In preparation for the hectic, eventful day I knew was ahead of me, I guzzled down an extra cup of coffee. If a fancy banquet was out of my element, then a fancy banquet with the boys was way out of my element. And if that weren't already enough, I had to factor in my current standing with said boys. As much as I had previously tried to avoid this precise situation, having two hot musicians who were infatuated with me admittedly wasn't the worst position for me to be in.

As I exited the taxi and waltzed through the doors of EMI, I felt a certain excitement growing inside me. Maybe if I just loosen up and not think so much for once, I'll actually end up having a fun time. Distracted, I didn't notice George strolling pass me.

He grinned exuberantly, "Well, if it isn't Paul's 'jazz'..?"

I smiled anxiously; my heart dropped at the mention of Paul. I was really going to be his date tonight. This wasn't all just some crazy fever dream. Instinctively, my face began to flush and the butterflies residing in my stomach proceeded to rage.

"I get high when I see you go by, Abbie..." my thoughts were interrupted yet again, this time by an unmistakable wily voice.

I looked up, John. The same John who had nonchalantly handed me suggestive scribbles last night like it was nothing. How could he get away with that? How was I supposed to react the next time I saw him?

I gulped; 'next time' is now...

He smirked and deviously raised an eyebrow at me, "Well, how are ya, love? Aren'tcha gonna say hi to me?" he reached out to touch me but I hastily backed away.

"I have work to do, John," I stated firmly, my eyes piercing into his.

John hooted, "Of course you do! See ya tonight!" he shot me a wink as I hurried out of his sight.

As I locked myself into the dark privacy of my office, I leaned my back against the door and sighed deeply. I could still feel my heart racing rapidly against my chest. This banquet was going to be a bigger event than I bargained for...

***

That night, I quickly changed into the mint green dress I had hidden at work for special affairs; I wanted to look extra special tonight for the boys. I carefully redid my eyeliner and mascara, going for a more dramatic look. Lastly, I took a curling iron to my hair to give it that very subtle flip. Swigging one last cup of coffee for good measure, I fleetly examined myself in the mirror.

The delectable stimulant rushing through my veins gave my cheeks a rosy glow. I simpered blithely at my reflection. Yes, that should about do it...

As I flaunted out of my office, feeling good about myself, I immediately caught the eye of John. He was standing a little ways away from me, admiring me with his gaze. I looked up at him, smiling. At this, his face drained of color as he appeared to be at a loss for words.

"Abbie..." he shakily began. "You look amazing..!"

"I know," I replied in a surge of caffeine-induced confidence. "You don't look so bad yourself!"

And he didn't. John, in fact, looked quite dashing in his suit and tie. It was hard for me not to gape right back at him.

"Thanks," he answered quietly as he looked down, twiddling his thumbs.

I chuckled, "And for once, your big yap is shut!"

John narrowed his eyes at me and then raised his chin, feeling challenged. "Oh, sod off!"

"Alright, where is she?" I heard someone say in his usual eager yet airy tone. It was Paul. My escort for the evening.

Akin to John, Paul's reaction to me was one of shock and awe. His jaw dropped and his eyes were stunned and enlarged. But before he could say anything, I was taken aback by how handsome and debonair Paul looked in his respective suit and tie; it was like he was born for these types of events.

"Wow..." I squeaked as I approached him.

"Wow is right..." Paul tittered nervously as he approached me.

"Well, now that we're all wowed out!" John piped up as he came between us. "When are we leaving for this thing!?"

Paul casually checked his watch, "It shouldn't be too long now..."

"Is Cynthia coming?" I asked John.

"Couldn't make it," he replied with an unaffected shrug.

"And Jane's still off shooting her movie," Paul affirmed with a slight grin.

"Will you boys behave tonight?" I tested sternly.

John chortled, "It'll be hard when you're wearing that dress..."

"John!" I nudged him lightly in annoyance.

"Uh, Gail, could I speak to you for a moment..?" Paul requested as he briefly shot daggers at John.

As the butterflies in my stomach gave me no rest, I smiled anxiously at him. "Sure, Paul..."

***

Paul swiftly pulled me aside to an empty room with a mirror. He turned to me, staring intently.

"You know, I'm really happy you're here with me, Gail. I know things have been kind of weird lately, but there's just something about you that makes me lose all my wits..."

"Ditto," I uttered softly as I glanced to the side.

Just then, the door flew open and Brian stuck his head out urgently.

"Alright, boys! Ten minutes to showtime! I hope you all are ready!" he glimpsed quickly my way. "Oh, Gail, you look nice!" he added pleasantly.

Paul beamed assertively at me, then took one last look in the mirror. Suddenly, I felt his hand in mine. And I was on top of the world.

***

Brian drove Paul, John and me to our destination in the center of London. George and Pattie reserved a private car for themselves while Ringo opted to stay home with Maureen and the baby. As soon as we entered the venue, John made his presence known straightaway. Looking around, he made a sour face at all the haughty rich snobs who were in attendance.

"Bloody hell! I hate being among the snoots..." he grumbled as he adjusted his tie.

"Hey now, don't you start fussing about! We're very fortunate to be at this high-status event right now, so bloody act like it!" Brian snarled under his breath.

"Good evening, sir. Are you Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles?" a distinguished-looking man, who looked to be about 30, inquired.

Grinning sheepishly, Brian looked up and shook his hand. "Why...yes, yes I am."

The older man then linked arms with Brian, leading him in the other direction. Paul and John exchanged a knowing look, sneering at each other.

"Looks like 'ol Eppy's got his hands full, eh Johnny?" Paul guffawed.

"Sure does look that way, don't it Macca?" John laughed along with him.

All of a sudden, an attractive young gentleman came sauntering up to me. "Excuse me, boys. Would you two mind too terribly if I borrowed this striking young lady to buy her a drink?"

"Over my dead body you ca--" John started angrily.

Paul stopped his bandmate from continuing, "Go right ahead, just give her back..."

I was a bit surprised to see Paul hand me off like that, not the least bit threatened. Still, a drink sounded positively invigorating at that moment, so I willingly went along with him.

***

As we stood to the side, the bloke eyed the boys from the corner of his eye. "Those two lads are the Beatles, correct?"

I nodded, "Two of them..."

"What do you like about them?" he asked sincerely.

I absentmindedly glance in Paul and John's direction; as usual, they appear to be bickering childishly.

I sighed, "I don't know. How can you love and hate two people so much at the same time..?"

"Sounds like your feelings are pretty intense..." he noted.

"Yeah..." I felt my voice crack as I looked down, the room suddenly threatening to spin out on me.

"Well, I'll let you go back to them. I'm sorry I stole you..." he said.

Feeling a bit better, I smiled up at him and chuckled, "That's okay, you actually gave me something to think about..."

***

Deciding it was time for a powder room break, I rushed myself across the room. In doing so, I passed by the boys again and overheard their chatter.

"I just can't believe you let some nob sweep her away from us like that!" John chided.

"I just didn't want to make a scene, you were about ready to blow the lid off the place! And she wasn't going to get swept away, here she comes now..." Paul retorted.

"Hey, you two!" I blurted, the champagne making me feel a bit flirtatious.

I felt an odd but pleasant rush of excitement and satisfaction as I witnessed the boys getting flustered at the sight of me. They both gave a slight wave.

As I giggled proudly to myself, I stumbled upon George who was walking out of men's room.

"Hey, George!" I beamed at him.

"Gail, hey!" George's eyes widened as he looked me up and down, "Wow, you look nice..." he glanced shyly to the side.

"Thanks!" I chirped, my face crinkled with happiness.

George must've noticed I was being uncharacteristically cheerful because, though still smiling, he arched his eyebrows in suspicion.

"What have you been up to..?"

"Oh, you know, making friends, loosening up..." I replied in an airy tone. For a split second, I glimpsed back over at John and Paul.

Suddenly understanding, George narrowed his eyes, smirked and shook his head, "You're playing with fire, Greene..."

I smirked back at him as I scandalously placed a finger to my bottom lip, "I am, aren't I?"

***

When I came back out of the powder room, I found that John was there waiting for me. He raised his eyebrows and smiled artfully at me.

"You seem to be having fun," he remarked.

"I am," I affirmed with a grin.

"Excuse me, miss. Care for a broiled oyster?" a waiter lightly shoved a platter of hors d'oeuvres in between us.

"Sure!" I cheerily consented and popped one in my mouth. After chewing for a bit I chuckled, "You know, I would've never been able to have this if I was still with Issac; he was allergic to shellfish..." I swallowed hard, abruptly overcome with emotion as my face drained of all color.

"Issac..." I repeated solemnly in a low tone. Without thinking, I tipped the glass of champagne to my lips.

"Whoa there, girl!" John gently stopped me from taking the shot. "Wouldn't want a repeat of what happened the last time..."

"Who are you, my father!?" I snapped.

John narrowed his eyes craftily at me, "We're supposed to behave, remember..?"

I gave him a fierce look, slowly raising my hands, about ready to wring his neck. John smirked in response, visibly amused at my reaction.

"What? Are you gonna hit me?" he teased, still smirking.

I wanted desperately to say or do something to him but, in the end, all I could do was groan. Turning around in a huff, I walked right into Pattie. Upon seeing her, I was suddenly relieved I had decided to dress to the nines tonight. How did she always end up looking so gorgeous and perfect?

Pattie looked over and instinctively reached out to shake my hand, "Oh, hello Gail! George has told me a lot about you but I don't think we've ever officially spoken! I'm Pattie, George's girlfriend!" she beamed, exposing the adorable gap in her teeth.

"I know," I acknowledged with a tepid smile as our hands touched.

"Would you like to join me in the powder room? I feel like I haven't been able to engage in proper girl-talk in ages! Too much testosterone around here, there is..." she commented, adding a nasally feminine grunt at the end.

I was about to take her up on her offer but then Paul suddenly appeared from behind me. I could feel his fingers lightly graze against my shoulder.

"Are you ladies having a good time?" he asked suavely.

"Indeed," I replied, slightly disoriented.

Pattie's bright, blue eyes suddenly sparkled with intrigue, "Wait, who are you here wi--"

"Okay, Pattie, let's go dance!" George earnestly demanded as he put his arm over Pattie's mouth, dragging her to the dance floor.

Still reeling from my memory of Issac, I turned to Paul.

"Oh, Paul," I whimpered. "I'm here at this beautiful banquet and all I can think about is my flipping ex!"

"Forget that bloody bastard! Tonight, you're with me," he gripped my hand tightly and led me to the dance floor. I almost swooned right then and there.

As we danced in close quarters, I saw a ravenous look in Paul's eyes I had never seen before.

"What's it going to take to get you out of that dress?" he whispered seductively in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

"A lot," I replied firmly, looking him dead in the eye.

Paul sighed, rolled his eyes and gave me a frustrated half-smile, "I figured. You're a tough cookie to crack, you know that?"

"I know," I nodded with a devious grin.

"Ahem, mind if I cut in?" I winced ever so subtly when I heard the sound of John's unmistakable voice. As if my heart weren't already racing fast enough...

"By all means, 'ol chap," Paul responded, presumably content with what he had managed to do to me.

John wasted no time and promptly pressed his chest against mine. His hand slunk gradually down my back and, before I could fully perceive what was happening, he lowered my body for a quick dip. Where on earth were the boys learning all of these moves?

"You're gonna be the death of me, Abbie Greene," he stated in a tone that was both mischievous and serious.

"Ditto," I replied softly, a tad bit uncomfortable with his proximity.

"You know, I didn't even tell Cyn there was an event tonight," he revealed with a smirk.

I narrowed my eyes incredulously at him, "And do you not feel guilty about that?"

John shrugged, "Not really..."

"Are you done playing this game, John?" I asked, suddenly exasperated.

"What game, love? I wanna know what game you're playing..."

"Me?" I barked defensively.

"Yes, you. You obviously know what you're doing, dressing and making yourself up like that..."

I chewed my bottom lip and glanced to the side in slight shame. I knew the effect I had on John and Paul, and I wanted to use it to my advantage. I was so used to the boys, and everyone else in my life, always being two steps ahead of me; I just wanted to feel like I had the upper-hand for once.

John snorted, "Don't look so rueful, love," he inched his face closer and murmured in my ear, "I'm not complaining..."

***

Finally, it was time for dinner. There was an enormous selection of delicious, upscale meals; everything from gourmet burgers to lobster. I took my time picking out everything that looked appetizing and then sat down.

Sitting across from me, Brian and the gentleman who had asked for him earlier were looking very cozy, deep in discussion. The nameless man eyed me for a moment, then proceeded to introduce himself.

"Hello, there. My name is Alec Reed from Reed Publishing. I'm looking to get an authorized biography made about the Beatles..." he reached out to grab my hand.

"Nice to meet you," I said, rapt by his words.

"We're actually looking to hire fresh, new writing talent for our novel division..." he mentioned.

I perked up, thoroughly enthralled at the thought of this opportunity.

"She's not interested!" I heard Paul's voice flare.

The patrons sitting around the table were aghast.

"Paul!" I scolded him, shocked, hurt and confused at his outburst.

"She's happy with us!" Paul ignored me. "She doesn't need anyone leading her down the wrong path..."

Incensed, I was about to give Paul a piece of my mind. But just as I was about to open my mouth, the entire room went pitch black. Everyone yelped in astonishment.

"Well, we're all gonna die. Tell Ringo I love him..." George cracked dryly.

"There must've been a power outage," Brian inferred.

Urgently, everyone began to leave the establishment. Frantically, I searched for my purse.

"How did I get stuck in this calamity with the Beatles!?" I asked myself in distress.

"You know we're right here, love," Paul joked with a chuckle.

Still mad at him, I scoffed in response. After I found my purse, I felt a hand guide me out the door. Once outside, the bright city lights revealed it was the man who had bought me a drink.

"Thanks," I muttered appreciatively.

"No problem," he replied. "Do you need me to take you home?"

"I'll take her home," Paul declared sternly.

With no energy left to argue, I reluctantly obliged.

***

For most of the car ride, we were dead silent. Eventually, I couldn't hold my tongue over what happened any longer.

"I can't believe you did that, Paul. I thought you understood that I can speak for myself..."

"Bullocks! I'm not letting you go with some strange man to work at his so-called publishing company! These people lie, Gail. They're not always who they say they are..."

"You didn't even let me hear him out, Paul. I think I can pretty well discern if a company is legit on my own..."

"I'm not letting you take that risk! There's already so much on the line for us and I don't wanna lose you..."

"But Pau--"

"You're not speaking to him again, and that's final!" Paul fumed.

I sat perfectly still next to him in the front seat, the uncomfortable quietude suffocating us.

Paul then exhaled deeply, moaning softly. "I'm sorry, Gail. I'm just trying to protect you..."

"I know," I said, subdued.

There was another long pause, prompting Paul to switch gears. "Gail, tell me the truth. Do you fancy John..?"

"No!" I exclaimed reflexively. "We're just friends, I swear!"

"Good," Paul nodded in approval. "Because I really like you, Gail..." his voice became low and tinged with desire as he leaned towards me.

In a flash, all of my anger and uncertainty melted away. We shared a long-lasting, passionate, all-encompassing kiss. I felt his hand glide smoothly down the neck of my dress, lightly cupping my breast. In a burning frenzy, he began to kiss me deeper, his tongue begging to go down my throat.

Before things reached peak intensity, I hesitantly pulled away, realizing the car was already parked in front of my flat.

"Goodnight, Paul," I uttered lovingly as I departed.

"Goodnight, Gail," Paul replied heavily, letting out a great sigh.

***

NOTE: Sooooo, yeah, that's that. Hope you're liking the story! If you enjoyed Pattie in this chapter, this is basically a teaser trailer of what's to come (in a future installment). Gail's a little cocktease, isn't she? ;) Anyway, as always, thank you for reading! Cheers! ♥♥♥