The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

92: Street Parties for Less

"Let's drink some more champagne," Charlie declared, turning back to look down at Floyd.

He laughed. "You got some on you?"

"No."

"Then where are you gonna get it from?"

"We should have gotten some more," Charlie said, and tucked her face back into his neck. "It was so yummy."

"I know," he said, running a hand through her hair. "We'll have some more tomorrow."

"Mm," Charlie hummed happily. "Yay."

"Yay," he agreed, then laughed at himself.

"You'll stay here tonight?" she requested, her warm breath fanning his neck and making him shiver.

"Would you like that?" he asked her quietly.

"More than breathing."

He grinned. "Then yes."

"My bed isn't very big," she informed him. Suddenly she wished she'd chosen the room with the balcony overlooking the street after all; no mountains to see out the window, sure, but it had a double bed. All of the things she would have given to have had a double bed right then.

"Even better."

"I'm not having sex with you, Floyd," she told him matter-of-factly.

He shook his head at her, laughing to himself. "No, Freckles, I know. That's not what I meant."

The air grew too chilly to stay outside much longer but they both decided they didn't want to go to bed just yet. So, together they went back down the stairs and into the kitchen, where they found a bottle of cognac that wasn't quite as nice as the champagne but would certainly do.

The two of them sat on opposite sides of the kitchen table as they drank it from fancy crystal glasses, and both of them thought the other was much too far away but neither said a word on the matter.

"Do you think Autumn and Lieb will get married?" Charlie asked, swirling her drink around in her glass before taking another sip of it.

"Yes," Floyd replied immediately. "Do you think Henry and Malark will?"

"Yes," she answered at much the same speed. "The second they get home."

"Boo and George?" Floyd asked.

"The second the war ends," Charlie joked, and he laughed. "Mabs and Speirs?"

"I think they'll go their separate ways and then find their way back to each other."

Charlie mulled this over as she took another sip of cognac. "I think I agree."

"What about you?" Floyd asked, hiding his expression behind his glass as he rested it against his lips. "When will you get married?"

"Whenever my parents tell me to," Charlie told him with a sigh. "To whomever my parents tell me to."

"You don't get to choose?"

Charlie shrugged. "They might give me options, if I get back before all of the good ones have been taken. If not, I'll get what I'm given."

"Charlie," Floyd said. His voice was full of such a depth of sadness she couldn't bear to hear him speak another word like that.

"When will you get married?" she asked, turning the question around on him.

"I don't know."

"Will you ever?"

"If the right woman agreed to marry me then I would."

"How would you know she's the right woman?"

"I'd know," he said, with absolute certainty.