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Love never dies. Love never falters. Once it has spoken, love is yours.
Beryl and Bill were still not willing to risk going out the following day. Charles and Elsie woke up late and spent the day like real tourists. They bought souvenirs in all the shops, tried on all the funny hats, and even took a donkey cart up the coast.
They had dinner together that evening and danced until midnight. He walked her to her door and bid her a goodnight, just as the night before.
When he made it to his room, Charles quickly put on his pajamas and climbed into bed. He didn't feel like reading anything, so he tried to go to sleep. He tossed and turned for about half an hour when the resort phone rang. He reached to the bedside table for the receiver.
"Hello."
"Charles," a soft voice murmured.
He sat up. "Els." He mimicked her tone.
"I can't sleep."
"Did you try counting sheep?"
"No. My mind is rather occupied and I'm not really tired, so I wondered if you were still up?"
"As a matter of fact I'm actually still sleeping and you are listening to a recorded message."
"Very funny. Do you like gin?"
"The drink or cards? Actually it doesn't matter which one because the answer is yes to both."
"Well I only have cards here, but if you can find another kind of gin, bring it over along with yourself."
"Will do, Els. I'll see you in a minute."
He sat up in bed and slid into his dressing gown. He put his reading glasses into his pocket, just in case he needed them. He didn't like admitting he was at the age where one needed glasses.
Cards would be nice. There was no way he was getting sleep any time soon, so they might as well pass the time. Never mind the fact that he was looking forward to seeing her again.
It was going on 1 in the morning as he walked out of his room. The sea air was chilly and he wrapped his dressing gown around him tighter. Her room was a few doors down. He knocked quickly pacing from one foot to the other, both from nerves and from the chill.
Elsie opened her door and he quickly snuck through.
"Hello."
"Hello, Charles." She gestured for him to walk in further.
"Els, no wonder you can't sleep, you have all the lights on."
She followed him in. "Well aren't we in good humor tonight." She gave him a teasing glare. "Alright, the cards are over there. She set the deck up on the small chaise since there wasn't a table. And, good heavens, she would never put them on the bed. In truth, she would be happy just spending time with him.
The each sat on an end and Elsie dealt them each 10 cards.
Charles picked his up and turned to the side. He moved them farther away from his face and stretched his eyes open. Good grief, the numbers were tiny. He organized them to the best of his ability and they began the game.
Charles picked the first card and he got an 8, or was it a 3. He put it right back down again, deciding he didn't need either. Elsie picked a card, added it to her hand, and placed another on the pile. Charles saw that Elsie discarded a Jack, which he needed to make a 3. He picked up the card, only to glance at it again and saw it was a Queen. He let out a huff. He was not going to make himself look like a fool, so he discarded and moved on.
Elsie took her time analyzing her own cards. She saw Charles discarded which made it her turn. She arranged and then rearranged her cards until she couldn't stand it anymore.
"To hell with it!" She pulled out her reading glasses from behind the pillow on the chaise.
Without saying anything, Charles pulled his glasses out of his pocket. Elsie opened her mouth to say something, but smiled and continued on with the game instead.
Now that Charles had a good look at his cards, he arranged them quickly. "Hey! Gin!"
"You're kidding! Really?"
He laid down his cards for Elsie to see.
"Charles! How did that happen?" She laughed through her teeth.
"Els, to be honest, I have no idea." His laughter joined in.
Their guffaws cut off when their eyes met. Neither could breath as the other's gaze seeped into their pours. Nothing had ever felt so right, but so wrong. Her eyes roamed to his lips and he needed no further invitation to lean into her. Each of them slowly removed their glasses as their faces drew closer together.
Charles laid his mouth gently on her upper lip. He felt her lower lip enclose his. He lingered there for a while until he felt her lips opening and closing. He mirrored her actions. Their kiss was long and gentle, reassuring the other that this is what they wanted.
He was feeling the power of lust building inside of him, but he was able to hold it back. That is until her tongue caressed his lips. He moved his arms around and pulled her body into his. His tongue met and stroked hers.
Cards be damned, he leaned her back and pressed her into the chaise. Her arms snaked up his chest, around his broad shoulders, and to his hair where she tugged him even closer. He let his weight rest on top of her and moved his hands to fondle her cheeks and neck.
The feeling of him overpowering her, his weight, his hands, his mouth, made her short of breath. She turned to the side and tried to bring oxygen, or sense, back into her. He continued to kiss down her jaw and neck.
"Oh Charles," she gasped. "What happened to us?"
She flashed back to the moment they first met, over 20 years ago on a week long excursion to the shore. They both happened to be traveling alone and immediately took to one another. The two were inseparable the entire week. They shared many a laugh, caress, kiss and more. The last evening of the trip, they made love until dawn. It was after that that their relationship took a toll.
Charles brought his kisses back up to her face. "I wanted to be with you Els. So much."
"Really?" she whimpered. "Because I wanted you too."
He stopped his ministrations and rolled beside her. "Els when we parted, I asked you to marry me. You turned me down."
"I did no such thing! I said we needed to think carefully before making any decisions." She tried to speak evenly, but Charles's accusation hurt.
"That's not what I remember." Charles stood up.
"Then what do you remember?" She questioned.
He turned to her, who still laid on the chaise. "I remember you storming away from me in a rage nattering on about some nonsense…"
"Charles I was upset. I couldn't marry you that fast. I needed to be sure. We only knew each other for a bloody week."
"Stop saying 'bloody' all the time!" he berated.
"I will bloody well say what I like, thank you very much!" She stood to challenge him.
He paced through the entire room. "What was the real reason you turned me down? Was I not good enough for you? Did I not have the high aspirations as another admirer? Why Elsie?"
She yelled back, with wet eyes. "Charles, I was scared…."
"Ha! You're never scared."
"Oh, Charles. I was! Scared of our future, scared of making the wrong decision." She paused. "And I was scared of you."
"What? That's ridiculous."
"I tried to explain how I felt, but you just kept throwing around accusations and more questions and… I was scared. I needed more time!"
Charles couldn't make sense of anything anymore. He turned to her. "I asked you to marry me…"
"And I asked you to wait for me." Their voices calmed and they stood opposite each other.
"Really Els?" His eyes turned from fire to water. "Because I would have waited."
She nodded her head sadly, still short of breath from their kiss and their fight.
He looked down. "You must know that I never realized you were acquainted with Alice until after we were engaged."
"How could you?" She answered sadly.
"I don't think I would have married her if I had known it would bring me closer to you," he confessed.
She turned to the window. "We've both been so angry with each other over a stupid misunderstanding." She let out a frustrated huff. "How can it be that I've hated you for over 20 years and loved you wholeheartedly for a single week."
Charles exhaled. "You loved me?"
She turned around, not sure if she was ready for that to come out of her mouth. "I did," she eventually admitted.
He stepped cautiously closer to her. "And how do you feel now?"
"I think…" She looked into his eyes coming closer and closer. "I think I am falling in love with you all over again."
He heard her words and wrapped one arm gently around her waist. "I think…" he tentatively brought his other hand to her cheek. "I think my love for you never died."
And each were lost in the other's caress.
Their lips me in a warm kiss full of deep affection. It was as if time lifted. They went back to over 20 years ago, before they were married, before they even met their spouses. They were just Charles and Elsie, together where they belonged.