A Chance Encounter

by Charlie Conwell

  She kisses me softly and I lean back. “You make me feel so wonderful, every time we spend together like this you open me up more and it’s magnificent and exciting and a little bit scary all at once.”

  She smiles. “I love that I can make you feel that way and I always want to do that for you.”

  I bite my bottom lip and run my hands through her hair, “You feel ok about meeting my parents?”

  I watch her as a wash of nervousness flashes through her eyes and I swallow my own nervousness. She kisses me softly and then looks me in the eyes “I’m nervous about it but it’s something I want to do. I want to share your birthday with you and I want the chance to get to know your family.”

  My smile breaks free of my mouth and she laughs. “You are insanely cute when you are happy. I love that smile on your gorgeous mouth and I love the fact that I have put it there.”

  “I am happy, you make me feel on top of the world with everything you say and do.”

  Chapter 7

  For rest of the week, I trudge around my house. Stace confronts me as I keep opening and closing doors.

  “Char, what the hell is going on? You are walking around here slamming doors and being a complete nightmare. Has something happened with Emily?”

  I spin around to face her. “No, we are really good.”

  She cocks her head to the side, takes my hand and leads me to the dining table, making me sit down on a chair. “If everything is really good, explain why you are so lost looking?”

  I sigh, sit back in my chair and close my eyes. “Tomorrow is Em’s birthday and I am meeting her family for the first time. I am so nervous that they won’t like me or that I will do something to upset Em on her birthday.” She starts to laugh at me and I frown “Stace, what the hell? Why are you laughing? This is serious.”

  She holds up her hands. “I’m sorry Char, you are so adorable, and this is important for you. It’s ok to be nervous it shows that you care. Why are you so nervous?”

  I throw my hands up incredulous. “What if they don’t like me? What if they don’t think I’m good enough for Em?”

  Stacey takes my hand. “Oh Char, all they will see is how happy Em is and that’s what they will look at most. Since I have met Em that girl is completely besotted with you. You leave the room; her eyes follow and when you enter the room her eyes light up. Em is falling for you Char, it’s so clear to see and you my friend are falling for her too.”

  I consider her words. ‘Am I falling for Em? Is that why I am feeling this way?’ The more I think of Em, the more the smile comes onto my face. This girl has come into my life and turned it into something of substance and colour. I am excited and frightened by the thought of being so open and letting her into my heart. As I consider this, I know she has already taken place in the confines of the chambers of my heart.

  Stacey is sitting patiently waiting for me to speak and she is grinning at me in my silence. “Stace, she makes me so happy, I would be lost without her now. She has slipped past all defences and made her way into my heart.”

  Stacey bounces in her seat and claps her hands. “I know she has and I couldn’t be happier for you. This is a good thing, Charlie. You need her, and she needs you. Her family will see that, and you will be welcomed into their lives with no difficulty. You are an incredible woman, they are blind if they don’t see that.”

  I smile at my best friend who has been through every part of my life. She has always been my sounding board and when I was broken when my ex left she was there to glue me back together.

  “You always know what to say, thanks, Stace.”

  She grins at me. “It’s what best friends are for. What did you get her for her birthday?”

  I grin, get up and go to my rucksack to take out the box. I then bring it back to the table. I hand it over to Stacey and she opens it. Inside is a matching chain and bracelet. Stacey looks over at me and grins. “You have chosen well Char, she is going to love it. When do you leave for her parents’ house?”

  “I will be picking her up after college and I’ll take her for a surprise picnic in the park. You are meeting Gary tonight, so we will come back here and stay tonight. Then tomorrow it’s a two-hour drive so we will leave around 9:00 am.”

  “That’s romantic Char, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

  I give her a friendly push and she starts to laugh. Just with this simple conversation, my nerves have calmed slightly. “Since you are a great mate Stace, you won’t mind going back to Gary’s tonight and leaving Em and me alone.”

  “Oh, nicely played Char, don’t worry I will be out of your hair and you can bring in Em’s birthday in style.”

  I grin at her. “Thank you, I do try.”

  Stacey gets up and gives me a hug. “You are a great person Char, you deserve to be happy and Em makes you happy.”

  “Yeah, she really does.”

  I rush around and gather what I need for the surprise picnic. I look up at the clock on the kitchen wall and I know I need to leave very soon to meet Em when her class finishes. I get the last few things together, pick up my car keys and I make my way to the campus car park.

  I pull into a free spot and get out of the car. I walk towards the main building and check my watch. I smile knowing Em will be coming out soon. I can feel the butterflies take flight in my stomach as I see the doors open.

  There is the noise of excited chatter and I stand aside waiting for Em to come through the door. I start to shuffle on my feet as I get some looks from the other students and I smile politely back. I spot Em before she sees me, and I step out a little bit. She is talking with some classmates, then she looks up and I am met with a breath-taking smile. Her friends start to tease her and point at me. I can feel myself blushing, but she just shrugs them off, comes before me and kisses me soundly on the mouth. We are met with wolf whistles from her friends and she breaks the kiss. “Grow up you lot, she’s my girlfriend and I kissed her.”

  They start to wave and say ‘hi’ to me on the way past. I smile and answer them back. I take Em’s bag, hold out my hand and she takes it instantly. “Hey baby, I missed you.”

  “I missed you too Em, you ready to spend the rest of the day and night with me?”

  “Oh god, yes I am, that class was so dreary, and that lot has been teasing me ever since they found out about you.”

  “How did they find out?”

  She blushes “I told them.”

  I laugh at her and kiss her cheek. “You are adorable, and I like being called your girlfriend, it has a nice ring to it.”

  “Well that’s what you are, so I wanted to show off to my friends that I had a hot girlfriend, that’s not a terrible thing.”

  I laugh, stop walking and pull her into me. “No, it’s a very good thing Em, I like it very much that I have a very sexy girlfriend.”

  She blushes as I kiss her lips and we are enveloped in our own little bubble of happiness. I break the kiss reluctantly. “You hungry baby?”

  She gives me that look that turns my insides to mush and I groan. “Baby, you are dangerous, but that will be enjoyed later. Come with me I have a surprise for you.”

  We drive to the park, I run around, open the door for Em and get the picnic basket out of the back seat. I lead her over to an area under a big oak tree beside the lake. I set out the blanket and I sit down with Em beside me. I take out all the goodies that I had packed for us. Seeing the look in Em’s eyes makes me grin. I know she is enjoying it.

  We sit and enjoy our time together, we feed each other, kiss, and cuddle. I go to the basket and retrieve Em’s favourite cupcake. I take out the candle, put a candle into it and light it. I sing happy birthday to her, watch her blow out the candle and she closes her eyes as she makes her wish. I smile at how adorable she is, and I kiss her as her eyes are closed.

  She opens her eyes as I break the kiss. “Mmm, that’s even better than the cupcake.”

  I grin at her and pull her into my arms. “Happy birthday baby.”r />
  After we finish eating we take a walk around the park and it’s so peaceful, almost as though we are in a different world. We go back to my house and fall into bed together revelling in each other’s bodies until we fall into a sated slumber.

  I awake with the alarm and move to shut it off before it wakes Em. She is lying with her head on my chest and as I lay back, I realise how good it feels to have her here in my arms. I stroke her arm making her eyes flicker open and she kisses my chest and I smile.

  “Good morning sweetheart, happy birthday.”

  She lifts her head, grins at me, and kisses my lips. “Thank you.”

  We lay cuddling for a little while before we get into the shower and start her birthday off reconnecting before we get dressed.

  The closer the time comes to leave, the more the nervousness returns in my stomach. I feel arms wrap around my waist and a soft kiss on my neck. “Why do you look so tense?”

  I turn around and smile. “I’m a little nervous, this is important.”

  She smiles softly at me. “Charlie, don’t be nervous. My parents are going to love you. Just be yourself and they will see how wonderful you are. All they are going to worry about is if I am happy and I can tell you that I am very happy.”

  I hold her close and kiss the top of her head. “You just know the right words to say to calm me. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes, I’m ready.”

  The journey is going well and Em is getting hyper to see her family. She is singing along to the music in the car and when she isn’t singing she is telling me all about her family and stories of her childhood. I sit smiling as I listen to her and as I glance over at her I realise that I am happier than I have been in a long time. She has changed my life for the better, I see her smirking at me. “What?”

  “I’m just wondering what put that gooey, mushy look on your face.”

  “That would be you, you just make me so happy.”

  Her mouth opens and closes, I see a blush steel to her cheeks and I have never seen her more beautiful. “You make me so happy Charlie, this has been the best birthday I’ve had and I’m really glad you are here with me.”

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

  The rest of the journey flies by and before long I am pulling into the driveway. Before I even turn off the ignition, the front door is open, and I see an older version of Em. She looks just as excited as Em.

  “Mom!”

  Em is waving and I have never seen her move so fast to get her seat belt off. She is out of the car in seconds and I just laugh. I see them embrace and I get out of the car, collect the bags, and make my way beside them.

  Em smiles at me and takes my hand. “Mom this is Charlie. Charlie this is my mom Gwen.”

  I smile at her and go to shake her hand, but I am pulled into a hug. “We are huggers here Charlie, none of that shaking of the hand. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  I blush as I look at the grinning Em who just simply shrugs at me.

  “It’s nice to meet you too.”

  She pulls away, grins, and puts her arm around Em’s shoulders. She guides us into the house. “How was the drive here?”

  “It was good mom, Charlie made great time even driving in a bundle of nerves.”

  I blush as Gwen looks at me and laughs. “Nervous about what?”

  Before I answer Em sinks me. “About meeting you and dad. Can you believe it?”

  “Oh Charlie, you shouldn’t be nervous, we are all a friendly bunch.”

  “I can see that, it won’t take me long to settle in.”

  We move into the living room and Em runs into her father’s arms. “Hey, dad.”

  He grins as he catches her. “Hello, pumpkin. I’ve missed you.”

  “Missed you too dad.”

  I stand back and watch, and he looks over at me. “So, this is the one that is stealing you from us?”

  I open my mouth and close it again. He starts to laugh, comes over and gives me a hug “Em has not stopped talking about you every time she rings home. You are making her happy and that makes me happy.”

  “She makes me happy too.”

  Em smirks. “Dad Charlie needs to breathe. This is my dad Adam.”

  Adam lets me go shrugging. “I’m just saying hello pumpkin.”

  The next hour is me sitting with Em, meeting the rest of her family and I am feeling more at ease as the time passes. Seeing Em so vibrant and happy warms me through. We are waiting on Em’s brother’s family to arrive before dinner starts.

  Daniel is the oldest and has a son Ray, who is four years old. We hear the door and Em is on her feet already. “Danny, you’re here finally. I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

  I hear him laugh. “As if sis, when have I ever missed a birthday?”

  The first person I see is a little person “Nana!”

  He runs into his Nana’s arms and then as he looks around his eyes train on me. He wriggles down out of her arms and comes over to me. “Who are you?”

  I laugh at his questioning look. “My name is Charlie, what’s your name?”

  “My name is Ray.”

  He holds out his arms and I realise that this family was not kidding when they said they were huggers. I give him a hug and he grins. Em comes and sits beside me. “Hey little man, I missed you.”

  She picks him up and he sits on her lap happily but keeps looking at me. “I have never seen her before.”

  Em smiles. “Ray, Charlie is a new friend of mine and this is the first time she has come to meet you.”

  He climbs off Em’s lap and comes over to mine. Em is shocked and pouts. “Hey Ray I missed you and you barely say hello to me.”

  “Charlie, do you want to play with my cars?”

  “I would love to Ray.”

  He grins, jumps off my lap and jumps up and down. “Cool, you can have my red-hot rod car. I’m going to be the monster truck.”

  He runs off to get his cars and I look at Em who is still pouting. I lean in and kiss the pout away.

  She folds her arms making me laugh. “I’m sure Ray will let you play too.”

  She sighs. “You have stolen my only nephew. I was always the one he would stick to but one look at you and he’s gone.”

  I laugh at how adorable she is. “He just spots the big kid in me that’s all. It’s a good thing that he likes me.”

  She smiles and kisses my lips. “Yes, it is, he has taken to you just as quick as I did.”

  Ray comes back with his cars and I move on to the floor to play with him. He is laughing and having fun when we crash the cars. Gwen comes in to call us for dinner and takes a double take when she spots me on the floor with Ray.

  “Dinner is ready, come on Ray, you need to go wash your hands before we eat.”

  She holds out her hand for Ray to take, he turns away and takes my hand. “Come on Charlie, wash hands before dinner.”

  I look up at Gwen who is just as shocked looking as Em. “Well that’s a first, ok Charlie go wash up before dinner.”

  I blush and take Ray to the bathroom to wash our hands. We come back into the dining room and Em has a seat beside her for me. Ray looks at the chair beside me where Leon, Em’s other brother is.

  “Leon, you sit beside daddy, I want to sit there beside Charlie.”

  The talk at the table stops and looks at the child. Leon sighs, gets up and moves around to the other side of the table leaving a grinning Ray climbing up on the chair beside me.

  Daniel looks at me. “You know Charlie, he never wants to talk to anyone new, how have you made him talk to you?”

  I shrug. “Natural charm I guess.”

  I feel a tug on my sleeve. “Charlie, will you cut up my turkey?”

  I smile at the child. “Sure buddy.”

  The dinner goes well. Ray has me well entertained and has saved me from any awkward questions from Em’s brothers and dad.

  Gwen brings in the cake for Em and Ray moves into my lap to g
et close to blowing out the candles.

  We sing happy birthday and Ray blows out the candles before Em gets to and he claps his hands excitedly. “Yay.”

  Em looks at him, laughs, cuts into the cake and we all get a piece. The gift giving is next, and Ray is not happy that he doesn’t have any presents to open. I take him over to his cars and start playing with them, before long he has forgotten the presents and is laughing with me on the floor.

  I haven’t given Em her gift as yet and as the night goes on I am the one that must put Ray to bed because he wouldn’t go with his mom or dad.

  I read him his story and as his eyes close, I notice Em standing in the doorway smiling at me. I get up gently and come beside her. “What are you smiling at?”

  She leans in and kisses me. “Just how good you are with him. Ray doesn’t normally like strangers. He has always been quiet around them but with you, he just opened and hasn’t moved from your side since he got here. Daniel and Maeve are shocked with him.”

  “He’s a great kid and I have enjoyed being around him.”

  She takes my hand leading me into her room where she kisses me hard, demanding. I moan into the kiss and pull her tighter to me. She puts her hands under my t-shirt and starts to fondle my breasts. I remember where we are, and I break the kiss. “Em, what are you doing?”

  She smirks, kisses my neck finding my sweet spot and I mewl in response. “Em, we can’t do this, not here, not with your parent’s downstairs.”

  She bites my neck and pulls away. “Charlie, I want you and it is my birthday.”

  “Oh, Jesus Em, I know it is and I want you too, believe me, but I can’t disrespect your parents’ home.”

  “You are so restrained, ok I will let you away with it for now.”

  I pull her into my chest and kiss her softly. “Would you like your gift from me?”