I'm Happy Just to Dance with You

 Nigel Whalley, Cynthia, John, June Harry, Pat Jourdan, and Hazel Dorothy

John, Cynthia, June, Pat, Jim Reynolds and Hazel outside of Ye Cracke pub

Near the end of the semester term, the students at Liverpool College of Art wanted to celebrate and got permission to use one of the rooms. Cynthia decided to go with her best friend Phyllis Mackenzie to get her mind off of John and have a good time. She didn't think that a college party was a thing for John to attend. Well, to her surprise, there was John with Geoff Mohammed.

“John asked me to dance and I nearly died. Bingo! I then amazed myself by being very cool, calm, and collected outwardly- inside I was out of the world. The dance was slow and smoochy. I was aloof and John, I think, was slightly embarrassed. It was all very painful and beautiful at the same time. The remaining students were looking on with puzzled expressions at such an unlikely combination.”

Cynthia

“We had a class dance and I asked her to dance. Geoff had been having me on, saying, 'Cynthia likes you, you know.’ As we danced, I asked her to come to a party the next day. She said she couldn't. She was engaged.”

John, 1968

The moment Cynthia mentioned she was engaged, she immediately knew it was a mistake. Insert foot in mouth.

“I didn't ask you to fucking marry me, did I?”

John, 1958

He walked away. She went back to Phyllis, believing she blew her chance with John. However, not long after that, he cooled off and invited them to Ye Cracke where Cynthia and Phyllis got an eyeful of what they had been missing while busy being dedicated nerds with college social life. John seemed to be ignoring his guests while with his usual crowd and it wasn't until Phyllis and Cynthia attempted to leave that John called for Cynthia's attention, teasing her to be a nun. With that, Cynthia decided to stay on while Phyllis went home. They enjoyed drinks and it was nighttime by the time they left the pub. Outside, John gave Cynthia a long passionate kiss before going over to Stuart Sutcliffe's apartment.

“I was triumphant at having picked her up. We had a drink and then went back to Stu’s flat, buying fish and chips on the way.”

John, 1968

Stuart's apartment was not in great condition… not really surprising for college students. Unmade or barely sheeted beds, unkempt kitchen, clothes everywhere, and art supplies scattered around. But John and Cynthia did not care- they headed straight to the bed and had sex for the first time that lasted for an hour. So, first kiss and moments later, first time… during their afterglow, they cuddled and talked. Cynthia ended her engagement to Barry at that moment and she officially became John's girlfriend. They snapped back to reality with the realization that the last train to Hoylake departure was nearing and rushed off, promising that they will be together on the next day and beyond.

It was also the night that John gave Cynthia a new nickname that would remain for the rest of his life: Cyn.

Miss Prim, Miss Powell, now Cyn.