Chapter 20

“I am in a spa with four very healthy and attractive women; my mother, my girlfriend, my soul mate and my potential mother–in-law. The last thing on my mind is having fun. Wait a second ... that didn’t come out quite right.”

“Charles,” Claire said swimming over to me, “Do I make you nervous right now?”

“Not n-nervous, Claire. More uh — uhm, well ... uncomfortable,” I lied. Claire started to walk towards me with water dripping off ... everything.

“Claire,” said her mother, “Don’t tease Charles. It’s four against one, you know. Everybody just chill for a little while.” (Actually, by my count, it was eight against one!)

Yeah – relax ... like that’s going to happen. Ha-ha, I just don’t want to embarrass myself, or anyone else. I closed my eyes and lay back, as the bubbles came on again. Oooooohh, yeah ... I felt a hand on my leg. I opened my eyes and it was Claire. “Can I sit on your lap, please?” she whispered to me. I nodded in compliance.

After a few minutes, I heard Claire say, “Doesn’t this feel good, Charles. Haven’t you wanted to do this for the longest time, I mean ... be in this spa. I could tell at last years’ BBQ you wanted to get inside it.”

“Yes, Claire ... I have, maybe when we start making money dancing, we can afford to get one of these ourselves,” I said.

“And where would you put it, Charles?” Annie questioned.

I knew exactly what she was doing so I met it head on.

“Well, since Claire and I will be going to college together, a spa would work out in our apartment’s back yard,” I speculated with my hands around her waist and safely below her bust line.

“Oh. We will share an apartment Charles? With who?” my personal redhead asked.

“With each other Sugar-Lips?” I said looking directly in her eyes.

“Oh - Ohh, I like that idea, Honey-Buns!” she said turning her head and giving me a kiss.

I saw a dour look forming on Kalista’s face. “Don’t worry K. You will be welcome to visit us all you want, whenever you want.” That made her face perk up. “You will need to call first, OK?”

“What about your mother, Charles. Where will she stay?” Annie said with a mature smirk on her face.

“With all the money Charles & Claire will make for you Annie, you could buy a motor home and bring Kalista and Sarah along with you,” I said.

“Finally, somebody remembered me the ‘other mother,’” Sarah said chuckling. We all laughed with her. It’s har ... very difficult not to stare at either my mother or my ... Sarah!

“Sarah,” Kalista said turning to her Aunt. “I told you about Charles and my ‘date,’ early next month. Why don’t you come with us as well? Claire and Annie will be there, along with Charles and me!”

“I don’t want to intrude, Kalista. Besides, Charles will be the only young man there. He doesn’t want another old woman to be there,” Sarah said.

I looked over at Annie who gave me a nod and I said looking Sarah directly in the eyes, which was a task all its own, “Sarah, as gorgeous as you are in the bikini you have on, I can only imagine how ... stunning you would look in a beautiful evening dress which I suppose you have, but haven’t had a chance to wear because Mr. McArthur is so darn busy all the time.”

After looking in my eyes for a split second, and taking a deep breath, Sarah answered, “Girls, you have got yourself another person for your party. May I ask Josiah and Cassandra to join us as well if that’s all right with Kalista? That would give us another boy ... to dance with. Otherwise, Charles could be whipped by the end of the evening.”

“Sure,” Kalista smiled. “The more, the merrier. Claire, why don’t you ask Susan and Brian to come as well? And of course, Brian’s mom.”

“Annie,” Sarah asked, “Can they setup a table big enough for all of us?”

“I don’t see why not as long as we schedule this far enough in advance. After we get out I am sure we can pick a date that doesn’t interfere with anything else,” Annie replied.

It was time to get out and, being the gentleman that my mother raised, I got out, quickly wrapping a towel around my waist, then I helped Sarah, Claire, Annie, and finally Kalista out of the pool. I gave each of them a kiss, for being so lovely.

After everyone was out and changed into dry clothes, the powers that be picked a date only twelve days out, but it worked well with everything else that had been planned.

Everybody had been assigned somebody to call and forty minutes later plans equivalent to D-day (Date-Day) had been worked out, with two impressive young ladies, plus Sarah and Annie, being the (Two Star ) generals.

If my casual & covert observations are correct, Sarah is larger than my mother, chest-wise.

Annie made a reservation for twelve, in case Mr. McArthur and Mr. Charles could come. As Annie got off the phone she motioned me to come over to her.

Speaking quietly, she went on, “Charles, that night is available for a table of twelve, but I wanted to tell you that there will be a celebrity singer there that night, to sing with the orchestra,” Annie said with a hint of a smile of her face.

“Really Mom! Who?” I asked, just as quietly.

“Michael Bublé,” Annie announced.

“HOLY SHIT!”

Everyone scrambled around us to find out the reason for my extraordinary ... blurt.

“I am sorry for Charles’ outburst. I was telling him about something his father did, he wasn’t expecting the news I just told him,” Annie said with conviction. She’s a pretty good liar — Dad never had a chance.

“Sorry Mom, Wow! I have got to get both girls ready to dance to some of his songs. I am sorry for the cursing. I will save a dance just for you, OK?

“You got a deal, Mister, because I will have my dancing shoes on that night. Maybe I could steal some of your time and we could practice a little, Loverboy.”

“Could I as well?” the lovely redheaded mother of my girlfriend asked, with a modicum of salaciousness to it.

“Sure thing, Sarah,” I said, looking straight into her big beautiful ... eyes.

Turning back to Annie, “I would love to spend some time with my ‘first’ girl – the one who gave me the standards that I have in my life and in my women.”

I asked, “Kalista — Would you like to show off our Bolero routine to Sarah?”

“Sure,” Kalista responded gleefully.

She went to put on her heels as Claire came over to me and said, “I think Sarah fell in love with you today, Charles. You were awfully smooth in the spa for as nervous as you were before.”

“It was that nervous energy that helped me focus. I really wanted to keep my eyes looking into hers and nowhere else. Some of the things Kalista said today have also kept me in check, a little, but you and her in those suits along with Sarah and Annie in their bikinis, made me oh, so very nervous, Claire,” I replied.

“Nervous, how?” she said as she took her finger and softly touched my lips with it.

“Upon advice from counsel, I invoke my rights, under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, against self-incrimination, Claire.”

Kalista had changed into some blue tights and put on a cute, but very short skirt. No doubt to show off her legs and hips during our Bolero routine. I hadn’t made a CD of this music so I wired my iPod to play through their sound system.

Claire was at the controls and announced, “For the first time outside the Newman living room, performing a Bolero to the hit song from ENCHANTED, ‘That’s How You Know’ – Charles and Kallie.”

K gave me a kiss and we started with her hips going wild once the beat starts. Our first few steps, being no hold, were fabulous. Kalista is a natural performer especially since she is trying to prove something to Claire with this number. Her steps and her musicality are stronger than Claire’s. If asked, I will never admit to that!

We performed the ‘new hold’ and both Annie and Sarah gasped, but enjoyed it. I was enjoying it myself. They call me a natural? Wow, Kalista is killin’ it!

Coming up on the end, I decided to change up the end a little and Kalista rolled with it and she ended with a couple of Bolero spins, spot on.

The crowd, as it were, went wild. Claire ran up to K and they hugged like best friends. Sarah came up to me and we hugged. She quietly said to me, “I want to learn to do that dance too, X.”

I announced, “Claire, I found our final song?”

Our crowd of people suddenly went quiet.

“What do you mean our ‘final song,’ Charles?” my lovely redhead said.

“Next year, after our fifteenth birthdays in July I have asked Annie to petition the NDCA so we can dance as adults,” I explained.

There were gasps from all quarters. Kalista smiled at me.

“I knew we could do that, but you and I never talked about it before, specifically — did we?” Claire mused. “I still don’t understand what you mean by our final song?”

“The competition just before we turn fifteen will be our Final competition, before we dance as adults, correct?” I explained further trying to lead her into this.

“Yes, that’s right. So, I suppose that means that you have found the music that will become our NDCA Junior II ‘Swan Song,’ Charles?” Claire said amusingly.

“Actually, yes ... but we don’t need to learn a routine for it quite yet. I wanted you all to hear it first. It’s a Slow Waltz, of course. It’s called ‘Saying Goodbye,’ and it was written for the movie THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN.”

I started it...

MISS PIGGY
Saying goodbye, going away
Seems like goodbye’s
such a hard thing to say
KERMIT T FROG
Touching a hand,
wondering why,
BOTH
It’s time for saying goodbye

(Plenty of music to put a routine to.)

SCOOTER
Saying goodbye, why is it sad?
Makes us remember
the good times we have had
Much more to say, foolish to try,
It’s time for saying goodbye
GONZO
Don’t want to leave,
but we both know,
Sometimes it’s better to go
ROWLF
Somehow, I know
we will meet again
Not sure quite where
and I don’t know just when
SCOOTER
You are in my heart, so until then,
It’s time for saying goodbye

Everybody, including me had been affected by this very pretty song, despite Muppets characters singing it. I think I found the perfect song.

Our first song as ‘Adults’ needs to be just as important, but I haven’t found that, yet.

I began, “OK, K. Time to learn a Foxtrot routine for the ‘Date.’ You remember the Basic Forward Step, Princess?”

“Yes, I do, X.”

“Claire — would you select ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin,’ on my Smartphone, please?”

“Sure, and yes you do, Loverboy,” she giggled.

“I am not so sure I can listen to them talking to each other like that, Annie,” Sarah said.

“You will get used to it, Sarah. I have,” Annie said, as they laughed together at our expense.

Kalista and I went over all the steps I had gone over with Claire, getting them pretty well, but we would practice each of our ‘routines’ a couple of times between now and the dinner date.

“Sarah McArthur, front and center please?” I smiled really big as she came up to me.

“Yes, Charles?” she said, now standing in front of me with a huge dimpled smile on her face.

Maintaining solid eye to eye contact, I asked, “How long since you have danced the Foxtrot, my dear beautiful Sarah?”

“It’s been a while, Charles. Do you flirt with all the girls you dance with?” she said smiling over at Annie and her daughter.

“Only the prettiest ones and you qualify for my current deal for Future Mothers-in-law,” I smiled.

“And what deal is that, Future Son-in-law?” she grinned back.

“The Foxtrot Crash Course, available only to foxy ladies over the age of twenty-one. Are you old enough to consent, Red?”

“Charles, no wonder Claire and Kalista both love you so much. You are wonderful for a girl’s ego,” Sarah said looking at each of the girls as she mentioned them. Claire and K were both beaming.

I went through the Feather Step, the Three Step, and the Natural Turn, which Sarah got rather quickly. I told her to look at me and not her feet, which was a little problematic at first, but eventually she was doing it.

Next, we went through the Reverse Turn and Feather Finish. She has all the instincts necessary. I was simply building on her confidence.

I had Claire ready to start the Sammy Davis Jr. version of ‘You’re Nobody ‘til Somebody Loves You.”

Ohh! I looked away for a moment than I looked at her eyes again and I told her, “Dancing isn’t just the steps, Sarah – It’s also the feeling you get from the music. Are you ready – do you feel it, my dear?”

“Yes Charles. I am ready, I definitely feel it,” Sarah said with an emotion I had never heard from her before.

I nodded at Claire who started the music.

Just like with Claire, the room went empty and Sarah and I were floating over the floor. She was quite good, and her eyes showed their appreciation to me as we changed from step to step. We were now dancing chest to chest and it certainly felt much, much different from dancing with Claire. The pressure of her bosom against my chest created a different kind of pressure inside my pants.

The song was over, the dance was over, and everyone applauded, including me. Sarah gave me a great big hug turning to Annie and she said, “Does he have any rings left to give out, Annie?”

Mom laughed so hard she had started to snort, which everyone always gets a kick out of.

Pulling herself together she said, “Sorry, Sarah! He’s fresh out of rings. Believe me, I have thought of it as well?”

Annie shocked even me by saying that.

“BREAK,” Claire said.

I ran up to the bathroom to take care of my full bladder and marginal erection. As I was washing my hands there was a knock on the door.

“I will be out in a minute – hold your horses,” I said.

“Let me in, Charles?” Claire said quite assertively.

I did. She came in and landed a great big kiss on me with open mouth. I kissed her in return but broke it off before anything irreversible happened.

“You were wonderful showing my Sarah how to dance like that, Charles. I could tell she was enjoying herself the whole time you were dancing with her. This is kind of weird to ask about my own mother, but how did it feel, dancing up against her chest like you did. I may get breasts as big as hers, maybe not?” Claire asked sounding sincere although nervous.

“There is no appropriate answer to that question, Claire. As I have been raised to be a gentleman, it would not be proper to explain my feelings or my emotions with you regarding dancing with your mother. Perhaps, sometime after we are married, if you still want to know and if she were to allow me to talk about it. That then might be the proper time. I am sorry.”

“Oh, you are such a Boy Scout sometimes, Charles,” she said sounding more than a little upset.

“That’s Eagle Scout, Missy. I worked very hard to become an Eagle Scout and if you are going to use the term pejoratively, then at least get my Rank correct while doing it,” I responded back rather brusquely.

Claire started to cry. Oh crap — I got a tissue and handed it to her waiting for her to say something. She was trying to speak, but her crying was getting in the way of her cognitive ability, apparently.

“Charles. Oh, Charles, I love you so much. I am so sorry I said what I said. You gave up Scouting for a whole year because of me and I talk to you like that. Can you forgive me, please?” she smiled.

Her eyes along with her lips have always tantalized me so I said, “Don’t cry Claire. It’s OK, I accept your apology. Now, let’s get back downstairs. Our mothers may already be having a conniption fit wondering where we are and what we are doing.”

Claire and I walked back into the living room and caught Sarah and Annie talking. They stopped the moment we entered the room.

I asked, “Is there something that Claire and I need to know, ladies?”

Although they had guilty looks on their faces, neither one verbally responded to my question, so that’s that.

“Charles, can we work on our Paso Doble routine alone?” Claire asked.

“Alone, why’s that Claire?” I asked.

“I just want everybody to be surprised when we do this particular routine for the first time, OK Loverboy? Please?”

Sarah surprised everyone by saying, “I know that tone from Claire, Charles. It’s better to do what she wants than to argue at all about it.”

“You don’t mean me too, do you Claire?” Kalista said hopefully.

“Normally Kalista, I would love you to come and help us. But, this time ... I want him alone,” Claire said matter-of-factly.

Claire’s tone even had me worried, but I was OK.

“I am taking Charles up to my bedroom, where we can practice the Paso Doble. Mom, I need to close the door while we’re working on the dance. Do you trust the two of us?”

I saw Sarah turn to Annie, with Annie giving her a nod. Sarah said, “Kids, understand that this is a whole lot of trust Annie and I are giving you. Don’t abuse it, OK?”

“OK, Mom,” Claire said.

“Thank you, beautiful ladies,” I said to them as Claire shut the door.

I set my iPod up to listen to the penultimate song from GREASE. After listening to it I asked, “Claire, remember when we got to see some adult dancers doing the Paso Doble at Nationals?”

“Yes, Charles?”

“And remember how we thought that they were so good and so flashy?”

“Yeah, what about it?” she answered.

“I want to do a Paso Doble very strict and to our new higher standards, but I don’t think we can do that to this particular piece of music.” I saw her smile leaving her face. “It really is kind of slow, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t slap together a routine that will shock the crap out of everybody which is what you really want to do, isn’t it?” I said with a gleam in my eye.

“Actually Charles, I want to scare them all to death with this routine. We can work on it when we are not working on something else for your and Kallie’s date, Cotillion, or an upcoming competition.”

We started with two sets of Sur Place and then when the singing kicked in we added a Promenade shaped Basic Movement Forward, first turning left and then turning right. I added the Drag move which I don’t think we had done before. I then showed her a fantastic step called the Traveling Spins, knowing how well she likes to spin.

There was a knock on the door.

“Yes, we’re busy,” I said.

“Doing what?” Kalista answered loudly. She switched to a quieter voice. “Let me in, please? I won’t tell anybody what I see, I promise?”

“Who sent you up here?” Claire asked.

“Sarah did!” Kalista said. “Oops, I shouldn’t have said that. Pleeeeaase?”

It hurt me to hear her plead like that. I looked at Claire who was smiling at me. “Just a minute, Kalista,” Claire said.

We kissed, and it quickly turned into an open mouth kiss. I was quite unprepared for it and I felt Claire’s hand on my butt. We separated.

Claire went over and let her in. “OK, Kalista, pinky swear?”

“Pinky Swear! I won’t say anything about what I see or hear up here. Is that OK?” Kalista asked. They did the linkup of their pinkies.