PLAYING WITH FIRE

By Melanie Dent

This story is based on recent disagreement between Terry & Chris concerning the latter's "business arrangement" with Charity.

'You sound like a man who needs a pint." Marion had said. Terry sighed. Maybe he was right. However Marion did not know the whole truth about his cousin's business "arrangement" with Chris.

Charity was tired after the long walk to Home Farm. She had asked Terry to drive her but he had refused point blank. Charity could not really see his problem with the arrangement.

Chris poured her some wine and Charity sipped it seductively. However she really did not want to be there with him. Tonight her mind wasn't on the job. Chris was so charming to her when they were alone but she knew that her Uncle Zak would lynch him if he found out what she was doing. He had already started wondering if she was having an affair with Terry, a fact she had put him straight on at once. Charity felt sorry for Terry, the way he let Chris order him about was hardly masculine but he had clearly been man enough for Viv Windsor at some point.

"Charity." Chris touched her bare forearm. She snapped to attention as she felt his fingernails press against her flesh. "Sorry."

"You haven't heard a word I've said have you? "

"No." Charity confessed. She saw no point in lying to him about it. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"You don't wanna know."

"Try me!"

Charity did not answer him.

"Charity. You may as well go home now. You're not much use to me here tonight." "Okay."

Chris was about to let her go when a thought came into his mind. "Charity, do you have other arrangements? " " Sorry? "

"With Terry for example. He seems dead set against our arrangement. Wondered if maybe he felt he wasn't getting his money's worth out of you."

"How dare you!" Charity flared up. "Terry's a nice bloke, Chris. But for your information I am not involved with him at all."

"A nice bloke." Chris mused. "If you can call a man who's been chewed up and spat out by Viv Windsor human, I guess he is."

Chris pulled Charity close to him. She wanted to tear herself away. She felt this wasn't worth it. Chris kissed her. Charity felt cold inside. She didn't want him to touch her tonight. She hated him. But Chris wasn't going to stop at a kiss tonight Charity realized with near horror as she felt his hand slide up her skirt. This was the man whose company owned the truck that had killed her cousin, Butch. She felt like she was betraying his memory. If any of her lot found out they would not only lynch Chris but probably her as well.

"I'm sorry Chris.' Charity swallowed. "I've changed my mind. I, I don't want this anymore."

" Are you sure Terry isn't waiting in the wings? ':

"Quite sure. He wouldn't even bring me here tonight. He's a man of principle."

"I'm paying you for your time Charity." Chris coldly reminded her.

"I don't want your money anymore Chris." She felt close to tears but did not dare to show it, not here, in front of Chris Tate.

"A Dingle refusing an opportunity to make money! Must be more serious than I thought1”

 

Charity felt like she wanted to slap Chris, tip him out of his chair onto the floor and leave him helpless. She had thought that she could put her family's natural enmity towards the fates aside for this purpose and so far she had succeeded but not tonight. Tonight it was becoming personal and Charity felt like she was losing control of the situation.

Chris touched Charity, intimately and she felt like she had turned to stone. She fought to keep feeling out of it, it was the only way she could cope. He had torn the sleeve of her tight top.

"This is the end of our arrangement Chris." She said, when he had finally finished touching her up. "I've a good mind to tell Uncle Zak." "I'm shaking." Chris said.

"So am 1." Charity thought.

"When you catch up with Terry tell him not to bother reporting for work in the morning. It's obvious he put you up to this defiance."

"You flatter yourself." Charity said.

"Just get out!" Chris said. "Tell Zak & Cain I'm eagerly awaiting their visit."

Charity went outside into the darkness. She walked until she was clear of Home Farm and then she burst into tears. She could hardly go home. One look at her torn sleeve and they would assume the worst and dear sweet Emily wouldn't understand the half of it. She thought about going to find Terry but dreaded what he might say to her. Charity had never felt so alone as she did at that moment. She threw the mobile phone that Chris had given her onto the ground and stamped on it until it broke into useless pieces.

Terry had spent a restless evening at home before finally deciding to go to the Woolpack.

"Cheer up Terry!" Diane said.

"I ain't got much to be happy about Diane. No woman, the lousiest job in the world. I couldn't sink much lower.”

"Viv was in here earlier."

"You trying to cheer me up or depress me even more? "

Terry downed his pint. Maybe he should take a drive over to Home Farm and see what was going on.

Charity was wandering about in the dark. Terry drove past and caught a glimpse of her in the glare of his headlights. With her tousled hair, and pale, tear-stained face she resembled a scared rabbit. He pulled over. "Charity? "

She didn't move, she just stood there, staring at him. Terry noticed her torn sleeve and wondered what had happened.

"Can we talk Terry? " She asked finally, struggling to keep herself from crying again.

"Aye. 'course we can. Jump in."

Charity climbed into the passenger seat beside him. Safe, dependable Terry. Now she had to tell him he no longer had a job. He was a decent man. Charity did not care about the fact that he had found comfort in Viv Windsor's arms in the past. He wasn't malicious. Charity wondered if she could ever really care about him. Caring about men wasn't in her nature; she just did what she needed to. One thing she did know was that Terry would never exploit her:

They sat quietly.

"What happened tonight? " Terry asked.

"Chris and I no longer have a business arrangement, Terry, thanks to you." He wasn't sure from her tone if she was thanking or berating him. "How come? "

"He insulted me badly." She replied- She gave him a blow by blow account of the evening’s events & Terry turned pale.

“You were right, Terry.” She said. “Thanks for caring ‘bout me.”

“I don’t know why I put up with Chris.”

“You don’t have to anymore.” Charity gently told him.

“Aye, and what’ll I do now?”

“I’m sorry.” Charity couldn’t hold back anymore and she began to cry again. “I threatened to tell Uncle Zak and he’ll paste Chris. He already thinks you and I are having an affair.”

Terry looked worried.

“It’s alright. I didn’t tell him owt apart from the fact it ain’t true.”

Terry looked at her torn sleeve.

“How you gonna explain that?”

"I don't know." She looked at Terry. "Chris was really nasty 'bout you. And 'bout Viv."

"There's no love lost between Viv & Chris." Terry said.

 "Nor the two of you from what I hear. "

“I cared ‘bout Viv once. We were together and for a while we were happy. She can be a really sweet person, contrary to popular belief.”

Charity sighed. Terry had lost his job because of her. She felt bad; knowing that Chris would not let it end there. He would find and use every opportunity to make life miserable for them both. He loved playing power games. Charity had had dealings with Eric Pollard in the past and she could handle him but this business with Chris, well it was playing with fire and she knew it. Both she & Terry had been burned in their own ways while Chris had barely got his fingertips singed.

"Haven't you ever wanted to find yourself a nice bloke and get settled? “ Terry asked her.

"No." Charity said. "Why, you offering to settle me? "

"No, I just wondered like. Attractive girl like you are"

"1 couldn't do it Terry." She said. "If you let personal feelings enter into it it's harder to walk away. You wind up getting hurt. 1 made that mistake tonight because Chris insulted my family and I let it get to me because 1 was tired and stuff, not because 1 care about him. 1 don't want to get that close to anyone, it only makes it harder."

 "Aye, but sometimes it's worth the risk, just for a bit of happiness."

"Was Viv worth it? “

"Aye, I thought so. At the time. We hurt one another but 1 don't regret it. She were married so we were playing with fire & got burned."

"I don't know if I can love anyone, Terry."

"At least you're honest."

"What's that supposed to mean? "

"1 care about you a lot, Charity. The reason I got so mad with Chris was because he was making you cheap. I hate people like him. I want you to consider me a friend, Charity."

 "Liar! You know you want more than that."

She put her arms around Terry's neck and kissed him gently on the lips. The soft kiss was what they both needed. She felt human again, not like Chris Tate's plaything. She wasn't standing for' that anymore.

"1 were just thinking like." Terry said. "About what it would be like for me, being integrated into your clan. That really would be playing with fire."

"You know something Terry? “ Charity said, smiling for the first time since she had left Home Farm. "You just might be right."