It took us about fifty minutes to arrive to the hotel. We delayed that much mainly because of the increasing traffic since The Beatles were now in the town.

I was completely speechless when I saw the hotel. Just by seeing it from the outside I couldn't believe I was there. It had its name written in what seemed gold on its roof. The walls were white and the doors were made of glass. It was actually very similar to the hotel in the movie Home Alone II. And it was also a Plaza.

I couldn't see much more of it, because of the fans outside. It was crazy. Thousands and thousands of girls screaming their lungs out, singing songs and holding signs with all kind of inscriptions such as: "THE BEATLES ROCK!", "We Love You, George" or "Ringo is The BEST!!". I looked at them, without believing it. How could them like being there, squashed like in a tuna's can and still be happy? I couldn't understand.

The entrance was crowded, so it was a little difficult for the driver to get the car in. After some minutes, he managed to enter to the hotel's parking and we got off there.

"Come with me, girls," Neil said. "I'll take you to The Beatle's suite."

A suite. Wow. Well, at least if I didn't have the time of my life I would spend my birthday in a suite of the famous Plaza Hotel.

We entered to the hotel and went directly to the elevator. Neil pressed the button for the 6th floor and it started heading up.

"Are you nervous?" he smiled at us.

"Yes!" Anna replied.

"A little…" I said, trying to sound convincing.

"A little?" he asked. "I've never seen a fan who was just "a little" nervous before meeting them."

"Well, maybe that's because I'm not a fan."

His face really showed surprise now. He opened his mouth to say something, but it was in the same moment that the elevator stopped and its doors opened. We walked through a corridor and finally got to the big living room.

Well, that was class! The room was beautifull and very iluminated. It had a big glass door which took to a big balcony on the right. The great set of brown leather sofas and a little dark wooden coffeé table matched the beige carpet and walls. There was a television as well, but no people.

"Could you hold on here, girls? I will tell Brian you're here already." Neil said and started walking to another corridor. "Sit down, if you like." And with a smile, he left.

I sat down and Anna walked around the room, amazed by it.

"Man, this is grand!" she exclaimed as she went to the glass doors to look through them.

"Yeah, it is. It's a very nice hotel, indeed."

"Yes! The best."

"So… were are them?"

"Well, I dunno." She turned around to look at me. "Neil was going to tell Brian we are here, so I suppose that they will come in any minute."

"Brian? Who's Brian?"

Just after I asked that, Neil appeared back into the room, accompanied by another man.

"Brian Epstein." He said, as he walked to me and, after I stood up, shook my hand. "The Beatles' manager."

"Oh! Nice to meet you. I'm Patricia Galagher." I greeted, feeling a little ashamed.

Anna came to us and shook hands with Mr. Epstein too. "Hello, Mister Epstein. I'm Anna Galagher."

"Oh, you are the winner!" he smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Anna and I sat on one of the couches and Brian sat on the matching armchair on our right. Neil remained standing.

"So, girls, how do you feel about being here?" He asked, smiling.

"I'm so happy, Mr. Epstein!" Anna said, entusiastically.

"Please," he interrupted. "Call me Brian."

"Alright, Brian," she smiled. "I'm really happy to be here, you know. I've never thought this would happen to me but, here I am, in The Beatles' suite talking to their manager! It's unbelievable, but great!"

Brian laughed. "I'm glad you're enjoying this even though you haven't met the boys, yet."

"I'm afraid Miss Patricia isn't much of a fan, Brian." Neil commented, with a naughty smile on his lips.

Brian looked at me, with his eyebrows lifted. "You're not, Miss?"

"No, I'm not really a fan." I confessed shyly. Now, being here in The Beatles' world, it seemed like a sin not to like them.

"Oh, but I guess you like some of their songs, don't you? At least the most famous ones."

"Mm… not much…"

"Well," he looked surprised, and even a little offended, I think, "then why are you here?"

"I came to accompany my sister. My parents didn't allow her to come if I didn't came along with her," I explained.

"Oh, I see… Anyway, Miss, I'm sure you'll go back to your home completely in love with them. They're so charming and easy going, and the music you will hear in the concert tonight will absolutely blow your mind."

I didn't say anything because I was afraid I would offend him in any way if I told him I didn't think I would get to like them ever, so I just smiled.

Anna spoke up, then. "I agree with you. She will meet them today and will like them. And their music as well. That's what I've been telling her since I got the news I was the winner and I knew she was going to come with me, but she doesn't want to believe it will be that way."

"Actually," Neil said, "it could be two ways. Or she gets to completely love them, or she gets to completely hate them! That's how the guys are. They make people love them or hate them. There's no a middle term with them, I believe."

"I think you're right, Neil. That's how they are." Brian smiled.

"I like that." I said sicerelly. I've always liked that quality in a person.

Some minutes of small talk passed among us. Brian asked a little about Anna and I: where did we live, how old we were, if we were studying, if we worked, all the classic questions you ask when you're talking to a stranger. We didn't ask anything about him, we couldn't bring ourselves to do that. He offered us some tea, and we declined politely. We've never been very fond of any kind of infusion. Neil remained silent the most of the time, except to make any funny or interesting comment.

It'd been half an hour since we were in the hotel and Anna finally managed to slip the question she'd wanted to ask since we'd stepped in the room.

"Sorry, Brian, but where are the guys?"

"Oh, sorry! How could I forget such a thing!"

"It's alright," I said. "Never mind."

"Well, they are in the press conference right now. I've stayed here to welcome you. They left two ours ago but I think they are going to be here in any minute."

"Oh, God…" Anna breathed. Her nervousness was growing and it was contagious.

Five minutes passed and as we were talking in that moment, we didn't realized that the elevator had stopped and that people was getting off it and walking towards here through the corridor. We realized just when the steps were really close.

"Oh, those must be them," Brian said and stood up.

Anna and I turned around to look at the doorway. I could feel Anna's excitement and nervousness increasing as the steps were heard closer and closer and she stood up to receive her idols. I was pretty nervous too. Well, I dunno if nervous, but I was anxious to see if those Beatles looked as good as everybody said. I remained sitting.

After what seemed an eternity but were about five seconds, four young men entered to the room, followed by more or less ten people who I supposed were their crew. They were here.

The Beatles.

And everybody was wrong, though.

They looked even better.

continued