A/N: Moving things along, while adding a bit more backstory. Please, let me know how I'm doing. Your reviews are most welcome and appreciated!
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Sunday, 18 March 2018
11:30 am
With this weekend finding London still in the grips of its third winter of 2017-18, and especially after their cozy hour plus together at Meinl's on Friday, the last thing that Charles expected Elsie to suggest for them today was a long walk outdoors. By long, she made it clear it was her intent for it to be hours outdoors, regardless of the cold. So, due to his being smitten with the Scottish lass, here he was standing outside the main entrance of the Southwark Underground Station waiting for her. Freezing his bullocks off.
She had advised him to wear comfortable walking shoes in light of the distance she intended for them to cover and he opted for layers, including gloves and a woolen hat in light of the wind chill. Truthfully, he expected he would be fine once they were moving but this standing around business was getting the better of him and "the boys." So he was extra grateful when he turned around and saw Elsie approaching with Igor.
She was wearing the same cute, bright outfit he remembered from their meeting a few weeks ago at Greenwich Park though this time she too wore a hat rather than the headband that had simply covered her ears and forehead – originally - on that fateful day. Pausing at the pedestrian light on the other side of Blackfriars Road, Elsie spotted him as well, waved and smiled. She was also carrying the ball launcher again. As Charles returned the smile, he was feeling warmer already.
Now in front of the station herself, Elsie guided Igor over to Charles. "Igor, you remember Mr. Carson…Charlie." At that, her smile seemed to gain extra wattage. "Hi, Charlie." She approached closer still and surprised him – no, delighted him – with a quick peck on the cheek. "Oh dear, your face is so cold! I'm sorry if we've kept you waiting; hard to predict the traffic lights and all. How are you?"
"Hi Elsie. I am well, thank you, but yes, a bit nippy out here today." As Elsie stepped away, Igor had stepped in and sniffed Charles's crotch and then up higher toward his stomach. He was aware of the dog's exploring him, but with Elsie focused on Charles's eyes, she was oblivious. He reached down with both hands and guided the dog's head toward his hip, chuckling "Hello, Igor!" As he looked down then to give the dog some of his attention, Elsie asked about Shrimpie. "No, today sounded well beyond her range, she's home, alone."
"Oh, too bad. I hope to see her again."
"And I'm certain you will. But where are we off to now? And forgive me, but why the bloody hell are we out in weather like this?" There was no anger or cynicism in his voice, just friendly skepticism.
"We are out today because I take a long walk every weekend in preparation for a fundraiser walk I do every year in mid-May and with all the other responsibilities I'm juggling with my practice, my home, Martha and Becky, this is the only chance I had to fit you in without too much time passing. Two for one you could say. As far as where we're going, I thought we'd head to Battersea Park."
"Battersea! Well, that is a good – "
"Three plus miles, by hook or by crook, each way. Are you up for it?"
"Sure."
"Well, let's get going then, get your engine warmed up! C'mon Igor," she tugged at the dog's leash and resumed her steps. "I try to keep a fairly quick pace, Mr. Carson, ensures I get a workout and it helps tire Igor out. I'd like to stay away from the Thames, keep a little distance between us and any brave tourists out today and, of course, the cold wind coming off the water." With his long strides, he had caught up to her and they were walking side by side, Elsie being dragged a bit by Igor.
"So, Battersea today, was it three weeks ago we met at Greenwich Park, Elsie?"
"Aye, and we walked to Crystal Palace Park last Saturday."
"I haven't been there in years! Tend to go north myself, old habits. Alice and I lived in Hampstead previously. Hampstead Heath is a wonderful park, dense with trees and hills. Have you been there?"
"No, I've not. Always lived south, ever since I enrolled all those years ago at Goldsmiths."
"We should go sometime – when it's warmer!" Charles clarified as he wiped his runny nose.
Elsie noticed this as she looked over at him, "You doing okay, Charlie?"
He looked her in the eye, "Seldom better."
As Charles and Elsie were distracted momentarily by one another, Igor was spooked by a bicyclist that approached them from behind calling out in alert, "On your right!" As the rider whizzed by them, Igor began barking and attempted to run after the bicycle, thinking it was a game. He yanked at the leash hard enough to nearly tumble Elsie despite her already forward momentum.
"Igor!" She yelled, but still the dog pulled.
Charles instinctively stepped in, grabbing ahold of the leash as well and calling out the dog's name. This time, the dog eased up instantly, turning his head this way and that in a sign of submission.
"See, why does he mind you and not me?"
"Probably my size and deep voice." Elsie thought to herself, yeah, maybe Igor likes your size and voice as much as I do.
She heard that voice again, grabbing her attention back. "It's not as quiet out here as I thought it would be. If he gets excited by that chap, maybe I should take his leash?"
"Be my guest. He thinks everything is either a toy or out to get us. I didn't socialize him as well as I should have when he was a pup." Elsie handed over the leash to Charles.
"Well, how could you, with everything you've got going on? You're quite the caretaker, Elsie." They had walked a few more paces before Charles asked, "Elsie, why do you have Igor? He seems like he's quite the irritation to you.
"Because in fact he is!" Waving her arm and wrist dismissively in the dog's direction, she scoffed then continued, "Ah, there are two reasons I got Igor eight months ago now. After Becky had a second seizure a little over a year ago, her doctor, Dr. Clarkson, suggested it would be wise to get her a service dog. Becky was never around dogs much and didn't like bigger ones so it was a hard sell, even after I'd put the deposit down on Violet. She'd been specially trained for Becky's condition and that training wasn't cheap, though I suspect I got a little bit of a deal as the Masons connected me with the breeder/ trainer. Beryl heard all of Becky's protests including the argument, 'I'll only get a dog if Elsie gets a dog.' Unfortunately for me, Beryl and Bill – and others – were already uncomfortable with me walking home Thursday nights, alone in the dark after group sessions which I had only started last summer. Igor was therefore a compromise all the way around."
"So, health and safety, not companionship."
"In so many words, yes."
"That's too bad, I mean, even with Lady as deaf and blind as she is and all the care she requires, it is nice to have her around, someone to talk to, someone to take care of." Elsie could see that he meant it and said as much. She was quickly growing fond of Charles's companionship as well.
They continued their walk to Battersea Park, chatting about this and that, still getting to know one another. When at last they arrived at Battersea, Charles was anxious to find a urinal. Fortunately there was one inside a small brick structure that they found near the Boating Pond. As he came out of the building, he was studying the structure, and his phone was in his bare hand. "There's a sign in there explaining the building's provenance. It was built originally in the 1930s as a warming hut for skaters. It has some wonderful leaded and stained glass windows on the backside, quite lovely. Surprised I didn't know of this before." He took a few photos from different angles, clearly, the architectural details in this humble little building had charmed the architect in him.
He offered to purchase hot chocolate for the both of them from a vendor in a tea point deeper in the park. After filling Igor's collapsible water bowl, she leaned against the small counter stretching her legs whilst the vendor prepared their beverages. "Everything alright?"
"Oh, yes, fine. Just had somehow pulled a hamstring or such before the holidays. When it didn't go away I ended up needing several physical therapy sessions to recover. I'll stretch it again when I get home later. You best do the same, I know you bike and all but you don't want to stiffen up with this different form of exercise."
He caught the double entendre and gulped, staring forward. She missed it entirely.
They sat on a park bench drinking their cocoas, the dog sprawled at their feet. Later, as they had a few weeks before, they found an open part of the park, took Igor off his leash and Charles proceeded to launch tennis balls for him to fetch. Careful not to wear the dog out as he had a few weeks ago, Charles was consciously not throwing the balls as far or as frequently as he remembered doing so previously.
Standing around as they were for the most part, it was starting to feel cold again. When he picked up the ball one last time from the ground in front of him, he asked the dog, "Had enough for today?" Elsie agreed they should be heading back. After the hot cocoa though, she wanted to first use the loo, so they stopped at the old warming hut again. Elsie went in and when she came back out, Charles was bent over at the waist, a plastic bag on his hand picking up after Igor.
"Oh Charlie, I'm sorry, I can do that."
"No, no, I've got it. Do it every day." He found a rubbish bin and tossed the waste in. "Just going to duck in and wash my hands whilst we're here."
"Yes, of course."
When he came out, they both stepped around the back side so he could point out the windows, explaining some of their construction. And then they returned to the path, heading northeast.
Idle chit chat ensued again and they were more than halfway back to Southwark when he had built up the courage to ask, "Elsie, would you have dinner with me tonight?"
"Oh, that's sweet Charlie, but I'm afraid I'm all booked up tonight. Having my neighbours from next door over to dinner. They have a new baby, well he's 3 ½ months now, and I think they could use a night out. We tend to help one another out and I thought this would be a nice little something for them. Of course, it won't be like a real night out for them but a step in the right direction."
He marveled at her bottomless generosity, "You're such a caring and giving individual, Elsie."
"Yes, well, I do have an ulterior motive – gives me a chance to test-drive a recipe I thought I'd make for Easter when I have Becky and Martha over. I'm not much of a cook but I'd like to try something new and so I am planning to. What are you doing for Easter?"
"Robert and Cora's, down in Hampshire."
"Oh, that's right. Family holidays and polishing the silver. How long does the drive take?"
"No drive, I don't have a car. I take the South Western Railway from Waterloo, the ride is just over an hour."
"Hmmm, just about the same as when I drive down to Brighton."
"What's in Brighton?"
"Oh, Martha has a cottage yet, on the ocean. She and Harold bought it years ago as a get out of the city destination. After he died, Martha kept it as investment property, she had renters for many years. I think they would have loved to retire there but it's been empty for some time now, it needs some repairs. It's either part with the money or part with the property, but Martha won't budge either way. Anyway…Shrimpie, you can't take Shrimpie - I mean Lady – on the train, can you? What do you do with her?"
"I could, in a carrier, it's just that Robert and Cora have a big yellow Lab, Isis, who does not like Shrimpie for some reason." He stopped in his tracks, closed his eyes for a second and huffed. "Shrimpie."
"You really don't like that name, do you?" Elsie giggled at his momentary petulance.
"No, I don't," he sighed.
"Oh, Charlie, it's only a name." She paused then herself. "Wait, you told me before that you typically answer to Charles. You'll tell me please if you don't like me calling you Charlie."
He turned to her, touching her on the forearm and smiled reassuringly. "Elsie, I do like it. Back when I was a boy I answered to Charlie, did so through school, Scouts, University – save for Robert and other fraternity brothers - and then when I got my first job it was at a small outfit and the foreman on our crew was named Charlie. Every time anyone called out the name Charlie we both turned, only more often they were needing him. Pointing to me, the other chap told the whole lot, from now on he's Charles. And it stuck. When I met Alice, that's what she called me too. Remember, we first met at work and I thought professionally it made more sense to be Charles." Then he smiled, "But there's always been a part me that's Charlie."
"What about Robert?"
"Hmm?"
"What does Robert call you?"
Chuckling, he continued, "Oh, Robert calls me On." Elsie wasn't following the logic, he could tell by her facial expression.
"Yes, On. It was a joke we came up with at University, the last part of our surnames. I'm On, Cars-On, and he's Ham. Cora hates it, always has. So a lot of times we are just using Charles and Robert when things are serious or with others in the room, but call or text me and it's On."
"Silly lads. And, what other names?"
"Well, Robert's daughters call me Uncle Carson, Sybbie calls me CC. It was easy for her to pronounce when she was a toddler. And beyond that, I guess everyone calls me Mr. Carson."
Elsie grabbed his hand playfully for a brief moment. "Thanks for sharing, Charlie." She flashed him that smile he was falling in love with. "Shall we continue, On?"
They were approaching Waterloo Station. "Elsie, I'm sorry, I have to duck in the Station to use the loo again." Enlarged prostate he went on to explain, sharing more than he had when they were together on Friday. "But you don't need to wait. It's just past 2:00 and you need to get home yet, clean up and I'm guessing it's not a late night for you with your neighbours."
"You're right, Charlie."
"Elsie, what do your evenings look like this week, other than Tuesday that is. I have a Committee meeting on Tuesday. I'd love to take you to dinner."
"Monday and Wednesday's aren't great, and then I have group on Thursday until 6:30, 6:45. By the time I bring Igor home, feed him and such I'm nowhere again before 7:45, 8:00 and I prefer not to eat that late, normally."
"But you pick him up in the mid-late afternoon yes, so you have Igor to walk home with you later?"
"Yes."
"Well, how about you change things up a bit. Go home in the afternoon as usual but just let him out. Don't bring him to the office, I can meet you there. We'll go to dinner, and I'll make sure you get home safe. I promise."
Tipping her head coquettishly, "Scout's honour?"
He nodded, "Scout's honour."
"OK, because if you don't, Beryl will roast you on a spit! Thursday dinner sounds lovely, it's a date. And today, this has been a lovely date too. Thank you, Charlie." She reached for his hand once again and used it as leverage to kiss him goodbye on the cheek.
Raising his eyebrows in delighted surprise, he replied, "You're welcome, Elsie. Thank you."