Please be aware there is some very very mild graphic content. Very very very mild… but felt the need to post a warning any way. Just to be sure…

Chapter 7

Charlie quickly ran over to the door, took in a deep breath before opening the door to let Amita in. What happened next seemed to come straight out of a very bad comedy. Amita let out a loud scream as a huge splash of water that seemed to come from above the door post drenched her completely. With her hands clenched into fists, strands of wet hair sticking to her face and run though mascara she stood before Charlie looking completely shell-shocked.

Charlie just stood there, frozen to the ground, not quite believing what had just happened before him. Amita raised her eyes and saw a bucket hanging on a rope tied to the top of the front door. She hadn't seen a thing when he walked up to the front door. Then she brought her eyes back to Charlie, who still hadn't moved from his original position. He was still holding the door handle and still stared at her in utter disbelief.

"Are you going to invite me in, or should I stay out here and dry up first?" She said sarcastically.

Charlie shook his head and stammered. "I'm so sorry… I…I should have known… after today… come, come on in." And he grabbed Amita's hands.

"I'll wait here, I don't want to get the house all wet" she answered standing on the door mat.

"Sure, sure… I'll go get a towel. Don't… don't go anywhere" Charlie replied nervously as he hurried off to grab a towel.

Amita frowned and raised a corner of her mouth. Of course she wasn't going anywhere, she just said so. Charlie had a funny way of dealing with unexpected things, which was one of his cutest traits. Or so she thought anyway.

When he returned with a towel he stopped and stared at her with a look she had not yet seen on his face before. Then she realized she wore a white cotton blouse which was now soaking wet and she quickly folded her arms covering whatever caught Charlie's attention.

"Charlie, towel please." She asked in a stern voice.

Charlie quickly shifted his eyes, quickly locked them with hers, and blushed.

"Yeah… towel… here" He muttered and waved his free hand uncomfortably.

Amita smiled. This evening had not quite started the way she had hoped it would, but it actually was quite funny. She quickly started to dry herself off, making sure part of the towel cover her from the neck down. Even though she wasn't prudish, they hadn't quite made it to that part of the relationship yet. And some things were best left a secret until it was time to take the next step.

When she figured she was dry enough to move from where she had been standing she moved up to Charlie still holding the towel in front of her.

"I think I'm going to need some dry clothes and a mirror. I must look like a drowned rat." She smiled.

Charlie seemed to have snapped out of the initial shock of Amita being splashed by a bucket of water, and the way she smiled at him he knew their evening alone was not yet washed out. So to speak.

"I'll get you a clean t-shirt and a blow-dryer." He said as he motioned himself towards her.

"You have a blow-dryer?" She asked pulling the towel up higher as Charlie approached her.

"Yes, in fact I do. Not that I use it, this hairdo comes naturally" He smirked as he was close enough to wrap his arms around her.

Charlie held Amita close, the towel she held now pressed between them.

"You know, for a drowned rat, you look pretty cute" He joked closing in on her.

"You think so huh. You think I should wear my hair and make-up this way more often?" She joked back.

"I don't care what you look like, you're beautiful either way" He mused against her lips and closed his eyes.

"Charlie?" Amita breathed against his lips.

"Hmmmm?" was his only response.

"T-shirt and blow-dryer please?" She asked.

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Charlie had to admit, that wearing wet clothes sticking to your body was not particularly comfortable, but he had so been looking forward to seeing her he got caught up in the moment. He took her by the hand and guided her to the bathroom where he handed her the promised blow-dryer. He then proceeded to look for a t-shirt that would fit her. When he found what he was looking for he walked back to the bathroom where Amita had cleaned up her face and had begun to blow dry her hair.

"Here, this should fit." Charlie said as he handed her the lavender v-neck t-shirt.

"Thanks… I'll be right down." She answered.

Charlie who now remembered he still had the lasagna in the oven decided to sneak another peek to see how it was coming along. As he walked down the stairs he was thankful that Amita had such a great sense of humor. He could think of many other ways she could have responded and his evening alone with her would have been ruined in a heartbeat.

Now more than ever did he want to get back at Don. But not tonight. He had other plans for tonight. Plans that did not involve his stupid older brother, his father or anybody not in currently drenched clothes.

When he reached the kitchen, a thick aromatic smell greeted him, announcing that the lasagna was doing quite well. For the second time that evening he opened the oven lid, only this time a fiercely bubbling mass of carefully selected ingredients told him it wouldn't be long before the dish would be ready. Moments later he heard the kitchen door open.

"Something smells nice" Amita's voice sounded.

"Lasagna, no meat. Are you hungry yet?" Charlie answered as he closed the lid.

"I was before I was treated to that cold shower on your porch" She smiled.

Charlie lowered his head and leaned himself against the kitchen counter.

"Sorry about that. I'm guessing that was Don's work for messing with his head this afternoon. I'm glad you didn't.. you know… freak out about it" Charlie began.

"Hey, I've been a student long enough to appreciate a good joke. Even such an old one." She replied and wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck "When is the lasagna ready?"

"Not for another 20 minutes"

"Hmmmm" She replied with a sly smile on her face.

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"So Alan, you rise or call?" Rob asked. He had a good hand and was almost certain Alan had nothing.

"Rise. So, as I was saying my two boys have this feud going on. It's driving me crazy, my youngest even recruited me so to speak to get back at my eldest."

"I fold. Well, at least you get to play grown ups games. All of us are stuck playing with Barbie or marbles with the grand kids" Martin replied showing his cards.

"At least you have grand children." Alan replied.

"Flush." Rob said a he laid out his cards. "So, then what"

"Four of a kind" Alan said as he did the same" So decided to play my own game, and pulled an oldie. You know, the bucket of water above the door trick"

"Second time this evening you win Alan." Martin said.

"Must be on a lucky streak. Anyway, I think after this is all over, and with a little help from me, both of them will think twice before ever starting something like this ever gain" Alan said as he started to clear the table.

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