Behind That Locked Door

And I'm Not What I Appear To be

"Christ, I've found them, John!"

You jump away from George as if burned, your cheeks flushing red from the kiss and the embarrassment of being caught.

Paul and John peek their heads out, twin grins plastered to their faces.

"We can't leave ya alone with a pretty girl for a second, can we, Georgie?" John teases, shaking his head in mock disapproval.

"Fuck off, Lennon." George says, standing up and dusting off his pants. He offers you his hand, and you take it with a small smile.

Your lips still tingle from the kiss.

"Temper, temper!" Paul chides, moving aside as George leads you back into the little hallway.

"Anyway, Eppy's looking for you." Paul reports. "Says we've got photos to take before the night ends."

George groans.

"We took one earlier tonight."

John claps him on the shoulder.

"Aye, but you can't fault 'em for wanting more of this beautiful face." The older man gestures to himself, fluttering his eyelashes in a way that makes you giggle.

George rolls his eyes.

"That ugly mug of yours has probably cost this country millions in lense repair."

John splutters, Paul wheezing with laughter as the four of you make your way back to the party.

George holds your hand the whole way.

As John and Paul joke and talk amongst themselves, George leans over to whisper to you.

"That was alright, then?"

You smile, cheeks pink.

"Yes, I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime."

He beams at you.

Andre rushes to you as you four re-enter the room, eyes darting to where George is holding your hand.

"There you are!" He says, eyes wild. "C'mon, we've got pictures to take."

He leads you to where the girls are standing with Ringo. The other three boys follow behind you, getting an earful from Brian.

"Where were you?" Lori asks, eyebrows raised as she moves to stand beside you.

You bite your lip, eyes darting to George, who's straightening his tie.

Lori follows your gaze, mouth curling into a sly smile.

"You've had a taste already, then?"

You turn red, slapping her shoulder.

"Shut up, you know it's not like that."

Lori doesn't comment further, but the smug look she gives you has you rolling your eyes.

George sidles up to you after the pictures have been taken, looking exhausted.

"How many bloody photos do they need?" He asks, making you giggle.

"The camera loves you." You tease, elbowing him.

He smiles, eyes bright as he looks at you. He opens his mouth to respond, but some middle aged looking executive pulls you by your elbow, chatting away in your ear and distracting you. George is pulled in another direction, looking put out.

It's almost painful, not being by his side.

The night passes quickly after that. George ends up on the other side of the room, the looks shared between you two saying so much.

You'd like to be spending the rest of the night talking with him, his open and calm demeanor making it so easy to open up with him. Maybe, though the thought makes you smile despite yourself, you could share a few more kisses. The memory of his lips on yours makes you grin like a school girl.

Lori keeps handing you drinks, and you end up dumping most of them into a potted plant nearby. You don't want to get completely sloshed, especially in a place like this.

The boys, it seems, don't seem to have the same idea. They're huddled in a corner, looking like they're about to get into all sorts of trouble.

You make eye contact with George, raising your eyebrows as if to say 'what on earth are you up to?'.

He tilts his head, beckoning you over. Setting your champagne glass down, you excuse yourself from the executive that's been boring you to death for the past ten minutes.

John wiggles his eyebrows as you approach, thin lips pulled into a teasing grin.

"Fancy a night out, love?" He asks. You squint at him, a little confused.

"Isn't that what this is?"

Paul, ever the charmer, puts an arm around your shoulder.

"A real stuffed shirt event, I'd say." He sets his voice into a posh tone, turning his nose up as a camera man catches a picture.

George rolls his eyes, taking a sip of champagne and eyeing the way Paul's arm hangs around your shoulders.

"We mean a real night out." Ringo says, smile pleasant. "You girls are the only New Yorkers we know. We figure you could take us for a night on the town."

You bite your lip, thinking of the pandemonium that would ensue if The Beatles were released on an unsuspecting New York, the hoards of girls that would be chasing them down the street.

On the other hand, you think of how bored you are. Your heels are pinching your toes, and Lori looks like she's about to fall asleep where she stands in the corner.

You catch her eye and wave her over. Jackie and Jennifer are occupied with Andre, looking exhausted. You know your sister, and dragging her out into the nightlife of New York City would be the worst possible thing for her.

Jackie looks about dead on her feet, anyway, so you decide that the perfect tour guides for this little excertion are you and Lori.

"What's up, doll?" Lori says, trying to stave off a yawn.

You nod at the boys.

"These four want to expirence the New York nightlife." You explain. "Wanna take them out with me?"

A slow, mischievous grin finds its way onto Lori's face.

"I thought you'd never ask."

John hums, the look he gives Lori not going unnoticed. Paul gives you a friendly squeeze, and you smile.

"I knew I liked you two." He says, letting you go as the six of you put your heads together.

"How the hell are we gonna slip out of here?" You ask, looking at George.

He sets down his glass, looking over your head and then back at you.

"You're not afraid of heights, are you?"