The next morning I made my way to the office. I had found out last night from John himself that they would be doing a third US tour. I had never even been able to go see any of their concerts back home...and here I was heading to work to be present at a meeting with the Beatles and their promoter. Who would have thought?

By the time I got to the office, I was surprised to see that the boys were already there. I checked the time on my watch to make sure I wasn't late. 

"Good morning luv." John said. He was sitting on my desk and Paul was in my chair. 

"Hey...you guys are here quite early. What's the occasion?" I teased. 

"Brian sent to pick us up...it's the only way we would be here on time." Paul said. 

"You're joking." I said. 

"No....it's true." I heard Brian's voice from behind me. "These lads are always late..."

"So, where's George and Ringo then?" I asked. 

"See Eppy...you should have had Mal wake them up at the crack of dawn and have them sitting here too." 

"Don't start with me John." Brian started. "Ringo and George always make it on time..."

"Do you guys want anything to drink?"I asked as I set my purse on my desk. 

"A cuppa would be nice." John smiled. 

"Paul? Brian?"

"Sure." Paul said.

"Yes...thank you Emma." 

So I made tea for all of us and as I was coming out with the tray, I saw that George, Ringo and who I assumed was Sid Bernstein had joined the others.

"Good Morning." I said. "I guess we're going to need more cups." 

An hour and a half later, Brian was saying goodbye to Mr. Bernstein and John was inviting me to lunch.

"Come on Emma...have lunch with us? We'll come pick you up in a few hours...."

"Yeah Emma...we can catch up. You can tell us about your vacation in Spain." George said. 

"We're going to to to the studio, but we'll be back to pick you up....don't stand us up." John finished not giving me a chance to reject the invitation. 

I sighed. "Alright." I said trying to sound casual. The reality was that I was very much excited about going to lunch with them, but I needed to play it cool. I had to remember I was not Mirel right now...but Emma..who got excited by people who could recite the Hippocratic Oath-backwards and forwards- not going to lunch with the Fab Four. 

It was 1 o'clock and I still hadn't heard anything from the boys and I was starting to get hungry. I decided to give them another 10 minutes before I headed down to the cafe to pick up something to eat. About five minutes into my waiting time, I got a call from Ringo telling me they were very sorry, but the recording session was taking longer than expected and if I would mind turning our lunch into a dinner. I told him that would be fine and although I was a little disappointed in not getting to see them, I was looking forward to having dinner with them. Dinner meant our time would not be limited and the fact that today was Friday meant tomorrow was not a working day. We had agreed that they would pick me up at my flat tonight around 7pm. The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. After their meeting with Mr. Bernstein, Brian gave me a list of things to follow up with. I didn't mind though-the more work, the faster the day went. 

Back at my apartment I was deciding what to wear when the phone rang. I looked at the clock and saw that I still had an hour until the boys were due to pick me up. 

"Hello Emma?" 

"Yes?" I answered. 

"It's Mrs. Dawson. I just wanted to let you know I was on my way to drop off Charlie." 

"Excuse me?" I asked confused. 

"Oh dear...did you forget luv? We had agreed that you could take care of Charlie while I was away this weekend." I heard her say, 

"I...uhhh...no...of course I can take care of Charlie...." I responded. 

"Wonderful....we will be right over." She said as she hung up the phone. 

"Thank you sis...once again you forget to mention I'd be babysitting this weekend." I said to myself as I threw my hands up in the air. "So much for dinner with the boys..." 

Unfortunately, I didn't have a phone number where to contact them...I bet Emma probably did and had left that out as well... so I figured when they got here, I would have to let them know I couldn't go tonight on the account I would have a child to take care of. 

About ten minutes after I had gotten off the phone with Mrs. Dawson, I heard a knock on the door. I opened the door and couldn't help but laugh.

"We're here." a lady in her mid 40s smiled as she held onto a leash that was attached to a beautiful beagle. I couldn't believe it! Charlie wasn't a boy...he was a dog. Dinner with the boys was still on. 

So Mrs. Dawson left feeding instructions and a couple of phone numbers in case I ran into problems. 

"We'll be fine...you go and have a great weekend." I said as I closed the door. 

"And Charlie...I am going to get ready to have a great night...you make yourself at home." I told him as I walked into my room to rush and get dressed, 

Charlie was great company and no trouble at all. He followed me wherever I went and laid at the foot of my bed. He was simply adorable. 

"So what do you think Charlie?" I asked when I finished getting ready. 

He picked up his head slightly before laying it back down and closed his eyes. 

"I'll take that as a nod of approval." 

A little after 7 o'clock I heard a knock on the door and expected to see the boys, but instead I saw Mal Evans, who I had met last night.

"Hi." I said a bit confused. 

"Emma...how are you?"

"Okay...sorry but I wasn't expecting to see you here." 

"The boys sent me...the thing is that after the recording session, they all went to Paul's house and well...you know how it is...they started drinking and the such...so I'm here to pick you up. You ready?"

"Uhh...yeah....is this a party?" I inquired. 

"Just a few people are coming over." he said as we walked to his car. 

I was glad I had decided to get a little more glammed up tonight than normal...I would at least not feel underdressed for a Beatle party. It wasn't what I had planned to do this Friday night, but then again, when did plans really go the way one hoped for? When we got to Paul's house, the excitement started building. We walked in and I saw just what having a 'few' people over really meant. Apparently my definition of few was not the same as theirs. The house was full of people. It took me a while to spot any of the boys, but when I did, I saw them each already paired up. Ringo was with his wife Maureen and George was with Patti...I recognized both of them from the the fan magazines I occasionally had read back home. I knew Paul was dating Jane Asher, but that was definitely not Jane who was sitting on his lap and John...well John had two girls chatting him up. Mal walked me over and I said hi to George and Patti, who apparently already knew Emma as did Maureen. We talked for a few minutes before I excused myself to say hi to Paul.

"Hey luv...glad you could make it. Make yourself at home." Paul said 

"Thanks...." I smiled. 

"There are drinks over there...help yourself." He smiled that million dollar smile of his. 

I was going to go say hi to John, but I stopped short of that when I saw him start making out with one of the girls I had first seen him with. I looked around and realized there really wasn't anyone else I knew from this crowd...maybe someone knew Emma and would come up to me. In the meantime, I grabbed a drink and waited for that to happen. Apart from a few words exchanged with George and Paul who passed by as they grabbed another drink, I didn't really talk to anyone. I felt out of place and for the first time in a long time, I felt alone amidst so many people. Sure, I felt lonely when I was home by myself, but it was a strange feeling to have when you were in the middle of a party. I hadn't felt like this in ages...since I was a teenager. I guess dating a guy for 7 years spoils you...whenever I went out, I always had Nick to fall back on...even if we didn't know anyone there or nobody talked to us, we could always keep each other company. I didn't know how to go solo anymore....and this situation brought back feelings I was hoping I could forget. Tonight only magnified the fact that I was alone...that my boyfriend of 7 years had left me without an explanation and that I was in a foreign country without my sister or any friends. Who was I kidding...as much as I wanted to think of John, Paul, George and Ringo as friends of Emma, the probability of that being true was very small...acquaintances maybe because Emma worked for Brian, but friends? It wasn't to say that they were being rude or anything. Every time Paul passed me by he was always attentive and asked if I was enjoying myself to which I forced a smile and a very fake 'Oh yes...everything's wonderful!', but the truth was that I was having an awful time. I was considering calling it a night, but decided I needed to stick around a little longer...at least for appearances. I grabbed another drink...after all, it made great company when one was feeling down.

The music and the people were making me more irritated as the night went on and i felt I just needed to get away from it all. I thought about going outside, but there were just as many people out there than in the house. Maybe it wasn't the most appropriate thing to do, but I walked up the stairs...if I was going to be a lost soul, I needed to do it with no one looking. It was a little odd knowing I was walking through Paul McCartney's house, but the man had said to make myself at home...and for me home meant a place where I could feel comfortable. I passed by a couple of doors that were closed and I didn't dare open them...then I would feel like i was intruding, but at the end of the hallway, I saw a room that had the door slightly open and so I pushed it a little and peaked inside. 

"Bingo." I smiled as I walked in. There in that room were a few guitars, a bass, speakers...and a piano. I walked over to the piano and traced my hands across the keys. I sat down on the bench and hit the C key. The note filled the room beautifully. The music that was playing downstairs could still be lightly heard, but the sound of that piano...I had learned to play piano when I was a little girl...and I fell in love with it, 

I fiddled with the keys, not playing anything in particular, but feeling right at home sitting in front of it. I remembered a song that had come out earlier this year. It was sung by Ray Charles and I remember listening to it for the first time and thinking what a sad song that was...but I loved it...the way that man put a bluesy feel to it...I never thought it would ever be a song I would identify with...but I had learned to play it and without thinking about it too much, I found my fingers finding the correct notes and the melody filling the room. 

"Oh it's cryin' time again...you're gonna leave me..." I sang softly. " I can see that far away look in your eyes....I can tell by the way you hold me darlin'...that it won't be long before it's cryin' time...Now they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder....and that tears are only rain to make love grow...well my love for you could never grow no stronger....if I lived to be a hundred years old..." I continued singing. "Oh it's cryng time again you're-"

But as I got to the chorus I suddenly heard a harmony part to what I was singing...

"...gonna leave me..." It was a voice I recognized without having to turn and face him. It was John. I continued playing the piano, but I fell back in the singing and let him continue on his own. 

"I can see that far away look in your eyes...i can tell by the way you hold me darlin'...that it won't be long until it's crying time." 

Once the verse was over I stopped and looked behind me. I saw John standing at the doorway. 

"Why'd you stop, luv? We had good harmony for the 4 syllables we sang together." he smiled as he came towards me. I moved to make room for him on the bench and he sat down next to me. He played around with the keys as I had done when I had first sat down and then stopped. He didn't look at me right away.

"That was quite a sad song you were singing."

"That's why they call it the Blues." I said not looking at him either. 

He turned to look at me. I prayed he wouldn't ask why I had been singing that specific song. 

"I didn't know you played piano...nor that you sang." John said and I was relieved by his comment. 

"Yeah I learned to play when I was a little girl. My dad would sit me next to him as he played and I would look at his hands striking the keys and was simply mesmerized by the sound that came out of the piano. I told him I wanted to be able to make that happen...and so he taught me." I said. "I can play the piano..." I continued finally looking at John. " That I can do...but singing..." I chuckled. "I just...I just mess around with that." 

"Well you have a good voice...."

"Thanks." 

There was a small silence. 

"So what are you doing up here?"

"I just needed to get away from the crowd...I hope Paul doesn't mind me having come up ..."

"Nah..." John brushed it off. "I didn't even know you were here until I saw you come up the stairs..."

"Well...you were a bit...busy when I arrived." I said. "So I didn't want to interrupt." 

John laughed softly. "Eh...I wouldn't have minded...those birds didn't really have much to say."

"Well from what I saw there wasn't much talking going on." I smiled. 

'Now that's what I wanted to see...you smile. You shouldn't be up hear by yourself singing a bloody song about the next time you're gonna fuckin' cry...don't get me wrong, it's a great song...but luv, there's a party downstairs...come 'ead." he said getting up and taking my hand. "And I am going to make sure you enjoy yourself." He winked.