Chapter Twelve

On Charlie's second to last day of holiday, she and Joey visited Leah at home.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" the Diner owner teased when her housemate showed up at the door. "You remind me of someone I used to live with but I just can't remember who…"

"Very funny!" Charlie remarked.

"Seriously, did you move out without telling me?" Leah asked.

The three of them sat down at the kitchen table together.

"I'll come back at some point," Charlie promised. "I've just been… busy."

She looked a little dreamily at Joey, unable to hide her feelings. Leah noticed and eyed them curiously.

"We uh… we wanted to ask you and VJ round to dinner tomorrow night," Joey ventured. "And Ruby obviously but we spoke to her yesterday and she's already agreed."

"Sure," Leah accepted. "We'd love to see your new place. VJ misses you."

Joey smiled, happy that for the first time in her life she really had a family. It might not be conventional but it made her happy.

"And um… well, we have some news," Charlie put in.

Leah's curiosity returned.

"Um…" Charlie tried.

She looked uncertainly at Joey.

"Charlie and I have fallen in love with each other," the younger woman blurted out.

She and her girlfriend both blushed as Leah stared rather uncomprehendingly at them.

"I'm sorry," she eventually said. "I don't understand."

"We're in a relationship," Charlie said, taking hold of Joey's hand as if to demonstrate.

"Romantically," Joey added.

"Like… you're girlfriends?" Leah asked.

They both nodded.

"Okay…" Leah ventured, still not sure what to say.

Charlie and Joey both looked and felt concerned.

"Leah?" Charlie asked fearfully.

She did, after all, have to live with this woman. Granted, she wasn't living there with Joey but it mattered that her landlady didn't object.

"Sorry," Leah said. "I just… I didn't even know you were gay, Charlie."

"I'm not," Charlie said, clasping Joey's hand a little tighter. "I don't really know what I am, except in love with Joey."

Joey beamed at her. She didn't think she would ever tire of hearing those words. She had never imagined that she could be loved and be in love like she was right now.

"Well, congratulations then," Leah said earnestly.

She smiled.

"I hope that you're happy together," she added.

Charlie and Joey both breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing either of them wanted was to alienate their friend.

"We really are," Charlie confirmed. "I know it's a shock. It was to us too. And Ruby. But… well, I've never felt like this about anyone before. It's the real thing."

Leah stood to hug both of them.

"So, is there anything you'd like me to bring for dinner?" she asked.

Charlie hugged her a little tighter, relieved that Leah was still their friend.

"Nope," Joey said when they had all sat back down again. "Just your lovely self and your lovely son."

"Speaking of which… how do you want us to play this with VJ?" Charlie asked, worried again.

"He has to know these things at some point so it may as well be now," Leah decided. "If you're going to be together properly then I think it's better to explain it all to him. Maybe tomorrow night?"

Charlie nodded.

"That sounds good," Joey agreed.

"And um… are you okay with Joey staying over sometimes?" Charlie asked nervously. "Or should I always stay there?"

Leah chuckled and touched her hand.

"I've never had a problem when you've had boyfriends stay," she said.

Then she looked a little panicked and quickly informed Joey that there hadn't been many.

"It's fine," Joey giggled. "We've never hidden the past from each other."

Charlie grinned and put her arm around her girlfriend.

"But anyway," Leah said, "like I was saying, I've never had a problem with boyfriends so I'm not going to object to a girlfriend. And besides, this has been your home too, Joey. Of course you'll always be welcome."

The following afternoon, Charlie and Joey were busily cooking dinner in the kitchen, ready for the night ahead.

"Charlie," Joey warned. "You're meant to be helping."

"I am helping," Charlie insisted. "I'm relaxing you."

Joey chuckled as her girlfriend continued to stand behind her, nuzzling her neck and kissing her shoulders.

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'distracting', not relaxing," Joey told her.

Charlie drew away and pouted.

"Fine," she said. "If you don't like my technique…"

Turning to face her, Joey drew Charlie into her arms, kissing her tenderly.

"I can assure you, there's no problem with your technique," she said, making Charlie turn red. "I just don't want VJ to find out that we're a couple by walking in on us having sex on the kitchen table or something."

Charlie snorted and they both pictured what they could get up to later. They kissed again. Joey closed her eyes as she felt Charlie's hands run through her hair. Charlie nudged Joey against the counter, wrapping her arms more tightly around her.

"I love you so much," Charlie breathed.

She couldn't believe that she had ever had any hesitation in telling her how she felt. No relationship had ever been so right in all her life.

"I love you too," Joey replied, taking every word to heart. "I've never been so happy in all my life."

"Wow, there really isn't anything wrong with my technique!" Charlie smirked.

Joey laughed and reached up to stroke Charlie's face, losing herself in her eyes.

"I mean it," she said sincerely. "I never believed anyone would ever love me, especially not someone as wonderful as you. You're my every dream come true, Charlie."

They kissed again and again, losing themselves in their feelings.

Next time… VJ is told about Charlie and Joey's relationship but nobody realises that problems could be lurking…