I'm so freakin' tired.. I need to quit staying up to late just cause I want to post another chapter.. :P
Just Anna.
The gang spotted the director as they moseyed onto the set. He looked almost furious with them and it was almost terrifying, but John approached him as the others snuck in behind him.
"Standing about, eh?" he said, "Some people have it dead easy."
He walked away and the director mumbled something to his assistant. Anna and Paul had their arms around each other's waist as they watched the man and Anna made a face, "Yeesh, he doesn't look happy, Paulie."
"Yeah, this should be a fun rehearsal." He chuckled, looking down at her. She smiled and he kissed her lips, "There's a chair there. And stay put, I don't want you wandering off again, by yourself this time."
"Yes, mum." She replied and walked over to the seat as the boys got set up. The director had gone into his box and was speaking into the microphone.
"Right. Standby." Came his voice over the loudspeaker, "Run through a number and try not to jiggle out of position."
His voice disappeared a moment and came back a few seconds later to cue the music and the boys jumped right into a song. Anna sat watching them with a subconscious smile, thinking about how her life had turned out with The Beatles so far. But unbeknownst to her, one of the younger crewmen was watching her. No ring on her finger was fair game as far as he was concerned, unaware that her boyfriend was the famous Paul McCartney. He coughed to get her attention and she looked over at him.
"Hello, love." He flashed her a smile.
She gave him a friendly smile and a 'hullo', but turned back to her boys. But he came and sat next to her. She gave him an odd look.
"I'm Phil." He held out his hand and she shook it.
"Anna." She smiled, but was uneasy about this guy. Paul had spotted the scene from his place on the set and continued to watch from afar.
"That's a lovely name, Annie. Can I call you Annie?"
"Um, please, Anna's fine."
"Alright, Anna. Is that short for anything? Annabeth? Or Annasophia?"
"Annabelle." She rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably.
"Oh, even prettier." He scooted closer to her and she leaned away, wishing the boys were there and hoping the song would end soon.
"Um, thanks."
"So, listen, I was hoping maybe we could have dinner sometime. Like tonight, maybe?"
"Oh, sorry, I can't."
"Well, maybe,"
"I'm sorry, but I have a boyfriend."
"Oh, do you?" Phil's face never faltered, he would have Anna if it killed him.
"Yeah, I do." Anna looked over at the set. John, Paul, George and Ringo were all staring them down, but continued the song.
"Oh, is he famous or something?"
"You could, uh, say that." She averted her eyes.
"What's his name then? Maybe I know him."
"Paul." They both looked up and found that Paul had come to Anna's rescue, "Paul McCartney, Annie's boyfriend."
Phil looked shocked as Paul held out his hand to Anna how took it and was all but glued to his side with his arm around her.
"You're dating Paul McCartney?" said Phil.
"Yes, she is." Paul answered for her, but she didn't have a problem with it. Phil was creeping her out, "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, sir. I just, uh, gotta go and, uh, check on some stuff." He darted in the other direction as the other boys joined them and Anna let out a held breath.
"Who was that creep?" said Ringo.
"One of the crewmen." Anna laid her head on Paul's chest and he just held her. They ranted off their anger a bit, but calmed down when Norm started towards them with a look of frustration that wasn't directed at them this time.
"I'm supposed to take you to make-up." He said and walked right past them. They looked at each other and figured they were supposed to follow and ran to catch up. They reached the changing room and found Paul's grandfather and Shake already there.
"Hello, lads." Shake greeted them.
"Hullo, Shake." Anna greeted, attached to Paul's hand.
"Hey," Shake looked to Paul, "your grandfather's not talking to me. I think he's got a sulk on."
"Oh, it must be catching on." Anna smiled, turning to Ringo, "He's given it to Ringo here."
Ringo stuck his tongue out at her but smiled and rubbed the top her head, messing up her dark hair.
"Come on, lads. Sit down." Norm tried to get some order in the room as the cosmetologists came in.
"This is impossible." One of them said, "We'll never get them all done in time."
"Aw, why so negative?" Anna sat in one of the hair dryer chairs next to Ringo.
"Then do us first." The dancers came in, too, "It doesn't matter to them whether they're made up or not." The dancer turned to John, "By the way, what's that?"
John had a fake beard on, and on the wrong way at that, "My name's Betty." He pulled the fake hair down a bit, "Do you want a punch up your frogged tunic?"
The dancer looked terribly confused, "No."
"John, behave yourself, or I'll murder you. Shake, take that wig off. It suits you." Norm was on a roll, "Ringo, what are you up to?"
"Page five." He was wearing a fur hat, much like the royal guard wore, with a magazine in hand and the hair dryer down over his large hat.
John came over and began to comb the hat, "You always fancied yourself as a guardsman, didn't you?"
Anna laughed and leaned over to see Ringo's face and spotted Paul not too far away with a towel over his front, a hair dryer in hand and a fake nose.
"Paulie, what are you doing?" she smiled.
"Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt." He recited and spun around to face her, "Zap!"
Anna laughed and John continued to comb Ringo's hat, "Hey, he's reading the Queen." He told her and she looked down at Ringo's magazine.
"Isn't that one of our in-jokes?" she asked.
"Shazam!" Paul suddenly spazzed and fell to the floor. Anna burst out in laughter and his grandfather stood up.
"It's my considered opinion that you're a bunch of sissies." He said.
"You're just jealous." Said John.
"Leave him alone, Lennon or I'll tell them all the truth about you." Norm threatened.
Anna gasped, "No,"
"You wouldn't." said John.
"Oh, I would, though." Norm stared John in the eye and walked out of the room.
"I thought I was supposed to be getting a change of scenery and so far, I've been in a train and a room and a car and a room and a room and a room." Grandfather complained to Paul, "Well, maybe that's all right for a bunch of powdered geegaws like you lot but I'm feeling decidedly straight-jacketed."
"What a clean old man." One of the cosmetologists commented.
"Ah, don't press your luck."
"He's sex obsessed." Said John, "The older generation are leading this country to galloping ruin."
Norm walked back in, "They're nearly ready for you. Just finishing the band call."
"I say, did you go to Harrods? I was there in '58, you know." John grabbed one of the blonde girls' arms, "I can get you on stage."
He led her girl out of the room and Ringo and George grabbed a girl as well. Paul and Anna rolled their eyes and followed the group out the door.
