Chelsea lifted her head and groaned. She felt the
early morning light creep under her eyelids and turned over, yanking
the bed
covers over her head as she did so.
Why had Michael insisted that she get up so
early anyway? She prodded him lying sleeping next to her but he didn’t
even
stir and she smiled. They’d been sharing this bed for the last six
months.
There had been no spontaneous visits from Python’s wanting to talk
about
sketches, because there had been no sketches to write. The next Python
series
wasn’t due to start filming for another six weeks, and they weren’t
planning on
meeting up for at least another four.
Chelsea sighed happily. Another four weeks of
Michael to herself. She couldn’t believe her luck. She’d had him to
herself now
for months, with sporadic meetings and get togethers with the other
Pythons.
But it somehow wasn’t the same. John had
started to write again, but was writing on his own, and he was taken
with one
of the girls Chelsea knew called Connie, who had been working on Python
as an extra. According to Terry they’d even started seeing each other,
which Chelsea found bemusing considering he’d only
recently split up with his first wife.
It seemed all of the Python’s marriages were
fraught with problems, all save Terry’s of course. Alison had told her
the
other day, whilst passing mothercare, that she was expecting their
first child.
Only she and Michael knew, and no one was going to know until the first
stages
were past. Chelsea had been so excited for them and could see pride in
Terry’s face every time they had met up.
She threw back the covers and scrambled for
her diary. Michaels’ bedroom stared back at her, covered in her clothes
and
belongings that had somehow made their way into his flat. It barely
seemed like
she lived on her own at all anymore, and every time she went back to
hers, she
found she’d left something else behind.
He’d always call her and ask her to dinner,
or show up unannounced with chocolates and a movie, or take her on
trips in his
car across the countryside and throw a surprise picnic. Every time it
was
something new and affectionate, and she’d never felt happier in her
life.
But scrambling around the living room now she
hunted for her diary and cursed that she had no cupboard space of her
own to
put her things. She didn’t like it being so messy yet it had gotten
progressively worse the last two months as she spent more and more time
here.
Suddenly her eyes spotted it and she grabbed
it, throwing herself onto the sofa with a thud and frantically flicking
through
the pages.
And there it was in front of her.
“Michael!” she called and headed back
upstairs. When she peeped around the door he was on his side, his arm
stretched
out where she’d been lying. One eyelid fluttered open and a small smile
tickled
his dimples.
“What are you doing up at this god-forsaken
hour?” he croaked and motioned for her to come towards him.
She looked all cute and “early morning” like
and he smiled as she sighed herself onto the bed with an almost splat
like noise.
Her hair was tousled and she was wearing a
pair of his tracksuit bottoms with a sports top, his blue dressing gown
hanging
loosely off her and strangely accentuating her hip line. He took her
hand as
she sat on the bed next to him and rested his head on a hand.
“I do love you.” He said and she grimaced.
“We have a date tonight.” She said.
He cocked an eyebrow. “We do?”
“Don’t you remember? Dinner with Terry and
Alison.”
Michael nodded. “I knew I kept you here for a
reason.”
She batted him with a hand. “It’s not funny.
I don’t know how we can keep this secret for much longer. Alison asked
me the
other day why I’d been carrying a bag into your flat as she drove past
the
other day. What could I say? I had to tell her that I was doing your
laundry
for you!”
Michael laughed and she couldn’t help but
smile.
“Now she’ll definitely know something’s up.”
He chuckled and when Chelsea looked quizzical he smiled and touched
her cheek.
“I’ve never let anyone do my washing for me
in my life.”
She threw a pillow over her head and Michael
leant over her, tickling her so she’d remove it.
He kissed her passionately and she snuggled
into his embrace.
“Anyway,” he said as they settled back,
relaxed. “You do realise the only reason they’ve invited us both to
dinner is
to get us to tell them we’re seeing each other.”
Chelsea looked up. “Do you think they’ve
guessed?”
Michael laughed again. “Oh child you’re so
naïve.”
She poked him in the side.
“Why do you think they’ve included us on the
baby? They want us to get together. You told me just the other week
that Alison
asked you who you’re favourite Python was. And that time Terry asked
for our
photograph, and then said “aw what a beautiful couple”, oh and there’s
the time
that they took us out for the day and wandered off in the wood without
us, and
how can I forget..”
“Ok, Ok!” she said and laughed. “So I’m a
little too innocent for our friends!”
He kissed her neck. “I don’t think that’s a
word I’d use to describe you.”
She kissed him back. “Well I reckon we should
have a little fun of our own.”
Michael looked into her eyes. “Yes dear, but
what about the meal?”
Again she poked him. “What I mean is we
should play a little game ourselves.”
He cocked his eyebrow and smiled slyly. “Oh a
little game. I’m up for it if you are.”
Chelsea grinned. “Good. We’ll sort out details
later.”
“Oh I love it when you talk dirty.” He
grinned.
She kissed him and soon got carried away, and
forgot all problems about dinner and game plans, and soon got lost in a
game of
her own.
************************************************************************************************************
“Hello!” said Terry as he swung the door open
wide and a waft of warm air washed over her as she stood on the step.
He
quickly brought her inside and took her coat before kissing her cheek
and
showing her into the kitchen where Alison was pottering around,
preparing the
final touches of the meal.
“I’ll leave you with Ali for now if you don’t
mind. I have a sketch to finish before it escapes me again.” And with
that
Terry disappeared leaving Chelsea alone with Alison.
“How are you?” she asked, motioning towards
Alison’s stomach.
Alison grinned. “Great so far,” she said, “I
went to get to the Doctors again the other day and he told me I’m lucky
not to
be feeling ill.”
Chelsea smiled. “Is Terry helping out?”
Alison rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly!” she
laughed, “he’s stuck in his own world of weirdness.”
Chelsea tutted and Alison handed her a glass of
wine. “Don’t get me wrong he’s gorgeous and funny and fantastic in
bed....”
Chelsea made sick noises and Alison carried on
with a smile, “but he’s just not made for domestic work.”
They laughed together as the doorbell rang
again and Terry leapt downstairs and almost wrenched the door off the
hinges.
“Yes, yes, yes come in!” he said as Michael
was pulled into the house.
Terry bounded off back upstairs leaving
Michael in the hallway with a bemused grin on his face, taking off his
coat and
hanging it on the familiar peg.
“Hi Ali.” He said as he entered the kitchen
and gave her a peck on the cheek.
He turned to Chelsea and feigned shock. “Oh hi Chelsea. I didn’t know
you were coming.” He came
towards her with a sexy grin and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“Terry invited me. I didn’t realise all of
the Pythons were coming.” She said.
Alison shook her head as she took a sip of
her wine. “No it’s only us four tonight.” She said and smiled. “Terry
thought
it would be nice to have two of the god parents here.”
Michael laughed outright. “You’ve picked god
parents already?”
Alison nodded. “Terry really wanted to and
you were both the obvious choice. He wanted a dinner with you so you
could get
to know each other a little better.”
Chelsea almost choked on her wine and put down
her glass as Michael patted her back.
“Sorry,” she said with watery eyes. “Went
down the wrong way.”
Alison nodded with a hint of suspicion and
carried on carving what looked like beef. “Why don’t you two go on into
the
lounge? I have a little more to do here and Terry’s going bananas over
a new
skit he’s writing so he could be a while. I’ll be in to join you as
soon as
possible.”
Michael led the way to the lounge and as soon
as he shut the door he tugged Chelsea to him and planted a kiss firmly
on her
lips.
“Hmmm, that’s better.” He said as she stepped
back from him, nearly spilling his wine.
“Michael, are you mad? Do you want them to
know we’re seeing each other?” she whispered.
He smiled. “Of course not.”
“Then stop kissing me!” she said.
He leant forward. “Pardon I couldn’t quite
here that.”
She stepped closer and was swept into another
embrace.
He broke away, stepped backward and began
talking very loudly. “Yes I believe Terry bought that when he went to
the auction
houses the other day. He’s very into historical artefacts.” He said as
the
lounge door opened and Terry popped his head around.
“Oh hello Terry, joining us after all?”
Michael asked as his friend surveyed the room and flicked his eyes from
one to
the other.
“Yes in just a minute. I’m going to go and
see how Alison’s doing.”
The door shut and Chelsea looked at Michael
with an open mouth. “How did you know he was there?” she whispered.
Michael grinned. “I’ve spent the last four
years in this house and I can tell where Terry is all the time just by
the
creaking boards!”
Chelsea flopped into one of the seats and
sighed. “If this is going to be it all night I don’t think I can handle
it!”
she said.
Mike waved his hand. “This is fine.” He said softly.
“Fine!” Chelsea almost shouted. “I’m
completely wound up! I’m afraid if I hold this glass much tighter it’ll
shatter
in my hand! I’m sweating like a pig!”
Michael grimaced. “Not exactly a nice image
that.”
“What isn’t?” Terry said as he pushed the
door open.
Chelsea’s eyes darted from Terry to Michael
back up to Terry again.
“She said seeing you in your underwear. I
said it wasn’t a nice image.”
Terry sat down gruffly. “Well neither are you
Michael, and that’s with your clothes on.”
Chelsea felt her insides settle down as the
two friends talked and slowly let her grip loosen on the glass.
She really didn’t know how much more of this
she could take.
*************************************************************************************************************
The evening swept by in a rush of awkwardness
and, at times, complete silence. Terry had cracked several poor quality
jokes
and a couple of really tragic ones to break the ice, but Michael and
Chelsea
were playing them like fools and making the scene before them look even
more
hostile than they could’ve hoped for.
Michael refused to look her way and Chelsea
had stared at her plate pretty much all night. Alison, trying to make
casual
conversation, had broached the subject of music and film, and anything
Chelsea
had replied to Michael had tried his utmost to contradict.
In a display of despair Terry had gulped down
his wine and laughed heartily at the pitiful affair. As he had shut the
door on
his guests he had shaken his head, wondering how he could’ve judged it
so
badly.
“I honestly believed that they’d get on like
a house on fire. They seem so well suited.” He had said as Alison had
washed
the dishes.
She flicked her dark hair over her shoulder
and smiled gently. “That’s what you get for trying to match make isn’t
it.”
He grimaced and took up a dishcloth and began
drying dishes. “But really! I thought they would be perfect for one
another,
but they barely even looked at each other! Michael was distinctly
disgusted at
her proposal that she liked Bach, and when she said about hating French
food he
looked as though he was about to explode!”
Alison laughed. “Not everything you do will
work out darling! You can’t expect two people to get along just because
you
demand it!”
Terry grunted and she flicked a little
soapsuds at him. “Anyway, it was obvious what you were trying to do all
along.”
She said.
He cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
She laughed some more. “They completely knew
that you were setting them up together, and to be honest it would have
been
obvious to me from the instant I walked into the room.”
Terry rolled his eyes. “You would say that
though wouldn’t you?”
“You’re too obvious Terry! I knew you fancied
me the moment I saw you. You get grinning at me and scaring my mother!”
He blushed gently and she touched his cheek
with a soapy hand. “Aw you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.”
A cheeky grin covered his face and he pulled
her towards him.
“I’m not embarrassed.”
She kissed his lips gently. “And stubborn
too.”
They kissed some more, and, forgetting the
washing up, headed for bed.
***********************************************************************************************************
They skipped around the corner as fast as they
could before Michael grabbed her waist and pulled her to him in a
passionate
kiss.
“I can’t keep myself away from you anymore!”
he said with despair as she laughed into his neck. “I almost leapt over
the
table at you when you were playing with your hair.”
Chelsea flicked her hair and he squeezed her
tightly, laughing.
“This is getting silly Mike. We can’t keep it
a secret much longer. I practically live at your house now and if Terry
thought
he’d get us together at the meal then he can’t be the only one who’s
suspicious.”
Michael nodded as they walked down the
street. “This has got to be resolved soon.” He said decidedly. “I want
to wait
to see what happens with Python first. We’re doing a fourth series for
sure,
but I can’t see it going on much longer now without John.”
Chelsea nodded. She had long realised that
Python would come between her and Michael.
“But meantime,” he said softly, “let me kiss
you in the moonlight.” He took her gently in his arms as they stood in
front of
his car and he caressed her cheek with a finger.
“I love you Michael.” She said and he smiled
into her face happily.
“And I you,” he said. “I promise you this
will all be sorted out soon.” He said and she looked apprehensive.
“Hey, don’t
look like that. I want you to know that I don’t plan on going anywhere
for the
foreseeable future, or beyond that. So don’t worry.”
She grinned and touched his neck gently as he
leant in to kiss her mouth, and as they clambered into the car and
drove away,
Chelsea felt as though something huge was about to happen.
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