Chapter Six
Nine Years Ago…
Charlie and Joey were sat in the Diner with Ruby, whose face was covered in chocolate cake. Joey, sat beside their seven year old daughter had pretty much given up trying to keep her clean. All they had ever cared about was that she was happy. She and Charlie smiled at each other and at Ruby, who was thoroughly enjoying her after school treat.
Present Day
Joey had just finished work for the day. She headed over to the Diner, where she had arranged to meet Ruby after school for cake. It had become their ritual on a Friday afternoon.
"Hey, Joey," Leah greeted warmly.
Joey approached the counter cheerfully.
"How's it going?" she asked.
"Pretty good," Leah said, a shy smile on her face.
"Do you have news?" Joey asked curiously. "You look like you have news."
"Well, um… Justin and I have decided to move in together," Leah revealed.
Joey could see how awkward she looked. Nobody wanted to share their happy romantic successes with her anymore, not now that her own love life had crashed and burned so spectacularly. She reached out and squeezed her friend's hand.
"I am so happy for you," she said sincerely. "You and Justin are made for each other."
Leah thanked her sincerely.
"Mum-J!"
Joey turned to see her sixteen year old daughter calling her from the entrance of the Diner. She had never been a quiet person and Joey hoped she never would be. They had brought her up to be confident and to feel safe and secure in her feelings. That was one of the reasons why all of this was so very difficult. Joey hated herself for shaking her daughter's foundations so abruptly. Their family had always been a forever deal. The central issue was that Charlie had begun to take it all for granted.
"Cake?" Leah asked, as Ruby approached.
"Of course," Joey said. "And two lattes, please."
"Chocolate cake for me please," Ruby requested.
Joey ordered a very nice looking lemon drizzle. They took their seats, Joey immediately interrogating Ruby about school.
"Mum-J!" Ruby interrupted, holding up her hands. "Everything is going fine. I'm studying hard. I always study hard. You know this."
"What about boys?" Joey asked, teasing her. "Anyone on the horizon?"
Ruby shook her head. She had never been much for dating. Joey smiled, full of love for her child.
"And what about you?" Ruby asked, catching her off guard. "How are you doing? How's work? How are you feeling about Mum?"
"Work is fine. Ticking over. I'm fine. And I haven't seen your Mum except in passing," she told her.
Ruby sighed, accepting the coffee and cake that Leah brought over.
"I thought she was going to start making an effort," Ruby said unhappily.
She knew she hadn't. She had barely seen her herself. Charlie had lost herself in work, the central reason Joey had left in the first place.
"I wish it was her who had moved out, not you," the teenager admitted.
Again, Joey was caught off guard. She didn't know what to say so she reached out and squeezed Ruby's hand.
"She'll come back to you," she said, although she worried it wasn't true. "Just give her time."
After saying goodbye to Ruby, Joey had headed over to the gym. Ruby remained on her mind. Ruby and Charlie both. They were always on her mind. She may have left physically but mentally, she had never detached. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to. Finishing up and wondering whether to stop for a drink at Salt, anything really to avoid going home to her empty flat, she faltered, aware of the blonde woman smiling at her, as she re-tied her laces that had come loose on her left trainer.
"Hi," the woman said.
She was tall and attractive. Or perhaps she was tall because Joey was sitting and she was standing. Joey stood. No, she was still taller than her; slim and dressed in gym gear.
"I'm Chloe Brennan," she said.
Joey shook her hand, introducing herself.
"I don't suppose you'd like to go for a drink?" Chloe asked.
"Oh! Uh…" Joey managed, startled.
Chloe smiled at her, leaning in.
"Yes, I am asking you out," she clarified.
She succeeded in making Joey even more flushed.
"I um… well, I've just come out of a very long term relationship…" she said.
Even saying the words made her feel strange. It made it too real. Were she and Charlie truly over? Then she flushed even more, painfully aware than she had just blurted out her entire dating history. She reminded herself not to bother with Tinder. She doubted it would go well.
"So, you're single then?" Chloe said.
Joey felt like her face was on fire. Chloe waited patiently and hopefully for her answer.
"I guess I am," Joey realised.
She wasn't sure how she felt about her answer.
"So… are you thirsty?" Chloe asked.
Hesitantly, Joey agreed. They headed up to Salt together. Joey felt like she was being unfaithful.
Upstairs, Joey and Chloe sat down at a table together, having ordered their drinks from Mac, who was very obviously being nosy but trying to hide it. Dean walked in soon after with Ziggy and Joey could feel their eyes on her. She felt shy and embarrassed, on display, on a date with someone new after having been in a monogamous relationship with the same person since she was a child.
"So, when you say you've only just come out of a long term relationship…?" Chloe said, getting right to the point.
"She and I separated a few weeks ago," Joey told her.
"And how long are we talking?"
"Since we were teenagers."
Chloe sat back in her chair and sipped her drink.
"Wow," she said. "That is long term. I can't hold onto someone for longer than a couple of years!"
She grinned, making Joey laugh. She appreciated her humour and self-deprecation.
"Well, when I commit, I commit," she said.
"Good to know!" Chloe replied. "And is this person on the scene still, or…?"
"Yes," Joey said. "We have a daughter together, so…"
Chloe raised her eyebrows.
"You have a kid?" she said.
"Sixteen years old," Joey confirmed.
Chloe nearly spat out her drink.
"How did you end up with a sixteen year old child?" she asked. "Unless you look very good for your age?"
"Charlie was pregnant when we got together," Joey explained. "But yeah, we were kids. It was… complicated."
Chloe nodded.
"So… you've been in a sixteen year relationship, taking over your whole life, monogamous, you have a teenage daughter, you're recently heartbroken…"
"I know, I'm a real catch, right?" Joey laughed self-consciously.
Chloe smiled sincerely at her.
"You look pretty good from where I'm sitting," she said.
Joey blushed and shifted in her seat. She sipped her drink.
"So, um… tell me about you," she said, not wanting to talk about herself anymore. "What do you do? Where are you from?"
"Well, I'm one of four siblings," Chloe said confidently. "I work in hotel management and I live in Melbourne, in a little town called Erinsborough. I'm bisexual. Divorced. Currently single. No kids but a very happy aunt to several. I'm here on a work trip, looking to expand our branch of hotels into the area."
"That's a very succinct and positive bio," Joey told.
"Well, that's me," Chloe said. "Positive."
Joey thought about Charlie for a moment. When had they stopped being happy and positive? She missed it.
"I'm just surprised," Dean said. "I'm not judging, I'm just surprised."
He and Ziggy were exiting the building and walking out into the car park and towards the beach, holding hands.
"Well, they've been split up for a few weeks now," Ziggy said. "Joey's been so down about it. It's nice to see her trying to move on. And we don't even know if she was even on a date."
"She was definitely on a date, Zig!" Dean said.
"They could have been friends or…"
He stopped.
"She was on a date," he repeated.
"Who was on a date?" Charlie asked, appearing as if from nowhere.
They both looked panicked. She didn't need them to repeat themselves. She'd heard the whole thing.
"Joey," she concluded.
She felt like her heard was going to burst from her chest in sheer pain.
"It might not have been a date," Dean lied.
"It's fine," Charlie said. "Like Ziggy said, she has to move on sometime."
Ziggy could have kicked herself. Charlie shrugged and walked past them. She didn't want them to see her cry. Heading for her car, she climbed in and drove off at speed. Dean and Ziggy watched her go, wondering if they should call someone. But the person they would always have called for her in a crisis was currently upstairs, on a date with another woman.
Next time… Ruby and Charlie struggle with the idea of Joey dating while back in the past, Charlie, Joey and Ruby plan their futures…
