Dear Lil,

How are you!? Sorry it's been so long Gorgeous, we just got back from Hamburg- All over now thogh  sorry thoUgh so we can get on with the rest of our lives! Which reminds me- Did you get a flat or are you still on Ophelias couch? Hope it's a flat as we are coming to London soon- Got a fucking recording session didn't we!! Yeeha! as Richy says repeatedly. George says hullo. John grunted but he smiled afterwards so I think that was a nice grunt.

JUNE THE 6th John says is THE date we'll be in London for 3 days!! *so write me quick* to let me know you are expecting me/ us.

Ok gotta dash, Cavern tonight for a gig. Its getting hectic!

Love Paul

Lily rocked on her feet as she stood by the gate. Neil watched her not come any closer, nor depart. No fans as such in London yet so she couldn't have been a fan. She stuck out like a sore thumb too, the large coat covered her head to toe like she was frightened to show she was female. The boys had told him to watch for her and he had called out multiple times, asking if she would like to come in out of the cool weather.

Lily declined, this was a place of business and she would be in the way of their important meetings and music. She watched the watcher, he was handsome... what was it with these boys – did handsomeness gravitate together like mercury running rivers back to itself. She only nodded to him when he called her.

She had to tell them in person, this was for the best. No one wants to see the hovel she was presently surviving in. She didn't even want to see it herself but she'd knock into the walls if she kept her eyes closed while moving around her crap flat.

Pursing her lips she whistled to herself softly and watched the watcher.

Bodies jumped and bounced and ducked and dived and the energy in the street rose by a hundred and fifty percent. The Beatles were in town and London was still asleep to them.

Neil pointed, Paul ran.

"Gorgeous!!" Paul wrapped her up and lifted her spinning, she dropped and was grasped in another's arms- Richy!

"Sweets! You look warm! How are you?"

"OK. I'm ok"

"Lils"

"John"

"Looking good lu-lils. Damn it I tried to practice not saying that!" John leaned forward and kissed her cheek "Cuppa Lillll?" John swiped imagined sweat from his brow at not having said luv.

Lily felt a hand on her shoulder and was turned carefully around "Hello pretty Lily"

"Hello George Guitarist" Lily smiled breathlessly and realised she'd missed them. Missed them all. Even though she had only met them, travelled mere hours with them, then said goodbye. She missed their energy and joyful banter.

And she missed being a girl talking to boys.

Seated and surrounded she chanced to remove her coat. Paul helped her, carefully and slowly touching her shoulders and hand to help. Her dress was black and covered in small plump looking cherries with their leaves and stems attached, the top and hem piped with red and white trim. She looked perfect.

"So" Lily smiled and hugged her fingers around the cup, she was stronger these days, it had been hard and she had been taken aback by the sheer terror of trying to be normal.

"So.... Are we getting a tour of your flat then?" Paul sipped away on his banana milkshake watching Lily closely over the top, she shook her head.

"I've no furniture. I just got it. There's a mattress and I have a kettle that's about it really" Lily glanced about shyly and smoothed the tablecloth. "I got a really good job though!" Perking up, feeling proud. "It's in a hotel kitchen, but I should be able to waitress as soon as I learn the ropes"

"That's grand Lils"Richy squeezed her hand happy for her.

Lily smiled as they ate chip butties, and laughed with them while they drank gallons of tea. What she enjoyed the most was just sitting listening to them all talk over each other, watching them lark about and steal each others food for jokes.

Richy grinned cheekily as he pilfered a half dozen chips from under Georges nose then frowned as he cast a glance over Paul's shoulder. Neil stood outside the café window bouncing foot to foot with a van load of instruments behind him "Nell's getting antsie, you lot. Best be getting a move on"

"Do you live far Lily?"

"No, a few blocks why?"

"Well I'll walk you home then" Paul offered kindly, he wanted her safe and it was late, nearly 2am.

"No that's ok, I'm alright. You go with your mates"

"I'll come too" John stood and grabbed his jacket "Geo, Rich tell Nell we'll sort it back to the hotel"

"Brian will chuck a pow wow" George poked Richy when he spotted where all his chips had disappeared to.

"I'm taking the lady home" Lily giggled at John calling her a lady again "If he has an issue tell him to talk to my management" John laughed as George sat trying to work out who management was.

"Brian- George. Brian has to take it up with himself" Paul laughed as Georges face cleared of confusion, then got confused again. Standing up, Paul then held Lily's coat out for her, like a gentleman. He replayed the scene in reverse, helping her into the hefty cover.

"I'll see you later George Guitarist. Rings. You look ever so handsome in your clothes by the way, so different from the leather" Lily smiled as George kissed her cheek with just a brush of his lips, he was turning into a fine-looking gentleman, he seemed so much older and mature than a few months before. Ringo returned from Neil to get his gifted kiss too as they said farewell.

The streets stretched before them, Lily held her coat closed with buttons and fingers til she felt a tug- John. He grasped her pinkie finger for a little while then her whole hand was gobbled up in his, she smiled to herself and wished she was a little more open than having him have to steal in and swipe her hand, like a hand-burglar.

Paul, however had his arm looped with hers, patting her forearm as they strolled, a drum roll here, a tap tap tap there, never stopping the beat, he found rhythm on her sleeve.

Mist was to the right of them. The Thames was close at this point, its might ever flowing with twists and turns through the town. Lily felt lucky that the flat was, even being tacky and cold, blessed with a sliver of view of the ever-moving waters and a snatch of green leafy park to the far left.

The building loomed in front of them and Lily felt them pause for half a step as she dragged on closer. It was one of the oldest buildings in the area, with rusty iron, small windows and high walls. She stepped on the bottom step and turned about to the two boys standing there.

"Well thank-you for the chaperone"

"Our pleasure Gorgeous" Paul smiled and kissed her cheek sweetly. John swung around away from them, gazing at the tired neighbourhood and many shadows. "We'll be free in the evening from seven tomorrow. I'll come by and pick you up for tea"

"Oh, Ok then. I work in the morning so that should be fine. Bye then....." Lily hugged Paul and watched John pacing along the sidewalk "... Bye John"

"What? Arrr Bye. Wait no. Can't we come up for a bit, my feet hurt... need to rest a minute or two"

Paul shook his head in amazement. All week Paul had been speaking of seeing their Lil and all week, every single time, John had told him to bottle it and stop prattling on about her. Now he stood here asking to go up to her room!

"Your feet hurt?" Lily rolled her lip in her teeth, indecisive at the request "You know there's no chairs"

"Yep, come on Lil, me hooves are blowing up more than balloon at a fair lu- damn it Lil"

"Ok then, I suppose a few minutes will be alright" Lily turned about and led the way, the boys a few stairs below her as she jogged up them.

"What are you playing at?" Paul grumbled under his breath.

"I just... I'm making sure her accommodation is suitable and safe"

"What are you a London City Council Inspector now?"

John held his arm and made Paul stop mid-stride "Don't be a smart arse....I just. She. I... Fuck I'll start again"

Paul wretched his arm away and stumbled up the stairs from Johns stutters and mumbles behind him, he didn't know what Johns ploy was but they were here now.

Pushing the door open, Lily dropped her gaze and hoped they wouldn't be suitably horrified.

"Oh this is.... gear, isn't it John"

They strolled about in the small kitchenette poking their heads in cupboards, looked into the darkness out of her high window, which underneath, she had placed an old fruit crate to step on to view the view. And they clogged up the bathroom with her as Lily hurriedly tore down her drying stocking and underwear as they smirked. She whacked their arms and pointed them back to the one area that was everything she had- living/bedroom/kitchen.

"Well" John just stood there hugging himself in the middle of her space. It wasn't a room, it wasn't a home, it was bare, dark, mouldy, and bland. She was ever so embarrassed that she had so little to offer.

Lily wasn't sure what John wanted.... Oh wait... he looked at the bed and now he's averted his eyes.

Did he... no mustn't be.

He couldn't even look at her proper and he was much too brash to be shy. Lily shook off her addled thoughts about what John was thinking or not thinking, took off her coat, hanging it on the lone hook on the back of the door.

"I'm stuffed. Maybe we should shove off then, John" Paul walked towards the door and turned to say goodnight to Lil.

He was met with the sight of John untying his shoes, slipping them off and proceeding to lie on one side of the bed.

"Night"

"John" Paul hissed as Lily stood puzzling over Johns activities beside them.

"Look" John sat up, leaning on his elbows "I'm tired, Lils tired, you're tired" He flopped back down again as if it was clear as crystal what he was getting at.

Lily stared at John like he had two heads and finally shrugged, shaking her foot out of one, then two heels, scooping them up and placing them behind the door.

It wasn't a lie, she was tired and lying down on the bed was her only choice to remedy that. If John slept beside her it would be somewhat of a novelty, and Paul, well that would be a bonus. They were nice, they were good and they were fun and witty and she'd never met anyone quite like them.... Lily went to the bathroom to change out of her dress.

"You two are barmy" Paul was nervous. He liked Lil, so did John. They liked her but he wasn't ready to push her and didn't think John should either "Come on son, let's let Lil go to bed"

I am!"

"You're pushing her" Paul hissed.

"Am I pushing you Lils?" John watched Lily walk up behind Paul and flick the light off, the sallow street lights reflection lighting the ceiling with a faint glow.

"I.. guess not" Lil sat on the bed in the men's shirt she had found in the lost property box of the hotel. "It is to sleep and I haven't actually slept with a man before" she let her eyes rest on Paul for half a heartbeat "nor boy"

Lying down then shimmying over toward the middle Lily watched Paul grumble and moan and slip into her privy. "He likes me, doesn't he? He called me gorgeous a lot, he wrote me"

"He hasn't just laid down on a bed before and done nothing with a girl Lils. Be an experience... for the three of us I guess" John cast a furtive look at Lily and watched her bite her fingernail "Don't do that, Paul's one enough to eat his fingernails. Give us your hand"

Taking her hand John held her fingers tight and they chatted for what seemed like hours as Paul fussed in the bathroom, he appeared in a cloud of mist minus a shirt.

"No shirt. Bloke you are a crock of lumpy double meanings"

"I'm not wearing that shirt all night then again in the morn. It can air for a bit"

John hooted and chucked his shirt off too.