Waterloo Sunset ~ Paul McCartney

XV. The Trip at Kenwood

The trio strolled down to St John's Wood to drop Martha back home and retrieve Paul's car to take them to John's home in Weybridge.

"How about you take Martha with us?" John suggested. "Show the little tyke my pad."

Paul shook his head firmly. "Not yet. I want to give it at least another week before I take her anywhere too far away. I'm nervous about losing her."

"Awe, ain't it sweet seeing a man all soft for his dog, ay Stephanie?" John quipped. Stephanie didn't think she'd ever encountered John fully serious in a conversation.

"It is quite," she added, looking over at Paul who was doing a good job at keeping Martha close to his side. She was a very well-behaved dog.

They arrived at Paul's house and it was surprisingly tame outside in terms of gatebirds, though the few that were outside perked up when they spotted that John was also with him.

Paul unlocked the gates, having to leave it open in order to get the car out. He said his hello's to the gatebirds, who were regulars so were therefore more polite, before disappearing inside with Martha.

"Who are you?" One of them asked Stephanie, not in any sort of impolite way, but out of genuine curiosity.

"I'm a journalist," she simply answered. "I'm a friend of Paul and John's."

John was not too fond of interacting with the gatebirds, mainly because the ones who hung outside his house would harass Cynthia on occasion, sometimes when she was with Julian. It was this sort of disrespect and aggression that made him reluctant to engage.

One of the gatebirds with short mousy brown hair approached him slightly sheepishly. "Would you mind signing this for me please, John?" She handed him a Help! record and a pen.

John took them from her, deciding there was no need to be rude unnecessarily. "You girls should get running along soon," he said. "It's getting pretty late."

They all nodded attentively and John handed the young girl back her record and pen and she beamed proudly.

"Thank you so much, John," she said sincerely, and the girls rushed off giggling and chatting with excitement.

"They were sweet," Stephanie said.

"Yeah," John replied. "They're not all so polite."

Paul reemerged from the house without Martha and with his car keys in hand. Walking towards an Aston Martin DB6 which Stephanie had somehow missed on her previous visits to Cavendish Avenue.

"Jesus christ," she said. "Sometimes I forget just how much you guys earn."

Paul chuckled and grinned proudly at his car.

"Not once the taxman's through with us," John said, slightly sternly, though they were finding loopholes to avoid the heavy tax the UK government was imposing on their bracket.

Paul unlocked the car and stepped into the driver's side as John opened the passengers side and pulled the seat forward in order to clamber into the back.

Stephanie stepped into the passenger side and sat down. Paul started the engine and slowly drove the car out of the driver, before quickly stepping out to shut the gate behind them.

Once he got back in he looked at Stephanie and grinned. "Ready for a nice joyride?" He said cheekily, reviving the engine.

Paul drove modestly through the city until he made it onto the M4 where he put his foot down and accelerated, swiftly switching into fourth gear, the engine making the most tremendous sound.