him there to study law. They’d moved in together in her second year, and they’d gotten married shortly after she’d turned twenty one.
She and Matt had always made every effort to stay in touch with their close knit group of friends that they’d grown up with, and had gone to school with, including those that hadn’t come to Birmingham for university. For Matt this had meant staying in contact with Rich, Ben, and Nick. For Charlie it had meant staying in touch with Bex, Rachel – or Rach as she preferred to be called, and Claire who had been her best friend since infancy.
They’d managed to maintain their friendships by hosting regular dinner parties, and given that Rich and Bex also lived in Birmingham the dinner parties were usually either at theirs or at Charlie and Matt’s like tonight.
Rich and Bex had also come up to Birmingham for university and had never left. They both now worked as teachers, Bex in a junior school and Rich teaching history in a local senior school.
Bex had been in Charlie’s year at school, and she’d always held a candle for Rich. Yet even though they now lived together, Rich and Bex weren’t the likeliest of matches. Bex was quite plain to look at. She wasn’t unattractive, but she had no particularly distinctive features. Rich on the other hand was very good looking, and in a very obvious way.
Bex was smaller than Charlie by a couple of inches, and although probably the same dress size she looked a little bigger. She had mousy mid length hair that she usually kept tied back, except when Claire got hold of her with either her hair straighteners or curling tongs.
Rachel and Ben had both gone to Bristol University. They’d started dating a year or so after they’d graduated, and they’d married a couple of years later.
Ben and Rach were well suited in Charlie’s opinion. They were both relaxed and incredibly funny, and if there was ever an occasion when they were unable to make one of the planned dinner parties the evenings were never as much fun.
Rach had vibrant red curly hair, and bright green eyes that glistened when she was at her most witty or cutting. She had a pretty face, and she was slightly taller and bigger set than Charlie.
Ben was the same height as Rich and he had the same coloured hair, but facially though he wasn’t all that attractive. He had blue eyes but they were slightly dull in colour. Yet he did have a kind and genuine smile, and that combined with his wit and charm made him instantly likeable.
Claire and Nick both lived in Bath and had only gotten together fairly recently, much to Matt’s objections when Nick had first confided in him.
Claire was a solicitor like Charlie, and Nick worked for an insurance company. Although it was hard to keep track of exactly what he did, as he seemed to change jobs every couple of months.
Nick was tall, dark haired, and handsome to look at. He had dark mysterious eyes and very prominent cheekbones which made his features quite striking, but the only thing that Charlie had never found particularly attractive about him though was his smile. It came across more as a sneer than a smile, and Charlie had always found that this made him less attractive as a result.
Claire on the other hand was stunning and always had been. She had a tiny size six frame and was only 5ft 3inches tall, but despite her small size she was somehow very shapely. This shapeliness combined with her platinum blonde hair that she wore in a striking razor sharp bob, her fiercely blue eyes, and her angelic face, had the effect of dazzling men.
“I thought you weren’t going to make it,” Charlie said to Matt as Rich waltzed out of the kitchen having been handed another bottle of red wine by Matt.
“Sorry,” he said looking apologetic. “We’ve been swamped all day and I couldn’t get away. A couple of new doctors started and I had to show them the ropes. Have you had a good day though?”
Charlie nodded and smiled as she put the lamb that she’d cooked down in front of him and asked; “can you carve?”
“Hmm,” he said smiling. “I think I can manage that, but first,” he said grabbing her as she went to walk away. “A kiss for my beautiful wife on her thirtieth birthday,” he said before kissing her.