Off Duty
Charles checked his watch again and called up the stairs. "Molls, come on. We're going to be late." Charles eyed Molly up and down as she came rushing down the stairs followed by his mother at a more leisurely pace, cradling Ava in her arms. "Alright keep your hair on Bossman" Molly grumbled as she pulled a leather jacket on over her dress. She turned to look at her mother in law, her agitation replaced with uncertainty as she glanced at her four week old daughter. "Are you sure you're ok to do this, you don't mind?" Margaret James smiled gently at her daughter in law, "Go dear, we'll be fine. I have done this before you know." Charles took Molly's arm and guided her to the front door where she paused, looking back longingly at Ava before looking up at Charles imploringly. "I can't go. What if something happens? She needs me. This was a bad idea. It's too soon." Margaret placed a gentle hand on Molly's back and gently, but firmly nudged Molly over the threshold. "Go! the both of you. You deserve a night off. You have your whole lives to stay and do this, go and enjoy Charles' birthday with the boys, whilst you can. I have everything under control. Now be off with you. That's an order private." Molly glanced once more at Ava and dropping a quick kiss on Margaret's cheek, allowed her husband to tow her out the door.
Molly shivered as they exited the restaurant and walked through the quiet streets of Salisbury. Although she protested about leaving Ava for the first time since she was born, it was nice to spend some quality time with her husband and engage in adult conversation that didn't revolve around feeding schedules, nappy changes and burping duties. Charles noticed Molly shivering and, ever the gentleman, took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her body against his to try and shield her from the cold. "Aww you're a proper gent Boss." Charles's mouth twitched as his fingers brushed along her neck as they walked. "Well I aim to please Dawesy." Molly smiled softly as her hand moved to the pocket of her jacket. "Molls, we promised we wouldn't." Charles stared at his wife with a raised eyebrow. "All I'm saying is maybe I should give your mum a quick call to check in." Charles shook his head. "I miss the little lady to, but I thought we agreed we wouldn't be those crazy, obsessive parents. Let's just enjoy our night of freedom whilst we can ok?" At Molly's reluctant nod he continued. "Now where did you say we were meeting these Cockwombles again?"
"At the music box." Molly's face brightened at Charles' horror struck expression as he recalled the last time that he and the lads from Two Section had descended on Salisbury. After a night in Bath they had moved over to Salisbury for a night of drinking and Karaoke to celebrate his stag do. He'd woken the next morning to find himself handcuffed to a flag pole in the middle of the parade ground at Barracks in nothing but his boxers and his Beret. Jackie, who was at barracks on a training course, had found him and took pity on him, encouraging the boys to let him down; but not before taking several pictures and sending them to Molly. She'd had plenty of new material to rib him with for weeks after that, evil minx. "Awww reminiscing about the good times birthday boy?" Molly joked. Still smarting at not being able to exact his revenge yet, Charles grumbled. "Oh piss off Dawes." Molly, taking no notice of his souring mood, laughed in glee as she led him through the doors into the crowded bar to meet the lads.
"Ay here he is the birthday boy!" Mansfield Mike called out good naturedly as they found a table next to the stage where various men in civvies were arranging pieces of musical equipment. The lads all greeted the James' enthusiastically and asked how Ava was getting on. Molly, who had been texting frantically, looked up and shared some recent pictures. When the excited chatter had died down Dangleberries knocked on the table and held his arms in the air, straw in hand, as if poised ready to conduct an orchestra. "A one, two, three, four"…Two Section then broke out into song. "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Bossman Happy Birthday to you." When Nude Nut and Fingers attempted to start a rendition of "How old are you now?" Charles raises his hand to quieten them down. "Ok, you lot that's quite enough of that thank you!" He was interrupted by Brains who coughed out "Old Man!"Kinders saved him from their former bosses' comment by handing him a drink. "Here you go Bossman, get that down you." Charles eyed the glass sceptically. "What's in it?" Kinders and Molly shared a smirk.
"Now where's the fun in that Boss? Try it and see. You have to drink it in one go though." Charles rolled his eyes and taking a deep breath, started to drink. The boys chants of "Down it, Down it!" getting progressively louder the closer he was to the end. Charles slammed the glass on the bar with a grimace. "That was vile. What was it?" At Molly's smirk he added, "On second thought I don't think I want to know. I think I'll stick to beer. I'm too old for that shit." Molly burst out laughing as she kissed his cheek in sympathy. "Whatever you say boss!" Charles, who had been checking his phone, suddenly looked up as the barman signalled something to Molly who smiled and gives a thumbs up. "Dawes? What's going on?" Molly refused to answer. "Wait and see."
Before Charles could answer, a soldier steps up onto the stage and taps the microphone to get the club's attention. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen." The steady stream of chatter dies down to a hush as the crowd listen. "As some of you may know we have a birthday in the house. Captain James where are you?" Two Section cheer and whoop to get his attention. Charles looks around in confusion as he tries to work out what is going on. "Not only that but Captain James and his wife Corporal Dawes, have recently welcomed a baby girl. As a special birthday treat to you Captain, it is my great honour and privilege to introduce to you, for one night only….The Core of Army Music!" A cheer brakes out as the brass section launch into a version of Taylor Swift's Shake it off. It's not long before Two Section, Charles and Molly are up dancing and singing along with everyone else. Nude Nut, busy twirling Molly around, looks across at Charles and calls out, "How'd you like my mandem then Bossman?" Charles grins, his face a picture of delight as he shouts back 'Banging, Nude Nut."
They spend the rest of the night, dancing and singing in the bar. Some renditions going down better that others. The crowd particularly enjoyed the bands rendition of Meghan Trainor's All About the Base, though that may have had something to do with Fingers and Mansfield's crazy moves as they managed to pull a reluctant Kinders up onto the stage for a dance. Unbeknownst to them Two Section had planned for the last song of the night to be one that Charles and Molly were all too familiar with. It seems the soldiers of Salisbury were too, as they were all too happy to help Molly bring the house down during the Chorus of Don't Go Breaking My Heart.
Later Molly and Charles were stood at the bar laughing at the boy's attempts to dance with various members of the opposite sex. "Did you have something to do with this Molly?" Charles asked curiously as he pulled her into a hug. With a cheeky grin she replied, "Well I may have called in a few favours. Captain Burton, on Bass, was part of our section out in Africa. I patched him up when he got a shoulder full of shrapnel. I mentioned we'd be coming here and asked if he wouldn't mind getting some of the band together. Told them how you sing with such majesty that they'd be right numpties to miss it. Lucky for you this is where they jam when they are all in the area. You got lucky." Molly finished with a wink. "Happy Birthday Bossman!" Charles grinned as he kissed her. "I'm a lucky man indeed Molly Dawes."
"Oi! That's James to you!"
Molly and Charles opened the front door and peered anxiously into the hallway, listening for any sigh of life. They had tried ringing when they left the club. When nobody picked up, they started to worry. "Mum?"
"Margaret?" Molly called out frantically as she searched the ground floor. They both paused on the threshold to the living room where they found Margaret tucked up in an armchair reading a book by the roaring fire, Ava tucked up sound asleep in a Moses basket near her feet. Charles gave an audible sigh of relief. "Mum what happened to the phone?" Margaret smiled, not taking her eyes off her book.
"I unplugged it and switched my mobile telephone off also." She replied nonchalantly as she turned the page.
"What! why?"
"Because you two were driving us both mad. We wanted some peace didn't we Ava?" Molly's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait the two of us?" she turned an accused glare at her husband who looked at the floor sheepishly. "I might have called a couple of times," Charles confessed without meeting Molly's eyes. "Six times love!" Margaret interjected.
"Ha! What happened to not being a crazy, obsessive parent hummm?" Molly asked with a triumphant glance as she stood, hands on hips. Margaret looked up at Molly and replied in an even tone.
"You called nine times dear!" It was Molly's turn to look sheepishly at her husband at Margaret's smug tone.
"Well I missed 'er!" Molly whispered defensively as she lent down and stroked Ava's cheek.
"We are fine, now shoo. You're relieved of parent duty till the morning. Go and relax, the both of you."
Charles sat on the bed and watched as Molly moved about the room in her robe, shutting the door and moved to close the curtains. "Are you tired Charles?" Molly looked down at him, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You know what I'm not. I know we're supposed to sleep when the baby sleeps and all that but I've never felt so awake. Thank you for tonight Dawes. It was the best birthday I've had in a long time." Molly smirked as she straddled his lap. "Well it's not over quite yet Boss. I've got one more present for you to unwrap." Charles raised an eyebrow as Molly moved to untie the sash around her waist.
"Oh really Dawes, and what present would that be?" He asked his eyes racking over her body hungrily in anticipation, making her shiver.
"Me!" Molly purred as she let her dressing gown fall to the floor. Charles' eyes traced the contours of her body as he took in the silky blue knickers and bra, trimmed in lace. His hand skimmed along her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. He tangled his hand in her long hair and kissed her collar bone and whispered breathlessly, "Best" then her pulse point, "Birthday" and finally her lips "Ever." Molly giggles as he pulled her down beside him, intent on enjoying some quality time together whilst they still had the chance.