As Time Goes By

Chapter 3

Charlie's body was forced down onto the bed and as she struggled to free herself a soft pair of lips found hers in the darkness and gently kissed her.

"Joey?"

"How did you guess?" A familiar voice asked.

"Joey! Oh Jo!" Charlie said, wrapping her arms around her mysterious guest.

After a long and dangerously sweet embrace, Charlie gently broke away and groped around in the darkness for the light switch. Finding it, she flicked it on and slowly turned back to find Joey Collins lying back on her bed with a big grin on her face.

Joey glanced at the little clock on the mantel piece and looked back at Charlie.

"Happy Birthday, Charlotte Buckton!"

Charlie glanced at the clock and saw it was two minutes after midnight; her birthday!

"I can honestly say you are the best Birthday present a girl could ask for!" Charlie said, leaning forward and kissing Joey again.

After a very long, lingering kiss, the girls reluctantly broke apart and smiled at each other.

"God! I've missed you and your lips, Charlie." Joey said, playing with the ends of Charlie long hair.

Charlie smiled.

"Well, they're all yours!" She said, snuggling into the Wren. "When did you get here?"

"About eight o'clock. Ruby kept me well entertained. It was lucky you had a meeting tonight, otherwise I'd have probably had to climb through your bedroom window!"

"Oh, 'Romeo' Collins!" Charlie grinned, laying her hand on her breast, dramatically. "I hope Ruby fed you?"

"Yes. Janet had left something on the stove for me, so I've been well fed and watered, thanks."

"So they knew you were coming?"

"Yes. I wrote to Ruby a couple of weeks ago telling her my plan and asked if she and Janet could manage to get you out of the house for a couple of hours until I arrived and settled in here. Looks as if your boss makes a good conspirator!" Joey grinned.

"What!" Charlie cried, sitting up straight. "Please tell me you're having me on! He wasn't involved, was he?"

Joey laughed and gently stroked the side of Charlie's anxious face.

"I do love you, Charlie."

Charlie smiled, realising she'd been the butt of another of Joey's jokes.

"How long have you got?" Charlie asked, gazing into Joey's big brown eyes.

"A few days, then I will have to get back to Yarmouth."

Charlie sighed.

"Well, I'm very grateful you're here, right now." Charlie said, relaxing back into Joey arms.

***

The next morning, Charlie trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen, on air. She hummed a little tune and when she saw her sister eating porridge at the table, put her arms about her and gave her a great big hug.

"Thank you Ruby!" she whispered and kissed her younger sister on the cheek.

"You're welcome, Charlie. Many Happy Returns of the day!"

"Thanks honey! Is Jan up yet?" Charlie asked, filling the kettle with water and putting it on the stove.

"Yes, up and out. She's taken Vince to her mum's so he won't be in the way tonight."

"Tonight?" Charlie asked looking at Ruby, with a frown.

"When we go out!" Ruby replied. "To the pub! Blimey, Charlie! Joey's back for five minutes and you already don't know your arse from your..."

"That'll do, young lady!" Charlie said, grabbing Ruby's ear and pulling it. "Don't want to hear language like that from you, thank you very much."

"Not even on your birthday?"

"Especially not on my birthday!" Charlie grinned, in love with the whole world.

Ruby grinned at her sister's soppy expression.

"Is Joey awake?" She asked tentatively.

Charlie grinned, sheepishly.

"Sort of."

"What d'you mean, 'sort of'?"

"Never you mind. Finish your breakfast."

And with that, Charlie continued to make tea.

***

Joey yawned and stretched in Charlie's bed. Neither her, nor Charlie had enjoyed much sleep, but there were compensations for that. She smiled as she looked around Charlie's bedroom and saw all the familiar things which made it Charlie's room. The photographs, the books, even the smell was characteristically, Charlie. There was one photograph she hadn't seen before, she sat up straight and her eyes narrowed, trying to make out who the sitters were. Suddenly, she smiled. It was a picture of Charlie and herself taken on Joey's first leave home last June, after their reconciliation and the Hugo Austin affair.

Charlie opened the bedroom door and grinned at Joey. She carried a tray with tea and bowls of porridge.

"Breakfast in bed!" Charlie said, confidentially. "Don't tell Ruby! She's just gone in the bathroom for her wash and she expects us to be up and doing before she's washed and dressed!"

"I think I'd rather be 'down and doing' if she doesn't mind." Joey said, giving Charlie a very unsavoury smile.

Charlie blushed and giggled.

"Breakfast first and then you can do whatever you want with me!" Charlie promised.

"Hand me that porridge, quick!"

***

"So, what are you two going to be getting up to this afternoon while I'm out on my date?" Ruby asked Charlie and Joey as they sat eating lunch.

Joey smirked and Charlie blushed, kicking Joey underneath the table.

Ruby tutted and tossed her hair in disgust.

"Well, what are you going to be doing this afternoon, with Geoffrey Campbell, in the back row, in the dark, at the pictures?" Joey laughed.

It was Ruby's turn to blush.

"I think I'd better go and get myself ready." She said quietly, getting up and leaving the table as Charlie and Joey grinned like Cheshire cats.

"You're wicked, Joey Collins!" Charlie whispered, playfully smacking her hand.

"I thought it was time she had a taste of her own medicine!" Joey laughed.

"What are we going to do this afternoon?" Charlie asked, turning to face Joey.

"Well, there are one or two points I'd like to go over with you again, but they'll have to wait. I need to speak to you about something."

"Joey?" Charlie said, immediately becoming concerned.

"Nothing to worry about, darling." Joey said resting her hand on Charlie's. "Its good news, but I think it will do us good to get some fresh air. After all, we don't want everyone saying that all we do is sit indoors and read religious tracts, do we?"

Charlie smirked and leaned in to Joey and kissed her on the lips.

"I have missed you, Joey. When you're not around, I feel all life goes out of me."

Joey looked into Charlie's eyes and smiled.

***

Saturday afternoon was bright but cold. Charlie and Joey dressed warmly in slacks, jumpers and heavy coats. Joey wore a little beanie hat with a tassel on the top, which Charlie took great delight in playing with. They walked along the sea wall making their way to Tankerton, a little town further along the coast.

"So, what do you need to talk to me about?" Charlie asked, bracing herself.

"I've been awarded another promotion!" Joey said, gleefully.

Charlie stopped walking and stared at Joey.

"Darling! That's tremendous! I'm so thrilled for you!" She took Joey's hands in her own and squeezed them. "I'm so proud of you!"

Joey smiled, broadly. It was still a novelty to have someone genuinely excited about anything she did in her life. The only person who had ever cared enough before was her late mother. It was almost two and a half years since her parents had been killed in an air raid in Canterbury, when the cinema which they were visiting, received a direct hit.

"Does that mean you'll get another stripe?" Charlie asked, slipping her arm through Joey's and continuing to walk.

"Yes, but actually Charlie, there's something else, too."

Charlie looked quickly at Joey.

Joey swallowed and stopped walking again. She looked out to sea and taking a deep breath said,

"I'm not sure how you're going to like this, but the promotion comes with a transfer."

Charlie stared at Joey.

"A transfer?"

Joey nodded her head and looked to her feet.

"My God!" Charlie said, anxiously. "They're sending you abroad, aren't they?"