Chapter 10

When Charles and Molly reached the end of their street they slowed to a walk to cool down. Charles felt exhilarated, he couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed a run so much and it was all down to Molly. She'd encouraged him while keeping a close eye on his progress so he didn't overdo it. In the end they managed 4 miles and though he was aching he felt good. Just being in close proximity to her made him feel lighter, more positive. Her determination and focus shone through and he gravitated towards her warmth. He desperately wanted to hug her after their run, but he was also aware that she had drawn a clear boundary and he couldn't risk losing her completely. He'd rather have a small part of her in his life than none at all.

They stopped at her garden gate and Molly leaned against the fence to stretch out her calves. Charles followed suit looking sideways at her and smiling.

"What's that look for?" she asked.

"Nothing, I just really enjoyed that run, I felt stronger, thank you." he looked serious for a moment.

"Better than Elvis am I?" Molly teased.

Charles laughed loudly,

"Yes definitely, it's safe to say he's been replaced!"

Molly moved onto stretching her quads. In truth she was stalling. She'd loved being out with him. The time flew and she didn't feel like she was trudging as she often did when she was training alone. She felt sad at the thought of her evening stretching ahead of her, quiet, nobody to chat too. She wanted to give herself a shake. She didn't need a man to be happy. She had good friends and she supposed she had her Mum at a push. However, Lily was still in India and she wasn't ready to tell Kate and Ella about Charles yet.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Charles tapped her forehead and she realised she'd been staring into space while holding her foot back towards her butt in the stretch. She shook her head,

"Nothing, just thinking about tea. Quite hungry after that run."

A silence hung between them, both wondering if they should suggest eating together. In the end, Charles broke it,

"I was going to sample some of the local take away fare if you fancy joining me?"

"That would be nice thank you. Which delicacies were you thinking of?"

"Chinese? Indian?"

"Chinese sounds good. Let me grab a shower first though." She shook the bottom of her t-shirt.

"Yeah me too. I'll be back over in 30 minutes."

"See you then. And..."

"Yes?"

"You're still tilting so I'll check your alignment when you come over. Don't wear jeans."

"Ok, see you then." Charles tried to sound as unfazed as possible, but his stomach was churning with excitement.

-OG-

20 minutes later, Molly had had the quickest shower of her life and was trying to do something with her wet hair. She knew Charles would be punctual so blow drying and straightening was out of the question. In the end she put it into two pigtails and hoped it looked cute instead of like a 5 year old on picture day. She put on some mascara and lip gloss and ran round the living room shoving random bits in drawers and cupboards.

Across the road, Charles had been ready for ages, an effect of enforced quick showers in the army. He wasn't one to hang about, but he knew landing on Molly's doorstep too early would stress her out. Eventually the clock ticked round and he wandered across the road.

She answered the door wearing knee length printed leggings and a pink vest top. Her hair hung in pigtails onto her tanned skin and his breath caught in his throat at the thought of holding them while...

"Charles? Are you coming in?"

"Uh yes, right, yes." He hastily tried to get a hold on his thoughts. His cotton sweatpants wouldn't afford much cover for any unwanted reaction in the groin area.

He followed Molly inside and through to her kitchen which was separated from the living room by a set of bifold doors. They'd been closed the last time he was here, but he'd been so busy kissing her at the bottom of her stairs, he doubted he'd have noticed if they were painted yellow with red spots.

For the first time he properly took in their surroundings. The comfortable living room featured a large sofa, arm chair and TV, what you'd usually expect, but towards the back of the room and all around the bifold doors, shelves groaned with row after row of books, more than Charles had ever seen in a small house. Certainly some of his friends from school had libraries in their large homes, but he always suspected they were there as a status symbol more than for a true passion for reading. He began to examine some of the titles back in the living room, noticing the eclectic mix of genres. Molly saw him looking and smiled,

"I'm a bit of a bookworm." she admitted shyly.

Charles looked up at her,

"A bit? I'm concerned you might have an addiction!"

"Yeah I probably do, but I guess it comes with the territory of being an English teacher."

Charles stopped suddenly,

"You're an English teacher?"

"Yes, why?"

"I just realised I never asked you what subject you taught." Charles looked embarrassed, "That's awful, I never asked."

Molly shrugged,

"It's not a big deal, honest, it never came up."

"Wow an English teacher." Charles looked a little awed.

"Ok calm down mate, it's not like I'm a brain surgeon."

"Yeah, but I bet you do mould young brains in some way."

"I try, but who knows?"

Charles stepped further into the kitchen,

"This place is a bit like a tardis isn't it?" He looked through to the conservatory which then opened onto a long garden, "It just goes on and on."

"I like it." beamed Molly.

"It's really lovely Molly, you've made it a home." Charles sounded sad.

Molly placed her hand on his arm,

"Hey, you'll get your flat there, give yourself time, you've just moved in."

Charles grimaced,

"I guess. I suppose it's the downside of working away so much, the house you go back to is just a stop gap. I've never really had roots other than at my parents in Bath."

"I bet their house is amazing!"

"It's pretty impressive I have to admit. Hopefully you'll see it one day." He looked at Molly with such intensity, she felt her heart open a little more.

"I'd like that." She said quietly and squeezed his hand. "Now come on let's order food I'm starving."

Once they'd ordered, Charles went back to looking at Molly's books while she set out plates and cutlery on her farmhouse style kitchen table. Then she appeared beside him holding a small stool.

"What are you going to do with that?" He asked suspiciously.

"You're going to sit in it so I can check your spine." She was all business though inside her heart was racing. "Take your t-shirt off and sit down."

"Well Molly I would usually expect to get dinner out of the way before I took my clothes off." Charles said with mock shock.

Molly swatted his arm,

"Sit down smart arse!"

Charles laughed and pulled his t-shirt up over his head. Molly tried to avert her eyes, but there was no escaping the sight of his bare chest. His muscle definition combined with tanned smooth skin left her desperate to run her hands down his pecs and dip her tongue into his six pack. She studiously looked at the floor while he sat down in front of her.

"I'm all yours." he teased.

If only, she thought.

"Ok just sit up straight." She laid her hands on his shoulders and felt him draw in a sharp breath. "Sorry if my hands are cold."

"Um no no...they're fine."

As she touched him she had to remind herself why she wasn't just walking round in front of him, climbing into his lap and letting nature take it's course.

She walked her fingers down each vertebrae and he shivered as he felt her warm breath ghosting over his skin.

"Ok stand up for me."

He stood as she continued her examination.

"Can you tuck your chin into your chest and then lean forward slowly until you're touching your toes?"

"Is this a wind up Molly? Is there actually a hidden camera?"

"No Charles. Are you stalling cos you can't touch your toes."

He turned and grinned at her over his shoulder before following her instructions.

"Impressive flexibility." Molly commented. "Ok come back up and sit down again."

"Daily yoga sessions while I was in rehab." Charles commented. "I thought they were a load of rubbish to start with, but they really helped."

"I'm glad, it's really good for you."

She continued checking his spine, asking him to stand up and sit down a few more times. The third time, she blushed, grateful he was facing away from her. She took hold of the waistband of his sweatpants and moved them slightly,

"I just have to move this down a little bit to check your hip if that's ok?"

"Yeah." His voice sounded choked and she would have bet everything that he was struggling as much as she was.

She was wrong, he was struggling more. At least Molly was getting to touch him. Charles had to endure feeling her hands all over his shoulders, neck and back while not being able to reach round and hold her. He wanted to pull her to him, crush her against his bare chest, lift her until her legs wrapped round his waist. And now she was pulling the back of his trousers down. He could feel his length hardening and it took everything he had not to touch her hand which was now resting just above his right buttock.

"Molly..."

"Uh yeah?" She was feeling around the base of his spine.

"Are you nearly done?"

"Yeah, sorry am I hurting you?"

"No...this is just a bit torturous you know...?" his words hung in the air.

"Um..." she didn't know what to say.

Suddenly Charles spoke in a rush, still standing and facing away from her,

"I really appreciate you taking a look and I get what you said last night, but you have to remember, what happened over there," he pointed to the bottom of her stairs, "those feelings don't just go away. I don't want to embarrass you...or me and...I do really want to be friends. This is just more difficult than I thought it would be." He risked looking over his shoulder again at her.

She was nodding,

"I know. It is, more difficult I mean. I'm on the same page as you if you're wondering. I'm sorry." She stepped back from him, "Your L4 and L5 are out." She took a card from a small corner desk and wrote on the back. "This is Gus's contact details and notes from looking at you, he should be able to fit you in if you mention I referred you."

Charles took the card, avoiding eye contact and hoping she couldn't see the bulge that was persisting despite his best efforts to think deeply unsexy thoughts. She put the stool away while he pulled his t-shirt back on before following her through to the kitchen again. She was leaning against the island looking out to the garden. He wrapped his arms round her, hugging her tightly and resting his chin on top of her head.

"Do you want me to go?"

She shook her head,

"No."

"Molly, I know we seem to be in this impossible position, but please believe me when I say I've only known you a few days, and I feel like I'd miss you if you weren't here. I'd rather you were in my life as a friend than-"

"-not at all." She finished his sentence for him.

"Yes."

She picked up one of his hands from around her waist and kissed it.

"Thank you for understanding." she said.

Just then the door bell rang shattering their calm.

"Food's here." Molly said briskly.

And just like that they each packaged up their feelings and got on with their evening, both knowing that it would be worse to be on opposite sides of the road that night than sharing time together in the same house where they both wanted more.