Authors: J.E. Warren
And Charlie tells her between warm, wandering hands that the cab she’d mentioned calling earlier to take her home can wait, just as everything else can wait as he takes her in his arms and promises to never try to forget again.
Just how wonderful it feels to look down into her mischievous brown eyes and hear her moan his name softly, over and over as she pulls him in, deeper and closer than ever before.
Anna
December 31
st
2010
With the heavy black bin liner slung over her shoulder so that it doesn’t drag through any puddles, Anna continues to trudge down the street to Charlie’s flat, wondering if his surprise present is still unscathed after she bundled it into a sack in a rush to get to his.
It’s not quite how she pictured her New Year’s Eve to start, at eight o’clock, weaving her way past excited groups of revellers and racing taxicabs. All dolled up, looking like a feline out on the prowl, doesn’t help much either. Cheeks lined with kohl eyeliner for whiskers and a black smudge on the tip of her nose. Anna knows it must be quite a sight to witness, noting that the tail she wears made from an old stuffed sock is an invitation for passers-by to gawk. The handmade cat ears only adding to the bizarre spectacle.
Still, love often means sacrificing coolness and practicality.
Picking up the pace, she checks the time on her phone and quickly skim reads the message from Ollie that’s been begging for attention since earlier in the afternoon. She doesn’t pay much mind to his wishes for her to have a banging New Year. Only sends a curt thanks, just copies and pastes his words back as a similar reply.
Because their regrettable fling is now nothing but a distant memory and she’s done her best in the time since she and Charlie rekindled their flame to let Ollie know in no uncertain terms that they were hundred percent over. It hadn’t been easy to find the right time or words in the days following Charlie’s kisses and wonderful, much missed wandering hands, but it wasn’t something that could be put off.
When she’d called and broke the news, his reaction wasn’t at all surprising, nor was it painful to hear him agree. Ollie told her he thought it would end eventually now that she’d left Lyme and offered her a casual goodbye and a friendly wish to take care. Anna wasn’t disheartened either or too guilt-ridden, because she knew he’d likely find a girl just as quick to kiss like a fish and bestow market stall gifts to in no time at all.
In fact she felt relief, finally able to explain to Charlie that she’d been with someone else too. Trying and failing to fill in the gap that he’d dug deep.
And whatever she’d once had with Ollie was now well and truly over for good and for the better, because of him.
Still, even though the love she has for Charlie transcends the majority of things in her life, she knows it doesn’t mean she has to give everything up or forget that she’s built a life back in London before the possibility of them was even an option. So she continues to work and keeps all the plans already set out for the festive season, like seeing her family back home and spending the weekend before Christmas with Molly before she left to stay at her sister’s.
Anna’s been careful to keep a balance so that there is no danger of falling back into bad habits. Which leaves her feeling even more content with how her puzzle pieces have come together and how they fit nicely into her lifestyle.
Charlie has his own things going on too, like the party at Eddie’s for New Year’s, which they’ve agreed won’t hurt—one more night apart is nothing to worry about. Honouring accepted engagements just part and parcel of their reignited love. She’s happy to dip in and out of his routine because when they do spend time together, some nights after work and at the weekend, it’s more than enough. Just to know he’s there, that she can see and kiss him or call him late into the night again.
How when the timing is right she finds herself not wanting to be anywhere else in the world.
Anna is thankful for the independence that both she and Charlie have kept because they are happier, and being together feels easy and all the more cherished. There is a happiness and comfort that comes from being in each other’s lives once more, but it doesn’t consume everything, and she believes it to be the reason why it’s working out so well. Better than she could have ever dreamed and longed for.
And when he opens the door, once she’s buzzed herself into his lovely little apartment block, she hears the amusement in his laughter and it confirms the fact that she’s right.
As he pretends to stroke her face, he chuckles. “I wasn’t expecting any feline visitors tonight.”
She thrusts her handbag towards him. “You should be grateful, babe. I’ve trekked halfway across London to bring you that.” Catching a breath, she proceeds to kick off her boots.
His eyes dart over to the bin liner that’s propped up against the front door. She’s happy that the contents are still concealed so well, because the anticipation of witnessing his reaction and delight fills her with excitement.
“That for me?”
“Yeah, it’s for you. Give me a second though to get some feeling back in my arms first.” She smiles, pulling off her tail to sit at the kitchen table a little more comfortably. Quickly checking that her cat ears are still in place and not coming undone.
“So what are you supposed to be then?” Charlie asks, grinning.
“All right, don’t you start. I’m a
Cat
—isn’t that obvious?” She chucks a cushion at him, then worries she’ll miss and end up hitting his present instead of her intended target, who is busy ruffling his hair in a breathtakingly sexy fashion. When he continues to grin, she wonders if maybe she should have picked a different fancy dress costume for her work colleague’s New Year’s Eve bash or if she is always destined to suck at picking the right outfit. Because dressing up isn’t her specialty and she feels silly and slightly disappointed with the hastily-thrown-together result.
“Ah, I see. Is that the theme, then, of your friend’s party?”
“What do you mean?”
Charlie runs a finger to trace her whiskers. “The theme, it’s a homage to the musical
Cats
, I’m assuming?”
“Very funny,” Anna replies, boarding the sarcasm train to shoot back. “And I suppose the theme of Eddie’s party this year is—
rolled out of bed hungover
?”
“How did you guess?”
“Because you’ve clearly spent a lot of time on your costume.” She’s only joking, of course, and the wide smile on his lips tell her that he enjoys their easy exchange as he dips his head low.
Gently he kisses her and she reminds him to watch her nose. Charlie doesn’t seem too put off, and he cups a hand beneath the base of her neck to pull her in harder until Anna’s certain all of the chalky kohl’s rubbed off onto him.
“Your costume is actually very cute. Honestly, it suits you.”
She rolls her eyes and laments how crap she is at coming up with suitable costume ideas. “The theme is actually Party Animals.”
“I see you’ve taken that very literally.”
“I’ll be a cat at a party, so they can’t say I haven’t tried.”
“What time do you need to get there for?” he asks as she playfully smears a finger down the bridge of his noise to paint it solid black.
“Nine thirty-ish. I’d rather arrive late and not outstay my welcome too much. Molly isn’t going to be there either.”
Charlie nods. “Okay, well, that leaves us a bit of time; I can turn up at Eddie’s whenever. Are you sure you don’t want to come join me?”
“I’d love to, but I should probably show my face, make an effort, even though lots of people have pulled out of going. Plus, I am dressed like this, and I already embarrassed myself once at Eddie’s, so best I don’t.”
“Well, if you change your mind you’re more than welcome too.”
Anna mulls it over, and the offer becomes more tempting with each passing minute but she decides to stick her original plan. There’s something slightly more pressing to do before they go their separate ways for the night, before the clocks tick over into a new year.
First she has to give Charlie his present.
Asking for him to sit down on the sofa raises a concerned look as she retrieves the bin liner, cautiously carrying it over without causing damage. She tells him it’s not that exciting, downplaying it even though it’s the very opposite just so she can savour his reaction.
And when he gives her a quizzical glance she feels the rush of excitement build in anticipation of watching how his eyes will light up.
True to form, Charlie stutters out a jumble of nonsense as he slowly pulls out the light wooden guitar and accidently plucks a sharp string that bounces off the walls.
“Anna,” he begins to say, his voice catching. “It’s…wow, I mean seriously wow.”
“You like it then?”
“Are you kidding? It’s beautiful…how? Why? What have I done to deserve this?” He rests it on his lap and just as she’d hoped, he starts to play without any hesitation. The notes he strums sound perfect and comforting.
“Sounds good.”
“I’m a bit speechless. I have no idea how you got this or why you did but really, it’s amazing.”
Settling beside him, she feels a little smug and can’t wait to tell him the story of how such a gift came into her possession and just why she’d been so eager to give it to him.
“Well, it’s kind of a funny story,” she says even though it’s not really. Still, she takes the opportunity to ham it up. “So we had a charity auction at work just before Christmas, and I never really go in for stuff like that but they had a list of the prizes on the tickets. Unfortunately I didn’t win us the test drive in a Porsche or the city break to Barcelona or the wonderful Christmas preserves hamper, but I did somehow manage to win that.”
“Seriously?” Charlie asks, holding the guitar tight as if he might have to hand it back over.
“Yes. I brought about twenty-five tickets and just hoped for the best. One of our past clients is an entertainment company and they donated it as part of the auction. Apparently there’s a little dent in the side, but looks brand new to me.”
“That’s crazy.”
“I thought I didn’t have a chance in hell, but then Molly told me I’d won on the last day before the office packed up for Christmas. Obviously it was meant to be, either that or she wrangled it so I won,” Anna explains, suspecting Molly really did have a bigger part to play in the story than she’d let on.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” he repeats. “Really, I’m in shock, I can’t thank you enough. Thank you.”
“Not a bad return for twenty quid, is it?”
“Not bad at all.” He chuckles, still cradling it in his arms. And Anna can’t help but give in to the weak feeling in her knees when he kisses her softly on the cheek and whispers, “You’re the best, I love you.”
“So do you want to take it out for spin?”
“What, right now?”
“Yeah, why not? We could hit up your old stomping ground outside the Tube on the high street. You know, the place where you first serenaded me, made me fall head over winter boots for you.” She giggles, hoping he’ll agree to spend a little more time together and treat her to a rendition or two of a classic song.
“Okay, well, there’s no way I’m not taking it out with me tonight. I know I shouldn’t probably say this…but Eddie will be quite jealous. It really is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, Anna, you know that right?”
“It just looks like a regular old guitar to me, Charlie, but if you say it is, then I guess it must be special.”
“I’ll grab my old case, don’t want to damage it,” he says, smile wide and eyes still gazing adoringly at the wood grain body.
When he’s laid it to rest in a hard leather case, he grabs her by the waist and spins her round. A hot, passionate kiss lands on her lips and she embraces it.
“Come on. Are we doing this or not? We’ve got to get there before the inevitable bloody Tube strike or before the roads get too busy,” she tells him after another long clinch.
Charlie nods and takes care to wrap up in layers of warm clothing, prodding at her bare neck as he does. “No scarf?”
“Couldn’t find one that went with my costume.”
“But it’s cold as balls outside. Seriously, let me get you something.” The way he says
balls
makes her tear up with laughter and even though the dark tartan scarf he rummages to find for her in his drawer doesn’t quite fit with her feline theme, Anna duly accepts it and buries her mouth and nose deep into it.
Finally ready to hit the streets, with Charlie’s arm linked in hers, one last time before the chimes ring throughout the city, ready to pull them into something new.
Charlie
December 31
st
/January 1
st
2011
“White or red?” Anna asks, balancing on the tip of her toes as Charlie continues to laugh at how she can only just about reach the top shelf.
“I can help you if you want.”
“No, I’m fine. White or red?” she asks again, still struggling and just as stubborn as ever.
“Does it really matter? It all tastes the same.”
“You’re right. Red it is then,
obviously
.”
He rolls his eyes, catches the cashier behind the counter in the middle of doing the same as she lifts down the miniature bottle of wine. The smile on her face, infectious and mischievous as she bounds over to pay only feeds into his strong desire to scoop her up and kiss her until he has no breath left.
Just like he’d done whilst leaving the flat earlier, the need to press his lips to hers of the upmost importance. Charlie wanted to thank her again for the wonderful gift she’s given him, which is just as beautiful and unique as her.
And so, to show his appreciation he kissed her with every ounce of adoration and gratefulness he had, even if her cat whiskers rubbed off onto him once more, causing them to be late and flustered. He didn’t care. It was a small sacrifice worth making for a girl so grand.
Anna’s loud voice close by cuts through the memory of her dress hiked up, hips pressed hard into his, as she asks the cashier if it’s fine for her to pinch a couple of plastic coffee cups.
“I only need two, I’ll pay for them,” she says sweetly, flashing the guy a winning smile that Charlie knows is futile to resist.
“Don’t worry. No charge,” the guy replies helplessly.
“Are you sure?”
He shrugs again and Charlie gives him a sympathetic, knowing nod when he passes them over, much to Anna’s delight.
Back out on the street, he sighs as she stacks the cups and buries them deep within her coat pocket. “You really could get away with murder. When you do that look…and that smile.”
“I’ve been perfecting it for years, Charlie, so I’d bloody hope so!”
He links his arm into hers and they both laugh. “It does work. Every. Damn. Time.”
***
The walk to the nearest station doesn’t take long and as he breathes in the cold air he feels optimistic about the night ahead. Even if his phone reminds him of the guilt he’s supposed to feel, having received a message from Emily halfway there.
In it she’d wished him a happy new year, adding that she hoped he could find happiness again, and she’d signed it with single
X
. Which he thought was a nice thing to say and do considering how he’d called her with bad news out of the blue the night after Anna had come crashing back into his life again.
It was a quick, somewhat awkward phone conversation and he hadn’t done a good job of explaining why he couldn’t see her anymore. Still, Emily had been nice, kind to him even, and it made the feeling of leading her on worse. It couldn’t have been easy for her to listen as he mumbled away about her being really, really
nice
but it wasn’t the right time for him to be in a new relationship because his mind and heart were firmly back in the hands of Anna.
There was a stab of guilt and regret when she’d said
Is this about your ex-girlfriend, Hannah or Anna or whatever her name is?
Because it transpired that according to Emily he’d mentioned that name more times than he’d ever realised.
“You said her name in your sleep once,” she confessed, which apparently cemented the fact she thought he wasn’t willing to commit. He’d felt bad about wasting her time and that she’d known all along his heart wasn’t quite in it, but it was nothing in comparison to how it felt having to nervously explain to Anna how his two months spent in the company of another could never compare to what they had, and still have.
She’d been oddly calm about it all too, listening instead of pushing for him to answer questions, and she didn’t press him for all the details either—something he was sure would have happened in the past. An old, frustrating trait of hers that he doesn’t miss.
And when he’d finished she thanked him for being honest and open, and then told him her own truths about a guy named Ollie who he had no desire to think or hear about again.
“
Great.
Flipping brilliant! Looks like the Bakerloo line is down, what a surprise,” she says sarcastically, pointing up at a board filled with pixilated delay warnings.
“We could hop on another line maybe, although it would mean doubling back on ourselves.”
She shrugs, and he notices that she’s eyeing the wine bottle poking out her coat. Probably tossing up the idea of cracking it open, he thinks, to dull the sense of frustration at the severe lack of tubes.
“Could wait it out on the platform, maybe? See if anything comes through,” he offers even though he’s certain her patience won’t stretch that far. Because there’s an eagerness in her movements that’s hard to ignore, which tells him she doesn’t want to hang around.
Placing the travel-sized bottle of red into the stacked coffee cups, she spins on her heels and drags him along with her back up the stairs and out into the busy street. Giggling as they take two steps at a time, breathing in the cold fresh air.
Anna pauses for a moment by the lit up station sign. “So we’ve got a bit of time to kill. I think maybe it’s best we grab something to eat.”
“Where from, though? Most places will be booked up or closed by now.”
“I didn’t mean go out for a slap-up meal. There’s a kiosk over there that does hot food. I’m only after something quick to eat.”
“I’ve already eaten.”
“I haven’t,” she confesses, sinking her face into his scarf. “Kind of forgot to what with all the outfit preparations and excitement about your surprise. I think it may be wise to line my stomach before any wine comes to play.”
And so with time to spare, Charlie walks with her to grab a hot sausage roll that looks as if it’s been sat in its greasy metal cabinet since the last New Year’s Eve.
He watches in disbelief when she scoffs the lot and half of a chocolate brownie too as they linger in an abandoned shop doorway to shelter away from the crowds spilling out from the station barriers. Most of whom are dressed up in a variety of glitzy outfits and fancy dress, all seemingly whooping with joy to forget the last twelve months and find hope in the next.
Which is in stark contrast to how Anna’s acting, he thinks, realising that she’s now stalling by pointing out various landmarks that surround them. Talking the whole time at breakneck speed and expertly avoiding all conversation about getting back down to the Tube.
He doesn’t mind though, even if his fingers and toes are turning numb from the biting December chill. Mostly because Anna and her cat ears and smudged whiskers, hearty laughter, and blissful chitchat give him all the warmth he needs.
“Do you think Eddie will be pissed at you for turning up late?” she asks, offering the last of her brownie to him.
“Probably not. The party doesn’t usually kick in till after the countdown. Plus of course he’ll likely be so drunk by then that he’ll have no idea I haven’t been there the whole time.”
“That’s true.”
Charlie leans against a boarded-up window and stuffs his cold hands deep into his pockets. “How about you? Do you think they’ll be bothered when you show up late?”
“Nah. It’s not that big a deal. I think my invite was out of pity or an afterthought because so many people are back home at the moment. If Molly was going then I’d be more inclined to make an effort.”
“I could always come with you, then head over to Eddie’s once you’ve done your duty?”
Anna smiles and her eyes light up. “Good thinking there, I like it. Two parties, one night. However, we do only have a small bottle of wine to last us, so we’d better stock up beforehand.”
“Well, I don’t know about your shindig, but Eddie will have stockpiled for the last six months. He did a booze cruise recently, specifically for tonight.”
“I hope he hasn’t laid on a spread again. Not after that bloody cheese fiasco.” She sighs and he knows better than to ask her to expand on the subject. Bitter ex-girlfriends and cheese are most definitely strictly off topic.
“Hopefully not. Anyways, all of that’s a long way off yet. We really should get going again soon.”
“I bet it’s packed down by the river. Everyone waiting for the countdown and fireworks,” she says slyly, fiddling with the last bite of her brownie. “I’d say we should go but it’ll be over by the time we get there. At this rate we might not make it anywhere.”
“Probably should have planned our spontaneous trip a bit better.” He laughs, brushing away a strand of hair as it falls to her lips; crumbs of dark chocolate stick to his fingertips.
“But then it wouldn’t be as much fun, now would it? Just look at all the crazy, spontaneous fun we’re having right now, Charlie! I bet you never imagined you’d be huddled in a doorway that stinks of piss, watching in disgust as a slightly windswept Cat eats a manky sausage roll with a bottle of wine tucked in its pocket.”
He smiles, thinks that he’ll never not be in love with how she can meander through words at such a pace and make him laugh so genuinely, from the pit of his stomach right to the grin on his lips.
“It’s a wonderful sight. One I’ll likely never forget.” Charlie knows it’s the absolute truth because he feels it in his bones, how it’s already etched into the folds of his memory.
“You’d better not.” Anna winks, tossing the grease-stained napkin into a nearby bin. She adjusts her tail and hitches up her tights. “Come on, let’s go!”
In true fashion she giggles all the way down the escalators, finding it hilarious to pretend like she’s a runway model as the air from the station hall rushes up to fight against them. He notices that she’s secretly unscrewed the wine cap too and has already taken a small swig. Which she does again as they wait with strained patience for a Tube train to pull up on the platform.
Anna catches his mock-disapproving look. “What?”
“I see you’ve already helped yourself.”
“We might be stuck here for ages. All of New Year’s at this rate, so I thought I’d just have a little sip. Want some?”
He knows that it’s not the done thing, especially since the drinking ban on the Underground the year previous, but her eyes burning into his allow him to throw caution and the rules to the wind. He takes the bottle and carefully knocks back a mouthful so no one catches him.
“Rule breaker,” he hears her mutter in a sarcastic manner. She nudges against his arm to give him a quick peck on the cheek like she’s actually quite proud of the fact he is.
“Bad influence,” Charlie counters as the bitter taste of wine hitting the back of his throat spurs him on for just one more sip.
“You got that right!”
When they’ve been waiting on the platform bench beneath a tiled enclave for what starts to feel like hours, Anna swing her legs back and forth with forceful frustration at each new announcement to apologise for further delays.
And when they do finally get to board, she takes a seat on his lap and holds the guitar case between her thighs until they reach the right stop.
“Well, that took forever,” he mumbles, not bothering to actually check the time on his watch because it’s clearly very late. All the party revellers are out in force, fighting to be heard over the stray fireworks going off in all directions and the cabs speeding by to get through the city before the clock strikes.
As they walk to the spot he used to frequent, Anna sighs and tilts her head up towards the dark night sky. “Less than fifteen minutes until show time.”
“Really? Blimey, where did tonight go?”
“I don’t know. Feels like we’ve spent it mostly waiting to get here, but now that we are, let’s not waste it.”
Charlie does as he’s told and lays the guitar case down on the ground, careful to lift and not damage it, which sets her off laughing like a loon.
“It’s like you’re holding a new-born baby for the first time!”
“Well, it really is that precious to me. I think it’s possibly my favourite gift ever.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Doesn’t even compare to the
Star Trek
lunchbox I got for my twelfth birthday, which is saying something.”
“Total nerd, lucky you!” she says mockingly, a sweet smile still on her lips. “Hold on, what’s this?
His eyes fall to the case and where she’s pointing. Then he spots it, quickly bends down to pick up the plastic folder before embarrassment takes hold.
“It’s nothing.”
“Come on, what is it? Let me have a look.”
“Just my old songbook. Chords, lyrics…stuff like that. Nothing special.”