Chapter 7: Bachelor#3-Throttle
SUNDAY
Charley awoke to the sound of gentle knocking on the garage door. Looking over at the clock, she saw that it was almost ten. Groaning, she rubbed the side of her head. She felt miserable after being out so late last night with Vinnie and having a couple of drinks at the club didn't help either.
Tossing off the covers, Charley made her way down the ladder and to the front door. Smiling when she saw that it was only Stoker. She opened the door and allowed him to come in.
"Rough night?" he asked when he saw that she looked a little disheveled.
"Yeah. I didn't get home until almost three and didn't fall asleep til four" Charley yawned loudly as she made her way to the kitchen.
"Go sit down. I know how to make coffee" Stoker insisted as he pulled a chair out for her and she eagerly plopped down on it.
"So what's got you here?" she asked as she laid her head down on the table.
"Well, Throttle sent me to let you know that he'll be here at six and he has also sent me here to take care of you for the next several hours" he said as the the scent of freshly brewing coffee filled the kitchen air.
"Why do I need taking care of?" she groaned.
"My job today is to take you to a place that Throttle has made arrangements to have you pampered for the next several hours. This way, when you get home, you will have nothing to do" he supplied as small amount of information as he could. He wasn't allowed to tell her everything. For that matter, he didn't know much about what his young friend had planned. All he knew was that this was all part of Throttle proving himself worthy and capable for Charley.
"Pampered?" Charley's head lifted up off the table and she thought she was actually hearing things. She watched as Stoker poured her a cup of coffee and set it on the table.
"Yes" was all he said to her.
"As in a spa?" she was certain that she was imagining all of what he was saying. She took a sip of the hot coffee and mentally pinched herself.
"Yes and my job is to make sure you enjoy every moment and that all your needs are met while you're there" he said as he grabbed a cup of coffee for himself and then sat down next to Charley. He could tell that Vinnie had kept her out way best a reasonable hour and she was overly tired.
"Wow. I didn't expect him to do that. Why doesn't he take me?" she inquired as she held the cup between her hands.
"Because he has to make sure that everything is ready for you. It's all a surprise that I can't tell you" he said with a chuckle.
"Ok. When do we need to leave?" Charley asked as as she took another sip of coffee.
"In about thirty minutes" Stoker said as he leaned back an looked at the clock in the garage.
"Alright. Give me about five minutes to throw some clothes" she wasn't sure of what to wear but, the way she was feeling at that moment she could have cared less. She quickly changed into a pair of black jeans and a red sweater. She opted to wear her cowboy boots instead of any of her other shows.
After getting dressed, she went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She quickly brushed her teeth and then brushed her hair. Charley grabbed a scrunchie and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Taking one last look in the mirror, she felt somewhat satisfied with her overall appearance. She would have preferred more time to get ready but, that time wasn't allotted to her.
"Okay. I'm about as ready as I'll ever be" she said as she grabbed her jacket and purse.
"Looks good to me" Stoker chuckled.
"Great. Let's go" she was ready to get the day over with and go back to bed.
"Ladies first" Stoker added the extra charm as he held the door open for Charley and escorted her to his bike. He helped her onto the bike and then climbed on in front of her. He felt Charley wrap her arms around his waist and laid her head against his back. He just hoped that Throttle's plan perked her up and helped her relax for the big night ahead.
P.O.V.
Throttle watched as Stoker and Charley took off to the all expense paid for spa that he had set up for her yesterday. He had to get her out of the garage for a few hours so he could set up everything. Carbine had actually been nice of enough to offer assistance but, he informed her that he had to do this all on his own.
Pulling up to the garage, he grabbed several bags of gifts that he had purchased for her. Opening the door, he placed the packages down onto the couch. He saw that Vinnie was true to his word on getting Charley roses and chocolates. He noticed she had only eaten one piece and left the rest. Looking at the box, it said they were chocolate covered caramels. Shaking his head, Throttle knew those weren't her favorites but, she never spent much on herself since they arrived.
Opening the garage door, he drove his bike in and then locked everything up so he wouldn't be disturbed. Looking around, he saw that she had been so busy with work and dates that she hadn't had the opportunity to clean up after herself.
Grabbing one of the bags, he climbed the ladder and cleaned her room up. He stripped her bed and put on brand new forest green colored sheets. He changed out the flattened pillows and put on a set of down stuffed ones. He even purchased a plush velour blanket that matched her sheets for extra warmth and softness.
Satisfied with the overall appearance of her freshly cleaned room, he went and grabbed another gift bag and brought it back to her room. He had taken a sneak peek inside some interior decorating magazine and got some pretty interesting ideas that he hoped would make Charley feel special. Digging through the bag, he pulled out several votive candles and placed them around her room. He then pulled out two white boxes with large red ribbons and bows on them and placed them on her bed. Reaching back into the bag, Throttle pulled out another box and sprinkled rose petals on her bed and around where he had placed the candles.
Smiling to himself, he grabbed the bags and climbed back downstairs. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was almost noon. He was grateful that he had several hours left to go to finish up.
Making his way to the bathroom, Throttle grabbed another bag. He quickly clean the bathroom and removed the old towels. He replaced the towels with very plush pale pink towels with matching floor mats and toilet seat cover. Afterwards, he put a large loaded goody basket onto the toilet and set up some more candles along with sprinkling some rose petals in there.
Closing the bathroom door, he made his way to the kitchen. He took the trash out and washed up any remaining dishes. He wiped down the counters and placed candles there. He cleaned off the table and placed a red tablecloth on it. Walking back to his bike, he grabbed a vase that was filled with white carnations. He placed the vase in the center of the table along with more candles. Reaching into one of the bags, he pulls out a white service set for two and a set of wine glasses. Placing the dining sets on the table as they were shown in the picture test Throttle's patience for perfection but, he accomplished it. In front of the flowers, Throttle placed a small box for Charley to open when she got home along with a note.
Now that the kitchen was ready, he made his way into the living and garage section. He dusted off the furniture and fluffed the couch cushions before folding up the blanket and placing it on the backside of the couch. He had to educate himself on how to use a vacuum cleaner but, he managed to do so and not blow it up. He made sure all the tools were cleaned up and put away. The last thing he knew Charley wanted to do was any cleaning before she opened up tomorrow. He picked up the box of chocolates and placed them into the fridge so they wouldn't go bad. Grabbing the last of the rose petals, he sprinkled throughout the rest of the garage and living room.
His intentions were to have everything set up so all he would have to do, before picking up dinner, was to light the candles and turn on some soft music. Looking up at the clock, he saw that it was almost time for Charley to come home. Perfect timing. He thought as he walked into the kitchen with a bottle of wine. It was a bottle of Riunite Lambrusco, which he hoped she would like because, he had seen a small bottle of it up in her cabinets. Pouring some wine into the set of glasses gave Throttle a sense of accomplishment.
Making his way through the garage, Throttle made sure all the candles were lit and some soft music was playing before he left to get dinner for tonight. He knew his cooking skills were very lackluster at best and fire hazard most of the time. So, he ordered dinner to be picked up by five forty-five so it would still be hot when he got back to the garage. After making sure that everything was locked up, Throttle left to go pick up his order.
P.O.V.
After arriving at the spa, Stoker made sure that Charley was checked in and that there wasn't going to be any problems. She insisted that Stoker didn't need to stick around while she got pampered but, he knew he couldn't let Throttle down. So, they came to an agreement that he would be at the mall and if she needed him to have the bike come get him.
She couldn't believe that Throttle had paid for her to be able to go to the spa and enjoy herself. They first took her to the back for an hour long total body massage. She could have sworn that they removed any and all kinks that were in her muscles. All her stress and problems disappeared the moment they started usual the essential oils on her body.
After the massage, she was taken to another room to have a manicure and pedicure done. They sloughed off all the dead skin and callouses from her hands and feet. After that, they painted her nails in pale pink because, they knew she worked at a garage and they wouldn't last very long.
They even brought her turkey club with pepper bacon, roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, crispy iceberg lettuce, tomato and mayo on toasted caraway rye bread for lunch as part of the deal along with a glass of champagne. Smiling, she knew that Throttle had thought of everything for her comfort and happiness.
After she had a light lunch, they took her over to one of the shampoo bowls and washed and conditioned her hair. They took her back to one of the chairs, towel dried her hair as much as possible, and then put her hair up into rollers. They then placed her under a dryer and handed her another glass of champagne. She cheerfully sat there and read several of their glamour and hair magazines until her timer went off. After the timer went off, she was taken back to the chair to have the rollers removed and have her hair styled. They ended up putting her hair into a classic french twist with a few curls left hanging out around the edges.
By the time they finished her up, it was five and Charley didn't even think her day could get any better. But, she still had her date with Throttle and she could tell that it was going to be over the top and far surpass anything that she could think of. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt amazing and beautiful. Looking over at the front door, She saw Stoker waiting for as he tipped the people who had worked with her. It was in that moment that Charley realized that Throttle was the noble knight and Stoker was his loyal squire who certainly wouldn't take any of his crap.
"Ready?" Stoker could see by her facial expression that she was more than revived. She looked amazingly relaxed and far more beautiful than normal.
"Yeah" Charley's voiced sounded very breathy as she mounted the back of the bike and carefully put on her helmet so she wouldn't mess up her hair.
After arriving at the garage, Stoker made sure that she made it inside before leaving to go relax himself. He had spent the entire day making sure that Charley was being look after properly and now he was ready to take a long nap.
Charley walked into the garage and her jaw dropped. She saw lit candles and roses petals everywhere. After removing her jacket, she made her way to the kitchen and saw the most amazing bouquet of white carnations. Looking down, she found a letter addressed to her.
Dear Charley,
Went to grab dinner. A chef I am not. Go relax and enjoy yourself. I'll be back shortly.
Affectionately,
Throttle
She placed a hand over her mouth and tried not to cry happy tears. She opened the box on the table and found twelve chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva. She debated with herself for just a moment before making up her mind to taste test one. Picking one up, she allowed the tasty morsel to practically melt in her mouth. She giggled as she thought about how naughty she was being on having dessert before dinner.
Grabbing the glass of wine, Charley took a sip and realized it was her favorite ruby red sparkling wine. She could smell the heavy berry scent wafting up as she took another sip and made her way to the bathroom. Upon entering, she saw more lit candles and petals. She gasped with pleasure when she noticed all the new additions that Throttle had placed in it. But what really got her was the basket full of goodies. It was all her favorite scent: Sweet Pea from Bath and Body Works. There was lotion, shower gel, fragrance mist, body cream, perfume, diamond shimmer mist, bath fizzy, sugar scrub, and bubble bath stuff. He had even put in a new over-sized bath sponge.
She couldn't wait to see the rest of the place. Taking her glass of wine with her, she went to her bedroom and giggled like a school girl upon seeing everything that he had done. Put her glass down, she sat down on the edge of her bed and admired the gifts he had left on her bed. One of them had a card on it that said "open first". So she did. Upon opening it, she found a gorgeous burgundy front-wrap gown that had a thigh-high slit on either side and deep V neck font and back.
She decided to try it on to see if it fit and to her surprise it was perfect. It hugged every one of her curves like a dream. She felt amazing with something new on.
"Charley? You home?" came the smooth sound of Throttle's voice.
"Yeah. I'm upstairs" Charley saw that her face was glowing.
"You look amazing" Throttle said as he climbed up the ladder to her room.
"So do you" she didn't even recognize her own voice as she looked at Throttle in the mirror and saw that he was wearing a new black tuxedo.
"You have a good time?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Oh Throttle. I had the most amazing day and it's getting even better. Thank you" Charley was nearly in tears as she turned around in his arms and buried her face into his shoulder.
We're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
"You're welcome" he said as he kissed the top of her head. He had to admit, even the hair sprayed they used smelled amazing.
"You ready to eat?" he asked.
"Yeah" she couldn't stop smiling as they made their way to the kitchen.
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
"Some more wine?" he offered as he helped her to her seat.
"Yes" she said as she noticed what they were having for dinner. It was shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo with fresh baked garlic bread.
"I remember you told me once that this was one of your favorites" stating as he poured the wine. He knew that the wine wasn't the correct pairing but, it was what she liked.
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
"You're right. It is" she said as she watched Throttle take a seat across from her. She couldn't believe that he remembered everything that she really liked.
"How did you remember all of this?" she finally had to know that answer before it ate her up.
"I paid attention" he stated as he watched her enjoy her dinner.
"How?" Charley inquired, recalling her love for shrimp.
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but
You're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
"Okay. The dress was a guess. I wasn't sure if you would like it or not. I just know that you didn't have really that many dressy things in your closet. Yes, I peeked in your closet" he confessed and watched as her eyes sparkled with amusement. He wasn't sure if it was the wine that was making her cheeks look so warm or if it was really warm in the garage.
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
"Okay" she felt so warm at that moment and wasn't sure where it was coming from.
"The chocolates came from the fact that I watched you eat strawberries and chocolate syrup on waffles the other morning when you made breakfast" he said as he slowly ate his dinner. He could understand why Charley loved it so much. It had a nice creamy taste with a hint a garlic.
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
"Oh. One of my little quirks" she said, blushing, as she pushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"I know. I got to taste test one and can see why. They're really good" he smiled as he laid his hand on the table.
"What else?" she was determined to see how he obtained the knowledge. Noticing his hand, she laid one of her hands over the top of his.
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
"Your bath stuff? I saw an almost empty container in the shower when I went to use it and I just saw that your towels could use a more girly touch" he felt the warmth of her hand on the back of his. Turning his hand over, he gently held her tiny hand in his and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.
(Ooh, give you up)
(Ooh, give you up)
Never gonna give, never gonna give
(Give you up)
Never gonna give, never gonna give
(Give you up)
"Throttle" she was nearly breathless as she looked at him. It was in that moment that she knew he truly cared for her. He had seen into her heart and knew that in order to be the one for her, he had to shape up and become the man he needed to be. He was her knight in leather and denim and he rode a powerful steel horse.
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but
You're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
"Yeah Charley" Throttle looked up into jewel colored eyes and saw pure happiness in their depths. He knew that this was what they both wanted. It was the serenity that they were both looking for but, had never been able to find until they met each other.
"I have an answer for you" she felt as though her lips barely moved as she spoke.
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
"I don't need to know it now. It can wait" he didn't want her to feel rushed into making a decision without having some more time to think about it. He still felt as though he needed to prove himself worthy of her.
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
"I know. But, I already what I want" she deliberately spoke softly and slowly to make sure he understood exactly what she was trying to tell him.
"Are you sure?" he knew he shouldn't be questioning her but, he wanted to make sure that she knew what she was getting herself into and that she had had enough time to process everything.
"Yes. I want...you. Always and forever" Charley smiled. She knew that this was her choice and it was the right one.
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
"I want you to understand everything that you are agreeing to. I'll ask you again in the morning when you have had a chance to think more clearly on it" Throttle hated turning her down but, he also knew she had a couple of drinks in her system and would probably agree to anything if asked her.
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Charley just smiled at him with a rosy glow that could light up any room and he found himself falling under her spell. He had no doubts about her feelings but, he wanted her judgment to be completely unclouded.
It's late at night and we're all alone,
just the music on the radio.
No one's comin', no one's gonna telephone.
Just me and you and the lights down low.
"Come on" he said as he helped her to stand. She smiled up at him and he couldn't help but think that he could be her everything.
We're slow dancin', swayin' to the music.
slow dancin', just me and my girl.
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music.
no one else in the whole wide world
He pulled her body close to his, allowing her body to use his strength to support her. He knew he could get used to the feel of her in his arms. He enjoyed the fact that she was relying of his strength in this moment to give her strength.
Just you, girl.
He watched as she savored the moment when his arms wrapped around her waist. He could feel every curve of her body mold to his as they swayed gently to the tempo of the music.
And we just flow together when the lights are low,
Shadows dancin' all across the wall.
Music's playin' so soft and slow
The rest of the world's so far away and small, when...
He felt her arms twine around his neck bringing her lithe body closer to his. He had forgotten how nice it was to be this close to her. It had been a long time since they had had the opportunity to be this close.
We're slow dancin', swayin' to the music.
slow dancin', just me and my girl.
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music.
no one else in the whole wide world
The candle lights flickered softly as they slow danced to the rhythm of the music. He would have given all of Mars to know, for certain, that he was all she would ever need. He wondered if she would be willing to leave Earth and live on Mars with him for the rest of their lives.
Hold me, oh hold me, no, never let me go.
And as we dance together in the dark,
So much love in this heart of mine.
Whisper to me, hold me tight.
You're the one I thought I'd never find,
And now...
"Hey. Let's get you to bed gorgeous. I know you've had it rough the past few nights. I'll sleep on the couch" he said as he walked her to the ladder and helped her up.
"Thank you Throttle. For everything. This was more than what I was even expecting" Charley said as she stood on one of the ladder rungs and was finally able to look him straight in the eyes.
"You're welcome" he said as he got ready to clean up but, was pulled back by Charley. Before he even had a chance to think, she kissed him on the muzzle and who was he to complain. He had waited several years for this moment. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her tightly against him. He buried his other hand into her hair. He could feel the heat of her mouth against his as their tongues met feverishly in the middle.
Of course, reality snapped back into Throttle's head and he, regrettably broke off the kiss. He had to wait and cursed his stupid nobility.
"Get to bed" Throttle chuckle as he watched her turn around and finish climbing up the ladder. He heard her change into some warm clothes and crawl happily into bed. Throttle made his way through the garage and blew out all the candles. He clean up the kitchen and got all the petals swept up. He put what little leftovers there was left into the fridge.
Satisfied that the garage was clean, he changed into his sweatpants and laid down on the couch. It had been a long couple of days but, tonight was well worth all the effort. He had never seen her so happy in the years that he knew her. Closing his eyes, Throttle fell asleep very quickly.
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Many special CYBER HUGS to Yankee71, kittycat0521, DinoDragonMaster, and Youkai55 for your wonderful review and thank you everyone else for your reviews too. If anyone has any thoughts, ideas, or questions for the next chapters please feel free to speak your mind and I'll try to utilize/address it in the following chapters.