"That was amazing." She smiled, as the waiter cleared their plates he reached across the table and took her hand. "Thank you."
"Well I did bring you all the way to Manchester for a wedding that didn't happen. I have to make it up to you somehow."
"It's not like you knew it was going to happen, you don't have to feel bad." She could see on his face he was feeling guilty.
"Well…" He said slowly, taking a sip of his drink. "I did have a bad feeling Elvis might try something. I probably should've done something to convince him not to."
Molly shrugged. "Maybe it's for the best? Besides we don't actually know what happened, it might not have been Elvis's fault."
Charles rolled his eyes. "One thing you'll learn is that nine times out of ten when Elvis is involved it's his fault." He joked. "He's a good friend, but I want to kill him at the same time."
Molly laughed, then desperately tried to stifle another yawn. "Noted."
"You look tired, we should get you back to the hotel for some sleep." He said, waving the waiter over to get the bill.
"I'm okay, really." She shook her head in protest. She was dead on her feet if she was being honest, but she wasn't quite ready for the day to be over either. It was only 4pm.
"You're allowed to admit you're tired, you did work the whole of last night." He reminded her as he handed the waiter his money. "Come on, I'm taking you to bed before you fall asleep at the table."
She couldn't keep the grin off her face as she stood up and took his hand he was holding out to her. "Did you just order me into bed?" She laughed.
His cheeks flushed red. "Sort of… I didn't mean it like that!" He laughed.
"I might've been a little bit keener to go if you had." She winked. "I can think of better things to do than sleep."
"I-" He grinned at her trying to find something to say, she struggled to fight off another yawn as they walked out to the car. "As much as I want to take you up on that, the only thing you're doing is going to sleep." He wasn't even sure how she was still standing and he knew no matter what he said the second she got into bed she'd be asleep in seconds.
He'd been right, by the time they got back to the hotel she could barely keep her eyes open and she had considered asking him to carry her up the stairs since she felt like she could barely walk she her as so tired, but she had eventually made it into the room behind him.
"See, I told you the only thing you were doing was going to sleep." He laughed as she flopped down on the bed.
"You might've been right." She admitted. "I'm so sorry, I thought I'd be able to keep myself awake!"
"Stop apologising, it's fine!" He laughed. "You've done well to make it this far, you can always sleep for a couple of hours and then we can go and have a drink or something later?"
"Okay." She agreed reluctantly, rummaging in her bag for her pyjamas. "What are you going to do though?"
"I can watch tv for a bit." He pointed to the screen up on the wall. "I'm going to try and get hold of Elvis as well and make sure he's okay."
"Are you sure? I feel really bad." She realised mid sentence that Jess had been in her overnight bag at some point and replaced her normal comfortable pyjamas with something silky that didn't seem to have a lot to it.
"I'm sure, really." He was already closing the curtains and turning on the tv.
She took a deep breath and grabbed the pyjamas Jess had put in her bag and her phone and headed for the bathroom. Jess answered on the first ring.
"What the hell have you done with my pyjamas?" Molly hissed into the phone. She was standing in front of the mirror in the skimpy shorts and vest that Jess had packed her trying to work out if there was anyway she could actually get them to cover her.
Jess laughed. "You found them then? Trust me Molly I am doing you a favour. You can thank me later!"
"Jess! I can't do this!" Molly whispered into the phone. Her heart was pounding in her chest.
"Oh shh!" Jess dismissed her. "I've seen the way that man looks at you, he'll be thanking me even if you aren't right now- and trust me you will be later!"
"I can't believe you've done this to me." Molly sighed. She probably should've been expecting it.
"Wait why aren't you at the wedding?" Jess suddenly realised what the time was.
"Oh that is an even longer story than this." Molly told her.
"Well, you can explain that to me when you get back you've got better things to be doing. Now, stop hiding in the bathroom and get back to the gorgeous man who is waiting for you!" She ordered, hanging up the phone.
Molly took one last look in the mirror before walking back into the bedroom trying not to feel too self conscious. She knew what Jess was trying to do, but she wasn't quite sure she was ready for it. Either way she didn't have a lot of choice.
She had to hide a smile as she walked out of the bathroom and saw Charles's eyes widen for a second before he regained control over his face. Maybe Jess had been right after all.
He'd kicked off his shoes and laid down on one side of the bed, tv remote in his hand. She climbed in next to him, his arm winding around her as her head rested on his chest.
"You were right." She mumbled. "I don't think I've ever been this tired in my life."
He laughed quietly, kissing the top of her head. "Well stop talking to me and go to sleep then!"
"Yes sir…" she mumbled, already half asleep.
Seconds later she was asleep, snoring gently. He laid there for a second just watching her, then pulled his phone out to try Elvis again.
He eventually answered this time. "Elvis where have you been I've been trying to call you?" He whispered. He didn't dare try and move incase he woke Molly up so he was going to have to be quiet.
"Why are you whispering?" Elvis asked sounding confused.
"Molly is asleep she had to work last night. Now answer my question."
"I got your messages I just wasn't ready to hear the lecture all over again." Elvis sighed. "But go ahead."
"I'm not ringing to lecture you I'm ringing to make sure you're okay." Charles sighed. "Where are you?" He froze for a moment as Molly stirred slightly, rolling over so she was facing away from him and pulling the duvet up around her face.
"I'm going to go and find a pub. I need a beer." Elvis muttered. He sounded really defeated, and that worried Charles more than anything else. This Elvis wasn't something he was used to.
"Look why don't you come to the hotel we're staying at? I'll buy you a drink while Molly's sleeping and you can tell me what the hell happened?" Charles suggested.
Elvis was silent for a second. "Do you promise you're not going to lecture me because I really don't need it right now."
"Promise." Charles agreed, looking around the room for something to leave Molly a note.
"Okay. I'm only a few minutes away, I'll meet you in the bar." Elvis said, hanging up the phone.
Charles eventually managed to find a notepad to leave Molly a note in case she woke up before he got back, changed into his jeans and made it down to the bar when Elvis arrived. Neither of them said anything as he ordered them a beer each and they went and sat down at a table in the corner of the deserted bar.
"So?" Charles said eventually when Elvis still hadn't said anything after a couple of minutes.
"I'm sorry, I know I put you in an awkward position again." Elvis actually looked genuinely remorseful too. "I just couldn't stand the thought of her marrying him and giving up everything she's worked for just because he couldn't deal with the thought of her being in the army."
"There's a time and a place for these things Elvis and her wedding day was neither."
"That wasn't what I was trying to do, I wasn't trying to convince her to leave him or anything. I just wanted to talk to her. Then Jamie turned up and it all went wrong. I shouldn't have been there, I'm sorry. Not that she'll ever talk to me again to hear the apology." Elvis sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"What happened with Jamie?" Charles asked.
Elvis hesitated for a second. "I don't know exactly, I left before the end. He was arguing with Georgie, saying he couldn't be with her if she wasn't over me and that things would be better once she was out of the army and away from me. Georgie got upset saying she was only leaving the army because he'd forced her into it."
"Bloody hell." Charles muttered. "I'm not okay with what you did- you're a twat and you know it- but I don't think anyone can blame all of what happened on you. People don't just cancel a wedding because of what one person says. Maybe they weren't as happy as we all thought?"
"She's never going to forgive me is she?" Elvis asked.
For probably the first time since he'd known him Charles actually felt sorry for him. He looked devastated. "I'm sorry mate. I know you were trying to help but you did leave her at the altar at your wedding and then you did contribute to this one being cancelled. That's a lot for her to deal with and you couldn't exactly blame her if she never wanted to talk to you again."
"This really isn't how I pictured all of this ending up." Elvis sighed. "I thought we'd be like you and Rebecca."
Charles sipped at his beer, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah because that all worked out so well for me." He joked.
Elvis laughed. "Sorry mate I didn't think that through. How is the divorce going?"
"It's nearly sorted now." Charles said. "She's keeping the house and I've moved to a place near the hospital."
"That's convenient." Elvis winked. "How are things with you and Molly?"
"Good." Charles smiled. "Early days, but good."
"How is she after all that in Kenya? I thought maybe she'd call or something when she got back but she never did."
Charles pulled a face, trying to work out what to say so Elvis would understand him. "She's good- maybe a little too good if you know what I mean?"
"I'm not sure I do?"
"Well she just came back and went straight back to work as though nothing had happened. You know what happens to people with this sort of thing, you can't just bury your head in the sand and pretend it never happened. It catches up with you eventually. But she won't talk about it, if someone even mentions anything to do with it she changes the subject or if anything comes on the news she'll turn it off." He hadn't said anything to her for a while, she'd made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it right from the off but that didn't stop him worrying.
"Maybe she really is okay?" Elvis suggested. "I know what you're like you do tend to create a problem out of nothing. If she's happy then why not just leave her to it?"
"I can't believe you just crashed your ex's wedding and I'm the one sitting here taking advice from you." Charles laughed. "What has happened to me?"
"What's happened to both of us?" Elvis sighed. "Maybe I need to get back out on tour at least I'm good at that."
Charles hesitated for a moment again. He really wasn't sure how to deal with this Elvis. "Have you heard if you've got anything lined up?" He asked.
Elvis shook his head. "Nothing yet, but you know how it is. Wait and see what comes up."
"Whatever happens I'd steer well clear of Georgie for a while if you value your life." Charles joked.
"Yeah." Elvis winced. "Her Dad didn't like me before so god knows what he thinks of me now… I mean it though, I didn't mean for this to happen."
"I know." Charles agreed. "But you might just have to live with the fact that no one else is going to see it that way."
"Yeah." Elvis reluctantly agreed with him. He had wanted to call Georgie but he'd thought better of it. She was going to need some time before she'd be ready to talk to him. "Oh look here's Molly." He waved to her as she walked over to the table.
"How are you doing?" She asked, looking at him sympathetically as she slid into the seat beside Charles.
"I'm fine." Elvis forced himself to smile. "I'd better get going, I don't want to ruin your evening together."
"You don't have to do that." Molly said, but Charles was giving him a look from behind that was pleading with him to leave.
"No really I'm good." He smiled, draining the last of his beer. "Cheers for the drink Charlie, you two have a good night!" He winked before getting up and heading for the door before Molly could try and stop him.
"Are you sure he's okay because he doesn't look it?" She asked Charles.
"He'll be okay, he can look after himself." Charles smiled. "Anyway enough about Elvis, I'm surprised you're out of bed already?"
"Well…" She bit her lip. "You could always take me back to bed? I wouldn't object."