The right time

Chapter five

Nervously, Emma and James sit in the bar around their table, waiting for everyone else. She keeps looking around and then up at the door. Her smile runs away slowly. Nadine and Cain walk in first, and following them is Charlotte dressed in a short dark maroon dress and black tights underneath with a pair of boots on her feet. Her hair is loose, and she's made up. They walk straight to their table, getting their seats. Charlotte takes a seat opposite Emma and James.
"Emma, please meet Charlotte," James introduces them to each other. "Charlotte, this is my wife, Emma."
"It's nice to finally meet you," Charlotte smiles at her and reaches over, shaking her hand gently. Emma smiles at her in excitement and cuddles up next to James, who puts his arm around her shoulder. "So, I heard you two are trying for a child."
"Yeah, but one of us has a problem," Emma says and looks up at James, who looked down uncomfortably. "Hopefully soon."
"Well, you have to keep hope, Emma," Charlotte tries to save James from feeling ashamed. How often does Emma do that to him? Too often. "Sometimes the unexpected happens when you least expect it. I mean, we didn't expect to have Nadine or her sister. The best things always happen unexpectedly."
Charlotte smiles at her and sits forward, crossing her arms on the table.
"All I can say is be patient. Good things don't come overnight," she says and looks up at Tina, who suddenly takes a seat next to her. The woman who despises her the most is sitting next to her.
"Hi," Tina greets everyone shortly and turns to face Charlotte. "Right, so I have an appointment with the mall tomorrow, and I hate going alone. As cruel as it might sound, I want you to come with me."
"Oh, okay," Charlotte sounds a little unsure, but perhaps the best things do come unexpectedly. She scans the women's shirt and gasps. "Oh, this is so nice."
"I'll show you where I got it," Tina winks at her and turns to look at Emma. "So? Is there any news yet?"
"Regarding the pregnancy, nothing," Emma replies and shrugs her shoulders. "There's a long journey ahead of us."

The music is blarring and there's a lot of people having fun and enjoying their time. The family just spend their time together, especially since Janet and her boyfriend joined. Janet isn't always participating in family gatherings, especially since her parents broke up. She's always been a girl on her own mission, chasing her own life.
A little uncomfortable, James keeps an eye on the bold headed man who stands with his friends laughing and joking and unsurprisingly constantly looking at Charlotte. He moves a little closer to Charlotte and clears his throat.
"I don't want to sound off, but I don't like the way those men stare at you," he says. She raises an eyebrow, looking at him.
"Why? Are you jealous?" She asks and laughs when he shakes his head, feeling a little guilty. "Relax, James Roberts."
James nods and takes his place back next to his wife. He fixes himself and looks at the man who finally got the courage to make his move.
"Hey, would you like to dance?" He asks Charlotte. She raises an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yes," Tina says and pushes her up. "She'd love that."
Charlotte giggles and pushes her hand in his running to the dance floor with him. He folded his arm around her waist, holding the other and dancing around with her.
James watches their every move, feeling slightly disappointed that it's not him she's dancing with. The two seem to hit it off quite nicely, and that scares him.
"I'm going to get us something to drink," Emma says while touching James's arm. He doesn't respond because his eyes are elsewhere. She gets up and leaves them.
"Are you married?" The guy asks Charlotte. She glares at him and laughs awkwardly.
"Why?" She asks him. "Let me guess. You think I'm single because out of everyone at my table, me and that old lady are the only ones with no man besides us."
"Correct," he nods.
"I'm sorry, but I am married," she replies and shrugs her shoulders, looking at her table and then back at him. "To that man staring the hell out of us."
"Who's the girl with him?" He asks.
"A relative," she lies and continues to dance with him.
"I can't watch this," James says and gets up from his seat, going to the bathroom. Tina sighs and looks at Charlotte, who looks over the guys shoulder and wiggles her fingers at her. Tina gives her an odd look and gets up as well.
James washed off his face and looked in the mirror. He curses himself and grabs his hair, looking at his reflection.
"Coming through," Tina says, bursting into the men's bathroom. James looks horrified at her. Tina waves her hand apologetically to another gentleman who immediately covers up. "Don't worry. I've seen more of those than your mother."
"What are you doing?" James asks her.
"Someone is getting touchy-touchy with your wife," Tina says, giving him a serious look. "Now get the hell off the dancefloor or away from that man before I sterilize him."
James sighs and follows his mother out. Emma is seated at their table waiting for him. He looks at Charlotte, who's looking around and fakes a smile to her partner, then tries to look around again. She smiled happily when she saw him. James walks to them and touches the man's shoulder.
"May I have this dance with my wife?" He asks. The guy stands back and winks at Charlotte before leaving. Relieved, she smiles at him about to leave, but he grabs her hand. With an odd look, she turns back to face him. He pulls her closer and moves his free hand behind her waist. Charlotte put her free arm around his neck, starting to dance with him. He tickles her back with his finger just to feel her skin under her dress.
"Are you okay?" He asks. She nods with a little smile, looking behind her at the guy who joins his friends again who teased him.
"He seems like a nice guy, but he got a little too touchy and even told me that we can slip out to his truck for a while," she tells him. His eyes hardened as he looked at the man. Charlotte can read the hatred in his eyes. With that, she touches his cheek to get his attention. "Forget him."
James nods and pulls her closer to him. She trops her head on his chest and closes her eyes for that little while she can be with him.
Emma, who's seated at the table, looks at them. Her smile runs away slowly, and it pains her to see her husband with his ex-wife so close as if nothing ever went wrong.