There was so much to do, we busied ourselves with painting, cleaning, sweeping up the mess the guys were making. There were some wives sat around a table making the table decorations and painting the banners. A couple more were ferrying refreshments around the room to the various helpers – Everyone was mucking in.
By 4pm most of the work had been done, there was just some more sweeping and the final table decorations to do. Deano’s wife, Lilly was ironing the last of the table clothes and some of her friends were helping with the place settings. Most of the other volunteers had left to go and get ready, there were only a handful left. As the last table was completed we thanked Lilly and her friends and said we’d see them later on. We returned to my apartment and Charlie bagged the first shower. I started setting out make-up, hairdryer and stylers on the counter and poured us both a drink. We both needed it.
Charlie came out of the shower wrapped in a towel, her long dark hair twisted up in a turban on the top of her head.
“Cheers” I said passing her the glass of rum & coke “Here’s to an amazing night. Thanks for all your help with organising this event and let’s hope we manage to raise the $5000 target”
I held up my glass and we clinked them together. Then I dashed off for my turn in the shower while Charlie started with her hair and make-up. We carried on getting ready. Before we knew it the boys were knocking on the door. We were still only half ready and still in our underwear so I shouted for them to come in and make themselves at home. Itchy was comfortable around my place now so I knew they’d be fine. I heard the fridge door open and close and the chink of beer bottles open and the doors to the balcony open.
We carried on getting ready applying the final touches to our make-up and Charlie put some loose curls in my hair to give it a tousled look. My dress was red satin and was pulled in to the hip on one side, fastened with diamanté detailing on the bustline and hip. It had a sweetheart neckline accentuating my cleavage with more diamantes dotted around the middle of the bust. The jewellery I kept simple with a single silver bangle and silver metallic diamond shaped earrings. The necklace was a solitary diamond on a chain – a special gift from my parents before I’d left home. It was the most expensive piece of jewellery I owned and I’d never had an occasion special enough to wear it – until now. I grabbed my heels and started to walk over to the bedroom door
“WAIT” Charlie shouted
“What?” I asked, thinking there was something wrong with my dress and checking myself for marks
“You can’t go out there without those heels on” she said “or without me”
“Why?”
“Because Alex, my dear friend, WE look AMAZING and we want to knock their socks off. We’re not likely to do that in bare feet. They won’t get the full effect” she smiled.
She was right, we did look amazing. I sat back down on the bed and slipped on my silver glitter heels. Charlie was just putting on her earrings. Charlie’s dress was an asymmetric mini with one chiffon sleeve. The sleeve was split from the shoulder to the wrist with a jewelled bustline and cuff. The dress was short but thanks to some camouflage make-up and a pretty decent spray tan you could hardly notice the scars on her leg from the accident. She sat down on the bed beside me and slipped into her metallic silver and blue peeptoe heels. We walked to the door together and I let Charlie go first. As soon as the guys heard our heels on the tiled floor they turned around to look. I wish I could have had a camera on their faces at that moment. Mouths opened, mission accomplished. Socks were well and truly knocked off. The guys wolf-whistled as we walked out onto the balcony. We giggled and did a twirl.
“We look okay then?” I asked
“Absolutely gorgeous” Itchy replied pulling me in close for a kiss.
“Well I think this calls for a toast” Mouse said walking back inside to grab a bottle of Champagne from the fridge. He also had a tray with wine glasses on it and a small box. He placed the tray down on the table.
“Charlie, I just wanted to get you something to show you how much you mean to me” He said grabbing her hand and holding it between his “I know we’ve had our ups and downs, and that most of it was my fault. I just wanted to let you know that you mean more to me than you will ever know and I’m so glad to have you back in my life. You are my everything” He handed the box to her and she opened it.
This was her turn to be stunned. She slipped the bangle onto her wrist and put both of her arms around his neck and kissed him. It was a gorgeous silver cuff bracelet with a red jewel in it, which was red garnet – her birthstone.
“Oh my god, that is so sweet” I pulled Charlie’s arm from around Mouse to inspect the bracelet closer. Inside was an inscription. A simple – I love you, Michael x
Mouse opened the champagne and poured it into the four glasses. Itchy made a toast to Mouse & Charlie and their future happiness and also to the evening’s fundraising.
“And I also want to add a thank you to you two beautiful ladies for allowing us to escort you this evening” Mouse said
“Yeah, I’m feeling pretty lucky right now” itchy smiled at me and squeezed my hip
“You don’t look so bad yourselves” Charlie said.
They’d both worn full length trousers and shirts, something you wouldn’t see very often from lifeguards who live in boardies & tees. Mouse had a pale blue shirt open at the collar and Itchy had a plain white one. They both looked so handsome.
“Right, well we better get going then” I said looking at the clock on the wall.
We’d planned on walking originally but after both purchasing 4 inch heels had to re-think that idea. Yes, it was only a few minutes walk but even that can feel like a marathon in stillettos. The guys had tried to bag us about it until we threatened to make them try it in the heels. That had shut them up fairly quickly.
Stepping out of the car and seeing the entrance all jazzed up like a film premiere, I felt like a million dollars. The press were there outside the front door, only local press but they were snapping away. The Charlie & guys were used to this kind of attention from their show Bondi Rescue but I had never experienced anything like it in my life. I was, to be perfectly honest, a little bit terrified. As we walked up the steps to the door I gripped onto Itchy’s hand a little harder than I was planning to. He took his hand and placed it on my hip and pulled me close, giving me a reassuring squeeze. I was so glad to have him by my side. Once we were inside I started to relax a little. Most of the other lifeguards had arrived, Whippet was bouncing around the room from table to table, he was such a people person, so energetic. He was quite comfortable talking to anyone from a toddler to an octogenarian. We managed to mingle for a little while before Whippet was calling for us both to go to the stage to kick start the auction.
