An hour later it began to rain and Peter and Steph came in, soaked (after celebrating in the rain after the ceremony), and walked down the hallway of their floor in the hotel.They had talked after the ceremony and had decided to keep this a secret... from everyone... at least until they were done savoring every moment of married life uninterrupted for a while. They were still going to live separately, but that would only be overnight. Other than that, they'd spend every other waking hour together as husband and wife.
They were just about to go into Peter's room unnoticed for their honeymoon, when Mike cleared his throat.
"Don't you ever stay in your own room?" Steph asked a little annoyed. She and Peter quickly slipped off the rings they had just bought. They were plain little silver bands, but the meaning and love behind them were worth more than the largest diamond in the world.
"I might ask you the same thing."
Ginger slapped Mike in the stomach as she gave Peter and Steph an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry about him. He hasn't taken his medication yet tonight," she said resisting the urge to pull Mike's ear.
"No that's ok," Peter said as he and Steph looked at each other. "On second thought, we'll be in Steph's room."
Mike just glared a bit, getting the feeling that something was up.
"Now wait just a minute-" he started before Ginger cut him off by giving into her urge.
"Good night!" she said in an overly peppy voice.
"Night," Steph said as she and Peter went into her room and locked the door.
"What was that for?" Mike asked Ginger, rubbing his sore ear.
"You were acting like a baby. You act like a baby, I'll treat you like one."
"Ooooooooh," Micky said trying not to laugh. He and Kari had come out of his room just in time to catch her pulling Mike's ear.
"Shut it," Mike said waving his hand threateningly at him.
"Uh oh. Mother and Father are fighting again," Kari said, super hyper and twitchy after drinking about six cups of coffee that the nice little bell boy supplied her.
"You too," Mike added.
"Oh my God!" Kari said getting the best idea ever. "Let's all play truth or dare!!"
"Ok!" Ginger and Micky said at the same time heading towards Micky's room.
"You in, Papa? Or are you too chicken?" Micky asked raising an eyebrow.
"Of course I'm in," Mike grumbled as he walked into Micky's room and shut the door.
"Okay okay okay I wanna go first I wanna go first I wanna go fir--"
"Kari! Cool. It," Ginger said as she reached aross the circle put her hand over Kari's mouth. The four had formed a circle at the foot of Micky's bed on the floor in boy girl boy girl order.
"Should I go get Steph and Peter?" Micky asked.
Mike shook his head. He was still wondering what in the world they could be up to at the moment. And when the thought occured to him that he'd heard their door lock, he stopped thinking about their possible activities. "I don't think so. They seemed to want some private time. They don't see each other as much as we see each other."
"Okay can I go first?! Please let me go f--"
"Just go!" Mike finally blurted to shut Kari up.
"YAY! Okay... truth or dare... MIKEY!"
"How'd I see that comin'?... D-" He stopped at Kari's widened grin. "Truth."
"All right... If you could pick anything for Gingie to wear, what would it be?"
Ginger gave Kari a disgusted look. "I should have known better than to play this with you..."
Mike thought for a minuet. Micky and Kari were bursting out laughing at his expressions. He'd raise an eyebrow in consideration, lick his lips, grin, and twist up with mouth. All but Ginger found it rather hilarious. He wasn't actually thinking of anything as he was leading them to believe, he was just making them laugh. His thoughts first considered what she'd look like in a wedding dress, actually.
"My pajama shirt."
Kari and Micky laughed even harder.
"Very funny..." Ginger mumbled.
"Your turn, Mike," Micky instructed.
"Kari," he said immediately.
"Dare!"
"Well then... I dare you to... to ah..."
"I knew you couldn't think of anything good," Kari smirked.
"Dare you to pretend to be a nurse."
"What?"
"To Micky, who isn't breathing."
"Thank you Papa Nez!" With that, Micky 'passed-out' flat on his back.
"Why did you do that, Mike? Now we have to watch..." Ginger said, turning her head away from the life-saving manuver.
Mike cocked his head. "I figure now Micky'll owe me."
"One-track minds..."
"Ah... My sweet Angle of Mercy! I feel as though my very life has been breathed back into me!" Micky said as he sat up.
"Breathed back into you? How could you breathe at all? I think you took his tonsils out, Kari," Ginger said.
"Well I thought while he was out I might as well... You go now Gingie."
"Okay, Michael. Dare?"
"Okay. Wait!"
"You already agreed! You have to do it now!" Kari laughed.
Mike sighed. Growled actually.
"I dare you..." Ginger grinned evily "to dance."
"What?"
Micky and Kari were again laughing so hard they couldn't see.
"Dance. Like Davy. Impersonate him."
Mike just stared at her, clearly not impersonating Davy, as he looked very expressionless and sarcastic.
"Do it," Ginger ordered simply, using every ounce of will power she had not to laugh.
Very slowly, Mike got up as if every move was causing him great pain like he was 90 and had been sitting there for a week. He had a cross between an 'I dare you to laugh' and an 'I'll get you back good for this' look on his face. He looked down at the ground to prep himself. Ginger was now laughing along with Micky and Kari at the very thought of the long, lanky, calm figure for before her about to do the infamous Davy dance along with the infamous Davy cheesy smile.
Mike took a deep breath and lifted his head. Then like a switch had been thrown on him, he straightened up and a big, flashy, camera-ready smile popped onto his face all the way to his eyes. He twisted his hips out to the right and leaned his upper half to the left, then rolled them both in opposite directions, doing an impression of Davy as if he'd been possessed by him. He also began singing a little snippit of 'I Can't Get Her Off of My Mind' in a scary British accent, scary because Mike sounded just like Davy did on that song.
Micky, Kari, and Ginger could barely stand it. None of them could breath they were laughing so hard. Mike softshoed around a little bit, still rolling his hips, and snapped his fingers as he sang overly-nasal, sugary-sweetly, and with a British accent to be cut with a saw. Then he turned his back to them as he performed, the way Davy did to show off his perfect butt. Micky fell backwards and began pounding the floor as Kari and Ginger were howling. It was so funny because Mike was making fun of the fact Davy liked to show off his backside, and because Mike had no backside. Mike spun back around, clapped his hands together, did a finishing step like a 'ta-da!', and smiled with an open mouth the way Davy always did.
Ginger at this time fell forward with her laughter, then Kari collasped on top of her. Micky was still laying on his back trying not to really pass out.
Just as quickly as he'd slipped into his act, Mike blinked out of it like the essence of Davy had suddenly stopped it's total control of Mike's mind.
Kari sat up wiping tears, Micky halled himself upright with much effort as normal, drawly, deadpan Mike sat back down awkwardly, elbows and knees out everywhere. Ginger was still on the floor laughing her head off.
"That... heeeHAHAHAHA.... that was theeeeheheheheee.... That was the funniest thing I've ever see in my life! HAAAAAhahahahaha..."
"Wun't n'at funny..."
For the effect it had on stopping Ginger's laughter, Mike saying that in his best Texan drawl was the equivilant of throwing a gas-tanker on a forest fire.
"HAAAAAAAhahahahaha! Yes it was!!!"
After Ginger finally calmed down, it was Micky's turn.
"And I forbid you to pick me!" Mike commanded. "I already been twice... I'm never going to escape being the ass of people's jokes..."
Ginger's whole face scrunched from the great effort to not start laughing again. She put her hand delicately over her mouth at Mike's glare.
"Okay, I pick m'darling dear," Micky said to Kari as he leaned in towards her
Kari leaned closer to him and smiled. "Dare me, Baby."
"Oh good grief..." Mike sighed.
"I thought you were going to be dared to give me mouth to mouth?" Ginger whispered sarcastically to Mike.
Mike smirked in Micky's direction. "Good buddy..."
"Okay..." Micky dug around in his pocket. "Miss Kari Craston, will you marry me?" He pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing a good-sized diamond ring with little diamonds around the middle one.
Kari just stared at it, then to Micky, then back at the ring, then again at Micky before she finally shrieked, "YES! YES I'LL MARRY YOU! YES!!! Oh my gosh! YES!!!" She flung herself into his arms, knocking him backwards.
Ginger and Mike looked at each other, surprised.
"And you dared Kari to make out with him..." Ginger mock 'tsk-ed'. "Nice one."
"Okay, fine..." Mike leaned over, grabbed Ginger and started making out with her immediately. They might as well, Micky and Kari were completely lost in their own little world.
"Wait!" Ginger suddenly said, pulling back. Mike's heart about jumped out of his chest as he thought he might have forgotten again and startled her. "How do you think Davy does this?" She fought to keep a straight face.
Mike cleared his throat seriously, turned in deep concetration to position himself correctly, closed his eyes, and then opened them in Davy-mode. He dramatically rolled onto his back, placing his torso in Ginger's lap, flung his arms above his head, and shook his hair back seducitvely. "Take me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The little make-out session had ceased when Kari and Micky finally realized that there were other people in the room. Mike and Ginger stopped before they'd been noticed. Kari showed off her ring some and the couples talked about how the wedding would go off. Micky and Kari had decided that they'd take advantage of the comparative quietness of England and get married immediately after the concert they were giving their last night there. The public would know all about the wedding, but being in England, having controlled journalists and photographers, and having just been announced, the backlash would be far less severe.
"Oh my gosh!" Kari said, still not over the fact that she was going to be Mrs. Micky Dolenz soon. "We have so much to do!"
"I don't think I'll be able to be of much help. After tonight we'll be busy practicing and doing stupid interviews..." Micky said, depressed. He wanted to spend more time with his wfie-to-be. Mike just snorted at the last thought.
"Steph and I will help," Ginger suggested. "We'll have weeks to plan this...oooh!!! We can go-"
"Shopping!!!" Kari finished the sentence with Ginger, excitedly.
Micky and Mike just looked at each other.
"Uh oh..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Steph slowly began to wake up the next morning and turned over to find Peter's sleeping face in front of hers. She smiled, blushing as she realized that she was his wife.
She turned back over to check the time.
5:48.
When did they have to get up?
She turned over again, poking Peter playfully on his nose. Peter frowned wondering what the hell that had been, but found out when he opened his eyes.
"Hello, Bunny," he said sleepily.
Steph glared at him and flicked him in the nose.
"Ow," Peter complained rubbing his "owie".
"Do you remember what I told you about about calling me that?"
"I do," he said, kissing her.
"I hate it when you do that."
"Why?"
"Cause it makes me feel like agreeing to anything."
Peter just smiled.
"Hey, you need to go back to your room now."
"What? Why?" Peter asked in protest.
"Well, firstly, a secret marriage, and acts there of, aren't very secret if you get caught. Secondly, I don't want to have to explain this to somebody if they should happen to stumble in here... especially Mike."
Peter seemed to consider this. "Point taken."
He got up and began to gather his things.
"Peter?" Steph asked as he was just about to leave.
"Yeah?"
"I think we made the right decision... on all of this."
Peter smiled and walked over to the bed, where Steph sat, and kissed her on the forehead.
"Me too."
He went back over to the door and opened it a bit to see if the coast was clear. It was and with one last wave, he was gone.
Sighing to herself, Steph got up and began to get ready for the day ahead.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Micky, Kari, Mike, Ginger, Peter, Steph, and Davy all met up in the hallway, each of them coming out of their separate rooms. Mike was secretly pleased to see Peter come out of his own room, but chose not to broadcast it.
Steph immediately saw that something was off. She looked from Ginger to Kari before speaking up. "What's going on?"
Kari beamed. "Micky and I... are getting married!!!"
"What?" Steph asked.
"What?" Peter asked.
"WHAT?!?!" Davy asked, yelling a bit. He wasn't a happy camper.
"Yeah, I proposed to her last night," Micky said sheepishly.
"Oh!" Steph said, turning around to look at Peter, who just grinned at her. She turned back to face Micky and Kari. "I am so happy for you two!!"
"Finally somebody to make an honest man out of Micky," Peter exclaimed.
Micky faked a laugh and said. "I think Ginger's right about him being cheeky."
Ginger threw up her hands, nearly whacking Mike in the face. "Thank you!"
"Hey, listen. We have to go now," Davy said all of a sudden, his mood getting dark, "We have to be at the studio by 6:30."
He turned in a huff and walked to the end of the hall.
The three boys said their own personal good-byes to their respective girls and went to follow Davy.
"So," Steph said as soon as the boys left, "what'd you two do last night?"
"We played truth or dare," Kari replied giggling. She was still thinking about her "dare."
"Weee get to go shoooppping!" Ginger sang. "For Kari's wedding!" She and Kari giggled some more.
Steph smiled at this. She thought about her wedding last night. She sort of wished she could do shopping and plan for hers, but eloping was just so much more... romantic. Steph sighed.
"Why are you so dreamy?" Ginger asked, poking her and removing her from her trance.
"I know what you did last night," Kari said sing song as they walked down the hall to catch a cab.
"Ha, ha, shut up," Steph returned in the musical. They all piled in the back of the car. Ginger told the driver the nearest shopping center and soon they were there.
"This is going to be fun," Ginger stated as they got out. The three of them, giggling, walked through the front doors.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Micky, Mike, Peter, and Davy stood waiting as some tracks were being finished. Mike had his head resting on his hand, and Peter paced around like a caged tiger. Micky was looking through a magazine sitting on a chair next to Davy, Davy, having his arms crossed in an angry manner.
"So why'd ya do it?" Davy finally blurted out.
"What?" Micky looked at him, turning the page.
"Why'd you ask 'er to marry you?" Davy's accent was getting more cockey. Peter and Mike turned.
"Well, Davy, when a boyfriend and a girlfriend love each other, they usually come together in "holy matrimony"..."
"MICKY! I know WHY people get marri'd jus' WHY you?!" Davy flung himself out of his chair.
By this time, not only were Mike and Peter staring at him, but some other people in the studio were, too.
"Well..." Micky started out. He couldn't really tell Davy why, that was personal, but he didn't know quite what to respond with. "Why do you care?" he finally decided on saying.
Davy's face got red as he began to pout.
"Davy," Peter began. Davy glared at him.
"Just leave him be, man," Mike whispered, listening to the end of the playback before they started hosting a radio show.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The girls sat down outside of their last shop. They had bags hanging off of both arms and were carrying some boxes.
"Ya think we've bought everything out yet?" Ginger asked. All the girls were very glad Micky had sat Kari up with some spending money because with everything they had seen and Kari had to have or would have just died they've run out long before the did.
"I think so," Kari laughed. She was absolutely giddy. She'd picked out an absolutely gorgeous wedding dress with lace and beadwork all over it. It was low cut, had a long train, and had small, off-the-shoulder sleeves.
The bridesmaids dresses Kari had picked out (and Ginger and Steph had gotten theirs) were long and made of a soft purple satin and were the same style as Kari's dress.
"Lunch?" Steph asked.
"You two go on," Ginger said. "I've got to run somewhere else."
"Well I'm starving and I don't want to eat alone, so have fun," Steph said dragging Kari off as Ginger got a cab stopped.
"Where are you going?" Kari asked as she struggled against Steph.
"Mike wanted me to take him a demo he forgot to grab this morning," Ginger explained as she rolled her eyes in a manner that suggested she was feigning being aggravated. Steph and Kari took her bags.
"Uh huh..." Steph called sarcastically as she and Kari ducked inside a resturaunt and Ginger leaned into the cab and closed the door.
She instructed the driver to the radio studio and was there in no time. For some vague and strange reason, she felt like she was just flying. It wasn't one of her happy, hyper feelings, it was just an overall good feeling. She felt like light. And she wanted to go see Mike.
As the driver ground to a hault at the station, she paid him and went in. She was expecting some trouble from the receptionist seated neatly but comforatably in front of the front door.
"Oh, hello!" the woman, in her late 50's, said from behind the small desk directly beside a door which Ginger presummed lead into the studio.
"Hi," Ginger returned the greeting walking up to the desk. "I'm here for the Monkees."
The woman made an 'ah' motion with her mouth, lifted some papers by titling them away from her and showing them upside to Ginger. The woman studied the papers she'd revealed to herself a moment, lowered the ones she held in her right hand, and looked at Ginger carefully but politely. "What's you name, dear?"
"Barbour. Ginger Barbour."
"Ah huh," the woman informed her she'd answered the question correctly. Ginger stood on her tiptoes and leaned to her right discreetly to catch a glimpse of what the woman was once again looking at. She thought she saw some pictures laying there with the writing, and figured they were of the girls. The woman looked up from her papers again and asked, "And it says to ask you who Gentle Man Sam is with...?" the woman gave her a questioning glance awaiting her answer.
Ginger had to try hard not to laugh. That was a story Ginger had told Mike while they were having lunch at his old house. She'd just made it up on the spur of the moment after they'd finished eating for Mike's entertainment. It was now serving as a password. Apparently, she'd succeeding in amusing Mike with the tale.
"Lazy Lady Sally."
"Right. Okay Miss Barbour, you can go in now. I had to match your picture and ask you a security question. Right through this door. They're not on the air at the moment. I think they're about to have lunch."
"Thank you Ma'am," Ginger replied and moved to the door.
"Excuse me... but... can I ask something of you?" the woman said timidly.
Ginger turned from the door to face her. "Shoot. I mean, of course."
The very British woman laughed nervously. "Where... where are you and Mr. Nesmith from? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that, and no harm meant, but I've been here all my life. I'd never heard anyone speak the way he does until you came here. He speaks so slowly, and the two of you pronounce words the same way. And do a lot of Americans call people... what was it he called someone... 'BB Gun'?"
Ginger laughed. "It's just fine. The US has different dialects just like y'al-- you have here. Mike and I are from the South. And, no, he's the only person I've ever heard call someone... 'BB Gun'..." Ginger snickered to herself.
"Oh... well I suppose you learn something everyday! Thank you. Sorry to keep you, go right in."
"No problem." Ginger smiled warmly and went inside. She walked about halfway down the long hallway then came to a room that had a glass door ajar. She heard that wonderful drawl she'd just been interrogated about.
"Now Davy you can't pout all day. Nothin' you can do about it so just build a bridge..." "A wot?"
"Get over it. You know what that expression means, smar--"
She knocked as she entered. "Hey guys."
Among the 'heys' Mike came over to her. He felt himself smile at the unexpected sight of her.
"What're you doing down her? I thought you were out reserving Mick a room at the poor house?"
"Worth it, Babe..." Micky called from across the room.
"I was, but I was having so much trouble contolling Kari's spending I just decided to turn her completely loose," Ginger said in a raised voice.
"Oh no..." Micky looked alarmed. The he smiled. "Oh well..."
"Shut up man!" Davy blurted then blasted out of the room past Mike and Ginger.
"What's bugging him?" Ginger asked.
After Davy was out of the studio completely, Mike took Ginger's hand and walked her out into the hall and leaned against the wall. "I think it's because he really did have a thing for Kari," he explained.
"Oh... That's not like Davy, is it?" Ginger asked.
Mike shook his head. "I'm sure he'll be able to get over it. Millions of girls crawling all over him, he's bound to find a real one." Ginger actually felt sorry for Davy. She found him to be creep most of the time she'd spent with him, but he obviously did have a heart under all that eyeliner and those perfect clothes.
Mike interrupted her thoughts as he leaned against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets. "So what brought you down here?"
"Oh... I don't exactly know..."
Mike pounted his mouth and aquired a questioning expression. "You don't know? You just wandered over?"
"No, I didn't just wander. I took a cab."
Mike tried to look deadpan at her, but he smirked despite himself.
Ginger was now embarassed. She hadn't thought about what her excuse would be to Mike for coming to see him for absolutely no reason. 'Well,' she thought 'I do have a reason, sort of...' "I just was feeling really good... nice inside... and..." She was having some trouble explaining it.
Mike smiled. He understood. He shrugged his hands out of his pockets, took Ginger by the hips and held her with his finger tips resting on her bones.
"And I just wanted to share..."
"Share away."
Ginger leaned into him and they kissed. She felt even better than she did before. Mike was smiling while he kissed her, which made her laugh.
"Now stop it!" Mike said trying to sound serious but he was smiling. "Now tell me a little bit more about your day..." This time he hugged Ginger and they kissed seriously.
They continued to kiss. Ginger surprised herself and leaned on Mike almost completely. Mike slumped down the wall to be closer to her. He equalled the pressure she was applying to him.
Ginger suddenly stopped and looked up. She could tell she was blushing and looked like a scared little rabbit.
"What's the matter?" Mike said his face showing every ounce of concern he felt. He'd been noticing that even though he had been waiting for Ginger to make any move and he'd been careful to be gentle, Ginger was getting even jumpier than before.
"Nothing. Nothing. Nothing I just have to meet Kari and Steph for lunch," Ginger said like she was being accused of something.
Mike's forehead became a 'V' and he frowned. "I thought you'd wanna have lunch with me..."
Ginger felt horrible about doing this to Mike. About kissing him then stopping, about letting him down and seeming to hurt him about lunch, about feeling guilty for kissing him, about everything she was doing. It wasn't her, but she couldn't stop whoever it was.
"Yeah... well... I promised... I..."
"Can't you cancel it? I don't have long, we'd have to be finished before they would be." Mike looked genuinely stunned and saddened.
'Yeah, just kidding, I don't have to be at lunch with them,' Ginger thought.
"No, I promised," Ginger said.
"Well," Mike stood up off the wall, "okay then. I'd better get back in there anyway and talk to Micky about Davy." Mike stopped to kiss Ginger. He made a move to but seeing her as stiff as a board as he did made him stop. "I'll see ya for dinner tonight with everyone..."
With that he walked into the studio and closed the door. Ginger tried to grasp what had just happened. She couldn't. The hadn't fought, but it seemed like it. She'd obviously hurt Mike badly just then and couldn't for the life of her think why she did what she did. She stared at the door momentarily before turning and leaving the station, flagging down a cab, and took off to meet Kari and Steph.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ginger got out of the cab just in time to see Kari and Steph exit the restaurant.
"Back so soon?" Kari asked in a high pitched voice.
"Yeah. I delivered the tape," Ginger said mentally kicking herself for what had happened back at the studio.
"Sure...' delivered the tape '..." Kari said, all buzzed from trying on wedding dresses.
"And you say Peter is cheeky..." Steph mumbled shaking her head while Ginger stood there wondering what would happen if she flicked Kari in the head for saying that.
"What do you say we go back to the hotel, dump these bags off and go sight seeing," Ginger said wanting something to help her forget her "fight".
"Sounds good," Kari and Steph agreed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The whole group met up at the hotel around seven after a busy day.
Kari had hidden the wedding dress and Ginger and Steph's dress in her closet, forbidding Micky to ever see it before the actual wedding. Ginger and Mike were awkward around each other as the seven walked towards their rooms after dinner.
"Hey, anybody up for a game of cards?" Micky asked, ready to unwind.
Ginger, Kari, and Peter instantly agreed, while Davy just walked into his room without saying a word.
"How about you Steph? Mike?" Micky asked raising his eyebrows.
"I need to talk to Steph for a moment," Mike said suddenly, looking at Ginger.
Steph frowned looking from Peter to Mike.
"We'll only be a couple minutes," Mike stated before pulling Steph into his room.
"Ok...it's nice to see you too..." Steph said wondering what was going on.
"Can you tell me why girls are so...difficult?" Mike asked pacing the room.
"Yeah, I know. We are a difficult breed," Steph said crossing her arms, looking at him intently.
Mike stopped pacing and just looked at her.
"What? If you want anything from me, you are going to have to tell me what happened," Steph said simply.
"Ginger stopped by the studio today around lunch time."
"Yeah, to 'give you a tape'."
"Uh huh...well she came and we..." Mike stopped, turning red.
"Ok, I take it you aren't mad at her on that part. Go on."
"Well, I thought she came to have lunch with me; she had no other reason to be there...and then she just leaves. Says that she promised to meet you for lunch."
Steph suddenly got what went on and sat down on the floor. Mike sat on the bed.
"Let me tell you something I haven't told anyone else," Steph said looking Mike straight in the eyes. "Peter asked me to go to his apartment last week. Not a big deal right?"
Mike just kind of shrugged.
"Well, to me it was. I instantly panicked at the idea and shot him down for no reason. I mean, I wanted to go, you have no idea how badly I wanted to go to his apartment."
"So why didn't you?" Mike asked leaning forward.
"I don't know...it was just hard. I mean, this whole time I have had to deal with some commitment issues. I've never had a relationship go this far because I haven't let one get this far. If that makes any sense," Steph said wondering if she was actually helping the situation. "Mike, let me put it this way...the two people in my life that were supposed to love me the most didn't. They hurt me mentally and physically and I guess I have been forever scarred. I've managed to conquer my fears and doubts, but not without help. I couldn't have done it if Peter hadn't been so understanding. Ginger has no doubt been scarred by what she has been through and it may take her a while...you have to be patient with her...give her time."
They just sat there as it sank in.
"Did that help at all?" Steph asked tilting her head.
"Yeah, it did."
"I think you and Ginger need to talk."
"Me too."
"But not tonight. She's probably feeling bad enough already."
Mike shook his head laughing to himself. "Geez, I never knew that women could be so complicated."
"And I never knew men could be so stupid. Are we done here?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Good, because you're not the only one with a relationship around here."
Mike helped Steph stand.
"Ooh, that ring is awfully pretty," he said noting the silver band on her left ring finger.
"Yeah...um...Peter got it for me last night," Steph said hoping Mike wouldn't pry.
"Speaking of last night..." Too late. "What did you two do all locked up in your little ol' room?"
Mike batted his eyelashes and tilted his head, trying to act innocent.
"What do you think...no wait, don't answer that."
Mike laughed uneasily as he opened his door. He seriously wanted to know what happened last night... he had the sudden inexplicable urge to kick Peter's ass.
"Come on, Mike...I wouldn't have done...you know...why am I even talking to you about this?" Steph asked as they headed to Micky's room.
"Cause I'm Papa Nez," he said in a low voice, "I have to look out for my young'ins..."
"Just the thought of you having 'young'ins' is frightening enough," Steph said as they opened Micky's door.
Instead of walking in on a lively poker game as they thought they were going to walk in on, there they were, Micky, Peter, Ginger, and Kari, sitting in utter silence staring at each other.
Steph and Mike looked at each other.
"What's going on?" Steph asked taking a seat next to her husband.
"Someone just called...we're to meet the Beatles..." Ginger said in disbelief.
"We're to what?" Steph asked, unusally deadpan. She looked at Mike. "I hate you..."
Mike's eyes were saucers. "Really?" he asked in a kid voice. Micky and Kari snickered.
"Yes, dear. Really," Ginger said putting her hand on his arm. Mike was silent after that.
"I'll go tell Davy," Peter volunteered. But he didn't need to, Davy just busted right in.
"Wot's thi' about Bea'les?" Davy asked, in a rather thick and cokey accent.
Steph eyed him. "Were you evesdropping?"
"No!" Davy answered quickly. "I was just passin' by an'..." He shuffled around.
Steph and Peter shook thier heads.
"Ohmigosh!" Kari cried grabbing onto Micky. "What will I do?! What will I say?! What will I wear..."
"What time is it?" Steph asked.
"Eleven thirty..." Micky looked at his watch.
"We should get some rest!" Steph said, matter-of-factly. The other girls nodded in agreement.
"Aww, do we have to? Now?!" Micky whined, leaning his head on Kari's shoulder.
"YES!" the girls cried. They quickly kissed their respective men and ran to their rooms for some shut eye.
The guys looked at each other, shrugged and went to rest up for the big day as well.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kari couldn't sleep. Meeting the Beatles was just too cool and too exciting. So after about an hour's worth of tossing and turning, she finally put her robe on and quietly opened her door. She went to Steph's room and listened, but she could hear Steph was already asleep by the quiet but ever-so-there mutters of "Peter" and giggling. Kari covered her mouth trying not to giggle and went to Ginger's door, but heard she was sleeping too.
'Hm, I wonder...' Kari went to Micky's door and heard him softly singing. It was unlocked so she opened it. He was looking through some books on his bed, and she leaned against the door frame and listened:
When you just give love, and never get love
You better let love depart
I know it's sudden and yet I know
I can't get you out of my heart
You make me leave my happy home
You took my love and then you've gone
Since I fell for youHe looked up and saw her standing there grinning. He had stopped, not expecting to see that someone was listening. "Couldn't sleep?" He smiled.
Kari nodded and sat on the bed next to him. "Keep singing," she said. "It was pretty." He put his arm around her, as she laid against him and closed her eyes as he sang.
Love brings such misery and pain
I guess I'll never be the same
Since I fell for you...~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day past like the clock was running backwards. All seven of them were acting like they were five and it was there birthday, and they were being forced to wait for their presents.
The boys were making a televison appearence early in the morning (they had evaded question about their girl friends), then they had a personal appearance. Finally they got to the stadium they were going to be playing the next day to rehearse. All of them were in good moods all day, which was remarkable given the hectic shedule with which they were dealing. But they were being accepted by the Beatles as peers to Beatles, and nothing could spoil the feeling that brought.
The girls had hung around the hotel most of the day in Kari's room. They had breakfast with guys in couples in the men's rooms, and later went down to the hotel's resturant for lunch. Other than that, they'd spent the entire day in Kari's room planning Kari's wedding.
Ginger gave an evil little laugh at one point after lunch. "I can't believe you slept in Micky's room..."
Steph and Ginger had been repeating that to Kari all day.
Once after Ginger had said it, Steph laughed out: "Yeah you've got to learn to sneak around better like P--perverts... do... yeah..."
They started getting dressed at six before the boys got home at eight. They were all going to skip dinner.
Kari had decided to curl her hair all over but not brush it, rather letting it hang in loose ringlets with a few braids here and there to bring out the red highlights that Micky loved. And she was sure he'd notice the braids after what she'd done on the plane. She wore a very-mini, geometic-patterened, red, black, yellow, and pink, short-sleeved dress and her white go-go boots with a long silver chain of cirlces for a belt that matched her long, dangly earings and necklace. Overall, she was very put-together and mod looking.
The dress Steph chose to wore was a little longer than Kari's and had long sleeves. It had flowers all over it in all colors of the rainbow and different sizes. She wore several strands of love beads of all different lengths and sizes, some of which were Peter's. She added a large peace sign pendant hanging off them. She wore Kari's black go-go boots. Her blonde hair was styled the way she usually styled it, but she used a few different pieces of ribbon to make a headband. She looked very hippie. To top it all off, she had the best jewlery she'd ever owned, her wedding ring.
Surprisingly, Ginger wasn't wearing a dress. She wore a jumper with a haulter-top and long, flairing legs at the bottom. It had a very deep back a few inches below her shoulders. Kari and Steph had always said it made her look taller, and with Mike that was a good thing. The material was a psychedelic pattern that was prodominately blue, pink, yellow, and light green. She fixed her long dark brown hair as she usually did, long and staight and slightly parted on the left. She wore open, sky blue, tall heels. Also, this was a good thing with Mike. She was now about 5'6" or 7" and looked slightly taller than that. Looking to be five or six inches shorter than Mike was better than actually being almost a foot shorter.
The guys came tearing in at fifteen til eight.
"Yougirlslookgreatwe'vegottohurrycoswegothungupatthestudioandthelimo'scomingforusateightsowe'vegottogetreadyfast!" Micky blurted as four blurs whizzed past Kari's open door, and then four doors slammed simulationously.
The girls were sitting in Kari's room. They just looked at each other.
"Did either of you catch any of that?" Steph asked.
"Something about... No. But I'd think they're getting dressed to leave at eight," Ginger said.
"You mean you didn't understand that?" Kari asked them both in a shocked voice.
Steph and Ginger eyed her.
"He said, 'Sfslfuabjkljtrutboaleuhooberrebbensoobenseebenhoberseebersayjflskrua." Plain english."
"Oh shut up..." Steph muttered. Ginger had stopped listening by "hobberrebben".
Within a matter of minuets, Mike appeared in Kari's room. He was wearing tight, light deniem jeans. Well, they looked like jeans, but the girls had never seen any blue jean material that was that tight before. Not even on Mike. He had on a white button-down shirt as well with a silver belt buckle. Over it all was a tan coat with white fur on the inside that came to the top of his tighs, and he was wearing his mocasin boots that hit him just below his knees over his "jeans".
"Wow, Mike," Kari said keeping an amazingly, espeically for Kari, straight face. "What sort of paint did you use to make those pants?"
Steph and Kari burst out in giggles. Ginger was just smiling. Grinning. Beaming. Like an idiot.
"Ha. Ha." Mike sat down beside Ginger. She was looking at him. Like an idiot.
Mike looked at her. They still hadn't had a chance to talk and Mike desperately wanted to. He considered asking her to his room and getting everything settled right now. But he glanced at his watch and knew for the talk they needed there wasn't enough time. He looked back at her. "You look very nice..." He eyed her entire outfit then ended up back in her eyes.
"Thank you. You to..." Ginger said with a laugh in her voice. Like an idiot. Then she focused on Mike's eyes. He still looked like he did when she'd left him before at the studio, which was the last time they'd made real eye contact.
Steph was watching them out of the corner of her eye. She sighed, knowing they still didn't have anything resolved from the other day. She was glad, however, that Mike wasn't sulking or getting frustrated.
Mike suddenly spoke. "Let's go in my room."
"What?" Ginger had just scared the hell out of herself again. Why on Earth did she question him? Why didn't she just follow him? In those would-be jeans.
"I just want to talk to you for a second... I've got to." Mike, if it was possible, looked even more hurt. At Ginger being startled, he also spoke with greater urgency.
"Okay," Ginger got up and followed Mike to his room.
On the way they passed Peter heading in the hall as he was heading to Kari's room. He was wearing, surprisingly without planning it, a wildly colored shirt with tiny flowers all over it that matched Steph's and huge peace sign necklace with dark-navy slacks and mocasin boots almost like Mike's, only looser.
They could hear things flying around in chaos and the sounds of hairspray coming from Micky's room, and 'brown eyelinger... or black... brown... black..." from Davy's.
"Black!" Mike called as he and Ginger went into his room and he shut the door.
"Are you feelin' okay?" he asked immediately.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You?" she said conversationally.
Mike looked at her. "Anything you wanna talk about while we're here?"
Ginger looked down, then up as she walked over to Mike. "No." She smiled. "I just want you to not feel bad about lunch."
"About lunch..."
"Yeah..." Ginger was uneasy at Mike staring her down on that one. "I just want to have a great time tonight. It could be a once in a liftetime chance... And I want you to as well. This is really your night. Look at yourself. The Beatles invited you to a party in your honor."
Mike smiled big.
"Now, it's almost time to go, so let's get back to Kari's room, huh?"
Mike was smiling, but he started to continue his talk. If he'd already known what he was going to say exactly, he probably would have.
And he probably would have had Ginger not planted a kiss right on his lips. He returned it very affectionatly yet gently. She was right. This was a wonderful night. And she'd kissed him without freaking out. He smiled deeply at her. The hurt was gone from his eyes. They could talk later. Now it was time to party with the Beatles.
"I just want to you to know I'll be right here. I love you."
Ginger was a little shocked, but in a nice way. "I know. I love you, too."
They lightly kissed once more then he took her hand and they started back to Kari's room to find the others in the hallway.
Davy was wearing a forest-green turtle neck and a black blazer with grey slacks. He also had a string of love beads and black boots. Micky was wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt of dark purple and blue with beads and a high-collared maroon jacket over it paired with black slacks and black boots. Ginger removed a two-strings of beads from Steph and put one multicolored one on herself and an all navy one on Mike, causing him to smile.
"Whoa Mike, you paint those pants on?" Micky laughed, as well as the rest of the group.
"Y'all's asses are mine when we get back..."
"Hopefully, you won't remember it after this party..." Micky said with great enthusiasm.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~