When I went back to my room, I thought long and hard about what I was going to tell everyone. I guess my parents had been right…how bad would it have been if we had actually told the truth? If Emma and I had walked up to Brian and told him she was offered a scholarship, but didn’t want to lose her job and if I could replace her while she was gone? In all truth, I suppose the worst that could have happened would have been he said no…but then where would that have left Emma…unemployed and with no way to pay the rest of her school. But now it had become more complicated…now Emma’s job was also in jeopardy…if Brian found out we had lied, would he allow her to still work for him? Her honesty would be questionable. 

I sat on the bed with my hands on my head. 

“Think Mirel…THINK!” I said to myself. 

I had been determined to tell the truth and face the consequences of my actions with the boys…especially John, but I hadn’t thought how this would affect Emma…she had a lot more to lose than I did if she was let go of this job…she had her education on the line. I didn’t know Brian well enough to know how he would react, but I did see him as a very proper man…a man that would not take too kindly to being lied to. 

I sighed in frustration. I couldn’t let my parents tell them the truth, but I couldn’t expect them to lie either…once more, I knew they wouldn’t…I was going to have to try and avoid that meeting with the boys and my parents in order to postpone the truth a little bit longer…but in my heart I knew that the longer I held out on telling them the truth, the more problems it created and the possibility of people getting hurt grew exponentially. 

I decided to take the risk…I couldn’t let my sister‘s future go down the drain, besides, it had been my initial idea about pretending to be her and now I had to follow through. 

I let the Beatles think that the meeting with my parents was still on. I had called them to let them know I would be coming to see them and they were very happy with the news. My mother asked me if they would get a chance to meet the Beatles and I told her I wasn’t sure…it all depended on whether they could get away. 

As if my prayers had been answered, Brian informed the boys on our way from the Los Angeles airport to the hotel that there was a press conference being held that afternoon. 

“Bloody hell…I thought we were taking some days off.” John scowled. “What more is there to say…we’ve been holding a fuckin’ press conference in almost every city…there’s nothing more to say.” 

“Yeah Brian…we’ve answered the same questions time and time again…tell ‘em to lay off.” George supported John. 

“I know boys, but we need to be accessible to the reporters…it’s through them that we can try to smooth out all the controversy we’ve been facing.”

“Through them?!? It’s because of those bloody bastards we are in this situation…they’re the ones twistin’ my words for their benefit.” John complained. 

It was evident that they weren’t going to be able to get out of going and I was going to take advantage of it. 

“What time is the conference?” I asked Brian. 

“Six o’clock.” He replied. 

“I’m having dinner with my parents at that time.” I said. 

There were grunts of disappointment all around. 

“C’mon Brian…we’re going to miss meeting Emma’s parents for this?” Even Paul was testy.

“I’m sorry boys…” was Brian’s only response. 

The rest of the ride was quiet…nobody said anything and you could feel the lack of excitement from the boys…it was as if all their energy had been drained out. I felt bad taking that small joy of getting out and meeting ordinary people (as were my parents) from them, but I was out for survival and this meant going to see my parents without them and them being stuck at a press conference. I suppose I could have rescheduled, but it was just more convenient this way…convenient for me I know…but it had played out this way and I was going to go with the flow. 

I didn’t see much of the boys that day…they were in fowl moods and if I had learned something, it was to leave them alone when they were like that. I called my parents and told them I would head home around 5:30pm. They were excited about seeing me again and said they’d have everything ready for dinner. I was looking forward to a good home cooked meal. 

I quickly let Brian know I was leaving and would be back by 9 tonight. He said I could take my time and not to worry about it…I had the whole night off. I thanked him and headed out the back door. Brian had arranged a car to be available for me to take and so I made my way down the streets of Los Angeles towards my parents’ house. It was a strange feeling…I had left this place heartbroken and shattered thinking I would never be able to see it the same way again, but going to England was the best decision I had ever made. As I drove through the streets I saw the theatre and the stores and restaurants as what they were, not as memories of Nick and me…it was refreshing in a way, but I knew the reason for it was not because I had healed…the reason behind my contentment was named John.

I arrived at my parents’ house only to be greeted with hugs and kisses. It felt wonderful to be in their arms and I nuzzled with each one enjoying the moment. I really had missed them. 

“Let me take a look at you Mirel.” My mom said as she looked me over. A smile crept on her face. “You look fantastic sweetheart.” 

I beamed. The truth was that I had gained a little weight while in England and was no longer looking sickly. I had filled out to what I normally was and my mom had taken notice of it. I’m sure that beyond my body, the biggest difference she noticed was my emotional state. I was content and it showed. 

Dinner went by too fast. I told them about my time in England and the kind of work that was done behind the scenes with the Beatles. As for what had happened with the mob, I refrained from telling them as I did not want to worry them; I did however have to explain the gash on my forehead that was still a little too new to have completely disappeared. The bruises on my arms had disappeared and the cuts on my arms were covered with a carefully thought out long sleeved shirt. I told my parents I had bumped my head on the nightstand at one of the hotels when I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. They examined it before telling me I needed to remember to turn on the light before getting out of bed to avoid such happenings. 

Our dinner was all too short…even though I didn’t end up leaving until close to midnight. I told them I would try to see them again before I left, but couldn’t guarantee it because of the hectic schedule we had. I assured them I would at least phone before I left. 

I didn’t see the boys upon my return…instead I went straight to my room and went to bed. I was exhausted by the last couple of days and had every intention of catching up on my sleep. John, however, did not think the same way. The next day I heard a knock on my door only to look over at the clock and see it read 8: 46 am. 

“What the-“ I said as I stumbled to the door. I looked through the peep hole to see John standing on the other side. I opened the door and walked back to the bed. 

“John it is entirely too early to be up.” I said as I reached my bed and flopped on it. I tied my hair into a ponytail hoping it would make me a bit more presentable as John walked over with a huge smile on his face. 

“Well c’mon…let’s go.” 

“Go where?” I inquired. 

“Sightseeing.” He responded. 

“You? I thought you guys couldn’t go sightseeing.” 

“Brian’s away at a meeting…we’re gonna sneak out.” John laughed. “So c’mon before he comes back..we’re all waiting for you.” 

“Won’t Brian get mad wh—“ I started to say, but John pulled me up and pointed me towards the bathroom. “C’mon now…get moving…I’ll be back in 15 minutes for you.” 

I smiled as I saw how much joy it brought John to do regular people things. It was apparent they normally did not get to go out much from the hotels…I had seen this first hand and although I was a bit apprehensive about them being recognized, I figured they knew what they were doing. 

I was ready in record time…baseball cap and sunglasses were my fall back accessories when I needed to go out and conceal my just-got-out-of-bed look. Exactly fifteen minutes later, I heard another knock on the door and opened it knowing it was probably John. 

I opened the door and stared at the people in the hall…then I began to laugh. There they were…all four Beatles…disguised to perfection. There was a lot of facial hair, caps and hats and very old and worn out clothes. 

“You guys look like bums” I finally said. 

“That’s the point, luv. Nobody will take a second look at us like this.” Paul answered. 

“And that is exactly what we want.” Ringo winked. 

“You’re looking a bit too clean though.” John said. “Put this on.” He said as he handed me an old beat up hat and a ratty shirt with a hole in the sleeve. I questioned it for a split second before taking it to the bathroom and changing into it. 

“Perfect.” George said when I walked out. 

“Let’s go then.” Paul said. 

We snuck out the back door and when we made our way out into the street, I held my breath-half expecting to get mobbed right then and there, but it didn’t happen…in fact, people were going out of their way to avoid us. It was great! The boys really enjoyed the lack of attention and almost died laughing when Ringo started playing a tune on some trash bins at a corner and was given some change for his efforts. 

As long as they didn’t talk within earshot of anyone, we were safe. We spent the entire morning and some of the early afternoon sightseeing. We went to the typical tourist traps and I was even able to show them some of the lesser known sights like my schools and some of my hangouts while I was in school. We took public transportation and although we all received stares, they weren’t due to recognition; they were due to our run-down state. The Beatles and I ate from a cart on the street and the guys couldn’t have been happier…this was the most normal thing they had done in a long time. 

When we got back to the hotel we were greeted by a very upset Brian. He went about angrily at the boys and from the looks of it they were used to his rants about being irresponsible and not taking the needed precautions, but then he turned to me with a look of disappointment. 

“And you Emma…how could you let this happen?”

“I…uhh…I …” I stuttered.

“Lay off Eppy…she didn’t know. We told her we had your blessing. “John said as he casually sat down in an armchair nearby. 

“Well you didn’t.” Brian said coldly towards him. “Don’t let it happen again.” He said to me with a softer tone. 

“I’m sorry.” I said meekly.

“These lads…as if I didn’t know them well enough…they’ll try to convince you of anything…” Brian said as he walked away. 

I felt somewhat ashamed at having gone behind Brian’s back, but the boys told me not to worry about it. 

“Nothing happened…all that happened was we had a good time, so why the long face luv.” Paul said as he put his arm around my shoulder. 

“I don’t know…I guess I just feel bad.”

“Relax luv…now go and get some rest…we are going out for dinner tonight at some posh restaurant…this time for all the world to see us…so you better polish up.” Paul continued

“This won’t do?” I asked jokingly modeling my ratty outfit. 

“You would be just fine even if you weren’t wearing anything…especially if you weren’t wearing anything.” John laughed. 

“Oh shut up.” I said as I grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it at him. He blocked it with his hands and continued to laugh as I walked out into the hallway. 

I went back to my room and slept for a couple of hours before waking up to get ready. Today’s sightseeing tour had worn me out, but the nap had revitalized me. I was excited about going to this “posh” restaurant Paul had mentioned. Accordingly, I looked through my wardrobe for an appropriate dress. I picked out a black little dress that had come from Emma’s closet. I hadn’t worn it before, but just looking at it made me want to put it on. It had a perfect combination of sexy and classy. I quickly took a shower, blow dried my hair and did my makeup. When I finally did put on the dress, I felt amazing. It was just as lovely as I had imagined…and I picked out some strappy silver shoes to complete the ensemble. 

“Emma…who knew you had such impeccable taste….?” I inquired softly. 

I met the boys at their room only to be greeted by whistles and compliments. 

“Why thank you all…you guys don’t look too shabby yourselves. “ 

They all looked very handsome…dressed in suits, but somehow tonight they didn’t resemble the group “The Beatles”, they simply looked like very attractive young men going out for dinner. I was in Heaven being escorted by the four. We drove down to a restaurant called Villa Nova on Sunset Strip. My eyes widened as we walked into the restaurant. Nick and I had walked the strip countless times, but had never been in any of the restaurants; everything was simply too expensive and so our date nights consisted of something more humble than dining out at a place like Villa Nova. 

When we got to the restaurant, we were greeted by the staff and were led to a table in the back. I looked around admiring the place and realizing it was not a surprise Nick had never brought me to a place like this—it was beyond our possibilities. There was a piano playing in the background and the lighting was spectacular. Surprisingly enough there weren’t many disruptions regarding the presence of the Beatles in the restaurant. I figured it was due to the fact that not just ANYONE could get into a place like this. 

We had a very nice dinner with good conversation topics. The boys seemed to be very relaxed and the atmosphere was lending itself to it. Everyone was having a few drinks and even I agreed to a cup of red wine. Later, as I excused myself to go the ladies’ room I found myself thinking of what an incredible turn my life had taken since I had moved to England. Maybe it was that thinking that caused me to not pay attention and directly bump into a man on my way there. 

“Hmph!” I said as I collided with the man. “I’m so sorry.” I immediately said apologetically, not realizing who it was. 

“It’s alright…I was my fau—“ he started.

I stared up in disbelief.

“Mirel?”

“Nick?” I questioned surprised. 

“How are you?” He asked a bit nervous. 

It took me a second to register that this was Nick…THE Nick that had called off the wedding.

“Uhh…I’m…great.” I said trying to sound like I meant it. 

There was a short pause. “How are you?” I blurted out. 

“Fine…great…how are your parents?” He asked. 

“They’re…fine…everyone’s fine…how are yours?”

“Good…fine…” he chuckled nervously. It was obvious we were both oblivious as to how a normal conversation between two people should go. 

“How’s work?” I asked trying to be polite. 

“Busy. Very busy.”

“That’s good…busy is good.” I smiled timidly. 

“Yeah…can’t complain really.”

“Yeah…it looks like all that work is paying off, huh?” I said making reference to this expensive restaurant we were both standing in.

“Yes well I --“ Nick started but was cut off when a hand reached over to touch his shoulder. It was a woman’s hand, but I couldn’t quite tell who it was because she was standing behind him. Nick moved to the side and I saw a woman I recognized. It was Margaret, one of his co-workers. 

“There you are.” He said not taking notice of me until Nick directed his eyes to me. 

“Oh…Mirel.” She said

“Hi Margaret.” I replied. 

“Never thought we’d see you here…small world.”

“Yeah.” I laughed softly. 

“So, are you guys here with others from the office?” I asked as I looked behind them to see if I saw a table of Nick’s co-workers. Through the years, I had gotten to know his co-workers well and had formed somewhat amicable relationships with them. 

“Uh…no.” Nick said quietly. 

“Oh.” I said suddenly feeling emptiness in my stomach. “On a business dinner?” I inquired. 

“No…it’s just the two of us.” Margaret boasted.

“Oh.” I said realizing what she meant to say was that they were out on a date. 

“So how have you been? We haven’t seen you around in months.” Margaret said casually as she slipped her hand in his. 

I did all I could to not break down right in front of them. I fiddled with my hands as I told her I had been visiting my sister, taking up an office job and the such.

“Interesting.” She said with a somewhat sarcastic voice. 

I had met Margaret before while I was dating Nick and had never particularly liked her, but at this moment, I despised her. There was a few more seconds of small talk and as the conversation progressed, my composure got harder to control. 

Once again, my prayers had been answered as I suddenly heard a very familiar voice.

“Luv, where have you been? We were starting to worry.” John said 

I looked over at Margaret and Nick- their eyes widened as they realized who was standing next to me. 

“Uh…sorry…I ran into some people… this is Nick.” John quickly glanced at me as if questioning if this was THE Nick and I nodded slightly. “ …and his girlfriend Margaret.” I finished. 

John took notice instantly of what a hard situation I was in and immediately came to my rescue. 

“Nice to meet you…John Lennon.” He said shaking their hands. 

As soon as he had finished greeting them, I felt him take my hand in his…and I let him. 

It was now obvious that the feeling of awkwardness and disbelief had shifted from me to Nick and Margaret. They were speechless and John simply smiled that wonderful smile of his. After what seemed like a reasonably long silence, John squeezed my hand and directed me back to the table. 

“Well if you two will excuse me…I’m gonna take back my girl so we can finish enjoying our night. You two have a good evening.” John said as he and I walked away back to the table. I didn’t say a word…I walked with him until we were far enough from them for me to talk without being heard. 

“I want to get out of here.” I said. 

“No, luv…that is the last thing you need to do…let’s go back to the table and finish what we started.” We stopped and he turned to look at me. “We were having such a good time before your bladder ruined our evening.” 

I laughed. 

“Now that’s how I want to see you…we can talk about this later…at the hotel if you’d like…but not here…not now.”