The opening strains of The House of the Rising Sun thumped out of the speakers, the blistering, never to be forgotten electric guitar, climbing and dipping, held Jackie in place as the girls knelt on the floor surrounded by single plays and a few lp's. They leaned over two currently, studying each one meticulously. Katie held up the Animals cover and Jackie dipped to look at the faces staring back at her. Whichever one of the five, who sang this song, he was captivating, dangerous; and the feeling he invoked led her fingers to stray over their faces.

Caged, held and bound, shaking the bars for release, his vocals almost scared her with the intensity.

Her own bounds however, had been broken.

She was rather shaken and stirred from her drought and now wanted Paul like a dry stream required a flood. With a nod of approval,  Jacqueline handed the single back to Beth. "I'm going to pop up and have a bath, wash my hair"

"Alright, can I share the last biscuits with Katie?"

"Two each"

"Alright"

One last look at their innocent and so invested faces, Jackie turned for the stairs.

Touching her lips, almost floating to her room.

In her mind she was seeing his eyes, the curve of his lips, the appreciative hums he graced her with as she opened herself to him....

"Mirror, mirror on the wall am I the biggest fool of them all?"

Brushing the knots out of wet hair Jackie studied her body for any sign of Paul's endeavours. Any clue to his having dined and snacked and tasted his way all over her. All over her.

She quivered deep inside at the very thought of his mouth.

Redness on her thighs hinted to his stubble and tiny bruises scattered along her collarbone and hip drove home his over enthusiastic mouth and teeth that had scraped and held and teased and sucked.

He was a player.

Jackie held the brush tight thinking over his notoriety.

Lunchrooms full of lettuce eating models attested to the fact. His wanton smile and knowing look and adeptness to run her orgasms rampant nailed the notice to her door.

Paul McCartney was a wanted man.

Paul McCartney was a man with an almighty appetite and she was but a snack, a cupcake along the way.

Sure she could thrill herself and take an adventure in whimsical daydreams as she lay on her bed.

Making babies with Paul.
Practicing making babies with Paul. Kissing her way all...over.. Paul. Watching him wake.
Watching him drift to sleep.
Watching his lips move in conversation.
Seeing him walk through the door, come kiss her and say something asinine like 'Honey, I'm home' and she might possibly respond with an equally banal 'How was your day dear. Let me take your coat'
Play happy families.
Be together forever and ever and ever

Ugh, I'm turning into the girls.

Round Round I Get Around........

Floated up to her ears, the girls stomping on the loose floorboards below to get some sort of response, manage to make a sound to interact with the Beach Boys surfer beats and harmony. And upstairs..... with a rueful smile at yet another song assailing and teasing her ears Jackie placed the clothes that Pattie had draped her in for a party, that party that seemed to have infected her life with beauty and in the same breath- shame, away in her closet.

Waiting for work, waiting to go back where they truly belonged.

The door squeaked close.

And she would think of it no more.

She wouldn't allow herself a second to wallow in the shallowness of what she had let him take. What she had offered. What she had given. She wouldn't let shame for being that girl or let shame for being a fool for giving herself away like old spent fruit at the market take over her, not today anyway, at least.

Bounding down the stairs Jackie dived into a room full of music, laughter and teenage dreams,and yelled for another loud song.

*****************

Three mornings later and a still flabbergasted Paul rattled on about his taste with timber.

In the beginning it was 'holey shit, what the hell' sometime towards yesterday evening before going clubbing it was 'I can't believe...' and today it was still hard to come to terms with the fact that he'd been turfed. Like he was pushed from a moving train without warning.

"Slam!!!" Paul acted out the door slamming in his face and his stunned expression was met with much merciless mocking laughter "She could have at least thanked me"

"She could have developed crabs but she didn't." John perched on the railing of the stairs and grinned, enjoying immensely Pauls perceived pain of a female kicking him out after a romp. Usually you couldn't get rid of 'em; yet poor ole Paulie here had found one that, not only opened the door but slammed it in his pretty face too. It must have stung, poor dear, that'll teach 'im... The thought made John grin stupidly "Well I don't think she did, did she?"

"Shut it. She was ok you know" His third cigarette in under fifteen minutes, his ordeal of being booted out getting the better of his well inflated ego. With the way his life was going gangbusters he would be scoring well into his 70's or at least having a crack, there were that many birds baying for a piece of him. This was what they all wanted women, money, a job that wasn't a job and more women. Yet it was galling still that Patties little friend, Jackie... Jacqueline, turfed him out.

Like she was setting out a milk bottle for the milkman. No! A milk bottle would be placed gently with no glass shattered unlike himself, bloody nose was still a tad red from the door as it closed "...but I don't know."

"Don't know if she enjoyed your sporting skills? Liked your tongue gymnastics?" John stood and stretched he'd fared a little better in the sack too the past few days. Having got Cyn to a more adventurous level after a night of champagne cocktails and Julian sated and exhausted having been set up with a few friends like some sort of baby school with babies for babies. George and Richy strolled in the studio like it wasn't an hour after they agreed to meet "What time do you call this then ladies. Punch your cards let's get ya arses down to the salt mines"

"Narf off, we agreed to be an hour late"

"We did not" Paul spouted rapid fire, he was pretty on the ball with where to be when and precious studio time, like now. The studio was the pinnacle, a golden prize.

"Not you two.... Rich and I agreed to it" George grinned broadly with a hint of those bloody fangs all the girls seem to go ga-ga over.

John shook his head, everyone had gone cuckoo bar him "Paul is still rabbiting on about getting turfed out of that birds place before being able to ask if she enjoyed him" With hands held up in apology John ambled off from Paul's side and bent to retrieve his guitar and note book from the case on the top of the amp. Shaking his body about, pretending a door was slamming, he continued mocking Paul's evening, or was that morning, as Paul bit the inside of his cheek in annoyance "Slammed the door in his face~ boom!"

"Patties right rizzed with you too Paul. She wants you to apologise and beg forgiveness then apologise and beg forgiveness of Jackie"

"What!? What'd I do to Pattie?!"

"Jackie's her assistant Paul, she has to work with Pattie, and vis versa every day and you going off and bedding her... well that's going to make for uncomfortable moments for them and me when Pattie starts on about it all" George shrugged and picked up his guitar, tossing a few amp leads off to the side.

"And you don't think I was uncomfortable when she turfed me out on the footpath like half-dressed garbage, I didn't even have me shirt buttoned! I should go round there and give her a serve really-"

"Paulie"

"I know she was pretty and we had a very nice chat when we were actually talking but-"

John dropped his notebook and tried again "Paulie"

"What?!"

"She has a kid - yeah? A kid that is hung up on you or me or them two buffoons over by the kettle" John frowned as Richy spilled half a pound of sugar over the floor.

Cyn was right, after their sexy between the sheets, Cyn was right all through their little tete-a-tete on the events in Pauls sex life and the world of potty fans in general. Poor Hitler was in a right tight spot. Paul nodded for John to continue talking and started tuning his bass "She thinks of the kid first, and mate.. with mothers, that's the way it is. Kid first, man a distant second, and her... well she's last, if at all, in her list of priorities"

"She's really nice though"

"Course she is. Pattie thinks the world of 'er" George handed over a cup of tea to each of the two guitarists and turned back for the one Ringo offered him. "She is nice and seeing her all dolled up the other night was very nice too. Pattie had to strong arm her into that outfit you know. It wasn't her doing, Pattie dolled her up because she could see the sparkle underneath but like John said it will be a tricky path what with her having Beth and even that maniac Kate hanging about"

"Maybe I could pop round, on the off chance the kids aren't home-"

"Nah" John sat on the floor legs crossed at his ankles "How about we all go, see the girls, get them over the screaming bit and maybe you can chat with Hitler in her bunker"

"Would you stop with the WW2 references please John" Richy tossed a teaspoon at the lads' foot and held a hand up to catch it when it inevitably came sailing back.

"When I have a newer better nickname for her I'll drop the Hitler moniker 'k?.... O. K." John pretended to lob the spoon toward the door then flicked it at Richy's crotch instead.

"Hey! Watch it Lennon!"

****************

"A little birdie told me Paul found you at your place the other night"

"Well I would usually be found at my place"

"You know what I mean"

"Unfortunately yes, I do"

"Uh Oh, someone's feeling sensitive about having a fun one on one party.. after the party"

"Well someone thinks it was a mistake to have let someone like him-"

"Someone like him?"

"You know a ladies man...."

"A ladies man, right. You had fun?"

"Yes, I guess so" Jackie closed her eyes and felt Patties eyes burning into her "Don't look at me like that...." Popping her eyes open again, Jackie nodded, owning up  "Alright Yes, Yes I did have fun"

"And you smiled and thought of only yourself... well and him, but you know what I mean"

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm getting at. You. You are allowed this. You are allowed to see a guy and have fun and have drinks and laugh and smile. Beth doesn't own the rights to fun Jacqueline. Fun doesn't stop when you become a mother. And the fun Paul shared with you is a necessity, a requirement to a woman"

"I beg to differ"

"You are not listening. Now... oh hi Gary, how was your weekend?"

"Great, good. Went out to Cornwall took some lovely landscapes I'll show you when they're ready"

"Lovely"

"How about you two. Get up to anything interesting?"

"We went to a party!"

"Wonderful, you mean you and George of course"

"Me, George and Jacks!"

Gary narrowed his gaze and somehow pinned Jackie mute. Jealousy fled across his face to settle behind a façade of calm "Jackie, wow, I thought you were all earth mother staying home with the children reading nursery rhymes at bed time"

"Well she is but she came to a party with me and it was such fun. Jackie had heaps of fun, didn't you Jackie. Heaps and heaps of fun"

"So maybe you might think to come out with me one evening Jacqueline?"

"Oh.. I don't know. Perhaps"

"I'll take perhaps, it's a cite better than no!" His grin was sweet and maybe Gary wasn't so bad a person to go out with now and then after all. To test the waters to having someone in her life. Someone other than a daughter, or a one-night stand.

************

"Ok. Beth, I've decided to sign your poster you 'ave been pestering me about" John smiled warmly at the girl, knowing full well she might actually knock him over then scream her head off or the other way about or both at the same time.

"Oh my goodness, John Lennon" She squealed "what are you doing here? Are you here for me!?" Beth's voice rose decibels as the seconds passed.

Stood, shag on a rock at Hitler's front door, was akin to being at the meat works awaiting the bullet.

"... I- Kate!!! Come here Kate!! Look it's..... golly George oh wow. Kate!! Come downstairs this minute" Her yelling toward the upstairs bedrooms, where Kate was currently lounging on Beth's bed, was making Johns ears bleed.

Beth's eyes were basically popping comically from her head and John started to worry for his person. Would an eye shoot out and hit him in the chest, would it go splat or be harder like a marble, and have him deceased with a laughable epitaph 'Here lies J.W. Lennon ~ delivered to his maker by optic shot'.

The Hitler person wasn't here yet by the sounds of Beth's high-pitched shrieking as she turned a dozen or so spinning circles in front of him and he really did need some sort of protection from these two teenage looneys, even if it was Hitler that was saving him.

Where was Mal when he was needed. They scared the crap out of him some of them. Pulling and pushing and grabbing whatever they could, hidden precious appendages included, and the press of bodies... Twenty, Fifty, five hundred was a force unto its own.

"Shush Beth. Wanted to talk to you 'bout school and that. Is your Hitl- mum about?" Oops! John grinned. Nearly spat the mothers moniker out.

Just when Beth was calming to listen quietly to Johns voice the other two boozo's alighted from the motor and upset the shrieker yet again.

"Paul!! Did you bring Ritchie too! Yay hello Ritchie!"

"I told you to stay in the car for a bit"

"Hello Beth, Kate. How was school?" Richie smiled and watched Beth touch Johns arm like he was some sort of Rock God... What a load of trollop "Go on luv give him a good hard poke" Beth pressed a finger a little firmer into Johns arm making sure he was actually five thousand percentage real, John leered at Richy over her head.

"What part of stay in the bloody car did you not understand Paul" Lifting Beth's fingers from the deep indents in his arm John grumbled at Paul.

"I'm not eleven Lennon... Anyways you drew enough attention from every person on the block when you parked on that flipping angle! Anyhow the answer is 'no'. Not likely am I staying put in the motor while you get into Jacqueline's ear first" Paul squeezed between John and George to address Beth, smoothing his tie down as he went "Hello Beth. Can we come in luv?"

"Course you can. Please do. Shall I fix afternoon tea? Do you want drinks? Water? Biscuits? I have cake- George- cake? Would you like some of the leftover stew, I'm sure there would be enough to go round"

"What sort of cake Bethy luv?"

"The best sort- chocolate"

"Well then looks like I'm having chocolate cake then" George pushed past John as he decided whether it was a good idea to traverse the doorframe and enter the Eagles Nest. "Hello Kate"

"I'm dead. I've died and gone to absolute seventh heaven and I'm now an angel stood staring at my George in my Beth's front room- correct Beth?" Kate visibly shook then shook Beth's arm madly for good measure. She wanted to be ever so cool in front of George, wanted all the lads to like her but having them descend on her at Beth's, with no prior warning! Well it was just out of this world and all she wanted to do was sink to the floor at Georgie's feet!

Beth dragged herself out of Kates clutches and pointed out the living room, although Paul was already well situated in there, casually stood like he owned the place by the little table with the horrid doilies on it. Ugh, he was definitely looking at all her embarrassing baby photographs that she couldn't get her mother to put in a darkened cupboard.

"Well Kate, most of it's true except you're not dead yet thankfully" George grinned cheerfully at Kate as she clung on to every word he uttered. She usually scared him as she pushed and prodded her way through the other fans at the studio car park but the girl sat here on the arm of the chair was going to bits, caving in, turning into a jelly substance something like jelly, in front of him.

Slicing cake with a wobbly hand and racing heart was the most pleasant thing to do. School of course had been boring, as per usual, and the week was shaping into being even more boring and more of the same chores and quite likely more days of her mother saying 'no'...

'No you can't' being mums most favourite three words in the entire universe.

Everything from 'no you can't have money for records or crisps or a magazine or even a small bag of lollies... 'no you can't take another biscuit' or 'no you can't leave the table' or 'no you can't purchase some sort of pastry from the baker'. Everything was crap- No this no that. No, No, No! The slice was huge but that was ok.

Beth ran her eyes over her living room, certain she was in a dream, she gingerly offered the cake to George. He smiled up at her, reaching around the mad Kate girl to take the pro-offered, overfilled plate, from Beth's outstretched hand "Ta luv. Mmmm, tis good luv. Rich have a bite"

Four Beatles milled around the bottom storey of the small council flat, Paul had tried to show the others surreptitiously where his nose was likely imprinted on the front door but no one listened. George and Richy devoured cake and John had finally finished investigating every record in Hitler's meagre collection of eclectic vinyl.

Beth and Kate sat mostly on arms of furniture beside their ultimate future betrothed. Of course as you know- John for Beth and Kate for George. They neverendingly chattered about the wonderfully work the lads were doing currently, where their new houses were located 'due west of here luv' and what they liked best in the latest movie A Hard Day's Night... Which seemed to be the whole blasted movie to John as he nodded and smiled continuously as the girls giggled and re-enacted scenes in the quaint, tidy and fairly threadbare living room.

"When's mum home then" Paul enquired from the bottom of the stairs as he gazed upwards thinking about having a quick look around her bedroom, maybe find her perfume, maybe glimpse a little of the real Jacqueline.

"What do you want her for" Kate's ears pricked, why would they want the old girl?

He had to straighten himself out.
She was just some bird that he wanted to fry about her slamming the flipping door on his honker that was all. You know if that had been Ringo.... Hospitalisation for sure. He just wanted to get his apology and walk out the front door and not enter it again. And. That. Was. It. No checking her closet, no checking what scent her perfume is and certainly not thinking about her. Ever. Again. Nope.

No wondering if she liked it.
Wanted him.
Fancied or wanted another fun filled night of debauchery.
And definitely no wondering if she would feel the same.
Moan the same.
No!
No thinking about how wonderful her skin felt or the way her eyes held his as they panted in exquisite unison. Nope, plenty more where the apex of the thighs came from.

"We've been told that there has been issues with your school and persons being tardy because of students hanging 'bout the studio. So someone suggested us talk to your mum" Paul was smooth, smoother than that table his arse currently resided on as he watched Beth twirl her hair and grin coyishly at poor old Lennon. Beth neverendingly leaned over a tad too much to listen to every god awful grumpy utterance from Johns thin lips.

He'd have to buy John something good for this; all this dallying about for me to sort things with Jacqueline... John was being quite well behaved actually... sussing the girls out, keeping them amused while he readied to have a quiet word with the nymph of Maida Vale. Could go a bit more of 'er tell the truth. God damn it, what has she done to me! Nice and close by too. Noooo. Drop round and go home for a kip after the fact.. Christ. Alright could make it a tad semi-permanent-casual like arrangement if she was a go-er for it. Anyway... Could probably get the lot of them some weird musical instrument or a new pair of trousers from the bloke that made me suede ones. For all this hassle this afternoon. They had commented on the fabric, so new trousers it would be. There done. Sorted.

Beth sat up. Suddenly this was major news, but why would the school go round and have words with the Beatles and why would the Beatles come here, to our daggy flat "Who told!? I've only had three letters sent to mum from the dean about it. I'm sure Lisa Cutter has had at least six"

"You've had three warnings?" John stared into Beth's little face and watched a faint blush tinge her cheeks but she wasn't backing down. She seemed to steel when Kate wrapped a hand around her arm.

"I have too" Kate proudly stated. Now she was one to watch. Her face lighting eager to impart herself into the fiasco. Prouder than embarrassed by the news.

"And nine detentions, I was threatened with the cuts or extra duties, I opted to pick up rubbish at lunch time instead"

"And what about you, Kate?" George sat quietly, witnessing the same as the other boys. Kate the leader proud as punch to be slacking off and getting letters home to parents.

"Same. It's bollocks really, we miss home room and the whole place goes to pot! If it was Mathematics or something I would understand but home room and a bit of sport, oh and half of art"

"History. We skipped history last Wednesday remember" Beth felt John move his arm and now his pinky finger was actually, actually, touching her! Scream! Beth leaned a little more to the left and was rewarded with John staring into her eyes.

"History oh yea, I walked in with my late slip and they were going on about London burning or some rubbish"

"The Great Fires of London"

"This isn't a history lesson at the Quarrybank McCartney, we don't need to know" With a roll of his eyes at Beth, who was desperately trying to regain his attention, John stood up, stretched and moved toward the front window. Bloody hell, does Hitler clean?!

"How are there any 'great' fires wouldn't they all be 'horrid' fires or 'disastrous' fires" Kate queried Paul, the history lesson starting.

"She's got a point there"

"Shut it George"

"Don't use that tone with me Paul. We're 'ere for you and your ego, not for ourselves. Although Pats said she'd get a lift with Jack today and would walk to the studio so if I'm lucky I may actually get some good out of this whole decaying afternoon" George glanced away and watched Kate lips set into an overly large, god awful pout. If Pattie pouted it was a blissful scene. This one looked like a fish trying to get a lungful of oxygen... Do they have lungs?.. Do they even breath air?

"When's ya mum home Bethy?" John grinned his cheesy grin at Beth and earned a pretty giggle from the lass. She was sweet this one and keeping her away from the toughy's was going to be a hard slog for Hitler as the kid grew older. Maybe she needed her own Gestapo. Kate was the ring leader no doubt. The only hope was that Beth had some nounce of sense in her little head.

"Well it's Monday... so that makes it market day and I think she had a kitty for some groceries so maybe six if she doesn't dally with the butcher trying to get a gram or two more for free.."

John groaned after looking at his watch, it was four thirty not a second more...

"No! She got milk yesterday and said that's that. She'll be home soon I guess, around five" Beth beamed up at John after deducing her mother's whereabouts. John turned on his heel and walked off up the stairs.

***********************

"Ok Go" Pattie watched Jackie grin and giggle while she let her eyes admire Hyde Park. Her giggles heightening as she got herself ready to sing the first line...... "Come on Jackie! 1-2-3 Go!"

The cab driver watched on, delighted. The lasses he was ferrying were carrying on like school girls but with nicer legs and womanly bodies. His normal clientele was much more in the vicinity of being a corpse on the cusp of deaths door- middle-aged gents of boring disposition and regal air. Bankers, solicitors or even politian's had sat and studied the newspaper or fallen asleep in his rear seat. Nothing was ever going to be the same again when he looked in his rear vision mirror. No, not a set of passenger's would grace his leather seats as sweet and fair as these two beauties.

The blonde was a stunner, a gap in her teeth adding to her beauty and a real giggly giggle much like his missus had before she passed. Bluebirds and robins would sit on this lass's finger and resemble a fairy tale in real life, no doubt. Even though the other girl was a little older she enjoyed a radiance of bewitching light in her eyes and cheekbones of renown. Both with unblemished skin, both happy and pleasant. They could be sisters, the colouring was close -hair, skin, giggle..

Jackie had jokingly begun singing Lesley Gores 'You Don't Own Me' as Pattie tried to make Jackie wear her new fur coat because she mentioned she was cold...

Well that started it, didn't it. Pattie likes 'It's My Party' which was one of Lesley's songs too. So here they sat, in the back of a black cab, readying themselves to sing lines alternatively and see what happened.

You don't Own Me

It's My party

You don't own me

Its my party and I'll cry if I want to

"Wah Wah" Jackie pouted at Pattie, pretending to cry. Pattie giggled, smacked Jackie's thigh and rolled her hands quickly to keep them both singing:

I'm not just one of your many toys

Nobody knows where my Georgie has gone

Johnny!

Don't say I can't go with other boys

You don't own me

Why was he holding her hand

In unison the girls finished with:

I wanna hold your hand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Oh my goodness we are twins and think the very same!" Pattie shrieked and tossed herself at Jackie at the same moment as she opened the door of the cab.

"Ahhhhhh! Pats! We're here! Out you hop, you mad person" Jackie managed to save herself from hitting the pavement as Pattie launched at her back.

"Thank-you sir"

"Your most welcome luvs, have a nice evening"

"We will" Pattie tipped forward and smiled in the front window at the cabbie.

Jackie watched the cab pull away and hitched up the satchel of magazines on her shoulder "He likely thinks all his Christmases came at once, what with you sticking that mug of yours in his driver's window"

"Watch it or I'll mug you"

"What's that even mean? You'll face me?"

"Oh look that's Georgie's car. Is he in your flat?" Pattie stepped back and looked at the number plate "Well I think it's his it starts with a four anyway. What mug? Oh mug- George told me that it's an American word for steal.. Like steal from someone in the street 'he's going to mug you'"

"Who?"

"No one silly I was demonstrating"

"Demonstrating what?"

"I swear Jackie I'm sending your brain cells spiralling downward at top speed"

"Where's your fella then? Can't be in my flat" Jackie shut the gate behind Pattie and stepped around the pretty model as she stopped suddenly to pick some geranium flowers from the garden "Pick them all, I hate them"

"But they're so pretty. See" Patties cold fingers pushed a blood red clutch of petals on tiny stems behind both their ears.

"Come on in, it's about to teem down" Stepping aside Jackie allowed Pattie to step into her little house. It was a little embarrassing really. Pattie had mentioned some of the beautiful things she now owned or George had bought, to fill their home. Jackie was never jealous only embarrassed that she should have to have those same eyes glance over her meagre possessions. After Paul had left the other morning she had remembered the mighty great gash in the back of the couch and Paul had been staring at it for ages. "I'm home Beth! I brought a present!"

"I have presents too!" Beth stood on the bottom step and looked upwards to the second storey.

John, Paul, George and Ringo all stood on a stair each.......