Karaoke Night – Side 2
Introduction:
Yesterday, Memories and Holding Back the Years
The memories came flooding back, he remembered the night they spent above the bar, the feel of her body next to his, the sound and urgency of her voice as she begged him to fuck her, the grip of her slender thighs around his waist as she pulled him deeper. He felt light headed and had to sit down to collect his thoughts.
Twenty years ago, the day after they made love, he returned to his holiday apartment. Todd, his friend, refused to speak to him, he blamed Craig for Ryan, his new best friend and Millie’s then boyfriend, getting arrested. The next few days in the apartment were tense, so, the day before Ryan was released, Craig returned home, cutting his holiday short. Ryan stayed in the apartment with Todd and they returned home together. Craig hadn’t heard from Todd since; it was no great loss.
When Craig returned home after his holiday, he tried to contact Millie; the phone rang, unanswered, so he drove across the Pennines to the address she’d written in her parting note. The flat was empty. Unsure as to whether she’d given him a false address and phone number, he knocked on a neighbour’s door and asked if he knew the people next door. “Not sure pal.” Was the reply. “I only ever heard them arguing. Never seen her, only him. They’ve been quite last two weeks, probably on holiday.” The door closed in Craig’s face.
He tried in vain to track her down. Two weeks after Todd returned home, Craig drove to Sheffield. He sat in his car, down the road from her flat, her front door visible from his position; but he only saw Ryan. He rang the number from a payphone, but it was only Ryan who answered, Craig just hung up.
He looked for her for another two months, but without her surname, and in day’s before the Internet and mobile phones were commonplace, it was impossible. He gave up hope two years later, resigning himself to the fact that he’d never find her.
Six months later, he met Stephanie, the girl he was going to marry. Two years after that, they had a child. When his daughter Emily was sixteen, Stephanie left him for another man; she’d been having an affair with him for two years. Craig had now been single for over a year, and he was finally happy in himself; but now he felt like his past was coming back to torture him.
As he reclined against the seat, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you okay sir?” The voice asked.
“Fine.” Craig replied. He looked up, shocked. “Millie?”
“No.” She said, “I’m Charlotte. Most people call me Lottie. My mum is Millie though. Do you know her?”
“I’m, I’m not sure.” Craig stammered, “I met a Millie on holiday years ago. You look so much like her.”
“Like this?” She said as she pulled out a locket and opened it. Craig nearly feinted as the picture of Millie swam into focus. On the other side was a picture of a man he didn’t know.
“How?” He started, but was unable to go on. She took out her purse, opened it and pulled out a battered picture. A man, looking very much like a younger him, was holding a microphone in a place he remembered from his youth.
“Is this you?” Lottie asked.
“I think so.” He said. “Where did you get this?”
“My mum took it ages ago. Said it was someone she met on holiday in Ibiza, just before I was born. She told me lots about him.”
“How is she?.” He replied. “I tried to find her…”
“She’s well.” Lottie replied as Craig trailed off into his own memories. “Do you want me to give her a message?”
“Is she here?” He asked.
“No, she’s in town, in work. I can text her though. Not that she’s any good with phones though. Probably hasn’t even got it switched on.”
“Could you?” He implored.
“Tell you what,” She said, “Mum’s just getting the hang of Snapchat.” She raised her phone, the camera clicked and Lottie typed in a quick message.
“Guess who I’ve bumped into?” Said the message, across a photo of his face. She received a reply almost immediately.
“She must have it switched on for once.” Lottie said, “She never replies that fast!”
“If it’s to tell me to get lost, I understand.”
“Quite the opposite!” Lottie beamed. “Are you free to come for tea?”
“Let me check my diary.” He joked. “What time do you want me there?”
“Well I finish here at 5:30, so you could give me a lift home; if you don’t mind, of course?”
“That would be perfect.” He grinned, “Shall we meet back here then, then?”
She nodded enthusiastically, then gave him a hug. “We’ve not had anyone around for tea for ages.” She said, “I’m quite excited!”
She walked back into the hospital, the ghost of her perfume still on his collar as she reached the door, turned to wave, then disappeared into the building.
Craig returned to his little office and sat behind his desk. Looking at the clock, he had another four hours before he’d see Lottie again, then a bit longer until he’d see Millie. The hours dragged; he tried filling them with work, but each job that seemed to last an hour, only took around ten minutes. Even surfing the Internet didn’t eat up the hours it usually did. By the time 5:30 came along, he was exhausted.
All tiredness was forgotten when, at 5:35, Lottie walked towards him; her big beaming smile lit a path in front of her. Several heads turned, and the people she passed seemed to be warmed by her sunny countenance.
“Not done a runner then?” She said as she reached him.
“Wouldn’t dream of it!” He said, “I’ve been waiting years for this.”
“You’ve not tasted Mum’s cooking yet!” She joked. “Take me to your chariot.”
They walked towards his car, which was parked in a side street. On the way home she asked Craig how he and her mother had met; he told her a clean version of the story, and how he’d tried to look for Millie when he returned. He asked about Lottie; she was a medical secretary for a consultant and had worked there for two years after gaining a degree at Uni. Craig felt quite proud of Lottie, although he wasn’t quite sure why.
They pulled up outside a semi-detached Victorian house in quite a nice area. Lottie got out, fished her keys from her bag and opened the door; the smell of cooking wafted out to Craig as Lottie grabbed his hand and pulled him in. “It’s too late now.” She said to him, then shouted, “Mum! I’ve brought a strange man home!”
“Well let me look at him before you wear him out like the last one!” Millie shouted from the kitchen. She appeared in the doorway, her smile, the same as her daughter’s, lit up the room.
“Where the hell have you been?” She said seriously, but he could sense the underlying humour in her voice. She rushed to him and hugged him fiercely. He returned the hug, not wanting to release her. She smelled of cooking and perfume.
“I’ll finish making tea then, shall I?” Lottie said.
“Mmmm.” Millie replied as Lottie left them for the kitchen.
They retired to the lounge as Lottie made tea; sitting together on the couch and holding hands, their knees together. “So,” Millie said, “What kept you?”
Craig told her how he’d searched, fruitlessly, for her, and how he’d never really given up hope of finding her one day. He told her about Stephanie, and how Emily had helped hold him together when she left them.
Millie’s tale was more eventful. Starting from the day they’d last seen each other, she told him how she’d left Ryan; how he’d paid for his flight home by smuggling ecstasy across from Ibiza. He’d been in the local paper two months later, caught in a club trying to sell drugs to an undercover officer. From there it had been a downward spiral for him and he was back in prison for dealing.
Despite the note she’d left him, Ryan repeatedly tried to get back with her; it finally took a restraining order to make him realise that she wanted nothing to do with him. He was also convinced that Lottie was his; until he was ordered to pay maintenance and he demanded a paternity test. Lottie’s father was still unknown, or he was, at least to the authorities; Millie was in no doubt as to whom the father was. She’d also tried to track Craig down, but with the arrival of Lottie, her world was turned upside-down.
Her parents helped tremendously; taking care of Lottie while Millie went back to Uni and pursued her career in social work. She loved helping people; she supposed it was because of her experience with Ryan.
“Tea’s ready!” Came a shout from the kitchen. They got up from the couch, still holding hands, and Craig allowed himself to be led to the dining room.
During the meal, Millie continued her story: She found out she was expecting five weeks after the holiday; apparently, the pill doesn’t work when taken with antibiotics, and she’d had a course of them just before they left for Ibiza. Ryan had been disinterested in sex, at least with her, for a few months before the holiday, and the only person she’d made love to in that time, was Craig.
Craig looked up at Lottie; she looked back at him and the pieces fell into place. The reason the eye’s staring back at him were so familiar, were because he saw them in the mirror every day on his own face. At this moment, there was a tears forming in hers, her smile still shone as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I had no doubt she was yours.” Millie said, “When those eyes looked back at me in the delivery room, I knew. She was the best thing to happen to me. Lottie turned my life around; I had someone to care for, to look out for other than myself. I needed to get out from under Ryan’s shadow and live my own life.”
Craig was choked up, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t find you.” Tears were streaming down his face now. Lottie, still smiling, reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue.
“Thanks daughter.” He said.
“No problem dad.” She laughed. Lottie got up from her chair and went around the table to hug him. He embraced her and kissed her forehead.
“Now sit down and finish your tea young lady!” He mock scolded, “Or there’ll be nothing for afters!”
“Yes dad!” She trudged back to her seat, head down, but with a wide grin.
Millie told him how she’d met her husband, Lance, when Lottie was two, then lost him to an accident fifteen years later. She didn’t elaborate; the scars were still raw, and tears were back in Lottie’s eyes. The last three years had been a blur, but she was still mourning Lance, so there had been no romantic interests.
Just then his phone rang, he apologised, looked at the number, apologised again, then answered. “Dad!” A worried Emily said, “Where are you? You’re dinner’s getting cold!”
“I’m just out love.” He replied, “I’ve had dinner too.”
“Not Maccy D’s again. It’s no good for your diet!” She said.
“No!” He said with a mischievous grin, “Your half-sister and her mother made it.”
“Wha…! Dad, are you serious? You’re joking aren’t you? You’ve got to be joking!”
“No love. Deadly serious. I found her, or she found me.”
Both Millie and Lottie were grinning; Emily was so loud they could hear both sides of the conversation, “Hi!” They both shouted in unison.
“Oh my God! Dad? Seriously? Brilliant! I’ve got to meet them!” Emily’s words tumbled out of her mouth.
“And you will sweetheart.” Craig said calmly. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“I won’t wait up. Love you.” She said, then hung up.
“She sounds excited.” Lottie said, “I can’t wait to see my half-sister.”
They cleared the table and washed the pots together, chatting whilst they did so.
After an hour of catching up, Millie reminded him that he’d have to get back to his daughter. She gave him her phone number and promised not to move house this time. He kissed Lottie on the cheek and Millie on her lips, then they waved from the gate as he drove away.
They met again on Saturday, Emily travelled across with Craig this time, excited to meet her sibling. She’d quizzed her dad when he returned home, he told her everything as he remembered it. At Millie’s, they chatted in the lounge; Craig and Millie on the couch, Emily in an armchair, and Lottie sat on the floor. The photo album was out, Millie and Craig were looking at old photos of Charlotte, who was getting more embarrassed as the evening wore on.
Lottie got up, stretched, and went to Emily; she bent down and whispered, “Shall we go out and leave these two to catch up? There’s a pub down the road.” Emily nodded enthusiastically. They grabbed their coats and left their parents alone.
They noticed the girls had gone out a minute later; they looked up at each other, both showed signs of age; the odd grey hair and lines around the eyes, but these seemed to melt away as Millie put the album down and they moved together on the couch. Craig pulled her towards him, his hand on her back moved slowly to her bum and he squeezed gently. Her hands tousled his hair as their lips locked in a passionate kiss. He pulled her onto his lap, her knees either side of him as their tongues met, his hands kneading her buttocks.
Her hips rocked, grinding her pubis on his crotch, his penis responded, growing, trapped painfully in his boxers. He pushed her blouse up her body, past her heaving breasts, over her head and up her arms, caressing every curve. He reached around and unclasped her bra, letting the straps glide down her slender arms and discarding it on the floor as he cupped her breasts, circling her areolae with his thumbs. He suckled on them, sending a shiver down her spine as his tongue rasped over her hard nipples.
She held his head in her hands, tilted it backwards and kissed him again, her deft fingers unbuttoned his shirt. She pushed it from his shoulders where it joined her blouse behind him on the couch. His hands ventured up her thighs, under the hem of her skirt and over her bum, feeling her buttocks through the silky material of her panties. He pulled her closer, moving himself to the edge of the couch so he could lift her, Millie’s arms tight around his neck and her legs around his waist, as he lowered her back to the couch with him kneeling on the floor.
Her skirt was bunched around her waist, He hooked his fingers into the elastic of her panties and removed them, a damp patch and her musky aroma indicating her arousal. He lifted her legs onto his shoulders, sliding her to the edge of the couch as her lowered himself to her eager pussy.
She was holding her breath as he gently licked her labia, then she let it out slowly as he parted her with his tongue and massaged her clit. He slid two fingers into her vagina, his tongue still playing with her clitoris as he beckoned her towards orgasm. Her heels dug into his back as her climax built; her hands grasping at his hair as she groaned and writhed on the couch, frantically working her until she tensed up and cried out, her back arched, raising her hips to meet his lashing tongue.
She dropped her legs to his sides and stood on shaky legs. He rose to meet her, his hands in the small of her back, which was slick with perspiration. She pulled herself up with her hands around his neck, he lifted her gently and kissed her. “Take me to bed.” She whispered, locking her ankles behind him as he kissed her neck.
He carried her up the stairs, into the bedroom, then placed her on the edge of the bed. She unfastened his belt and unbuttoned his trousers, letting them fall to the floor. His cock pushed at the fabric of his boxers, willing her to set it free. He lifted her chin and bent to kiss her, lips parted as she removed his pants and ran a finger down his impressive length. She kissed him from his lips, down his stomach and to the top of his straining cock, then she licked the bead of pre-cum from the tip. Millie looked up at him, a gossamer strand linked her bottom lip to his manhood; she ran her tongue down his length, back up again, and took him in her mouth.
Her left hand gripped him as she massaged his balls with her right. Her tongue danced around his head as she sucked and licked him closer to the point of no return; then she stopped, leaving him confused, but hornier than ever.
She pushed herself back on the mattress, propelling herself slowly towards the headboard, then stopped; her head resting on the pillows, knees raised, legs parted. He followed, crawling on all-fours, pausing at her feet. He took hold of her ankle and raised her foot to his mouth. She shivered as her toes were kissed and sucked. Her hand unconsciously stroked her pussy as he kissed her slowly from toes to ankle, up the length of her inner leg and thigh. He pulled her finger from her cunt and licked her juices from it, then he kissed her pussy and resumed his journey up her stomach, to her breasts, her neck, chin and mouth.
She reached down, guiding him into her, his head rubbing over her engorged clit as his cock invaded her slick cunt. Her breathing quickened as, halfway in, he stopped and withdrew. Her hands were pressed into his back, urging him to penetrate her fully; her eyes, at first pleading him, rolled back as he drove his full length into her. She hadn’t realised she was holding her breath until she was fully impaled. She gasped as he pulled out and then plunged back in to her wetness, her heart racing, breath ragged, as he quickened his pace.
Her head forced back into the pillow, her hands grasping at the bedclothes as she cried out again and again, Craig relentlessly pistoning his manhood into her willing pussy as she cried his name over and over, ending in a guttural half-growl as her orgasm peaked.
Her legs dropped and Craig rolled onto his back, “You’ve not cum yet.” She said as rolled on top and kissed him, then got onto her knees and straddled his waist. His cock slid into her easily with no need for guidance as she threw her head back and exhaled noisily. His hands sought out her breasts and squeezed them as she rode him, arched backwards, her hands gripping his shins as she cried out to a God she’d given up faith in until this moment; her knees pressed into his sides as she came.
He rose to kiss her, then told her to stay on her her knees as he positioned himself behind her. Sweat glistened on her back as he pushed inside her, taking a slow easy rhythm until she cried out, her vaginal muscles gripped and milked his penis, and he felt himself lose control, ramming his hard cock into her as she screamed, “Yes, yes, yes!” Cumming together in a cacophony of grunts and screams.
He stayed inside her as his penis softened, both regaining their composure as they parted, his cum slowly trickling from her swollen lips. They collapsed onto the bed and she rolled to him, nestling into his shoulder as he hugged her tightly. “That was wonderful.” She said, “I can’t believe I waited twenty years for this moment.”
“I know.” Craig yawned, kissing her forehead, “Seems like it was only yesterday…” He drifted off. Millie kissed his chin, settled in next to him, and went to sleep.
Sunlight spilled in through the opened curtains and across Craig’s face, waking him. He looked at the pillow in front of him and saw a note. “Not again!” He thought, taking it. A few seconds passed before his bleary eyes could focus on the words, “We’re in the kitchen Sleepyhead. Come down when you’re ready for breakfast, M xxx.”
He dragged himself out of bed, washed and dressed, then descended the stairs to his future.
