The Beatles stopped in the doorway, a little surprised, but not very. Girls had gotten past security to see them before. Just this afternoon they had found a girl in their car boot, after all.
This girl, at least, wasn’t screaming, but looked at them with a pretty smile. Her fair-skinned face was made up like an actress’s and her shiny black hair fell to her shoulders before coming back up in a flip, held back sa pamamagitan ng a red headband. She had on a red-and-blue dress that showed off her slender figure beautifully.
“There you are,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for you.” She spoke as though the Beatles had just entered her hotel room and not the other way around.
The Beatles all murmured polite hellos, and then George spoke. “Look,” he said, “it’s nice to see our fans and all, but we’re tired. We’ll give you our autograph, and then you’ve got to leave.”
The pretty girl shook her head. “Oh, no I can’t, not yet. I didn’t come in just to meet you – although that was part of it,” she added, with a meaningful smile at George. “I’ve got to tell you something.”
“Fine with us,” sinabi George with a small grin, as he sat himself on the sopa susunod to the pretty girl. “Why don’t you tell us how you got inside our hotel room?”
“Or how you knew which room to go into?” added Paul, as he and the other Beatles took seats opposite the pretty girl and George.
“Or how you knew which hotel we were staying at?” Ringo added.
“Knock it off, lads, she’s a fan,” laughed John. “She knows everything about us, don’t you?”
The pretty girl rolled her eyes. “Please. It was obvious you were going to stay in the best hotel in the city, and then all I had to do was read the register. Don’t insult my intelligence,” but she smiled as she sinabi it.
The Beatles noticed that she hadn’t mentioned how she’d gotten into the hotel room or even how she’d gotten a look at the hotel register in the first place, but decided not to press the issue. “What did you really want to tell us?” Paul asked instead.
“And who are you?” added George, staring at the pretty girl with a slight frown (but also with some admiration; she was quite lovely, after all.)
The girl took a breath. “My name’s Karen Dale, and I’ve got to tell you... at work today, I overheard some things, and I think – you four are in danger,” she finished. Her dark blue eyes turned appealingly from one Beatle to the other, wide with concern.
“What?” came from all four Beatles at once.
“How could you know a thing like that?” John demanded.
Karen frowned. “My dad manages a hotel – a different one – , my mum works for the local newspaper, I work at the makeup tindahan where half the women in the city come and talk about things, and I've got mga kaibigan all over the city. I know almost everything that goes on round here. And today, I heard some talking – some voices, I couldn’t make out everything, but they sinabi something about... getting rid of you. For good.” She stared hard at the three Beatles sitting opposite her, and clutched George’s wrist with her small, perfectly manicured fingers. “You’ve got to believe me.”
The Beatles exchanged glances. “All right...” Ringo sinabi slowly, “say there was someone saying that – how could they get at us? How could they do anything to us?”
Karen frowned. “I got into this hotel room, didn’t I? If I wanted to – hurt you at all, I could have done it as soon as you came in!” Her voice broke slightly. “It wouldn’t have been that hard.”
“What are you telling us?” asked George, thick eyebrows wrinkling. “Not to let strange birds into our hotel rooms? You’re not followin’ your own advice, then.” He favoured her with a mischievous, sharp-toothed grin.
Karen smiled back. “No,” she replied. “I also heard these voices say that they were pagganap now because – you four were trying to find new girlfriends? And they sounded angry.” She stared from one Beatle to the other almost accusingly.
John gave a small laugh, Paul raised his eyebrows, Ringo blinked, and George frowned a little harder. Karen had sinabi she knew everything that went on, but they had only made the decision that very afternoon. “News travels fast sa pamamagitan ng the tagahanga Post,” John remarked.
“So it’s true, then?” Karen demanded. “You are looking for girlfriends? How could you think of that? Make yourselves unavailable all at once, and you’ll have all your fans mad at you too – and you’re going to need our help when these other people start threatening you! Although,” she added thoughtfully, “I suppose it might be all right – you know, if you have four of your best fans around you all the time on this tour, we could protect you.” She smiled at the thought. “Well, there’s one of you won’t have to look for his girlfriend any longer,” she declared, wrapping her slender arms round George’s neck. “I volunteer. I choose you.” She planted a soft halik on his hollow cheek.
George frowned slightly. Yes, part of him liked being kissed sa pamamagitan ng this beautiful girl, but on the other hand – this wasn’t what the Beatles had decided to do. Find girlfriends who weren’t fans, that was what they had all agreed on. And he wanted to chase after his own girlfriend, not have her throw herself right to him.
“Look, Karen,” George started, gently unwrapping her arms from around him. Karen frowned. “You’re a nice girl and all, but – we had something else in mind.”
“Something else? Like what?” Karen frowned. “You’re not going to find anyone prettier than me, if that’s what you’re thinking!” She arranged herself on the sopa to ipakita off her petite figure to its best advantage, stuck out her glossy lower lip, and batted her heavily mascaraed lashes.
George couldn’t help admiring what he saw. No, George, he thought firmly. “Karen,” he tried again. “We’ve decided to find girlfriends who – aren’t Beatles fans.”
Karen stood up abruptly, abandoning her attempts to charm George. “You’re what?” she sinabi very quietly.
Ringo decided to help out his friend a little. “It’s just so’s they’ll pag-ibig us for other reasons,” he tried to explain, “not just ’cause they pag-ibig our music....”
“That,” sinabi Karen, her voice low and deadly, “is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of.” Her small hands clenched into fists. “You’re trying to find someone to pag-ibig you who doesn’t pag-ibig the Beatles. That’s what you are, all of you, you’re Beatles! You don’t take off your Beatle bumagay when you’re done on stage and – and transform into something different! It’s who you are! You try and find someone who loves you without loving the Beatles and you’ll get someone who doesn’t pag-ibig you at all!”
The Beatles all stared at her, not used to having a tagahanga yell at them or tell them off like this. It made them a little uncomfortable; they usually tried so hard to make sure the fans continued to pag-ibig them as well as their music. They could only imagine what Brian Epstein would say about the effect this would have on their popularity.
Karen took a deep breath. “I can’t make you listen to me,” she decided, her voice even-toned again. “You boys do what you want, but trust me – this is the first time you’ve had a really bad idea, and you’re going to regret it.” She turned on her shiny red heels and marched out of the hotel room.
The boys stared at the door after her. “Too bad she was a fan, George,” John grinned at his friend. “She was quite a choice bird, wasn’t she?”
George was frowning thoughtfully. “Do you think she knew what she was talking about?” he wondered aloud. “About us being in danger?”
“Maybe,” Ringo shrugged. “But maybe she just wanted an excuse to petsa you.”
“This doesn’t stop us trying to find our new girlfriends, though?” Paul looked at his three best mates. “I’m looking pasulong to mine.”
“If she’s half as good-looking as that Karen was, I’m there,” George agreed, smiling his mischievous smile again.
“Right,” John agreed with a decisive nod. “We won’t let what she sinabi stop us. We can’t change our plans every time someone decided they don’t like us, can we?”
The other Beatles shook their heads, smiling, and sa pamamagitan ng the time they went to bed, they had put all feelings about their encounter with Karen out of their minds.
This girl, at least, wasn’t screaming, but looked at them with a pretty smile. Her fair-skinned face was made up like an actress’s and her shiny black hair fell to her shoulders before coming back up in a flip, held back sa pamamagitan ng a red headband. She had on a red-and-blue dress that showed off her slender figure beautifully.
“There you are,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for you.” She spoke as though the Beatles had just entered her hotel room and not the other way around.
The Beatles all murmured polite hellos, and then George spoke. “Look,” he said, “it’s nice to see our fans and all, but we’re tired. We’ll give you our autograph, and then you’ve got to leave.”
The pretty girl shook her head. “Oh, no I can’t, not yet. I didn’t come in just to meet you – although that was part of it,” she added, with a meaningful smile at George. “I’ve got to tell you something.”
“Fine with us,” sinabi George with a small grin, as he sat himself on the sopa susunod to the pretty girl. “Why don’t you tell us how you got inside our hotel room?”
“Or how you knew which room to go into?” added Paul, as he and the other Beatles took seats opposite the pretty girl and George.
“Or how you knew which hotel we were staying at?” Ringo added.
“Knock it off, lads, she’s a fan,” laughed John. “She knows everything about us, don’t you?”
The pretty girl rolled her eyes. “Please. It was obvious you were going to stay in the best hotel in the city, and then all I had to do was read the register. Don’t insult my intelligence,” but she smiled as she sinabi it.
The Beatles noticed that she hadn’t mentioned how she’d gotten into the hotel room or even how she’d gotten a look at the hotel register in the first place, but decided not to press the issue. “What did you really want to tell us?” Paul asked instead.
“And who are you?” added George, staring at the pretty girl with a slight frown (but also with some admiration; she was quite lovely, after all.)
The girl took a breath. “My name’s Karen Dale, and I’ve got to tell you... at work today, I overheard some things, and I think – you four are in danger,” she finished. Her dark blue eyes turned appealingly from one Beatle to the other, wide with concern.
“What?” came from all four Beatles at once.
“How could you know a thing like that?” John demanded.
Karen frowned. “My dad manages a hotel – a different one – , my mum works for the local newspaper, I work at the makeup tindahan where half the women in the city come and talk about things, and I've got mga kaibigan all over the city. I know almost everything that goes on round here. And today, I heard some talking – some voices, I couldn’t make out everything, but they sinabi something about... getting rid of you. For good.” She stared hard at the three Beatles sitting opposite her, and clutched George’s wrist with her small, perfectly manicured fingers. “You’ve got to believe me.”
The Beatles exchanged glances. “All right...” Ringo sinabi slowly, “say there was someone saying that – how could they get at us? How could they do anything to us?”
Karen frowned. “I got into this hotel room, didn’t I? If I wanted to – hurt you at all, I could have done it as soon as you came in!” Her voice broke slightly. “It wouldn’t have been that hard.”
“What are you telling us?” asked George, thick eyebrows wrinkling. “Not to let strange birds into our hotel rooms? You’re not followin’ your own advice, then.” He favoured her with a mischievous, sharp-toothed grin.
Karen smiled back. “No,” she replied. “I also heard these voices say that they were pagganap now because – you four were trying to find new girlfriends? And they sounded angry.” She stared from one Beatle to the other almost accusingly.
John gave a small laugh, Paul raised his eyebrows, Ringo blinked, and George frowned a little harder. Karen had sinabi she knew everything that went on, but they had only made the decision that very afternoon. “News travels fast sa pamamagitan ng the tagahanga Post,” John remarked.
“So it’s true, then?” Karen demanded. “You are looking for girlfriends? How could you think of that? Make yourselves unavailable all at once, and you’ll have all your fans mad at you too – and you’re going to need our help when these other people start threatening you! Although,” she added thoughtfully, “I suppose it might be all right – you know, if you have four of your best fans around you all the time on this tour, we could protect you.” She smiled at the thought. “Well, there’s one of you won’t have to look for his girlfriend any longer,” she declared, wrapping her slender arms round George’s neck. “I volunteer. I choose you.” She planted a soft halik on his hollow cheek.
George frowned slightly. Yes, part of him liked being kissed sa pamamagitan ng this beautiful girl, but on the other hand – this wasn’t what the Beatles had decided to do. Find girlfriends who weren’t fans, that was what they had all agreed on. And he wanted to chase after his own girlfriend, not have her throw herself right to him.
“Look, Karen,” George started, gently unwrapping her arms from around him. Karen frowned. “You’re a nice girl and all, but – we had something else in mind.”
“Something else? Like what?” Karen frowned. “You’re not going to find anyone prettier than me, if that’s what you’re thinking!” She arranged herself on the sopa to ipakita off her petite figure to its best advantage, stuck out her glossy lower lip, and batted her heavily mascaraed lashes.
George couldn’t help admiring what he saw. No, George, he thought firmly. “Karen,” he tried again. “We’ve decided to find girlfriends who – aren’t Beatles fans.”
Karen stood up abruptly, abandoning her attempts to charm George. “You’re what?” she sinabi very quietly.
Ringo decided to help out his friend a little. “It’s just so’s they’ll pag-ibig us for other reasons,” he tried to explain, “not just ’cause they pag-ibig our music....”
“That,” sinabi Karen, her voice low and deadly, “is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of.” Her small hands clenched into fists. “You’re trying to find someone to pag-ibig you who doesn’t pag-ibig the Beatles. That’s what you are, all of you, you’re Beatles! You don’t take off your Beatle bumagay when you’re done on stage and – and transform into something different! It’s who you are! You try and find someone who loves you without loving the Beatles and you’ll get someone who doesn’t pag-ibig you at all!”
The Beatles all stared at her, not used to having a tagahanga yell at them or tell them off like this. It made them a little uncomfortable; they usually tried so hard to make sure the fans continued to pag-ibig them as well as their music. They could only imagine what Brian Epstein would say about the effect this would have on their popularity.
Karen took a deep breath. “I can’t make you listen to me,” she decided, her voice even-toned again. “You boys do what you want, but trust me – this is the first time you’ve had a really bad idea, and you’re going to regret it.” She turned on her shiny red heels and marched out of the hotel room.
The boys stared at the door after her. “Too bad she was a fan, George,” John grinned at his friend. “She was quite a choice bird, wasn’t she?”
George was frowning thoughtfully. “Do you think she knew what she was talking about?” he wondered aloud. “About us being in danger?”
“Maybe,” Ringo shrugged. “But maybe she just wanted an excuse to petsa you.”
“This doesn’t stop us trying to find our new girlfriends, though?” Paul looked at his three best mates. “I’m looking pasulong to mine.”
“If she’s half as good-looking as that Karen was, I’m there,” George agreed, smiling his mischievous smile again.
“Right,” John agreed with a decisive nod. “We won’t let what she sinabi stop us. We can’t change our plans every time someone decided they don’t like us, can we?”
The other Beatles shook their heads, smiling, and sa pamamagitan ng the time they went to bed, they had put all feelings about their encounter with Karen out of their minds.
While strolling among the flowers, George told Pattie about his quick chat with the fans. "As you may have observed, those ladies were very sweet, and they're just as happy for us tying the knot!" She replied, "Yeah, I noticed that. It made me smile, too!" "Great!" he remarked back. Laura said, "And I mustn't forget to mention that they felt the same thing about my father adopting me after our visit to Hampton Court three years ago!" Pattie said, "Oh, how splendid, my dear!" George said, "Yes, Laura, darling! I also remember that. It's lovely!" She responded with a big smile. The trio then spent the remainder of the araw sa pamamagitan ng paying a stop inside the wide, well-kept lawn of Kensington Palace.
TO BE CONTINUED
TO BE CONTINUED
As he had promised, George made those phone calls in the morning that followed. Then, at around an oras before noon, the lovebirds had a coffee break in Hyde Park while Laura did some jogging. George said, "So about the cake, I have requested Spencer from the Cadbury factory in Birmingham to make it a triple layer one with the tuktok being made from gatas chocolate, the middle white, and the bottom dark. How's that, love?" Pattie replied, "Ooooh, that sounds so luxurious, darling! I'm excited to taste it!" George replied, "So am I!" He then continued, "And our honeymoon destination of Scotland has been settled, too. The royals will even reserve two seats on their airship for us as newlyweds!" "Absolutely splendid!" exclaimed Pattie. "That also means the details for our wedding are nearing completion." "Right as rain, Pattie. Right as rain!" remarked George. They soon finished their coffee and shared a sweet kiss.
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TO BE CONTINUED
susunod morning and shortly after breakfast, the trio proceeded to Fitzrovia Chapel for the wedding rehearsals. "Wowsers! This place is bloody magnificent, daddy George!" exclaimed Laura as she marveled at both the stained glass windows and ceiling. George replied, "It sure is, Laura, darling! Just perfect for the ceremony!" Pattie added, "Not to mention quite a popular venue for those tying the knot!" Laura said, "Yeah, I can see why you decided to have yours here as well. Excellent choice!" George smiled and said, "Thanks, dear! We're glad ye think so." Pattie nodded in agreement. The rehearsal itself went very well, concluding with the lovebirds sharing a halik near the altar. They then spent the rest of the araw exploring the chapel's location, which is better known as Pearson Square.
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TO BE CONTINUED
The rest of the araw was spent with a tour around the other areas of the park. George sinabi as they walked, "Before we get started with our wedding plans, I think it would be wise for us to first seek some payo on how we could make our marriage a veddy happy one. What do ye say, love?" Pattie replied, "Yeah. That's a smart idea, darling. So, to whom shall we ask about this?" George thought for a moment, then replied, "Let's head on over to Windsor kastilyo tomorrow! I'm sure the royal couple will help us out with this step." Pattie said, "Oh, I know what you're thinking there. Certainly!" Laura added, "Plus, it's been a while since we last visited that place! Right, daddy George?" He replied, "You definitely are, Laura, darling!" "Heh, heh!", she responded. Afternoon soon turned into evening, and the trio had hapunan at one of the nearby restaurants before driving back tahanan for the night.
TO BE CONTINUED
TO BE CONTINUED