STUDIO TIME WITH Paul McCartney was something Michael Jackson didn't take for granted. In many ways, he looked up to him. Paul was someone that Michael aspired to be like one day. He admired the longevity of his career and how his passion for music was still burning strong. It was also fun.
"Today was fun, Paul." Michael gave Paul a first bump before returning to his swivel chair after coming out of the booth. They recorded a song that most likely wouldn't have made it on the album.
"You say that everyday, which makes sense." Paul nodded. "Everyday is fun with me."
Michael laughed heartily. "Everyday is fun with Ariah, too. I didn't know she watched cartoons as avidly as I did. I thought she would think she was one of those teenagers who claimed they were for children." He shrugged, remembering how passionate she was about The Jetsons. "I stood corrected."
"Ariah?" Paul rose an eyebrow, wondering how Michael even knew about his daughter's undercover love for cartoons. "She'll watch cartoons until the day she passes, I promise you that. How did you know? You've talked to her recently?"
"Saw her yesterday." Michael gave Paul a wink, causing him to groan. "I actually came by, looking for you. She said you weren't home, so I stayed and waited around for awhile. You never came. Where were ya?"
"Goin' places." Paul grinned, quoting the Jackson Five song, Goin' Places. Plus, he didn't want to give information like that to Michael away. The young entertainer was like a son to Paul, but oddly enough, he didn't feel comfortable enough to tell him that he went to John's grave. He didn't feel comfortable enough to share that he went to talk to John about his family dynamics. Looking from a different perspective, it really wasn't any of his business. "I like the feeling I get, when I'm ridin' in a jet, say I'm goin' places!" He started mocking Michael's vocals on the record. "England, here we come! England!"
"Enough!" The singer broke into laughter. Paul's impersonation was spot on and Michael didn't know how he could've mastered his vocals as well as he could sing his own. "Be me for a day, I dare you."
"Then, who's going to be Paul McCartney?" He rose an eyebrow at Michael, causing Michael to smirk a little.
"I will." He stood up and grabbed a guitar from the corner of the room. Then, he found a microphone stand. "The way you moved, dancing, when you were on Sullivan." Michael started moving his body the exact way that Paul was moving during the I Want To Hold Your Hand performance. "And when I touch you, I feel happy inside.. It's such a feeling I can't hide! I can't hide!"
"Michael Jackson!"
"I can't hide!" Michael screamed and strummed all six of the guitar's strings aggressively.
"I dare you not to be me for a day." Paul announced, laughing at Michael's horrible impersonation. "You stay you and I'll stay me."
"Good idea." Michael chuckled and went to put the guitar back where he found it.
"Anyways, Ariah is extremely fond of you." Paul mentioned, hoping Michael's hopes wouldn't get high. "You know that, right?"
"I'm extremely fond of her!" Michael chirped, spinning around in the swivel chair. "She's a sweetheart."
"My sweetheart." Paul corrected. "Watch what you do with her."
"I wasn't planning on--Brooke, you know?" Michael managed to mention the woman he was seeing as a cover up to his budding feelings towards Ariah. "I have Brooke." The singer confirmed with confidence that was obviously counterfeit.
"Do you really?"
"Yes, Paul." Michael nodded quickly in confirmation. "Ariah is a little young. I couldn't ever be interested in her in that way. She's seventeen, which is five years younger than what I am."
"Right." Paul smiled at him. "Which makes anything you do to her inappropriate."
"I wouldn't dream of doing anything to her." Michael quickly replied, slightly embarrassed of what the former Beatle was trying to suggest. "I wasn't raised that way."
"Oh, I know it." Paul chuckled and drank the last of the champagne in his glass. "Back to your visit with my daughter though.."
"Yes?"
"What did you do? What did she say?"
"I think she was mortified when I came to the door. Celine wasn't home and she was there watching The Jetsons." Michael kind of giggled. "I like The Jetsons."
"As does Ariah."
"Meet George Jetson!" Michael playfully sang the theme song to the cartoon that he and Ariah watched only a few days prior. "His boy, Elroy! Daughter, Judy!"
"Michael." Paul joking glared at the young entertainer as he continued to sing the song.
"Jane, his wife!" He sang louder, stifling roars of laughter. "You don't like the theme song?"
"I hear it way too often at my own home, so," Paul dramatically sighed. "No."
"You should, it's a fine song. The tune is catchy." Michael pointed out, leaning back in his swivel chair. "Just like I Want To Hold Your Hand, that's a fine song. It's catchy."
"I know you're not making comparisons between Beatles selections and this silly cartoon's theme song." Paul commented, tilting his head to look at Michael, who was smirking and stifling a laugh.
"Moving on," Michael started to change the subject, but bursted into laughter. "She made me some tea."
"The black tea?"
"The black tea." Michael nodded. "It's amazing! Just like that song, Magical Mystery Tour. That's an amazing song. It's almost as amazing as the tea that your daughter made for me."
"That's it." Paul stood up, obviously joking around with him. "I'll call up the living lads and we can plot to sue you for these comparisons, dammit."
"There is no need, Paul." Michael chuckled. "Now, I'm sorry. I am, really."
"Then, why do you keep doing it?" Paul laughed and went to grab his hat from the corner of the studio. "Stop, it's unfair."
"You're right, you're right." Michael snickered. "If you're on your way home, please give Ariah a hug for me. Tell her I said hello, will ya?"
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't." Paul smirked at him. "Maybe tomorrow."
"Paul!"
"Maybe tomorrow, you'll change your mind, Mike!" Paul sang each note perfectly, not surprising Michael at all. He knew his vocals were incredible, much like his."Maybe tomorrow, you'll come back to my arms, Mike!"
Michael bursted into laughter as Paul continued to sing the old Jackson Five tune.
"It's embarrassing, quit it."
"Yep, I'll see you later, Michael." Paul lightly chuckled and disappeared out of the studio. Michael ran to the door and watched Paul walk down the the long hallway where Paul was walking in the opposite direction towards the exit of the studio.
"Shake it up, baby, now!" Michael sang loudly, so that Paul would hear him singing the classic, Twist & Shout.
He stopped and paused, turning around to look at Michael, who was several feet down the hall. His head was peeking out of the studio that he was just in.
"Ah, babe," The words to the Jackson Five hit, Dancing Machine, escaped Paul's lips. "Move it, babe!"
"Twist and shout!" Michael continued to sing Twist & Shout in reply.
"Automatic, systematic!"
"Come on, come on, come on, come on, baby, now!"
"Full of colors, self contained.."
"Come on and work it on out!"
"Tuned and channelled to your vibes!"
"I will never sing that song again." Michael laughed, making a promise that he knew that he couldn't ever keep. "Never again!"
"Yes, you will, don't lie." Paul lightly chuckled. "The fans would die if you made that promise."
"Get out of here, dancing machine!" Michael called to him and Paul gasped, but laughed.
"I'll see you later, alright?" Paul tipped his hat at Michael and turned to go towards the exit of the studio. "Beatle wannabe." He mumbled to himself, walking out of the studio.
It was playful relationships like the one Michael had with Paul that made both artists smile a little more. Michael longed to have more of a relationship with Ariah, because they had gotten past the acquainted stage. They just needed to ease into the friend zone. Playfulness was the key, in Michael's mind. It was the key in Ariah's mind, too.
--
Lemme just say, I've been in a Jackson Five/Jacksons mood lately. That inspired this chapter and I hope you liked it! Listen to them, okay? Just do it. I promise you'll be dancing and smiling like crazy! This I promise you! (: I'll be trying my absolute best to update SWEETHEART as often as I can because I know lots of people love this story! I plan to have it completed by the summertime! I love and appreciate all of you. The success of this story is crazy and I'm so very grateful!