Molly
He's been the perfect gent. I haven't felt this way in so long it's frightening to think that someone else can make me feel as good as Elvis did. Our non date seems to have turned into a real first date because he even bought me flowers on the way here.
"I'm not the hearts and flowers kind of girl" I declared, once again Molly the gobshite escapes from her box.
"You just haven't met the right guy then" he replied with a sweet smile and those words sting but it's not his fault that the right guy got blown off a roof in Afghan.
My head is doing battle with my heart one telling the other I really don't wanna be here and the other fighting that I do.
Jackie keeps telling me to live my life and I know she's right. But what if wherever that big Italian dickhead is, that big Italian dickhead who I loved so bloody much, well what if I'm making him unhappy? I push away those thoughts when I notice his brow furrowed as he looks while I'm off with the Elvis shapes fairies. It's not fair to him.
He's brought me to the fanciest place he could find even though I absolutely do not like dinner for a first non date but once I realised he was hungry and probably hadn't felt like cooking due to his leg I agreed that we could get something to eat. Just so I knew he had. See there's that urge to look after him again.
"Fish and chips will do me"
And he laughs "Oh no way Dawesy. If I'm taking you out it's going to be special"
"Do you wine and dine all your mates then?"
I've wounded him and this time he lets me know it when he holds his chest as if I've shot him in the heart and mock pouts with those puppy dog eyes.
"Only the one friend"
And there's that smile again that I can't resist and I feel my cheeks aching from smiling back at him.
-OG-
Charles
This is the first "date" I've been on since before I was married and she's doing everything she can to convince me (or herself) that it is the complete opposite even though we're both dressed up to the nines and nervous beyond belief.
One thing I have learnt to appreciate about Molly already is that she has little need for extravagant things. Not that I wouldn't give them to her, I would give her the world but she doesn't need them. Her jaw nearly hit the floor at the price of a glass of champagne but I had to right the fact she had never tried it. She was happy with her vodka and coke and that itself speaks volumes when she's in comparison to Rebecca who would have needed a bottle or 2 just to be in my company towards the end of our relationship.
She insists on buying a round as much as I never dreamed of letting her put her hand in her pocket but it seemed important to her. Like she felt she had something to prove so I oblige. One round is all she would be allowed to buy and she treated herself to another glass of champagne and for the first time since I've know her she seems carefree and dare I say it.. she seems happy. I hope I'm the reason.
We make the fatal mistake of going for the bottle next, equal bad influences on each other and I realise I have not laughed this much in years.
She really is beautiful. I love the way she tucks and untucks hair behind her ear when she's feeling a little shy and I've made her blush. And those eyes... those eyes have a story to tell but she's not quite ready yet.
"Are you okay?" I suspect she may have had a little too much to drink and encourage her to sip some water but she dismisses me knocking back another.
"I need to get some air" she announces and makes an unsteady journey towards the exit.
"Charles..." she calls out and does the unthinkable and vomits.
"Oh my god. Oh my god" She's horrified and I'm also horrified but on her behalf because I can only imagine how mortified she is.
She attempts to flee but I can't let her go, not like this.
"Molly it's okay" I pull her into me. Holding her feels amazing. "You've managed to completely miss your shoes so I think you're okay. Can't say the same for my shirt though" she gives me a warm smile and a giggle through her mortification and I hope I've done enough to let her know that this doesn't change a thing. I'm still mad about her.
"I can take you home if you feel unwell. But don't go because you're embarrassed please. Trust me I've seen far worse in my line of work"
"I'm going to freshen up and I'd like to stay... that's if you still want me too?"
She looks up at me through her long lashes, coy and beautiful "There's nowhere I'd rather be" there is that beaming smile again as she excuses herself giving me a cheeky glance over her shoulder as she goes.
I take the opportunity to freshen up also, glad to find she hasn't puked on me after all and I find I can't wait to be back in her company because I've missed her in the few moments we've been apart.
She's waiting for me and I'm glad to see she's taken the sensible option and is sipping water this time.
"I really would love it, if you'd let take you out again and for it to be an actual date. I like you, Molly. I like you a lot"
The dreadful noise of her chair scraping the floor as she fled rings through my ears and she's gone like the wind before I even get the chance to register what's happening.
"Well don't just stand there" the waitress known only as Jackie commands "go after her"
I do just that but she's half way up the road and this fucking leg has picked the worst time to fail me.
-OG-
Molly
I'm half way up the high street like a bat out of hell and I make the mistake of turning to see if he'd actually followed and he has.
He's limping and hopping desperately trying to get the weight off that leg and it seems that running after me has done him some kind of injury. I want to just keep going and get away from him but I'm not that horrible so I have to turn back and help him, don't I?
"What's wrong with your leg?" I half bark half sound like I'm accusing him of something but I'm puffed out from running the short distance between me and him. I put my arm through his so he can steady himself whilst he assesses the damage.
"Injured it at work awhile ago. Twice actually. Quite badly both times"
"What are you a footballer or something?"
"No" he laughs "Most definitely nothing as fancy as that I'm afraid" it's obvious he's gonna need some help to get home "come on lead the way hop a long. Let's get you home"
I feel stupid and guilty because now he really can't bloody walk and it's all my fault. Molly Dawes, queen of fucking everything up.
"You better not be faking it"
He lets out a half laugh, half agonised cry and I realise I ain't gonna be able to get him back to his.
"I can assure you I'm not faking it. Wouldn't fake it either it's not my style"
"Look my place isn't far. Why don't we take you there so you can rest it and see how you are?"
He nods and takes the support I offer although it's now much coz he's a bleedin' giant but my whole body is screaming for me to hold him and make this better.
He's almost can't move now we're back at mine and I've gone and bloody broken running man. Oestrogen corner is gonna lynch me on Monday when they don't get their fix of him.
"My room is the last on the right. It's not much but it's home" he's panting like a puffer fish and I'm quite worried because my medical skills are limited to the first aid kit and I think we're way beyond a couple of paracetamol and a bandage here.
He stops in the doorway of my bedroom and he's grey. Actual same shade as my duvet cover.. looks like he's seen a ghost and gonna pass out. Fantastic.
"Charles, are you okay?"
"Erm, yeah I'm okay... sorry. Just need to take the weight off. I'm so sorry about this. Awkward timing but just my luck"
"Here sit down" I help him onto the bed because it's obvious he feels to shy to sit without invitation in my personal space but taking him to the shared living room would get me into conversations I'm not ready to have.
"Have you got any painkillers on you? Can I do anything?" I've got my concerned voice on now so I must be worried about him.
"No thank you. I'll be okay in a minute. It does this sometimes. Thank you for this and again, I'm sorry"
"No I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I ran out on you like that. I feel like a bleedin' prannet now"
He laughs even though he's still grey and sweating and obviously in pain and it hurts my heart a little bit.
"I'm sorry for pushing it.. I just really like you. I've never met anyone like you before, I'm drawn to you and I want to get to know you better I guess but if friendship is all you want then I'll take it"
I help him get more comfortable and sit on the side of the bed next to him and my hand accidentally brushes a curl off his forehead. There's something going on inside me. All these weeks of longing for him and the feeling like I want to be near him have brought us here to this moment and I was just scared back in the restaurant. Scared of how intense my feelings are for him. I was scared of what it meant but now I know. It means I am ready to move on and be happy. Elvis would want me too.
I rest my hand on his leg and my lips make the short journey to his. I hesitate only for a second, brushing mine across his and I feel his body respond. He wants this as much as I do.
It's tender and it feels amazing so I deepen it, searching for his tongue and his hand is gently holding my face now. Everything feels perfect.
I stop myself there before I go further. I really want to go further but I want this to be more than a one night thing. I want him in my life.
-OG-
Charles
"Think that needs more than a couple of paracetamol if I'm honest"
She pokes and prods at the puckered, angry red scars like she's never seen anything like it but the pain has subsided into sheer blind panic as I try to work out what the fuck to do next.
I felt the colour drain out of me when I saw his face. Elvis. Fucking Elvis. Causing me maximum agro in life and now in death too. Of course it was her. That's why we'd been drawn to each other. She's everything he'd always needed in a woman and everything he'd always overlooked for women like Georgie Lane who had momentarily stolen his heart but when it came down to it he didn't love her enough to give up the army like she'd wanted him too.
And now here was Molly. The one who had changed his world. The one who had pulled the big fish into the small pond of Seabrook because he'd have followed her anywhere just like I was now doing.
Am I betraying him? I'm certainly betraying her trust right now by not coming clean but she has never once mentioned anything that would suggest she was his girl. Of all the women in the Seabrook, I've fallen in love with his girl.