I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I wanted to post something this weekend. I hope it's okay!
"Beryl asked us over this evening. Since it's Friday, I didn't think you would have a problem with that." She was at the sink, washing up the dishes from their breakfast and Charles was tying his tie in the hall mirror.
"Of course. The thought of a pleasant evening with friends will help get me through the day." He finished and joined her in the kitchen. "Can I help?"
"Yes you can," Elsie replied from the sink. She tilted her head to the side. "My neck is a touch sore, right here." She pointed to the side of her neck without looking up from her dishes.
Charles lifted his eyebrows and walked towards her. He leaned over her, keeping his body away, and let his lips lightly touch her neck. "Better."
"Heavens no! If that's an example of your care, I'd rather let my doctor take care of it."
"Your doctor," he laced an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. "If he ever assuages your constant neck pain the way I do…" The thought was left hanging as his ministrations covered all exposed areas of her neck, ears, back, and chest. Her quickened breath and week knees told him he was doing something right. He turned her in his arms to give him better access to the front of her neck and chest. She was barely conscious enough to make sure her soapy hands stayed away from his shirt.
The clock chime forced him to duck under her wet arms and rush to the door to put on his suit coat and grab his keys.
She was dizzy by the time he finished and had to lean against the counter. "Charles!" she yelled after him.
He peeked his head back around the corner. "Yes, Els?"
"At least make sure I'm conscious after a treatment like that." She smiled at him.
He rushed over to her with a smile in his eye. He paused when they were toe to toe. Without preamble, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her to meet his height. He drew her into a long, lavish kiss that made them both feel needed and wanted. She sighed, relaxing her body against his chest. He let her slide down his body until her feet were back on solid ground. With a last peck, he hurried out the door.
She laughed wholeheartedly at his parting words.
"I had to check if you were still breathing."
"It's good to see you two! Come in!" Beryl Mason greeted Charles and Elsie at the door. They had driven separately, of course, but they arrived at the same time.
They usually let themselves in and were surprised at their friend's presence.
"Bill! Charles and Elsie are here!" she called into the house. "How nice to see you both here again!" Her excitement seemed a bit forced to both Charles and Elsie.
"Beryl, what's wrong?" Elsie was the first to call her out on her unusual behavior.
"Nothing," Beryl was quick to reply. "Oh look here's Bill."
Bill entered looking like he carried a heavy weight on his shoulders. He shook Charles' hand in greeting and followed the ladies through to the sitting room.
"Elsie, why don't us girls go into the kitchen for a nice chat and Bill will take Charles into the sitting room."
Before anyone had a chance to object, she pulled Elsie along after her by the arm.
Once in the kitchen, Beryl finally dropped Elsie's arm. She moved towards the counter to lay out the crackers and cheese she was planning on offering her guests.
Elsie eyed her friend up. There was definitely an atmosphere brewing. Beryl was purposively avoiding all eye contact and pretending to keep herself busy. Elsie had known her friend a long time, and all the signs pointed towards a very long argument where Elsie had no chance of winning.
"Beryl," Elsie sat across from her on a high stool. "Care to tell a friend what is the matter?"
Beryl didn't even act the innocent. She eyed Elsie right back, not sure how to carry this conversation. "Elsie, I'm worried."
Elsie immediately thought back to Bill's odd look that evening. "Is it Bill? Have you argued?" she asked, now concerned.
"Heavens no!" Beryl defended. "No, no! I'm worried about you!"
Elsie sighed. "I glad to have such a caring friend, but I'm really doing okay Beryl. The divorce is going along quickly, I faced Joe again, and I'm ready to move on with my life."
"Your life?" Beryl punctuated and questioned. "Your life as Elsie Hughes, alone?"
Elsie was confused at where Beryl was taking this. "Yes, I will be Elsie Hughes again. But I don't plan to be alone. I have you and Bill, and Charles of course."
Beryl sucked in a breath and focused on her platter once again.
"Beryl, does this have anything to do with Charles and myself?"
Beryl stared up at her with eyes that said she finally guessed the cause for this conversation.
"Because if it is, all I have to tell you is that I am very happy. We both are." She spoke the truth and hoped her friend would see that.
"It's not that I doubt your current happiness," Beryl explained. "But Elsie, how long will this last? I mean, I understand you are both going through your divorces at the same time, and it must be nice to have that support from someone, but…" She paused.
Elsie waited for Beryl to finish.
"But he is Alice's husband! She was your best friend. I don't understand how you could do that to her or put him in this position."
Elsie's face turned from shock to outrage in a split second. "First off, I am putting him in no position whatsoever! We both agreed individually to enter this relationship. Second, I haven't been close to Alice for years. Ever since she had her children they have taken up her entire life. She never reached out to me or asked me to be a part of her life." She stood from her seat. "I would have loved to have gotten to know Jimmy and Alfred. They are sweet boys. But she would never let their own father care for them, much less her semi-estranged friend.
"Furthermore…" Her rage took a backseat as her emotions broke through. "I love him! If I am honest with myself, I have loved him for 20 years…"
Beryl took Elsie arms as she saw her friend's emotions rise. "Elsie, I don't doubt you love him…"
"And he loves me," she interrupted. "I have never been truly loved by a man other than him." The thought of her best friend disapproving of their relationship was a hard pill to swallow.
Beryl rubbed Elsie's hands trying to sooth her. "But will it last, pet?"
At that moment, Bill called from the other room. "Beryl, could you bring the cheese and crackers in here. We've chosen the wine."
"Coming," she called back, picking up the tray and walking away from a speechless Elsie.
"You were quiet this evening. Is something the matter?" Charles slipped into bed beside her.
Elsie left only a few minutes before Charles, but when he arrived back at their flat, Elsie was already in her nightgown and in bed, lying flat on her back and unusually silent.
She had been doing a lot of thinking since Beryl's speech. Yes, she loved him, of that she was sure. And she was confident in his love for her. But was that enough? She did feel guilty about Alice. If Alice knew about Elsie's affair with her husband, she didn't even want to think about what would happen. On the other hand, Alice certainly did her fair share in initiating her divorce. She wasn't right for Charles, anyone with eyes could see that.
These conflicting thoughts ran through her head constantly.
As Charles settled on his side of the bed, Elsie sighed and stared at the ceiling. "Beryl was being her old protective self. She doesn't think I can make up my own mind or live with myself for my choices."
Charles listened as he laid his head down facing her. "Is this about me?"
Elsie took a moment before nodding her head.
"What did she say about me?" Charles spoke softly, coaxing her to open up.
She stared at her hands brushing over their floral bed spread. "She said I'm putting you in a precarious situation and being unfaithful, and frankly a bitch, to Alice."
Charles wasn't sure what to think about her words. He, of course, had thought long and hard about their decision to be together as well as the consequences. His life with Alice had not been happy for a number of years and he was sure Alice saw him only for his paycheck. Was it wrong to pick up a piece of happiness when it presented itself?
"My lines are all blurred Els. I can no longer decipher between right and wrong because every one of my choices are a mix of both."
She nodded sadly. There was no easy answer.
"The only thing that I am sure of," Charles continued. "Is that I cannot bare to let you go again." He slid his hand over her two clenched ones. His love for her lasted 2 decades and was only growing every day he spent by her side.
"Really?" She turned to him, with an abundance of love in her eyes.
He nodded, his other hand traveling to her neck and his fingers slipping through her hair. "I've never been so sure of anything."
