Chapter 2: Chapter 2

It was beautifully hot day the following week that Charles had the chance to meet Molly again.

It was the summer fayre at the school Charles worked and lived at. A big fund raiser. Highlight of the year. It brought in lots of the parents and the locals, which meant lots of money for the school. Charles had been put in charge of organising it for his sins. How and why he did not know. He guessed he must have upset someone during the last academic year. It was a huge task, and that is where Elvis came in.

He needed a large marquee erected on the school's playing field to house all the different stalls. Getting a marquee was easy; getting people to put it up was not so easy. So this is where Charles drew on Elvis' expertise and his availability of soldiers who would be willing to earn some brownie points for the local community and their esteemed Captain.

"Good morning Charlie Boy. All present and correct as I said we would be" Said Elvis as he approached him, wearing his trade mark sun glasses and greens.

"Thanks ever so much for this." Charles said, starting to feel a bit of the pressure of the magnitude of the task he'd undertaken. "I appreciate it everyone." He shouted looking around the group of willing volunteers that Elvis had brought. It was then that he noticed Molly with a group of the soldiers. If he thought she looked tiny before when he saw her at the ball all dressed up with heels on, it was nothing compared to how he felt when he saw her dressed in her military greens like all the other squaddies. Yet he was impressed at how strong and solid she actually looked.

She came up to them. "Morning Charles how are you? Nice to see you again."

"Hi…. Molly…. nice to see you too… didn't expect you to be here today." He replied, a grin creeping across his face, not fully understanding why he was suddenly very happy.

"Yeah well when you have a boss like Elvis it's kind of difficult to say no to." She mirrored his smile.

"Now now Molly." said Elvis smirking behind his sunglasses. "You know the only reason you came was to spend more time with yours truly."

"Errrr…Yeah whatever mate," she laughed and then went back over to the team. Glancing over her shoulder and smiling at Charles.

"So what's the plan for today then?" said Elvis slapping Charles on the back, taking in his mate watching Molly walk away.

Once Elvis brought Charles' attention back to the task he explained about what needed to be done. Elvis confidently told Charles to leave it in his hands and Charles was more than pleased and confident that he could do exactly that. Charles felt he had enough of his hands full in overseeing the young sixth form boys, who were starting to get a bit boisterous in the corner. Charles knew he would be having words with them soon. End of term fever was starting to grip them all.

Maybe that was it, he thought, as to why he suddenly felt so happy, it was the end of term, it had nothing he told himself, to do with a pair of sparkling green eyes he frequently kept making contact with.

Charles shouldn't have been but he was surprised, and grateful that this group of soldiers erected the marquee with no problems and in double-quick time. He was equally amazed in watching Molly doing her fair share of the pulling, lifting and erecting of the huge tent. Not once shying away from the task in hand. She worked hard, and was a definitely team player he noticed. He felt quite proud…and then wondered why she would invoke such feeling in him he hardly knew her. Watching her for a little too longer than was necessary Charles again thought to himself how tiny she was; though she be but little, she is fierce, he jokingly quoted to himself.

It was while he was musing over this he felt a tap on his on his shoulder.

"All right there Charlie Boy? Bet you never thought you'd seen me here."

"Lane." Charles barked out a little too severely, a bit like he was talking to one of the boys. "Yes I am surprised. What are you doing here?" He tried to be friendly; after all she was Molly's friend.

"Well I heard Elvis and Molly talk about it the other night, and I thought that you may want some help with stuff... fetching and carrying. So here I am. I thought I would volunteer." She smiled up at him, smiling a beautiful smile, gaining his full attention. However Charles wasn't fooled he could see she had clocked Elvis in the background barking his orders, and her attention was soon drawn to him

"That's really great." Said Charles. "Thank you ever so much we could use as many pair of hands as we can." And he quickly set her to task, noticing she seemed disappointed not to be working with him or Elvis.

A while later Elvis and Molly sauntered over to Charles. "So Charlie Boy I see Georgie is here. Nice" Raising his glasses to get a better look at her.

"I didn't expect her to see her… didn't know she knew anything about it." Molly pondered. "Not really her kind of thing…you know to volunteer." Molly looked a little troubled.

Elvis excused himself quickly and went to see Georgie, stating he thought it was only polite that he went to say hello. Molly just waved at her from a distance. Georgie was delighted to see Elvis; even several hundred yards away you could see the delight on her face as she watched him make his way over to her. His leaving left Molly and Charles alone together. Something Charles thought was a nice situation to be in.

"Hope you had fun the other night?" Charles struggled to find something to say to her. Wondering to himself why that was, he didn't usually struggle? He could talk to most folk. Yet here he was alone with Molly and he felt nervous. "It was nice meeting you. Heard a lot about you. Nice to put a face to a name. Elvis thinks highly of you." Charles rattled on.

"He's a good boss. I've done well getting taken on permanently as the SF medic. They're a great team; mind you he's a bit full of himself." Said Molly snorting. "He kind of reckons that everybody should fancy him." With that she fully laughed and smiled up at Charles. God, Charles though he really liked her smile.

"Well don't they?" He asked. "Never met someone who's impervious to his charms. Especially not a female!" He raised his eyebrows at her, questioning; she understood what he was implying. She reckon with him and Elvis being best mates he would have learnt what stunt Elvis tried to pull with her in decompression.

"Me and Elvis? I think not mate. He's not exactly my type. Besides I don't mess church with state. Elvis is strictly a good bloke but my boss. That is all he'll ever be... he knows that too. I've been very clear where that's concerned." Molly felt suddenly very anxious to ensure that Charles knew that she had no romantic intentions towards Elvis.

Charles was impressed, not only had she said no to Elvis, she also apparently had put him back in his box. For some reason that made him happy. He was feeling calmer talking to her; know he wasn't going to step on anyone's toes if he flirted maybe a little bit with this lovely woman standing in front of him. However just then one of his more sensible sixth formers came running over.

"Sir." He shouted excitedly. Charles watched from the corner of his eye Molly smirk on hearing the lad call him Sir. He wanted to ask her what was so funny, but now wasn't the time.

"Yes? What is it Brains." He asked of the usually calm pupil. "It's Smurf Sir. He's cut his arm, quite bad, on one of the table legs. It bleeding a lot. He's gone all funny looking too."

"Oh for f…." Charles started, then remembering where he was. Certain he heard Molly snigger. "Ok Brains lead on; I'll follow with the First Aid kit." With that he turned to say his goodbyes to Molly.

"You know I'm a medic right?" She laughed as he just began to set off. "Got my medical Bergan over there. I could help. Seen a lot worse than a cut arm I can tell you." She said placing a hand on his arm to still him, gaining his full attention. Her touch found him distracted for a moment.

"Oh Molly that would be great." Charles said now fixing his full attention on those sparking eyes…and pretty lips! "Smurf is a nice lad, bit of a liability though at times. Always getting into trouble. Very rich parents though. I would hate them to complain if their precious son wasn't looked after properly."

And off they went. The tiny medic and the tall teacher...to save the day. Well, to tend to an injury on a 17 years arm who had a wealthy Mummy and Daddy. The cut was actually pretty deep and was bleeding a lot. The boys were right to have called him. Charles was truly very grateful that Molly was there as he doubted he could have dealt with the injury quite so well, or as calmly. As school nurse was nowhere to be found, Molly dealt with it all after they had moved Smurf into the school's assembly hall. She actually had to suture the wound, and well as merely dressing it. Charles looked away; he wasn't the bravest when it came to stuff like this.

"There you go mate. You'll live." Molly said as she finished. "Might have a bit of a scar there though. Still you can tell all the girls it was a shark bite." She joked with Smurf who looked suitable embarrassed, and if not a little smitten too. Yet another man who seemed taken in by the many charms of Molly Dawes Charles thought.

Drama over and the boys went back to helping, and to relive Smurf's trauma. Charles was certain that by the time the evening came the story of the injury would be super exaggerated!

"Thanks, ever so much Molly. I owe you one" Charles said putting his arm on her shoulder. She turned her head looking at his arm and instantly he felt he might have over stepped the boundary. She didn't shake his touch off, merely didn't react at all to it. Charles felt stupid, the last thing he wanted to do was to make her feel uncomfortable.

Embarrassed he said, "You at least deserve a cup of coffee for that."

"Nah its ok mate. I'm a tea drinker anyway." Then looking around the grand soundings of the hall, she said, "This is a bit special isn't it? This place. Bet my yearly pay doesn't even cover a term here."

Charles looked down at her. He'd been here so long he forgot how impressive the school was, and potentially how it could come across as intimidating.

"Yeah it is. It's old though, and falling apart. That's why we need money from all the fund raisers we do…. to keep it going."

"So what are the kids like that go here. Toffee Nosed Ruperts in the making then?"

"No…well some…..maybe...on the whole though they are a good bunch of lads. A lot of them miss their families. Would prefer to be home rather that living here most of the year. I feel sorry for some of them, but I guess it's meant to be character building."

"Yeah? I would have loved a bit of space, time away from my family when I was growing up, let me tell you. Would have done my character the world of good!" She laughed. "Anyway I best be going."

And with that she left. Walking away without looking back to join her mates. Charles was strangely sad that she had suddenly up and left, but he had too much to do and too many things to worry about to worry about Molly. But although he didn't exactly worry about her, as the day went on he found that he frequently thought about her and tried to seek her attention out when she was close by. But they never talked again. Charles suddenly became very busy. In fact he was so busy he didn't even get the chance to say good bye, to Elvis, Molly or any of the others.

The day of the fayre arrived and everything was in place. It was attended by the crowds they all had come to expect over the years. Everyone deemed it as a great success. Lots of money was raised. Charles was congratulated. The only disappointment to the whole day Charles felt, was Molly not attending. Elvis came, and so did Georgie, but not Molly. Charles had presumed that she would have come, since she'd help set it up. He'd expected it. No he had hoped it! Neither Elvis nor Georgie said why she wasn't there and Charles certainly didn't ask them.

It was the next week, with only one day left of the academic year, that Charles received a call. He was in his room packing away some of the teaching material he wouldn't be using for another nine weeks. Nine weeks of summer leave of which he had no great plans except not to run to anyone's time table but his own.

"Hello" he hesitantly said taking the call from an unknown number.

"Hi is that Charles? Charles James?"

"Yes. That's me." Who's this?"

"It's me Molly. Molly Dawes. I work with Elvis. We met at the ball, and putting the tent up." She said rather nervously, wondering if he would know who she was.

Charles laughed. "Yes I know who you are Molly. It's good to hear from you." His stomach gave a little flip; he hoped he wasn't coming down with something.

"I got your number from Elvis. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? God no not at all." Charles was starting to get hopeful about this call. He really did enjoy her company he thought.

"The thing is..." Molly started. "I'm down at the local pub, and I think you should come along."

Charles was shock, and so pleased; here she was, directly, no nonsense about it asking out. She had guts this girl. "I'd love to. When?"

"Well now…I need your help now." Then she realised what she had said, how it may have come across. "Oh God no…..sorry…that sounded wrong. No I'm at the pub and one of your students has got himself into a bit of a mess. Someone needs to come and get him."

"What do you mean a bit of a mess?" Charles asked, but knowing what she meant. Cursing himself for being so foolish in thinking she was wanting him for a date. Instead she was after him as a teacher. A guardian for a student!

"Don't go mad…..it's that lad Smurf from the other day…he's pissed. Can't walk really and has some notation he's in love with me. You're gonna have to come and take him home. He can't even stand."

"Oh God." Said Charles "I'll be there in ten." And with that he hung up.

When he got to the pub he saw just why Molly was so concerned. Smurf was a mess. They quickly got him into Charles car, with threats of all sorts if Smurf vomited on the way back to school. Again Charles didn't really have a chance to say a proper good bye to Molly just a quick thanks and good night was all he had time for. To be honest he felt a bit foolish about the misunderstanding. He just wanted out if there quick. Molly waved the car away and went back to her evening with her friends. Amused that Charles had seemed pleased to join her in the pub before he knew the real reason.

Thankfully Charles got Smurf back to the school without incident. His friends took over, a well practiced routine by the looks of it he thought, caring for their mate to stop him getting into any bother. While Charles went back to his room to think over the events of the night, and how pretty Molly had looked, and to wonder who exactly she had been in the pub with!

The next morning, the final day of the school term at breakfast Smurf look very unwell, but still had the courteously to offer his apologies and thanks to Charles.

As the school day ended Charles came to a decision. For nine weeks he wasn't Sir any more, he didn't have to look after groups of hormonal boys. He was free, and he was going to use this summer to have some fun. Last night had shown him that just what he needed. First though he fired a text off to Molly to thank her for her help last night. It was the polite thing to do, and the correct order to set his plan into action. He then scrolled through his contacts and dialled a number.

"Hello" The voice on the other end said, not looking at the mobile number on her phone.

"Oh Hello. It's Charles. Charles James. How are you?"

"I'm good thanks." She was a bit embarrassed if she was honest, but excited. She was fairly certain this was the call she'd been waiting for, convinced that there might be something between, but so far had been thwarted by her mate's attention towards him. "And you? Everything ok?" She asked.

"Well I was wondering, that is if you'd like…some time maybe tomorrow…if you'd like to meet up…..go out for a drink…bite to eat….sort of on a date with me?" God, he felt awful, he thought he'd definitely messed it up. For Christ sake he was a 30 something year old man he thought. An English master, in a reputable boarding school, he should at least be able to string a sentence together to ask a girl out!

She was quick with her reply, really quick; she didn't have to think about it at all. He could tell she was grinning. "Yes. Yes I'd like that. Thank you. I'm free tomorrow if you are?" she didn't want to sound too keen, but she was…..plain and simple.

"Yes, yes I am. That's great. How about I meet you at the gate…. say at 7? Is that ok with you."

"Yes. 7 is good for me. Looking forward to it." She said, and she really was.

"Great….. me too. Well then until tomorrow at 7. We could go into town for a meal or something. Would that be ok?" He felt desperate to end the call before she changed her mind. "Bye."

"That would be perfect." She replied worried that if they kept on talking he'd change his mind. "Until tomorrow. Bye" She was just about to hang up when he said.

"Oh by the way I'm really pleased you said yes. Thought, you know with Elvis and all that, you might have said no." He heard her laughing at that; both pleased she'd chosen him and not Elvis. "Well see you tomorrow."

"Yes see you tomorrow Charles."

"Ok then. Great. Can't wait." And honestly he couldn't. "See you tomorrow…Molly."