Author: Lisa
Rating: G
Summary: Set in real-life 1967, two young girls learn they have to be careful what they say...
"They told me what you'd do, if I ever stayed with you. They told me that you'd laugh, while I cried. They told me what you'd say, that you'd turn and walk away and find another place to play-while I cried."
Mike looked up from his guitar to see Lester turned away from the control panel, coughing. The other Monkees saw it too. Mike stopped playing and hit the talk-back button.
"You OK there, Les?" He asked concerned. Lester had recently been in the hospital with bronchitis and was still feeling a little under the weather. He had wanted to take more time off, but his bosses wanted another Monkee record out, so he was obliged to come in and produce the record. The Monkees knew all this, and were angry over the callous treatment of their friend.
Lester stopped the recording and flipped the switch for the talk- back.
"I'm fine, Mike." He answered, "It's just that I have to take my cough medicine and I left it at home."
"Want to go back home and get it?" Davy asked, "We'll wait."
"No, Davy, I called my daughter Vallery. She's coming here to bring it to me. Thanks anyway."
Just then, the phone inside the booth rang. Lester picked it up, said a few words, then hung up and hit the switch.
"That's my daughter. She brought her little sister Joanne with her too." Lester said, "I'll be right back."
"Take your time, Les." Mike answered, "I need to work on the harmony with Pete."
"OK." Lester answered and flipped the switch off.
The Monkees sat down in a circle watching Mike show Peter what he wanted played.
After a few minutes, Micky glanced up and saw through the glass
Lester and two young girls, one about seventeen and the other about twelve, obviously his daughters. He didn't give it another thought and went back to watching Mike and Peter play. Peter, a smart and fast learner, was already picking up on what Mike wanted to play.
~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the booth, Lester's older daughter Vallery handed him a bottle and a spoon inside a plastic bag.
"Here's your medicine, Dad." Vallery said.
"Thanks honey." Lester replied, and then looked at his younger daughter. "Keeping your big sis company?"
"We were going to the movies when you called." Joanne replied, looking around, "I'd never seen the inside of a recording studio before and....AHHHHHH!!"
"What?!" Lester and Vallery said together.
"Is...that...the...Monkees?" Joanne stammered, pointing through the glass at the four men sitting in a circle.
Fortunately, the booth was soundproof, so they didn't hear Joanne scream.
"Yes, that's them." Lester smiled. He knew his daughters were huge Monkee fans, "I didn't know until the last minute that I'd be working with them *cough*."
"You better take that Medicine, Dad." Vallery said, looking wide-eyed at the Monkees. "We'll wait here."
"OK, but DON'T bother them!" Lester admonished, "They're working on a new album and they're behind schedule already."
"Alright." The girls replied, a little disappointed.
They really would've liked to meet the guys, to tell them how much they liked their TV show, how wonderful their records are.
Lester left the control booth to take his medicine. Vallery and Joanne leaned over the control panel to get a better look at their idols. Unfortunately, Vallery didn't notice that the edge of her wide-sleeved blouse caught on the talk-back switch and turned it to "On". They didn't know that everything they said would now be heard by the Monkees on the other side of the glass.
"Oh, aren't they just gorgeous?" Vallery said dreamily.
On the other side of the glass, Mike and Peter stopped playing when they heard that. The talk-back switch was "Off" on their side, so they girls couldn't hear what the Monkees were saying.
"What was that?" Peter asked.
Micky glanced up at the booth then back down to the others.
"It's Les's girls. Must've hit the talk-back switch."
Davy gave the others an evil grin.
"Let's pretend we can't hear them. Then we'll know what they really think of us."
The others nodded their heads in agreement, laughing to themselves.
Unaware of what was happening, Vallery and Joanne kept up their conversation.
"Oh, yeah." Joanne was now saying, "I'd love to run my hands through Micky's curly hair." Micky kept his head down, trying not to laugh.
"You're sweet on him, aren't you?" Vallery asked.
"Yeah, but I love them all." Joanne replied. "Don't you love Davy?"
"You bet. He's just so sweet looking! That face! That accent! He looks even better now since his hair is shorter."
"No wonder he gets all the girls on TV!" Joanne said.
Davy put his head in hands, laughing.
"Mike should get a girl once in a while." Vallery stated. "Even sweet Peter got a girl once."
"Well...Mike's married, don't forget." Joanne answered.
"Yeah, I know." Vallery said, disappointed.
Mike rolled his eyes, while Peter just shook his head.
"I wonder how Peter feels having to play a dummy on TV when I heard that he isn't one?" Joanne said.
"I think you have to be smart to play someone dumb and do it well." Vallery replied.
"True." Joanne remarked.
Peter raised an eyebrow and looked at the others, then pretended to play his guitar again.
"You think Dad will let us say 'hi' to them? To tell them how much we love them?" Vallery.
"I hope so." Joanne said. "They are so gorgeous, talented, smart, funny..."
Just then, Lester walked back into the control booth.
"Thanks for bringing my medicine...hey be careful!" He said quickly, "You gotta watch the controls. They're in just the right positions."
Vallery and Joanne moved away from the panel, while their Dad sat back down in front of it. He quickly scanned the controls and saw the talk-back switch was to "ON".
"Did you girls flick this switch?" Lester asked, pointing to the talk-back switch.
"No." Both girls shook their heads.
"Well, that's the intercom or talk-back, where you can talk to whoever's in the studio. They can hear what we're saying."
"WHAT?!" The girls shouted.
Lester quickly flicked the switch to "OFF". Inside the studio, the Monkees were almost on the floor in laughter. Lester saw that, and realized what happened. He turned back to his horrified daughters.
They had their backs to the door that led from the studio to the control booth, so they didn't see Monkees leave the studio and make their way to the control booth.
"What's wrong? Did you girls say something you didn't want them to hear?" Lester asked, smiling.
"Oh my...GOD." Vallery whispered. "We were talking about how cute and talented they are."
"Acting like a couple of twits." Joanne finished.
"We better get out of here before we embarrass ourselves any further." Vallery said to Joanne.
"No, don't go." A voice said behind them. Micky's voice.
Vallery and Joanne slowly turned around to see the Monkees standing right in front of them, smiles on their faces.
Only by strength of will, did the two girls keep themselves from fainting. Lester stood up and put his arms around his daughter's shoulders.
"Fellows, I'd like for you to meet my daughters Vallery and Joanne."
"'Ello luvs!" Davy said, stepping forward and kissing the girls on the cheeks.
"Pleased to meet you girls." Mike said with a short bow.
"I'm very fortunate to meet you two young ladies with such beautiful and exquisite names." Peter said formally, kissing their hands.
"What he said." Micky said last of all, drawing laughs from everyone.
"We're honored to meet you guys." Vallery managed to get out. "Joanne and I have been fans from the beginning."
"That long?" Davy replied, "Would you like to discuss that with us over tea in restaurant next door?"
Vallery and Joanne looked up at their Dad. Lester nodded his head.
"Go ahead girls. I have some sound mixing to do."
"We'd be delighted!" Joanne replied happily.
The girls left their Dad and took Peter and Davy's outstretched arms.
"And maybe afterward we'll hold Micky down so you can run your hands through his hair." Mike said to Joanne.
Everybody laughed at that as the six of them left the control booth.