Lessons Learnt

Chapter 3

"Now then Charlie Boy… what's all this I've been hearing?" Elvis said gasping for his breath.

"What do you mean?" Said Charles fully aware what Elvis' reply would be. They were out for a morning run together.

"I hear that you're taking the lovely Dawes out tonight. Well done mate."

"Bloody hell Elvis is nothing sacred around here? I only asked her out last night." Charles was annoyed Elvis knew, but also curious as to how he really felt about it.

"Well, she looks on me as a type of an uncle figure mate…. more's the pity. She wanted some advice. Was wondering what type of place you'd be taking her to. And all that!"

"Oh and of course you told her." Laughed Charles. "Let me guess…. Burger King…. McDonald's or did you say something ridiculously expensive and out of my price range?"

"Now now Charlie Boy no need to be like that. I actually was quite nice about you to her. She's a special lady that one. And…. I expect you to look after her. I expect you to take her somewhere quite nice… not too fancy…. just fancy enough to stretch those tight purse strings that you have."

"Thanks for that Elvis. That's good of you. I take it then you've given up on Molly?" Charles really hoped he knew what the reply would be. He would always lose out if Elvis was in the race for Molly's attention, and for some reason he just didn't want to lose this one.

You're a million miles wrong there mate. She has had her chance with me. She blew it. I'm now moving on to bigger and better things." Elvis mocked. "Which reminds me why I invited you here?"

"Come on let's be having it then." Said Charles. He had

met up with Elvis that Saturday morning for a run. It was something that the boys still enjoyed doing together. Both taking huge pride in who was the fittest. Elvis always felt that he should be, being in SF. and hated it if Charles ever beat him. Charles on the other hand was secretly competitive and worked out most days, just to ensure he kept up a better than normal level of fitness, so that Elvis never left him behind and wasn't always the loser.

"Well I've a bit of a problem." Elvis said "I don't quite know what's happening…. but it's Georgie. I've tried to be subtle with her. I've tried to be direct. But she's not having any of it."

"Oh my God." Laughed Charles "This is the second woman in months that has turned you down Elvis. If I was you I would start thinking about the priesthood. It's obvious you've lost it mate."

"No it's nothing like that mate. Georgie has said she wants to be a challenge. I have to win her. Whatever the fuck that means. She wants me to find out things about her and stuff. She hasn't even given me her phone number. Says I have to work out a way to get it. I don't know where she works. I don't know where she lives and basically Charlie Boy I'm bit stuck. This one's different. She's different."

"Or maybe….." Charles said, "….she just doesn't like you?"

"Now you can't be serious, she is only human after all." With that comment Charles and Elvis increased their speed.

"So how is it I can help you then Elvis?" Charles panted. He didn't want to get too tired today. He was really looking forward to tonight, but knew the way that Elvis was setting the pace he was wanting to win and was wanting Charles to admit defeat.

"Well it's simple isn't it mate…. you're going out with her best mate. Pump her for information. Ask her what rings Georgie's bells. Get me Georgie's telephone number. Get me in there!"

"Why the hell don't you just ask Molly yourself for all of this information?" Charles asked amazed.

"Too easy mate. That's not the rules of the challenge; she'd know. I want her to think I've accepted the challenge and didn't take the easy way out."

"For fuck's sake Elvis I'm not going to spend my first date with Molly talking about you and Georgie." But he knew he'd probably do anything for his friend.

"I don't see why not mate?" Said Elvis running ahead of Charles. "You won't find anything better to talk about!" And with that he sped off.

Molly had been quite excited initially on Charles asking her out. He seemed very different to the men she usually dated. Not that there had been many. So she guessed she didn't really have a type, unlike Georgie who always said her type was the type who had a pulse! There was something about Charles James that Molly liked though.

Georgie had phoned her that night for a chat and they started to talk about Elvis and Charles. The way Georgie was talking it was obvious that she felt that both Elvis and Charles were interested in her. Molly guessed it was what she expected, because that's the way it usually was. Georgie hinted she was wanting though to play one off against the other, confident that the boys would want to play with her as the prize. Wisely therefore Molly did not mention that Charles had already asked her out on a date. She was unsure exactly what Georgie would say to that.

After the initial excitement, Molly started to become nervous. The thing that attracted him to her, his difference was now starting to make her feel nervous. What were they going to talk about? Where was he going to take her? With the subject of Charles and her worries not being able to be discussed with Georgie she now needed to turn to another, and so she did, the font of all knowledge Elvis.

Elvis initially pretended he was hurt that she had agreed to a date with Charles. But they both knew that her and Elvis were nothing but friends. It was just force of habit with Elvis. He tried it on with everyone. It wasn't that Molly was anything special to him, apart from his mate, it was just that she was there… the only female in the vicinity…it was just a habit really. However Molly valued his opinion after all Charles was his best mate. She came away from the conversation with Elvis a little bit confused and even more nervous. In all honesty he was not any help, and judging by his smirk he really wasn't trying to be. He saw the entire conversation as a means to take the piss out of Charles and Molly's date.

"I'm just going to have to suck it up and floor for him with my wit and charm." Molly said to herself. "That and put on a brave face. " This is exactly what she did when she went to meet him at the guard's gate at 7 o'clock.

He looked lovely. So very handsome with a big smile on his face like he was genuinely pleased to see her. She felt lucky. Suddenly Molly's nerves went.

"Hi." She looked up to him, cursing under her breath that she sounded so weak and affected by his present.

"Hi." He answered back, sounding equally as affected by Molly's company as she was his. "You look lovely… are you ready to go?"

"Yeah let's get out of here before these guys all start talking about it. It's bad enough as it is. "

"Oh God Molly you should have said and we could have arranged to meet somewhere else. I kind of know what it's like to live in a fishbowl. Living at the school you don't get much of a private social life. "

As they walked to the car Molly asked "You live in the school? That's where you live." She was a bit taken a back.

"Well yeah. It's not as grand as it sounds. I've kind of got a room, a bedsit really. Not much space…. not great but it's free board and it's close to work. I haven't really looked for anywhere else to live. It just suits."

Molly climbed gingerly into his car. She was wearing a lovely long summer dress which was very girly for her. Something she didn't do very often but there was something about meeting up with Charles that made her want to make a special effort.

"God that must be hard living with all those boys."

"I don't live with them Molly." Charles laughed. "They have their own dorms. I have my own bedsit, all the way over the other side of the school."

"So the boys don't come over to have tea with you then; like they do in all those old black-and-white movies?" Molly laughed looking at Charles pleased that he was amused too.

"No. I doubt the boys even know where my rooms are. I'm a Church and State type of guy too." He looked at her reminding her of the conversation they had had about Elvis when they first met.

Charles pulled the car away and started to drive into town. The conversation between them flowed really easily. She was a delightful girl; Charles was really enjoying her company. They went straight to the restaurant and all through the meal laughed and giggled with each other. Charles noted that the cheeky glint in her eyes frequently made an appearance during their time together. He could not think anything apart from how lovely she was; pleased the date was going so well. They talked about families, and how different their school lives were. Charles discovered that she was very smart, and asked lots of questions. Molly loved that, she felt he was really interested in her and what she had to say. All in all Molly felt as though she was on one of the best dates of her life.

As the evening went on Charles knew that he still had to honour his promise to his friend, something that really was annoying him. He really didn't want to bring Georgie into the perfect conversation he was having with Molly. Yet he had promised his best mate that he would pump Molly for some information.

"So you and Georgie. You're best friends?" Charles asked. "Wouldn't have put you two together. She seems a bit different to you."

"Yes. A bit like you and Elvis. Yeah. We've been friends for years. I think she might even have been my first friend I ever made at nursery. She's a good mate."

"Well. She seems a lovely girl. Quite an outgoing sort? Very pretty." Charles was struggling about what more he could possible say about someone he hardly knew, and Molly wasn't very forth coming.

"Yeah." Said Molly. Her heart sinking. She'd been here before. Used by a guy to get closer to Georgie. She felt bitterly disappointed. She hadn't thought Charles was one of those guys, he seemed nice, and interested in her. He just obviously liked her mate more. Same old story.

Molly was pondering the best way of ending the evening, which in her eyes had just taken a major down turn when she heard Charles say

"So is she seeing anyone at the mo?"

With that Molly knew it was over. She just wanted to go back to barracks. She was polite to Charles and answered his questions but from then on she wouldn't exactly be described as the life and soul of the conversation. Why should she try being all happy and nice when it was obvious he was just there to learn more about Georgie? She wasn't sorry therefore when Charles noticed and started to struggle holding a one side conversation. He quickly suggested to call it a night.

"Yeah, I think that's for the best mate, don't you?" He looked hurt when she said that and she wasn't sure why. She gave him the info he wanted, and showed him that she was under no illusions that she expected anything from him.

Charles like the gentleman she thought he was. Drove her back to the camp.

"It's been nice Molly." He gallantly said pulling up to the gate. "Thanks for coming out. Though… I have to ask….is everything okay. Have I done something wrong? You Ok?"

"Couldn't be better." She said, but secretly hurt. "Thanks for the meal." And as she slipped out of the car she passed him a piece of paper. "Here you might as well have this. It's what you were after anyway. "

Charles looked at the paper and asked "What's this?"

"It's Georgie's phone number. You don't have to pretend you didn't want it." She said simply.

"No I won't." He said. "That's great. Thanks Molly." He knew Elvis would be pleased, but before he had the chance to say another word she'd gone. Leaving a confused Charles behind. He thought it was going well, right up to the point that it didn't. And in all honesty he just didn't know why.