"What's going on here?" Charlie asked when they walked into the club to raucous laughter. She saw Gina, John, Shandi and Xavier around a table, clearly having a good time. Even Hugo seemed mildly amused. Then she saw the balloons tied to their seats. "Oh shit, its Gina birthday party tonight," she suddenly realised. "I completely forgot about that."
Joey took her hand. "You've had a lot on your mind."
"I suppose I have, but the least I can do is go and wish her a happy birthday." While Joey and Ruby went to snare a table for them, Charlie walked over to the Palmer family.
"Hey Charlie, care to join us?" asked Shandi.
"Sorry, but I'm having my own little celebration tonight," replied Charlie. "Joey's dragged me out to celebrate my promotion."
"Well it's about time," Gina said. "And if I haven't said it before, congratulations, Charlie."
"Thanks Gina," she said. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but I totally forgot about your birthday."
"It's ok Charlie," she replied. "With Martha's accident, the investigation and everything else going on, I'm perfectly aware that there are quite a few people who are distracted at the moment and it's completely understandable."
"Distracted is somewhat of an understatement at times."
"How is Georgie handling Angelo being back?"
"About as you'd expect," Charlie said, not at all surprised that word had spread so quickly.
"Considering your relationship to Georgie and Angelo's wife, it can't be all that easy for you to be caught in the middle with his return."
"Let's just say that I'll certainly be earning my new stripes," replied Charlie. "Well anyway, happy birthday and I'll let you get back to your fun."
"Feel free to join us tonight at any time," Gina called out as Charlie walked over to join her girlfriend and sister.
"Don't worry, I'll get it done," Shannon said into the phone as she spied Graves walking into the Club. "I have to go." She hung up and raised her hand to get Graves' attention.
"Hi," Graves said, suddenly feeling shy and nervous as she took the offered seat. She didn't want to appear too eager, but she'd spent the whole drive back to the Bay clock watching, because she'd been hoping she wouldn't have to cancel their date.
"I'm not going to eat you," joked Shannon. "So you can relax."
"Sorry, I'm a little rusty with the whole dating thing."
"Is this a proper date then?"
"Isn't it?"
"I'm kidding." Shannon chuckled at her confusion. "You're kind of cute when you're nervous and unsure."
"If you keep teasing me like that, I won't be capable of much conversation tonight."
"Well well, looks like someone is making herself at home in the Bay," murmured Charlie when she noticed the young Detective being chatted up by a rather striking looking woman.
"Who is the redhead with her?" asked Ruby.
"I think her name is Shannon," said Joey. "I heard her talking to Leah earlier."
"Hope Graves is up to it," mused Charlie.
Joey looked at her girlfriend. "Up to it?"
"You know what they say about redheads."
"No I don't," said Joey. "Obviously you have some experience with the subject though, so please, do fill us in."
Ruby smirked at her sister's sudden discomfort.
"Another drink everyone?" Charlie said as she jumped to her feet.
Taking another sip of her wine, Graves felt herself start to relax. "How are the car trouble's going?" she asked. Not the most stimulating topic, but it was a start and at least she didn't stumble over her words.
"I'm beginning to think it will be cheaper just to right it off and buy a new one," Shannon mumbled. "The cost of the labour alone is going to be astronomical, let alone the cost of the parts it needs. Either way, I'm still going to need to find a temp job here to pay for it."
"Don't be in too much of a rush to get it fixed," Graves said.
Shannon rested her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands as she peered over at her dinner companion. "Are you wanting me to stay?"
"I um, I ah, um." She was blushing furiously as she lost all ability to speak and the way Shannon was looking at her wasn't helping.
"Oh Det. Graves, I am going to have so much fun with you."
"So, we were talking about redheads," Joey said once Charlie returned with their refills.
"Were we?" Charlie said innocently.
"Are you embarrassed for some reason about having been with other women before me?"
"Of course not." Her eyes darted Ruby's way.
"Oh please Charlie, I know you didn't grow up a nun," said Ruby. "And I'm well aware of what you and Joey get up to, so there's no reason to tip toe around the sex talk in my presence."
"I thought we were meant to be celebrating my promotion, not discussing my sex life."
"You're the one who made the comment about redheads," Joey pointed out. "Now, what was it about redheads?"
"They're rather hot in bed," she finally replied. "Or so I've heard."
"Then you've never actually had a redhead?" asked Ruby.
"No."
"I have," Joey said. "He was rather hot in bed."
Ruby choked on her drink.
"Though it was nothing to do with his sexual prowess between the sheets," explained Joey. "It was more that he was suffering some ailment and he was physically overheating."
Charlie stared at her girlfriend for a moment, then smiled at the twinkle in Joey's eyes. "Now I know you're just bullshitting."
Joey grinned at her. "Redheads may be hot in bed, but you my dear, burn the sheets."
"This is going to be a long night," muttered Ruby. "And I've changed my mind," she said. "There is a very good reason to tip toe around the sex talk in my presence."
"Oh and why is that?" queried her sister.
"Because my gag reflexes really aren't up to listening to it."
"Not much to tell really," Graves replied to Shannon's question. "I'm an only child, dad is a mechanic and mum is a high school teacher, all quite normal really."
"You're awfully young to be a Detective though, aren't you?"
"A little."
"So, does that mean you are really smart?"
"A little."
"An overachiever?"
"A bit."
"Why did you become a cop?"
"Nancy Drew."
"Are you serious?"
"No."
"To the Sergeant," Joey and Ruby both toasted to Charlie and clinked their glasses together.
"It's about time those idiots recognised what a great cop you are," added Ruby. "You really should have gotten that promotion ages ago."
"There aren't a lot of Sergeant's openings available Ruby," she said.
"You were meant to get that position before Angelo swanned in and took it." Ruby looked to Joey a little ashamedly. "Sorry, I know he was your husband at the time, but he didn't deserve that posting, Charlie did."
"It's ok Ruby, and I agree, Charlie was more deserving, but," she gazed at her girlfriend. "If Charlie had gotten it before him, then we'd never have moved to the Bay."
"And so we never would have found each other again," finished Charlie. She leant over, her lips centimetres from Joey's. "In this case, I'm kind of glad I was overlooked for promotion that first time around."
"And everything has worked out right in the end," Joey said. "Charlie has her long overdue promotion and I have the woman I'd never been able to forget back in my life." She pressed her lips to Charlie. "Congratulations," she said, then kissed her again.
Ruby rolled her eyes. At this rate, her eyes were in danger of rolling out of their sockets with the way her sister's and Joey's lips kept finding their way together.
"I'm a writer, short stories mostly," explained Shannon. "But my agent talked me into attempting a full length novel and to get inspiration, I took off on a journey around the county."
"How long have you been at it?"
"A year."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. It was nearly at an end though." She smiled at Graves. "Until I had the good luck to break down in some sleepy little hollow where a rather cute young Detective has offered to keep me occupied."
"Joey, who is that woman who keeps looking at you?" asked Ruby.
Joey glanced at the woman Ruby was referring to. "Oh, that's Suzi. She's in the Bay to visit an old friend and we kind of got chatting the other day."
"Looks like she's after more than chatting," muttered Charlie.
"Relax my little green eyed monster," teased Joey. "Suzi is well aware that I have a special woman in my life."
"Yeah and if she was in any doubt, then your tongue down that special woman's throat should clue her in."
"Ruby," Charlie said reproachfully.
"When did you know you were gay?"
"When I got a crush on my Year 7 teacher, Miss Martin," Graves said. "And I realised all my friends were talking about the hot male Maths teacher and boys."
"Same, except I kind of swing both ways," Shannon said. "Though in the last year or so, I seem to have settled on the female side of things."
"Lucky me." Graves nearly winced at how obvious she was being about her interest.
"Does my being bi bother you, because I know some lesbians or straight guys aren't interested when they find out I swing both ways."
"Well, it depends."
"On what?"
"On whether there is another guy or girl in the picture besides me, because I steer clear of anyone in a relationship, regardless of whether it's a casual fling or not," Graves said. "I don't like playing a part in cheating."
"I'm single at the moment."
"Whoa, would you get a load of that," Ruby said rather loudly. All eyes at the table widened. "Isn't that that Robertson guy?"
"Yep," Charlie said.
Graves groaned when she noticed her partner walk into the club, but her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the woman by his side. She'd seen Robertson flirting with her and had assumed her responses were out of politeness rather than any real interest, but apparently she'd been wrong.
"I guess I should be happy that Leah is moving on," Charlie said. "Not too sure about her choice though."
"She looks rather radiant by his side," Joey pointed out. Ever since her husband's arrest, Leah had been busying herself with work and looking out for VJ and Casey. So far, Casey had put his disappointment in his brother's actions into helping Leah out, which had eased Leah's worries somewhat. Still, Joey was happy to see Leah take the next step.
"Yeah, she does look radiant," admitted Charlie. "And I suppose Robertson's a huge improvement on Brax."
"Good evening ladies," Robertson greeted Graves and Shannon. "It's a lovely evening, isn't it?"
"Yes it is," Grave said and she was surprised when Robertson moved on from their table without making any insensitive remark meant to embarrass her in front of Shannon. "Think I should get Leah to stick by his side more often," murmured Graves.
Robertson and Leah stopped by Charlie's table next. "Ladies," he cordially greeted them.
"Robertson," Charlie said.
"Please, call me Robert."
"Robert then. Leah, you look gorgeous tonight."
Blushing slightly, Leah thanked her for the compliment. With the way Robert had been treating her since he'd picked her up, she felt like a new woman.
"Would you care to join us in a drink to celebrate Charlie's promotion?" asked Joey.
Robertson glanced to Leah and she nodded. "We'd love to join you for a quick drink before we get our own table."
Charlie shared an amused look with her girlfriend. Whatever the Detective was on, she rather liked it. It was a little weird to see him so charming and affable and she doubted it would last once he was back in police mode, but she'd enjoy it while it lasted.
"Are you sure that is really him?" joked Shannon.
"Robertson's not so bad," said Graves. "He just has an odd sense of humour at times, has terrible timing and is a touch insensitive, but he is a good man and damn good at his job."
"He's just as annoying as hell."
"Yeah, that too."
"Well, this is certainly a surprise," Charlie said. The whole night was turning into one surprise after another, first with the two visiting detectives with their dates and now her cousin turning up. After the stress of today, she had expected Georgie to be stuck by Martha's side. She waved at her cousin as she walked by them on the way to the birthday table.
John stayed seated, though he was extremely happy to see his daughter, even if she did avoid looking at him. Gina wasn't so reserved though. She leapt up and hugged her stepdaughter.
"Georgie, I'm so happy to see you."
"I would have been by earlier to wish you happy birthday, except I needed to see Martha and cool down some." She'd spent the last couple of hours relaxing by Martha and their son's side. It was amazing the way that woman could ease her worries at times and it really hadn't taken much encouragement on Martha's part to talk her into coming tonight. Along with Irene, Gina had believed in her and encouraged her and she owed her for so much.
"I heard about Angelo," Gina said quietly. "I can't imagine how hard it is for you right now."
"He could have killed them both and I'm just so furious he's still here."
Gina could practically feel the angry vibe coming from her stepdaughter, even without the anger in her tone. "They're alive and that is what you need to remember," she told her. "And Martha needs you more than ever now."
"Is that your less than subtle way to tell me to pull my head in and keep my fists down by my side?"
"I don't blame you for being angry about the situation, but you're the one who will lose if you react and he wins."
"Both Charlie and Martha have said something similar."
Gina put her arm across her shoulders. "It's good advice, now I insist that you join us."
"I can't," she replied. "Roo can only babysit Jay for the next hour or so."
"Then you have plenty of time to have at least one drink."
Watson stared at the table. There were at least two people she'd rather not be anywhere near and Shandi, she wasn't so sure about her anymore.
"For me," Gina whispered to her. "As my birthday wish?"
"You don't play fair."
"No I don't so sit your butt down."
"This night is more entertaining than I ever expected it to be," Ruby said bemusedly.
"As long as they can behave themselves," muttered Charlie.
"Which ones?"
"All of them." Charlie looked at the table. The partygoers had been loud all night but with her cousin's arrival, things had become far more sedate, though Gina was doing her best to get all of them to relax.
As if sensing they were being watched, Shandi got up from her table and came over to them. "How about joining us for that drink," she said.
"You want us to sit at the same table as Georgie, John and Hugo?" Charlie said.
"God yes," replied Shandi. "It's so stilted and awkward over there and we could really use some more neutral people to kick start some conversation," she said.
Charlie set another round of drinks down onto the table. They'd joined in the festivities twenty minutes ago and conversation had broken into little groups. Ruby and Georgie were chatting with Xavier, Joey was talking to Gina and Charlie was talking to John and Shandi while Hugo was sulking quietly at the end of the table. He'd been ignoring all attempts made by anyone to include him.
He suddenly pushed his glass aside. "Gina, if it's alright with you, I'll be going now," he said.
"Of course Hugo."
With one last hateful glare at Watson, he left.
"Sorry if my being here is ruining your evening, Gina," Watson said.
"Nonsense," she replied. "You're family Georgie and I asked you to be here."
"I hope you're not going to be your usual welcoming self and invite him over though," Ruby said, pointing to the entrance of the club.
"Oh god, is everyone going to end up here tonight?" complained Charlie and she felt both her girlfriend and cousin tense at her side.
Feeling the eyes of everyone in the Club on him, Angelo glanced around the room. Finding the object of his desire, he strode confidently toward his wife.