Hi ladies, here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it
Honey
Xxx
Blind Date
Chapter Four
Part Two
Charlie…
The kettle started whistling.
I bit into my piece of toast, reaching over to lift it up and pour myself a hot cup of coffee. I usually had my coffee black … and strong. But for some reason I was in the mood for some milk.
Maybe I was losing my mind.
Yeah, I definitely was.
There was no other explanation for the fact my morning coffee was now taking on a new, unfamiliar form. Milk? I'd never added milk to my coffee in my life. At least not when it came to instant. A latte was different. It wasn't a latte without milk … but Nescafe? That shouldn't require milk. Milk was for the weak. I was a cop. I was tough.
Milk made me weak.
I couldn't give in. I had to remain strong.
Just as I was fighting the milk demon inside my head, the kitchen door swung open, and Lesley and Dana both breezed in.
They both stopped when they saw me standing there, staring at the fridge door as if it were about to come alive and attack me.
I saw them look at each other.
"It's your turn," Lesley said to Dana, practically elbowing me out of the way as she pulled open the fridge door and helped herself to a carton of apple juice.
"My turn for what?" Dana scowled.
"To figure out why Charlie is frozen in the middle of the kitchen," Lesley answered, pouring herself a glass of juice and sending me an amused grin.
Dana rolled her eyes. "Snap out of it Buckton," she said impatiently.
I glared at my supposed best friend, before I went back to making my very black and very hot cup ofcoffee.
Dana and Lesley didn't need to know I had been obsessing over milk.
They already knew I was insane.
Five minutes later, we were all sitting at the kitchen table.
Dana pulled the morning paper in her direction, flicking through it as Lesley looked me over thoughtfully.
"Are you going jogging?" she asked.
I grinned. "No, I'm going bear hunting. Of course I'm going jogging. Why else would I be dressed like this?"
Lesley chuckled. "Amusing. You're not working today?"
I nodded. "Not until the afternoon. I'm on late shift. Why are you here? Is Ethan finally sick of you?"
Ethan Hunt was Lesley's boyfriend. They had been dating for almost five years. I liked Ethan. He was nice, and he treated Lesley with respect. Yes, it might be a shock to all that I actually had a straight best friend … but Dana more than made up for the gayness in our little threesome.
She was as gay as a tennis player.
I sometimes felt sorry for Ethan. In the rare occasion my two best friends and I would go on a triple date (I said rare mind you), he usually found himself the only male at a table full of women. But I had to give him credit where credit was due. He was always cool with it, and would easily go with the flow.
Lesley threw a balled up napkin at me as she bit into a piece of toast. "He adores me. I stayed here last night. You didn't notice because you were passed out in bed when Dana and I got back. Why didn't you come?"
I sighed.
A friend of Dana's had turned thirty the night before … and I had been invited along. But the thought of having to attend such a party surrounded by people I didn't know or didn't like had set me into complete panic mode. I'd found myself sitting on my bed, breathing into a paper bag and assuring myself the world would not end if I didn't turn up.
Luckily, I had been right.
"I had to work," I lied.
Lesley narrowed her eyes. "Liar," she smirked.
I shoved my piece of toast into my mouth so I didn't bite back.
Thankfully, a distraction came in the form of Shannon Gray, Dana's girlfriend. Shannon and Dana couldn't look more different if they tried. Dana was tall, slim, blue eyed and blonde. Shannon was dark haired, toned and as fit as a bodybuilder, without all the unnecessary muscle.
Both women were gorgeous.
"Morning ladies," Shannon said with a smile, leaning over to kiss Dana hello.
She was dressed in her uniform.
Shannon was a fire fighter.
Lesley waved her toast in the air as a means of saying hello, and I smiled at Shannon as she poured herself a cup of coffee and joined us at the table.
I liked Shannon. She was good for Dana. She had tamed Dana.
For the first time in her life, I could see that Dana was in love. For real this time.
"Going jogging Charlie?" Shannon smiled back at me.
I nodded.
"Yes, Joey will be here any minute," I said casually.
As soon as those words came out of my mouth, I had to fight hard to control my suppressed laughter.
The reactions of my friends were typical.
Lesley dropped her piece of toast with a tiny squeak, and it bounced off her plate and onto the floor. Her mouth fell open slightly as her green eyes stared at me.
Dana had been in the midst of leaning over to kiss Shannon.
Her lips froze inches from her girlfriend's. Slowly, she turned her eyes in my direction.
Shannon sat back in her seat, chuckling.
Dana blinked. "Joey? Joey is coming here?"
"Yes. Just a warning … if you two so much as do one single thing to embarrass me, I'll throw you both in the lockup!" I threatened.
Dana grinned. "We'll be on our best behaviour … right Les?" she leaned over to hit her on the arm.
"Uh … right. Totally," Lesley nodded.
I scowled at them both. "I mean it! Don't make me meet her at the door and not let her inside this house!"
Dana licked her lips. "So … she's coming jogging with you?"
"Obviously," I said.
"How nice," Lesley tried to say casually. "And this is another date?"
"I don't go on jogging dates. Jo and I realised a few days ago that we both enjoyed jogging as a means of exercising, so we decided to go for a jog together this morning. I asked her to come here so I could take her on my morning route by the beach."
Lesley and Dana looked at each other.
I knew they were both dying to ask me a million questions.
I had never in my life allowed any woman I had ever dated to set foot inside my house. I had never invited anyone over.
The thought of even contemplating such a thing usually made me hyperventilate.
But it was different with Joey.
She made me want to be a different person. A better person.
She made me want to be okay with relationships. With love.
I was trying. I knew I had to try.
I had to try for Joey. She was worth it to me.
It had been almost two weeks now since our date at Kings Park. I'd been working nights lately, and I was still on the late shift for another week, so trying to get together with her had been slightly difficult.
We'd exchanged countless texts since then, and had now talked on the phone twice.
The doorbell rang.
My heart leaped into my throat.
I stood up.
Dana and Lesley had also both sprang to their feet.
They looked like two excited kids let loose inside a candy store.
"Sit down!" I growled at them.
Sighing, Shannon reached out, gripped Dana by the arm and pulled her back down into her chair. Dana seized Lesley's shirt and yanked her back down, and they both gave me an innocent look.
I had to hide a grin.
"Are you both going to stay put?"
They both nodded.
"I'll keep an eye on them Charlie," Shannon promised, an amused smile on her face.
I walked out into the hallway.
I could hear the scramble in the kitchen as I exited, and I laughed.
I knew Dana and Lesley had both bolted from their seats and were now pressing their ears against the kitchen door, trying to eavesdrop.
Shannon was cursing. "Would you two get a grip?" she demanded.
Trying hard to calm my nerves, I opened the front door.
Joey stood on my doorstep, looking fit and toned and completely hot in black track pants and a tight white tank top. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
"Hi Charlie," a shy smile creased her lips.
I smiled back, finding it virtually impossible to control the swarm of butterflies having a party inside my stomach.
"Hi … come in," I stepped back, waving her inside. "Jo … I'd like to apologise in advance," I said, as I closed the door behind her.
Joey looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Apologise for what?"
I looked toward the kitchen door. "For the vultures lurking behind that door."
Joey laughed. "I take it they weren't expecting me?"
I grinned, shaking my head. "No. But it was fun springing it on them."
I held my hand out to her, and she placed her fingers in mine.
I gripped her fingers lightly as I headed back to the kitchen.
As I pushed the door open, I heard the mad scramble inside as Dana and Lesley threw themselves back into their seats at the table.
I stepped inside, Joey right behind me.
I rolled my eyes at the scene that met my eyes.
Lesley had her nose buried in the paper. Dana had wrestled part of the paper off her, and was also pretending to read. It would be more convincing if the paper wasn't upside down.
Only Shannon was acting normal.
She smiled at Joey, standing up to hold her hand out to her. "Hi Joey," she said with a friendly smile. "I'm Shannon. I don't live here. I'm dating crazy friend number one," she nodded in Dana's direction.
Joey grinned. "Nice to meet you."
Dana stood up, glaring at her girlfriend. "Lovely introduction, honey. Seems like somebody won't be getting any tonight!"
I winced.
Trust Dana to mortify me less than ten seconds into her first meeting with Joey.
Shannon didn't look the least bit worried. She simply grinned, leaned over to kiss her disgruntled girlfriend on the cheek and reached for her bag. "I'm late. Joey … don't listen to anything these two tell you. I hope we get the chance to chat some day."
"Me too," Joey nodded.
"Bye Charlie," Shannon squeezed my arm, before she pushed through the kitchen door and left the house.
I stared longingly after her.
Shannon was my only real shot at normalcy.
Dana and Lesley were both going to ruin my chances with Joey before they even began.
I sighed. "Joey … meet my two best friends. Dana Perry and Lesley Harris. Dana and I live together … Lesley may as well live here seeing as how she always seems to be here when I wake up!"
Lesley stuck her tongue out at me, before she stepped forward and shook Joey's hand. "Don't listen to her Joey. She loves me … really."
I had to grin.
Joey shook Lesley's hand, before Dana stepped up.
"Nice to finally meet you," Dana said. "I'm responsible for your blind date by the way. If I hadn't kicked Charlie into action, she would still be having a relationship with her television set."
I glared at her, wondering if it was cop like to knock her upside the head with the blunt end of my pistol.
Joey didn't miss a beat. She smiled, eyes twinkling. "Oh … well I guess I need to thank you for kicking her into action then. I'm enjoying getting to know her."
She reached out, taking my hand in hers.
Both Lesley's and Dana's eyes dropped down to our entwined fingers.
I sprang into action, wanting to drag Joey as far away from them as possible, before they really started to embarrass me.
I could see Dana's mind working.
Lesley wasn't far behind.
"We should get going," I said hastily.
"So soon?" Dana raised an eyebrow. "No time for a chat?" she smirked at me.
"Maybe next time."
"You promise?" Lesley grinned.
I scowled at her.
"Jo?" I licked my lips.
She looked at me, obviously reading how desperate I was to leave. "Of course. Lesley, Dana … it was nice to meet you both. I'm sure we'll have a chance to talk next time."
"Oh … we'll make time, trust me," Dana grinned.
I was still plotting Dana's execution in my head.
"Enjoy your jog!" Lesley sang out, as I turned Joey around and led her back out into the front entrance.
I opened the door, finally realising it was okay to exhale the minute I was standing safely outside.
Joey juggled her keys inside her hand.
"Are you okay?" she smiled.
I managed to nod. "Sorry about that … but I did warn you about them!"
She laughed. "It was nothing. Despite the fact they were both trying rather hard to embarrass you, they seemed very nice … and they both obviously care a lot about you. Especially Dana. It takes a true friend to scour the dating pool, trying to find someone their friend will like."
"I know."
"Ready to be beaten?" she teased, tactfully changing the subject.
I smirked. "You think you have what it takes?"
"Only one way to find out."
I nodded. "So true. So shall we make a move, Miss Collins?"
"Want me to give you a head start?"
I narrowed my eyes at her, before chasing her to her unlocked car, both of us giggling like school girls the whole way.
