She sat in the middle of the rug, in the middle of the floor, in her little tiny flat. 

Her eyes ran over the sheets of varied parchment in front of her.

She had painted them, in the beginning, as being the same, similar in appearance and personage. All carefree lads with free time, creative urges, intense longings for success.

But they were not that at all. John, Paul, Ringo and George were people unto themselves, of course they were four corners of the Beatles, one not able to do without the other, but the men behind their names were individuals and Lily was learning so much from them.

When she had last met up with George he was bubbling. Full of enthusiasm. He had tumbled in the flat bouncing on toes and grinning from ear to ear unable to contain his excitement and feelings about the beautiful model come actress he had just left. He had met Pattie at the Marylebone Train Station that day, on the set of the movie they were making. A movie! Those scouser's making a movie Lily had a laughing fit when Paul had told her in one of his phone calls, all self-important and conquereor he was, blowing his own trumpet. But he forgot who he was talking to. Lily had giggled, then cackled and Paul gave her a right telling off calling her a naughty girl, telling her she should be more fan-like and make googly eyeballs at him.... them. Lily laughed even harder and Paul, after calling her Gorgeous once again, had threatened a tickle battle with her on his next visit.

Lily picked up the letter. 

George had, in the beginning, written at length about ANYTHING, no subject taboo. Hamburg was laid bare, shenanigans touted and Lily felt like she was standing right beside him as they laughed and played the hundreds of hours away. Now he tore off a scribbled few lines and sometimes he must have been so busy, sentences were half finished sliding off into another totally different piece of information or gag.

Pattie was busy again apparently. This letter was longer, Lily being his outlet in times of trouble around girls he liked. George had been so enamoured by Pattie, he literally worshipped her. Yet this nasty venting letter was nothing but. He called Pattie 'selfish' and 'snobby' and Lily cringed. His reasoning was distorted by his own lifestyle and Lily, standing on the outside looking in, could see one girl trying to be a successful woman and one boy trying to have everything on his own terms.

The letter ended with him saying he was coming to see Lil next Tuesday evening and she needed to be ready with all of the following: hugs and Choc Olivier's, boiled sweets and popcorn; George was nothing but exacting in his requests.

It was Monday and her days at the job she presently worked was vexing and boring. Waiting tables, batting away leery old men's hands and clearing dirty dishes.

And her nights.... and her nights were either long winded and boring or short and terse. Especially if a man came for one thing and didn't get it....

Lily was still strong enough and capable enough to hold off in that particular department but she now remembered and rubbed her arm where that man, that night, had grasped onto her, hit out at her and punched wildly at her as she pushed the door closed, leaning with all her might on it as he flailed about and lashed out. Unhappy, unsatisfied.

He'd wanted sex. And only sex. Not companionship. Not a pleasant evening discussing the latest movie, the insipid weather or even the state of England's financial troubles. Only sex. And Lily wasn't at all happy that Ophelia had sent him round and given him the idea he would get both. No, not just a nice evening was desired. He had wanted a dirty evening. A filthy encounter with a whore. He had greeted her at the door with a sneer and self-important outlook, sliding his gaze hungrily over her attributes and pinched her tit unceremoniously as he stood on the threshold, like it was his god given right too; that's when her door was pushed to close.

George would likely want mothering and told he was right and Pattie was wrong and very soon he would realise that he wasn't being told what he wanted to hear. Lily spoke her mind or wrote it in her own jumbled peculiar fashion...

Recently she had called him toffee nosed. It happened when he took her down to the street below and posed by his fabulous new car, a car that was too powerful and fast for George. He'd driven her out along the motorway to a café in a small village, the car flying like an arrow shot from a bow toward a target, he was good, he could drive, but she still worried about his safety. But it was the way he spruiked that had Lily telling him off, and he took it, ate humble pie, apologised and became George again, the kid that joked and smiled and smirked. He stopped polishing the car as he stood beside it and actually chatted with her about life, about real issues, missing his parents, dreading the next performance because he couldn't hear himself think let alone play, worried about safety – his own and that of fans crushed in a sea of frenzy and hysteria.

They had done it that day weeks ago. Kissing her gently as she turned in the doorway to say goodbye. He touched her hair, lingering fingers reverently like she was a princess. Lily slowed him down as his tongue sweep along her pink naked bottom lip. She took his hand and they drank tea and biscuits leaning over the sink, crumbs catching in the dirty dishes below. All the while watching a lone street sweeper sweep leaves while a strong wind battered them about again, all over the place. Laughing, smiling, friends. 

George ducked off to the loo, Lily started on the washing up.

Fingers and hands were ensconced in soapy water getting on with it. Then long fingers and big hands were surrounding her. Her waist, her hips, the curve to more softness above... George moved her hair from her shoulder, breathed on her skin, kissed her slowly with a lethargic speed, lingering lips on her pulse point. He was very good at making her turn around in his arms and very good at making her forget all about the washing up.

Soapy hands full of George, fingers pressing into his nape, his shoulders. Slipping his jacket away, tugging at his tie...

Lily would likely give in to him again, the way he nuzzled her as they lay bound in limbs, the way he put so much of himself in the act, the way he teased her as he gazed into her eyes. Her friend. But she would still send him on his way with an ear load of thoughts to get his mind off his wants and onto their needs- Pattie and his. Their life. He needed to let Pattie live her life and let them build around the frenzy of his.

Pattie was a very lucky woman.

*

"Ohhh, so when I roll a double I'm cheating, but when you do......" Lily picked up the dice and tossed them gently at George one at a time as he grinned cheekily. Lily then tapped his nose, a look of insider information as he smiled happily on their prearranged Tuesday night.

"Yes, but you told me to go to bloody jail! You daft bugger" George retorted whilst rolling onto his back. The bashed about black glossy coffee table sat beside him, a relic Lily had found and salvaged from the second-hand shop- it had character,and it only cost 50p! The nice man delivered it too, as Lily lived along the route of his way home.

"You rolled three doubles Georgie, it's the rules" Lil huffed with a smile... George had hardly any monopoly money left and this was his way of chucking a tanty. "Stop ya sooking, kiddo"

Lily hit a raw spot at that remark. George grabbed her leg a little too hard making her flinch, he released her quick smart with an apologetic face, then screwed it up again as Lily realised what she had said.

"Don't you go calling me that too Lil"

Huffing George slapped his arm over his face and lay perfectly still, Lily slipped off the sofa and crawled around to him, straddling along and up his body moving along him from his feet. Up his body she climbed to lay on his stomach, making him open his eyes and watch her movements.

"Sorry"

"They always say that, every time somethings going on... I'm the kid. I'm bloody sick of it, I am"

"They don't mean it. They know you're a quarter of the band. And they know they need you... your expertise..."

"Flattery will get you everywhere miss Lily" George grinned shifting Lils hair that swung down from her face, touching her cheek "Now what to do about Pattie, what do you suggest?"

"Well you won't like my opinion, so do you want to grab your coat and hat now before I start speaking? Hmmm?" Lily grinned and lay her head near his beating heart, limbs surrounded her and a light kiss to the top of her head was administered. "I will miss all this attention when you are all going steady, engaging, marrying...." She said softly as his long fingers drift over her back dreamily, she could get used to this; Attention from someone she wanted attending her.

"You'll always be included in our life. Who else will be my agony aunt?" George smiled down upon her dark hair, he couldn't see her face as she snuggled on his chest. He squeezed Lily but she radiated sadness now which he didn't like at all. "I do love you Lily, we all love you, you're not alone you know"

"Pattie" Lily pushed up and away and sat by Georges feet, tinkering with her toes that were painted a pretty pale pink colour. She changed the subject back to the proper subject "Now, you listen to me mister ..."

George carefully sat up too, trying not to clip his noggin on the corner of the table while manoeuvring; all while doing so he surreptitiously watched Lily's features, she was so pretty and usually happy when he would visit.

But was she just fudging about with him, with the lot of them? Making her life sweet cherry pie when she really was sad and lonely, thinking she couldn't have what they all had- freedom, love, the whole kit and caboodle of marriage, kids, mortgages. George reached out and nudged her softly making her gaze into his face, her mind cleared and happy Lily returned... she smiled like nothing had happened at all.

George took a swig of Coca-Cola "Yes mam" He grinned toothily after holding her gaze a while longer trying to figure out her hasty withdrawal of conversation surrounding herself, trying to will her to open up to him.

"Pattie's career"

George scoffed and Lily frowned at his rudeness.

"Patties career...." Lily pointedly paused and waited for George and he smiled a little embarrassingly- subdued, brow beaten he was. "She's just as important as you Georgie! Just because you boys are on top of the world at the moment doesn't make everybody else in your life not"

"I know that" George counted his monopoly money and stuck his tongue out when Lil picked her great wad up and pushed it across the board under his nose.

"Do you? Selfish and snobby, George that's what you wrote! She's young, pretty, and from what you write, intelligent. Let her be a grown up like you, let her earn and work"

"But I have money"

"And it feels good doesn't it. Feels good that you worked and earned it and that you can grumble about the Right Honourable Reggie Maudling, the Exchequer minister and his enormous taxes, at the moment"

"How do you know the name of the bloody taxation minister Lily!?"

"That is none of a bother to you. We're talking 'bout you, not me"

"But-"

"George- Pattie"

"Alright but that's right interesting that"

"It's called a newspaper George"

"You called a member of the British Parliament Reggie, Lil"

"Did I?"

"Yes!"

"Well nicknames are nice, aren't they"

"Bollocks, you been up to the top end of town lu- Lil?"

"Perhaps, but that's none of your business mister nosey parker"

"Oh, come on. Spill the goss Lily with the pink toes"

"George focus- Pattie!"

"I know, I know... she's a woman, she can have a career, she can go running off to far flung places and pose in skimpy bathing suits... she can earn her pounds and send the revenue to Reggie" George grumbled the lot out till he got to the Reggie bit where he smirked and grinned teasingly. Lily smacked his arm.