Chapter 20

Saturday, Dec 16

Charles was on his way to London as today was the day of Matt's stag do. He was looking forward to it but already dreading how hungover he would be tomorrow. A stag where the majority of the participants were soldiers on leave could only end in one way. If he succeeded in his mission, Matt would be worse though.

All sorts of creative ideas had popped up when they started planning the event, from heading to Ibiza for an extended weekend (off season though) or to somewhere in Eastern Europe (cheap beer), to gin tasting and hiring a stripper. Charles had averted all those ideas for different reasons. It would be difficult both for Matt and several of the others who also were in the army to go away for several days and he knew that Matt was not too keen on Eastern Europe after his latest tour to Estonia. He also knew that Matt did not fancy gin much and the last thing he wished for was a stripper, especially if it ever became known to Bella. (Charles did not like the idea of a stripper either, the one time he had been to a stag party where there was one, he had found it totally embarrassing and humiliating and did not understand where either the fun or the sensuality in it was, paying a girl to take her clothes off in front of a bunch drunken men.) What Matt wanted was a day to without demands, get completely pissed and have fun with his friends, no complications needed. Finally, they had landed on being in London, have one arranged activity – bubble football (while drinking, naturally), followed by more drinking, perhaps eating something so it did not end in total disaster and then hang out in a bar. Matt was not one for dancing either.

He had been up early to catch the London train and it almost started to feel like a habit now. The only thing that bothered him was that he had had to leave Sam behind. Yesterday, Charles extended Christmas permission had started. It was something of a first. He had either been on tour or on duty for most of the past Christmases since he joined the army. Now he would have the luxury to be off until the other side of New Year. When he got back to Bath yesterday, he had picked up Sam from Rebecca and they had fetched Thai take-away, bought large amounts of snacks and watched Grinchen. Not because it was their favourite movie, but because it was Christmas tradition. Due to work and Rebecca taking Sam to Paris, a few weeks had passed since Charles last saw his son and now he felt like he had grown an inch or two in that short timeframe, reminding him he was seeing too little of Sam. What he wished for most was to work closer to Bath, so he could go home in the weekday evenings and Sam could stay with him every other week, not only weekends. But he was not there yet, before the practical arrangements were done there was not point discussing it with Rebecca. He knew she would not jump with joy, but the important thing was that Sam would. For now, he was looking forward to spending a lot of time with him over Christmas.

He arrived at Paddington station and thought to himself that from now on, he would probably always connect it with Molly, bouncing into her followed by a bollocking. He smiled to himself before he hurried to the metro line that would take him to Matt's house, or rather the café around the corner where he would meet up the rest of the guys. They would be twenty-four including Matt so they would be more than enough for two football teams.

Nearly all of them were already there when he arrived and took charge, both out of habit and because he as bestman was the one arranging the whole thing.

"Before we go get Matt, I just want to make one thing clear." Amused, he saw that those of them who were privates nearly stood in attention when he, a major, spoke. That would not do on a day like this, he wanted them to relax.

"Today is about Matt, celebrating he will be a married man soon..."

"I thought we were having a funeral feast for his days as bachelor", Elvis interrupted and Charles shot him an annoyed glance.

"If you'd just let me finish. We're here to celebrate Matt, you chose your reason. What I want to say is we're not at work and I'll be pissed off if anyone calls me 'Sir' or think about what might be appropriate behaviour or not. Army regulations are not part of this day and I'm here to have fun like the rest of you. Okay?"

"Yes, Sir", a guy called Fingers said. Charles had been his CO before he was promoted major and that was one of the reasons he had delivered his little speech, to ease any possible tensions.

"Charles is fine for today", he now grinned, "but I'll kill anyone who tries calling me Charlie. Except Elvis of course, but he has something wrong with his speech centre, we all know that."

"Not just the speech centre, I would say his entire brain", Spanner smirked, and everyone laughed except Elvis who put on a sulking face but really was amused too. That was the ice-breaker they had needed and now they all went to get Matt.

Matt was loitering in robe and slippers, reading the newspaper and had a toast and tea. Life was perfect. Bella had been picked up for her hen half an hour ago and now he was looking forward to a calm day, until the doorbell rang and his hallway was invaded by twenty-three noisy men, laughingly forcing him to have his first tequila shot before he even had a chance to get proper clothes on. He instantly knew this would be a day of lots of fun but he was not entirely sure he would survive it.

Around ten in the evening, the remaining part of the troop were hanging in a bar, but quite a few had had to drop off because they were too hammered to take anymore.

"Bubble football was a bloody brilliant idea", Matt slurred to Charles.

Charles was about half as drunk as Matt, yet very drunk too and just grinned in response. Playing football in zorb suits had been a laugh. Just the sight of them all with upper bodies enclosed in plastic bubbles, which made them play equally bad disregarding how skilled or not they normally were at football. A highlight had been when Elvis nearly had panicked because he really had to pee - NOW! - and did not know how to get out of his suit. It was quite easy actually, if one was not as drunk as Elvis and they cruelly delayed showing him how to do until it was very close that he peed inside the bubble, which would have been both grose and humiliating as it was transparent. A bit like bathing in one's own pee while others were watching. Almost a pity they had helped Elvis before it happened.

"So, you've enjoyed yourself?"

"Best day ever… needed to get away from wedding preparations. Thanks! And I'm seriously relieved there was no stripper, Bella would have killed me."

"There could still be one, night is not over..."

"You didn't!"

"No, I'm just teasing. I know you don't want any ladies undressing themselves."

"Only if it's Bella. You know, the other week..."

Charles held his hand up as a sign for Matt so stop.

"Whatever you were about to say, I'm quite sure I don't want those details about your wife-to-be."

"Okay, I'll keep it to myself. Since we're talking about women…"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think about Molly?"

What he thought about Molly? In this moment when his mushy brain was not quite capable of thinking in coherent sentences… pretty… funny… hot… wonderful… worst skater he had seen... He managed a full sentence after all.

"What about her? That she's Bella's sister and bridesmaid." Was all he said out loud.

"Nothing more?"

"She's nice I suppose."

"Nice? You can do better than that! She's a fucking gem and I think you know it! You just don't want to admit you have noticed a girl so soon after the divorce."

"Don't try to be a match maker, it does not suit you and I certainly don't want to be subject to it."

Matt grunted, not satisfied with the answer he got. He considered how he could tease Charles into saying something more, admit he liked Molly, when the room seemed to tilt and he fell off the stool and landed as a pile of legs and arms on the floor. He made no sign of getting up so Charles announced that it probably was time for him to bring Matt home.

They (Charles really, Matt was still decked) had said good night to the others and Charles got them a cab to take them to Matt's empty house. He had no idea what the girls' plan had been, if they would bring Bella home tonight or not, but he assumed that no one would mind if he stayed in the guest bed after having half carried Matt up the stairs to his bed. He swiftly got undressed, then slumped onto the bed and pulled the duvet over himself. The world kept spinning even though he now was still, telling him how wasted he was, and then he fell asleep.

The girl's day had been classier. The had brunch with Prosecco, followed by a day-spa where they had more Prosecco, then went to a restaurant for dinner, wine and – surprise - Prosecco, then ended with dancing (strawberry daiquiris and Prosecco) at a night club. The result was that now they found themselves nearly as drunk as the guys even if the alcoholic beverage of choice mainly had been bubbly instead of beer and booze. When Bella announced that she intended to replace one of the professional dancers who were located at small podiums in the corners of the night club, and perhaps remove a bit of her clothes to practice some sexy moves to surprise Matt with on the wedding night, Molly knew it was time to take her home.

She got them a cab despite Bella's protests.

"You're spoiling all the fun! It's my party and and I can do what I want!"

"I won't let you do anything I know you'll regret bitterly tomorrow. I know you would kill me then."

Georgie helped Molly get Bella into a cab and the bridezilla fell asleep already during the drive. Molly had to pull her, still half sleeping into the house and up the stairs, where a completely wasted Matt already was lying across the bed, fully dressed and snoring. Molly thought to herself that the air in this bedroom would be toxic in the morning from the combined alcoholic fumes from the two of them. She knew Bella would panic when she woke up hungover, because she would have lost both Saturday and Sunday when it came to wedding preparations.

"You needed that, sis. Needed a bit of fun", she said softly, kissed Bella's forehead and tucked them both in gently. She loved them both so much and hoped she would find what they had one day.

Then she headed for the guest room and knackered as she was, quickly wriggled out of her dress and jumped into bed without turning on the light. She fell asleep before the springs hit the floor.