“What’s that?” Stuart asked Emma the next night.
Emma emerged from her house carrying a small, thick rectangle package wrapped in brown paper.
“It’s Paul’s birthday present.”
“You got him a present?”
“Well, I thought it was the nice thing to do. Did you get him anything?”
Stuart nodded his head. “John and I chipped in and got him a really nice watch. What did you get him?”
Emma beamed. She was pleased with her gift. “It’s a surprise.”
They arrived at the club and the party was already in full swing. Emma set down her gift on the table with the rest of the presents then scanned the club for John. He was sitting at a table with Cyn and George. She grabbed Stuart by the wrist and dragged him over to the table.
“Hey!” she greeted everyone. She sat down on an empty chair beside Cyn.
“Where’s the birthday boy?” she asked.
“Mingling with his guests,” Cyn answered. “He was asking about you. What took you so long?”
Emma glanced over at Stuart and started to laugh. “We had a bit of trouble on our way over here. I broke a heel and we had to walk all the way back to my house and then I couldn’t find my other pair of black sandals.”
“It’s always like that, ain’t it George?” John remarked. “Always waiting on the woman.”
Cyn playfully punched him in the shoulder.
“Shut your mouth John. I can name a few occasions where I was waiting on you.”
Everyone at the table laughed.
“What did I miss?” Paul asked, sitting down at the table across from Emma.
“Just another Lennonism,” George laughed.
Paul laughed as he was retold the story. He looked across the table then at Emma. Their eyes locked for a few quick seconds, and then Emma quickly looked away and turned her attention to a comment Cyn was making.
Emma enjoyed herself for the rest of the night, dancing with everyone. At 11 she had to leave, so she went looking for Paul. She found with a group of guys and waited until thy had finished talking. “I’m going to go, but I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and thank you for inviting me.”
“You’re leaving already?” he asked, disappointment in his voice.
“Yeah. My dad is calling at midnight. I don’t want to miss his call.”
“Well, can you just stay for one last dance?” He looked at her with large brown puppy dog eyes.
Emma laughed. “Alright. One dance!”
She let Paul lead her out to the dance floor, and just as they got there Nat King Cole came on singing Unforgettable.
“I love this song,” Emma smiled as Paul took her in his arms. “I don’t know what it is about Nat King Cole, but whenever I hear his voice it takes me to another world where everything is perfect,” Emma whispered to Paul as they swayed to the music. She leaned her head on his chest and just let herself get lost in his arms.
When it ended, Emma looked up at Paul and smiled. They locked eyes for the second time that night and this time Emma did not look away. “Happy birthday, Paul McCartney.” Then she slipped out of his arms and left the party.
The next day Emma was up in her room working on a painting when her mother knocked on her door.
“There is a young man downstairs,” she told Emma. “He says his name is Paul.”
“Paul?” Emma asked, surprised. She put down her paintbrush.
“Should I tell him to come back?” her mother asked.
“No! Just tell him I will be right down.”
Her mother left and Emma tried her best to make herself presentable. She took off her paint-stained sweater and put on a black tank top, then decided to keep on her black petal pushers. Looking one last time in the mirror, Emma ran downstairs.
Paul was standing looking at all the pictures on the fireplace mantle.
“I see you have found my embarrassing pictures.”
Paul put down the picture and turned to look at Emma. A smile spread across his face. “You were cute when you were young.”
Emma blushed then quickly changed the subject. “So what brings you here today?”
“I just wanted to thank you for the present. It is really good.”
Emma had painted a picture of Paul performing on stage.
“Thanks.”
“Do you want to go for a walk with me?”
“Sure. Just let me tell my mum.” Emma went into the kitchen where her mother was doing dishes. “I’m going for a walk.”
“This one is a cutie,” her mother whispered, nodding her head toward the sitting room where Paul was waiting.
Emma ignored her mother’s comment. “I’ll be home by diner.”
“Don’t hurry home. Eat out tonight.” Her mother encouraged.
Emma laughed and left the kitchen, returning to Paul. “All set,” she said to him, grabbing a sweater. “Let’s go.” She followed Paul outside and they stood on her front walkway.
“Do you want to walk to Strawberry Fields?” Emma asked as she opened her gate.
“Sure,” Paul replied. He followed Emma. They walked in silence for a while and then Paul spoke up. “Strawberry Fields is where I first met John.”
Emma nodded. “Yeah, he told me. He was piss drunk and you played him Twenty Flight Rock and could tune a guitar!”
Paul laughed at the memory. “Yeah, that’s about right. So, how did you meet John?”
“I actually met Stuart first, who then in turn introduced me to John one day at a pub.”
“Okay then,” Paul said. “Let me rephrase that. How did you meet Stuart?”
“I was painting by the docks when he came up to me and started talking to me and then he found out I was going to the art college and we just kind of ran into each other.”
“You must be some girl then!” Paul remarked.
“John said that too! Why is everyone so shocked when they hear that?”
“Because Stuart is so shy when he is around girls. It’s just so hard to believe that he made the first move,” Paul explained.
“Well, he did, and the rest is history. He’s one of my best friends and I am glad that he came up to me that day.”
They had come upon Strawberry Fields just then. Paul took Emma’s hand and led her around the back where they hopped the fence and found a small area to sit down on.
“God, I could sit here for hours!” Emma cried, falling back onto the grass.
Paul laughed and fell down beside her. “It’s nice to get away from everything once in a while.” he remarked.
“I know what you mean. Sometimes I just want to throw away all my art supplies and just for once not have the pressure of trying to be the best.” It wasn’t until after she said it that Emma realized what she had said. “I mean . . .”
“Do you have a lot of pressure put on you because you are so good?” Paul asked, turning his head so he could look at Emma.
“I shouldn’t complain. I’m lucky, but, well, it’s my parents. I’m always worried that if I don’t do well, they won’t be proud of me.”
“How could they not be proud of you? You’re a bloody fantastic painter!”
“Can we change the subject?” Emma asked. “How is the band going?”
Paul sat up enthusiastically. “We may have a chance to go play in Hamburg.”
“Hamburg, Germany?” Emma asked. “When?”
“Sometime in August. Shit, Em! We can make so much money off of this!”
Emma sat there, absorbing this sudden bit of information. “How long will you be gone?”
“That hasn’t been arranged yet. It’s not a sure thing that we are going, but they seemed pretty excited.”
Emma sat up and looked at Paul. He started back at her. Their eyes locked and she could see the excitement they held and smiled. “I’m really happy for you.”
Paul smiled back. “Thank you. I’m really happy for me too. It’s just so fucking great that this band is finally doing something. I really think we can go somewhere with it and even farther if. . .” He stopped himself there.
“If Stuart wasn’t in the group.” Emma finished for him.
Paul lowered his eyes and started pulling grass up from the ground.
“He’s a nice guy,” Emma spoke. “He doesn’t deserve the shit he takes from you lot.”
That got Paul’s attention and his head snapped up. “He doesn’t take any shit from us.”
“Yes he does!” Emma cried. “You’re always at him about his bass playing. He knows he can’t play! But he tries really hard.”
“Maybe that isn’t good enough,” Paul muttered under his breath.
“Hey! Just leave it! He won’t be in the band forever. He’s a painter at heart. He’s only in the band because John wants him there. You don’t have to constantly pick on him.”
“I don’t!” Paul defended himself. “Look, Stuart is a really nice guy. I’m sorry I said anything.”
Emma laid back down on the grass and Paul remained sitting up. It was getting dark. Stars started darting the sky. Emma didn’t like that she had just got into an argument with Paul when she didn’t even know him.
“I didn’t mean to get angry at you,” she apologized. “It’s just that Stuart is one of my best friends and I don’t like to see him hurt.”
“I understand,” Paul accepted. He laid back down beside Emma, propping his head up with his elbow so he could look at her.
Emma tried to ignore the fact that he was staring at her. “I love the stars,” she told him, trying to get him to look at something else besides her. It worked. He turned his attention to the star scattered sky. “When I was little,” Emma started to tell him, “I would lay in my back yard for hours, looking up at the stars and imagining another life up in the sky. I wanted to be with the stars.”
“My mum used to tell me that if anything ever happened to her I could always find her in the stars. I used to laugh at that until something did happen to her . . .” He let his sentence drift away.
“I’m sorry about your mum. It must have been hard.”
“It was. That’s why John and I are so close. We share that bond of losing a parent.”
“Sometimes I worry about John. He keeps too much inside.”
Paul turned his head to look at Emma. “That’s what he says about you.”
“I suppose I do. I’m just scared to get it all out there.” This time Emma sat up. “The divorce really screwed me up. I wasn’t ready to deal with it and then to suddenly be moved halfway across the world. It was scary. I was lucky to have found John and Stuart. They’ve helped me in more ways than I think they realize.”
“John is a good friend. His tough act is just that, an act.”
Emma smiled. “He would be scared shitless if someone found out he was a real softie.”
Paul laughed at that.
Then they fell silent, both lost in their own thoughts.
“What was Winnipeg like?” Paul asked, breaking the silence.
“Like any city, I suppose,” Emma responded. “Very cold winters and very hot summers. Manitoba is a prairie province so it is flat. No mountains or oceans. Some lakes. I liked living there.”
“What about your family?”
“Well, it’s just me and my mum and dad. I have no brothers or sisters. Both my parents are painters. That’s how they met. At art school in London. My dad was from Canada, my mum was from London. They fell in love and got married and then they had me. I lived in London until I was five. Then my dad’s dad died and we had to move to Winnipeg so my dad could take over the family business. She fell silent for a moment before continuing. "My parents started fighting when I was 16. Not just little arguments, but full blown fights with screaming and throwing things. My mum blamed my dad for ruining her career as a painter.” She looked over at Paul. "They got a divorce and now I'm here. In reality, it was me who ruined her career." Tears were brimming in her eyes.
Paul moved over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You didn't ruin her career. She had a choice."
"Sometimes I think she blames me. I can see the look in her eyes when she sees one of my paintings. Like she knew she could have done something if I hadn't of come along."
He gave her a tight squeeze. "She’s very proud of you, I'm sure. Don’t let this bother you because it was not your fault."
Emma turned her head and looked at Paul. They were so close. All she could think of was how close his lips were to hers. She wanted him to kiss her. And as if he could read her mind, he leant forward and his lips gently brushed hers in the sweetest kiss Emma had ever experienced.
When it ended, and Paul had pulled away, Emma stared into his eyes. A goofy grin plastered on her face.
"I can be here for you too, Emmie." he whispered. "I won't let anything hurt you." And he kissed her again.
Later that night, Emma lay wide awake on her bed, a silly smile on her face. Paul had kissed her. She just couldn’t believe that had happened. She hadn’t known him that long, but when she first met him, she had felt some sort of connection between them.
But what if Paul hadn’t felt the same connection? What if that kiss had been an in the moment kiss? No, stop! her mind cried. She didn’t need to think of this. It had happened and now she just needed to wait and see. Closing her eyes, she forced herself into a dream filled sleep of kisses and stars.
Emma woke up the next morning, and for a moment the events of last night were clear from her mind but quickly it came flooding back and a smile spread across her face.
The phone rang downstairs as she pulled herself out of her warm bed.
“Emma!” she heard her mother call up to her. “Phone; it’s for you.”
Emma raced downstairs and into the kitchen where her mother was standing holding the phone. “Must have had a nice evening?” her mother smiled as she handed Emma the phone.
“Hello?” Emma asked into the receiver.
“Hi.” Paul answered.
“Hi.” Emma smiled.
“About last night,” Paul went right into.
Emma’s heart sank. He’s going to tell me it was a mistake, she thought. He’s going to tell me to forget it ever happened and then we will be all weird around each other. “I understand,” she uttered.
“Understand what?” Paul asked.
“That last night was a mistake.”
“That’s not what I thought it was. I was calling to tell you that I thought kissing you was the best thing I’ve done in years!”
Emma breathed a sigh of relief and she heard Paul laugh on the other end.
“Don’t laugh at me!” she protested. “I was afraid you would think what happened last night was a mistake and you would never want to see me again!”
“That is the complete opposite!” Paul cried. “I want to see you more and more! But I can’t see you until tonight.”
Emma could just see those sad puppy dog eyes.
“Can I see you tonight?”
“Of course!” She cried. “If I can wait that long.”
“How about you come by for our gig tonight? We have rehearsals all day so I can’t see you until after the gig.”
“That’s okay. I have some work I have to do.” She paused. “Paul, have you told anyone yet?”
“No.”
“Maybe we should wait until after the gig.”
Paul laughed. “Yeah, I don’t want your two older brothers beating me up!”
Emma laughed with him, knowing just how protective John and Stuart were over her. “A few months ago I was seeing this guy, Greg McCourt and he cheated on me with another girl. How I found this out was John and Stuart were the ones that caught him. There was a fight and lets just say John and Stuart left the pub with faces the same colour they came in with and Greg, well . . .!”
“Okay, so then it is settled. I will see you after the gig?”
“I’ll see you after the gig,” Emma responded. They said their goodbyes and then hung up the phone.
Immediately, Emma picked the phone back up and made another call.
An hour and a half later Emma entered Café Lee and quickly scanned the room. Spotting who she was looking for, she made her way to a booth at the back of the café.
Sitting down, she faced an impatient Cyn.
“Been waiting long?” Emma laughed.
“Not too long,” Cyn exclaimed. “Now get right to it. What is so important that you have to tell me?”
‘Okay,” Emma began. “You can’t say anything yet, but I just had to tell someone and I knew I could trust you.”
“Emma!”
“Okay! Paul and I kissed last night!” She scrunched her eyes, waiting for Cyn’s reaction.
“I knew something was going to happen between you!”
Emma opened her eyes. “What?”
“It was obvious the first time you two met that something was going to happen.”
“I can’t believe this!” Emma laughed. “Did anyone else notice this?”
Cyn laughed with Emma. “God no! Guys don’t notice things like that. It’s just us women who have that sixth sense.”
“It was weird, Cyn. I just felt like we belonged together. Like we were supposed to be together.”
Cyn smiled. “I know the feeling. I remember when I first met John. I thought it was fate that we were meant to be together. Nothing could be more wonderful. And yet you have all these doubts and questions running through your head.”
“Yes!” Emma cried.
Cyn laughed and then glanced at her watch. “We have lots of time before we have to meet up with the guys. Do you want to go shopping. Maybe we can find some new outfits.”
“I’m up for that,” Emma agreed.
They paid their bill and then headed toward Penny Lane.
“I’m nervous,” Emma whispered to Cyn as they walked into the club.
“He’s going to flip when he sees you in that dress,” Cyn instructed her.
Emma smoothed down the dress she was wearing. She’d found this beautiful 1940's tiered gown in violet. It had thin straps and a fitted waist with three tiered peplum leading to a full skirt. Cynthia had found this gorgeous little black dress.
“John is going to flip when he sees you in that dress. Now let’s get inside before I lose my nerve!”
They walked in to find the guys around a table talking excitedly about something.
“Why the excitement?” Emma asked, walking up to them with Cyn right behind her.
Five heads turned to look at the two girls and five mouths dropped open.
Emma and Cyn did a little turn showing off their outfits to the gawking guys.
“Why so dressed up?” George asked after picking his jaw up off the table.
“No reason.” Cyn explained. “Girls just like to get a little dressed up some times.”
“Well, I don’t mind!” John cried, grabbing Cyn by the waist and pulling her onto his lap.
Emma glanced around the table and when she looked at Stuart he was staring at her in an odd way. She ignored it and turned to Paul. “What’s going on?” She asked him.
He smiled up at her and then mimicked John and pulled her into his lap. “We’re going to Hamburg!”
“Are you serious?” Emma asked, turning her head so she could look into his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m serious. We leave in August.”
“For how long?” Cyn asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Not long,” John reassured her. “We’ll be making a lot of money and it will be a good experience for us. I’ll write everyday, I promise.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
Emma looked over at Stuart. “You finally get to leave this shite hole and see the world.”
Stuart winked at her. “Hamburg is just the beginning, Miss James. I plan on taking you with me when I really see the world.”
Emma smiled and then felt Paul’s grip around her waist tighten. Taking her hands, she eased his hold and hopped off his lap.
“Come dance with me?” she asked. He smiled and followed her to the dance floor. Paul wrapped his arms around her waist and Emma wrapped hers around his neck leaning her head on his shoulder.
“What’s going on?” John asked Cyn at the table.
“Isn’t it obvious?” She asked him. “They’re in love.”
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