Chapter 18

Things were breaking up and our group quickly surrounded us, as we exchanged hugs and kisses. I looked around and didn’t see Kalista anywhere, at least not until she was in the air, on her way to me and I caught her.

I won’t be able to hold her much longer, she has gotten taller and thus, heavier; I certainly wouldn’t say that to her face. She went for the deep kiss, but Annie and Sarah were there in time, to stop it from happening.

After signing autographs for over half an hour, Annie yelled for us to gather everything up. Sarah, after hugging Claire practically to death and giving me a nice kiss on the cheek, went back to her group and we got in the car and left for home. Claire grabbed my phone and opened up YouTube and found our “Marry You” routine on the Internet and it had already gone viral.

Claire and I were in the backseat, holding hands.

I picked up her hand and gave it a kiss, then held it over my heart. Claire giggled and said, “That feels so nice Charles ... my hand in yours. With this ring on, I feel married to you.”

“Don’t let either of our mothers hear you say that, or we may never dance again,” I chuckled.

“Either of your mothers hears you say what, Charles?” Annie asked from the driver’s seat.

What can I say that wouldn’t be as bad, but could be mis-understood? Aha.

“I just said to Claire, that when we turn sixteen and driving, we can go to these competitions by ourselves, or at least drive ahead of the pack, if there was a car available of course.”

“Don’t hold your breath for that to happen, Charles,” Annie yelled. “As long as I am your manager I will expect I will be your driver as well.”

“Well,” I said. “I can only hope, when we’re older and driving, that we might travel separately, so Claire and I can have some, private time.” I looked directly into Claire’s eyes as I said that. I hoped she understood my meaning.

She looked up at me and said, “Yeah, Annie ... when Charles and I are eighteen, then we could start going, maybe a day ahead and ... prepare for the competition.” Claire kissed me, quite passionately.

“Well, I don’t know if that will ever be necessary, you two. I mean, why would you need to go ahead a whole day before everyone ... Oh, my ... that’s ... uhm, yeah; well ... you might be right there Claire ... Ha-ha. Kalista, is it safe to look back there right now?”

“Well, Annie ... they have been missing since before you started talking, so I’d say, what’s that expression, ‘Look at your own risk?’”

I heard all that was being said but didn’t care. Claire and I had just won another competition and ‘got married’ all at the same time. We deserved a nice, long un-interrupted kiss.

Claire said, “Annie, we need to stop at our house, so K and I can change into regular clothes and replace the stuff in our ‘go-go-bags.’” That made Kalista giggle.

“Certainly ladies, please be very careful wearing that ring, OK?” Annie said.

“Do you want it back, Annie? I don’t mind! It is your wedding ring, not mine, at least not yet, it isn’t,” Claire said looking straight into my heart.

Annie answered, “No, no, no, no Claire. I just want you two to enjoy this time you have being in love, dancing, going to school and such and I was just reminding you of the responsibility of wearing a ring like that?”

“Thank you so much, Annie. This ring is so pretty, and I was so amazed it fit so perfectly,” Claire responded turning to me and mouthing, the words ‘I Do!’

“The ring isn’t nearly as pretty as the young lady wearing it,” I said, mouthing ‘I Do,’ back to her.

There was a chorus of ‘awws’ from the front seat as we pulled up to the McArthur house.

I had an idea that I thought was cute, so I ran it by Claire and she loved it too.

After Annie and K got out of the car, I pulled Claire up to me and picked her up and carried her like a bride would be carried after being married. K giggled and got Claire’s go-bag and carried it for her.

Annie knocked on the door, looking back at us, saying, “You two are just too much.”

The door opened, and it was Sarah, so Annie and K parted, revealing me carrying Claire. I said, “Since we just got married, I figured the honeymoon was next, right Sugar-Lips?”

Claire blushed, but stayed in my arms saying, “I am up for it if you are, Honey-Buns?” I carried her inside to Sarah’s surprise.

“Put her down, Charles. There will be no honeymoons in here, until you two are married by a preacher and not by a song.”

Sarah caught herself, realizing she had just consented to it happening, just not for a while yet.

I put Claire down, with her giving me a kiss and she said, “Toodles, back in a minute, Honey-Buns.”

“Time will stand still until you are back in my arms again, Sugar-Lips,” I responded. I just realized — I said that, out loud, in front of everybody.

Man. Love can sure fuck with your head.

I turned around and all the ladies were looking at me and as a group they all broke up into laughter ... relieving me of the stress of the moment.

“Oh, I have to update my ‘go-go-bag’ too?” Kalista said running up the stairs.

Annie and Sarah just looked at me for a moment and then we all sat down together.

“That song was such a good Cha-Cha number, Charles. I am really impressed at your ear for tempo,” Sarah said.

“It’s not that big of a deal. Even before I started to go to Cotillion I could hear a song and know its tempo, I just didn’t have dance names and their tempos in my head at the time.”

“So, what are the different tempos, Charles?” Annie asked as we all sat down, ladies first.

“Well, ladies ... there isn’t a short answer to that. Here goes. In the Ballroom Dance Classifications, there are 10 International dance styles. Their tempos fall into three categories; 2-4 time, which includes the Samba and Paso Doble; 3-4 time, the Slow Waltz, and the Viennese Waltz; and the 4-4 time, including Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Cha-Cha, Rhumba, and Jive. Each of the Dances has its own beats per minute. For example, the Fox Trot is 4-4 time at about 120-136 beats per minute, while the Slow Waltz is 3-4 time and 84-96 beats per minute.”

“You know, Sarah — you and I have yet to dance together, would you care to dance?” I asked.

“Charles, you are just too smooth for me – save it for Annie, Claire and K, OK?” she replied.

“Sure, but the offer stands, and you know we will all be dancing at a wedding before you know it?” I remarked.

“Yes, I know that – don’t forget, however, that Kalista still needs your attention, too?”

“I know; she is quite the ball of energy. I have never seen a picture of her mother. June, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, Charles ... her biological mother’s name was June.” She got up, went to a drawer, and pulled out a picture, handing it to me.

“My goodness, she was very pretty, wasn’t she?” I said.

“Yes, she got the looks in the family,” Sarah said desolately.

“If I may be so bold, my dearest Sarah ... seeing you, allows me to see exactly how pretty Claire will become, when she and I are married and starting a family of our own.”

“Annie, this son of yours is quite amazing, isn’t he?” Sarah said. Her eyes started to moisten.

“You are just finding that out, but I knew that a long time ago, Sarah. We’re going to be out-laws before you know it,” Annie snickered.

That made us all laugh, as K and Claire both came down the stairs.

“What’s so funny?” Claire said looking around at us.

“Nothing, Sugar-Lips ... you ready to go, how about you Kallie?”

Kalista looked at me and then broke into a super-sized smile. She dropped her go-go-bag and jumped into my arms, kissing me all over my face. Just as Sarah and Annie were getting up to remove her from my arms, Kalista got herself down and said, “Thank you Charles. I knew you would come up with a new nickname for me. Richie kind of, took over ‘Special K’ ... I am sorry about that?”

“It’s OK, Kallie. are we ready to practice?”

“Just a minute,” Sarah said. “I need to talk to Charles alone for a moment ... You three go ahead to the car. I will have him out there in a jiffy.”

They all looked at me and I expressed cluelessness to them all.

Sarah started to cry a little and said, “Charles. Claire told me about your dreams and she also told me about Kalista being your ‘soul mate.’ Whichever one of them you end up with, I want you to know that I approve of you as a boyfriend and/or husband, to either one of my girls. Take this picture of June with you and remember, she died ... so Kalista could live. I know now why I hear both of my girls telling you that they love you, because ... so do I, Charles.”

“I love you too, Sarah.” We hugged for a moment. The horn honked and broke our embrace. I said, “I’d be honored for you to be my mother-in-law someday, Beautiful.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek.

Annie spoke, as I got in the car, “Technically, after your birthdays in July, the two of you can apply to dance in the ‘Youth’ competitions.”

“Really!” Claire responded.

“But,” Annie added, “Once you move ‘up’ a class you give up the lower classification. If you don’t think you like it after a competition you can’t just go back.”

“I think we will stay right where we are. Kallie and I are four classifications apart and if we’re ever going to dance in a competition together, I don’t want to artificially add another classification between us,” I said.

From the front seat Kalista said to me, “You want to dance in a competition with me, Charles? I love you for wanting to do that, but you keep beating the same kids each week as a Junior II ... doesn’t moving up and beating up on older kids sound like more fun?”

I laughed and responded, “Kallie, if we do that, then you and I won’t be able to dance together until you are nineteen years old. Unless we got a waiver of some kind, I guess. Annie, could you look into that for us, please?”

She nodded and smiled. I saw a tear falling down her cheek.

“Charles, that would be really cool, but if they don’t do that, we can dance anytime together. I can wait for you as long as you can wait for me?” K said.

I saw a look on Claire’s face. She leaned into me and whispered really quietly, “It’s OK with me, X, remember she’s your soul mate.”

“Mom, Claire and I are going to stay Junior II’s for right now. Kallie, thank you – the first school dance you have, I will be your date and you and I will dance all evening together.

“Mom, can we schedule to go back to that place that had the live orchestra, in about a month,” I asked.

“Sure, Charles ... are you going to teach Kalista some dances first?”

“Annie, to use Brian’s favorite expression, ‘You got it in one!’”

We had gotten some food on our way back to the house. Mom didn’t really like people eating in her car, if it could be at all avoided, so we took it home. I did sneak a fry out and placed it between my lips. Claire got the other end and we chewed our way to each other’s lips, culminating in a red-hot kiss.

We got home and ate the rest of the food, quietly.

I asked, “Kallie, can we start your dance training in the morning — I am kind of tired.”

“Sure Charles ... What are we going to learn first thing?”

“I thought, since we haven’t danced yet this year and you have gotten taller; we should go back over the basics of the Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango and maybe even the Samba. How does that sound to you?”

“Abso-fricking-tastic, Charles,” Kalista said causing us all to snicker. She tugged on me and quietly asked, “Are we going to dance as close together as Claire and you do?” I answered just as quietly, “Yes!”

“OK, everybody,” Annie said. “Time for bed, Claire come here, please? Go up to your bed, Charles — this doesn’t concern you.”

I saw Annie usher Claire to the sofa, so I stood quietly at the top of the stairs, listening in.

Mom started, “Claire, you are aware that I know, that you and Charles have ‘napped’ together and I am ... getting OK with it, more or less. Please understand, that I expect you and Charles to stay in different rooms tonight — all night! Do you understand what I am saying to you, Claire?”

“Oh, yes Annie ... you are afraid that Charles and I might do something ‘naughty,’ if I were to sleep in the same bed with him all night, aren’t you?” I heard Claire ask.

Mom snorted, then said, “Don’t let me catch you, or there will be severe consequences, do you understand me dear?”

“Yes, Mrs. Newman, I completely understand what you expect of Charles and me. We have an example to set for little Kalista, as well as standards in our own lives to maintain. I promise that absolutely nothing will happen between Charles Newman, whom I love, and myself. Do you want me to get Charles, so you can have the same talk with him?” Claire said just like we had talked about it. She was almost word perfect to the script we had discussed.

“CHARLES, your mother wants to talk to you?” Claire said.

Gosh, I love her. I went quietly to my door and opened it quietly and closed it loudly. I bounded down the stairs, “You bellowed, Sugar-Lips,” I said giving her a quick kiss. “Mom, did you need me for something?”

“Yes, Charles — goodnight Claire, sleep well,” Annie said.

“Goodnight Annie, goodnight Honey-Buns,” Claire said as I watched her go up the stairs.” I had never noticed how nice her butt looked before.

“Charles ... Charles,” Annie had snapped her fingers to get my attention, “I need you, over here for a moment, OK?”

We had the same discussion she had just had with Claire, I nodded when appropriate, and agreed, when she wanted a response. After we were done, I got up and gave her a real big hug, saying “Don’t worry Mom, I love her too much to try anything stupid with her. Kissing is all I can handle right now. When I need to, I hope I can ask you about what a girl wants and needs, sexually, so I can love her and keep her happy.”

Annie looked a little shaken, it appeared and said, “Yes ... Yes, Charles ... you can always talk to me about anything. I am not an expert on relationships, your father’s leaving makes that abundantly clear — but I can listen and help.”

As my eyes started to moisten, I said, “Mom ... Dad left because he was an Ass-hat, no other reason. To leave a beautiful woman like yourself, all alone, all the time ... tells me he wasn’t good enough for you. If you want to stay unattached, then do it, but if you want to find somebody else, that’s all right by me.”

“What I need to find, is a thirty-something version of you, Charles; but I doubt that man exists, so until then, get to bed ... alone. I love you, X.”

“I love you, A.”

The next morning, I heard my doorknob turning, but decided to wait for a voice, to tell me whom it was. Whoever it was actually crawled into bed with me. Uh-ho, this has trouble written all over it.

“Good Morning, Charles.”

That voice is Kalista’s... “Kallie, you have to get out of this bed, right now. It’s not proper, due to our age difference and ... I have a girlfriend, who has a mother, and so do I, who will whip me within an inch of my life, if either of them came in here and saw you in this bed with me.”

“Calm down, Charles. I am completely dressed for practice. Claire suggested I come in and wake you up.”

Claire opened the door and said in mock horror, “Ohh, Charles Newman, I catch you in bed with my own cousin, how dare you!” Then she started to giggle.

She really was enjoying this moment.

Fortunately, Kalista was also giggling so hard, that I figured out this was just a big setup between the two of them.

Kalista got off the bed, just before Annie walked in and asked, “What is going on in here, I need Kalista to help me with breakfast ... come on K, come help me make some pancakes, all right?”

“Sounds yummy, Annie.” Kalista left, taking Annie’s hand, leaving Claire and I alone.

Now Claire crawled onto the bed with me and reached over and gave me a great big kiss, with me on my back. This still has trouble written all over it, so I got out of bed and ran in to my bathroom. I heard her giggle.

After taking care of business in there, I came out and Claire was still there, sitting on my bed.

“Claire, please get out, I need to change my clothes to practice with Kallie?” I asked.

“I need to change my clothes to practice with Kallie, listen to yourself Charles. That little girl has you whipped.”

“No she doesn’t, Claire. I promised Sarah that I would spend more time with Kalista and teaching her some new dances with new music, should do the trick.”