Perfect Match
Chapter 6
Hi Browneyes,
I'm so pleased this dating site managed to get back on its legs again! Not having contact with you for three days certainly seemed strange. We've been communicating like this, twice a day since you answered my first message! And over three weeks, that makes forty two messages each! (Obviously would have been more, but for the breakdown on this site!) I've missed you!
I've had a cruddy day today... I think everything went wrong! Firstly, the coffee machine at work broke down! (If you knew me better, you'd know how important that particular beverage is to me throughout the day!) Secondly, our town busy-body visited the station to report that someone had left a witches broom outside her bungalow door! It was quite apt really, but she was like a dog with a bone until we promised to fully investigate the incident! And thirdly, I dropped my mobile phone into the 'watsit' by accident and now I'm having to use a borrowed one which is so decrepit that I'm sure it can't be far off a pension!
Joey grinned as she read Blueeyes000's message. They were getting to know each other quite well and Joey had felt all the disappointment of their enforced separation which Blueeyes had communicated in her message. She read the message once again, feeling a warm glow inside, then settled to reply.
Hey Blueeyes,
I've missed you too! I sort of panicked a bit when I logged on the other day and found only a message of 'major upgrades' taking place but when it continued day after day, I thought I had lost you forever! In fact, this brings me to a question which this blip has prompted... Would you like my mobile phone number and personal email address? So at least if this ever happened again, we could communicate!
Joey sent the reply; her heart beating rapidly. The swapping of telephone numbers was like moving forward with their relationship. Perhaps Charlie might turn her down; maybe Charlie would not reply. Joey bit her lip anxiously as her mind whirled.
"Oh God! Why did I send that message?" She muttered, thumping the palm of her hand on her forehead. "Stupid, stupid idiot!"
Suddenly, a message appeared on her screen. It was from Blueeyes000.
My number is ...
Aden pushed Joey into a bush as they larked about.
"Hey! Watch-it, bully!" Joey laughed as she struggled to free herself of leaves and twigs.
Aden laughed and offered his assistance.
"Yeah, get real! As if I'm gonna trust you after that!" Joey grinned getting free and brushing herself down. "Fancy a sticky bun?"
"Ooooh!" Aden grinned. "Only if you're paying!"
"Well, I feel gregarious and in love with the world, just at the moment!" Joey said with a self-satisfied smile.
"Hello! Who got 'it' last night?" Aden smirked.
Joey clipped Aden's arm with her hand.
"Give over!" She grinned. "Besides, I should be so lucky!"
"Seriously, you've been in a good mood all morning; what gives?"
Joey blushed and glanced at her ship mate with a weak smile.
"Remember me telling you about the girl on the dating site?"
"Yeah, what about her?"
"Well, we've swapped telephone numbers and email addresses!"
Aden looked at Joey with a very straight face.
"You do realise that she may be a right psycho and is gonna stalk you via text?"
"Don't be stupid!"
"I'm not being stupid!" Aden said in his best big brother voice. "Not only by text but also talking to you! She might be the 'She Devil' for all you know!"
"Oh, shut up, kill-joy!" Joey grinned.
Aden laughed.
"Are you gonna call her?"
Suddenly, Joey felt the blood evaporate from her cheeks.
"No... I-I don't think so."
"Why ever not?"
Joey sighed and was unable to give Aden the answer he wanted. She just shook her head and looked down at the pavement.
"Now you're kidding me! You join a dating site, you get somewhere with a fellow Lezbo mate and then you're too chicken to ring her!"
"I know, I know! No need to rub it in!"
"So what if she rings you?"
"She won't, will she?" Joey looked up uncertainly.
"There's a bloody good chance she might, mate. I'd get myself psyched-up for it, if I was you!"
Aden watched the last of Joey's colour disappear and grinned.
"You light weight!"
"But what if she does ring me? What do I say? What do I do?" Joey was anxious to know.
"You say, 'Hi, and how are you? D'ya fancy a game of rugger?'"
"I don't play rugger!"
"Yeah, but she's gonna be a big beefy type and bound to enjoy a quick rummage in a scrum!"
Joey blanched.
Aden fell about laughing and playfully ruffled Joey's hair.
"You're so easy to wind-up, Collins!"
Joey poked out her tongue but grinned.
"I can hardly wait to pick up the boat at the weekend!" Joey cried, excitedly.
"What do you say to your best mate who found her for you?" Aden teased.
"You are a pal and not just for Christmas!" Joey laughed and placed a kiss on Aden's cheek.
Aden blushed.
"Give over!" He said, wiping his skin.
"Just because I'm a Lesbian, doesn't make my kisses infectious, you know! There's plenty who would be grateful for them!"
"Yeah, but when you kiss me, it's like Alf or Tony puckering up!"
"Yuck!" Joey said, shuddering. "And you compare me with them? And I thought you were my mate!"
The two friends rounded the corner and were surprised and shocked to find John Palmer and Tony Holden scrapping violently just outside The Surf Club.
"What the... "
"My God!"
A little audience of young girls and boys had gathered to witness the exciting spectacle. They laughed and cheered on whoever they thought was likely to win; shouting out words of advice and using mobile phones to record the spectacular event.
Aden immediately pushed his way through the crowd to separate his Soccer coach from the rather bombastic owner of the gym. It was common knowledge that the two men hated each other and had been spoiling for a scrap for months.
"Hey you two, cut it out!"
"Get lost, Jefferies!" Tony said in between holding off John and wiping the blood from his nose.
A stray punch from John caught Aden in the eye. He yelled in pain, but the fight continued.
Joey starred in disbelief as Aden fell to the ground. She ran to his side to aid him.
"Call the cops, Jo! These two mean it this time!" He said, holding his hand over his smarting eye.
Joey whipped the mobile from her pocket and pressed '000'.
The two middle aged men staggered backwards and forwards, throwing punches which were now beginning to lose power. Both men were tiring as the sound of Police sirens filled the street. In no time, four uniformed Police Officers descended upon the young crowd which evaporated instantly. John and Tony were separated and another officer approached Aden and Joey as they squatted on the ground.
"And where do you two fit into all this?"
Joey looked up into Senior Constable, Charlie Buckton's blue eyes and swallowed.
"We were passing by and Aden tried to pull them apart!"
"He'd have been better off calling us immediately instead of getting involved." Charlie commented, bending down to take a look at Aden's eye.
"He was only doing what he thought was right and decent!" Joey cried, defending her friend.
Charlie glanced at her and felt her legs weaken.
"Yeah, and this is how it ends up. You'd better get yourself to hospital, mate!" Charlie said, addressing herself to Aden.
"I'll be fine." He sighed.
"I'd really rather you got your eye checked out, Aden."
"That's what I've been trying to tell him." Joey interposed.
Charlie glanced at Joey and smiled weakly.
"Maybe you could take him?" And turning back to Aden, "I'll need you... both of you, to make a statement down at the station afterwards."
Joey nodded and between her and Charlie; helped Aden to his feet. In the mean time, Tony and John were being escorted to the Police van standing by.
"Have you got transport, Joey?" Charlie asked.
Joey shook her head.
"Okay, you'd better come with me and I'll drop you at the hospital."
Joey nodded and taking Aden's arm began to help him over to Charlie's patrol car.
"I'm not incapable!" Aden cried as he tried to shrug off Joey's help.
"I know you're not, but maybe I need some support!" She replied as she struggled to take her eyes off the Senior Constable's shapely bottom.
Charlie sat alone reading a newspaper in The Diner. Colleen Smart had served her with a coffee and muffin and stood for what seemed like three hours explaining to Charlie how the standards in Summer Bay were falling and what she suggested Charlie did to correct this in her role as Senior Constable to the community. Charlie sat very patiently listening as the older woman rambled on before she could attempt to drink her coffee, which now was cold. She sighed with relief as Colleen bustled away; talking to herself.
Charlie took a deep breath and placed the coffee mug back down on the table but jumped as a new voice broke into her thoughts.
"I see you've been having your ear bent!"
Charlie looked up into the dark, smiling eyes of Joey Collins.
Charlie blinked; half expecting to be told off again, but was pleasantly surprised as Joey's face beamed.
"Can I get you a fresh one?" She asked kindly.
"Thank you. That'll be good."
Charlie watched as Joey walked to the counter and ordered another coffee and a tea for herself. Joey looked back towards Charlie and smiled again; the smile, reminiscent of their first meeting when Charlie had spilt her milkshake. Irene promised to bring the beverages over and Joey returned to Charlie's table.
"It'll be a couple minutes." She looked at the vacant seat opposite Charlie but did not presume to sit down. "Charlie, I just wanted to thank you for your help with Aden earlier."
"Is he okay now?"
"Yeah, he's fine, but will likely have a shiner tomorrow!" Joey grinned.
Irene approached with their drinks and automatically placed Joey's tea on the table opposite Charlie.
"Oh! I'm not sitting here..." Joey protested, gently.
"Please do!" Charlie smiled; folding up her newspaper. "I would have suggested it anyway."
"Thanks." Joey smiled and thanked Irene for her trouble.
Both girls were silent to begin with; not sure of what to say or how far their conversation might stretch, but both desperate to stay together for as long as possible.
Joey sipped on her tea and winced in pain as the heat in the liquid scolded her tongue. Charlie giggled and helped her to a glass of water from the jug on the table. Joey drank gratefully and then smiled her thanks at Charlie.
"You should do what my grandfather always did and pour some into the saucer, then blow on it!" Charlie grinned.
"Yeah, but that's not as genteel as my grandmother, who used to fan hers with a hat!" Joey replied.
Charlie burst out laughing and Joey joined in; all the earlier tension which had existed, melted away.
"Will Tony and John get into big trouble?" Joey asked, trying her tea again.
"They will be done for breach of the peace and anything else we can do to knock their stupid heads together." Charlie said, cutting her chocolate muffin in half and offering the other piece to Joey.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, no worries. It was too big for me anyway!"
"Thanks." Joey said, accepting her half. "I saw Rachael laying into Tony at the hospital. She didn't look best pleased!"
"It's hardly surprising!" Charlie commented as she wiped her chocolaty fingers on a paper napkin. "I know it's been a long while coming, but why did they have to pick a place where all the local kids were congregating, to let off steam like a couple of silly old Billy goats?"
Joey smiled and bit into her muffin.
"Mmm. This is lovely!"
Charlie smiled into Joey's eyes but suddenly felt shy and guilty.
"So how long have you been a Police Officer?" Joey asked, licking her fingers.
Charlie watched; entranced, as Joey popped each one of her fingers in and out of her mouth as she licked off the chocolate crumbs. After a few moments of silence, Charlie pulled herself together.
"Since I was in my early twenties. I did my training in the City, and after a few years, came to the bay to get a little more experience of real community policing. Oh! And there was a promotion with that!" Charlie grinned, self consciously.
"Deserved, I'm sure!" Joey smiled, draining her tea cup.
"You didn't think that the other day!" Charlie pointed out with a smile.
Joey blushed and glanced at the Police Officer.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I kinda got a bit excited! I had no right to blame you. I hope you'll accept my apology?"
"No apology required. Pax?" Charlie smiled, offering her hand to Joey.
Joey stared at Charlie's hand for a moment and slowly took it within her own. The touch of Charlie's soft skin against her own sent more than chills scurrying around her body.
"Pax." She whispered.