by Audrina Lane
“Yes, we’re going to have to find some time for a bit of practice” Mitch said. “Our group are doing a new dance too as well as Thriller” he finished.
“What song?” Charlie asked, between mouthfuls.
“Suit and Tie by Justin Timberlake. In fact I might need a female dancer for part of it, do you know anyone?” he asked.
“Me of course, I’ll do it” Charlie said, beaming at him “It’s a fantastic tune” she finished.
“Well I guess I had better cancel auditions tomorrow evening then” he joked.
“You bet” Charlie replied. I smiled at their infectious enthusiasm.
“There’s some ice cream in the freezer” I said, as I cleared the table.
“Thanks Mum, maybe later” she replied, standing up and grabbing Mitchell’s hand
“I think Mitch needs to tell me about this new dance I’m going to have to learn in just over a week” Charlie said.
“Thanks for dinner Stephanie, can I help clear up?” Mitch asked.
“Thanks but I can manage” I replied. Knowing they would much rather spend time with each other rather than with me.
I cleared up and then grabbed the rest of the open packet of Love Heart sweets and together with a glass of wine I headed into the lounge to see what was on television. Passing through the hallway I could already hear the music coming from Charlotte’s bedroom. I settled down in my favourite chair and scanned the channels but there was nothing on so I looked through my DVD collection and found Cocktail and decided that I just needed some light hearted romance to keep me company.
Chapter 61
In her room Charlie found her iPod and looked for Justin Timberlake and the track he had mentioned. Sitting next to Mitch on the bed they listened to the track together, as they did Mitch talked her though what he was planning. Repeating the track Mitch stood up and started to show her the steps and general feel of the piece he was working on. By the third run through Charlie had joined him as they started to work together on both the moves and the feel of the dance; becoming emotionally connected to the music. They would have continued except that Mitch paused at the end of the track and turned to her.
“Lets have a look in your wardrobe and see if you already have the clothes I think you’ll need” he said. Charlie crossed the room in front of Mitch and opened the doors wide and then stood back. He pulled out a couple of different dresses including the one she had worn in London.
“Shall I try them on for you?” Charlie asked.
“Yes please, I’ll know it when I see it” Mitch said, lounging back on the bed and keeping the track on repeat.
“Which one first” Charlie asked, looking at the four dresses he had chosen.
“The red one first, then the lilac, the white and finally the one you wore last weekend” Mitch said.
Charlotte shrugged her sundress off to reveal a set of plain white underwear. The recent sunshine had given her pale skin a soft light tan and Mitchell longed to reach out and run his finger down her body and just give in to his instincts. She pulled her red dress on and then pranced up and down the room like a model before twirling in front of him. He reached out and pulled her close; shaking his head he slipped the straps down and the material slithered to the floor.
“Next one please” he said, letting her go. Turning away she pulled the next dress off the hanger and slid it over her body. This whole scenario was slowly turning her on. As the lilac dress only had one strap she removed her bra to avoid spoiling the effect. She watched him reflected in her mirror watching her before she turned around and smoothed the dress into place. Once again she paraded up and down in front of him before he pulled her close.
“Its still not quite right” Mitch murmured and he gently eased it off her body, this time his fingers lingered long enough on her skin to take in a passing glance across her nearest nipple. Pushing her away again she turned to try on the white dress, it was one of her favourites. Once again she put on a show for him until he beckoned her closer.
“Nope” he said, shaking his head but grinning at her “I do like it though” he finished. He turned her around and undid the zip down the back and it fell to her feet. As he did this his fingers slid down her spine and over her bum, lighting up even more of her nerve endings. Her skin now had a rosy tint to it as the burning flames of desire ignited.
She slowly pulled on her floral dress and turned around to find Mitch standing right there in front of her.
“It’s perfect” he breathed, pulling her close. She reached her arms around his neck as their lips came together, crushing the breath from each of their bodies. His hands ran down her back and then underneath her hemline and in a swift move her knickers were gone. Charlie pulled his t-shirt off and felt his smooth hot skin beneath her fingertips. Placing her palm flat against it she felt his heart beating in perfect time with hers. Before too long they were naked and entwined as he lifted her up and balancing her against the wall he thrust inside of her. Biting down on her lip to stop the scream from echoing they came quietly together. Mitch just had enough strength to carry her to the bed as they lay down together.
Leaning up on her elbow Charlie looked down into Mitchell’s green eyes and sighed.
“Perfect” she breathed “I needed that” she said.
“Yeah, me too” he replied, pulling her down for another kiss.
“I’m enjoying this new dance” she said, giggling.
“No it won’t be quite like that I’m afraid” he laughed. They let the song finish this time and lay in silence together. They heard her Mum climbing the stairs later and head into her room. As the moonlight bathed their bodies in its silver sheen they whispered together about the weekend to come and their plans for the summer. Charlie didn’t hesitate as he moved on top of her and they made lazy love before sleep claimed them.
I woke up at the usual time and crept down the stairs for some breakfast but I was shocked to find that Charlie and Mitch were already up and the coffee machine was on.
“Mitch is doing scrambled eggs for us, do you want some too Mum?” she asked
“Thanks guys that would be great. Can I help at all?” I said, as my daughter handed me a mug of coffee.
“Its ok thanks, we’ve got everything under control” Mitch replied, whisk in hand. Charlie was loading the toaster. Before I sat down I put the radio on and then poured everyone a glass of orange juice.
“What time are you off?” I asked.
“Probably about ten, by the time I’ve got my bag packed” Charlie said.
“Ok, just drop me a text and let me know you have arrived safely” I said.
Saying goodbye to the two of them as I left for work I watched Charlie standing and waving to me on the doorstep.
“See you on Sunday night” she called.
“Have fun” I called back as I pulled out of the driveway. The sun had returned so I enjoyed the pleasant drive into Hereford. As most schools had broken up for the summer traffic was light and I sailed in. Parking up I made the short walk across the old bridge, blinded by the sparkle of the sun as it glinted on the river. It was going to be a busy weekend of work preparing for the following weekend. Pausing as I came to the cathedral I pulled my phone out and snapped a picture and sent it off to James.
“Morning James, remember that day when we stood at the top of the Cathedral and looked out across the city? Just heading in to work, text me when you can and I’ll play you a song”
Pushing open the door of the studio I was amazed to see a hive of activity in what was normally a fairly quiet office. The sales team was in and deep in discussion on various phones trying to fill up the last few spaces of advertising that were left for the event. Mark was in with the large paper plans unfolded on the desk having a final look at the technical side of things ready for our ground level meeting tomorrow.
“Hi All” I said, brandishing a box of biscuits which I knew the hoards would descend on shortly.
“Hi Steph” Mark said “Can�
��t believe that this event is only eight days away now!” he exclaimed.
“Yes I know, it’s pretty big and scary if you think about it too much” I replied, heading for the kitchen area.
My phone tinged in my bag so I pulled it out and leaned against the counter to read the messages. The first was from Charlie saying they were just leaving. The second was from James.
“Just woken up to your text, yes I remember that day. I’m off to turn my radio on so just play me a song and surprise me with the choice”
I giggled and replied to both as I poured a coffee and headed back through ready for the hand over from Paul. As we passed we paused.
“So what’s happened to your secret admirer he’s been noticeable by his absence this week” he said.
“Who knows, perhaps he’s got cold feet about meeting me next weekend” I said, grinning.
“You don’t look to upset about it” he replied.
“I’m not really Paul, I have other things on my mind at the moment” I finished. I slipped into the studio and started my show with some Rick Astley anyway. Then as I dealt with the other requests coming in I tried to decide which song I should dedicate to James.
In the end I plumped for some Madness and played “House of Fun” for James, with the message saying I hoped that he still enjoyed listening and dancing to them. As the song played I fell back in the chair and read the message that had just come through on my phone
“Yes good choice and yes is the answer to your question. I tried to teach Mitch the dance but for some reason he laughed at me”
“I wonder why, they left about an hour ago so should be with you soon. Look after my Baby for me” I replied.
“Will do x”
I smiled and looked into the office and saw all the guys staring at me and the smile that was lighting up my face. I realised that I had probably never looked this happy in a long time. Giggling I stuck my tongue out at them all and then went back to my work. They would know what was going on in just over a week and I guessed it was going to be a bit of a surprise for them.
Once I was home I gave Sarah a call to see if she wanted to come over for tea, instead I ended up getting showered and changed to visit her and Chris for the evening. On my way I let James know that my call would probably be on the later side once I got home. He just replied letting me know that whatever time it was would be fine with him and that Charlie was there safe and sound. I walked the short distance to Sarah’s place and pushed open the back door.
“Hey where are you?” I shouted.
“Down in a minute” Sarah shouted from upstairs as I heard the shower click off. I spotted the wine glasses on the table so I opened the fridge and poured a glass as I sat down in their kitchen. Chris was the first to appear.
“Hi Steph, see you helped yourself” he said, opening the fridge and grabbing a cold beer. “She’ll be down in a second, we weren’t expecting you here so quickly” he finished.
“Hi Steph” Sarah said, hurrying in to the kitchen, her hair still wet.
“Hope I didn’t disturb anything” I grinned. I saw her cheeks colour slightly as she headed for the fridge and poured another glass of wine.
“So how are things going?” she asked, sitting down.
“Good thanks, loads of work to do tomorrow ready for next Saturday” I said.
“Can’t believe you managed to get Rick Astley here” Sarah said.
“Neither can I” I replied.
“Please spare me” Chris said “Can I go home when he comes on as don’t think I want to watch the two of you drooling over him” he laughed.
“I only have eyes for you honey” Sarah said, reaching over and giving his hand a squeeze.
“James had better watch out if Rick is his competition” Chris joked.
“So how is that all going?” Sarah asked. As if realising this was his cue to leave Chris stood up and grabbed his jacket and wallet.
“I’ll pop and get the food then, guessing you want the usual?” he asked us both. We nodded and watched him head out of the door.
Sarah looked back to me and waited for me to speak.
“God Sarah, I have been thinking about it ever since we got back from London and I’m still not sure what to do” I said, taking a sip of the cold crisp white.
“Well, only you can decide” Sarah said “Charlie’s growing up now and you’re not getting any younger” she joked. I laughed at her comment.
“Yes I know but every time I was with him at the weekend I felt like I was sixteen all over again” I sighed “A mix of emotions that are tangled together into my past and the years I have tried to forget”
“I’m guessing you told James everything” Sarah said, nodding and glancing down at my wrists.
“Yes I showed him the scars and he broke down in front of me” I replied. For a couple of seconds we were both silent, locked into our own personal memories of that New Year’s Eve.
“What about Mystery Man” Sarah asked, changing the subject.
“Well I’ve been back at work since Tuesday and not a single request, perhaps he’s backing out” I replied.
“That’s a shame as I was getting the feeling that you kind of liked his taste in music” Sarah said.
“Maybe” I replied “Shall we get some plates and cutlery ready?” I finished.
On his return Chris found us both on the second bottle of wine, the table set and plates warming in the oven. It was lovely to spend the evening with them and at least I wasn’t home alone with my muddled thoughts and feelings. Sarah had hit the nail on the head, it was my decision to make and I had just over a week to decide. The walk home helped to sober me up slightly as the moon and streetlights lit the way. Getting in I put some music on and then grabbed my phone and dialled the number. I couldn’t believe that after all the time that had passed I still remembered it by heart. It rang a couple of times and then a slightly deeper voice answered the phone.
“Hi there, can I speak to James” I asked.
“Sure I’ll get him for you” he said, as I heard him shouting “Dad, phone for you” followed by “Thanks Darren”
“Hi” James said.
“It’s me” I replied.
“Hey Steph, so nice to hear your voice” he said. I sank back against the sofa cushions and savoured the sound that could instantly get my heart racing.
“So how was work?” I asked.
“Fairly busy, loved the song you played today it bought back so many good memories” James replied.
I paused and let the comment sink in, realising that it was so true. A single song could make your heart race, tears to fall or just plain laughter of a precious moment in time. Music could be your best friend or your worst enemy and it had some how played such a huge part in my life.
“Are you still there?”
“Sorry I must have drifted off” I apologised “Think I drank too much wine with Sarah and Chris’” I replied, giggling “I might have to eat some sweets to help sober me up again” I finished.
“You liked them then?”
“Of course I did, you still know me” I replied.
“Better than you think” he finished.
“So what have you got planned for the weekend then?” I asked.
“Well, if you are free tomorrow I could always drive down and we could spend some time together?” James asked, cautiously.
“Unfortunately due to Rock on the River next Saturday I have a busy day tomorrow on site with the crews providing the stage, lights and sound so they know what they’re doing on Wednesday when the structure goes up”
“Oh, no problem” James replied “It was just a thought” he finished. From the tone of his voice I could sense his disappointment but in a way I was still not sure that I was quite ready to spend a whole day with him.
“I’ll see you next Saturday anyway, well for parts anyway as I’ll be presenting different sections of the show” I replied.
“I’m sorry for trying to rush you into
making a decision about us, I just don’t want to waste any more of my life being alone” he said.
Listening to his plea down the phone I could feel my numb heart waking up again, the torn and jagged edges that he had pulled apart was slowly starting to heal. Would it be so difficult to love him again? For my heart to be returned to it’s rightful place beating in time with his. We finished our conversation as I had started to yawn and I was struggling to keep my eyes from closing. We promised to keep in touch over the weekend as James was keen to hear about all the plans for the following weekend. As I headed upstairs to bed, I stopped and gazed at the pictures in the hallway of Mark, if I took James back into my life would I need to remove these from sight? I knew that if there was any sign of the bitch still at his place then it would have to be removed, or would that seem unreasonable? Did his sons still see her on family occasions? All these questions spun around in my head, delaying the healing of my heart.
Chapter 62
Once her Mum had left for work Charlie and Mitch cleared up in the kitchen as promised and then headed upstairs to get ready to leave. Mitch jumped in the shower whilst Charlie started to gather her dancing clothes together, shorts, t-shirts, jumpers and various other things. Lastly she carefully placed her floral dress on top and squeezed her silver heels in too. Then as the water was still running in the bathroom she shed her dressing gown and entered the steam. Mitch heard her as she peeped round the large shower enclosure.
“Is there room for me?” she asked.
“Always” he said, pulling her into his arms.
They were soon dressed and ready to leave so Charlotte did a final check around the house and sent her Mum a text saying they were leaving. She spied the box of sweets on the side and grabbed a couple of the lollypops out and put them in the side pocket of her rucksack. Then locking the front door she climbed onto the bike behind Mitch and coiled her arms around his waist. The engine roared to life beneath them as they raced out of the drive and along the road. She was more than ready for a weekend of dancing in every position imaginable.
