Thanks to everyone who sent such lovely well wishes to Charlie the Hamster. He's still with us, just about and I'm doing my best to keep him happy and comfortable. For now, on with the story... Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Nineteen

Joey had lunch with a deliriously happy Aden and Belle who had publicly declared their engagement to the whole Bay that morning. Joey was enthusiastic and thrilled to be asked to be Aden's best man. Sitting together, they happily discussed wedding plans but Joey's mind was never far from Charlie. Their encounter that morning had most definitely affected her and she was trying to figure out if she ought to cancel her date with Crystal. It didn't seem fair somehow – to either Crystal or to Charlie. As much as she hated it, Joey could no longer deny having feelings for her ex and she was painfully aware that they had always been there.

"Jo?" Aden said.

Joey blinked and apologised.

"Are we boring you already?" Belle asked with a grin.

Joey blushed and shook her head.

"No," she said. "I was just lost in my head for a bit."

"I bet you the lunch bill that I can guess why," Aden smirked.

Joey threw a chip at him and told him she wasn't that silly.

"Oh, so she admits that she can't stop thinking about Charlie now, does she?" Aden teased.

"Leave her alone," Belle scolded.

"Yeah, leave me alone!" Joey agreed.

"But you were thinking about her though?" Aden asked.

"I was thinking about cancelling my dinner with Crystal tonight," Joey admitted.

"How come?" Belle wanted to know.

"Because..."

"She's still in love with Charlie," Aden concluded proudly.

Joey tried to glare but failed.

"I'm going to cancel," she decided.

Standing up, she headed towards the Surf Club.

Crystal's heart sank when Joey explained that she couldn't go out with her after all.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because everything in my world is chaotic right now and I don't think it's fair to drag you into it," Joey explained.

Crystal leant forward and held Joey's hand, gazing into her eyes.

"I want to be dragged into it," she said.

"But..."

"Joey, could I have a word?"

Joey spun around to find Angelo standing behind her.

"Um... sure," she said reluctantly.

Apologising to Crystal, Joey followed Angelo to a table and sat down with him.

"It's about Charlie," he said.

Joey pulled a face.

"I thought it was something legal with your uniform on," she said. "You pulled me away from an important conversation for nothing."

"Not nothing," Angelo said. "I'm worried about her."

"Why?"

"Look, what happened between the two of you?" the police officer asked. "I've never seen her so affected by another person before. She's not the same woman I used to know."

Joey studied his expression.

"Why are you so interested anyway?" she asked cautiously.

He smiled and held up his hands.

"Okay, I confess," he said. "It's not just out of the goodness of my heart that I'm asking."

Joey chewed her lip and waited for him to explain, although she could already guess where the conversation was going and she felt sick about it.

"I don't know if you know or not but back before... well, before... Charlie and I were seeing each other," Angelo began.

"I know," Joey replied flatly.

"And I guess, well, I know it's a long shot but I was kind of hoping that we might... you know, get back together," he continued. "And considering the thing that's making her sadder than anything else right now is that you hate her, I thought if maybe I could bring you two back to being friends then..."

"We weren't friends," Joey interrupted, feeling a surge of irritation.

Angelo looked blank and confused.

"We were lovers, Angelo," she informed him. "And I hate her because she slept with Hugo Austin behind my back."

Leaving him bewildered, Joey headed back to the bar and told Crystal that their date was definitely back on.

Angelo sat at his desk but his mind was far from on his job. Tapping his pen erratically on the table top, he ignored the irritated looks Watson was offering from reception. He shifted his position and studied Charlie through the doorway to her office. She was sat at her desk, long, delicate fingers poised over the laptop as she tried to figure out what to write. He couldn't help but think that she was still the most beautiful woman in the world and he wondered how his life might have turned out if she had only accepted his date the first time he'd asked. If she'd realised sooner that Roman was no good for her, then they could have got together earlier and Angelo would never have embarked on a disastrous relationship with Belle. And if he hadn't got involved with Belle, he probably wouldn't have ever got drawn into the development site saga. Then Jack might not have died, at least not by Angelo's hand. And who knew what a success he could have become then? And who knew where he and Charlie might stand with each other?

But the fact of the matter was that all those things had happened. Angelo had gone to and then been freed from jail on grounds of making himself useful to an undercover operation. And it had transpired that in her absence, Charlie had started and then finished a relationship with a woman. It was strange to think about it. She had always seemed so straight before, although the image of her and Joey together was definitely attractive. Did that mean she was gay? No. If she was, she wouldn't have slept with the vile creature named Hugo Austin behind Joey's back. Maybe it meant she was bisexual. And if she was, perhaps there could still be a chance for them. Shaking his head, Angelo tried to focus on his work. But Charlie was never far from his mind.

Joey arrived for her dinner with Crystal at exactly eight o'clock. The barmaid was ready and waiting at a candlelit table in the corner. She stood and the two women smiled at each other. Joey couldn't help but note that her date was beautiful. She was in skinny, black jeans and a tight top that revealed a lot of cleavage. Her hair was down and the make-up perfect. But, Joey realised with a flurry of sadness, she would never be Charlie. For a moment, she considered running back through the door but Crystal was still smiling and waiting for her to approach. Taking a deep breath, Joey stepped forward.

"What's up with you?" Charlie asked.

Angelo kept staring at her and it was making her uncomfortable. He blushed and shook his head, apologising and attempting to return to his work.

"Seriously," Charlie barked. "What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," Angelo said, although he couldn't stop studying her and trying to figure out if she had always been attracted to women or if it was a new kind of fad.

"Yeah, well I'd appreciate it if you stopped gossiping about me," Charlie told him.

Confused, he asked what she was talking about.

"For some reason, namely you, half the town seem to think that I'm dating Hugo," Charlie informed him. "And I'm really, really not. So I'd appreciate it if you'd stop spreading rumours. They're really not making my life very easy."

Curious, Angelo sat back in his chair and couldn't quite help but ask why it was such a big deal.

"Because it's not true!" Charlie snapped. "And I don't want people thinking that it is."

"Sorry," Angelo said. "I jumped to incorrect conclusions. I'll try not to do that in the future."

Charlie glared at him for a moment longer and then returned to her office, ready to pack her stuff up for the day. She was eager for a drink and then bed. And she hoped that one of these days, she would wake up and find her life had been restored.

"So, boats," Crystal said. "Really?"

Joey nodded and then shrugged.

"It's been a lifetime love affair," she said.

"Well, maybe you can take me out sometime," Crystal said. "Show me the wonder of the sea."

She smiled. Joey smiled back but didn't respond. Somehow she felt like she would be cheating on Charlie if she did that. During their brief time together, it had become their thing. It was too special a memory for her to trample on, even if Charlie had. Reminding herself to stop thinking about Charlie, Joey forced herself to focus on the conversation.

"So yeah, I definitely don't want to be a barmaid for the rest of my life," Crystal chattered cheerfully. "Don't get me wrong. It's a good job and I do enjoy it, especially when I get to gaze at stunning women."

She smiled. Joey blushed and sipped her drink, feeling shy.

"But what I really want to be is an actress," Crystal continued. "Hollywood, here I come."

Joey grinned.

"That's awesome," she enthused. "I hope you make it."

Glancing up at precisely the wrong moment, Joey blanched to see Charlie glide through the door. Her throat went dry and her reasoning for wanting to refuse the date flooded back. She and Charlie had shared something indescribable but definitely special that morning on the beach. How would Charlie feel to see her on a date with someone else? It would hurt her. And for the first time in months, Joey knew she couldn't bear for Charlie to be hurt. Unfortunately, it was too late. Charlie spotted her immediately, recognised Crystal and noted the candle. She swallowed and headed up to the bar. Joey watched as she downed a couple of shots and then ordered a beer.

"What's wrong?" Crystal asked. "Did I lose you?"

Joey continued to watch the bar. Crystal turned around, saw Charlie and sighed heavily.

"Typical," she said. "Look, why don't we just focus on having a good time? We're not doing anything wrong."

Joey nodded and sipped her drink, trying to focus. She lasted a mere thirty seconds before Charlie deliberately sat down at the table next to them. Joey froze, wondering what to do or say.

"Well, this is cosy, isn't it?" Charlie said. "Out on a romantic little date with the barmaid."

"Can you just leave us to it, please?" Crystal asked politely.

"Has she told you she was kissing me this morning?" Charlie asked bitterly.

Crystal looked a little wounded. Joey glared at her ex. She was used to the slanging matches they got into now but it was wrong to take things out on Crystal. She was an innocent in all of this.

"Not to mention yesterday," Charlie continued. "Yesterday we were doing a little more than that."

"Would you please leave us alone?" Joey requested, meeting Charlie's gaze.

The police officer turned on her chair so that she was facing Joey.

"No," she said. "No, I won't."

Joey turned towards her, feeling confused and conflicted.

"What is your problem?" she asked.

"You're sitting here on a date with some tart and you're asking me what my problem is?" Charlie snapped back.

"Hey!" Crystal protested.

Both women ignore her.

"At least I had the decency to wait until I was single," Joey snapped back. "I'm not a cheat or a liar like you are!"

Charlie stood up in irritation.

"Well, you're clearly not above messing with people's feelings!" she accused.

Joey stood up also.

"What I do or don't do is of no concern of yours, Charlie!"

"No concern of mine?" Charlie scoffed. "All I think about is you, Joey. You're the first thing I think of when I wake up. You're the last thing I think of when I go to sleep. And you fill all the space in between. So I'm sorry, but you're definitely a concern to me! You're all I damn well care about!"

"Well, it's a little bit late for that, don't you think?" Joey argued. "I could have done with you thinking about me that night when you were screwing Hugo behind my back! I could have done with you caring about me then!"

"I did care about you!" Charlie insisted. "I loved you! I still do!"

"Then I would hate to see how you treat someone you don't love!"

"I was messed up that night, Joey. I was hurting. I was confused. I felt like my whole world was crashing down around my ears and I didn't know what to do."

"For the record, one thing that doesn't solve your problems is fucking a guy behind your girlfriend's back! Not to mention lying about it!"

"I was going to tell you!" Charlie said desperately.

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because I was scared of losing you!"

"Mission failed," Joey told her coldly.

"I came home and I was going to tell you the truth," Charlie replied. "But you were so happy to see me, so desperate to put the previous night and everything that had happened with Brett behind us. You were so beautiful and sweet and looking forward to the future..."

"Oh, so it was my fault now?" Joey challenged.

"No!" Charlie said desperately. "No. None of this is your fault. I know what happened is down to me. But if you'd just stop yelling all the time, if you'd give me a chance to..."

"I'm not giving you a chance to do anything, Charlie," Joey said firmly. "Now would you please leave me to my..."

She trailed off, having turned back to Crystal, only to find a vacant chair and several dollar notes on the table.

"... date," she finished flatly.

Joey turned back to Charlie.

"Thanks for ruining my night," she accused unhappily.

"My pleasure," Charlie said pleasantly, sitting back down and looking satisfied.

Joey hesitated for a moment, feeling more bewildered than ever.

"Care to join me?" Charlie asked.

Joey walked out.

Next time... Joey admits to Crystal that she still loves Charlie while Charlie makes a clumsy pass at Angelo...