The Nearest To My Heart -John Lennon Fan Fiction - Paul McCartney Fan Fiction - Beatles Fan Fiction

Chapter Fifth-teen - In Plain Sight, Part Two

"Where's Charlie?" Howard asked worriedly, looking toward the front entrance of the dining room.

"She's still getting ready." Wanda replied casually, having covered for her friend before. Her words didn't seem to calm Howard's nerves though.

"We can start without her," Clive stated, pressing the record button on his tape recorder. He grabbed his pad and pen, ready to begin the interview.

"I don't think we should," Howard replied, looking over at the reporter.

"My time is important." He replied curtly. "What do the Beatles think of your music?" Clive posed the question to Wanda and Annette. 

A panicked expression graced Howard's face. He considered Charlie to be the face and the mouthpiece of The Debutantes. She should've been there for the interview.

(----)

Charlie grabbed hold of Paul's arm, pulling him away from the entrance of the dining room. She didn't want either one of them to be noticed by Howard or that reporter, but it'd been too late to go unnoticed by John. 

A frown had settled onto his face, but it was difficult to tell behind the unruly beard. He stepped out of the dining room, spotting Charlie and Paul a couple of feet from the entrance. "Funny running into you here." John sharply remarked, eyeing Paul behind his horn-rimmed glasses.

Charlie turned to face John, his voice recognizable but the beard surprising. 

Paul grinned, amused by the sight of his mate wearing fake facial hair. He reached out and tugged on John's beard. "What're you doing here?" He chuckled.

John swatted Paul's hand. "Same as you." He briefly looked over at Charlie, and she met his eyes.

"I was in the neighborhood." Paul stated casually.

John snorted, knowing it was bullshit.

Paul continued. "I invited Charlie out for drinks tonight."

"She has plans." John countered.

"She accepted." Paul smiled.

John was under the impression that Charlie was only seeing him. It was a thought that made him feel secure about what they had going between the two of them, and learning that this wasn't the case was a jarring hit to his self-confidence.

Charlie didn't like being spoken about like she wasn't there. It bothered her that Paul seemed so confident about their plans. She found his smugness unappealing. John's interest in her was too intense. She and John weren't exclusive. They weren't even dating in her opinion. "I've got an interview." She excused herself from the unpleasant conversation since it appeared that even though they were discussing Charlie, she wasn't needed.

George breathed a sigh of relief when Charlie walked into the dining room alone. He hoped it was a sign that what could've been a disastrous scene was avoided.

Charlie was several feet away from him when she passed the table George was seated at and didn't break stride when she briefly looked into his direction. She'd quickly put two and two together, George's beard looking even more silly on him than John. She would've laughed, but she was no longer in the mood and joined the others at the table, sitting next to Annette and whispered into her friend's ear.

Annette discretely looked at George, and he smiled in response.

"This is Charlie," Howard stated with a nervous smile, hoping her lateness wouldn't make it into the interview. He and Clive none the wiser that three Beatles were nearby.

"Nice of you to join us," Clive replied sarcastically.

Charlie smiled. "Did I miss your series of Beatles questions?" She asked tactlessly. "I'm sure Annette and Wanda were able to answer them."

Clive was a bit taken aback, but somewhat amused by the cheek of this young woman. Maybe, this interview wouldn't be your standard boring fare after all.

He grinned. "You're just in time. What do The Beatles think of your music?"

(----)

"She's with me." John stated firmly, but his confidence on the matter was crumbling right before him.

"Yes, well she did accept my offer for drinks." Paul pointed out. "It's just a bit of fun." He smiled, enjoying the friendly rivalry they shared, but he didn't want it to hurt their friendship. "You've got Cyn --"

"You've got, Jane."

Paul nodded. "Yes, and Charlie will be leaving in a week. We'll both have a good time, and leave it at that. What else could it be, John?" He reached out, placing his hand on his mate's shoulder, Paul wanted to get the point across that this couldn't be anything more than a fling for either one of them.

John wanted more than just a casual affair though. He could see something for himself with Charlie at least that's what he believed at the moment. He nodded in agreement with Paul's words, not wanting to appear daft for wanting more than was possible.

Paul smiled, relieved that it appeared to be settled. He gave John's shoulder a pat. "Why are you wearing a fake beard?" He grinned, wanting to turn this tense moment into something light.

"It was George's idea." He distractedly mumbled.

Paul raised his eyebrows. "Is he in there?" He pointed toward the entrance of the dining room.

"He wanted to see Annette without the reporter or Howard catching on. The only problem is Annette didn't take notice of him. You think it'd be easy enough with those ears of his," John deadpanned.

Paul laughed, nodding in agreement. "Maybe, you should get back to him. Who knows what he might do to get her attention, yeah?"

John smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "He's mad about her." He pointedly stated, his feelings for Charlie weighing heavily on his mind at that moment.

"I know," Paul replied cautiously, picking up on the meaning of John's words. "There will be other birds."

He nodded resolutely, Paul was right, there would be other birds, but John didn't believe any of them could be like Charlie.

End of Chapter Fifth-teen - In Plain Sight Part Two