Waterloo Sunset ~ Paul McCartney

II. The Interview

Brian Jones' party had proven to Stephanie that her social battery was well and truly dead and in vital need of regenerating. So for the following week she spent her evenings after work at home along with a couple meals out with good friends to catch up, and no late nights.

The week after that, her boss allowed her time off work to go up to her parent's home in Hertfordshire and rejuvenate. Going for walks in the countryside with the dogs and watching evening tele with her dad certainly proved to be the best remedy for her, and not being shoulder to shoulder with famous musicians for the first time in a long while actually felt refreshing.

Paul had left a few days after the party for a skiing holiday in Switzerland with Jane, accompanied by John and Cynthia. He had hoped it would aid in bringing him and Jane closer together again after many months of strain between the pair, but it had instead had quite the opposite affect, with the two resulting to an explosive row and Paul locking himself in the bathroom where he angrily penned the lyrics to a song expressing all his ill-feeling.

He'd thought a bit about the journalist he'd met the night of Brian Jones' party. The journalist who had written a fab piece on Laurel Canyon, could read music, and who had not worn tights under her dress despite it only being March and still bitterly cold. No doubt on purpose, Paul thought, to show off those gorgeous long legs with a dazzling California tan, and he wasn't complaining one bit. He knew he'd bump into her again, some way or another, and he was quite happy about that.

The Monday after returning to London, Stephanie arrived at her office just off the Kings Road, bundling into the building in a big fur coat thrown over a brown mini skirt and a white satin shirt, a brown satchel across her shoulder. She walked up the stairs to her floor and sat down at her desk opposite her coworker, Lauren. Lauren was petite, brunette and came armed with a shockingly strong cockney accent that didn't match her looks. She was Stephanie's closest friend at the office.

"Stephanie! did you have a good week off?" She greeted warmly.

"Oh it was lovely thanks. Feeling brand-spanking new and ready to work," she replied and Lauren chuckled, lighting a cigarette.

"Boss man wants to speak to yous about a possible pitch by the way," Lauren said as she exhaled smoke, "something about a singer?"

Stephanie nodded slowly before removing her notebook from her bag and placing it onto the desk next to her typewriter, just as her boss, Mr Lewis, waltzed out of his office. He was a man in his early thirties and already balding, and he always wore glasses with coloured-tinted lenses along with the most fashionable suits from the tailor shops down Savile Row. He was slightly eccentric, or as Lauren liked to call him 'dotty'', but he loved his job and always encouraged Stephanie with her ideas.

"Stephanie!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together, "nice week away? Good! Right I've got an assignment for you."

"Do tell," Stephanie encouraged, already grinning thanks to his enthusiasm.

"You know that singer chick... the one that sung that bloody Stones song.... what's her name?" He asked, placing a hand to his forehead, looking as though he was thinking hard.

"Marianne Faithfull?" Stephanie suggested.

He clicked his fingers. "That's it! Well anyways, I saw her on the telly the other day and thought about how she could be someone good to talk to - we haven't really ever interviewed any female singers," he said. "Well anyways, I rang up Andrew Oldham and he said she'd be happy to do an interview and I think you ought to be the one to do it."

Stephanie nodded. "Sounds great. When should I be meeting her?" She asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon alright? Just prepare some questions today to ask her but keep it quite natural you know, like you did in Laurel Canyon. We don't want anything too rigid, just see what you can come up with," he said.