Charlie glances at her watch. She was meeting Daisy in twenty minutes and where only yesterday she had been looking forward to it, now her mind was filled with doubts. All day at work she'd been thinking of the previous night. She knew she was only torturing herself by reading anything into it, yet she couldn't shake Joey's confession from her thoughts. Joey preferred sex with woman, despite being married to a man and it hadn't escaped her notice that Joey had avoided her eyes when she spoke of her reasons.
"Don't do this Charlie," she tells herself. "She's married, so there's no chance for you." Then why can't I get past this, she thinks sadly. No woman had ever made her this crazy.
"Charlie?" Ruby says softly from behind her. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine."
"For someone who's been looking forward to this date, you don't look fine." Ruby sits on the arm rest of the couch next to her sister. "Is it Joey?"
Charlie sighs. "It's hopeless Ruby. I'm just not over her."
"Then cancel your date."
"It's a bit late for that, besides, the best way to get over Joey, is to move on."
"And how do you plan to do that? Save yourself for whenever this Daisy lady is in town or go back to your old ways."
"Those days are over and as for Daisy," she shrugs. "I'm not sure anymore."
"I wish things were different Charlie, that you could be with the woman you want."
"But I can't. I keep telling myself that Ruby and Joey's made it clear she's committed to her marriage, so why the hell do I keep torturing myself like this."
"Because you love her," Ruby thinks, though she kept the thought to herself. She'd never seen her sister like this and she doubted Charlie would admit to being in love because it would be too painful now. Instead, she kisses her sister on the forehead. "You'll find someone," she tells her in a positive voice.
Walking into the Club, Charlie pauses to scan the crowded room for Daisy. "Oh fuck," she mutters, her eyes falling on Joey behind the bar. Why did Joey have to be working the one night she has a date, especially when she'd finally talked herself into coming here.
"So that's her, the one who has gotten under your skin."
"Yeah," Charlie replies, suddenly realising Daisy was standing right next to her.
Chuckling, Daisy presses her lips to a startled Charlie's. "Can't say I blame you, she's hot."
"Maybe we should go somewhere else," suggests Charlie.
"Why, I don't have a problem with her being here, if you don't."
"Of course I don't. Joey and I are just friends."
Daisy nods knowingly. "If you don't want to go through with this date Charlie, I'll understand."
"I can't promise anything, but the least I can do is buy you dinner."
After finding a table, Charlie makes her way to the bar, feeling a little awkward as she waited for Joey to get to her.
"Hey Charlie," Joey greets her warmly. "If you're looking for Martha or Georgie, they're having dinner in Martha's office."
"Actually, I'm here with someone."
Joey follows Charlie's eyes back to the woman at the table, recognising her as the woman Charlie had gone off with the night she'd told Charlie she felt nothing between them, the woman Charlie also hoped would help her move on. She automatically waves back when the woman offers a smile and small wave. "What can I get you?" Joey asks, putting aside her irrational dislike of a woman she didn't even know.
"Two white wines. I didn't know you were on tonight."
"Martha asked me to cover for Alf." She sets the two glasses in front of Charlie.
"A bit past your bedtime, isn't it Charlie," Georgie teases as she and Martha join them at the bar.
Charlie smirks at the slightly dishevelled hair of her cousin and Martha's flushed cheeks. "How was dinner?"
"It was lovely," answers Georgie, well aware of where Charlie was leading. "Dessert was even better though."
"Georgie!" Martha's cheeks even redder now.
Chuckling, Georgie circles her arms around her waist. "You know how I love my dessert."
"Keep it up and you'll be going without," Martha threatens as she melts into her girlfriend's arms.
Seeing how much Georgie and Martha loved each other, once again had Charlie longing for the same, her thoughts echoed by Joey, who was also wondering how she could love her husband, yet still want what her friends had. She knew the answer, she just didn't want to voice it.
"I should get back to my date," Charlie says, grabbing the glasses and leaving before her cousin could say anymore.
"Did she say date?" Georgie's brow goes up when she sees the woman. "So that's what she looks like when she's not stuck to Charlie's face."
Martha glances over her shoulder, glad that Joey had moved to the other end of the bar to serve a customer. "Sometimes Georgie, your mouth gets the better of you."
"I knew Joey wasn't there, not that it should matter. Charlie's free to be with whoever she wants."
"Except we both know who she wants and it's not the woman sitting at the table with her."
Drying her hands, Charlie stares into the mirror. Daisy was a beautiful woman, great company and great in bed and she could do with all three at the moment, yet her thoughts had kept drifting toward the woman behind the bar.
"Who is the fairest of them all," Daisy jokes from the doorway.
Smiling, Charlie turns to face her. "I was just kind of lost in thought."
"You have been all night."
"I'm sorry I haven't been very good company."
"Well, you did say you couldn't promise much." She walks right over to Charlie, stopping only inches from her. "If you were my girlfriend, I'd be pissed that you've spent the entire time you've been with me thinking of her, but as we're little more than friends with benefits, I'm not angry."
"I keep telling people I've changed but I'm basically using you for sex."
"I'm doing the same." She leans in, kissing Charlie long and slow. "Why don't we go somewhere more private?" she suggests, kissing her again.
"There must be something about these toilets," Charlie murmurs against Daisy's lips.
"Am I missing something?"
"It doesn't matter." Charlie did feel a faint tingle when Daisy kissed her. She closes her eyes, trying to lose herself in the kiss.
"Don't let me interrupt." Charlie jumps away from Daisy as if bitten, unable to meet Joey's eyes.
Standing at the basin next to Charlie, Joey dabs a wet paper towel against the stain on her shirt, while trying to erase the image of Charlie once again kissing that woman.
Watching from the other side of the room, Daisy smiles wryly. It really was so obvious about those two.
"I hope you enjoy the rest of your night," Joey says, making a hasty exit.
"Wow, was she jealous," Daisy says the moment the door was closed behind Joey.
"Are you kidding!" Charlie stares at her, incredulous she could even think it. "It looked like Joey couldn't have cared less."
"I think your judgement about her is probably a little clouded because she was definitely jealous."
"How could you tell?"
"She was trying too hard to show it didn't bother her when it clearly did." She smirks at Charlie. "I'd say you did a pretty good job of getting under her skin as well."
"It doesn't matter, she's married."
"How happily married can she be when she's jealous of her one night stand kissing another woman?" Daisy heads to the door. "The offer of meaningless sex is still there, but I don't think you'd actually enjoy it, so I'll say goodbye." She pauses at the open door. "How long are the both of you going to use her marriage vows as an excuse to not act on your feelings?"
"I have acted on them and Joey won't break her vows and I won't force her to again."
Daisy shakes her head, thinking they were both fools. "Goodbye Charlie."
Once alone, Charlie leans back against the basin. Daisy had to be wrong about Joey being jealous, didn't she? "God Charlie, you just want to believe Daisy so you'll get your hopes up again but she's wrong; Joey's married and she's happy."
"Where did Georgie disappear to?" Joey asks Martha when she returns to the bar.
"To pick up Jay from Irene's." Martha glances at Joey. "You ok, you look like you've seen a ghost."
"It's nothing."
Martha catches sight of Daisy leaving the toilets and not seeing Charlie anywhere, puts two and two together.
Joey sees Martha's realisation. "It was just a shock walking in on them kissing, is all."
"Right." Martha lets it go. It really wasn't any of her business, she told herself, despite her worry that two of her friends were in danger of making a bad decision. If Joey was free, it would be different, but she knew Joey would regret it if she let things go too far while she was married and she didn't want either of them to get hurt.
Joey ploughs through the water. She was still upset by the fight she'd had with Angelo when she'd gotten home late from the club the night before because he was pissed that he'd finally had a night home yet she was working. When she pointed out that if not for being out with her friends or working, she'd be the one home alone all the time, things had just gotten worse and he'd actually had the nerve to demand she quit.
She speeds up her strokes. She'd given up everything to come here with him, including leaving her sick father, yet he seemed to resent her wanting to make friends and keep herself occupied. He kept denying it and saying he was happy she was making friends, but she kept getting the feeling he'd prefer her to be home all the time, waiting for his return from work like a good little wife. At least one good thing had come from their argument, neither had been in the mood for sex. She stops her strokes, rolling onto her back and floating on the water. There was something wrong when she was looking for excuses not to have sex with her husband and feeling relief when he left for work before she woke. "We're just adjusting to our new life and Angelo's trying to deal with the new pressures of being a station Sergeant," she tried to convince herself.
Jumping into Bianca's shower, Angelo was in a far better mood. Bianca might be a whore, he pauses in his thoughts; Bianca kept telling him she wasn't a prostitute, just a woman who liked sex as much as he did, so he probably should stop calling her a whore, but he didn't want to. Calling her a whore made him feel better and she was one whore who certainly knew how to take the edge off. He knew he was risking everything by seeing her, but he was never one to be able to go without sex for too long and seeking it elsewhere would ensure he didn't take his frustration out on Joey. "Bianca as marriage therapy," he thinks in amusement, though he doubted Joey would ever see it that way. Things weren't going how he wanted them to be going right now and he knew he had to make things up to Joey, even though he didn't think he was asking too much to want her to quit, it's not like she needed the money or anything, yet it's what she wanted and for the time being, he needed to keep her happy, at least until the plan he'd set in motion reached fruition.
Charlie, her mind still churning over the possibilities while constantly reminding herself that Joey was married, set a quicker pace across the sand. Gasping for breath a few minutes later, she bends over with her hands on her knees. She looks up in surprise when a water bottle appears in front of her.
"Looks like you need it more than I do," Joey murmurs.
"Thanks." Taking a sip, she can't help but admire the woman in front of her. She was gorgeous at the best of times, but in a bikini and freshly from the water, she was drop dead sexy.
Joey tries not to shiver at the hungry look in Charlie's eyes. "How did your date go?" Joey asks casually, hating the feeling of jealousy. Charlie was free to see who ever she pleased, she silently reminded herself.
"It was nice while it lasted. Daisy is a lovely woman, but I won't be seeing her again." Why did I tell her that, Charlie thought, handing the water back to Joey.
"Relationships are hard work."
"Why do I get the feeling you're not talking about me and Daisy?" Charlie asks.
"Marriage isn't easy," she admits, sitting down on the sand. "Angelo and I may have known each other a long time, but being husband and wife is completely different and I don't think either of us has really learnt the art of compromise properly."
Charlie sits down next to her. "I'm hardly an expert on relationships myself but I've always thought that if you love someone enough, you work through the rough patches."
"It's easier said than done," Joey mutters quietly.
Charlie didn't know how much longer she could do this, being this close to Joey only served to remind her how she wanted Joey more than she'd ever wanted another woman and she didn't think her friend would appreciate the thoughts going through her head about the possibility Joey wasn't so happy in her marriage.
Joey lies back on the sand, her hands crossed behind her head. "This is such a beautiful place, I've made great friends, I love the work I do, yet," she sighs, leaving the rest of her thoughts unsaid.
"You realise that being wet, you're going to look like a sand monster when you get up," Charlie says in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"About a second after I lay back."
"In that case, you know what you need." She pulls Joey to her feet and drags her toward the water.
Putting up some resistance at first, Joey waits until their feet are in the water before turning the tables on Charlie, the result of their struggles having them land in a laughing heap in the shallow water.
With Joey landing on top of her, their breasts crushed together, their lips suddenly so close there was barely a gap as they gazed into each other's eyes while time stood still, it felt so natural for Charlie to close the distance, their lips meeting briefly at first, then more firmly as they gave into their shared desire.