It was a pleasant-faced man with wavy dark hair, holding a number of records in his arms. The lads had been right to think he was young - he didn't appear to be much older than twenty - but there was a professional air about him all the same. The four bandmates wondered who he was, but the store manager asked the question first. "And who are you?"
The young man shifted his records to one arm and pulled out a card from inside his suit. "Brian Epstein, record shop owner and music manager." He handed his card to the store manager, who examined it with a slight frown. "I'd rather you didn't arrest these lads when they've got more talent than any of the acts I've watched all year."
The four boys perked up visibly. This man was a music manager? And they were the best act he'd seen all year??
"What about my instruments?" the store manager was demanding now. "I don't let anyone come in here and play a whole concert on my instruments when they're not planning to buy them!"
"Never mind that," Brian Epstein assured him. "I'll pay for the instruments." Ringo glanced up quickly, hardly daring to believe this. "And, lads - might I have a word with you?"
The four boys glanced at one another questioningly, but none of them saw any reason to refuse to talk to the man who had just defended them and was now going to buy them new instruments. "Well, better you than him," Winston decided lightly, putting on his Bandleader tone.
The store manager grumbled a bit and went to pack up the instruments, while Brian Epstein went over to pay. The four lads watched, excited. They had been steadily building up a reputation here, but this was big.
The boys had to come forward to tell the store manager where to send their instruments, and then the band and Brian Epstein left the store together.
"Thanks," Ringo said, speaking for them all.
Brian Epstein smiled at him kindly. "I'm quite happy to lend a hand to lads like yourselves. I really haven't heard anyone play like you the whole time I've been over here."
"How come you are here?" queried Geo. "And not back in Liverpool?"
"I expect for the same reason you are," Brian Epstein replied. "Talent has been rather hard to find in Liverpool lately, and I've come here looking for bands that might need a manager, bands that have got a good chance of making it big once they've got one."
Paul listened to this, eyes big. "Are you saying...."
Winston finished for him. "You want to be our manager?"
"Well, yes. I expect you lads were planning to find one at some point?"
Paul looked at Winston uncertainly. The truth was, he'd never thought about it. Winston had always been the one with the plan - but judging by the look on his face, he hadn't thought about managers either.
Of course, when Winston addressed Brian Epstein, he gave no hint of that. "And what exactly would you do for us as a manager, Brian?"
"Well, the usual. It would be my job to find gigs for you, to arrange your schedules and the like. I would promote you to venues, and of course I would find you a record label."
Four pairs of eyes lit up hungrily. Record label?
"You'd do all the hard work for us so we can go out and have fun all day, and all we'd need to do is turn up for the gig?" Geo confirmed.
"I wouldn't have put it like that exactly... but yes, I suppose you could say that's what I'd do for you."
"Let's do it," said Ringo eagerly.
Winston, the bandleader, looked ready to seal the deal right then and there. It was actually Brian who advised them to slow down. "You can't rush into a decision like this. You might find you'd do better with another manager. It would be better for us to discuss a contract before you decide on anything."
"Then hurry up and tell us where we can meet and look at a contract, Brian," Winston advised, sounding in-charge even while bursting with excitement. "We'll have an advantage over you if you do work for us, though. We know your full name from back there! You should be using an alias like us."
Brian blinked for a second, then decided to act as if Winston had said nothing strange. "Here's where I've been using as an office while I'm here. We can meet in the afternoon if you'd like." He pulled out another card and wrote an address on the back before handing it to the boys - Winston took it. "Oh - do you lads have a band name?"
Paul shook his head. "No, not yet."
"What do you think of something with 'beat' in it?" asked Ringo quickly.
"Or something that's the name of an insect?" Winston chimed in.
"Yes, those are both fine," Brian told them after a moment's thought. "The important thing is to choose something distinctive. Something the fans will remember." He waved to them as he set off down a different path. "Until the afternoon, then!"
The boys waved happily back.