by Audrina Lane
Before any more clothes could come off they heard a door open and shut downstairs and further barking from Jester, so Mitchell reluctantly pulled back and they both sat up. She looked at his hair all tousled from her fingers raking through it while they kissed, his bright green eyes staring at her and mirroring her own feelings of lust.
“Darren, Mitchell are you home” came a voice; it sounded like Mitchell but slightly lighter in timbre.
“Yes Dad” they heard Darren reply.
“Yes Dad, be down in a moment” Mitchell responded, pulling her off the bed and helping her to straighten her t-shirt that had ridden up over her stomach. As he did this he lightly ran his finger along the waistband of her leggings and pulled her to him for a final kiss. A kiss that left Charlotte reeling from the heat that was racing through her nerve endings.
“Do I look ok?” she asked him, when he finally let her go.
“You look fab…u….lous darling” he responded, doing his best impression of Craig Revel Horwood from Strictly Come Dancing. This made Charlie laugh and lightened the mood from serious to fun.
“Come on let’s go as I’m starving” he finished, grabbing her hand they headed downstairs.
She was confronted by a sight that made her inhale sharply, he still looked almost the same as the photo she had of him twenty four years ago, hair short and still blond, slim muscular physique and apart from some wrinkles around the eyes she could see why her Mum had fallen for him in the first place and why she had fallen for his son.
“Dad, this is Charlotte…..Charlotte my Dad” Mitchell said, as he stepped aside and his Dad finally saw her standing in the doorway. James did a double take and she noticed his quick intake of breath. Had he guessed who she was? she wondered as he reached out and shook her hand. She felt it shake slightly under her grasp as he looked her up and down once more.
“So you’re the dancer from Ross that Mitchell has been talking about” he said, finally “you really remind me of someone I used to know” he finished, his voice trailing off as his mind touched on the memories lurking there. Memories of happier times. Charlotte looked across at Mitchell and shook her head; luckily he understood perfectly that now was definitely not the right time to say anything more. They were suddenly startled by Charlie’s phone as she pulled it from her pocket. It was her Mum as she had forgotten to call her when she arrived. She ducked into the hallway and quickly apologised before saying goodbye and returning to the kitchen, the smell of fish and chips irresistible as James plated them up and they sat down at the kitchen table. Charlotte’s weekend had finally begun.
Chapter 29
After nearly two hours I started to worry and kept checking my phone in case I had missed a text from Charlotte instead of a call. Eventually I gave in and rang her mobile number.
“Hi Charlie”
“Hi Mum, sorry I forgot, I’m ok but I have been busy meeting all of Mitchell’s family” Charlotte gushed.
“That’s ok, I just needed to check you had arrived” I said, pleased to hear from her voice that everything was going well.
“We’re just about to have some tea” Charlie said “So I’d better go” she finished.
“Sure, sweetheart, just let me know when you are heading home on Sunday” I finished “And have a good time and don’t forget to say thank you to Mitchell’s Dad for letting you stay” I gently reminded.
“I won’t” replied my daughter “Bye Mum”
“Bye Charlotte” I finished as the phone line died.
The house always felt empty when I was alone so I wandered into the lounge with my solitary meal and a bottle of wine. I had called Sarah but Chris was taking her out for a meal and although they had invited me to join them I declined. The television was dire so eventually I gave in to my misgivings and located my worn copy of ‘Top Gun’ and slotted it into the machine. At the same time I picked up my diary that I had removed from Charlotte’s room and opened it up to the book marked page and settled in for a night of memories.
Friday 30th September, 1988
It had been a long time since I last packed my bag for a weekend in Warwickshire with James. However it also felt quite quick as college had been really interesting in most parts and I had managed to keep a couple of my shows going at the hospital at the same time. Also on a Saturday night I would go out dancing with Jake, Mark and some of the nurses Caroline, Catherine and Melanie. It was always a laugh but would leave me feeling sad when the slow songs heralded the end of the night and people paired off and I was left to miss the comfort of James’ arms holding me. I sat on my window seat and scanned the road until I heard the familiar roar of an engine and the mini came into sight.
By the time he had stepped out of the car and was heading for the door I had reached the ground floor and was waiting to jump into his arms. He spun me round and then kissed me before we broke apart so that he could say hello to my parents. After a quick coffee I was soon in the car as we headed back to his place.
“So how’s the job then” I asked, even though his letters had been full of the fire station.
“Amazing, driving the fire engine is something else, especially when you hear the siren and the cars part in front of you” he replied.
I could tell from the excitement in his voice and the sparkle in his eyes that this was what he really loved.
“My course is going really well and I’ve still got a couple of hospital radio shifts to keep me busy in between time” I said.
“Are the kids enjoying your talents” James asked.
“Yeah, I get mobbed as soon as I enter the ward” I replied. Smiling as I thought of Lisa, Jenny, Sam and Ben who were always the first ones to call the show every day. I didn’t tell him how much my heart ached when we were apart, how empty my arms felt without him filling them. I spotted the chain of his St Christopher tucked into his jumper and I smiled happily. We held hands for most of the journey and by the time we pulled into his drive I was ready to fall into his arms again.
After an evening of catching up with Peter and Pam we soon made our excuses and headed up to the bedroom. James quickly put the mix tape into his stereo and as the now familiar tunes swirled around the room he walked the short distance that separated us and pulled me into his arms. My body meeting his, feasting in the feel of his strong muscles that rippled under his clothes as my hands crept under his jumper to touch his skin.
Even after all this time the feeling was exciting as the thrill ran down my fingertips and through my arms and body as his lips caught mine in a long, slow kiss. Our lips yielded to each other and opened so that our tongues could slip past and explore. I couldn’t wait to pull his jumper off so that I could see what my fingertips had already felt and I then started to tackle the belt buckle on his jeans. Soon he stood before me in all his glory, whilst surprisingly I was still semi-dressed in the underwear he had bought me for my birthday. Kneeling in front of me he unclipped the suspender belt attachments and rolled down the stockings, his hands smoothly caressing my legs. Kissing his way back up his hands reached up to unclasp my bra and as it fell from my body his fingers reached for my nipples as they ignited the flames inside me even more.
James had bought us both a glass of iced water upstairs and I watched as he took a sip and then bought his mouth down onto my nipple. I jumped from the shock of the cold ice cube that tumbled against my warm skin, the feeling was intense. The pin pricks of ice hitting my warm skin created a delicious feeling of both heat and cold and the droplets of water trailed down my breast and along the valley in between.
“Fuck, that feels fantastic” I finally breathed, when James surfaced for breath.
“You liked it then?” he asked
“Yes, mind blowing where did you find out about this?” I asked
“Graham at the pool told me about it as his girlfriend tried it on him after she had read about it in a magazine”
“Can I have a go” I asked, grinning up at James as he lay down on the bed.
Popping an ice cube into my mouth I headed for James’ nipples and ran the cube over the surface of his skin. I felt him jump under me but then he just pulled me closer onto him as we continued. Every so often I would glance up and watch his face. Once it had melted I trailed my finger tip down the route of the water as it pooled in his belly button and then licked it up. I watched as James reached for the glass again.
“My turn again” he replied “And this time I’m going lower” he finished. I watched as his head disappeared between my legs and then I just closed my eyes as the first rivulet of icy water trickled down and failed to cool the heat of my body. Soon I couldn’t contain myself any longer as I gasped “Fuck me now, I can’t wait any longer” my orgasm already on the brink of breaking me wide open.
As I came I grabbed James’ shoulders and to stop myself from screaming I kissed him long and deeply as I felt his orgasm fill me and join with the ripples of mine that were more like waves crashing around us. The drumming of my heart so loud in my ears like a violent thunder storm had erupted around us. Afterwards we just lay together and stared at each other with new eyes, neither of us wanted to break the spell that surrounded us at that moment in time. Love was perfect.
I paused to catch the love scene in Top Gun for what felt like the millionth time, as ever it wrenched my heart especially after remembering the ice cube session I had shared with James. I realised that I had never experienced that level of sheer pleasure since those teenage years. I had always been careful to keep my emotions in check, to never get carried away again, to never give my heart, body and soul to another.
Saturday 1st October, 1988
I awoke to the sound of the rain drumming on the window pane as I leaned over and gently kissed James on the lips. It was generally all I needed to do to wake him up.
“Morning babe” he murmured between kisses “This is the best way to wake up” he finished as he held me close.
“What are we doing today?” I asked.
“I thought we could go into town, maybe see a film if there is anything good on?”
“Can I see where you work?” I asked.
“Sure, I will warn you the guys are generally full of banter and I may have to rescue you from them” he responded as his kisses started to drift down my ever eager body.
“Isn’t that what they teach you to do” I giggled. James silenced me with a kiss.
After last nights wildness this morning it was all about just being together and sharing our love in the gentleness of touch. My heart reached out and surrendered to his heart. Eventually we broke apart and got showered and dressed before we headed downstairs. Peter had already gone out so Pam made us some toast and a coffee and we sat and plotted out the hours ahead.
As it was still raining we took the car and parked up before looking around the shops. James dragged me into Ann Summers and I felt faintly embarrassed as he wandered around showing me things he would like to see me in. In the end I found a set that we both liked and bought it for later that night.
After lunch we drove to the Fire Station and James showed me around, much to the amusement of the other lads there. They all seemed like a friendly bunch and I was just pleased that Felicity was no longer on the scene.
“We’re going to Dusk till Dawn tonight do you want to come” Michael asked us. James looked across at me and I nodded.
“Yeah, why not” he replied “We’ll meet you there around ten” he finished.
“Great, see you later Stephanie” Michael finished.
Getting ready to go out later I tried not to think about what had happened last time we hit the town. James just pulled me to him.
“You’re quiet, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing, just remembering last time we went out, I hope we don’t see Felicity” I replied
“Well you will be well protected this time with all of us strong Fireman to look after you” James responded, kissing me lightly on the tip of my nose.
“Anyway we may not be there long as you look so sexy tonight” he finished, letting his eyes and hands wander over my curves.
“Thanks babe” I finished, as we headed downstairs and got a lift into town with Peter.
This club seemed to attract the more sophisticated crowd and I noticed that James had made an effort to wear a tie with his suit. He looked so handsome that I was sure I wouldn’t want to let go of him all night either.
The crowd of Fireman from the station were great fun, some had girlfriends and some were very much single and on the pull. All in all I felt comfortable in their midst and I didn’t mind when James went off to the bar and gents later in the evening. However after nearly twenty minutes I started to get worried and I left the group to do a quick wander around the club to see if I could find him. I wish now that I hadn’t as I spotted him in the entrance way with his arms around a girl that even though I could only see the back of her I knew immediately was Felicity.
As my eyes filled with tears James spotted me and quickly withdrew his arms and tried to step into my path as I took flight and ran past them and out of the club. I continued to run until I reached the corner of the street and then I wandered down the next street until I came to the park that I recognised from our skating date. I didn’t notice the tears rolling down my cheeks as the rain was beating down on me too and when I found a bench I just sat down and let the rain continue its stream down and through my dress. I was soaked to the skin but I didn’t care as I wondered why? Why was James hugging Felicity? What was she doing there? Why had he betrayed me? I started to shiver from the cold and rain as I held my head in my hands, my mind a maze of emotions.
Eventually I heard running footsteps and James calling my name, I stayed hunched over but he found me and carefully draped my coat over my shoulders. I couldn’t speak; I didn’t know what to start with but in the end I didn’t need to as James broke the silence
“It’s not what you think” he mumbled.
“What am I supposed to think when I see my boyfriend with his arms around another woman” I spat back.
“Felicity has just broken up with Jason and needed a friendly shoulder to cry on” James replied “And I just happened to be there to provide that”
“So when did the two of you become good friends?” I remarked, sarcastically.
“Well, she was a lot better once I handed in my notice at work” he replied, slowly reaching out to take my hand in his. He rubbed it between the two of his as it was numb from the cold.
“Please believe me Steph, I would never lie to you or hurt you, I love you…..till the end of time” his words trailed off, as I heard the catch of a sob in his voice.
Even though my mind was still lost in the maze of confusion I leaned into his arms. I wasn’t ready to give up on him as he held my heart and soul and I knew I couldn’t wrench them away from him.
I can’t remember how long we sat on the bench in the rain but eventually I started to shiver, even with my coat on so we started to walk back to the house. There were no stars in the sky that night, our way was lit only by the artificial streetlights along the path. James never took his arms from around me and although we didn’t talk the silence was safe. As it was late we tiptoed upstairs and headed into the bathroom. James gently peeled my clothes away from my cold body and started up the shower, he joined me under the hot stream of water. With care he ran the sponge over my body as I clung to him. When we were under the comfort of the duvet I turned and kissed him
“I love you, I believe you” I whispered as I looked into his eyes and all I could see was love burning brightly there.
As James drifted into sleep I lay there awake for a while as I mulled the situation over for a final time before I drifted off. However I only found nightmares when my eyes were closed. Felicity had hold of James and was taunting me with the words ‘He’s mine now’ ‘He’s mine now’ I woke up sweating and carefully pulled James’ arms around me as I tried to dispel the awful scene that I had just seen in my dreams.
/> I reached for the tissues as I mirrored the tears of Maverick on the screen as he cried over the death of Goose. I cried for all the good times I had shared with James, all the love that he had given me and I had reciprocated for that short period of time. I cried as I recalled the hurt he had caused me and it felt as though my wounds deliberately started to throb in time with my heart.
Chapter 30
After tea Mitch and Charlie excused themselves and headed upstairs to his room to watch Dirty Dancing again and to really analyse the routine at the end. As the storyline unfolded on screen Charlotte was transported into the scenes, except that Johnny looked more like Mitch and she was Baby. He reached over and grasped her hand in his as they watched the romance unfold and all the dances in between. They both leaned forward at the end from the point where Johnny says ‘no body puts baby in the corner’ as they launched into the final dance of the film.
“I want to start now” Charlie breathed at the end, as she wiped away the tears that always fell when she watched this film.
“Me too but I think we should wait until tomorrow as I still have to show you my studio” Mitch replied
“What you have your own studio? Where is it? Can’t I see it now?” Charlie begged “Is it far away?”
Mitch paused for a moment and then relented and grabbed her hand “It’s not far at all” he replied as he pulled her off the bed.
“What about shoes” she said, as they left the bedroom and headed for the stairs.
