Chapter Six

One week later, things felt marginally better, although Charlie still couldn't find it in her heart to be supportive of Joey's excessive absences. She was out early and back late and with Charlie's shift patterns, it felt like they hardly saw each other at all. Joey continued to promise that it wouldn't be long and that she had almost saved up the amount of cash they'd need for their trip but too often it provided little comfort. She was grateful to have stopped feeling so paranoid at least. Joey's hurt over her accusation had been enough to prove her innocence and really, Charlie didn't think Joey was capable of being sneaky and underhand. She was too honest. While the distinct lack of spending time together was a lonely experience, she certainly couldn't accuse Joey of lack of attentiveness when she was around. And she had finally got into the habit of punctuality, which could only be a good thing.

Walking along the beach on a sunny afternoon, Charlie smiled to herself, picturing the lovely holiday that she Joey would eventually have together. They had been for weekends away in the past and Charlie had taken Joey abroad for a week once before but Joey seemed to have a longer trip in mind. Remembering how pleased she had felt at being able to treat Joey, she could understand her girlfriend's insistence that she needed to pay for and arrange this one herself. In a daydream about how much fun she and Joey were going to have, she barely had time to avoid the woman walking directly into her path. Both apologised sincerely. Charlie tried not to frown when she realised the woman was Lauren.

"Oh, hi, Charlie," Lauren said.

"Hi," Charlie replied.

She may not have been feeling suspicious of Joey anymore but she knew that Lauren still had her in her sights. All she could do was hope that she didn't decide to do anything about it and that Joey would knock her back. Preferably so far back that she fell over the side of the boat.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine thanks," Charlie replied, attempting to sound natural. "And you?"

"Good. I'm just taking a break from work. I've left Joey in charge."

Charlie nodded.

"She's a good little worker," Lauren continued.

"Yeah, she's very enthusiastic about what she does," Charlie agreed.

"And she is lovely," Lauren added.

Charlie gritted her teeth. She did not want to hear some woman swooning all over her girlfriend.

"I'm sorry for making you paranoid, by the way," Lauren said.

"Paranoid?"

"I presume I'm the person you thought Joey was sleeping with."

Charlie blanched. She couldn't believe that Joey had told her about it. She opened her mouth a couple of times to speak but nothing came out.

"Don't worry. I'm not. I will be soon but not just now."

Lauren turned and walked away. Charlie just stared after her. She couldn't quite believe that someone would be so bold as to say something like that. And the comment ignited her panic. While she knew that Joey was faithful, she also knew that she was vulnerable. Joey was innocent, easily manipulated and prone to falling into situations quite by accident. And what if she wound up in some compromising position with Lauren and suddenly realised that she liked it? Charlie shook her head, unable to bear the idea of Joey being stolen away from her. She determined to do something about it but had no idea what.

Joey was disappointed when her greeting hug was only returned half heartedly. She watched Charlie try to smile and be cheerful.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked worriedly.

Charlie nodded and said she was fine.

"Well that was convincing!" Joey replied, sitting down on the bed beside her.

Charlie sighed and reached out to hold Joey's hand. She played with her fingers, giving Joey shivers. At least she's not mad at me, she thought.

"What is it?" she probed.

Charlie surprised both of them by bursting into tears.

"I hate your job!" she said.

Joey tensed and frowned. She suddenly felt very heavy hearted as she connected the dots and knew Charlie was feeling insecure about Lauren again. It was becoming a very tiring business.

"Charlie…" she started in exasperation.

She pulled her hand away.

"I'm sorry," Charlie said, wiping her tears away.

"What am I meant to say?" Joey asked. "I'm not going to quit."

"But that woman…"

"Isn't a threat," Joey insisted.

"She wants you, Joey."

"Whether she does or doesn't is irrelevant. She's not going to get me."

"I know. I trust you… I just…"

"Do you?" Joey demanded. "Because it really doesn't sound like it."

"She makes my skin crawl!" Charlie burst out. "She's so determined that you and her are going to end up together, Joey!"

"How do you even know that?"

"Because she said so!"

"When?"

"Today on the beach," Charlie said.

She was disappointed by Joey's lack of concern and hated herself for kicking up a fuss. She knew how much Joey loved her job but all she could think about was how to get her to give it up.

"Look, she has a strange sense of humour, okay?" Joey said reasonably. "Whatever she said… you probably just misunderstood."

"I didn't misunderstand, Joey."

Joey sighed and put her head in her hands. Looking up again, she met Charlie's gaze.

"What do you want me to do? Resign?" she asked.

She took Charlie's awkward silence as confirmation.

"That's not fair, Charlie. It's not fair to ask me to do that."

"I know!" Charlie replied desperately, but rational or not, she couldn't handle Joey and Lauren spending so much time together.

"But you're still demanding it."

"Do you know how hard it is for me knowing that you're spending more time with her than you are with me? Knowing how she feels about you and that she'd do pretty much anything to have you?"

Joey stood up.

"I'll quit mine if you quit yours," she said.

"What?" Charlie said, utterly confused.

"I don't like you working with Angelo," Joey snapped, even though she didn't mean it.

"What the hell has Angelo got to do with this?"

Charlie felt completely lost.

"He obviously still likes you," Joey shrugged.

"That's not the same!"

"No, it's worse because you actually slept with him!"

"That was a lifetime ago, Joey."

"So?"

"It's… it's not the same," Charlie faltered.

Joey sat back down.

"It is. Both requests are entirely unreasonable," she said more calmly.

She reached out for Charlie's hand.

"Charlie, please don't make me do this," she pleaded. "I love you and I will do anything for you but please, don't ask this. I know I'm not a career girl, like you. I might not have all the education, or the hot little uniform, or the prominence that you have but I love my job. It means the world to me. You know that. And you know how hard it was for me to find it and learn to be happy there after everything that happened before. I need you to stop freaking out about Lauren. I need you to trust me, Charlie. Please don't ask me to walk out on a job that I love. Please?"

Charlie chewed her lip. Joey had been as passionate and convincing as she could be but it still didn't feel like enough. She felt terrible about making such demands on the person that she loved so much but she knew that the situation wouldn't resolve itself any other way. For as long as Lauren was in Joey's life, Charlie would be constantly concerned and it was too much for her; it was too much for both of them.

"I can't bear you working with her," she said quietly, on the verge of tears again.

She frowned when Joey dropped her hand without any grace.

"I can't keep having these fights with you, Charlie," Joey said.

She stood and left the room, slamming the door behind her.