to Manhattan. Issy, with full knowledge to his response, turned back to him with a big pout on her face.

"Oh no you don't, I'm not taking either back- ok, fine, great. All wonderful describing words, Isabelle. Don't start"

"I never said a word mister zombie with imperfect hearing"

"I..... got nothing"

"Good... Now Stones or Beatles?"

"Ummmm???? Wings"

"You can't have my favourite band"

"And you, my girl, can't make me pick myself"

"Big Head"

"Pardon? Getting a little cheeky aren't  you"

"Well John I hate to burst your big bubble but there were three other excellent musicians in the Beatles so its not just 'myself' now is it" Myself being air-quoted in Johns face.

"Stones then!"

"Right.... Weren't they bloody sexy though, hey?"

"I don'-"

"Tight pants and naughty... ohhh. Ohh, and those lipss-"

"Get out!" John swerved to the side of the road with no intention of pulling over, she could tease- he would too. "No Stones groupies allowed!"

"Awwwwww. Someone's jelly. Want me to drive so you can confer with your subconscious on whether the Beatles were the best or not?"

And so started the great struggle of the Lincoln. John pulling Issy about like a rag doll and her screaming with laughter at his struggling to keep a straight face. Thank goodness the traffic was listening and they were at a complete standstill to conduct their shenanigans.

"John Lennon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The window beside John was pounded making both of the occupants start in fright, and completely stop their shenanigans.

A young man in khaki army jacket covered in stitched on emblems and purple bell bottom cord trousers, stood smiling broadly making 'roll your window' down movements with his arm. John glanced at Issy, the road ahead and behind, then ran the window down half way.

Issy nearly pee'd herself when the pounding on the window occurred. They were for all intents and purposes in a bubble. Stuck in the middle of traffic, on a huge arching flyover. Lanes of traffic either side and for miles ahead and behind.... Not the place a random person would just 'turn up' and pound on your windows.

John's eyes checked she was ok, she wasn't sure why, but she was recovered enough now to realise that the boy was a fan.

Leaning in the window as much as he could to speak to John. Issy listened in on the conversation.

"Hey Man"

"John Lennon, it's really you?" Excitement poured from the man stood by the window. His eyes lit bright and expectant. Issy watched in fascination.

She had forgotten again. Now this lad was front and centre in the middle of the freeway reminding her she was sat beside a mega star.

"Yeah sure, last time I checked" John retorted with a naughty grin, pointedly glancing in the rear-view mirror 'to check' for good measure. The boy stood hunched with a quizzical eye then relaxed and laughed at 'Lennon's own brand of humour'.

"Will you sign this please John... my sister is going to be so stoked and cheesed off too. Cause it was me seeing you man. Big fan she is"

"What's her name?"

"Cindy"

John swirled 'To Cindy' then looked up at the traffic in case we were moving then back to the ripped page on his knee "Your name mate?"

"Oh right sorry Tommy...Tom...Haunton" The boy was gobsmacked watching Johns swirling script sail across a piece of exercise book paper, he glanced over at Issy and smiled; so young but still a fan nonetheless. "Hey there"

"Hi" Issy smiled sweetly, she would remember this moment always, the adrenaline rushing off Tommy was exhilarating.

"You his new missus?"

"Arrr .. My daughter is Johns son Julian's fiancé"

"There you go" John passed the page through the open window.

"Thanks ..... Oh you must be stoked getting to meet a Beatle and then being family"

"I was pretty stoked to meet John, yes"

"Well thanks again John, see ya Julian's mom in law. Look out, traffics rolling!" Tommy whooped and ran back to the car in front.

John wound the window up slowly "I stoked you good and proper nightly, this past few evenings" His wiggly eyebrows lending to the naughty innuendo.

"You" Issy frowned then smacked Johns arm, he was so naughty "gee, can't you wait til the kid is out of earshot!"

"Yes dear .... You ok with all that?"

"With what, John?... Being stoked?"

"With a random someones pounding on my windshield, Isabelle"

"I was petrified when he first pound on the window! He was sweet though, getting the autograph for his sister. That was nice"

"Well just. When......"

Issy took Johns hand as he accelerated with the traffic, brake lights still shone brightly, it was a lengthy stop start crawl.

"Just... You see... At the front of the Dakota it's up and down. Sometimes there are two, three kids, then there could be fifty.... Just don't .... freak"

"Do I look like a freaker?"

"Come on, you know what I mean... people crowding in, talking over the top of everyone else, all clamouring, all touching, all pushing stuff under my nose, wanting photos, autographs..." John waved a little wave at the car in front. Tommy sat in the backseat with a mate, waving every now and then.

"And I'll hold your hand and you'll squeeze it when you're unsure. And I'll squeeze it if I need your smile to make it through"

John nodded and checked his mirrors, grabbed a cigarette from the pack in the centre console and lit up, his fingers brushing the dust from the dash. His eyes finally came to hold Issy's as he assessed her response.

Her smile was enough for now, but still he hoped there were only a few fans waiting at the gates today for her introduction to his daily dose of fan adulation and assorted mayhem.