Chapter 21

Leaning into Kal, I said, “I think you can do this better than Claire could, but you know I can’t tell Claire that and you can’t either, ever! You promise me? Pinkie Swear?”

She put out her Pinkie, attaching hers to mine. I heard her say, “Pinkie Swear, Charles.”

I looked over and saw a delicious smile on Claire’s face as K started to try the cut time tempo. She was hesitating. “Look at me, Princess? This song is called, ‘Hold On’ so you can hold on to me and I know you can do this. Try it again? Yeah! Oh Princess, I knew you could do it.”

To a casual observer what we were doing looked like a dance in slow motion, but it wasn’t really. Princess was gaining some confidence and was using those great legs and those hips while I was doing my best to keep up with her.

When the song was over we finished together in a very flashy move where she was bent over backwards, and I was holding her by her hips. Her arms and hands looked perfect.

I pulled her up and kissed her with slightly parted lips and she returned the kiss in kind.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, including mine. I grabbed her and swung her around causing her to giggle.

“TIMES UP – BREAK TEN MINUTES – Claire’s up next. CHARLES, how come I am going last?” Annie bellowed.

“Haven’t you ever heard of the expression, ‘Saving the best for last?’”

“Nice Save,” Sarah said coming up behind me slapping me on the shoulder.

“Mom, how would you like to learn a Jive number when it’s your turn?”

“Sure Loverboy, what have you decided to add to your already crowded dance card?”

“How about my last dance of the evening? With my first gal, my mom, to ‘Save the Last Dance for Me,’ if he performs it.”

“Oh Charles. I am not sure if I am third or fourth after seeing you dance with Sarah, but I am so proud of my little boy ... No, my young man learning to dance and learning how to love,” my gorgeous mother said.

“Sarah,” I asked, “Why don’t you put together a Press Release, mentioning that Charles & Claire, along with a new protégé and their entourage, will be at the Palace Restaurant on the date, blah blah blah.”

“Excellent idea Mr. Newman. I can have something together, in about an hour. Annie, can I use your computer?” Sarah rejoined in a very business sounding tone of voice.

“Certainly Sarah. Who will you send this to, exactly?” Annie asked.

“Media Outlets — like newspapers, radio stations, local TV affiliates. We could get a TV station or two to be there for the arrival of Charles and his entourage. Kalista honey, would you mind if we advertised this as a Charles & Claire event? When he gets up on the dance floor with you everyone will want to know who the ‘new girl’ is?” Sarah said with air quotes.

Kalista stood up and said, “I don’t mind at all, but I get first dance with Charles no matter what, OK?”

Kalista was standing up for herself. It made me very proud of her. I looked over at Claire who was also looking very proud of her sister. I saw Annie and Sarah give each other a look as well.

“OK everyone, competition change of plan.
‘A’ is “At This Moment”
‘B’ will be “Sway”
‘C’ is “What A Wonderful World.”
Encore is ‘Six-Pack.’”

There was an audible gasp, but they all liked the choices.

“Charles, your hour with Claire starts now,” Annie voiced.

“I only need a moment to tell Claire how much I love her then, I will have fifty-nine minutes left to show her how much by dancing with her,” I said.

Claire walked up to me and gave me a kiss, our first open mouth kiss in front of Sarah. I think Claire wanted to go until one of the mothers said something, but I separated us saying, “Save the emotion for the dance, Mi Amour.” (My Love.)

“Claire, Waltz – Cut three, Kallie, please?”

We went over our “At This Moment” routine fixing a few things. After a couple times through we moved on to the “Sway” routine. Being a Samba, it would show off my girlfriend’s legs and hips. We must have had it right because Sarah was talking to Annie all the way through it.

When we were done with it, I looked over at them, waiting for one of them to say something ... waiting for a solid minute.

I turned back to Claire and started our Quickstep routine to ‘Heartache Tonight.”

“Cut four, Kallie, please? I will nod when ready.”

We had quite a few Quickstep steps learned so it was a case of picking through them for what I wanted. After about thirty minutes at it I turned to Annie and asked, “How much time is left?”

“Ten minutes, Charles, then I get you,” my mother said raising an eyebrow.

“It’s been a while since we practiced the ‘Six-Pack,’ Sugar-bear. Mom, could you get Kallie the ‘Bad Romance’ number?”

I saw Mom digging through her purse and a moment of joy came across her face as she pulled out her collection of ‘Charles & Claire’ music which has been steadily growing over the past fourteen months. She was feverishly flipping through the CDs and grabbed one, giving it to Kalista.

“I have got to reorganize this music somehow!” she said sounding frustrated. Sarah came up to her and they started discussing something.

“OK Charles, whenever you are ready,” Kalista said.

“Claire, you remember this, it has been a while?” I said.

“Come on Honey-Buns, we’re burning daylight,” she responded with a dreamy giggle.

I nodded to K and it started.

We took off with the Waltz portion, and away we went. Not having quite enough room we did the best we could, but it went well, and we finished it.

Suddenly, I felt a strong pinch in my back. I stopped dancing and fell to my knees. Claire shrieked which got everyone’s attention.

Annie got to her knees holding my shoulder and asked, “Where does it hurt, Charles?”

“My back, my shoulder, my back just below my right shoulder. I need someone to rub my back. It feels like a muscle was just plucked like a guitar string,” I said, grimacing.

“Can you walk, Charles?” Annie asked.

“I hope so, help me up, please?” I asked feeling the strain of raising my head up.

Sarah and Annie got me to my feet and helped me over to the sofa.

“Get some pillows, girls – lots of pillows,” Sarah asked for.

Claire and Kalista came back with four pillows.

“Put them on the sofa in two stacks,” Sarah said. “Take off his shirt, Annie.”

She did.

Sarah said, “Lay on your stomach on the pillows Charles. Annie, do you have any Menthol Rub?”

“Yes, I do – I’ll get it,” Annie said running off.

“Thank you, Sarah,” I said through gritted teeth.

“It’s not a big deal, Honey. Daniel has muscle cramps from time to time late at night. I keep Menthol Rub by our bed just for that. You are going to be all right,” Sarah said with a wonderfully soothing voice.

Suddenly, a very cool wet-like substance was exactly over where it hurt. Sarah was giving me something of an upper back massage at the same time. Oh, it started to feel so good. I started moaning a little which caused Claire and Kalista to giggle. Sarah was really making my entire back feel much better.

I moved a pillow out of my mouth and said, “I could use a massage like this once a week. Sarah, what would you charge me for giving me a neck and back rub once a week?”

“Does your neck hurt as well, Charles?” Sarah asked chuckling at my request.

“A little bit on the same side. Oohh, right there – thanks, Beautiful.”

“Sure, and Charles ... you couldn’t afford me?” Sarah tittered, “Maybe dance lessons though?”

“Mom show me how, please?” Claire asked. “Then I can give Charles a rubdown whenever he wants one.”

Sarah said, “Honey, as much as Charles would likely enjoy that, I believe he’s going to be all right, but I also think you both had better save yourselves for your competition rehearsal tomorrow.”

Kalista suggested, “Wouldn’t getting him back into the spa putting one of those jet thingies against his back, help?”

“It probably would, but I think he should just lay down for a while and relax. Can you get up, Charles?” Sarah asked.

“Thank you so very much Sarah. It’s good to know that you are not just a pretty face, but you are smart, and you have got great hands,” I said.

Claire gave me a slap on my leg saying, “That’s not something a girlfriend should hear her boyfriend say to her mother.”

Everybody laughed at that as Claire walked me up to my room opening the door and helping me lay down on my own bed. She crawled around to the other side and lay down holding my hand.

I must have been more tired than I had realized after all that dancing. I heard muffled sounding voices arguing, but I couldn’t make them out.

I turned to my right side and saw Annie and Sarah in the doorway hearing Annie whisper, “See Sarah, it’s perfectly safe. Claire’s on the other side of the bed.”

I rolled over to my left side and put my hand on Claire’s and fell asleep.

I woke up feeling a weight on my back. And soft hands were rubbing me although not as strong as Sarah’s. They were doing the job of making my back feel better. I moaned contentment and heard a giggle.

“Press harder, Claire! Charles needs to get better, so you can practice,” I heard Kalista saying.

“I am trying, Kalista, I am just not as strong as Mom is?” Claire’s voice responded. I turned my head to the left and saw Sarah and Annie in the doorway.

“Get off Charles’ back, Claire,” Sarah said holding back a grin.

I heard a chuckle.

“I told her to do that, Annie. She couldn’t get enough pressure without crawling up on his back,” Kalista explained.

“It’s OK Kalista. Claire, you could have hurt Charles lying on top of him like that. Charles are you all right, dear?” Annie responded.

“Yeah Mom, don’t get too mad at the girls. They were just trying to make me feel better,” I said.

“Do you feel better, Charles?” Annie asked.

“Yeah, could everybody leave so I can take a hot shower, please? That would really help me right now,” I said.

“I could wash your back for you, Charles?” Claire said.

Sarah and Annie were both astounded that Claire said this, by the looks on their faces.

“Uh, Claire, I will be fine, but thanks anyway. Please everybody, leave!” I requested again with a nervous laugh.

They did, and I carefully walked, like an old man, into the bathroom and started myself a shower. The hot water felt so good. I just let it run on my neck and back for as long as possible. It felt so satisfying. I put on some fresh clothes went downstairs and said, “Claire, we need to practice each of our routines at least twice. Sarah and Annie, please critique us as we go.”

We went through all three comp routines and Six-Pack and considered ourselves ready for the competition tomorrow. My shoulder seemed to have no lasting pain or tightness although I noticed Sarah was keeping a closer eye on Claire and me than she had been before.

“Sarah, could I please talk to you in private please?” I asked.

We walked to another part of the house and sat down.

“Sarah, you know exactly how I feel about Claire, don’t you?”

“Charles, tell me more about your feelings, please. I need to understand them better,” she responded.

My tears came faster than my words did, “I love her with every bit of my heart. I love your daughter. I am aware of what you may think of me. You likely don’t trust me around your little girl. You may even think I am a cad of some kind, but I plan to stay chaste and of high moral fiber around both of your young ladies. I respect them as I respect you. You are all so wonderful and beautiful and pretty good dancers, too.”

That made Sarah crack up. She took my hand and said, “Charles, I trust you more than I trust Claire. She’s become quite assertive around you and that worries me. You two are amazing together as dancers and I hope to see you two win many more competitions.”

“I don’t think you are a cad – On the contrary, I believe you are a wonderful young man who has his eye on the prize but is willing to wait for the appropriate time. I have grown quite fond of you myself and I realize that there may be something to that soul mate business I have heard Claire talk about. Please remember, Kalista is having strong feelings for you that she isn’t quite in control of.”

“Sure, Sarah,” I responded, “I have something else to say to you. I am aware that young men often look for their mother when they are stumbling around trying to find that special someone in their lives, but I don’t just have Annie as a role model, I have you too and I hope I can bear up under the scrutiny of you and Mr. McArthur.”

“I plan on being your son-in-law just as soon as high school is over. You are the only one I have told this to, not Claire and not my mother, but I plan to ask Claire to marry me on the day we graduate from high school together.”

“Marriage, at such a young age, Charles? That sounds so young, why so soon?” She was looking straight into my soul, now.

“I-I love her so much, Sarah. I just can’t wait for college and everything. Do you hate me for being so, so... ?”

“No Charles. Not even a little. I have seen the love grow between the two of you and marriage is the next logical progression in your relationship. Don’t rush things, please? Remember, Kalista’s feelings while you are doing all of this. Let’s go in and I can watch while you kids dance.” She moved her hand to my shoulder and patted it.

Annie and I finished up our hour going through the Tango to ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’ and ‘Crazy Love’ teaching her some Samba moves. I have got to say that my mother has a rhythm beating within her just waiting to come out. I love her so much. I told her she was ‘Third’ with no danger of dropping in the rankings. She smiled at me and we were quickly finished with our sixty minutes.

Sarah polished up the Press Release. After Mom and I looked it over Sarah made the few corrections and then emailed it to all the local media outlets using our computer.

Annie and Sarah, along with Kalista, started making dinner. It was so cute to see K helping. She caught me looking at her a couple of times smiling at me and mouthing ‘I love you.’

We sat down to a brilliant display of hamburgers, buns, and all the fixings including little bags of chips. Just like the McArthur BBQ. We were having our own tonight. I looked around and saw all these wonderful ladies, who have become so important in my life.

I was sitting in between Claire and Kalista. I didn’t want for anything. I just had to ask and one of them would get me a soda or pass me whatever. I noticed Sarah and Annie watching our little mini-soirée and chuckling.

“Sarah,” I said. “Seeing how you and Annie are similarly shaped why don’t you stay over here tonight. Annie could provide you with a change of clothes. We all could practice some more early tomorrow before we all head to the competition. Stay with us, please. I am certain my mother would love another adult around and I certainly wouldn’t mind having another beautiful woman to look at.”

The blow from both sides of me came quick and fierce. Claire lightly slapped at the back of my head, while Kalista thumped my shoulder.

I grabbed them both around the waist and said, “I love all of my ladies. Thank you all for what you bring to my reality. I couldn’t live without any of you missing from my life.”

“Excuse me for a moment, I need to call my husband?” Our guest Mom said.

She got him and from her side of the conversation it sounded like he had never come home to an empty house in his life. She told him she would be back in a few days, laughed and hung up.

Sarah said hanging up the phone, “It’s funny, Daniel’s more comfortable cooking for forty than for himself. We have got leftovers in both refrigerators, so he won’t go hungry, anytime soon!”

That made us all laugh.

“But he will be hungry for your smile, won’t he?” I said sincerely.

“God Annie. This son of yours has got all the right moves and says all the right things, doesn’t he? It almost makes me wish I was fourteen again,” Sarah said dreamily.

Mom answered, “I didn’t like being a teenager the first time, Sarah. Unlike Claire, I got my full chest rather early and the boys were always hitting on me. It wasn’t until eighth grade when I met Charles’ father. He turned out to be a real big piece of sh...”

“Annie, why don’t I check on the email I sent and then we should probably get to bed? Are there enough bedrooms or will somebody have to double up?” Sarah asked with a smirk.

I looked and saw Claire with a dirty rotten smile on her face ready to say something, and I was very afraid of what she was about to say.

Nevertheless, Claire cleared her throat and said, “I have a solution of who could bunk together, Mom?”

“I bet you do, dear?” Sarah said smirking again. Nervous giggles permeated throughout the room.

“Actually, it’s not what your dirty mind thought of Mother. Really! My idea was for Kalista and me to share a bed,” Claire said.

Sarah walked over to the computer and said, “It looks like we will have the local NBC affiliate there. They are asking what time we will be arriving at The Palace Restaurant?”

“I suggest an hour earlier than last time,” I said. “With all the rigmarole possibly surrounding around our entrance there may be paparazzi causing a slowdown of people coming into the place. I don’t want anyone mad at us.”

“What is a pawporazza, Charles?” asked Kalista, generating giggles all around.

“Well Princess, when somebody really famous or just famous for a while goes places, there are people, sometimes very rude people, who are there to take candid pictures of them.” I saw her face scrunch up. “Candid pictures are pictures that you don’t want people to see because they are not very flattering, like if somebody took a picture of you in the morning before you combed your hair,” I said and smiled.

“I wouldn’t like that at all Charles. But, who would take my picture at all? I am nobody famous?” K said.

“Sometimes they don’t care but, if you are with somebody famous, that might make them happy because you might be part of a scandal or something.” Her face scrunched up again.

Sarah said, “Get to bed everybody. Tomorrow is competition day and ‘our’ famous people, Charles & Claire, need to get a good night’s rest.”

Having had a good night’s rest and waking up to absolutely nobody in bed with me, I got up and took a wonderfully hot shower letting it beat on my back. I quickly got dressed to practice and went down to see Kalista and Claire eating a light breakfast at either end of the large table.

Hmmm. I sat down and had some cereal as well. I was surprised there wasn’t any chatter between anybody, so I ate in relative silence which was a nice change of pace from the usual.

I moved next to Claire and asked, “Let’s practice each of our routines one-time, please?”

“Sure Charles. How is your shoulder this morning?” she asked.

“Feeling great. How about you Sugar-bear ... You two seem quiet this morning. Anything going on I should know about?”

“No, I just didn’t sleep as well as I would have hoped. It’s been a long time since I shared a bed with Kalista. She kicks and moves around a lot when she sleeps.” Her voice got quiet. “I found out she talks in her sleep and she talked about you, Charles.”

“Exactly what did she say about me or ... do I want to know?” I asked in the same hushed tone.

She came really close to me and whispered, “All I will tell you is she kept saying, ‘Kiss me again, Charles.’ And I saw her kissing her pillow.”

“Does she know that she said it?” I asked whispering back.

“I don’t think so, but she’s been really quiet around me so far this morning,” Claire responded.

“Kallie, can you play the music for us, so we can practice, please?” I asked in a regular volume.

“Certainly Charles. What first?” she asked.

“We will do them in order K ... First – ‘At This Moment.’”{

“Got it. Ready,” K responded.

“Ready, Claire?”

“Yeah — let’s get it over with Charles,” she responded.

“K. Go in the kitchen, please? I need to talk to Claire alone,” I asked with a smile.

“Sure,” she said.

“All right, Claire spit it out, what’s wrong? I need to clear up whatever’s going on here. We have got a competition in four hours. Talk to me, please?”

“Charles, I thought I was OK with Kalista constantly telling you that she loves you, but that along with your flirting with my own mother makes me feel that you don’t care for me as much as you used to.”