Chapter Twenty-Nine
Joey had spent an uncomfortable week being watched and approached by Skip. The only comfort had been Charlie and how loving she always was. And she did feel protected, as much as anyone could in that situation anyway. They had also made more progress with Ross, who had been to dinner with them twice and had actually begun to talk to Joey directly and nicely. They had even shared a joke or two. Joey felt she clicked nicely with Morag and she and Ruby continued to get on like a house on fire.
***
It was Friday night and Charlie was looking desperately forward to an entire weekend off. She, Joey, Watson, Angelo, Jack and Martha had arranged to go for drinks at the Surf Club.
"Okay, I have a game," Angelo said, grinning at his friends.
"Uh oh," Charlie said.
"How about 'I have never'?"
"What's that?" Watson asked.
"A drinking game," Joey told her. "You say 'I have never' and then make a statement. And if you've done it, you drink."
"Well, you explained it better than I would have!" Angelo said, pleased.
"And you can confess to things on purpose," Joey added. "You don't have to choose things that you actually haven't done."
"I'm not sure this is such a good idea," Jack said uncertainly.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" Martha insisted.
His looked at his wife and sighed. She always got her way. There was really very little point in arguing.
"I'm with Jack on this one," said Charlie.
She didn't particularly want to share all her secrets, especially with three of her work colleagues.
"Me too," said Watson.
"I thought cops were meant to be brave," Joey teased, grinning at Charlie who promptly gave into peer pressure.
"Fine, I'll play. But nothing leaves this circle."
Everyone nodded.
"I'll start," said Angelo. "I have never used my uniform in the bedroom."
Charlie's breath caught in her throat, making her cough.
"I'm guessing Charlie will be drinking," Martha grinned.
Charlie sighed heavily and joined Angelo in drinking.
"You guys should do it," Joey laughed. "It's a lot of fun!"
Charlie blushed a deeper shade of crimson. Angelo looked extra cheerful.
"Your turn, Joey," Angelo said.
"Okay, I have never…"
She shrugged.
"… Had sex with a man," she decided.
Charlie and Martha were the only ones to drink. Charlie frowned, already tired of being a constant drinker.
"I have never had a threesome," she said, determined to secure something she hadn't done.
Angelo gulped his beer proudly. Joey swallowed her Jack Daniels and coke in a more subdued fashion.
"You never cease to surprise me," Charlie told her girlfriend.
Joey shrugged awkwardly, hoping Charlie wasn't disappointed in her somehow.
"Is there anything you won't try?" Angelo asked her.
"Men," Joey replied firmly.
He frowned. The others laughed.
"I have never had sex in a car," Watson said.
She was the only one who didn't drink.
"I have never had sex in a public place," Martha said, sipping her wine.
Everybody else followed suit.
"I have never been caught in the act," Jack suggested.
He and Martha both drank. Charlie and Joey were glad not to have to answer affirmatively. They chose to ignore their near misses.
***
As the night continued, the game got sillier and Charlie was sure she knew more about her friends than she really wanted to. More importantly, they now knew more about her than she'd wanted to reveal. But honesty was an annoying habit of hers. Charlie laughed as Joey and Watson both admitted to having been with someone more than twenty years their senior.
"I have never…" Charlie began.
She caught Joey's expression and looked behind her to where she was staring. Skip was propping up the bar, watching them intently. Charlie glared at her and then looked back at Joey who wasn't having fun anymore.
"Who's that?" Martha asked, noticing the stranger.
"Isn't she the mugging victim from last week?" Angelo asked, recognising her.
"She's a hell of a lot more than that," Joey said darkly.
"An ex?"
"She wishes."
"Do you want to go?" Charlie asked quietly.
"No," Joey replied. "She's not going to stop me hanging out with my friends."
She turned her back on Skip.
"So, Charlie, what have you never done?" she asked.
***
Skip sat alone at the bar feeling awful. How could Joey be so unkind as to ignore her? She had been snappy and rude all week, never finding time and space to connect with her. Her grief increased the longer she spent watching her beloved Joey having fun with that woman and their friends. She longed to be part of the group. She wished with all her heart that Joey would accept that they loved each other. It would be the most amazing experience to be able to sit beside her, like that other woman, Charlie, was doing now. Her whole body tensed as she watched Joey, her Joey, laugh and lean in. Joey kissed Charlie tenderly, wrapping her arms around her. The other officer, Rossetti or something wolf whistled. Charlie and Joey pulled away and Joey snuggled into Charlie's shoulder. Skip could imagine she was blushing. She strained to listen as the game continued.
***
When Charlie and Joey were ready to leave the bar, they were aware that Skip was still present and eyeing them intently. Feeling tipsy and annoyed that Skip had almost ruined their evening, Charlie made sure she wrapped her arms around Joey. She kissed her passionately in the middle of the Surf Club. Joey looked shocked. Charlie looked pleased with herself. Skip's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"So, a threesome, huh?" Charlie teased as she and Joey began to walk home.
"Slept with two members of the same family, huh?" Joey countered.
They both giggled, feeling flushed.
"So, how were they related?" Joey asked, linking arms as they walked and leaning into Charlie partly out of affection and partly out of dizziness.
"Cousins," Charlie admitted. "How did your threesome come about?"
"Two friends both decided they liked me. We were in a club. They approached and said they couldn't pick which one got to have me and proposed that they both did."
Charlie marvelled at the audacity those women must have had. She wished she could be more forthright, although Joey was improving her personal confidence every day.
"So, which cousin was better?" Joey asked, shining the attention back on Charlie.
"I wouldn't compare them!" she protested.
"Yeah, right."
"Okay, George, the younger was better," she said. "And was your exploit as exciting as people seem to think it is?"
"It was fun. But my outlook on life has changed recently."
"What do you mean?"
"I've realised that the best kind of intimacy is with someone you love. You could have all the exciting exploits you want in your history but nothing compares to a genuine connection. I mean, you're the most incredible lover I've had anyway but the fact that we're in love just makes it even more special."
Joey caught herself, realising that she was rambling. She blushed and looked away. Charlie couldn't help but smile joyfully, feeling extremely pleased with herself. She stopped and faced Joey, holding her hands in hers.
"I feel exactly the same about you," she said, leaning in to kiss her.
