Part 19 (2/2)

always love her, always be with her during that calm drugging time after

love and before sleep. But now, alone in the big bra.s.s bed,

she would wonder if he filled up his loneliness with women as well as

music.

The sky was just beginning to lighten when the phone rang. Bev groped

for it on the third ring. ”Yes.” She cleared her throat. ”h.e.l.lo.”

”Bev.” Brian's voice was urgent.

Instantly awake, she shot up in bed. ”Bri. What is it? What's

happened?”

”Nothing. Everything. We're a smash, Bev.” There was a dazed and

das.h.i.+ng edge to his laughter. ”Every night the crowds get bigger.

They've had to double security to keep the girls from flinging

themselves on stage. It's wild, Bev. Insane. Tonight one of them

grabbed Stevie's sleeve as we were making the dash for the limo. Ripped

his coat clean off. The press is calling us vanguards of the second

wave of the British invasion. Vanguards.”

Sinking back onto the pillows, Bev struggled to drum up enthusiasm.

”That's wonderful, Brian. There've been some snippets on the telly

here, but not much to go by.”

”It's like being a gladiator, standing there on stage and listening to

the roars.” He didn't think he could explain, even to her, the thrill

and the terror. ”I think even Pete was impressed.”

Bev smiled thinking of his pragmatic, business-first-and-last manager.

”Then you must be something.”

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