the book shop > j.l < MID EDIT

nine

penelope

stumbling across the floor towards the three boys, penelope felt as though her guts were going to make an appearance by escaping her throat. her heart was beating rapidly as lottie continued to drag her towards the boys.

he was stood with his back leaning against the bar, his elbows resting atop the counter, looking effortlessly sexy. his two bandmates sat next to him on the barstools with smirks and eyebrows raised.

they stopped directly in front of the boys, charlotte taking the lead before things got uncomfortably awkward.

"hello, im charlotte ray, this is my best friend penelope-anne dawson - or bookshop girl, if you will," the boy that charlotte fancied blushed at the fact she'd heard him refer to her as that.

"actually, it's just penelope - penny, we don't need the anne," penelope spoke up, not wanting to be called by her full name, she smiled at the boys. he stared right at her not saying a word. she thought she could see a smile playing on his lips. but she couldn't be sure.

"well, i'm paul mccartney, this is george harrison, and bookshop boy over here is john lennon, lovely to meet you ladies, although if i'm not mistaken you and john have already been acquainted?" paul said waving a finger between john and penelope.

"well she helped me find a book, i wouldn't say we were acquainted," john corrected paul playfully.

"and then you invited her to watch your show, so if you weren't acquainted then, you definitely want to be acquainted now so, shall we sit?" lottie intervened not wanting herself and penelope to be standing around like a pair of buffoons.

"yeah, here let's go and sit in a booth over there?" george said signalling to go and sit in an empty booth the other side of the room. john stood straight about to follow the group as george turned and stopped him.

"no me paul, and lovely Charlotte are sitting in the booth, you and penelope are staying here, you made such a fuss over whether she was going to turn up or not, so now she's here you're going to stay with her," johns eyes widened in embarrassment as his cheeks fill with a rosy red colour. charlotte agreed adding, "yeah penelope go on, i'll only be over there love" she kissed her friend on the cheek and walked off with paul and george.

penelope and john stood awkwardly before a few seconds before she broke it by saying, "you're band weren't half as bad as i was expecting," hoping to break the awkward barrier she smiled lightly.

"ha, thank you i suppose. we're having a lot of fun up there," john nodded towards the stage.

"with all the jumping around and bobbing heads i'm surprised you guys aren't all worn out and in bed by now,"

"it takes a lot more than a bit of jumping around to wear me out love," he smirked, making penelope roll her eyes playfully, but also feeling her heart speed up at him calling her love.

"here take a seat, if your friend is as stubborn as mine then we won't be allowed over there for a while," he pointed towards the table where paul, george and charlotte were all having a laugh. penelope nodded laughing.

"yeah lottie was adamant i came tonight, forcing me to put on this awful dress and drink this awkful drink," penelope admitted.

"oh come off it, i can get you another drink if you'd like?" john lennon suggested.

"it's fine honestly. its just not something i'm used to i suppose," she said swirling her finger around the room to indicate she meant the whole scene, "the party, alcohol scene, it's intimidating, i'd much rather be at home reading or taking photographs. boring i know."

"yeah, i'm pretty used to this scene. it doesn't make it any more enjoyable though. it's the same old every night, it's tiring. i think i'm in need of some kind of change," she watched the words roll of his tongue with such delicacy.

his lips were a plump red, and his cheeks were tinted pink from the tiny amount of alcohol he'd consumed combined with the stuffy environment, "and i'd much rather be at home reading, or writing. so you do photography?"

john pulled out a cigarette lighting it and placing it to his lips.

"yeah, i'm not too great at it but, it's a beautiful art. needs more credit than it gets," she said, "it's just a hard field to get into y'know?" she pulled out her own pack of cigarettes pulling one out.

"can i have a light?"