Many thanks to the regulars who are continuing to review my story. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, nice and steamy eh!!!

Chapter 48.

Charlie arrived at Joeys at 10 am on Saturday morning. She'd just brought her bikini, towel, sunglasses and suntan lotion. She wondered where Joey planned to go for the picnic, but if she was borrowing a rib off Alf, it must be up the coast somewhere.

When she arrived, Joey started walking down the path, carrying a couple of life jackets. She was wearing a pair of board shorts and a baggy t-shirt, with her bikini underneath. She had on her old tatty but favourite black beanie hat, as she was going out on a boat. She usually wore it while she was surfing, to keep her head warm in the winter. And she looks totally cool and very, very sexy, thought Charlie.

"Morning babe", said Joey grinning broadly. Looking appreciatively at Charlie in her skinny shorts and tight t-shirt over her bikini.

"Morning sexy" said Charlie smiling at Joey.

"Give us a hand will you babe, I've got quite a few bits to bring out." Joey said. Charlie opened her car boot up. Joey dumped the life jackets inside, then they walked back to the house to get the rest of the stuff. Charlie followed, and was amazed at the pile of stuff in the hall by the front door. She looked at Joey laughing.

"OMG Jo, my cars not big enough for all this gear."

"Very funny, now stop laughing at it, and start shifting it" Joey said, trying to sound stroppy, but giggling instead.

They picked up the 2 sets of snorkels, masks, fins and boogie boards and made their way back to Charlies car.

They put the stuff in the back seat, then went back to the house for the next load.

This time there was a great big picnic hamper, cool box, and a large rucksack that was completely full.

"And you think I took too much food last Sunday for our picnic?" Charlie laughed.

Joey smirked at her. "Right that's all of it" said Jo. "Let's get moving." As they got in the car.

"Where to then honey?"

"Oh, the harbour please babe. I'm borrowing Alfs rib for the day, and it's tied to his boat at the moment."

"Umm, so where are we going then?" asked Charlie excitedly, as she drove off.

"Just up the coast for a few miles, to a secluded beach for the day. It's got a great sandy beach, and it's got some great shallows for snorkelling and swimming." She smiled, and put her hand on Charlies leg, rubbing her soft skin gently with her thumb.

"Whooaa, honey, you'd better leave that until later, or we'll never get out on the water." Charlie said, torn between waiting until later, and driving back to Joeys right now.

Joey looked at Charlie, drooping her lips, trying to look hurt, then continued to rub her thumb on Charlies leg, grinning wickedly. Charlie smiled at her, while trying to keep the car on the road.

Charlie parked her car as close to Alfs boat as possible, and they began unloading the stuff from the car into the rib.

They made 3 trips again. Then Joey helped Charlie get into the rib, by holding her hand out and pulling her in.

"Right babe, we'll have to wear life jackets, as we're going out into open water OK. Plus, I'll just show you how to start the engine, and stuff before we leave, in case I fall overboard or something, and you have to take charge. And I'll show you how to use the radio as well, OK."

"Sure hon." Joey showed Charlie how to do all the above. Just in case of an emergency.

When she was happy Charlie knew what was what, she told Charlie to get to the front of the rib. She started the engine, and undid the tether to the harbour. She slowly moved the boat into the estuary and began to steer out the harbour into the open ocean. As they left the harbour area, she gradually put the speed up a bit. Charlie had never been on such a small boat before, and she secretly hoped she wouldn't get seasick and embarrass herself in front of Joey. Joey couldn't believe that Charlie had never been in a small boat before, not even for work. She thought that everyone had been in a boat before.

Charlie was enjoying the feel of the sea breeze in her face and blowing through her hair. And they hadn't even got going properly yet.

Joey told her to get ready to hold on as she was going to get a lot faster in a minute. So Charlie held onto the ropes that ran around the sides of the rib, while kneeling down at the very front.

Joey pushed the throttle forward and the boat sped up, it's nose rising up in the air slightly.

"Hold on tight babe" shouted Joey. As Joey made it leap through the air and over the oncoming wave. The splash of water from the wave went over Charlie and she squealed at the soaking she got, and the fact that she flew into the air for a split second, before landing back in the boat. She turned round and laughed at Joey.

"This is great honey" she said giggling like a school girl.

"And we're nowhere near the beach yet. Mind you, if you get this excited 10 minutes into our date, I must be doing something right." She laughed.

"I don't know how you do it honey, but ever since I've met you, you're always making me laugh. I've not stopped smiling since I met you, and I've never had so much fun before."

"Good. And long may it continue." Said Joey.

"Where's this beach honey, how long until we get there?"

"Just a bit further up. Can you see that group of about 6 or 7 trees on the top of the cliff over there?" pointing them out to Charlie.

"Yep."

"It's just below them."

Joey made the boat go faster, so it was bouncing along the sea, causing them both the bounce about in the boat. Charlie was giggling like a schoolgirl, and that made Joey smile, and want to go faster and faster, and get her a bit wetter from the spray, and make her giggle some more.

She kept trying to steer through waves to make the rib fly in the air a bit, and to send the sea spray over Charlie, enjoying her shrieking.

She certainly looked very sexy, sat at the front of the rib, hair flying in the breeze, laughter coming from her and a very large smile on her face.

Joeys heart just melted at the sight before her.

Fifteen minutes later, they were approaching the beach, Joey having slowed down and lined the rib up to steer straight at the beach.

She carefully continued, until she was ten foot out, then she lifted the engine motor up, letting the rib drift onto the beach. She jumped out into the sea, taking the rope with her, and pulled the rib up. She tied the rope to a rock, and then went back to the rib to help Charlie out.

"Ta da.." she said "welcome to our own private beach for the day. Our own piece of paradise." As she held her hand out for Charlie, and held her hand as she jumped out of the boat.

"Wow, you're right about the superb beach hon."

"Glad you like it so far." Joey said, pleased with herself.

They both pulled the boat up the beach a bit more, and began to unload their stuff.

"Right lets set up our stuff for sunbathing later, put the food and drink under cover, to keep it a bit cooler, and then lets go for a swim and snorkel eh?"

"Sure, sounds good." Said Charlie.