Chapter 4

Molly took a deep breath as she saw Charles inside waiting for her. He walked over from the table and opened the door.

"You look beautiful." Charles beamed and took her hand gently as he guided her inside.

Molly couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as she did now.

As soon as she walked into the Café, the smell of freshly ground coffee hit her and the faint sounds of a piano was playing on an in-house stereo system in the background. Charles put his hand on the small of her back and moved his hand from hers and guided her to a booth seat at the side of the room.

"Is sitting here okay for you?" Charles asked.

"Yeah, its fine, thanks." Molly sat down gently and smoothed her hair over her shoulders. She looked around wanting to make a note as much as she could of every part of this evening.

There were a dozen wooden tables and chairs dotted around the room with four booth seats situated along the four walls with an old fashioned type of bar in the middle of the room with a huge selection of glasses & cups standing to attention on the wide shelves with a huge mirrored background helping to reflect the light which was provided by three huge glass light fittings which hung from the ceiling. There were a few people sitting dressed in office suits on the way home from work after maybe a late finish and a few couples having a drink and a light snack, who Molly presumed fancied somewhere different to go as it was a lovely warm evening. The walls were full of 1940's memorabilia and posters which Molly tried to read especially the one right next to them.

"Dig for victory?" Molly said with curiosity.

"Indeed. Those were dangerous times. Everyone had to pull together and all that." Charles stated.

"Yeah I remember seeing posters like that on some of the old films my Nan used to watch. Interested in this sort of thing are you?" Molly asked with a smile spreading across her face.

"Mm. It's important to know where you've come from to know where you're going in life. Sorry, I mean I do like a bit of history, yeah." Charles corrected himself, sniffing out a laugh. He really wanted Molly to enjoy this evening and didn't want to sound boring at all. It had been a while since he'd had other female company other than Rebecca and that wasn't very much.

"And what song's this then if you like history so much?" Molly thinking it would be fun to test him again

"A lady called Billie Holiday and I think it's called The Very Thought Of You".

"Wow, I'm impressed, Charles that you know that. Not just a pretty face then." Molly said quietly, imagined herself moving slowly on a dancefloor in Charles arms to this song looking into his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes.

"Well thank you Molly Dawes and I'd also need to know what you'd like to have". He passed her over a large menu, their fingers touching each other in the slow exchange.

"All this first page is for just coffee?" Molly couldn't believe all the different types that they sold.

"Yep. Oh I don't just take you to any old coffee place, you know." Charles grinned.

After a couple of minutes of deciding, Molly opted for the large cappuccino and a large slice of chocolate fudge cake that she saw in the cake stands on the glass counter. Charles chose a Rosabaya coffee and a slice of carrot cake. While they waited for the waitress to return with their drinks, Molly took in what Charles was wearing. He wore a dark blue shirt with cream buttons and chino trousers with beige shoes. She wondered if all his clothes that he wore always looked well put together. His pecs were showing through his shirt, Molly noticed and imagined herself running her fingers along the outline of them and wondered how hard they would feel. She had to stop thinking like this until she knew more about him and potentially a wife that he may or may not have.

"Are you okay? You look a million miles away." He bit his lip, noticing that she was looking at his chest and hoping she was thinking about him rather than something else.

"No. I'm fine". Molly smiled nervously, thinking it was now or never as she didn't want to ruin the evening by potentially over imagining things about Charles personal life that might not be true. "It's just I really like what I know about you but I need to know about your wife who I assumed you were talking to that day on your mobile." Molly instantly regretted being so forward with her statement. Charles looked at her openly. He didn't look surprised that she had brought up Rebecca. He wanted to be honest with Molly as he knew that he had the potential to have something special with her. He also wanted to reveal the developments at home the previous evening.

"Yes, you're right. I have a wife, well, on paper but not in the actual living day to day sense. She's called Rebecca. But we've now separated. She was living a party lifestyle that wasn't me at all. I grew up from that years ago so in the end we wanted much different things." Charles heart started beating fast in his chest and his hands began to feel clammy with anticipation. Just saying the words "we've separated" didn't seem real yet but he also couldn't help feeling a sense of excitement and freedom. But also that he should have had the discussion that he'd had with Rebecca last night, a long time ago.

He had arrived home to the sound of raucous laughter coming his and Rebecca's bedroom. Instead looking in the fridge that was mostly always empty aside from a couple of ready meals and a carton of milk that Charles always picked up on the way home from work, he thought to himself that he couldn't live this life any longer. How can it be a marriage when one person is completely miserable and torn up inside with loneliness and regret while the other acted like a single woman, holidaying with god knows who, never at home and showed no love to her husband, outwardly anyway. Rebecca was indeed going away, Charles found out, to Cannes for a week as the film festival season was starting and her friends had chartered a yacht to go sailing around the area. Charles announced that he had had enough. He was sick of living a lie and that he needed a separation. Rebecca was quiet but agreed that things were in a bad way between them and that she knew she was to blame for how things had gone. Charles was quite surprised at her taking the news seemingly easily. She agreed to the separation and said she would live at her friend's house in London until things were finalised. She packed a few of her things and was about to leave before putting her hand on his arm gently and saying "You would make a wonderful father one day".

After she left, Charles sat on their bed as the warmth of the sun was setting over the tall trees in the back garden and cried silently with relief and wanting to live his life on his terms. Refusing in the end to think of his 9 years marriage to Rebecca as a waste, as he knew at some stages they were both happy, but to think of it a learning experience to better things.

"Sorry. When did the separation happen?" Molly raised her eyebrows.

"Don't be sorry Molly. It's what I've wanted for a long time." Charles reached across the table for Molly's left hand and took it in his. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. The touch of it sent butterflies in Molly's stomach while his beautiful brown eyes looked at her with sincerity. "It was only last night" Charles admitted, hoping that it wouldn't make any different to how Molly might feel.

"Last night? So you don't think you'll change your mind then? Molly hoped she would hear the answer she wanted to hear.

"Definitely not." There was a companionable silence as they looked at each other, holding hands. Molly would ask more in depth information in time but she could tell in her heart that Charles was sincere and honest. She felt so lucky that she met this wonderful man and that he seemed to like her very much too.

"Well in that case seeing as you or I have anything to rush back for, I'll order another coffee. Oh and in case you didn't notice as well, you just called me Molly".

"Mm, you must've earned it somehow then" Charles smirked still holding onto Molly's hand. He beckoned the waitress over.

"I can't see or hear anything happening. Are you sure it's working?"

"It must be otherwise the waitress wouldn't have mentioned to us using it. Besides it's a new café so you would think it would work." Charles tried pressing the buttons he could see in front of him.

When Charles ordered their coffees, the waitress said that only for a limited time there was an old fashioned style photo booth round the corner of the main seating area that gave customers free photos but in 1940's style photo surrounds.

Molly said yes straight away and looked at Charles pleadingly as she knew that Emily would love to see photographs made up to look old fashioned. Molly sat on Charles' knee while he was perched on the tiny corner seat. They couldn't help but laugh at how they must've looked, nearly falling off the seat every two seconds while trying to pose for whenever the photograph would take.

Charles sitting looking confused while Molly was trying to give him bunny ears from behind – click!

Molly falling off Charles knee while he tried to grab her nearly falling off the seat again both laughing loudly – click!

Charles bringing her back to his knee while they looked into each other's eyes – click!

Charles stroking Molly's cheek and lower lip while lowering his head to kiss her lips softly – click!

"Well we didn't pose for them very well, did we? I think the timing was a bit off on some." Molly laughed when the four photos dropped out of the machine into the tray below.

"Really, I think they're perfect." Charles said softly, kissing the top of her head with his arm around her as they stood in the dimmed lighting looking at the new set of memories they created together.

A/N:Really hope you like the "date." I will call it that now as Molly knows about Rebecca. I really struggled with this chapter. I hope it doesn't show. Sorry it's not a very long one. I am having a confidence crisis at the minute as there so many good stories out there which is great but I wonder if people will still be interested in this one as it's not the most exciting one I'm afraid but writing it's a great experience so I'll probably continue. Thanks again for all lovely reviews for previous chapters.