Love Me Love My Dog
Chapter 12
"Yeah, Joey Collins. Get what you can on her. Cheers mate." Constable Rosetta said as he put down the telephone receiver.
Constable Watson glanced up at her colleague wondering why he was still investigating Joey, but said nothing and continued with her work.
***
"So what are you cooking tonight?"
"Lamb. It's a favourite of her sister's apparently."
"Why are you buttering-up little sister? Surely at this stage you should still be concentrating on impressing big sister?" Rosie Brookes commented, taking hold of a cat by the scruff of its neck and injecting it.
"I know, but her sister doesn't know about Charlie and me, so I'm after all the brownie points I can muster before Charlie confesses all!"
"Are they close?"
"Yeah, from what Charlie says. She's been a sort of surrogate mum to her since their own mother passed away."
"Oh Lord; baggage!"
"What?"
"Baggage! Charlie comes with baggage!"
"Yeah, but not that much."
"She has a head-case ex-boyfriend and a daughter-style sister, and you don't call that baggage?"
"We'll get through it." Joey said quietly.
"I hope you do, Miss. Collins. A month ago you were happy and carefree, now look at you!"
"That's love."
"That's purgatory!"
"Hey! It's not that bad!"
"It is from where I'm standing!"
"You're just jealous coz you haven't got a life." Joey grinned.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Now, if you'd have hooked up with me, honey, you'd have had none of this drama." Rosie said with a wink.
"Would've been boring though!" Joey replied with a frown.
"I dunno. We could've talked about Parvovirus and Cat flu!" Rosie suggested.
"Yeah, and worms, ticks and diarrhoea in wallabies!" Joey laughed.
"What about Canine Distemper and Kennel cough?"
"Or Aural Hematoma!"
"Mange and Swine Fever!"
"Nutraceutical and the Arthritic Canine!"
"Bloody hell, Joey... you should be the vet around here!" Rosie laughed as she handed over the disgruntled cat. "Here, be a nurse for a change and give this one back to its owner."
Joey took the haughty cat from Rosie's arms and popped her back into the pet carrier.
"There you go, sweetheart. All tucked up, safe and sound!"
"Yeah, I reckon that's what you'll be saying to Charlie in a month's time!"
"Not if Mr. Nasty has any say in the matter! With him it's a case of "Go to gaol, go directly to gaol..."
"Well, if that's where you end up my love, I'll bring you a fruit cake with a file in each visiting day... and think of all those luscious, young ladies who will want to look after you!" She said, raising her eyebrows up and down, provocatively.
Joey laughed at her friend's sense of humour!
"Shall I put your name down for the next cell?"
"Yeah, sounds perfect! It'll make a pleasant change!"
***
"Hey! This lamb is wonderful!" Ruby enthused as she took a mouthful. "You must be a good cook, Joey?"
"No, not really; more luck than judgement." She said, glancing at Charlie.
Charlie smiled and winked back.
"Hey you!" Ruby said as she felt a soft, wet muzzle on her knee.
"Ignore her, Ruby! She's a little scrounger! Jess, go to your basket!"
"Oh, she's fine!" Ruby laughed, making a fuss of the curly-eared hound. "So, when did you two become such 'bosom buddies'?" Ruby asked innocently; glancing at Charlie.
Joey smirked and almost choked on a roast potato.
Charlie held her breath for fear of laughing.
Ruby looked up quickly as Joey continued to cough.
"Don't you think you should get her a glass of water or something?"
"Yeah." Charlie replied, hastily running to the kitchen and exploding with laughter.
Joey's face was puce by the time Charlie returned with the glass.
"You certainly took your time! She could have choked to death in the time you were scratching about!" Ruby scolded.
"Sorry." Charlie said, thumping Joey's back and looking at her under her eyelids.
Joey gasped for air for a while, but slowly began to recover.
"Are you okay, Joey?" Ruby asked with concern.
"Yeah, I am now, thanks." Joey said huskily. "What was that question again?"
"Oh, I can't remember now!" Ruby said in frustration.
"So, do you have a boyfriend, Ruby?" Joey asked, wiping her eyes.
"Well, he's not exactly a boyfriend," She said, glancing at her sister. "But I've seen him once or twice; remember the bass player with 'Trail'?"
"You didn't tell me!" Charlie cried, staring at her sister.
"Well, you never asked, besides that, you've been kinda preoccupied recently."
Charlie glanced at Joey again.
"Oh! I remember the question now! When did you two become so friendly?" Ruby asked, turning to Joey. "I thought you were seeing Georgie Wat..."
Ruby's words suddenly faded. She looked over at her sister quickly; her eyes begging for answers. Charlie's cheeks reddened and she bit her lip; looking over to Joey for guidance.
"Ruby, err, your sister and I are... seeing each other." Joey said as gently as she could.
Charlie closed her eyes and waited for 'Mount Ruby' to erupt. Instead, Ruby looked from Joey to Charlie and back again to Joey.
"Y-you mean, you're seeing each other... romantically?"
Joey nodded her head slowly.
Ruby looked back at Charlie. She blinked a few times and her mouth fell open.
"I-I don't understand. I mean, you are together as in ...?"
"Ruby, Joey and I are in a relationship. It all happened very quickly... I'm so happy, but please Rubes, don't hate me!" Charlie said, taking her sister's hand in her own. "Try to understand, that I..."
Ruby continued to stare at Charlie.
"Ruby, Charlie and I being together doesn't really change anything." Joey said, trying to help out. "She'll still be the big sister who loves you!"
"It's okay; I was just thinking how this must have pissed off Angelo Rosetta!" Ruby said as a big smile crossed her face. "I take it you've told him?" she asked, looking at her anxious sister.
"Yeah, he knows, he caught me kissing Joey outside The Surf Club one evening." Charlie explained uncertainly.
Ruby burst into laughter.
"Oh Wow! It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!"
Charlie frowned at Joey.
"Ruby, you do understand that Charlie and I are going out together; we're seeing each other as an item; girl on girl?" Joey reiterated.
"Yeah, I hear you. I just think anyone is an improvement over Angelo 'Loser' Rosetta!" Ruby said with a grin; holding her fingers in an improvised L shape at her forehead.
***
"What? There's nothing else? She must have some sort of history? I told you she was a raging dyke, didn't I?" Angelo said as he spoke to a contact on the phone. "Yeah, well, see what else you can dig up."
He slammed down the telephone receiver; obviously annoyed by the lack of dirt on Joey.
Watson shifted uncomfortably. What exactly was Angelo up to?
***
"Thanks for a great evening, Joey! Dinner was awesome! And I just love Jess!" Ruby enthused as she bent down to make a fuss of Joey's dog.
Jessie wagged her tail enthusiastically.
"Glad you enjoyed it all."
"Well, I guess you might want a minute to snog my sister, so I'll go sit in the car." Ruby said cheekily and wave Joey goodbye.
"I must admit, I'm rather surprised about the way she has taken the news about us!" Joey said with a frown.
"You don't know how she hates Angelo Rosetta!" Charlie said with a grin.
"I just hope it doesn't hit her in the morning and goes loopy!"
"I expect to be inundated with questions on the way home tonight. You've had it easy!"
"Well, I hope it's not too difficult for you, Charlie! Ring me if she gives you a tough time and I'll whisk you off to the place of your dreams!"
Charlie blushed. There was only one place she had dreamed about recently, but she wasn't ready to announce it to Joey just yet. Instead she smiled prettily and kissed Joey's cheek.
"I'd better say goodnight, then."
"Is that the best you can do?" Joey whispered.
Charlie giggled; suddenly feeling shy of her sister's gaze.
"If you'd like to take me back inside for a minute, I can show you my best!"
"Walk this way!" Joey said, taking hold of Charlie's hand and marching her back into the bungalow.
Ruby watched and grinned. This was all new to her, and although this different side to her sister had come as a complete shock, every hour spent away from that idiot, Rosetta was good for her sister.
***
Someone else's eyes gazed from a car parked discretely along the road. The occupant used binoculars as he secretly watched the interactions of the two girls from another angle to Ruby. He ground his teeth and his breathing became fast until he angrily snatched the binoculars from his eyes and threw them onto the vacant seat beside him. Picking up his note book, he scribbled down some words and swore under his breath.
