CHARLES, CLAIRE & KALISTA
Chapter 45
I blushed deeply as we started to dance using our classic routine we’d made so long ago, to this—her favorite song. She glowed as we danced close enough together to push the ‘girls’ up and against my chest.
I glanced quickly down at them, but I just as quickly, returned to the beautiful face of my future mother-in-law as we danced alone on the dance floor. The music ended as I rolled her out and in, ending with my arms completely surrounding her from behind.
The audience had been as enraptured of her as I had and gave us a very kind round of applause. As we started back to the table, Bert walked to his microphone and said, “That was Charles Newman of Charles & Claire, with his soon to be mother-in-law. That wedding day should be quite astonishing.” The crowd loved it and laughed as we bowed to them.
“Maybe we can get Charles back up here with his usual dancing partner, his fiancée Claire McArthur and watch them dance one of those award-winning routines of theirs?” Bert went on to say.
I let Sarah head back to the table as Claire came forward, getting her own lively round of applause. She waved to the crowd of people as she and I walked back to the middle of the dance floor.
I yelled over to Bert, “Surprise Us.”
He broke into a wonderful instrumental arrangement of ‘Kiss the Girl’ and we smiled and Claire gave me a kiss, then we started our Samba routine, as if we’d practiced earlier, but it’d been quite a while, actually. Nonetheless, my hips and her legs remembered what to do, as we moved together as a single person performing the dance moves from so long ago. We finished along with Bert and his menagerie of musicians.
The audience stood up and cheered us, lauding us appreciatively. All of this racket must have caused Ms. Chenoweth to come out to see what was going on.
I noticed her and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen; Tony Winner, Emmy Winner, along with being voted the Most Popular Broadway Star last year, the Gorgeous Miss Kristin Chenoweth.”
The applause went from us to her, as she motioned us to come over to her.
“I have heard that you two cutie-pies have made some wonderful routines to some of my music?” she said flashing that famous smile of hers.
“Yes, Ms. Chenoweth, to some music from WICKED, however we could easily dance to anything you sing, anything along the lines of ‘Popular’ to Broadway music, that is.”
“That sounds like fun, have you ever heard of ‘Maybe This Time,’ from CABARET. I sang it on GLEE as well.”
“Yes, Ms. Chenoweth—we know that song, we’d be honored to dance while you sing?”
“Well, I am not supposed to start for another twenty minutes, but I won’t tell anybody if you don’t?” She giggled and broke into that beautiful toothy smile of hers again, as I told Bert what was happening. She is only 4ft 11inches tall in flats, but she is a presence to behold!
The piano started. The flute followed.
I heard and felt a quick syncopated Waltz beat, I leaned in and told Claire, ‘Sweetheart Tree—but faster.’
The orchestra started as Kristin started to sing...
“Maybe this time I will be lucky,
Maybe this time he will stay,
Maybe this time for the first time,
Love won’t hurry away.
He will hold me fast
I’ll be home at last –
Not a loser ... anymore
Like the last time and the time before.”
Here’s where we were started dancing, so we moved over and began our routine. We snapped to close and went for it. This was going to be ‘old school’ dancing and we got into the groove of the music, being a little counter to Kristin—Miss Chenoweth.
“Everybody loves a winner,
So nobody loved me,
Lady peaceful, Lady happy
That’s what I long to be.”
“All the odds are,
they’re in my favor,
Something’s bound to begin,
It’s gotta happen—
Happen sometime,
Maybe this time I will win
I knew there was a break coming, so we pulled back; ready to finish with a series of spins.
Everybody,
they love a winner,
So nobody loved me,
Lady peaceful Lady happy,
That’s what I long to be.”
Claire and I finished with Waltz spins, until Kristin was finished with her final note and we stopped just as she stopped.
Damn, we’re darn good – but she’s tremendous!
The audience stood up and applauded for a couple of minutes. Seeing Kristin beaming, we waited, and we bowed after she had.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, these kids are so very good and so cute,” Kristin said, as we waved at the crowd and went back to our table, “Give them a hand, will ya?”
Bert announced, “Ms. Chenoweth will be back in fifteen minutes.”
My ladies all gave both Claire and me, big hugs. Sarah held me for a moment and said, “Damn; you are a great dancer, Charles Newman.”
I sat back down between Claire and Kalista and found out that Mom ordered dinner for us. I blew her a kiss across the table.
“Ladies and Gentlemen ... Miss Kristin Chenoweth!”
The beginning strains of ‘My Funny Valentine’ started, I felt Claire squeeze my hand but I leaned over and said, “No—not yet sweetie, we don’t know her well enough to just pop up and dance.”
What a ginormous voice from this not quite five-foot-tall mistress of song! She followed up this classic song with a couple of songs from her first album, called ‘Let Yourself Go.’ I found that on my iPhone, Googling her. She followed this up with a song of hers I had seen on YouTube a while back called ‘Taylor, the Latte Boy,’ which is a hysterical song, which brought significant applause when it was over.
She took a well-deserved breather and came over to our table, causing all of the ladies to giggle, of course Mom snorted, which made Kristin laugh out loud.
“So, what kind of music do you kids like the most?” she asked, looking at Kalista, who turned away giggling and blushing. She then went to Claire and asked the same question.
“Ms. Chenoweth, we like all kinds of songs, especially the songs that Sinatra, Sammy Davis and Michael Bublé sing—the ‘crooners’ as Charles calls them,” my lovely ‘almost significant other’ answered.
“Oh, I see that you defer to this cutie-pie of yours, don’t you?” Kristin said to Claire.
To take the onus off Claire I said, “Ms. Chenoweth, two of our most popular dance routines are two songs you and Idina sang in Wicked; ‘For Good’ and ‘I am Not That Girl.’ If you could find a way to do either of those songs—we could really show you our stuff, then?”
“Well, maybe I can—it’s been lovely to talk to y’all?” she said and she went back up to the spot she’d been singing from.
“Hey everybody, a few years back I got picked to be in a Broadway show and I had the luck to meet, rehearse with and sing and act with the most marvelous singer I’d heard, since I began singing in front of people.”
The audience chuckled at that.
“Her name is Idina Menzel, and here she is.”
Idina came out to hoots, applause and wolf whistles, as the music to ‘Defying Gravity’ started. They still have the electricity together they had for their year doing WICKED.
As they sang the song, I looked and saw both of my girls quickly changing into their slippers, hoping against hope, that we might be called up. Both of them grabbed my hands looking at each other and me all though this song.
Our food came during this time, but we all decided to wait, just in case. The song was over with the ladies harmonizing like nobody’s business. It might have been almost eight years since they sang together. They are so good, the hair on the back of my neck went up as the ladies held the final notes so cleanly and in perfect pitch!
My girls and I led the standing ovation for them, applauding very hard and cheering for them.
As the ovation died down, we saw Idina wave at us. Kristin motioned for us to come up.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Kristin said. “My good buddy Michael Bublé and this lady next to me, have both told me, that if I was ever in Columbus, Ohio to get Charles & Claire and the Sparkling Kalista to dance for me. I spoke to these young people earlier and I feel really old right now.” That broke everybody up, including Idina.
We walked up on stage to tumultuous applause, turning and waving to the crowd. I heard Kristin quietly ask, “Which one first, Charles?”
“‘For Good,’ please?”
Kristin and Idina moved over to give us most of the floor to use. I gave a quick kiss to each of my girls as they were getting in position. I nodded to Kristin and Bert. The music started.
Idina started the song, “I’m limited... “ As my girls performed the routine. Both K and Claire were inspired. As K got up en pointe and performed her beginning, I joined them and the routine never felt as remarkable, as it did right now ... I was barely able to contain my emotions.
The ladies singing sounded crisp and exactly as the recording we typically dance this to. The Jetés and Rondés never looked as good as tonight’s; the song, the orchestra, the singers and my dance partners were all magnificent as it all, much too quickly, came to an end.
The audience rose as one, applauding all of us. We bowed and drew our arms over to the ladies and the crowd got louder. The ladies drew their arms back to us and the crowd stayed standing, cheering and applauding. I sent Kalista off-stage, first giving her a quick kiss.
The noise finally lessened as Claire and I got into our starting position for Idina’s live rendition of ‘I am Not That Girl.’ Kristin left her alone, as Bert saw my head bob and began.
Claire and I danced our usual opening moves, in preparation for Kalista’s entrance. With half a measure to go before the singing started.
The music began!
Kalista came running on-stage en pointe and began the performance of her young life, with tears already streaming down her face...
KRISTIN
Hands touch, eyes meet,
sudden silence, sudden heat
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl.
He could be that boy,
but I’m not that girl
Don’t dream too far,
don’t lose sight of who you are,
don’t remember that rush of joy.
He could be that boy,
But I’m not that girl
K danced her much practiced and performed, routine, so beautifully...
Every so often we long to steal,
to the land of what might have been,
but that doesn’t soften the ache we feel
when reality sets back in
Instead of dancing, I simply got in behind Claire, with my arms around her, as 200 sets of eyes were watching this precious young lady emoting at the level of a dancer twice her age...
Blithe smile, blithe limb
she who’s winsome,
she wins him,
gold hair with a gentle curl,
that’s the girl he chose
and heaven knows,
I’m not that girl
Each and every one of her balletic moves garnered a gasp from the audience. Her eyes dripping as her arms led her legs to the next moves, causing me to kiss Claire on the back of her neck. The song was winding down as Kalista prepared to leave, first with her faux exit, then she dropped her head and ran off backwards, en pointe.
You could have heard a pin drop, it was so quiet for about two seconds—than Kalista came back and the three of us all bowed together. I needed her to take her own bow, and she did, smiling at everyone as she broke every heart in the restaurant with her talent, beauty and her smile.
The applause reminded me for a moment of when we performed at Nationals—There again were shouts of encouragement from the audience. She ran over to Idina and they gave each other a wonderful hug.
We got to our table, the food we ordered, although a little cool, was still quite good. There was a short break in the music while two chairs were brought out of stage. The ladies came out and sat in the two chairs—they started some dialogue from WICKED, as the music came in, and Kristin started the song ‘Popular,’ which was a hoot. I was holding my girls hands as it happened in front of us. Sorry, actresses in WICKED on Broadway right now; these two are Glinda and Elphaba; everybody knows that!
The rest of the evening was a lot of fun, getting up and dancing with each of my ladies. At the end of the evening, both Kristin and Idina came to our table, telling us how they were looking forward to being at our wedding. Idina noticed Annie and Sarah holding hands and went over to Sarah and said, “Looks like you have gone up in class from Michael, Dear,” which caused Annie to mouth ‘thank you’ to Ms. Menzel.
Back at home, we all changed into bedclothes, with Claire wearing one of my dress shirts, instead of the infamous ‘orgy’ shirt. She still looked fabulous. We were all sitting down in the living room.
“Charles, the reason I like wearing one of your shirts, is that it has your scent on it and I feel so comfortable—like you have your arms wrapped around me,” Claire said.
“And yes, I have panties on, ladies?” she added, giving me a wonderfully little girl smile.
“Anybody have anything they want to talk about before we all head to bed?” I asked.
Sarah’s hand shot up.
“Yes, Miss Rollins—what do you have to say to the class?” I said, causing all to chuckle.
“I want to apologize again, to Claire specifically, and both of you as well—My experience from when I was a teenager after the assault, was very traumatic. I’d decided not to tell anyone after my uncle ... dammit, after it all happened. I thought I’d completely repressed it and I hope we can get past this, because I care so much for all of you, especially this lady who has come into my life,” She broke into tears reaching for my mother’s hand.
Instead, Annie went and sat on her lap, saying, “Charles, after your father left us, I was afraid—I tried not to show it, but Sarah has helped me past the pain.”
“Let’s all get to bed, tomorrow is another day—Remember girls, OB/GYN appointment first thing—Sarah, will Charles be safe with you and he alone tomorrow for a couple of hours?” Annie said with a lecherous sound in her voice, getting off Sarah’s lap.
Sarah got up and climbed into my lap and said, “Mommy, can Daddy and I take a spa together tomorrow?” She looked over to Claire, who busted up laughing and said, “Provided you can keep your suit on. I trust Charles—completely. It’s you that gives me pause, young lady.”
“Well, (kiss) Mommy—Daddy is so nice (kiss) and he has such soft hands (kiss) I may need to give him (kiss) a deep muscle massage (kiss) and make sure ‘all’ of his muscles (kiss) are nice and relaxed.” (Kiss)
Everybody was breaking up through this, including Kalista.
Sarah got up off me and we all went off to bed.
Claire and I were walking to our room as I put my hand on her back and didn’t feel the waistline of a pantie. She looked over at me and said, “Daddy, I am sorry ... you won’t spank me for forgetting to put on a pair of panties, will you?”
“What will I do with you, Claire-Bear?” I said shaking my head in wonder.
“Oh, Daddy—I am sure we can think of something?” Claire said as she closed the door behind her. Odds bodkins!
During the evening, I must have cuddled up too close to her backside, and I heard
“Ohhh, Charles that feels so nice against my butt. Push closer, please? It isn’t sex, it’s only cuddling until you feel really good.”
Her logic was partially flawed, but the brain in my boner had taken over for the moment. To make the moment complete, I reached inside the bottom of my t-shirt and my right hand felt the softness of her right breast, “Please, don’t moan or we are banned forever, all right?”
The rest of the evening was quite blissful, until there was a knock on the door, and reminded her of the trip to the doctor.
Annie, Claire and Super K left for the Ob/Gyn, and I’d never gotten out of bed.
Claire had slipped out, took a shower and changed; all while I was asleep, although she gave me nice kiss as she left.
There was a knock on the bedroom door.
“Come in Sarah.”
She opened the door, with her hair not combed—She had on a man’s button down shirt, with only a single button holding it all together. She walked in, closed the door and took off the shirt.
My alarm clock woke me up from what could have been my best dream ever – dammit!
I got up and got into a suit and went out back and found her in the spa.
“Are you wearing a suit my dear?” I asked.
She stood up, and I woke up again—damn, damn, damn!
“Charles—Charles, are you staying in bed all day?” It was Sarah, I was unsure of anything at this point.
“Sarah, I could use a rubdown, come on in.”
She walked in, wearing a rather tight t-shirt without a bra and her short jeans that showed off her legs and some of her butt as well.
“Where does it hurt?” she asked.
Laughing, I remarked, “Looking at you dressed like that, maybe I should say ‘everywhere.’”
“You sure are good for my ego, do you want me to go and put on a bra, or can you handle the girls flopping around inside a t-shirt?”
“I think I can, Sarah—you are extremely beautiful and you are quite the tease when you are dressed like that. I will do my best, but if I blush or seem distracted, please understand—I am a weak-minded 15-year-old bag of hormones and ... ah shit, never mind.”
“Charles, what a potty mouth?”
“Why didn’t you take the girls to the doctor, Sarah?”
“Your mother offered to take care of that for me, I wanted to stay home and play ... with my Charles.”
“Pinch me, please Sarah—it’s important,” I asked.
She did and everything stayed like it was. Yippee!
I rolled over onto my belly and Sarah started a complete massage, noticing my boxers were off and I was naked.
It might have been my imagination, but I swear I heard a low moan as she started with my feet. As she moved up my leg, I felt her hands melt into my muscles as the tension in them quickly released.
After it was over, with my legs and back ‘popped,’ Sarah climbed into bed with me and assumed the same position Claire usually did, right up behind me, with her bosom pressed against my back. I could tell that her girls were soft.
“Oooh, I can see why Claire likes this—you feel nice, Charles, we have got over an hour, don’t stress.”
“Yeah, my fiancée is getting a prescription for birth control pills, while her mother is in bed with me, seducing me, trying to get me hard, which happened the second you walked into the room.”
“Relax Charles,” Sarah said as she put her hand ... just above the waistline of my boxers.
Lord, give me strength!
“CHARLES XAVIER NEWMAN—what the ... hell is going here?”
The ladies must have come home quieter than I would have expected.
Rubbing my eyes, I said, “Sarah gave me a complete body massage. it wore both of us out and we fell asleep. Nothing untoward happened, honestly honey!”
Pulling the sheets off of us, and seeing my boxers off and I was hard as a rock, and her ultra-tight top, fully encasing her big boobies, but with her nipples fully extended, Claire said, “OK, then—Mother you can get up and leave my fiancé alone, Please?”
Pretending she was just waking up, Sarah said, “What? Oh sorry honey, I was having a dream, with just Annie and me.”
I added, “I have had that same dream Sarah, but it was both you and Annie and you were both nak...”
“I wouldn’t finish that sentence, Charles?” Claire said.
Everyone laughed at that.
“What are we doing today Charles, anything specific?” Annie asked coming into the room.
“I thought we should take a vacation from our vacation and just vegetate and do nothin’ today. I had an idea to get over to Ohio Stadium while we’re back in town, to check out the facility. Sarah dear, could you arrange that? Also, when I talked to Ken, he asked if we wanted to update any of our pictures, prior to them going on sale with the Wedding ticket—think about that? Claire, get back in bed with me please—I missed you?”
Claire pushed everyone out and latched the door. I saw her pull the shirt out of her pants, unbuckle and drop her jeans and reach-in and remove her bra. She climbed in and it felt all so very comfortable.
When Claire and I woke up, I glanced over at the clock and saw it was two pm. Her hand was on my boner, so I got up, took a cold shower and changed into a t-shirt and sweats. I leaned over and decided to give my fiancée a wake-up kiss.
The second our lips touched, she pulled me down to directly on top of her, although blankets and my sweats were now between us. As I felt her tongue enter my mouth, I pulled away and rolled off, hearing her say, “You are no fun!”
“Yes, I am dear, but we still have over a year. Like that song that Michael sings, ‘I have Got You Under My Skin,’ my darling delicious delectable, Claire – Wait!”
She got up and took some clothes in with her and came out about fifteen minutes later looking ‘truly scrumptious.’
We found everybody downstairs, with Annie and Sarah working in the kitchen together. It was fun to watch them, as they would occasionally stop what they were doing and gave each other a kiss.
“What’s for lunch, beside two orders of Cougar and a female cub?” I asked.
They laughed at my retort and Annie said, “We will have some lasagna ready in about 20 minutes, with a make-your-own-salad buffet, so wash up you guys.”
“Michael,” Sarah said, “I’d prefer to be called a Milf.”
Annie slapped her on her back and said, “Hush, you!”
I picked up my phone and looked that up, blushed to myself, cleared my history ... and turned my phone off! Geez!
After our late lunch, we headed out to Ohio Stadium. Sarah had called ahead and we arrived and met Brittan Roth, Assistant Director of Event Management, as we were taken on a complete tour of the facility. It was indeed massive and I told Mr. Roth our goal of breaking the Attendance Record.
“Charles, since the day the record was set, September 12th, 2009—I have seen some events come along that tried ... but fell short of even getting 90,000 people here—but with the energy I have seen behind the Charles & Claire movement, I wouldn’t doubt for a moment that you could get this record. I understand you have requested 110,000 tickets plus 500 infield tickets. That gives you the potential to bust the record by nearly 3,000—good luck to you. We will see you again right after Labor Day next year?”
Sarah replied, “Yes, we will touch base right after we get back from our International Tour, Mr. Roth—Thank you for your time today, seeing the place makes it all real.”
“I understand completely folks, have a great day.”
*******
After looking at the edifice we were getting married in, I was jazzed to go dancing somewhere. The first place that came to mind was The Bradshaw Family Cotillion, so we went home and we all changed into Cotillion quality clothes—I was unsure, it being a Wednesday, which ages of dancers were there tonight, but I can’t wait to see the look on Jimmy’s face, when we walk in.
It wasn’t quite late enough, so we went and had a light supper first.
Right at seven pm, we pulled up to the facility Jimmy had moved into after our National Award flooded him with newbie’s. We saw Brian and Susan getting out of a vehicle and we all talked for a minute before we walked in together.
Jimmy had his back to the front door, talking to a parent about something.
“Dancing is Fun, So Have Fun Dancing,” I said loud enough for him to turn around and run to us, hugging everyone.
“Claire, look at you—you look fantabulous and Charles, you are keeping yourself in great shape. Are you here to watch, or could we twist your arm and dance for us?” Jimmy said sounding very excited.
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