I'll Be Seeing You
Chapter 6
Charlie Buckton stood in front of the dressing table mirror, smiling. Her mind full of Joey Collins and their shared morning together. The evening held a promise of more and excitement tingled through her veins. She still wasn't certain about wearing her Police Uniform, but if it meant a few more hours with Joey, she was willing to take the chance.
***
Joey Collins dried herself after her bath; her mind far away in a park somewhere.
"Ya don in thar Josie?" Helen Wetherby yelled, banging on the bathroom door.
"Yeah! Sorry Helen. Be out in a jiff!" Joey called collecting her clothes and slipping out of the room.
"Gordon only knows what yoz been op to in thar for so long! I 'ope t'waters not cold! Bet yov been dreaming of that dance with Abe, eh?" Helen said, suggestively and winked at her roommate.
Joey just smiled in return. Helen was as innocent as a lamb with regard to Joey's love life and Joey aimed to keep it that way.
"You just concentrate on Chuck!" She called as Helen closed the bathroom door.
***
Charlie made her way to Hammersmith. She received several strange looks from other travellers, wondering why a Police Constable was travelling by bus! She tried to close her mind to the stares and concentrate on the evening ahead. It was the first big occasion she had attended for years and had never seen a proper Big Band before. The promise of music, dancing and Joey made her feel quite giddy with excitement.
***
"Are you ready yet, Helen?" Joey called out for the fourth time, eager to get underway to meet Charlie.
"Um coming!" Helen replied grabbing her bag and joining Joey at the door. "Where's the fire, any road?" She asked, frowning at her friend.
The two Wrens left their hotel and headed off towards town.
***
Charlie jumped off the bus at Hammersmith and gazed around her in wonder at the destruction that frequent bombing had caused. People's homes and lives wrecked. Families split up for years on end and some families never to be reunited.
As she neared the huge dance hall she felt her legs turning to jelly. Why was she feeling so nervous?
GI's, Abe, Chuck and Brad stood smoking cigarettes outside the dance hall awaiting the British girls to join them. Brad shifted uncomfortably and straightened his tie. He hoped that the lovely Charlie would be one of their party. He was disappointed she hadn't called him at his hotel.
"Hey! There's that hot babe, Charlie, coming along!" Cried Chuck pointing towards Charlie as she nervously approached. "She's stunning and hey! Look at that uniform!"
"Hey!" Brad said, greeting Charlie as she neared. "I didn't recognise you in your uniform!" He said, taking a sneaky opportunity to admire her figure. "You look wonderful!"
Charlie blushed and thanked the soldier.
Abe whistled his approval.
"You sure cut a mean dash in that uniform, Officer! I wish you'd arrest me!"
They laughed and Charlie looked around in hopes of finding Joey and Helen.
"Aren't the girls here yet?" She asked, casting a glance at her wrist watch.
"Knowing that Helen, she's probably getting screwed by some Air force type over on the common!" Chuck jeered, but was immediately nudged by Brad.
"Oh! Pardon me, Ma'm." He said, colouring. "I sorta forgot you were there!"
"Take no notice of this idiot, Ma'm." Abe said, moving closer to Charlie. "He knows not what he says!"
Charlie said nothing, but felt upset for Joey's friend.
"Hey! There they are!" Abe yelled and waved as the two pretty Wrens approached.
Charlie turned, relieved to see Joey. The two friends smiled warmly at each other.
"Well, now we're all here, let's go to it!" Cried Chuck, grabbing Helen, the very one he'd just insulted, by the hand to lead her into the dance hall.
***
In the Ladies Room, the three girls straightened their uniforms and powdered their noses before embarking on the dance floor with the Americans.
"You got back, alright?" Charlie said, glancing at Joey's reflection in the mirror.
"Yes, thanks. Someone here..." glancing at Helen, "Was just crawling out of bed with a very fat head when I got there!" She said, smiling at Helen with fondness.
"Ee, Charlie! I'm never gonna taste another drop as long as ar live!" Helen declared.
Joey grinned at Charlie.
"You okay?" She whispered, moving very close to Charlie.
Charlie nodded.
"I was a bit nervous, but I'm okay now." She said, enjoying the touch of Joey's arm against hers.
Joey squeezed her hand momentarily.
"Well, if we're all hunky-dory, let's be about it!" Joey said looking into Charlie's eyes for longer than she ought.
Charlie smiled and averted her eyes, shyly. A wave of warm feeling engulfed her body and as Joey took hold of her hand to lead her out of the ladies room, shivers ran up her spine.
***
The three service women strolled onto the dance floor cutting quite a dash. The two brunettes and the redhead carried themselves well and many hungry eyes followed them as they joined their GI hosts.
"Excuse me, Officer?" Came a small voice from behind Charlie.
Charlie spun around to be greeted by a small thin man with a bald head and wearing little round spectacles.
"I wondered if you were here in an official capacity."
"Just doing a spot check, Sir!" She improvised in her best Constable's voice.
Joey smirked and Charlie nudged her in the ribs.
"If there's anything you require, please don't hesitate to ask." The little man said. "My office is over there." He said, pointing to a small room with the sign 'PRIVATE' hanging on the wooden door.
"Thank you, Sir and if you've nothing to hide, you'll have nothing to worry about." The Police Officer said, pinching Joey's leg to stop her from laughing.
The little man glanced around at the company, smiled sheepishly at the Police Officer and slunk away.
Joey was puce in the face and exploded with laughter.
"Ee! Lass, you carried that un off reet well." Helen grinned, "I'm sticking with yoz all evening. I reckon on free drinks from that little man!"
"I thought you weren't drinking tonight?" Joey said wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
"Speaking of refreshments, what will it be, Ma'm?" Brad asked Charlie.
"Lemonade, please. Don't forget, I'm on duty!" Charlie grinned at the handsome American.
"Like hell you are!" Chuck cried, grabbing Charlie by the arm and leading her onto the dance floor.
***
Ambrose and his Orchestra were the headline act that evening, with guest singer Anne Shelton. Both acts extremely popular with their audience.
Abe swung Joey around as the band played a very lively version of Cole Porter's 'What Is This Thing Called Love'.
Charlie, taking a breather, sipped her drink. She watched Joey and Abe dancing. Joey was fantastic! Charlie was mesmerized by her intricate dance steps; quite able to match Abe step for step and twirl for twirl. He pushed her this way and that, threw her over his shoulder and between his legs, each time Joey landed sure-footed.
The dance concluded and Joey and her partner trotted back to join their friends, a little breathless. Joey stood by Charlie and taking Charlie's drink from her hand swigged it down. Charlie grinned at her cheeky friend's liberty, but looked forward to placing her own lips where Joey's had just rested on the glass.
"You dance wonderfully!" Charlie said with a huge smile on her face. "I never realised, all those months ago, when you gave me that Jitterbug lesson that I was being schooled by a Master!"
"Stick with me kid, you'll go far!" Joey smirked.
Charlie laughed.
Suddenly, the band stuck up the opening bars of Glenn Miller's 'In The Mood' the very tune that Joey and Charlie had jitterbugged to many months ago on the beach at Whitstable. They both laughed at the coincidence. Brad's hand reached to take Charlie's to lead her onto the dance floor, but Joey was there in a moment and glancing at Brad said,
"My dance, I think!"
She pushed Brad out the way and led a very surprised Charlie onto the dance floor.
"Let's see what you can remember then!" Joey challenged Charlie with a glint in her eye.
"Joey! We can't dance together here!" Charlie cried, glancing around her. "This isn't Whitstable, you know!"
"Come on! It'll be a giggle. We're show 'em a thing or three!"
And with that, Joey began to whip Charlie around on the dance floor, both girls crying with laughter but having the time of their lives. Charlie's eyes were shining. She hadn't had this much fun since first meeting and being enchanted by Joey Collins.
A small group surrounded them and clapped and cheered the girls on, until they slipped and both collapsed in a heap on the floor!
"Joey Collins!" Charlie grinned. "How is it you always manage to get me into such scrapes?"
Joey laughed picking herself up and offered her hand to Charlie to pull her up, her eyes smiling.
"You love it really!" Joey said, hanging onto Charlie's hand and gently stroking her fingers.
***
The band's tempo and mood changed and male hands were offered to female hands leading their partners onto the dance floor.
Joey found herself in the arms of Chuck; trying to keep the GI's hands under control. Helen danced with Abe and Charlie was squired by Brad.
Anne Shelton began to sing a medley of romantic love songs starting with 'Stardust' followed by 'That Lovely Weekend' then 'The Very Thought of You'.
Joey and Charlie's eyes furiously sought each other in the near darkness of the dance floor and when, at last they met, they smiled lovingly at each other.
Suddenly, Charlie felt Brad pull her body in closer to his own and he breathed into her ear,
"Charlie, I think I'm falling in love with you."
Charlie's eyes opened wide in astonishment. She didn't want to hear this from Brad, and certainly not while she was concentrating on Joey.
His lips began to caress her neck and Charlie felt a wave of panic. She didn't want Joey to see and get wrong ideas. She began to struggle in his firm grip.
Joey watched Charlie's eyes turn from love into a frenzy of Lord knows what. Charlie hastily pulled away from Brad and made her way back to their table, stumbling between the dancing couples. She picked up her bag and made for the Ladies cloakroom.
Joey excused herself from Chuck and followed her friend.
"Charlie!" Joey called.
"Joey! I've got to get out of here, now!"
"What's wrong? I saw your face change and..."
"I'm sorry, Jo. I've got to go."
"Hold on, I'm coming with you!"
Joey hurried to their table just as Abe escorted Helen back.
"Helen. I've got to go. Charlie isn't well. I'm going to see her home."
"I'll see her home!" Brad volunteered.
"Not this time, Sonny Jim!" Joey said glaring at the GI.
"Will you be okay getting home by yourself?" Joey asked Helen, glancing back to make sure Charlie hadn't run away.
"Ay. I hope she's feeling better soon!" Helen said, with concern.
"I'll see Helen home, Ma'm." Said Chuck.
"That's reet nice of ya!" Helen smiled at the smirking Chuck.
"Thanks, Helen. See you later." Joey called, grabbing her bag and making for the exit.
***
"Charlie!" Joey cried, running to catch her friend.
"I'm so sorry Jo."
"What happened?" Joey said, making Charlie stand still.
"Brad! He started getting a bit carried away, let's say. I panicked!"
Joey smirked.
"It wasn't funny!" Charlie said, trying not to laugh as well.
"Charlie, I do love you!" Joey said, not meaning to say it at all.
Both girls fell silent.
"Sorry Charlie." Joey said after a few minutes. "I shouldn't have said that."
Charlie felt her heart beating faster.
"Why, didn't you mean it then?" She asked, quietly.
Joey fell silent for a few moments.
"I meant it with all my heart." She said, taking hold of Charlie's hand.