1968

Chapter 22

A few weeks had passed, and I had completely avoided John since he'd come to my flat. I did not want to be viewed and hated as the speculated reason why John had left Cynthia.

I instead had spent the time moving into a flat of my own, thanks to my new found income and apple people insisting on my image, living on a much prettier side of London to please them. I was getting polished like a sort of trophy I suppose as I was an extension of the Beatles' success.

Avoiding apple scruffs and reporters became much harder as my work with the Beatles made me quite the news story. I had gone on a couple more interviews and done a live performance on television since, and my song had hit number one on the UK singles chart.

The avoidance of John and Paul came to a halt when George had invited me to come do some recording stuff at his house Kinfaus, where the lads decided they'd record some demos preparing for their next album.

I had arrived with warm welcomes from Pattie, George's wife as she brought me into the room where the boys had been demoing some new material.

My stomach had been doing backflips all morning, so being in the room with both John and Paul made my stomach sink.

"Sadie," George stood up with a grin coming over to give me a side hug as he had his guitar in his other hand "congratulations on the number one." He exposed his sharp canines as he smiled, causing me to blush with a grin.

"Thank you." I felt my cheeks heat up from the praise.

There was a chorus of congratulations from the other lads as I went to go sit down on one of the couches he had in the studio room, being careful to not step on any wires that practically covered the floor.

I noticed Johns eyes glued to me intently.

"Well, Sadie, why don't you tell us what you think of this next one since you're 'ere?
I'm So Tired, Johnny boy's next song." George grinned ear to ear, looking over to John.

I felt uneasy but nodded nonetheless, scared of the title by itself.

In a moment, they started to record, John counting them in before they began to play a very gentle song that made me shiver slightly.

Some of the words caused me to wonder.

"-my mind is set on you, I wonder should I call you but I know what you would do," he trailed off, his eyes refusing to move to me as he sang, seeming to block me out in the moment to focus and the song.

"You'd say, I'm putting you on but it's no joke it's doing me harm. You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain, you know it's three weeks, I'm going insane. You know I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind." It seemed he had repeated what I'd told him in Rishikesh in his song.

I sunk down in my chair with reddened cheeks. Why couldn't I have came in on the recording of that Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Paul had seen him writing in India? My rotten luck.

Paul piped up with a "whoo" as they continued, seeming to get into the song which only seemed to make it worse for me.

As the song ended, I saw all four of the lads were very pleased, John's eyes finally looking over to me after finishing a bit of goofing around on the recording to lighten to mood after seeing how tense I'd become.

The lads had all seemed to be having a blast backing him with vocals and tambourine in Ringo's case. Throughout the taping I had become terribly uncomfortable despite how entertained I fell I should've felt.

"Brilliant." Was all I could say seeing George looking for what I had to say.

"Why don't you try out playing Goodbye? Before we get to carried away with our stuff Sade?" Paul grinned thoughtfully with a grin.

"Sure." I smiled though feeling a wash of nerves come over me, never fully recording in front of four of them, despite how informal this recording stage seemed.

I moved to set up a mic in front of me, grabbing my guitar and watching as they all sat and watched as I fiddled around to make sure I was ready.

"Ready?" Paul asked pressing the recording button.

"Ready." I said clearing my throat.

I began to play the intro as I had practiced after learning it from Paul.

"Please don't wake me up too late, tomorrow come, and I will not be late," I sang sweetly trying to emulate the thoughtfulness Paul had given it in his demo to me.

Paul began to clap to the beat, seeming to enjoy hearing me play what he'd wrote.

I smiled because of this, it becoming evident in my singing that I was smiling.

The other lads were all keeping the beat as well, either stomping their feet or clapping their hands along.

Singing seemed to ease my shot nerves as I felt for a moment I was at home. Though I would admit I don't think I could fully let myself go with John watching me. I wasn't sure how it could play out in the long run with John and I, but I had a strong feeling I wouldn't be able to leave today without John wanting to talk, I could see it in the way he was looking it was bothering him.

When I finally ended the song the lads all have approving noises and I came back to reality with red cheeks. I was playing in front of the Beatles after all. I'm not sure I would ever get used to that.

"By George, I think she's got it." Paul said into the microphone in a funny voice.

I grinned at him and quickly looked to the ground, there was the Paul I had fallen so hard for in the beginning.