Perfect Match
Hi everyone! I hope you are still enjoying this story. Thank you to all the reviewers and especially to CJ4Eva who did a marathon review during the week! Wishing you all a lovely weekend! ~S&L~ xx
Chapter 11
Joey walked into The Diner. She tentatively touched her hair, hoping Charlie would not notice its dampness; she hadn't had enough time to dry it properly after her shower. She stood in the door way looking about, nervously. Charlie, who had been watching the door eagerly, jumped out of her seat and waved enthusiastically at the deck hand. She beamed as Joey spotted her and with a look, invited Joey to join her at her table for two. Joey smiled shyly, but was immediately put at her ease by Charlie's warmth.
"Hey Charlie!"
"Joey, I'm glad you could make it." Charlie whispered; suddenly aware of being on her first official date with the girl with brown eyes. "How are you?"
"In truth, a little nervous." Joey confessed as she sat down opposite the attractive Police Officer.
"Nervous? Of me?" Charlie squeaked, worriedly.
"Well, not exactly of you, but being in here with you and everyone looking on." Joey said, shifting uncomfortably and looking about her.
"But no one knows we're... together!"
"I know, but it doesn't stop people wondering, does it?"
"Wondering what? Joey, as far as they are concerned, we are just two girls meeting for a 'catch up'! That's all. They have no idea about us! No one does!"
"Except Aden." Joey admitted, sheepishly.
"Aden? Aden Jefferies? Did you...?"
"No, I didn't have to! He guessed! And if he can, so can everyone else!"
It was Charlie's turn to look anxious. She considered what Joey had told her; she had not reckoned on coming out to the community at large quite so quickly.
"He said when we are together; we can't keep our eyes off each other." Joey said avoiding Charlie's amazed gaze.
Charlie grinned, but blushed. The girls were silent for a few moments until Charlie began to speak again.
"I've looked forward to tonight... All day long!" She confessed with a smile.
"Yeah, me too!" Joey replied with a grin.
"You've no regrets about... last night and your 'proper' date going wrong?"
Joey was thoughtful for a few moments.
"No... No regrets about us, but a little guilty about my 'date'!"
"But Joey! She let you down!"
"I know, but..."
"Has she been back in touch?" Charlie asked, beginning to wonder if she should tell Joey the truth about Blueeyes000's real identity.
Joey shook her head.
"Well then! Why worry?"
"What if the emergency was something awful, like a member of her family being taken ill or worse? What will she think of me if I don't even take the trouble to contact her to make an enquiry?"
"Joey! You are panicking too much! If you want my advice, just..."
Suddenly, Charlie got lost in Joey's soulful eyes.
"You're a lovely person, Joey. If it makes you feel any better, contact her, but please... don't agree to another date!" Charlie pleaded.
"But what do I say to her?"
"Say 'Goodbye'."
"Charlie!"
Charlie smiled.
"Okay, maybe that is a bit brusque... I know! Tell her that while you were waiting for her at the restaurant, you met someone else and fell madly in love with..."
Charlie stopped in mid sentence, suddenly aware of what she was saying.
"Well, I guess I'll think of something." Joey said quietly and coloured.
Charlie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Had she blown it already? What had made her come out with such a statement? She tried to smile as she looked at Joey, but then let her eyes fall to her lap.
"What can I get you girlies?" Irene asked as she approached brandishing her order book and breaking the awkward silence.
"Joey?"
Joey swallowed; still feeling a little overwhelmed by Charlie's statement.
"I-I'm not quite ready to order yet." She whispered, apologetically.
"That's okay darl. Just give me a shout when you're ready. I haven't seen you two in the same company for a while." Irene said with interest. "What's the occasion?"
Charlie froze and glanced shyly at Joey who coloured immediately.
"We're... we're old friends..." Charlie began.
"From way back!" Joey finished.
"Good-oh! Just give me a shout when you're ready!" Irene smiled and walked away.
Charlie swallowed and looked down at the table top. Joey sensed her sudden dip in confidence which seemed to strengthen her own. She smiled reassuringly at the Police Officer and threw a rolled up paper napkin at her, which hit Charlie on the nose. Charlie looked up and grinned. She picked up the napkin from the table and threw it back at Joey. The tension eased and they both relaxed, happily.
"What are you going to eat?" Joey asked with a smile.
"I think it's just got to be a huge greasy burger!" Charlie laughed, triumphantly.
"And would Madam like chips with that?" Joey enquired.
"Naturally!"
The girls laughed and called Irene over; both ordering healthy salads!
Ruby sat at home, musing over what had happened on Charlie's date with the girl from the Internet dating site. She chewed the inside of her mouth and flicked a pen between her fingers.
"What's wrong with you?" Her boyfriend, Xavier enquired.
"Charlie."
"Ruby! Why don't you just leave Charlie alone and apply yourself to your deficiency in algebra?"
"Okay, big head! Just because you're teacher's pet in the subject, there's no need to get high and mighty with me!"
"Rubes! I'm just suggesting that you leave Charlie alone! What she does is her business, not yours! She will tell you about her date when she feels good and ready, and not before! Give her a break!"
Ruby sighed. She knew Xavier was right, but his self-righteous lecture had irritated her and it certainly didn't help her current mood.
Joey and Charlie sat by a sand dune, watching the waves rolling in and gently lapping the shore line. Neither had spoken for a while; each with her own set of thoughts. Joey spied a sailing boat out on the horizon and sighed.
"How long before your boat will be ready to sail?" Charlie asked absently.
Joey turned and looked with surprise at Charlie. To her knowledge, she'd said nothing about owning a boat... In fact, she'd said nothing to nobody about it, accept Aden... and Blueeyes000.
"Boat?" She asked, cagily.
"Yeah, your boat... the one you're fixing up at the moment."
Joey swallowed and frowned. She was sure she'd said nothing to Charlie about her project; preferring to keep it a secret until the day it was ready for launch, allowing her to invite Charlie to sail with her.
"I-I haven't got a boat! You must be mixing me up with someone else." Joey said, fixing her eyes back on the horizon.
Charlie looked at her companion in surprise.
"But Joey, you said..."
Suddenly, she realised that Joey, in her messages as 'Browneyes123' had spoken of her boat, but had not mentioned it to Charlie in the 3D world. She swallowed quickly, cursing herself for the mistake and mumbled that she must have been mistaken.
Joey smiled but was still curious. Had she let slip about the boat or perhaps Aden had mentioned it during one of his conversations with Charlie. She would have to speak to him severely!
"What are you doing, Rubes?" Xavier asked as he watched his girlfriend logging on to her sister's laptop computer.
"I'm just going to check something."
"What? On Charlie's computer? What's wrong with your own?" The sandy haired boy enquired.
"Nothing. I've just remember that Charlie asked me to do something for her while she was at work and I'd forgotten... that's all." Ruby said, guiltily.
Xavier frowned, not buying Ruby's story.
"Ruby, you're up to no good!"
"Look, Xave, why don't you just head off home?"
"I thought we were going to work on our assignments together?"
"I think I'll give it a miss tonight."
Xavier sighed. Ruby was obviously on a mission and he wanted no part of it. He packed up his books and wished his girlfriend a 'goodnight'; his words were hardly acknowledged by Ruby. He shrugged and left.
As their lips parted, Joey smiled adoringly into Charlie's eyes.
"I like being with you Charlie."
Charlie beamed at Joey's confession.
"And is this what you're gonna tell your Internet date?" Charlie teased.
Joey blushed.
"I... I... No."
"Joey, you haven't heard anything from her. Are you... sad about this?" Charlie said, suddenly becoming serious.
"Not sad, but curious. The longer I hear nothing from her, the more I am convinced that she saw me that night at The Billywonga and didn't like the look of me and therefore, ran off."
"Joey, it wasn't like that... I mean, I'm sure that wouldn't have been the case!" Charlie said assuredly, touching Joey's fingertips with her own. Joey smiled and responded by weaving her fingers around Charlie's.
"I wondered if you might let me cook you dinner sometime?" Joey asked, blushing.
Charlie smiled.
"I'd love you to!"
"The only thing is... my brother! I think you may have met him recently; he's a gem, isn't he?"
"Joey, I'd still love to come, regardless of Brett. He doesn't bother me!"
"Yeah, but I think you will bother him!" Joey said quietly.
"Joey, if you feel uncomfortable about Brett being around me, then we could always make it sometime when he's not around... or you could come to mine? Though at the moment, there will be too many questions being asked."
"Ruby?"
"Yeah, Ruby. She's dying to find out what happened last night and I... I mean..."
"What can she know about last night?" Joey asked incredulously.
"No, nothing about us, last night! I mean... oh it doesn't matter. What about another kiss?"
Joey grinned and offered her lips to the new girl in her life.