AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for taking the time to Who Dares Wins today. Hopefully, the events in this chapter will keep you interested and engaged.
Who Dares Wins
Chapter Sixty-Two: The Warm Down
Jim's Pub
Hereford
Friday, 30 November, 2007
Cole Barker gave Big Dan a perplexed look as the team of eight plus Sophie sat at the bar. "There's something you said in your football analogy about Chuck and Sarah's relationship prospects that hasn't been adding up for me, Dan."
Big Dan's eyes locked onto Cole's. "Well, Cole, don't keep us all exploding in suspense. What is it?"
Cole chuckled. "We all know the analogy you used because we've heard it before. But the context in which you used it was much different to its original meaning. Andy Gray questioned if Lionel Messi could do it in the Premier League on a cold Wednesday night in Stoke. But the way you used it was the opposite, questioning if Chuck could do it on a warm Saturday night in Barcelona!"
"He's right!" Jamie joined in the laughter with Cole. "So he technically left the possibility open that playing on a cold, wet and windy Wednesday night in Stoke was better, meaning it was Sarah who didn't have a chance with Chuck!"
Jamie's remarks echoed through the lively pub, eliciting significant laughter from the team, but Sarah narrowed her eyes and fixed her glare on Jamie for his cheeky remarks.
"You could very well make a case for either, fella!" Big Dan said, snorting. "But it was all that was coming to me at that moment to push her buttons, get her angry, and have it out in the open once and for all that they scream out each other's name, as Sarah so elegantly put, so we can all move forward as mates!"
The sound of clinking glasses and boisterous laughter filled the air as the team took sips of their drinks.
"After all the shit we've faced together the past month, Chuck and Sarah's welcome news they're dating is the best news we've had in a long time!" Cole said, glancing warmly at Chuck and Sarah. "The two of you look like a perfect match."
Cole's remarks caused immediate voicings of agreement from the team while Jamie took in Chuck and Sarah's appearance, seated next to each other. "He's right, you do look perfect for each other."
The rest of the unit and Sophie nodded, each assessing the appearance of their dating teammates.
Chuck and Sarah beamed at their teammates, grateful for their kind words and support of their relationship.
"I would have preferred them to have told us themselves," Chris said, putting his pint of Guinness onto the bar counter. "And turning up on time."
Scoffs erupted from Chris's teammates.
"Oh, here we go!" Big Dan said, gesturing everyone with his thumb to his team leader. "Always one to ruin the mood, isn't he?"
Chris met Dan's glance. "I'm not ruining any mood. But where I come from, when you agree to turn up at an agreed time, you turn up. Not five hours later."
"Where's that from, then?" Jamie chortled. "The land of Ebenezer Scrooge?!"
Jamie's teammates, Chris aside, attempted to hold in their laughter, snorting like pigs.
Chris's eyes narrowed as he shot a withering look at Jamie for his remarks.
Jamie continued chuckling away as Cole turned to Chris. "Anyway, Sophie and I turned up five hours late, too."
Chris met Cole's glance. "And you were just as wrong."
"We're banning Chris from our Christmas party this year, fellas!" Big Dan said, snorting.
The rest of the team was about to snort but paused when John Murray took control. "Aye, but that's if we get one with all the constant ops we now have."
"Don't jinx it, you pillock!" Cole chastised, his eyes fixed on the Scot with an icy stare.
Cole's glare was like a spark that ignited the rest of the group, as they all turned to glare at John Murray with equal intensity.
"I swear to god if he's jinxed us again, fella!…" Big Dan warned, holding his glare at John Murray. "It will be him as mincemeat on the barbecue instead of Speedy!"
"Ya wee bastard!" John Murray hissed.
Chuck suppressed laughter. "Selection partner or not, John, I agree with them. We've already missed Halloween and Bonfire Night because of lockdown and constant ops. I'm not missing Christmas as well! So if you've jinxed us… You're going to be the food for mine and Cole's barbecue."
Cole beamed as he pointed in endorsement at his best friend.
John Murray scoffed. "It's Halloween every morning for Sarah when she wakes up with you, fella!"
"Fucking hell!" Big Dan's eyes widened in shock as he winced from the sharp jab of the Scot.
A few other teammates also winced at the remark while Sarah turned to glare at John Murray.
Chuck was about to reply to him, but Sarah got in first. "Says the guy who can't get a girl and probably has an entire apartment full of porno mags. Chuck doesn't though. And you can trust me on that because I've been in his bedroom."
Sarah's witty quip caused a ripple of laughter to spread through the pub, turning it into a lively and raucous atmosphere mixed in with winces from Sarah's equally intensive dig.
Even John Murray shared the laughter, then said, "Aye, but that's because he probably has them under the stairs!"
Chuck's laughter blended in with the others, making it impossible to tell who was laughing the hardest.
But Sarah wasn't laughing. "Chuck doesn't need any porno mags. But I'll look on Sunday before you all arrive, so you can't plant any there on him."
Sarah's latest remark increased the laughter as the pub turned into a cacophony of noise.
A moment passed, and Big Dan snorted, trying to hold back another burst. "She's getting onto us because I'm sure one of us would have done that, not least John, to salvage his pride! I have to say, Sarah's newfound spine is growing on me by the minute because she stated John's single status so very well!"
"Ya wee tosser!" John Murray hissed, glaring at Big Dan.
The team continued laughing at John Murray's expense.
However, Sarah—who'd had enough of John Murray's comments the past month—continued her ribbing in defence of her boyfriend. "And anyway, John couldn't be more wrong in what he said because I feel like it's Christmas every time I wake up in bed with Chuck."
"Yeah, and I bet Chuck thinks it's twenty birthdays rolled into one!" Big Dan said, snorting.
Big Dan had them all struggling to hold back laughter as they fought alongside him.
Sarah shook her head, disagreeing with what Dan said. "Actually, he told me he doesn't enjoy sleeping against me because apparently, I have bad sleeping habits."
The snorts ceased in an instant as everyone turned to shoot Chuck a hostile glare.
"What's this then, laddie?!" Chris said coolly, his gaze unfriendly.
"Rule one of dating," Cole said with a hint of anger, fixing his best friend with a hard stare. "Never, ever complain about laying with a beautiful woman, you stupid pillock!"
Chuck's teammates, along with Sophie, acknowledged their agreement with a nod.
"Someone slap him over the head!" Big Dan's eyes narrowed as he held a belittling glance at Chuck. "Because that pillock deserves it!"
Cole was the only person beside Sarah sitting next to Chuck.
He complied with Dan's request and leaned in to deliver a hard slap to Chuck's head.
"Ow!" Chuck shot Cole an angry look before his eyes darted to the team, who were still sending him contemptuous glances. "I didn't mean it seriously; I was just joking!"
Chuck's eyes darted around the bar, taking in the sight of everyone shaking their heads in unison, their condescending stares fixed on him.
"Rule two of dating," Jamie said, still looking at Chuck as if he were a petulant child. "Never, ever joke and offend a beautiful woman with your comments about her!"
A chorus of simultaneous nods occurred at the bar again.
Big Dan crossed his arms. "Chuck has a lot to learn and fast." he then pointed at himself. "Muggins will have to teach him how to behave!"
"Yeah, fella!" John Murray said. "Because with how good Sarah looks, if he doesn't mature and treat her well, she'll find someone else and then he'll be the biggest fool, so he will."
The nods of everyone present made it clear they were all on the same page.
"I just made an effort to catch his eye today like any normal girlfriend would," Sarah protested.
Jamie turned to meet Sarah's glance. "But that's just it, mate. When you make an effort, you're far beyond any normal girl."
"Hey! Don't get any funny ideas with her, Jamie! My best man's a babbling idiot, but he's still my best man!" Cole exclaimed, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
Cole's teammates found his joke amusing and giggled, but Jamie didn't find it funny and scowled at him.
Cole's laughter finally died down, and he turned to Dan, his expression now serious. "With them both now being in the open with each other, it's much better for them and the team already! Is there anything you won't do for your mates, Dan?"
Big Dan crossed his arms. "Nothing at all, fella," he said, nodding, before he glanced at the rest of his teammates and shared warm gazes with them. "I'd fight to the death for every one of you."
"You don't always have to do things to help us by getting everyone to hate your guts in doing it, though," Chuck said.
A few teammates gave a silent nod.
Big Dan turned to look at Chuck. "It's who I am, fella. You knew that from the start when we met each other three years ago. I've never changed who I am, nor do I intend to."
"I'm not sure you should change," Sarah said with a smile. "I didn't want to change who I was, but I had no choice. You all made me." she laughed.
Her teammates and Sophie laughed along with her.
The sound of their laughter mixed with the clinking of glasses and chatter of other patrons filled the pub with a festive atmosphere on a busy Friday night.
"What I did is beside the point and irrelevant anyway," Big Dan said once the laughter calmed. "Because if how gorgeous our teammate looks tonight wasn't enough for us all to figure out who she was with, the look like she's just come from bed would certainly have done it, anyway!"
Dan's remark elicited snorts and chuckles from the team, amplified when Sarah shot Big Dan a piercing glare for his cheeky remarks. "Ok, I'm already regretting saying that now because maybe I wish you would change! That was evil."
The snorts grew louder and more frequent until they turned into uncontrollable laughter.
Jamie chuckled until his sides ached and he had to catch his breath. "He got you good there, mate!"
Sarah nodded in agreement and rubbed her temples. "I know. I walked into that."
"Yeah, but now that I don't have to hide how I feel, here comes the part where I have you all for laughing at her," Chuck said.
John Murray turned to face Chuck. "How do you feel about her first, fella?" he asked with a smirk.
"An excellent question, John, fella," Big Dan said, nodding. "Do you care to answer the gentleman's question before you start?"
Chuck looked at Big Dan. "You know what? Why not?"
Sarah fidgeted nervously at his declaration, a little hesitant for the team to hear how he felt about her, wanting to keep their relationship feelings private.
"Sarah is the most amazing girl I've ever met," Chuck said, looking around with a grin on his face. "She makes me happier than anyone I've ever met. As for everything else, that's private between us both and that's everything you nosey bastards need to know."
Sarah's cheeks lifted in a smile at the sweet words of her boyfriend, as well as his decision to keep their feelings private.
They locked eyes with a loving gaze.
Chuck's teammates laughed at his remarks, except for Chris, who remained stoic.
"And that's fair enough," Chris said, nodding at Chuck with respect. "It's not our business to know what happens between you both unless you bring problems to work. Until that ever happens, everyone would do well to remember that neither Chuck nor Sarah ask how we feel about our spouses such as Dan's missus, or Emily, and how often we share a bed with them."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"If they didn't pack it in, we'd just go elsewhere," Chuck said.
"Steady on, fella!" Big Dan said, snorting. "Because you two are next up for the rounds!"
"Were they in a rush off home without paying their share as usual?" Jim joked, laughing.
Jim's comment elicited laughter from the team, while Chuck and Sarah glared at him.
"Well, then I guess it's time for me to drop bombs in return," Chuck said, looking around. "Who should I start with first?"
Chuck looked around for another moment, finishing with Bryce.
"Oh, fucking hell! Why is it always me?!" Bryce complained, knowing what was coming.
The team laughed and shared smirks at Bryce's complaint.
"Don't worry, Speedy Gonzales, they're all going to get it now," Chuck said, nodding with conviction. "Just like you did last night from the groupies. Many of them were there?" he asked, raising his head in query.
Chuck's initial comment was so funny that it caused a ripple of laughter to spread through the team.
"I guess it's easy to laugh at Sarah now. But what I find more funny is the contents of that porno mag we all saw you jerking off to," Chuck said to Bryce, laughing sarcastically in irony.
Bryce went crimson as the sound of raucous laughter reverberated throughout the bar.
"I don't know why you're laughing, John," Sarah said. "At least Bryce goes to bed with women. All you sleep with is a bottle of beer and an Indian takeaway!"
What started as snorts as an immediate reaction to Sarah's quip, turned into a fresh wave of full-blown laughter.
"Ya wee bitch!" John Murray hissed, glaring at Sarah.
"Oi!" Chuck's finger jutted out, his gaze fixed on John Murray in warning of what he called her. "Wash your mouth out before speaking with Sarah. Just don't use that thing you call aftershave to do it 'cause it's no wonder you can't get a girl smelling as bad as that!"
"HE DID THE SAME AS ME YESTERDAY!" Jamie's laughter was so loud it echoed through the pub.
Chuck's lips twitched as the surrounding laughter grew louder, finding it difficult to keep a straight face while looking at Cole. "Cole, oh Cole!" he said, sighing. "The stories I could tell you about my best friend."
"Don't even think about it, Chuck!" Cole warned with a chuckle, pointing at Chuck.
Chuck's grin was daring and mischievous. "Cole is never nervous. He just begged me when he first met Sophie to chat up her friend and help him out by getting her out of the way for him because he didn't have a chance without me."
Cole noticed the inquisitive glances everyone was giving him, while Sophie stood by, amused.
"It's true," Cole said as he put his head in his hands. "At least he didn't do it at my wedding!" he soon said with renewed vigour, revealing his face again and bursting into laughter. "But what Chuck failed to mention to you are the special qualities and assets of Sophie's friend, if you know what I mean?" Cole said, holding his hands in a cuplike shape against his chest. "And from what I recall, he was eager to do it!"
"I bet he was! The dirty bastard!" Big Dan muttered so loudly that everyone at the bar could hear him, snorting as he did so.
Meanwhile, Sophie narrowed her eyes and slapped Cole's face for his crude comment, leading to a fresh wave of laughter from the team, minus Sarah, who held a narrowed glance like Sophie.
Chuck quickly caught his girlfriend's glance. "That's beside the point, so let's not focus on that part!"
Cole emitted a rowdy chuckle at Chuck for dropping himself in it. "I'm not bailing you out this time after that, Chuck!"
Jamie, who caught Sarah's narrowed glance too, chuckled. "It looks like Sarah might want to focus on why you agreed to chat up Sophie's friend!"
"Ah, Jamie!" Chuck said instantly, diverting attention and changing the topic. "I know what Emily would like to focus on as well!"
Big Dan looked at Chuck, his excitement immeasurable because he found everything Chuck had said to be blockbuster so far. "Well, fella, don't keep us all exploding in suspense! What would she like to focus on?!"
"His baldy head!" Chuck said, snorting. "With a baldy head like the one he has, I think Emily is interested in shining it for him!"
Chuck's latest comment was so hilarious that everyone hunched over the bar, gasping for breath as they howled laughing for a long moment.
"YOU'RE A FUCKING LEGEND, MATE!" Bryce cried out in laughter, his stomach aching from the intensity of it all.
Jamie Hughes was looking at Chuck in a mixture of offence and amusement, equally sharing the intense laughter of the rest of them.
"I still can't decide if Jamie is bald by choice or not, though!" Chuck said, fighting off amusement. "What do you reckon?"
As the unit erupted in another wave of laughter, Jamie's gaze focused on Chuck, shooting him a withering glare.
"Either that, or he's lost his hair in his twenties already, fella!" Big Dan said, snorting to fight off another burst of laughter.
Jamie turned his angry eyes towards Big Dan, though he chuckled again at his own expense after a moment.
Sarah savoured the last notes of laughter with the team before turning to Chuck, a smile on her lips.
"Anyway, Chuck's past life is his past. I'm not an idiot and I know from how quickly he changed the topic why he spoke with Sophie's friend. But I have things in my past with guys that it would embarrass me to tell Chuck about, too," she said.
"Do tell us those sex acts you're embarrassed by, Sarah!" Big Dan said, eager to hear the juicy stuff.
Chuck turned to look at Big Dan. "And last but far from least, Big Dan."
"Here we go!" Big Dan exclaimed, his eyes widened with excitement.
"Get him good, laddie!" Chris's encouragement was laced with a sense of sadism, his eyes betraying a deep desire to see Dan humiliated.
Cole chuckled. "I'm looking forward to this!"
"Not half as much as me, mate!" Jamie laughed back, rubbing his hands together, his excitement at extreme levels.
Sarah waited on in amusement, hoping Chuck to stick one good on Big Dan, too, just as everyone else felt.
"And I know why Big Dan's always talking about sex," Chuck said, pausing to look around to build suspense. "Because the last time he got it, many moons ago, his missus handcuffed him to the bed, blindfolded him, and spanked the shit out of him with her slippers while pegging him from behind!"
Big Dan led the sudden explosion of intense laughter, but Jim appeared above the laughter, pointing at Chuck in a warning. "Hey! I don't want that kind of talk in my pub! Pack it in!"
"WHY?!" Chris asked, his howling laughter in sync with the rest of the unit. "HAVE YOU GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE?!"
"Yeah," Chuck said, snorting. "He has a backroom casting couch for new barmaids! Over fifties only, and only those who show some leg!"
The latest laughter erupted like a volcano, and everyone joined in, wave after wave.
Jim turned away, his face flushing with embarrassment, and he expeditiously disappeared from view.
"He probably has got a casting couch as well, him!" Big Dan said, snorting.
On receiving the cue that Big Dan existed, who Chuck hadn't finished with yet, he looked back at him. "So that's why Dan's always talking about us, to distract from him! I'm sure Bryce has had a dose of it already as well. That's why he's always at Dan's place because he enjoys receiving it as much as Big Gob does!"
"And because he's single!" Cole couldn't resist adding through his deep amusement.
The team roared with a fresh wave of laughter at the latest remarks as Bryce complained, "Fucking hell! Twice he did it to me! I haven't even done anything!"
Bryce's complaints only furthered the laughter of his teammates, who were now already all bent over and in serious agony from how much Chuck had them laughing since he started the delivery of his bombs.
The laughter was so intense that Chuck left his teammates gasping for air, each taking a long moment to recover and cease their activities.
Chuck watched on in satisfaction as the cold, frothy texture of his beer slid down his throat.
His teammates followed suit, taking a mouthful from their own drinks once they had calmed down.
When they all got their breaths back, and their thirsts quenched, Big Dan looked at Chuck and proclaimed, "He's a fucking savage, him!"
"I'm surprised it took you so long to remember it, as it's not the first time he's had you on strings," Chris said, looking at Dan before glancing at the rest of them. "But I kept out of it, knowing you were all stirring up the hornet's nest and it was only a matter of time until you got stung."
Cole chuckled boisterously. "I don't think we'll be forgetting this one anytime soon!"
"Jimbo certainly won't, fella!" Big Dan said, snorting.
Instant snorts erupted from the rest of the team in a rash attempt to hold further amusement, each not wanting to laugh anymore or they would explode.
"I've never laughed so much while being so offended simultaneously!" Jamie soon chortled, laughter threatening him again.
John Murray looked around. "Aye, but at least we all took it on the chin. Unlike Jimbo!"
"Yeah, he won't be giving us another lock-in anytime soon!" Bryce said, shaking his head.
Big Dan snorted. "That's ok though, fella, because we have other business to attend to tonight!"
The team shared additional amusement.
"As for a future lock-in, leave it to me because I'll work on him," Big Dan said.
Everyone nodded.
Jamie looked around at the team, feeling grateful for their presence in his life. "Seeing us all happy and Chuck together with Sarah and Cole with Sophie has me feeling tempted to invite Emily to the club."
"You should," Chuck encouraged with a grin.
Jamie smiled at Chuck, then looked at the rest of his teammates, who each nodded, backing up Chuck's words.
"I won't be inviting my wife out tonight," Chris said with conviction.
The team snorted, each turning to glance at their team leader.
"I believe that's the first and only time I have ever agreed with that old timer about anything!" Big Dan said, snorting again. "Because I won't be inviting the missus out with us either!"
The team shared additional laughter in warm spirits.
Cole soon sighed in glee at the exchanges so far. "Ahh…Should we bail from here and just go to the nightclub right now? What do you think?" he asked, glancing around.
"Yeah, why not?" Jamie said. "It's shite in here tonight, and we're all in the mood for it. So let's do it!"
Excitement rippled through the team like a wave, further amplified when Bryce shouted, "Come on! Let's fucking 'av it!"
"I'm not leaving that club until I'm rotten drunk!" Cole chuckled, pointing around at everyone. "And neither are any of you!"
Big Dan glanced at Chris and snorted. "That old timer looks well on his way to being drunk already!"
"I'll drink you under the table, laddie!" Chris said, glaring at Big Dan.
Dan extended his arms out. "Challenge accepted, old timer."
"Right, mates!" Jamie said, clapping his hands together in immense excitement. "Let's go and have our massive blowout party at the nightclub!"
"Aye! They won't know what's hit them!" John Murray exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
The team and Sophie drank up hastily, eager to embark on the next part of their adventure.
"We'll meet up outside in five minutes. Make whatever calls or restroom visits you have first," Chris said.
Everyone stood up and gave a nod of assent.
Chuck and Cole shared a glance.
"See you outside, Chuck," Cole said.
Chuck nodded as Cole and Sophie departed the pub along with Jamie.
Dan, Chris, John and Bryce each made for the restrooms, needing to relieve themselves after being in the pub for closing on six hours.
Chuck and Sarah lingered at the bar, and once it was just them, they shared a smile.
Sarah ran her thumb over his hand as they shared a glance. "How did they know we'd had sex just before we came?"
Chuck suppressed laughter, gazing fondly at his girlfriend before he took in her appearance. "There's an aura about you that screams: I just had sex."
Sarah narrowed her eyes.
"I didn't mean it offensively," Chuck said, detecting her personality change. "You asked me a question, so I answered it honestly. It's also the most arousing and beautiful sight. I can't explain what it is, but just being around your natural scent gets my engine revving. You look even more attractive than normal too, and not just because of the dress or your new perfect hair. So with all of that, as well as how happy you look, if I can tell it, so can they."
Sarah held her narrowed glance, then surveyed him up and down. "Well, you look like you've had sex too," she said, still feeling offended, so she tried to make him feel the same.
He fought to contain his laughter, but his face betrayed his mirth as he gave a loving nod.
She narrowed her glance again, expecting him to be offended by it rather than happy.
Chuck smiled, then moved in to kiss her lips.
"I'm so glad I can do that now," he said, grinning.
Sarah tried her best to be mad at him. "I'm not when you offend me."
"It wasn't an insult, beautiful," he assured again, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his eyes shining with adoration.
She finally relented, smiling back.
They took each other's hand and departed the pub to link up with Cole, Sophie and Jamie in wait for the rest of the team.
O-o-O-o-O-o-O
Crystal Rooms
Hereford
The group of ten, comprising every Red Team member plus Sophie and Emily, paid their entry fee and entered the nightclub in Hereford city centre.
The music was so loud that they could feel the bass pounding in their ears and reverberating through their bones.
Chuck had to shout above the music to be heard. "Watch your drinks for any spiking in here tonight!"
"I'll mind them because I'm not dancing!" Chris shouted, but the pulsing music drowned him out as they made their way into the main area of the nightclub.
Big Dan snorted. "That is if you don't fall asleep on us, old timer!"
"You cheeky bastard!" Chris shouted back, lunging toward Big Dan.
Big Dan's broad grin only widened as he nimbly dodged Chris's poorly executed lunge.
The team then walked down steps to enter the focal area of the chocker nightclub, which was electric with energy as the live DJ played thumping dance music, and the enormous crowd moved to the beat.
"Wow, there must be hundreds of people in here!" Sarah shouted to make herself heard, her eyes widening as she took in the sea of people, their bodies swaying to the beat of the music.
"Why are you so surprised after the queue we just had to get in?!" Jamie laughed back.
Sarah joined a few teammates in laughing, but she looked at Chuck next to her—who had a firm protective hold of her hand—when he said, "It's always this busy on a Friday! It's one of the best clubs in the country!"
She smiled at his words, which she just about heard because of the music thumping all around them.
"Let's get the drinks in!" Bryce shouted in excitement. "This is going to be the best night ever!"
The lively nightclub enveloped the team, swept up in the excitement that Bryce had started.
"Everyone stay close to each other so we don't have to go find you with your drinks!" Chuck shouted above the noise.
The music was so loud that the team couldn't hear themselves think, but they all nodded in agreement, anyway.
"Chuck and I will cover the first two rounds, but after that, we're done buying drinks for the night!" Sarah shouted.
Big Dan gestured with his thumb to Chris as the unit paused in place, soaking in the electric atmosphere. "It's Chris's turn for the third round because by then, we've all gone before him and will have paid back those bacon rolls he refuses to forget about!"
"Fair enough!" Chris said with a nod.
The excitement continued to take hold of the team, each sensing tonight could be a contender of the best night since they'd all met.
"I'll buy the fourth one because Chuck and Sarah probably deserve it after what I put them through!" Big Dan said, snorting.
Cole pointed in endorsement at Big Dan.
John Murray glanced around. "Aye, and I'll buy the fifth!"
"COME ON!" Bryce roared, overcome with excitement from being in the booming nightclub with an amazing atmosphere, as well as caught up in the great vibes of the team.
The team's infectious excitement spread quickly, leaving no one unaffected.
Some expressed it by bobbing their heads and dancing to the rhythm, while Chuck and Sarah shared a kiss, which became passionate.
Chuck and Sarah's intimate actions elicited approving laughter from some teammates, and when they parted from them, they moved to order drinks for the team.
Once the order was placed, they turned to face each other.
"You get more beautiful by the minute!" Chuck shouted, his voice barely audible above the deafening music, but his awestruck expression said it all.
Sarah responded to his compliment with a healthy smile that exuded confidence, because that's how he made her feel.
"So, how do you feel now that the team knows?!" he shouted.
Her face was beaming as she leaned into him to whisper. "I couldn't be happier. I'm ecstatic."
"Huh?!" he shouted, not hearing what she said.
She suppressed laughter. "I said I feel great!"
"Good!" he said with a grin.
She smiled back.
"This isn't really the place to talk!" he joked.
Sarah nodded. "So let's talk in other ways!"
With a sudden burst of passion, she grabbed him and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.
Their bodies pressed together as he responded, gripping her firmly.
They lost themselves in the embrace of each other, sharing intimacy.
When they parted, they got their breaths back, shared a smile, and pulled apart to collect the team's drinks.
Cole and Chris joined them to help them carry the drinks to the team's location.
"Thanks, mate!" Jamie said, eagerly collecting his drink from Chuck. "This is just the warm down we all need after all the shite of the past month!"
"Let's throw caution to the wind and get wild!" Chuck exclaimed.
Cole's eyes softened as he looked at his best friend. "I couldn't have said it any better!"
"Who's dancing with me first?!" Sophie asked, looking around for volunteers.
"Not Speedy!" Cole said with conviction.
The team laughed.
John Murray looked at Sarah. "What about Sarah?!"
"I'm not sure if she will, fella!" Big Dan shouted back.
Sarah scoffed. "Why won't I?!"
"Because so far, you've been the most timid on the team and even refused to sing!" Big Dan shouted.
Everyone nodded.
Big Dan's assumption was a sound one from everything the team had seen since Sarah joined the team two months ago.
Sarah continued scoffing, shaking her head. "Singing and dancing are two different things! Watch me go!" she said, her tone oozing confidence.
The team chuckled, encouraging Sarah as Sophie giggled in approval, taking Sarah's hand as they passed their partners their drinks, then hit the busy dancefloor together.
With the music blaring, the rest of the group stood by and watched Sarah and Sophie's impromptu dance-off.
The flashing disco lights illuminated the group's grinning faces, each taking in everything they were seeing in front of their eyes.
Despite the thumping bass of the house music, the group made sure Sarah and Sophie could hear their hooting and hollering as they showed off their impressive moves.
Bryce and John Murray watched for a moment more, then split off to do their own thing and mingle with single women present in the nightclub.
After a moment, Big Dan paused from admiring Sarah and Sophie's performance on the dancefloor and looked at Chuck. "Did I ever tell you that you're one lucky bastard, fella?! I've seen no one dance so well! She hid that from us very well!"
"Yeah, I can sing, but I could never dance as well as those two!" Emily watched on, mesmerised by the way Sarah and Sophie flowed effortlessly to the rhythm of the intense trance music pounding all around the nightclub.
Chuck shared the amusement with Cole, Jamie, Chris and Dan as the group watched on, more than impressed with Sarah and Sophie's seamless movements as they took each other's hands and performed a synchronised movement as if they'd known each other for years.
The group remaining behind in watch could only shout out their cheers of encouragement to Sarah and Sophie, observing as they turned wild and danced without inhibition, their long hair whipping around them.
Big Dan's eyes lingered on the impressive performance of his teammate and Sophie for a moment longer before he spoke. "Right, in a bit, fellas! I'm going to join Speedy and John in mingling for a while!"
With a chuckle in confirmation, Chuck, Cole, Chris, and Jamie watched as Dan walked away from them.
Cole deftly shifted the two drinks from his hands to one, then draped his arm around Chuck's shoulder. "What do you think, Chuck?! Can we put on a better show than them?!" he asked, glancing at their relationships who were thoroughly enjoying being in each other's company on the dancefloor.
"No chance! It's not even worth us trying!" Chuck shouted back, suppressing laughter.
Cole chuckled. "I told you that you'd be a fool if you didn't snap her up before someone else did!"
Chuck's face lit up with joy as he nodded. "Yeah, you were right!"
Sarah met Chuck's gaze from their short distance apart inside the club, which they held for a long moment.
Their gaze finally broke when Chuck looked back at Cole when he heard him speak. "A month in, what's she like compared to the last one?!"
"Better!" Chuck said, nodding. "A thousand times better!"
Cole let out a loud, hearty laugh before placing his hand back away from Chuck, then hit it forward to give Chuck a firm pat.
The dance song ended, signalling Sarah and Sophie's return to Chuck and Cole.
"What were you both talking about?!" Sarah asked with a smile.
"He said you blow his previous girlfriend out of the water and that she didn't even come close!" Cole chuckled rowdily.
Sarah developed an adoring gaze at Cole's admission.
However, Chuck narrowed his eyes, releasing Cole's grip around him as he shot around to glare at his best friend for dropping him in it.
"I'm going to kill you, Cole!" Chuck warned, his finger aimed directly at him.
Cole continued his chuckles, but Chuck didn't have time to do anything else because Sarah took his hand. "Let's dance!"
Chuck wore a slight grimace, showing his reluctance to move. "I'm not really a dancer!"
"Are you scared?!" Sarah taunted, her teasing accompanied by a twinkle in her eye.
Cole chuckled. "I think he is!"
"Me too!" Sophie said joyfully.
"Oh, to hell with this!" Chuck said in a brave tone, unwilling to be teased any further.
Cole took the two drinks from him, and he confidently pulled Sarah towards the bustling dancefloor.
She followed him towards the pulsing beat of the music.
The DJ came back on the sound system, announcing the next song would be Castles in the Sky, by Ian van Dahl.
An eruption of cheers met the DJ's announcement from the partygoers, eagerly awaiting the upcoming song.
Chuck and Sarah arrived at a free spot on the dancefloor and turned to face each other.
They performed individual dance moves slightly apart as the opening of the song began.
Without hesitation, Sarah executed a tantalising Figure 8 dance move while maintaining eye contact with him.
Chuck replied in kind, his limbs shaking with an impressive individual dance move in response to the uptempo beat of the trance music, and Sarah's move.
When he finished his moves, he set himself in a wide stance and reached out his hand in expectation of Sarah's.
She took hold of his hand.
The moment their hands touched, Chuck spun her around with ease in a spot turn.
Facing each other again, Chuck performed a hook turn, changing his hold of Sarah's hand from his left hand to his right.
He raised Sarah's hand to perform a head loop of himself, with Sarah's hand finishing around Chuck's neck.
Her fingers chased down his body, following their natural path until they reached his stomach as he performed a sensual body roll for extra style.
They shared a warm smile as soon as they finished their couple's dance moves.
Sarah moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck in an intimate embrace.
She leaned in, her lips almost touching his ear. "Nothing else matters for us tonight. Not the team, nor past things in our life. Just us."
After delivering her remarks, she adjusted her face to meet his.
They shared a passionate kiss as the first lyrics of the song played overhead.
Chuck and Sarah closed their eyes, the music and intimacy washing over them, transporting them to their own special world.
When they stopped kissing, Sarah opened her eyes and met his gaze, their eyes locking for a moment.
She caressed his face before she turned and backed herself into him on the dancefloor.
Their dance was a sensual display of comfortable intimacy, their bodies grinding together as they sought a perfect flow.
Chuck rested a hand against her hip, his other one clasped with Sarah's.
Sarah closed her eyes and surrendered to the music, feeling his body move against hers in a hypnotic rhythm, their hips moving together.
They performed the sensual dance move for a long moment and then she started bending her knees.
He followed her as the couple moved lower to the ground.
After a point, she felt his hand leave hers and join his other to hold her hips.
Sarah ran her hands down her thighs toward her knees, feeling the goosebumps on her skin.
On arrival, she performed a seductive booty shake, grinding her hips as her butt pushed firmly against Chuck's body.
His grip tightened around her hips, the lovers losing themselves to their passion for each other.
She repeated her actions, shaking her booty into his groin for a long moment.
Once she stopped, she opened her eyes, rose to stand, and turned to face him.
They locked eyes in a moment of pure connection. The intensity of their gaze made their hearts race, the sheer delight on their faces impossible to hide, sharing a lover's smile.
Sarah felt the need to hold him close, so she wrapped her arms around him again.
The thumping beat of the music in the nightclub fuelled their passion as they moved in to kiss.
Their tongues intertwined as they lost themselves in the heat of the moment on the dancefloor.
He held her tightly in his arms as they moved to the rhythm of the song, lost in each other's embrace.
They paused only to catch their breaths, then continued kissing, their bodies swaying gently against each other to the rhythm of the music until the song ended.
Chuck and Sarah pulled apart, their breaths caught at the intimacy shared between them.
When they finally broke from their trance to take in their surroundings, they noticed the many pairs of eyes fixed on them, including those of their teammates, as they stood in the middle of the dancefloor.
Their glance returned to each other, seeking comfort from the prying eyes of their activities as their minds raced with thoughts.
Sarah felt her heart racing and her palms sweating as all the attention seemed to turn towards her, but she kept her composure.
She leaned back into him, feeling his warmth against her skin as she wrapped her arms around him once more. "Nothing else matters. Just us," she reaffirmed.
He nodded, trying to suppress his own anxious thoughts because of the attention the couple had attracted to themselves.
Sarah leaned in to kiss him, hoping the warmth of his lips would distract her from the embarrassment of being watched.
It worked, as they lost themselves in the moment and forgot about the prying eyes around them again.
When they stopped kissing, they took each other's hand and departed the dancefloor.
They returned to Cole and Sophie, who were grinning at them.
Chuck and Sarah returned a more flustered gaze towards them because of their intimacy on the dancefloor, and the many eyes on them. They moved to collect their drinks from Cole.
"You two just stole the show on the dancefloor!" Sophie said with joy.
Sarah turned fidgety. "We didn't even do much dancing!" she protested.
"That's not what I saw!" Cole chuckled heartily. "You don't need to do breakdancing and pull out world-class dance moves to steal the show! Though I argue you both did a lot of world-class dancing, just a different kind than most!"
Sophie nodded. "A whole lot of passion is more than enough to achieve that! And you two just had all of that and so much more! Wow!"
Chuck and Sarah shifted uncomfortably, looking down at their feet.
Sophie moved to hug Chuck in reassurance, and then Sarah.
Once Sophie hugged Sarah, she said, "Please don't feel embarrassed! You two have perfect chemistry! There is nothing wrong with you dating and nobody was looking at you with any malicious intentions! I'm sure everybody who was looking was awestruck by how beautiful the passion you expressed together was!"
Sarah nodded, taking in Sophie's words.
Sophie turned to look at Cole. "Now it's our turn on the dancefloor!"
Chuck and Sarah suppressed laughter, watching fondly as Sophie took Cole's hand.
Cole handed the two drinks in his hand to Chris, then made for the dancefloor.
Chuck moved to wrap his arms around Sarah while holding a drink.
Sarah backed herself into him, not stopping until she felt his body pressed firmly against hers.
Chuck waited until they were both comfortable before adjusting his head to plant a soft kiss on Sarah's neck.
Her breath caught at the contact.
She arched her head behind her to meet his glance.
They shared a smile, then turned back to watch Cole and Sophie dancing on the dancefloor.
O-o-O-o-O-o-O
Jamie arrived at the bar of the nightclub to link up with Chris, Bryce, Dan, and John Murray.
"Sarah's going crazy tonight!" John Murray's voice boomed over the music as he gestured towards the dancefloor where Sarah was dancing with Chuck slightly less intimately than their first dance a short while ago.
"There's nothing wrong with it!" Chris shouted, slurring his words slightly because of how much alcohol he'd consumed. "We're all off-duty and having a great time!"
"Well said, mate!" Jamie laughed. "John's just jealous that she has someone! And I'll say this; fucking hell! I've seen nothing as smoking hot in all my life as their first dance! They set the dancefloor alight, and it's been intimate with couples trying to replicate it ever since, but none have come close to them!"
Bryce nodded, looking over at Chuck and Sarah enjoying themselves. "Yeah, fair play to them! They really like each other and as our mates, we have to support that, not discourage it!"
Big Dan pointed in immense approval at Bryce. "Too fucking right we do, fella! I'm expecting that stance from all of us because anyone who doesn't will get a good slapping from me!"
"Yeah!" Jamie shouted above the music. "They'll be getting one from me as well!"
Chris, who was the most out of it of all Red Team members, said, "We look out for our mates!"
"Damn fucking right we do, fella!" Big Dan said, pointing in immense approval at his team leader. "You've barely moved from the bar, though, so I don't see where your good time is coming from!"
Chris met Dan's glance. "This is my good time!"
"Fair enough, fella!" Big Dan said, nodding. "As long as you're happy, then I'm happy! It was just an observation that everyone has been in the company of the opposite sex tonight except you, but we're each free to make our own choices, so I'll say no more!"
O-o-O-o-O-o-O
Sarah was dancing with Sophie as Red Team's amazing evening together wound to a close.
Chuck was taking a break from dancing and was standing with most of his teammates.
"After everything I've seen from Sarah tonight, Chuck, I can safely tell you this. Mate, you're one lucky bastard!" Jamie said, shaking his head as he chuckled.
Chuck glanced at Jamie and suppressed laughter.
"He fucking knows it as well, him!" Big Dan said, snorting.
Chuck nodded. "Oh yeah, I do! But I never intend to let her go!" he said. "So neither of you should get any funny ideas!" he pointed at Jamie and Dan.
"I have a good mind to tear your eyes out for that, fella!" Big Dan said, glaring at him in scorn.
Jamie nodded. "I have a good mind to as well! I would rather take rounds from the Taliban than ever betray you! You stupid bastard!"
"As would I, fella!" Big Dan said, nodding. "I'll say this, if that's what he thinks of us, it's the last time I'll ever do him a favour because everything that happened tonight came because of me breaking those obstacles she placed between them a month ago! He should be kissing my feet, not insulting me!"
Chuck suppressed laughter. "You're right. I probably should!"
O-o-O-o-O-o-O
Chuck, Sarah, Cole, Sophie, Jamie, Emily, Dan and Chris drunkenly departed the nightclub together after 3 a.m., with the venue now closing for the night.
The warmth of their spirits shone through their faces as they huddled together.
"Can anyone smell perfume on me?" Big Dan asked, glancing around as he smelled himself. "The missus will skin me alive if she finds out I've been partying with women!"
The group chuckled at Dan's anxiety as Cole emitted a manly chuckle and threatened, "I'll have Sarah's perfume put on you!"
"I'll remember that and I have a long memory, fella!" Big Dan warned, pointing at Cole.
The laughter intensified as pleasurable sighs erupted from most of the group.
"Sarah, I'm surprised by how much you let your hair down and enjoyed yourself in there, mate!" Jamie said with a grin.
Sarah met Jamie's glance. "Why?"
"Because you were the most lively of the team, dancing all over the club! I didn't think you were capable of that!" Jamie chuckled.
Some heads nodded, but Sarah scoffed through her laughter and said, "Why? Because I don't like to sing?"
The group all turned to look at her.
Her gaze towards those looking at her was relaxed. "I'm comfortable with who I am."
"Until she has a mic."
Everyone turned to look at John Murray, the voice of that comment, as he departed the club with Bryce and a few women.
Sarah stepped towards John Murray and discharged a forceful punch into his chest, winding him again.
The entire group erupted in intense laughter at Sarah's identical actions to when she punched him just yesterday in the showers, which felt like a year ago after the amazing thirty-six hours the team had already had in their long weekend off-duty.
"Deadly and sexy?!" Jamie chortled. "Not a bad combination!"
Cole chuckled. "Yeah, and it's my best man who's the lucky bastard!" he said with pride.
"Yeah, and he fucking knows it as well, him!" Big Dan said, snorting.
The group shared additional laughter.
"John deserved that punch for how he behaves with her," Sophie said.
Chuck nodded. "Yeah, he did. And besides, Sophie made up for the lack of singing anyway," he said with a smile.
Emily suppressed laughter. "Yeah, and the dancing."
Sophie's eyes sparkled with joy then she embraced her new friend Sarah.
"I enjoyed tonight together with you," Sophie said with a smile.
Sarah smiled back. "Me too."
The rest of the team looked on at the exchange, each grinning as joyful laughter soon spread all around the team.
"Best night ever!" Bryce exclaimed with a massive grin on his face.
The team turned to look at Bryce.
"The night's not over yet!" Cole chuckled, glancing around the group of thirteen. "The after-hours invitation still stands, though there may be too many of us to head back to my place."
"I'm heading home," Chris said, who was falling asleep due to how intoxicated he was.
The team turned to look at their team leader.
"He looks out of it and I don't really want him heading back in that state on his own," Chuck said with concern.
Everyone nodded.
"His place is on the way back to mine. Dan and Speedy were going to come back to mine for a wee while anyway, so we'll walk him to his place before heading to mine," John Murray said.
Everyone turned to the Scot in a query for a moment, then nodded.
"What about the rest of you?" Sophie asked, looking at Chuck, Sarah, Jamie, and Emily. "We have three bedrooms so we can have a couples afterparty and you can stay over?"
Chuck and Sarah looked at each other for the briefest of moments, with Jamie and Emily doing the same.
Chuck and Sarah nodded at each other, then turned back to face Sophie.
"That sounds great," Sarah said with a warm smile to her new friend.
Jamie nodded. "Yeah, same here."
Sophie's eyes crinkled with affection as she smiled.
The excitement oozed all around the large group again.
Cole looked around at his teammates, who wouldn't be coming back to his place. "Right, I'll be seeing the rest of you at the pool!"
"What time are we heading there?" Chuck asked.
The group took a moment in thought, then Bryce said, "I don't care as long as it's not too early!"
His remarks led to a fresh wave of laughter.
"How about two o'clock?" Jamie suggested after a moment.
The team considered it for a moment, then nodded.
"Two sounds good," Sarah said with a smile.
Chris glared around the team. "Don't be late!"
"With how out of it you're looking, old timer, I think the only one who's gonna turn up late this time is you!" Big Dan teased.
Chris glared at Big Dan as the warm laughter intensified.
"Good night then!" Chuck beamed at each of his teammates, elated to have them in his life.
The team matched his gaze, then said their last goodbyes before they split for Cole, John Murray, and Chris's places.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Next chapter, it's the morning after Red Team's amazing night together. Events will pick up inside Cole's place. Um, there's the possibility for a standalone mature chapter, which will take place on arrival back at Cole's. If anyone would like to see this, please leave a review expressing that demand so I can gauge interest. If you don't want to see it, that's ok too. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter today, and I would appreciate your feedback :)
FOOTNOTES: Crystal Rooms closed in 2004, but was the only one of its kind in Hereford. I wasn't old enough for 2004 nightlife, so I can't attest to its reputation. However, legend has it that Crystal Rooms was one of the best nightclubs in the United Kingdom, attracting some of the best DJs. With that in mind, that's why the club still exists in 2007 in the story, because I needed such a venue.