by Audrina Lane
“Hi Mark” I said
“Hi Stephanie, good to speak to you this morning, would you like a request?” he asked
“Can you play Here comes the rain again by The Eurythmics for my secret admirer if he is listening this morning” I replied
“Sure Steph, leave it with me and have a great day, gorgeous” he finished as the phone line went dead as he returned to the show.
I poured my next coffee and decided that a full English breakfast might cheer us all up so I set about getting this ready and wondered how early my daughter would be up. Working away I listened to my request and then waited and within about half an hour I got my reply ‘Laughter in the Rain by Neil Sedaka’ and although I had never heard this song before the lyrics spoke to me and I smiled as I continued to work. Sitting in his kitchen James smiled too as he sent his reply to Stephanie’s song request, he was really enjoying this flirtation and he hoped that it would help his cause to win back her affections.
Upstairs Charlotte stirred and was greeted by the sight of Mitchell lying next to her, last night had been fantastic as she blushed now even thinking about what he had done to her with his tongue. Turning she kissed him gently and he opened his eyes and stared sleepily into hers.
“Morning” she whispered
“Is it?” he asked “I was still dreaming about last night” he said, smiling back at her, his dazzling, sexy smile. She moved so that she was tightly wrapped in his arms again and they listened to the rain falling outside. Eventually the smell of bacon drifted up the stairs and they decided to head down and then decide what to do with their day.
“Morning guys” I said, as they appeared in the kitchen with tousled hair and smiles on their faces.
“Morning Mum; that smells nice” Charlie said, as she poured some coffee for the two of them and they hopped up onto the stools by the kitchen island.
“Morning Stephanie” Mitch said “Thanks for a lovely evening last night” he said, looking across at Charlie and their special secret smile lit up their features. I tried to gauge whether they had or hadn’t but as I couldn’t I just hoped that they were being careful.
“So what are your plans for the day?” I asked.
“Not sure really” Charlie said, looking across at Mitch.
“Think we might do a couple of practises of our dance but otherwise I’m in Charlotte’s capable hands” he finished, grinning at her as he thought about all the places he wanted her hands to be.
Suddenly Charlotte picked up the florists card from the table and read it.
“Oh Mum, who is this secret admirer then?” she asked, curiosity brimming over.
“I’ve no idea” I replied, blushing slightly “But he has good taste in flowers” I finished. I placed their breakfast down and then joined them, noticing a worried look cross both their brows but I let it go. After eating and helping to clear the kitchen I headed up to get dressed and then grabbed my laptop so that I could finalise some plans for our event which was looming ever closer. They headed for the lounge which was our largest room in the house and I was soon listening to their song as they practised it over and over again. As I walked past the door I watched for a few seconds and again found myself breathless just watching the way they flowed together, making difficult dance steps look easy.
Then the music changed to ‘Take my Breath away’ and I guessed that Charlie was going through that one too. As Mitchell watched Charlie dance he made some comments and hoped it would help her even more with the lovely lines and shapes she already created with her body. Then they swapped over and Charlie watched as Mitch ran through Thriller again, she also made some objective comments that he was happy to take on board before they finally finished. The rain had cleared to leave a warm but cloudy afternoon so they both headed out for a walk. Mitchell had the old address for his Dad’s house and wanted to see that and then the river side where the ‘Rock on the River’ event would take place.
Holding his hand Charlie felt like the luckiest girl alive as they passed dog walkers, parents and children and other couples like them and she remembered the bench mentioned in her Mum’s diaries.
“Mitch we need to check the graffiti on the benches” Charlie said
“Why?” he asked puzzled by the request.
“Well if it’s still here your Dad drew a heart and their initials onto one of the benches when he told my Mum he was falling in love with her” Charlie replied as they slowed down when they reached the first bench. There was nothing there so they continued to the next and then the next until they found it at last.
Sitting down on the slightly damp seat they found the heart, faded from the sun and weather after twenty four years, but still there.
Charlie looked through her bag and found a marker pen inside and handed it to Mitchell. He managed to find a small blank space not far from the heart and he drew one too and put inside it MC 4 CE and then handed the pen back to Charlotte. She left the top off and carefully drew over the lines of the original heart and initials, making it stand out once more against the rest of the scribbles that were there. Sitting together it felt strange but comforting to know they were in the same place as their parents had been one day so long ago as they looked at each other. Then their lips met and they kissed and held each other, knowing that the time they had left together today was short.
“Do you think they’ll get back together?” Charlotte asked, as they made their way back home.
“I kind of hope so but I guess it’s up to them” Mitch replied “All we can do is wait and see next weekend” he finished, putting his arm over Charlie’s shoulders as they walked in step together.
“I wonder who this secret admirer is.” Charlotte said, thinking back to the card from the florists.
“My Dad will blow him out of the water” Mitch said “After all I’ve inherited his undeniable charm and good looks and it worked on you” he finished, as Charlie gave him a playful punch and laughed. She skipped away from him but he caught her and spun her around and back into his arms.
“I love you Charlotte Eden” he said
She smiled at his words and the seriousness that lay underneath the green of his eyes
“I love you too Mitchell Cooke” she replied, pressing her body close to his.
They entered the house to find the smell of roast dinner cooking.
“Where have you been?” I asked them, as they sat down on the sofa.
“Along by the river, we found your heart there Mum” Charlie said
“And we drew one on the bench too” Mitch said, joining in. I smiled as inside I remembered that day and how magical life had seemed at that moment in time.
“I’ll go and check on food, why not watch a film or something” I said, leaving them alone so that I could be alone. My mind was replaying the other time when I had seen the heart on the bench and I hoped that my daughter would never have to look at their heart in the same way, full of despair and sadness rather than the love and happiness it symbolised.
“Hey let’s watch that film your final song comes from, what is it called?” Mitch asked.
“Top Gun, you mean your Dad has never made you watch this, Mum tells me it used to be his favourite too” Charlie said, in amazement. She soon located it on the shelves and put the DVD in to play. Pulling her close they cuddled up on the sofa and started to watch until suddenly Mitch turned to her.
“Have you realised that our parents have named us after the lead characters” he said
“Yes, the first time I watched it when Mum helped me pick the song that our group is dancing too and she did agree that it was strange that she had picked it but I hadn’t made the connection with your name too” she said, laughing “It could have been worse he could have called you Maverick” she giggled.
“Or Pete” Mitch said “I like my name, I’ve never met anyone else called it yet” he finished.
“I watched a television series with a character called Mitchell in it but yes it’s pretty unusual” Charlie fi
nished, sneaking a quick kiss on his cheek.
As the film finished Charlie wiped her eyes on Mitch’s sleeve and he kissed the rest away, knowing how involved she had been watching the film. They headed through to the kitchen as I had finished cooking and was just plating up the food.
“So we’ll be seeing you again next weekend” I said.
“Yes, my Dad and grandparents are coming to watch so I’ll introduce you to them” he said, and again I spotted a secret look pass between the two of them.
“Well, you’ve met my guests already as Aunt Sarah and Uncle Chris are coming down with Mum” Charlie said.
“Shall we meet at the venue as might be too difficult to arrange something at the hotel” Mitch said. I nodded and silence reigned as we enjoyed the food.
Mitchell was soon dressed in his leathers again for the ride home. I said goodbye and then headed through to clear up as Charlie headed out to the driveway with him. After a final kiss and a hug she drew back from him and watched him mount his bike alone. She wished she could just jump up behind him and speed off and never be apart.
“Keep practising until I see you next Saturday” Mitch said.
“You too Mitch, ride carefully and let me know when you get home” Charlie said. She blew him a kiss and he pretended to catch it in his palm.
“Don’t forget, no body puts Baby in the corner” he said, grinning at the use of his line from Dirty Dancing.
She watched him shut his visor down and then speed off down the road.
I watched Charlie standing on the doorstep and she reminded me of how it felt to be alone so I put the kettle on and made us both a cup of hot chocolate. As she wandered in she smiled weakly at me as I handed her the mug.
“Thanks Mum” she said.
“I know how it feels honey” I said, pulling her close “I’ve been there myself” I finished.
“Yes, I know but at least I can keep in touch with Mitchell every day, it was much harder for you just waiting for letters and a weekly phone call.
“Life changes” I finished, as she turned away and headed for the stairs and her own memories.
“Night Mum” Charlotte said
“Night sweetheart, sleep tight”
Chapter 49
After a good nights sleep it was Monday morning again and a pretty normal working week until next weekend and the dance competition finals in London. I was really looking forward to spending some time in the capital with my daughter and my two best friends in the world. Sitting in the kitchen I made a coffee and waited for Charlotte to appear before School. It was their last week before the summer holidays and I hoped that we would be able to spend some quality time together, if she wasn’t too wrapped up in Mitchell. I thought about how the two of them were together and it felt like I was watching a mirror image of myself.
With the radio on in the background I made some toast and then stood in the hallway.
“Charlotte, breakfast is ready” I shouted, and waited to here the sound of her feet on the stairs as she hurried down.
“Morning Mum” Charlie said, as she sat down and tucked into her toast and coffee “I’m already feeling nervous about the weekend and it’s only Monday” she continued.
“You’ll be fine on the day when the music starts” I said “I just know you will”
“Thanks Mum, hope you’ll be ok to meet Mitchell’s Dad and grandparents on Saturday”
“Of course I will, well unless they’re awful” I joked, and we both laughed, although I noticed that Charlotte’s had a slight edge of worry to it.
“I’ve got two hours of practice after school so should be home at around six tonight” she said, finishing her toast and hurrying back upstairs to finish getting ready.
When she came down she handed me my diary.
“I’ve finished it” she said, placing it down on the counter “It really helped me focus on my life after Craig and has made me realise that true love rarely comes along” she finished. I reached out and pulled her into a hug as she whispered.
“I’m glad you didn’t die”
“I’m glad too” I finished choking back a lump that had formed in my throat; as I dropped a kiss on her forehead before we pulled apart.
“Bye Mum, see you later” she finished, the moment over as she headed out the door and ran down the road to meet Julia. I looked at the diary and ran my fingers over the front cover, was I ready to throw it away and move on? As I couldn’t answer that question I picked it up and took it back upstairs with me to my bedroom.
At work I thought long and hard about the diary, almost so much that I was surprised when a text from my secret admirer filled the screen with today’s request. Today’s was a romantic one and I sighed to think about this mystery man thinking of me and trying to seduce me with song. It was definitely working as I queued up ‘I can’t help falling in love with you’ by Elvis and sent it out over the airwaves to the listening ears of my admirer. In return I played him ‘When I fall in love’ by Nat King Cole, keeping the oldies theme running. As my song played I thought about the sentiments in the words, did a person only ever fall in love once or could it happen twice. Once again I closed my eyes and an image of James was there in front of me, his arms open wide. I would have to wait and see who my blind date was in a couple of week’s time.
As they walked to college Julia turned to Charlotte.
“Wow, the way you dance with Mitchell is breath taking” she said.
“I know we just seem to fit together perfectly” Charlotte replied, a smile on her face as she pulled out her phone that had just pinged with a text message. She paused and read it “Hi Baby; am counting down the days, hours and minutes until I see you again on Saturday, Love Mitchell” She quickly typed back “Hi Mitch, you and me both, can’t wait to dance with you again along with other things. Love Charlie”
Julia saw the pink blush spread over her friend’s cheeks and asked.
“So have you done it yet?”
“No, but we have done lots of other things” Charlie replied, grinning as she remembered where his tongue had been. As her mind connected with her body she felt a quick spike of desire roll through her.
“Tell me” Julia said.
“Sorry I’d rather not, if that’s ok” she replied, as another text appeared on the screen.
They continued walking as Charlie looked at the next text.
“You turn me on so much and I can’t wait until we are in that hotel room, I have a big surprise for you”
“I love big surprises” she replied, as she blushed even harder at the thought of what he might have in mind. She knew that the natural adrenaline high produced when she danced could only be topped by the desire she felt when Mitchell touched and kissed her. College passed without any further trouble from Craig, although she had deliberately dressed down today in jeans and a t-shirt as she didn’t want to provoke any further confrontations like the one on Friday. Practice went smoothly and Charlotte was really pleased with the props the art department had turned out for all their performances. There was a lot riding on this competition as first prize was £100,000 pounds for the school or college and the possibility of going forward into the European competition. Second prize was £50,000 and third was £10,000. She also knew that the judges were involved in recruiting dancers for musicals and music videos so if you stood out the possibilities were endless.
On the walk home Julia chatted away about things but Charlotte found she wasn’t listening as she thought about her Mum finally seeing James again after all these years. She really hoped that it would all go ok and that they might perhaps get back together. Although she missed her real Dad she had never even known him so having a Dad like James was quite a cool compromise, especially when she considered that it might mean her and Mitchell sharing a house a lot sooner than she could have hoped. Shaking the thoughts away she said goodbye to Julia and headed up the road. Inside her Mum was waiting on food in the kitchen and after a shower Charlotte changed into her p
j’s and had supper with her best friend in the world.
Tuesday and Wednesday passed pretty quickly for all of us. I continued to flirt over the airwaves and Charlotte was either at practice in college or in her room. I worried that she was going to burn herself out before the weekend so on Thursday I took her to the cinema and we enjoyed the film ‘Rock of Ages’ which was great as it was musical and had plenty of dancing in it too. Also I had the opportunity to enjoy the sight of Tom Cruise who was still looking pretty fit for his age. Then Friday dawned and I ended up awake early as I heard the music coming from Charlotte’s room, I poked my head in as I passed by for the kitchen and promised her some scrambled egg on toast before college. When she eventually appeared in the doorway I looked at her pale face.
“Is everything ok” I asked
“No Mum, I had an awful dream last night that Mitchell dropped me during the lift and it all went wrong” she paused “We’ve hardly practised it enough and I don’t want to let him down or go wrong” she finished, sitting down and putting her head in her hands.
Walking round I pulled her into my arms.
“I have complete faith in the two of you, I know you will be perfect on the night and nothing bad is going to happen” I finished “Anyway you can find some time to practise on Saturday evening or Sunday morning”
I felt her shaking stop and headed back to the worktop to finish making her breakfast. I heard her reach for her phone and drop a text, followed by a quick reply and as I put the plate down in front of her a smile had returned to her face.