Within You, Without You | George Harrison ✅

9

We knew that George was here before he had even walked into the door.

"George! George!" The reporters chorused. John had taken to glancing out from behind the curtain every so often.

"Geo's here." He informed us, turning his head to look at Ringo, Paul and I. "And Pattie's with him."

I groaned. "She's going to kill me."

"She won't." Paul said, trying to convince me.

"We won't let her." Ringo promised.

"Aye," John agreed, "we need someone to tell us we sound good." He said, referring to how often I had praised them when they had been recording yesterday.

"Anybody could do that." I said, biting my lip nervously.

"No, you need proper qualifications." Ringo teased. I smiled despite myself.

The door opened and Pattie walked in first. George had opened the door for her. He closed it behind them. "Morning," he said, tipping an imaginary hat to me, Ringo, John and Paul.

"Hey, Geo." The band chorused.

George came over to me. He was standing so close to me that I was scared that Pattie would say something. I tilted my head to the floor and refused to meet his gaze. "Congratulations, Amoreena." He said quietly.

"George, I -"

"Henry said you should go see him." Paul informed his friend.

"Wonderful." George said, somewhat cheerfully as he turned to Pattie, "this is Pattie, by the way." He said, gesturing to her for me.

"It's nice to meet you." I answered, unsure of how awkward this was going to be. According to Paul, Pattie had been annoyed with him for talking to her about me the previous night.

George smiled awkwardly as he watched his wife and I shake hands. But then Pattie smiled and cocked her head at me. "Amoreena," she smiled brightly as she leaned in and kissed my cheek. The Beatles looked shocked. I was shocked. "So you're the woman who is going on a date with my husband?"

"Pattie," George said gently.

She turned to him and smiled. "Georgie," she cooed, "I'm just asking."

I coughed awkwardly but then gave her a small smile as I answered, "apparently so."

"Well good luck with that one."

John, Paul and Ringo were all silent as they watched the exchange. Only George spoke, and he just kept saying his wife's name in a surprised, embarrassed tone of voice.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her, shooting George a sideways glance as I ignored his shaking head.

Pattie pouted her pretty lips at me. I immediately felt ugly by comparison. She was so pretty. Why would George ever flirt with me when he had her waiting at home for him?

"Only that it'll be dinner and nothing else." She smirked. "As if he would ever want you -"

As she looked me up and down, she crossed her arms against her chest. George put his hands on either of her shoulders, cutting her off from speaking anymore when he said, "alright, Pat. I think that's enough. Jesus Christ, you don't need to make people feel so small all of the time, y'know -"

"As if you do any differently, George." She snapped at him.

"How?"

John, Paul and Ringo made their way over to me silently. Paul took me by the arm and gently pulled me away from the fighting couple. I went quite willingly, though - I couldn't remember a time that I had ever felt so awkward.

They took me to the studio. "Well that was absolutely horrible." Ringo said, voicing what we were all thinking as we crowded onto the little settee. Usually it would be for three people, but we somehow managed to make it fit.

"Is she always like that?"

"She's lovely most of the time." Paul answered.

John laughed, "reckon you make her scared, bird." He elbowed me in the ribs. I jokingly slapped him away.

"As if." I said. "She's gorgeous, and she seems to have his attentions -"

"We all know that she doesn't." John pointed out.

"George has had a wandering eye since the moment she put the ring on his finger." Paul added. "Wait, that sounds terrible - scratch that."

I smiled. "But does he not love her?"

"I don't think he ever did." Ringo answered. "I think he just saw me and John getting married and wanted the happiness that we had -"

"Boy was he wrong on that one." John laughed.

I frowned. "John?" He looked at me, waiting for me to continue, "this might be a little out of line, but..." I bit my lip, "what happened between you and Cynthia?"

He winced. "It's... it's a little too soon to talk about that."

My face fell. "I'm so sorry John," I said, "I didn't mean to offend you, I -"

"You didn't, Amoreena." He promised, putting a hand on my arm, "but it's just painful..." he took a deep breath. "I was seeing some other girls on the side -"

"John," I said, "if you really don't want to tell me then you don't have to."

"He might as well." Paul said in a bored tone of voice, "it's all he yaps about -"

"And his divorce settlement is coming round." Ringo pointed out unhelpfully as he examined his nails.

"Yes," John said in a taught tone of voice, "thank you for that... idiots." He said the last word under his breath. He turned back to me. "When I married Cyn, I thought that it was love, right?" I nodded, completely understanding, thinking only of Ian.

He sneered as he looked at me. "You're pathetic, y'know that?"

"Ian," I said in a pleading tone with tears running down my cheeks, "I just want to look after you... I want to look after you forever and ever -"

"But you want me to marry you!?" He laughed in my face, "how fucking stupid do you think I am, Amoreena!?"

"What happened?" I heard George asking as he came into the room, Pattie following behind him. He saw me sitting on the settee, and the other three boys looking at me in concern. He rushed over to me and knelt down, putting his hands on my knees. "Am?" He asked softly, "Amoreena? Amoreena, can you hear me?"

"George!" Pattie exclaimed. She was standing in a threatening pose with her arms crossed against her chest. "She's obviously faking!"

"Shut up, would ye!?" He yelled at her, snapping his head round momentarily as his thick scouse accent came out in his anger. He turned back to me and asked softly, "Amoreena?"

I burst into tears.

George soothed me gently by clicking his tongue and then he leaned up a little and put his arms around me. I fell forward into his chest and that caused us both to fall backwards onto the carpet. I landed on top of him, but I was in too much of a mess to care.

"George!" Pattie screeched again, stamping her foot like an insolent teenager. He ignored her. She let out an annoyed huff and stormed off, "don't expect to be allowed home tonight!" She exclaimed as she hurried out of the studio.