Sam and Laura were both leaving the next day. Laura’s flight was earlier.

I’m going to miss you!? Emma cried as she gave her friend a hug.

”I’m going to miss you, too,” Laura responded. “You know you always have a place to stay if you need to get away.”

Emma hugged her tighter. “I know. Thank you.” She pulled away. “Good luck with that new magazine, Rolling Stone.”

Laura smiled. “Thanks. Maybe this one will make me famous.”

Emma laughed. “I’m sure it will.” “Bye Emma.” “Not goodbye, Laura. Just see ya later.” Laura wiped away the tear that fell from her eye. She had to leave and the two friends hugged one last time and then she was gone.

Sam’s flight was three hours later so he and Emma went to one of the airports many lounges and sat down for drinks.

“We need to talk,” Sam said after they had sat down and made their drink orders.

Emma started ripping apart her napkin. ”I was just thinking that,” she replied.

“I think you need to find someone else to manage your career,” he explained. “It’s going to be too hard now that you’re in London and I’m back in New York.”

Emma nodded her head. “I know what you mean and I think it is a good idea.”

Their drinks arrived and Sam took a sip from his rum and coke. “I want to focus my full attention on the art gallery.”

“And you can still help me when I’m in America.”

He smiled. “Of course.”

Emma got serious. “I want to thank you, Sam, for all that you did for me. If it wasn’t for you, I would still be huddled up in my bed back in New York crying myself to sleep every night.”

“You did it, Emmie, not me.”

“Yes you did! You pushed me to put on a show and look where I am now! You can deny it all you want, but I know what you did and I will be forever grateful for it.”

Sam’s flight was called over the loud speaker and they stood up and paid their bill. They walked in silence to the gate.

“Take care of yourself, Emma,” Sam said, hugging her.

“You too. Look after my apartment.”

He laughed. “I will. See ya soon.”

“Bye Sam.”

She watched him disappear and then walked away.

Emma knew the prefect person to manage her career, so the next day she walked over to inquire about a new manager.

Walking up the walkway, Emma’s heart pounded. Just then, a man came quickly out of the building and brushed past Emma.

”Brian?” she called to him.

The man stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. “Yes.” Then his eyes widened. “Emma?”

She ran up to him and gave him a hug. “Long time no see!” she laughed.

“What are you doing here?” he asked after they pulled apart.

”Looking for you, actually.”

”Me?”

She smiled. “I have a proposition for you.”

He got a puzzled look on his face. “Well, I was just on my way to lunch, care to join me?”

“Sure.”

They walked to a Greek restaurant just around the corner and once they were seated and made their order, Emma threw out her proposition.

“Don’t feel like you have to say yes when I ask you this. I’ll understand if you don’t want to do it.”

”I’d find it hard to say no to you,” he smiled.

She smiled back. “I want you to be my manager.”

She watched as his eyes widened.

”Your manager?” he asked.

”It’s okay if you don’t want to do it. I underst--”

“Of course I’ll do it!” he interrupted.

”You will?”

”Sure.”

”Really?”

He laughed. “Really. It should be interesting. I’ve never managed anything but rock groups though.”

?It’s okay. It’s no different, really. You would just be booking my shows and doing all the publicity stuff,” Emma explained.

“I’m sure I can handle it. You’ll be quite a break from the rock and roll life. It’s just what I need.”

Their food arrived then and they talked about what would happen and she made plans to meet with him tomorrow to make up a contract.

Emma looked out the window of John’s Rolls Royce and watched London zip by.

”God I love this city!” she laughed, falling back against the seat. She looked over at John who, was sitting across from her. “I feel like a top that has been wound as tight as it can be and then have been let go!” “You sure are happy tonight,” Cyn smiled.

Suddenly the smiled on Emma’s face dropped. “I just realized something,” she whispered. “Paul’s going to be there tonight. It never really hit me until now. And Jane. She’ll be there too.”

John reached across and put his hand on her knee. “I’ll be right beside you the whole night.” “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

”Hey, if things get tough, we can go out and smoke these.” John pulled two neatly rolled marijuana joints out of his jacket pocket.

Emma had smoked it on many occasions. It seemed to be a staple in Greenwich Village. Laura’s writer friends had introduced it to her, and when things got bad she smoked up to get more relaxed.

“I think we’ll be using those tonight!” she laughed. “Oh! I’m going to be the only single one there, aren’t I?” she suddenly realized.

“Brian will be there,” John pointed out. “And we all know that he loves his women!”

”Don’t!” Cyn laughed. “Be nice tonight.” Then she looked over at Emma. “Like you’ll need to worry in that dress, love.”

Emma smoothed out an invisible wrinkle on her dress. She really loved the dress. It was vintage, as always. The dress itself was a deep royal purple with a sheer black material overtop. The sleeves came just off her shoulders and was lined with black lace. She’d swept her hair up into a French twist. She wanted to look good tonight. “This is such a surreal night. Like some weird reunion,” she sighed.

The car pulled to a stop and Emma got out first followed by John and then Cyn. There were a few photographers lurking around but they ignored them and went into the restaurant. Once inside, they were immediately led to the back. Before they had even reached the table a someone had got up and met Emma half way, throwing his arms around her.

“George!” she cried.

”It’s been too long, Emmie!”

She hugged him tight and fought the urge to burst into tears. “Oh, it’s so good to see you!” she laughed.

“You too,” George smiled. “How have you been doing?”

They walked over to the table and Emma took her seat between John and George. She looked over at George. “I’ve been doing good.” She forced a smile. His words went deeper than one would expect.

George turned to the blonde sitting beside him. “Emma, this is Pattie. Pattie, this is Emma.”

”It is so good to meet you,” Pattie smiled. “I really love your paintings.”

Emma smiled back. “Thank you very much.”

“Don’t forget me!” a voice spoke up.

Emma looked up and saw Ringo standing up. She stood up as well and reached over to shake his hand. Emma hadn’t decided if she liked him or not yet. She’d been close to Pete and was so angry when she found out they had sacked him.

She sat back down and she looked at who was sitting across from her. Paul. Their eyes met for a split second . . .

“I’m Jane,” a hand reached across the table. “It’s so lovely to meet you. I admire your work very much.”

Emma politely shook her hand and smiled. “Thank you very much.”

“I actually caught one of your shows when I was in the States a few months ago. Then I find out that you knew the guys.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I knew them before fame corrupted them!” That got a laugh from the group.

The dinner was going great, though Emma was very aware of Paul being so close. They hadn’t said anything to each other and she was finding it harder and harder to sit there and pretend that everything was okay when it really wasn’t. His face held no insight into what he was really feeling and that drove her mad.

John leaned over to her. “Are you ready for your surprise?” he whispered.

Emma looked at him. “Depends on what the surprise is.”

He turned and pointed over her shoulder.

When Emma turned around, two familiar faces were standing behind her. Tears sprung to her eyes and she looked at John and then back at the two people. The rest of the table had grown quiet as they watched Emma. She got up from the table. It was Klaus and Astrid standing before her.

“Surprise!” Klaus smiled.

So this was her surprise. She fell into his arms. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“We’ve come to see you, silly,” Klaus replied.

She turned to Astrid and hugged her. That was just too much and she Emma began to cry again.

“I think I’ve set a record for tears tonight!” she laughed.

It was decided that they would all head back to John’s house for a little party. Klaus and Astrid came in John’s car.

Klaus told Emma that he had been asked by the Beatles to design their next album cover.

”Oh, that’s great!” she cried. “I still have that mock cover you made all those years ago.”

Klaus smiled remembering. “The one for the “Emma James and the Mystical Marshmallow Trees.”

”Yes!”

The car pulled into John’s driveway and they all got out. They were followed by the rest of the party and they all retreated into John’s house. Music was put on, drinks were poured and joints were rolled. That’s when Emma and Astrid escaped out into the back yard.

”I’m sorry I never called after it happened,” Emma immediately apologized. They walked down by the pool.

“It’s okay. We were really worried about you.” They sat down on the grass. “I tried calling you many times,” Astrid told her.

“I had my number changed,” Emma admitted. “I went into such a depression. I didn’t want to deal with anything that would remind me of him.” “I wanted to do that too,” Astrid said. “I wanted to shut out the whole world, but then John said something to me that opened my eyes. He told me I could die along with Stuart or I could go on living. I chose to go on living.”

Emma’s eyes teared up. “I just felt like there was something I could have done. I knew he was having headaches.”

”But no one could have done anything, Emma. He went to doctors. They couldn’t find anything.”

Emma looked at Astrid. Her short hair was gone. Now it cascaded to her shoulders. She was still wearing black. Still the same Astrid.

“I wasn’t ready to lose him.”

Astrid put a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “No one was.”

That got them both crying.

”Oh, I am so sick of crying!” Emma cried.

Astrid smiled. “I’m so glad we caught up with each other again. I’ve really missed your friendship.”

”Oh, and I’ve missed yours! I’ve missed everybody’s.”

”I was so proud of you when I heard about your painting success. Stuart would have been proud.”

“Oh, please don’t . . .” Emma choked.

”He was always so proud of you. He always knew you would make it.”

”I just wish we were doing it together.”

“There you two are!” John called from the top of the hill. “Come inside.”

Emma had to laugh. “He is so out of it!” she whispered to Astrid. “We’ll be right up!” she called up to him.

She and Astrid got up from the grass. “I think I need some wine now,” Astrid laughed.

They walked back up to the house and joined the party.

Emma was having a lot of fun. When it started to get late, she got up.

“I think it is time for me to go home!” she yawned.

“Do you need a ride?” Cyn asked.

”I thought I would just call a taxi.” Emma replied.

”We can drive you,” Jane spoke up. “You and Paul are practically next door neighbors!”

Emma saw Paul glare at Jane.

”You know, it’s really okay.” Emma started to explain. “I’m fine with getting a taxi.”

Jane laughed. “You’ll never get one out here at this time of night! We’ll take you home.”

Emma looked at Paul. He didn’t look happy. She was sure she didn’t look happy either.

John pulled her aside. “I can drive you home if you’d rather.”

Emma sighed. “It makes sense to go with him.”

He gave her a tight squeeze. “You’ll survive. I’ll call you tomorrow just to make sure.”

She laughed and pulled away from him. “I’m leaving!”

Paul and Jane were waiting at the front door. Emma said a quick goodbye to Astrid and Klaus and made plans with them for the next day.

She got into the backseat of Paul’s car and took a deep breath.

They pulled out of the driveway and headed back into the city.

“So are you glad to be back in England?” Jane asked, turning around in her seat so she could look at Emma.

Emma smiled. “Yes. New York is amazing, but England has so many memories, and all my closest and dearest friends are here.”

She could see Paul’s eyes in the rear view mirror. Their eyes locked and for a split second she thought she saw sadness in his eyes, but then just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

“I love England, too,” Jane said.

Emma smiled and nodded. Please stop talking to me! her mind screamed. She was trying really hard, but it was impossible not to be so aware of how close Paul was to her.

”You know, Paul,” Jane began, turning back to the front. “I have to get up early tomorrow for play rehearsal. It would be easier to just drop me off at my place tonight.”

No! Emma cried inside. Her house was before theirs. That would mean she would have to be alone in the car with Paul. She couldn’t possibly do that.

Could you drop me off first?” Emma asked. “I’m awfully tired.”

Jane laughed. “Well that would be silly. Paul would have to drive back to my place and then back to his.”

Emma fell back into her seat and watched the scenery zip by. They pulled into the city and when they came to Jane’s house she got out and Emma got into the front seat. They waved goodbye to Jane and drove away.

The car had an eerie silence in it. Neither would talk. Emma couldn’t stand it so she tried to be polite and said something.

“It was nice to see Astrid and Klaus.” she spoke. “It was nice of you to let him do the cover for your new album.”

”He’s a great artist,” Paul responded.

“Yes, he is,” Emma agreed.

More silence.

”Jane seems really nice.”

”Please don’t talk about her,” Paul said.

Emma was taken aback by his statement.

”Sorry,” she whispered.

Silence.

”Why did you run away at the coffee shop that day?” Paul asked.

His comment surprised her. “Uh . . .” she stammered. “Well, you took me by surprise and I wasn’t ready to deal with that part of my life and I’m not ready now.”

They got onto their street and Paul stopped in front of Emma’s house. She grabbed her bag and opened the door. “Thank you for driving me home.” she said politely. She didn’t wait for a response from Paul and shut the door. He drove off and Emma walked up her driveway. Her hands were shaking so badly as she put her key in the lock. Walking into the darkened home, she put down her things and wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face.