She slumps into one of the high stools at the bar, glad to be off her feet. She lifts a hand when Tracy pouts at her from the dancefloor, holding up five fingers to indicate she just needs a short break from dancing. Seemingly placated, her sister turns back to Rhona and the guys they've been dancing with. Gay guys always flock to Tracy, which Vanessa's glad of tonight as it means Tracy's a bit preoccupied and not all that intent on throwing her at any woman that looks vaguely available.
It's not that Vanessa doesn't want to find someone, it's just that she's been around the whole 'dating' scene far too long and is tired of the lather, rinse and repeat of it all. It used to be blokes, at uni and for a while after, that she dated. Well, dated is probably an exaggeration. One or two dates is the most she ever really went on with anyone. She'd say things about high standards or not settling, but the truth was she just felt absolutely nothing for them. Rhona used to tease her for being too picky, but deep down Vanessa knew it wasn't that.
Then came the whole thing with Rhona and the admission, to other people as well as herself, that she wasn't completely straight. Since then, it's been mostly women that she's gone with. She'd kind of expected it to be different with women. That everything would fall into place and something would click in her head; that she'd find what she'd been missing before. But it hasn't. It's just the same old story, only with more crying and talking about feelings than with men.
After ordering a drink, she surveys the room and sighs. The trouble with rural life is that there's precisely one gay bar in a fifty mile radius, and it's always the same faces. She thanks the barman when he drops off her wine and pulls the glass closer, running her fingers down the stem. She looks up, sensing that someone's looking at her. Her eyes meet a pair of bright inquisitive ones at the far end of the bar. Vanessa sits up straighter; that's definitely not a face she's seen here before. The blonde woman lifts an eyebrow in acknowledgment and Vanessa smiles. Her heart starts to beat a little bit faster and she ducks her head, fighting not to blush. When she looks back up, her heart sinks; the woman's gone.
"This seat taken?"
Her head whips around and she finds herself looking into those eyes again. Green, she notices now that she's closer. And sinful. That's the first word that springs to mind. The blonde tilts her head, eyes flicking to the empty seat and back to meet Vanessa's and she realises she's been asked a question.
"Oh! No. It's not taken." She nudges the stool out a little with her foot. "All yours."
Her nerves must be evident because the woman gives a little laugh as she takes her seat and orders a gin and tonic. Vanessa takes a long sip of wine, watching the woman over the rim of her glass. Their eyes meet again and Vanessa swallows with an audible gulp, making her flush. She tries to think of something to say to cover her awkwardness and to take her mind off the weird fluttering in her belly. She never gets like this; giddy just from talking to a complete stranger. Even if that stranger looks incredible in a tailored grey suit. She clears her throat. "So, what brings you here tonight, then?" Jesus. That's maybe half a step up from 'Come here often?'.
"What? Right here? To this very spot?" That smile again. "I saw a pretty lady sitting all by herself." Vanessa blushes and looks down at her glass. "But she moved away so I sat down next to you."
Her head snaps back up just in time to catch the wink thrown her way, but she make a show of huffing indignantly. "I meant to the club, actually."
The smile falters a little and the light in those green eyes dims. "Hen do." An eyeroll. "Which I could do without, if I'm honest. So I'm hiding from the rest of them."
"Ah." Vanessa nods. She can sympathise. Hen dos are generally overrated and often a let down. "Big gay wedding is it?"
"No, unfortunately." A sigh. "It's an incredibly boring straight wedding."
Vanessa puts a hand to her chest in fake shock. "Oh, how awful." And, although everything in her is telling her differently, she feels the need to check that she's not reading the situation wrong. She's had more than her fair share of straight girls slurring apologies into her ear when she's tried to chat them up. "Just here for the music, then?"
An eyebrow goes up. "The music's terrible." Her eyes dip to Vanessa's chest and back up again. The tip of her tongue moistens her lips. "View's not bad though."
"It's pretty good from where I'm sitting an'all," Vanessa says, emboldened now. She holds out a hand. "I'm Vanessa, by the way."
The woman takes her hand and Vanessa almost falls off the stool just from the feeling of their skin touching. "Charity," she says, not bothering to shake their joined hands, just letting them hang between them.
It should be uncomfortable; gazing into a stranger's eyes while holding their hand. But strangely, it's not. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Charity." Vanessa gently withdraws her hand after what feels like forever, using it to pick up her drink to give her a moment to calm down. She places the glass back on the bar, aware that Charity's eyes are on her the whole time.
"What about you? Why you here, Vanessa?" She stretches the 's' sound out in a way that makes Vanessa's heart throb in her chest.
Vanessa throws out a careless hand, as if she's not almost having a breakdown at how attracted she is to this woman. "My sister and best mate are determined for me to pull." She rolls her eyes. "They reckon I'm in need of-" She stops short, her cheeks flushing. "Anyway... I'm just...not great at the whole pulling lark." With women, at least, she thinks to herself. She used to be able to get blokes with no bother whatsoever. Trouble was, she never particularly wanted them once she got them.
Charity's nodding, her brow scrunched up. "Yeah, I saw you on the dancefloor earlier. I can see why you'd have trouble pulling"
It takes her a fraction of a second too long to catch on and her mouth drops open. "Oi, you!" She swats at Charity's arm with the back of her hand. "My dance moves are legendary, I'll have you know." She nudges Charity's shin with the pointed toe of her shoe. "Anyway...got your attention, didn't I?"
"Oh, you definitely did that, babe." Charity leans against the back of the stool, her eyes trailing down the length of Vanessa's body. "Way you were swinging them arms around? Would've been dangerous not to pay attention."
"Uh, right, I think that's quite enough about my dancing, thank you." Vanessa narrows her eyes, quite enjoying this now. "Can't say I noticed you out there."
"Noticed me at the bar though, didn't you?" Charity asks, a slow smile spreading across her mouth. Vanessa's pretty sure that smile gets Charity just about anything she wants. But Vanessa's not quite that easy.
She shrugs, pretending to contemplate the question. "Noticed you gawping at me, maybe."
Charity laughs, and it's so sudden and genuine that it surprises them both. It's a warm, inviting sound and Vanessa longs to hear it again. Charity shakes her head and clinks her glass against Vanessa's.
"I'll drink to that."
"A vet, eh?" Charity sips her drink and nods.
"Mmmhmm." Vanessa leans in a little closer. "You an animal lover yourself?"
"Can't say I am," Charity says, watching her thumb as she swipes it through the condensation on her glass before her eyes flick up to Vanessa's. "Quite liked a vet or two in my time, though."
Anticipation bubbles in Vanessa's stomach, certain now that the flirting is headed in the right direction. "It's the mucky wellies that do it for you, yeah?"
Charity's hand abandons her glass, her fingers coming to trace patterns on the back of Vanessa's hand. The shaky intake of breath is because her fingers are cold, Vanessa tells herself. But it's not cold she feels when Charity's eyes bore into her. "Something like that."
Vanessa clears her throat. "And uh...how about you? What do you do?"
"I do a lot of things." Charity smiles, a maddeningly cocky quirk of lips that should turn Vanessa right off. It does not. "An entrepreneur, you might call me."
"Oh really?" Feeling brave, she slowly turns her hand over so that their fingers are loosely tangled. She leans in and whispers. "But wait, are we talking Richard Branson or Del Boy here?"
Charity purses her lips and narrows her eyes "Somewhere in between, I reckon."
"So this is where you've been hiding?"
They both look up, surprised by the reminder that there are other people in the club. In the world, perhaps. A brunette is heading towards them, unsteady on her feet. pointing a finger at Charity. Charity withdraws her hand, so Vanessa does likewise, feeling strangely bereft at the loss of contact.
The woman speaks again, coming to a halt between them, swaying. "You said you were going to the loo and you've been gone ages!"
"I, uh...got a bit sidetracked," Charity says, her eyes flicking to Vanessa. "I'll be there in a minute, yeah?"
The intruder turns, as if noticing Vanessa for the first time. She smiles and drapes herself along Charity's shoulders, their heads knocking together as she leans her weight on her. "She's not bothering you, is she love?"
"No," Vanessa shakes her head with a smile. "Well, it bothered me a bit when she was making fun of my dance moves, but apart from that, she's been behaving."
"Our Charity? Behaving herself?" The woman bumps her forehead against Charity's temple. "First time for everything, eh?"
Charity rolls her eyes and gives Vanessa an apologetic smile. "My cousin, Chastity."
The surprised laugh is out before she can stifle it but she covers her mouth anyway, looking between the two of them. "You're kidding. Charity and Chastity?"
"Don't even start," Charity warns her.
"S'why I go by Chas." She hiccups. "Chastity's me Sunday name."
"Your court appearance name, more like," Charity mutters, just loud enough for Vanessa to hear, but not Chas. "Anyway, you get off back to the rest of them and I'll be with you in a sec, yeah?"
"You better had be, Charity. It's your flamin'-"
"I said I was coming, didn't I?" She gives Chas a little nudge in the opposite direction and it's enough for her to teeter off. Charity scowls after her for a few seconds before turning back to Vanessa, blowing out a breath. "Listen, I'd better go and join them or they'll keep harassing me but I-" For the first time, Charity looks uncertain. Her eyes flit around, landing anywhere but on Vanessa's face, fingers twirling a beer mat over and over. "I'd like to...see you again. If...if you want."
"I'd like that," Vanessa says, nodding far too eagerly. "I'd like that a lot."
"Right, okay." A smile blooms briefly on Charity's lips; bright and relieved. "Good. I'll just, uh...d'you want to give me your number or…"
"Yeah, sure. Then you can text me or something so I've got yours."
Vanessa rattles off her number as Charity enters it on her phone. Once that's done, Charity slides her phone into her pocket and stands up. Her hands flutter around as if she's unsure of where to put them.
"Right well," Charity tilts her head. "Maybe I'll see you on the dance floor in a bit, eh?"
"Yeah." Vanessa grins, touched that Charity's clearly having trouble leaving. "Happen you might."
Charity takes a couple of steps away before turning back around and closing the distance between them. Searching Vanessa's eyes for an assurance she gets quickly, Charity leans in and brings their lips together. It's quick, and soft, and just past the point of chaste. It's like no kiss Vanessa's ever been given before. When Charity pulls away, they look at each other and Vanessa hopes Charity felt it too; the difference.
Charity's lips quirk as she backs away, her hand trailing down Vanessa's bare arm. She winks. "I'll save you a dance, kid."
Vanessa nods. "I'll look forward to it."
She gives Charity a wave as she disappears into the crowded dancefloor, realising that she never got a text so that she had Charity's number. She has no way of contacting her; it's all in Charity's court. Vanessa just has to hope she feels the same way. She barely has time to blink before Rhona and Tracy descend on her, both speaking at once.
"What are you doing?" "Why did you let her leave?" "You definitely need to go after her." "She is gorgeous."
Holding her hands up, Vanessa waits for them to shut up. "Alright, calm down the pair of you." She rolls her eyes at their expectant faces. "She's on a hen do, so she's got to socialise. But I did give her my number." She can't hide her smile. "And she said she'd save a dance for me later."
"A horizontal one, I hope," Tracy says, nudging Rhona. "She was proper eating you up with her eyes, V. From what we could see I'm surprised you didn't get pregnant just from talking to her."
"Tracy!" Rhona shakes her head and grasps Vanessa's arm. "So? What's her name? What's she like?"
"Well," Vanessa begins, her smile growing. "Her name's Charity-" She frowns as she realises she didn't even learn Charity's surname. "Her name's Charity. And she's got amazing green eyes. And she thinks I'm a terrible dancer."
"Oh. Wow." Tracy lifts her eyebrows. "She sounds like a right charmer."
"She is charming." Vanessa smiles. "And funny. And cheeky."
"And you are giddy, lady." Rhona nudges her. "I've not seen you like this about someone since that rugby player at uni. You know the one."
"Simon." Vanessa nods, wrinkling her nose. "Turned out he had horrible feet."
"Or, turned out you were a great big lezzer." Tracy grins around her straw. "One or the other."
She's about to lecture her sister on her use of labels, when her phone vibrates in her bag. She fishes it out without really thinking about it. There's a message on the screen with no name, just a mobile number. Her heart rate starts to pick up.
My cousins are dragging me off to some club that's probably gonna be full of spotty teenagers. Looks like that dance will need to wait, buttercup.
The disappointment hits her square in the chest, until she realises that if Charity wanted to ditch her, all she had to do was not get in touch. And yet she had texted and let Vanessa know what was going on. There's still hope.
Awww, that's a shame. Next time, yeah?
She adds a little sad face emoji before sending. Almost immediately she sees the three little dots indicating that Charity is replying.
I'll definitely hold you to that.
She smiles and tries to think of some way she could respond with some comment about Charity 'holding' her in another way when the dots appear again. The message follows a few seconds later.
Do me a favour, babe. If you're back on the dance floor at any point, make sure you do them exact same moves you were doing earlier. Then I won't need to worry about you pulling anyone else tonight.
She laughs in delight, shaking her head and pointedly ignoring the looks Tracy and Rhona are giving each other. She types out another message quickly and sends it.
Cheeky mare. x
An hour or so later and they're ready to call it a night. Well, Vanessa and Rhona are. Tracy complains a bit about having to leave her new group of friends, but eventually trots along behind them to the taxi rank.
Vanessa's phone starts to vibrate, and continues to do so.
"Who's ringing you at this hour?" Rhona asks, huddling into Tracy against the slight chill of the night air.
"Someone with a car, I hope." Tracy shakes her head. "Length of this bloody queue, look. Thought the whole country was unemployed and skint?"
Vanessa manages to get her phone out and nearly drops it when she sees Charity's name displayed. She quickly answers it.
"Hiya."
"Was just about to hang up, babe. Thought you might have been tempted away by someone who wasn't stupid enough to leave you sitting in a bar on your own. In that dress."
"No, unfortunately I decided to dance some more." Vanessa walks away from Tracy and Rhona a little. "So no pulling, I'm afraid."
"What? Not even a muscle?"
Vanessa smiles. "No, smart arse. What about you? No spotty teenagers take your fancy at the young hip club?"
"God, no. Had to get out of there sharp. I could hardly breathe, the air was that thick with Lynx and hormones."
Memories of her youthful clubbing days come flooding back and she wrinkles her nose. "Lovely."
"So, uh, I thought, since it's not too late, that you might...want that dance after all?"
"Oh." Vanessa hadn't been prepared for that.
"I mean, it's fine. You don't have to. I just-"
"No. I mean. I would. Like to dance with you. Tonight." Vanessa rolls her eyes at her stilted speech. "I'm in the taxi queue, but I'll come and meet you. Where are you?"
"I'm in the bar at the Queens Hotel just up the road from that club you were in."
"Hmmm." Vanessa glances up the road. She can just about make out the hotel's sign in the dark. "I'll be there in five minutes. Have a drink waiting for me, since you abandoned me earlier."
"I will. See you in five, then."
"See you."
She turns around to find Tracy and Rhona almost bouncing with anticipation. Taking her time putting her phone away, she lets them stew a little before grinning.
"I'm, uh, I'm going to meet Charity."
They both squeal loud enough to attract the attention of the rest of the people in the queue and Vanessa shushes them. Tracy grabs her in a hug, planting a wet kiss on her forehead.
"Yes! V is finally getting some v!"
"Tracy!" Vanessa tries to shove her off.
"I'm just excited for you, that's all. It's been...how long's it been?"
"Too long," Vanessa says, without thinking, causing Tracy to cackle in her ear.
Rhona nudges Tracy to the side and kisses Vanessa's cheek. "Be careful," she murmurs. "And have fun, yeah?"
"I'll try." Vanessa winks at her and waves at them. "See you both tomorrow."
"Yeah, and you better be walking like John Wayne!"
Tracy's loud comment causes a few hoots of encouragement from blokes in the taxi queue and it hurries her along the road, pulling her coat tighter around her.
She enters the Queens Hotel and shivers as the warmth hits her. She shrugs off her coat, knowing that it doesn't show off her figure at its best, and hangs it over her arm, looking for a sign to tell her where the bar is. She spots one for the loos and decides to head there instead; the end of a night of clubbing is nobody's best look.
Taking a moment to reapply her lippy and try and get some volume back in her hair just gives her time to think about what she's doing. She's no prude, not by a long shot, but it's been a while since she had a one night stand. Looking at herself in the mirror, she blows out a breath. She can almost hear her mother's voice in her ear. 'Women your age aren't supposed to have one night stands with strangers they meet in gay bars. Women your age should be settled down with a family. Like normal people.' Her mother did not take the news of her being less than straight very well at all. She needs another voice in her head and she opts for the one she hears most often; Tracy.
"Right, V," she murmurs, using her pinkie to get rid of a smudge of lipstick at the edge of her mouth. "There is a clever, funny, gorgeous woman sat in that bar waiting for you." She blots her lips on a hand towel. "Now shift your backside and go and get her."
Standing up straight, she nods. "I will."
The bar is a far classier affair than the club she's just come from. Soft piano music floats in the air and a quick glance around confirms it's being played live by a pianist in the corner. The hour is late enough that the place is almost empty. A few couples are scattered around in the darkened corners. Her eyes land on the lone figure seated at the bar and her feet start moving as if drawn by some force.
Charity turns as she approaches, their eyes meeting, and once again Vanessa's heart starts to thud in her chest. It's been years since anyone's affected her like this. Maybe she's never been affected like this. Charity's eyes slide down her body and back up and she feels them like she would a caress. She has to fight not to shiver and she puts on what she hopes is a confident smile, placing her coat and bag over the back of the stool next to Charity's.
"Need a hand to get up?"
Vanessa scowls at her playfully, getting onto the stool with no bother. "I'm fine when I've got heels on."
"Yes." Again, Charity's eyes venture south and she nods. "Yes, you are."
Blushing, Vanessa nudges Charity's leg with the toe of her shoe. "Give over."
"Your drink, madam." Charity pushes a glass towards her. "That you demanded I buy you."
Vanessa bites her lip. "Oh, thanks." She looks at the amber liquid and winces. "I'm not a big whisky drinker, really."
Charity picks up her own drink and takes a sip, watching Vanessa over the rim. "Me neither. But I'm trying to come off as suave and enigmatic." She lifts her eyebrows. "Is it working?"
Vanessa laughs. "Might've been till you said that." She picks up her glass and holds it up. "Cheers, then."
"Cheers." Charity knocks her glass against Vanessa's and they both sip their drinks. Vanessa's surprised by how smooth it is; clearly the good stuff.
"So," she begins, setting her glass down and fiddling with the corner of a cocktail napkin. "Here's me traipsing all this way to meet you and I don't even know your last name."
"I don't know yours either," Charity points out. "I just put you in my phone as 'bird from gay bar that can't dance'."
"I can bloody well dance," Vanessa scowls. "It's Woodfield, by the way. If you want to correct your phonebook, at any point."
Charity nods. "Dingle."
Vanessa's sure she's missed something. "You what?"
"Dingle." She raises her eyebrows. "My last name."
"No. Come on, just tell me." When Charity's face doesn't change, Vanessa covers her mouth. "Dingle? Seriously? Charity Dingle?"
"And what's wrong with that?"
"Nothing! Nothing...it's just...it's a very unusual name, that's all."
"Well." Charity reaches over, running her finger over the bone in Vanessa's wrist, eyes locked on Vanessa's. "I'm a very unusual person, babe."
Vanessa's eyes drop to where Charity is now tracing haphazard patterns on the back of her hand. "You'll hear no arguments from me."
"No? Now that does surprise me." Charity shifts forward on her stool, their knees bumping together. "You've argued with every other flaming thing I've said since I met you."
"That's not tr-" She catches herself, realising a fraction too late that she's walked into a trap.
Charity laughs in delight. "See? Can't help yourself, can you?"
Vanessa narrows her eyes. "Thought you invited me here for a dance?"
"Oh yeah," Charity nods before finishing the last of her drink. "We better hurry up, an' all, because Elton John over there wants to get off home." She stands and holds her hand out. "I asked him to hang on a bit."
Vanessa takes the offered hand and slides off the stool, a spike of excitement shooting through her at the thought of being in Charity's arms. "And he just agreed? At the end of his shift on a Saturday night?"
Charity leads her out onto the tiny, empty dancefloor that's near the piano, and Vanessa sees her nod at the pianist. He nods back, and the tune transitions from slow, lazy jazz to something a little more upbeat.
"I can be very persuasive when I want to be." She finds herself being twirled underneath Charity's arm before coming to rest against her, their joined hands pressing against Charity's chest.
She looks up into green eyes that she feels like she knows so well already and swallows at their intensity. "I don't doubt that for a second." Vanessa's free hand moves to Charity's waist as they begin to move together, Charity's other arm drapes loosely around her shoulders. The melody kicks in and Vanessa smiles as she recognises the tune that Charity's clearly requested; 'Save the Last Dance for Me'.
"Smooth," she murmurs.
Charity winks. "I thought so."
Vanessa smiles and lays her head on Charity's shoulder, closing her eyes. There should be a little voice at the back of her head telling her that this is ridiculous. That she shouldn't feel like she's meant to be with this woman she met barely three hours ago. But it's strangely absent and she slips her arm further around Charity's waist, pulling her closer
"You're not too bad, actually." Charity murmurs. "When you've got someone leading, at least."
"See?" Vanessa lifts her head and smiles. "Regular Ginger Rogers, me."
"I wouldn't go that far." Charity's eyes fall to her lips and Vanessa doesn't bother waiting for her to decide. She tilts her head, going up on her toes and meeting Charity in a kiss that's as sweet as the first one they shared, but deeper and more tender. Charity's eyes are still closed when Vanessa pulls back. "You are a much better kisser than you are a dancer, I'll give you that."
"Considering what you've said about my dancing, I don't really think that's much of a compliment."
"Well, I meant it as one."
There's a sincerity to Charity's voice that sounds foreign, after all the joking back and forth, and it makes Vanessa's stomach feel funny. She nods. "Okay."
Charity nods too, her eyes flitting away to some point over Vanessa's shoulder. "So, I was thinking." Her eyes meet Vanessa's for the briefest of seconds before bouncing away again and settling on their joined hands, still resting against her chest. "You'll never get a taxi. All the clubs will be emptying round about now and the queues will be a nightmare."
Even though she expected the night to go in this direction, it still makes her heart beat faster, thudding in her ears before calming down. "That's true, yeah." She widens her eyes in fake worry. "What do you suggest I do instead?"
Charity shrugs. "Stop here if you like."
Vanessa hides a smile, creasing up her brow and tilting her head to consider the suggestion. "D'you think I'd be able to get a room at this hour?"
It takes a second but Charity catches on that she's teasing and it smooths out the slight worry lines between her eyebrows. Her hand slides to Vanessa's lower back and she leans in close to her ear. "I've got a room." The whispered words make Vanessa shiver.
"Have you, now?" Vanessa raises an eyebrow. "Are you propositioning me, Ms Dingle?"
"S'pose I am." Charity drags her knuckles over Vanessa's cheek and follows them with her lips, barely brushing the skin. She pulls back and all previous signs of amusement are gone. "Stay. Please."
She lifts her hand to Charity's neck, urging her down into another kiss as the last few notes of the song play out. She pulls away enough to whisper against warm lips. "Okay."
Charity grins and bumps her forehead against Vanessa's.
The following morning, awareness comes to Vanessa slowly. She knows something's different but her brain won't quite tell her what it is. But when a hand snakes across her bare belly and pulls her back against a warm body, she remembers. And she smiles, covering the arm with her own.
"Mmmmm, morning."
"Morning." Charity's voice is rough at the edges from sleep and it makes Vanessa's whole body tingle. If Vanessa had been a bit younger and more fanciful, she might have said the night before was magical. She's no stranger to sex, but everything they'd done together had felt like it was a level above that, elevated somehow by whatever connection they'd forged so quickly in that bar. It was amazing.
She turns over, shoving down the voluminous hotel pillows and propping her head up on her hand so she can see Charity's eyes. "So...last night was…"
Charity grins. "Yeah. It was."
"I hope you don't think that I-" Vanessa looks down, scraping her nail over the smooth sheet. "This isn't something I do. Not anymore, at least. And not for a while. I mean, it's not like I'm out every weekend picking up hot girls in bars or anything and I-"
"I know, Vanessa." Charity smiles, touching her forefinger to Vanessa's nose. Her eyebrow creeps up. "You think I'm hot, then?"
"You know you're hot, Charity," Vanessa says.
"Course I do, babe. Was just checking you agreed." She lifts her head, straining her neck to kiss the edge of Vanessa's mouth before dropping it back to the pillow. She catches a strand of Vanessa's hair and twirls it around her finger. Vanessa's eyes trail down Charity's chest, settling on two birthmarks that she remembers fondly from the previous night. She runs her thumb over them, her fingers framing Charity's breast. A low, gruff sounds comes from Charity's throat. "You thinking about starting round two?"
"Two? Must be at least round six." Vanessa smiles, her cheeks growing warm at the memory. "I lost count after you-"
A loud ringing interrupts and Charity sighs, turning to retrieve her phone from the bedside table. "Chas," she tells Vanessa as she answers the call. "What do you want? It's the middle of the night."
Vanessa rolls over and grabs her own phone to check the time. It's definitely not the middle of the night. It's after eleven. She turns back to find Charity with a hand over her eyes.
"What time is it at again? Can't we put it off until-" She frowns. "Yeah, alright Chas, chill your boots. I'll meet you there." She disconnects the call and chucks her phone further down the bed, keeping her eyes covered. "I'm late for some flamin' last minute dress fitting or summat."
Smiling, Vanessa kisses her cheek. "Families, eh? You'd better not get in their bad books. I'll let you get on." She throws the covers back on her side of the bed and swings her legs around so she's sitting on the edge. Before she can stand, a hand runs down her back, fingers dancing along the base of her spine. She shivers.
"I want to see you again." Vanessa looks over her shoulder just as Charity gets to her knees and presses herself against Vanessa's back. It's all Vanessa can do not to make a noise when all that flesh meets her own. Charity kisses her neck. "I've got a whole load of family and wedding stuff over the next couple of days. But after that, yeah?"
Vanessa reaches up and tangles her fingers in Charity's hair, turning so their noses bump against one another. "I'd really like that." She smiles. "My turn to buy the drinks, so maybe we can go somewhere a little less posh."
Charity's lips turn up against her cheek. "Wherever you want, babe." Charity's hand is sliding down her belly, getting dangerously close to the point of no return when Vanessa catches it and halts its progress.
"Much as I'd like to let you keep going, aren't you already late?"
"Yeah, I am." Teeth graze her shoulder and she hisses. "So what's another half an hour, yeah?"
Vanessa knows she should protest, but when Charity's lips make contact with the spot just below her ear, she sighs and releases her hand.
"I'm really flaming late now!" Charity's in front of the mirror, trying to get her hair into some kind of presentable state. Her trousers are undone and hanging loosely around her hips, her blouse buttoned up wrong. The sight of her makes Vanessa smile; she knows she's the reason behind that disarray and it warms something deep inside of her.
"And whose fault is that?" Vanessa struggles to pull her tights up, and decides to abandon that idea, shoving them in her handbag instead. "I told you not to start anything." She stands and tugs at her dress, trying to make it look like it wasn't just lying in a crumpled heap on the floor of a hotel room.
Charity flashes a smile over her shoulder. "Yeah, well, never been very good at being told what to do, me."
"Why doesn't that come as a shock?" Vanessa gathers up her coat and bag, slipping into her shoes. "Well, I best be off, then."
Setting down the hairbrush she'd been using, Charity turns, doing up her trousers as she follows Vanessa to the door of the room. "I'll call you, yeah? We can set something up for next week."
"I'll look forward to it." She opens the door and steps out into the corridor, turning to smile at Charity. "Hope everything goes smoothly with the wedding."
Charity rolls her eyes. "In my family? Unlikely. But thanks." She sighs. "I'll just be glad when it's over and done with."
Vanessa nods. "Okay. Well...bye, then."
"Bye."
She turns to leave, but her arm is caught and she's pulled back around, her lips meeting Charity's more on instinct than anything else.
Charity pulls back and smiles. "Bye."
Vanessa feels daft at the blush that covers her face, but she answers in the same whisper. "Bye."
She had to field cries of 'dirty stop-out' and requests for all the sordid details when she got home, of course. But Tracy and Rhona do seem genuinely pleased that she's found someone who apparently meets her overly high standards.
It's been a couple of days since they parted company and aside from a few flirty texts and one brief phonecall from the loos at some rehearsal dinner Charity was being forced to attend the previous night, there hasn't been much contact between them. And Vanessa's surprised at how she can miss someone she's barely spent any time with.
She stands by the window, cradling a cup of coffee that's long since dropped below an acceptable drinking temperature. The morning was bright and crisp when she nipped over to the shop to get milk, but the sun is warm on her face through the glass and she decides it might be nice to take a walk. It'll occupy her mind for a bit, stop her looking at her phone every two seconds and being disappointed when there's nothing from Charity.
It's just past two when she's walking up Main Street. She smiles at Eric as he passes on the opposite side of the road with Cheryl and her attention is drawn to two white wedding cars sitting outside the church. She hadn't heard anyone was getting married. The doors to the church open and she crosses over the road to watch. She's a bit of a sucker for weddings, if she's honest. Perhaps because she never expected to have one herself.
Harriet comes out of the church, followed by a gaggle of bridesmaids, nudging each other and chatting away. One of them looks familiar and it takes Vanessa a minute or two to figure out why; it's Charity's cousin Chas from the other night. She perks up as she scans the other bridesmaids, expecting to find Charity among them, but she's not. Her stomach starts to roll uncomfortably.
A cheer goes up when the bride and groom step through the doors. All noise fades away as blood rushes to Vanessa's ears when she finds herself looking into familiar green eyes. The last thing she sees before she turns and starts running is Charity's smile falling.
She doesn't stop running until she's at her front door. Her hand's shaking so badly that she can't get the key in the lock and she ends up banging her fist on the door, trying to keep her emotions under control until she's at least in the house. Finally the door is opened and Tracy's there, frowning.
"V? What's wr-"
She shoves past her sister and runs up the stairs, ignoring Tracy shouting her name. Throwing herself on the bed, she buries her face into a pillow and sobs.