Chapter Thirteen
Senior Constable Charlie Buckton was having a bad day. Actually, bad didn't even come close to doing it justice. Day from hell was undoubtedly a far more fitting description. And it was still only seven o'clock in the evening. Plenty of time left for it to get worse. If that were at all possible.
As much as she loved her calling, there was one aspect of her job that Charlie hated with resolute passion. Being the bearer of bad news; whether it was telling a loved one that their partner had been killed in a motor vehicle accident or breaking the news to a parent that their child had been robbed of their life in the cruellest, most heinous of ways, Charlie despised everything about being a cop when it came to being the bearer of bad news.
Although years of experience on the job had taught her how to "hold it together" in such circumstances, Charlie - contrary to popular opinion - wasn't inhuman. She had two perfectly good eyes. She could see the raw pain etched on faces. And she had a perfectly functioning heart, too. One that cried out every single time a heart was broken into a thousand tiny pieces as the information of the death of a loved one was forcibly processed. If shattering hearts and destroying souls had been clearly stated on the job description, Charlie would have definitely thought twice about signing up.
Of course, breaking the news to a complete stranger is one thing; having to inflict such a devastating and crushing blow on someone known to you is different entirely. And informing Kristen's parents that their beloved daughter was dead had broken Charlie's heart; albeit somewhat differently to the way the police officer had been forced to break theirs.
When all was said and done, Kristen's parent's were good people; decent people. And hearing that their only child had been murdered was not something Charlie believed they should ever have had to endure. But despite her acrimonious break-up with their daughter, Charlie still harboured enough love and respect for her ex-girlfriend's parents to make sure they weren't forced to hear the terrible life changing news from a complete stranger.
Flashback
"Charlie... Robert, it's Charlie... Come in dear. Come in."
"Thanks Mrs. Evans."
Even though it had been near on a year since she had last seen them, Charlie felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity as she stepped into the couple's small but neatly kept unit. No sooner had she stepped through the front door, Charlie found herself gathered into a warming hug by the older woman.
In her late fifties, Jayne Evans was an older but spitting image of her daughter. Strikingly attractive, with a mane of glossy thick black hair that had only a splattering of natural grey highlights, it was easy to see where Kristen had so obviously inherited her good looks from.
"Oh, it's so lovely to see you, dear. We were so sad to hear about you and Kristen breaking up, weren't we, Robert?" she said, after eventually releasing Charlie from the affectionate embrace.
At sixty three, Robert Evans was a distinguished and gentle man, whose kind and non judgemental warm eyes had been the first thing Charlie had noticed when Kristen had brought her new girlfriend around to "meet the parents" three years ago.
"Hello, Charlie." Robert Evans said, smiling warmly at the policewoman. "It's good to see you, and may I say, you're looking as lovely as ever."
"Thank you Mr. Evans. It's good to see you too."
And that it was. Charlie only wished it didn't have to be under such horrible circumstances.
"Please, you know us better than that... to what do we owe this pleasure?"
"Would you like something to drink Charlie dear... tea, coffee, juice perhaps?" Jayne Evans asked, before Charlie had any chance to reply.
"No thank you. Jayne, Robert... perhaps we should sit down." Charlie said, as she took off her police cap, toying nervously with it over and over in her hands.
"What is it, Charlie?" Robert Evans asked, concern masking the friendly tone of his voice.
"I'm really sorry... but I... I have some bad news I'm afraid... it's about...it's about Kristen..."
Charlie watched helplessly as the colour suddenly drained from both their faces; witnessing as their worlds came crashing down in a matter of mere seconds.
Back to the present
And so, after spending almost two hours trying to offer some totally ineffectual words of comfort to her dead ex-girlfriend's parents, at Watson's advice, Charlie had reluctantly taken the rest of the day off. Depressed and lonely and failing miserably to engage in anything anywhere near constructive, Charlie now found herself propping up the bar in Fuel, taking solace in several bottles of beer.
"Thank God you're here, Jo!" Becca exclaimed, promptly pulling Joey into a tight hug as soon as she walked in via the back entrance of the club.
"What on earth's the matter Bec?" Joey said.
Breaking away from the embrace, she looked quizzically at her friend. "That garbled message you left wasn't exactly very forthcoming."
"I've been calling your mobile non stop for the last twenty minutes!"
"I know Bec, I had like ten missed calls. I'm here now. What's up?"
"What's up? A certain police officer has been drowning her sorrows in one too many beers for the last hour or so. That's what's up!"
"Charlie?"
"Yes, Charlie."
"And you called me, why exactly?" Joey asked, fixing Becca with a knowing glare.
"Because she's out there propping the bar up on her own and she looks like she could do with a friend, idiot!" an exasperated Becca responded.
"Again, and you called me why?"
"Because you care about her. I know you do."
Joey sighed. Of course she cared about her. And that in itself was the problem.
"Same... again... please," Charlie said, catching the attention of the barman. She was just beginning to slur her words slightly, but not to the extent that she was incoherent. Although clearly she was on a mission to get that way. And soon.
"Don't you think you've had enough to drink for one evening, officer?"
Never one to back down from a challenge - even half cut - Charlie immediately became considerably more animated, as she turned around, only to clasp eyes on an all too familiar set of brown ones.
"Joey! It's Joey! Hey Joey!" she said, smiling broadly at the shorter brunette.
"Hello Charlie..." Joey said, offering the older woman a warm but concerned smile.
"God, you really do have the most amazing eyes. Do you know that? That was the first thing I ever noticed about you." Charlie said seductively, her deep blue eyes tinged with the unmistakable sight of drunken delirious lust, as she looked Joey up and down. "Well, that and..."
"Okay Charlie," Joey said, cutting the police officer off. "I think it's time to call it a night, don't you?"
"No, I don't actually. The night is still... is still young. And... and I'd like to buy you a drink. Hey, whatever your name is," Charlie said, waving to get the bartender's attention, "I'd like... I'd like a couple more beers over here; one for me and... and one for my good friend, Joey."
Folding her arms across her chest, Joey caught the bartender's eye and shook her head. He offered her a sympathetic smile and casually moved on to serve another customer.
"Hey... hey... not fair... I was here first!"
"Forget it Charlie, he's not going to serve you. So time to call it a night."
Grabbing her purse, Charlie slipped drunkenly off the bar stool. "Fine. Whatever. Plenty of other... other places a girl can go to for a drink..."
Wondering what could possibly have prompted Charlie to seek solace in copious amounts of alcohol, Joey couldn't help but take the opportunity to study the gorgeous but inebriated police officer. Even dressed casually in black skinny jeans and a long grey t-shirt, Charlie Buckton was breathtaking to the eye. Even drunk, and clearly finding it difficult to stand on her own two feet, Joey found her undeniably captivating and adorable. A small smile broke out across Joey's face and she sighed inwardly. Just looking at Charlie was causing her heart to start to flutter in that unmistakable way.
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," Charlie said, fixing Joey with somewhat glazed eyes.
"Pardon?"
"Just now. You were checking me out." Charlie said, offering Joey a wide knowing smile.
Well done, Charlie. I'm surprised they haven't made you detective yet, with those skills! Of course I was checking you out. I was just hoping you were too half cut to notice!
"I was not."
"You so were, Joey Collins. You so were. I may well be... er... slightly drunk. But I'm not too drunk to notice when a hot girl's checking me out."
Did Charlie just call me hot? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Charlie thinks I'm hot. R-e-s-u-l-t!
"So, you think I'm hot then huh?" Joey asked, teasing the older woman.
"Yes, very." Charlie replied, huskily. "After that night we... well, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. I've... I've thought about you... a lot."
"Then... then why haven't you called me, Charlie?"
"Because I thought... I thought..." Charlie broke off in mid sentence, suddenly losing herself in the younger brunette's gorgeous brown eyes.
Their eyes proceeded to meet in a collision of wanton lust and desire. And they stood that way, facing off against one another in an atmosphere rife with heated sexual tension, for what seemed like an eternity.
"Charlie..."
Before Joey could utter another word, Charlie had instantly closed the gap between them, to capture Joey's lips in a searing, heated, passionate kiss. With hands and lips desperately craving each other, Joey was powerless to resist the older woman's advances, eagerly granting Charlie's tongue the permission it desperately craved.
Joey let out a little whimper when she felt Charlie's hand creep up underneath her t-shirt; her nails trailing seductively over the small of Joey's back, just above the rim of her jeans. Her body shivering from Charlie's delicious touch, Joey moaned into Charlie's mouth as their kiss intensified. She completely lost herself when she felt Charlie's hands boldly slip underneath her jeans, cupping and caressing her bottom. Joey felt Charlie smile into their kiss at the realisation that she wasn't wearing any underwear.
When a need for air became all too apparent for either of them to ignore, both women reluctantly broke away from each other. With flushed faces and their bodies racing from the intense encounter, both women couldn't help but notice the pure carnal lust dancing in the other woman's eyes.
"Joey Collins... I'd never have had you down as a commando kinda chick," Charlie said, her voice full of lust.
"Oh I'm full of surprises." Joey replied, huskily.
"I bet you are. Is there some place else we can go... somewhere not quite so... public?" Charlie asked, hungrily feasting her eyes all over Joey's toned body.
Joey looked at Charlie. Seeing her wet, swollen lips and the desire and need in the police officer's eyes as they took in her body, was almost enough to drive Joey completely over the edge. Her own lips wet and swollen from their lust fuelled kiss, she felt the all too familiar fires of her own desire burning, raging, as her want for the older woman intensified with every passing second.
But while Joey's body was screaming out for a repeat performance of their first and so far only intimate encounter, her mind, unfortunately, had other ideas.
"Charlie..."
"Yes, Joey."
"As gorgeous and irresistible as you are, you're also rather drunk."
"So..."
"So..."
"Don't you want me?"
"Charlie..."
"Because I want you, Joey. Right here. Right now. I want you." Charlie said firmly, as she stepped closer to the younger woman.
Joey could feel the heat between them. And it was making her dizzy.
"Charlie, you have no idea how much I want you. But you're drunk. And I'm not the kind of girl that would take advantage of..."
"Perhaps I like being taken advantage of. Perhaps I want you to take advantage of me." Charlie whispered, seductively.
Joey gulped, clearly noting the obvious suggestive tone that laced Charlie's voice.
The last thing Joey expected was for Charlie to reach out and grab her hand. Somewhat shocked by the older woman's sudden boldness, Joey audibly gasped as Charlie slowly and gently took the younger brunette's hand and placed it firmly over her chest. Marvelling at the firmness of Charlie's full breast that was residing beneath the cotton fabric of her t-shirt, teasing her for attention, Joey - momentarily forgetting their surroundings - found herself powerless to prevent her fingers from playing with the pert, hardened nipple that was so obviously crying out for her touch.
TBC