Who Kissed Charlie Fine?

Chapter 7 (Part Two)

"Oh, sure," Dimple said with a pretty, lying smile. "There's fried rice and an attempt at samosas so we are good. Not like the samosas that would have been at Rad's wedding, but a deal's a deal."

Adesh tagged in. "We've spent the last seven vacations in India going to Dimple's family's weddings. This year as soon as I got this invitation, I called dibs."

"So what if no one ever thought my cousin would get married and now he's marrying Miss Mumbai's sister? It's not like it will be the biggest party of the year."

"Second biggest after some Bollywood princess," Adesh said. Dimple smiled sarcastically."What?" he asked, shrugging innocently. "I said you could go!"

"And drag this lot by myself through two airports?" she said, keeping their youngest from belly-bumping his sister with a steadying hand on his head. "I'm sorry I'm not the mother your mother thinks I should be."

"I love you," said Adesh with a ridiculous grin.

"You're damn right, you do." Dimple looked at Charlie again. "So generous of your school to invite spouses. My aunt might forgive me when I show her the pictures."

"Geeta Mausi will never forgive Bapi though, will she kids?"

"You're toast," his son Das said through the mischievous gappy grin of a five year old.

"Okay, you can go now," Adesh said releasing Dimple from show and tell.

"Mm-hmm," she mumbled with eyes which would clearly love him again after she was finished hating him. She permitted him to kiss her cheek before excusing herself and shuffling away.

"She wants to MURDER me!" Adesh laughed, shoving an elbow in Charlie's side.

"Stop teasing her," said Opal. "She's been nothing but lovely to us all night."

"You know nothing! I met her at work!"

"You're terrible," said Rose.

Opal addressed Charlie. "See what you bachelors are missing?"

"One victory lap every seven years?" Calvin snorted. Opal pinched his arm for it. "You never got married, Charlie?"

"It isn't for everybody."

"Never say never," Lennox said.

"Actually the trick is to say it often and as loud as you can," said Martin.

"You just haven't found the right girl," Opal said to Charlie.

"About that," Charlie began, ready to get down to the matter at hand. Once again Calvin spoke over him.

"What do you do for a living, Martin?"

"Yeah," said a woman's voice behind them, "and what do you know about heaving bosoms and throbbing manhoods anyway?"

"Quite a lot as a matter of fact," Martin said before turning to see a leggy blonde wearing a tuxedo jacket over a bright pink bandage-dress.

"CHERIE!!!" the group cheered at the sight of Cherie Warner.

"What's the haps, kids?!?" she shouted back, immediately moving in for hugs and kisses with Opal and Rose.

"Have you no shame?" Rose asked. "Your last book was filthy!"

"You read it, didn't you?"

As Cherie grinned opened mouthed, Charlie noticed she had filled the little gap that had once existed between her two front teeth, amplifying the brilliance of an already enticing smile. Her hair was perfectly styled but moved naturally; the make up around her upturned eyes was bold but not severe. Effortlessly sexy and vivacious as ever, one would think she could light up a room simply by winking at the switch.