A/N: In answer to the many questions I've recieved, YES, I most definitely WILL be finishing this and all my other stories. Unfortunately I find myself with much less time available in which to write than I did when I began these stories so updates are likely to take quite a while. Please be patient, and don't worry, I would never leave a story unfinished.

A LITTLE ON THE LONELY SIDE

(Written by Dick Robertson, Frank Weldon and James Cavanaugh.)

I'm a little, on the lonely,

A little on the lonely side.I keep thinking, of you only,

and wishing you were by my side.

You know my dear,

When you're not here,

there's no one to romance with,

So if I'm seen with someone else,

It's just someone to dance with.

Every letter that you send me,

I read a dozen times or wonder, that I love you more and how I miss your tender kiss, and long to hold you tight.I'm a little on the lonely side, tonight.

x - x - x

Erik's number went as well as Charles had feared it would, better even. The man was not only flawless but he had a presence and charm that seemed to infect everyone in the audience including Mr Shaw.

He hadn't wandered the room as Raven had done, he'd remained on his spot but he'd made eye contact with almost every woman in the room and his roguish grin and flirtatious winks had them all swooning. Emma in particular had been beside herself with glee at every little gesture and made no attempt to hide her obvious interest, though how much of that had been genuine and how much had been designed to try and make Mr Shaw jealous, Charles couldn't say. If it was mostly the latter, the poor girl was out of luck as Shaw didn't even seem to notice and if he did, he didn't care.

At any rate, Erik's apparent roving eye gave Charles some small hope. If he was the ladies man he seemed to be then perhaps he'd be too preoccupied with the next pretty face to notice that Charles wasn't. For what was left of the show, Charles' mood was a little lighter, though he still hoped that his boss would find reason to dislike the man enough to not hire him.

After the show, once the club had cleared and most of the band had gone home, Shaw came to find Charles in the back room.

"Great show tonight." He said, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and one foot crossed casually in front of the other.

"Thank you."

"The new guy, what was his name? Erik? He was pretty good."

Charles' shoulders tensed.

"Yes, he was." He admitted reluctantly.

"He sticking around or just passing through?"

For a few brief seconds, Charles considered quite seriously, telling his employer that Erik was just passing through. There would be no job offer then, Erik would have no reason to stick around and Charles could go back to being lonely but safe. Except that his conscience wouldn't let that happen. In spite of all the feelings and anxieties the other man's arrival had stirred in him, Charles couldn't bring himself to lie, it wouldn't be fair and there was already so much else in his life that wasn't fair, he wasn't going to add to it.

"He's looking for a steady job."

"Swell, tell him he's hired. We need someone to draw the dames in and I think he's the guy to do it. He sure got Emma's motor running didn't he Doll?"

Charles glanced over his shoulder and noticed for the first time, the boss's girl standing in the doorway.

"He sure did Honey." She answered with a half smile and once again Charles wondered if she was really just trying to make Shaw jealous.

"Well, I gotta scram before Emma here busts my chops again. I'm already in her bad books because she thinks I was looking at your sister." He gave Charles a wink and pushed himself away from the wall. "I can leave all the official stuff to you right?"

"Yes, of course."

Mr Shaw gave Charles a friendly slap on the back and left with his arms curled around Emma's waist.

Alone now with his thoughts, Charles let out a shuddering sigh, dropped down onto one of the chairs and put his head in his hand. Why was this happening? He asked himself. What had he done to deserve this? He'd been so careful for so long, he'd done everything he could to make sure no one suspected the kind of man he really was. He'd made sure there was nothing about him that might even hint at a scandal and if that meant some people thought him standoffish and irritable, then so be it. Now, in little more than a day every wall he'd constructed to protect himself was threatening to crumble because of one man, a man who had no idea what he'd done. Because of Erik, Charles now saw danger and discovery around every corner and he hated the man for that. More though, he hated himself for letting Erik affect him so badly, he hated himself for being so weak and so frightened, he hated himself for being… him.

He was dragged from his thoughts by the rasping sound of a throat being cleared and looked up to see the cause of all of his problems standing in the doorway.

"Everything alright?" He asked.

"Yes. Yes, everything's fine." He got to his feet, rubbed his palms against his pants legs and turned his back, trying to look busy pushing things around on the various surfaces, anything to avoid looking at the man..

"Good. So… was that the big cheese I just saw leaving?"

"Mr Shaw? Yes."

"What did he say?"

Charles paused briefly.

"He said I should hire you." He heard the other man 's sigh of relief and tried very hard not to picture the smile that probably accompanied it. "He thinks you'll be a good draw, that you'll bring more women into the club. Emma's pretty keen on you apparently."

"Emma? That's his girl, Right? The blonde?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. I prefer brunettes." Erik said, off-handedly. "So, Mr Shaw likes me, his girl likes me, what about you?" Suddenly the man's voice seem to drop an octave. "Do you like me?"

Goosebumps broke out all over Charles' skin and a shiver ran straight up his spine. For a moment, he actually stopped breathing and he was desperately afraid that his legs would just disappear from under him.

"I th… I think you're v, very ta, talented." He stammered

"Thanks." There was a pause. "But that isn't what I asked."

"I…" He heard footsteps behind him, footsteps that were getting closer and closer. Charles kept his back turned and willed himself to stay calm, willed his heart to stop beating so fast and so loud. He almost jumped right out of his skin when he felt a hand settle on his upper arm, tugging gently, coaxing him to turn round. "I don't know what you mean." He said, his voice sounding far lower and more hoarse than he would have liked.

"Don't you?" He could feel Erik staring at him, those intense green eyes searching, exploring. He tried, he tried so hard to avoid their gaze but it was hopeless, he was hopeless. Unable to do anything to stop himself, he looked up, breath catching in his throat when saw the way Erik was looking back. It was almost pleading, almost desperate, almost hungry and Charles was terrified.

"No." He mumbled, eyes flickering to the hand that was now cupping his elbow. "I... Let me go."

For what seemed like forever the other man just stared at him, then he frowned and suddenly Charles found his arm had been released and Erik was stepping away.

"Yeah, sure. I'm sorry, I just thought… Never mind"

Charles took a moment to gather his wits, then in spite of himself he somehow managed to get his brain and his feet working together and made a controlled dash for the door, letting out a breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding.

He had to get out of here, now. He had to get out of here and as far away from Erik as he could before he did something unbelievably stupid.

He'd barely gotten three steps through the doorway when he heard Erik's voice call out.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

That was the moment when Charles realised there was no way he was ever going to be as far enough away from Erik as he needed to be.

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