After attacking and nearly failing to get the porridge saucepan clean, Joey had put her feet up for a short time before restlessness had taken over again and she'd headed out into the great outdoors. Charlie might not be too happy about her not sitting at home like a good little patient, but she reasoned that Rachel had told her to take it easy and avoid anything that could raise her blood pressure, so strictly speaking, taking a short walk in the fresh air along the calming shores of the beach wasn't going against doctor's orders. Joey grinned. If Charlie had a problem, she'd just remind her of the little amendment to Rachel's orders that had left Charlie feeling a whole lot better last night.
Glancing at her watch, she thought she'd better head home so she could get the food ready to take to the station. She was just about to turn back when she spied a lonely figure sitting at the end of the pier. Joey hesitated, weighing up her options; should she avoid a confrontation or stay and talk to her friend? The slumping of Leah's shoulders swayed her; she was her friend and Leah looked like she needed one right now.
Still a little unsure about what reception she was going to receive, she approached a little apprehensively.
"I don't bite," Leah says without turning around.
"Sorry," Joey replies as she sits down next to her. "I wasn't sure how you'd feel about the girlfriend of the woman who arrested your husband."
"I'm not angry with Charlie for arresting Darryl, I'm angry with myself for believing that he had changed." She sighs heavily. "I know people thought I was a fool for marrying Darryl, but I loved him and I believed in him and now I see they were right to call me a fool."
"Leah, you're not a fool, you're just a woman who fell in love with a man she believed had changed and there's no shame in wanting to believe in a person."
"I still should have seen it though. Right from the start, I sensed he kept things from me but I put it down to him wanting to keep our businesses separate because we had our own way of running our businesses, now though, I know it was more than just things about the restaurant he was keeping from me. How could I be so blind to him?"
"Leah, from the way I've heard people talk about him, a lot of people were convinced that he'd changed and maybe he had for a time."
"No," Leah says vehemently. "I don't think he changed at all, he just became better at hiding it by playing the respectable businessman. It's funny, I believed in him, that's why I married him, yet when I heard he'd been arrested, my first thought wasn't that he'd been falsely accused, it was what a fool I'd been, then it was I should change the locks because I don't want him coming home to me, so I guess deep down, I must have had suspicions, I just chose to ignore them rather than face up to them."
"What do you plan to do?"
"Take time to think things over and sort out my next move, but as far as my marriage is concerned, it's over. Brax has been bailed on the assault charge, pending further charges and I'm sure he'll come up with a multitude of excuses and lies, but I have little interest in hearing them and I just can't see a way that I could ever trust him again and now I'm worried about Casey and VJ. Both of them idolise Brax, especially at the way he went from gang member to respectable businessman and now, they'll see that it's all been a lie and their hero could soon be in jail." Joey raises her brows at the way Leah was now referring to her husband as Brax instead of Darryl as she usually did. Joey guessed it was a way of distancing herself from him. "When we first got together, I had to put up with the whispers and stares, but they went away when people also started to believe he'd changed and now those whispers and stares will be back."
"I'm sure it won't last long."
"If it does, hopefully it will be aimed more at Brax and not my stupidity."
"Perhaps those people should turn their eyes onto themselves, because you've done nothing that they themselves haven't done."
"Wish it worked like that but it doesn't. Georgie has turned her life around, made a great career and family for herself, yet so many people haven't given her credit for that, while some of those same people have fawned over Brax and the new life he'd made for himself." She smiles wryly. "The joys of living in a small town."
"Believe me, gossip and judgemental attitudes happen everywhere."
"True, the problem with small towns though, is there's really nowhere to hide from it."
"Just remember that your friends are there for you Leah, including me."
"Thanks Joey, but you have your own soon-to-be-ex to deal with and the latest fallout between the two stubborn cousins."
"I can handle it. You've been a friend to me from practically the moment we met, so let me be there for you Leah, even if it's just as a sounding board to get things off your chest."
"I'm fine for the moment, but I may take you up on your offer when you're not dealing with so much yourself. Actually, are you even supposed to be out?"
Joey chuckles. "It does kind of feel like I'm staging a break out." She winces. "Sorry, that was probably a bit tactless after your husband's been in jail."
"It's ok. What about you Joey, how are you doing?"
"Health wise, I'm feeling much better, as for the rest, well, this morning I found out my father tried to bribe my girlfriend."
"Fuck." Leah's hand flies to her mouth. "Oops, that kind of slipped out."
"I felt like saying the same, even though it actually didn't surprise me that he tried it."
"Ah family, you love them but they can cause so much angst. Joey, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"What was your opinion of Brax when you first met him?" Joey shrugs. "Come on Joey, I know you must have had one."
"Ok, I thought there was something a little off about him and he had a way of making me feel uncomfortable," Joey answers with complete honesty.
"I really wish I hadn't been so dumb around him."
"It's not always easy to see the truth, especially when feelings become involved. I've known Angelo all of my life, yet it's only now that I'm finally seeing another side to him, one I don't find very appealing and while I knew where my feelings stood, I always believed he loved me, which is why I had no idea he was having an affair, so if you're dumb, then so am I for only seeing what our husband's wanted us to see."
"Dumb and Dumber, huh?"
"You can be Dumb, I'll be Dumber."
For the first time since she'd heard of her husband's arrest, Leah smiled. "Well then Dumber, come with me and I'll drop you off at home. Oh and Joey," she says as they get to their feet. "Tell Charlie and Aden that I blame Brax for this, not them."
"I'm sure that will come as somewhat of a relief, especially for Charlie because she values your friendship so much and hated the thought this would come between you."
"I value our friendship too and I've always understood that there are times when Charlie has to put the job first, I was just hoping it wouldn't happen with us but now that it has, I'm pointing my anger to the cause and that's my soon-to-be ex-husband."
Joey puts her arm around her friend's shoulders. "Don't rush into things."
"I know I said I was going to take time to think over my next move, but I think that needs to be arranging a legal separation. My marriage is over, but there are other things to sort out and I need Brax away from me so I can think more clearly about my future."
"Morag is very good," suggests Joey.
"Yeah I know and I'm going to call her as soon as I get home."
"I wish things had worked out differently for you Leah."
"So do I but I guess that's the risk you take when you fall for a man like Brax; you risk being hurt and disappointed when he proves he can't change." She shrugs her shoulders. "Who knows, maybe sometime in the future, I'll be as lucky as Charlie and Martha and find someone just as wonderful as they both have."
"Ever considered going gay?"
"God no," she blurts out, making Joey chuckle. "Don't get me wrong, I'm completely comfortable with all my gay friends, but I'm definitely a sausage kind of girl."
"They can come attached," jokes Joey.
"I think I'll stick with the permanently attached kind."
"Suit yourself, but you don't know what you're missing," Joey says with a cheeky wiggle of her brows.
"If there was another like you Joey, I may be tempted," Leah jokes back.
"Alas, I'm one of a kind."
"Lucky Charlie."
"Lucky me. Charlie is definitely my kind of girl and I'm sure there is a guy out there who thinks you're his kind of girl and will give you the love, honesty and respect you deserve."
Joey suddenly found herself wrapped in a bear hug. "Thank you Joey, you're just what I needed this morning."
"Glad I could be here for you, just let Charlie know my services were invaluable should she have a problem with my going AWOL."
"I'll put in a good word for you and if we swing by the diner, I'll even add in one of her favourite pastries to get you off the hook."
The fax Aden had been expecting had yet to arrive, so the meeting with Robertson had been delayed until the afternoon so they could have all the evidence and information in front of them. Charlie smirks a little. She had quite enjoyed the look of annoyance on Robertson's face when Aden had told him she would be joining them in the meeting. It had been quickly replaced by a more welcoming expression, but it had been there. It was petty of her, but he got on her nerves at times so it was nice to know she got on his nerves as well.
"Looks like I might not be needed after all," Joey says from the doorway.
"Oh, you are definitely needed," Charlie says, rushing over to her girlfriend and greeting her with a kiss. "I missed you," she murmurs against her lips.
"I missed you too." Joey holds up the picnic basket. "I come bearing gifts."
"You're the only gift I need."
"Then I'll toss this to the others out there and you can have me."
"I'll have both," replies Charlie, locking the door. "Just in case you have ideas."
"I do have ideas but this is hardly the place for it," she quips.
Charlie felt the blood rushing to her face. "Ok, I need to get those images out of my head or I won't be able to concentrate for the rest of the day."
Chuckling, Joey sets the basket on the desk and sits on the edge. "How has your day been?"
"Aside from Georgie avoiding me, it's been ok."
"You two will get there."
Charlie nods, not really wanting to talk about it anymore just right now. "I hope you've been taking things easy."
"Well, after I survived the porridge saucepan, I had a chat to Leah."
"She came around to the house?" Charlie says in surprise.
"Not exactly," Joey says with a cheeky grin. "I kind of flew the coop and before you say anything, I was just taking a relaxing stroll when I came upon Leah and I could hardly walk away when she clearly needed a friend."
"Of course you couldn't walk away. Is she ok?"
"She's hurt and angry at herself and at her husband, but I think she's going to be fine, especially with her friends behind her."
"And of course we'll be there for her, if she wants all of us, that is."
"She does, she even told me to tell you and Aden that she doesn't blame you for arresting Brax, she blames him."
"It's a relief to not have Leah upset at me, I just wish she hadn't been hurt in this. Regardless of what I think of Brax, I know how much Leah loves him."
"Yeah she did. Have there been any further developments in the case?"
"We're going over it later this afternoon and I have a feeling it's not going to be good for Brax."
"Leah has the same feeling about his future."
"I feel a little guilty that my love life is going so well while hers is going downhill."
"That's the way of relationships, unfortunately."
"Well, ours is never going downhill."
"I rather like you going down on me though," Joey says suggestively.
"I think we should eat before both of our blood pressure rises."
"Leah put in a treat for you, just in case you needed sweet talking about me not sitting home with my feet up."
"I know I've gone a bit overboard with my concern."
"I kind of like it but I don't think it's really necessary. I haven't felt nauseous since the day I collapsed and despite all that's going on around us, I feel fine."
"Well, until Rachel gives you the all clear, please, just humour me."
"I'll do more than that."
Charlie grins. "You are trouble."
"You're kind of trouble?"
"Very much my kind."
"How long is your lunch break?"
"Not long enough," Charlie replies hoarsely. She shakes herself from her erotic thoughts. "I might need to get out for some fresh air before the meeting," she mumbles.
"I put in some cold juice if you need cooling down."
"I think I'll need it." She takes the offered juice and gulps half of it down.
Joey grins. She loved the effect she had on Charlie, almost as much as she loved the effect Charlie had on her.