They had hung out in her bedroom for a little while, it had made Charles feel like a teenager again, hanging out in the cool kids space away from the grown ups. They heard the real kids come In From school with the associated commotion of requests for drinks and snacks and fighting over the play station and what channel the TV was going to be on, Belinda and Nan alternating at being the referee between them all.
"We should go downstairs" he stood up and motioned with his hand to hers to help her up off the floor too "suppose so" she got to her feet, grabbed his hand and pulled him in towards her and held him in a lingering kiss before pinching his gorgeous rear and leading him out of the door and down the stairs to join the mayhem.
They peeped around the lounge door, an order seemed to have descended over the room, adults on the sofas, kids on the floor each doing their own thing "what you two been up two then need I ask?" Nan gave them a knowing look "bleedin ell Nan knock it off we've just been hanging in me room" Nan winked at them "whatever you say Molls, whatever you say" Belinda piped up "chippy tea everyone?" There was a resounding yes, including Charles, to Molly's surprise as she was sure he had no clue what he was agreeing to. Dave got up from the sofa "fish or Savaloy Charlie?"..."fish I guess...thanks Mr Dawes" "Call me Dave mate" he shouted behind him as he disappeared out of the front door.
Not long afterwards he reappeared with a cardboard box full of hot food, he put it on the coffee table and each wrapped package was distributed to its hungry owner where they then all sat together floor and sofas and tucked in with their plastic forks. Molly and Charles sat together on the floor surrounded by the kids, Charles made easy conversation with each of them, she could see that he was a natural around them, Sam was a lucky little man. I guess she would meet Sam again at some point and that all he may remember is the funny lady soldier who made fun of his poorly dad at the hospital and stuck her tongue out at him whilst crossing her eyes. Oh well we will cross that bridge when we come to it, she thought.
When they had finished eating, Charles moved over near Molly and put his arms around her shoulder "we need to get moving we have a date tonight" she tilted her head to one side and looked at him disapprovingly but couldn't help breaking into a smile after a few seconds when he gave her the puppy dog look "you will love it I promise, now come on and let's get changed we are going into town for the evening" Charles got his bag and asked if it was ok to use the bathroom and disappeared, she could hear him start to run a bath and singing away to himself she popped her head around the door "care to join me?" She moved into the bathroom, put the lock on the door and performed a cheeky little strip tease for him, put her hair up in a clip before climbing into the the other end of the tub. "Now if you were a real gentleman you wouldn't let me have the taps end" he grinned, reached forward and swivelled her round to sit between his legs with his arms wrapped around her waist. He gave her a little peck on the shoulder and then grabbed the soap rubbing it between his hands, he then began to massage her shoulders and neck, moving his hands down her spine gently washing all over her body, she stood up to move behind him so that she could return the favour she knelt down so that she could reach his shoulders as he was so much taller than her, she began massaging his shoulders and neck and grabbed a sponge to wash his back also reaching around to his chest, he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it his lips moving to he wrist and then her arm, giving her little kisses, he turned to look back at her and she moved forward their lips meeting into a longer more lingering kiss. She had never felt this intimate, emotional closeness with anyone else, it wasn't sexual, even though she fancied the pants off him, it was far deeper than that, they fitted together, they had shared unique experiences that had created a bond that would be difficult to explain other than feeling that they were two halves of one person and neither one would be a whole, fully functioning human being without the other one being in their life. The spell was broken by Molly grabbing the water soaked sponge and pushing it into his face, he jumped out of the bath laughing "right you cheeky little cockney your for it" he grabbed shaving foam from the sink and sprayed it at her as they both collapsed laughing. she really looked quite lovely, eyes all crinkled up and her big toothy smile, splashing about in the water trying to wash the shaving foam off. "come on we need to get dry and changed to go out" he helped her out of the bath and wrapped a towel around her, grabbed another to put around his waist and they quickly scooted across the landing into her bedroom. A quick change and they were both almost ready to go out. He sat on the edge of Molly's bunk watching her put the finishing touches to her make up "you look beautiful as always...ready?" He got up and held out his hand "let's go"? She grabbed a small bag and they head down the stairs, popped their heads around the door to say bye to the rabble, Molly shouting "don't wait up" as they went out of the door.
"They seem so happy" Belinda said to Nan as the door rattled shut "He better be good to her and not let her down, she ain't no Eliza Doolittle and he ain't no a Professor Higgins training the cockney sparrow" Nan was always the one to say what was on her mind "Nah, he's a good lad Nan, other than Smurf, look at some of the strays she used to drag home?" Nan softened a bit " well if she's happy" Dave piped up "will you two bleeding give it a rest I can't hear the TV for Christ sake" Belinda threw a cushion across the room at him "Oi leave it out" both Nan and Belinda were laughing "here we go again like a bleeding coven of cackling witches"
James jumped out of the taxi and helped Molly step onto the pavement she saw the street sign first "Frith Street" she had seen them drive past Tottenham Court Road Tube so they must be in Soho, the next sign she saw was above the bar they were heading towards in big red letters "KARAOKE BOX" ..."no,no,no,no this ain't happening Charles, bleeding Karaoke, I thought you had a lovely romantic surprise up your sleeve not bleeding karaoke you muppet" he took her hand "come on Molls be a sport, you'll love it when we get in there, I am sure they will have our tune in their reportoire" she screwed her face up "there you go again with the fancy words you ain't gonna wriggle out of this one trying to baffle me with your smart mouth" he pulled her forward through the door it looked empty their where rows of booths with what looked like TV screens in front of them and at the end of the room a large bar and a big stage. "You can't be serious" her arms folded as she turned to bolt for the exit, then the music kicked in and one by one a series of heads popped up like meerkats from inside one of the booths, Kinders, Brains, Dangles, Mansfield, Baz, Nude Nut and Fingers all riotously joining in to "Good Golly Miss Molly" she couldn't believe it her lads, the glorious 2 section, she was laughing and crying as she watched them fooling around fighting over the microphones to get to sing a line. As the music finished she ran across the room to them, looked back at Charles and threw him a beaming smile, turned to her lads "how's my favourite F*ck muppets then?" With that they scooped her up above their heads and carried her over to the bar, it was going to be a long night Charles thought as he shook his head at the rabble before him.