As Time Goes By
Chapter 13
Joey was released from the Kent and Canterbury hospital on New Year's Eve. Charlie managed to borrow a Police vehicle from work and drove into Canterbury to collect her. Joey had a patch attached to the side of her head with sticky tape holding it in place. A bandage was wrapped around her leg and a second one around her middle protecting a wound on her back. Charlie helped Joey into the Police car and padded her out with cushions which, she had taken from home for Joey's comfort.
"Boy! Am I glad to be out of there!" Joey said smiling at Charlie.
"It'll be wonderful to have you home, darling!" Charlie replied, taking Joey's hand and kissing it.
"Are you going back to work once you've dropped me off?" Joey said, noticing that Charlie was in her Police uniform.
"Just long enough to take the car back, then, I'm all yours!"
"Just hope I have enough stamina to do something about it!" Joey said, sadly.
Charlie smiled.
"Give it time, Jo. I'm not running away!"
It was Joey's turn to smile. She lifted her hand and rested it behind Charlie's neck; her fingers provocatively touching her skin. Charlie shivered as Joey gently caressed her.
"If you continue to do that, I'll end up smashing the car up and how do I explain that one to the Inspector?" She said, hoping that Joey would ignore her words.
Luckily, Joey did!
***
When they arrived home, they were greeted by Janet who said she would wait until Charlie had delivered the Police car back to the station and returned home, before leaving for work herself, so she might keep vigil over Joey. Charlie was grateful and left immediately.
"When is Colleen's funeral, Jan?" Joey wanted to know.
"It's the day after tomorrow." Janet Leah answered solemnly. "Her death came as quite a shock to everyone. I must confess I feel awful about it! I know we worked together at times when she did the odd shift for me at the tea shop, but she always seemed such an old scratch! I suppose I used to lose patience with her. And she was a terrible gossip!"
Joey nodded.
"I think she was lonely. Did she ever tell you about what she did during the last war?" Joey asked, staring into the cosy fire.
"No. Charlie told me a few days ago. You wouldn't credit, it would you?"
Joey shook her head, slowly.
"How have Morag and Mr. Stewart taken it?" Joey asked.
"Shocked, of course. More than a little regret, I'll hasten to add, on both sides!" She said quietly.
"We all neglected her. She was a compassionate person, but misunderstood. I'm glad I got to know a little about her before she died. It would be terrible to die without someone knowing the truth about you, wouldn't it?"
Janet nodded in agreement.
***
Charlie arrived home and smiled at Joey as she walked through the door.
"How are you, pumpkin?"
Joey chuckled.
"Alright, thanks. Jan's been looking after me. She's just popped to the privy before going off to work." Joey said as she stood up shakily.
"Hey! Where do you think you're off to?" Charlie cried, running to support Joey.
"I'm not incapable you know!" Joey laughed. "Besides, I only did it so you would run to my side so I could do this." Joey said, taking Charlie in her arms and favouring her with a long, tender kiss.
They pulled apart quickly as they heard Janet preparing to leave for work.
"Bye, you two. Be good!" She called.
"We don't really have much option!" Joey called back, making Charlie smirk. "But we can keep practising in the mean time!" She said, seductively.
***
Later that evening, Ruby Buckton made the finishing touches to her dress. Geoffrey Campbell was escorting his sister Annie and Ruby to the village hall's New Year's Eve dance. The evening had nearly been cancelled on account of Colleen Smart's demise; Colleen having organised the festivities. But upon a vote from the other committee members, it was thought seemly for the dance to go ahead in her memory; much to the delight of the younger people of the community. Charlie and Joey had both purchased tickets some weeks previously, but Charlie dismissed any question of going and leaving poor Joey by herself. Charlie knew she could rely on Janet to keep an eye on Ruby and secretly relished the idea of having Joey all to herself for the entire evening.
"How do I look?" Ruby asked, giving her sister and Joey a quick twirl.
Joey whistled her approval which made Charlie laugh.
"I'll take that as thumbs up, shall I?" Ruby asked with a grin.
"Definitely!" Joey said, with enthusiasm. "Pretty as a picture!"
These Buckton girls certainly know how to turn a head! Joey thought to herself.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door and Ruby flew off to admit her friends. They looked in briefly to wish Charlie and Joey a very 'Happy New Year' and after a big hug and kiss from Ruby, she left with her friends making for the village hall.
***
Janet and Vince had already left as Janet was helping with refreshments and so at last, Charlie and Joey had the house to themselves.
"Jan lit the fire in the lounge. She thought it might be cosier in there than here." Charlie said, taking Joey's hand and encouraging her to stand.
"Might be even cosier in the bedroom!" Joey suggested, in a low, sensuous voice.
"Yes, but aren't you supposed to be resting, Jenny Wren? How's your head feeling?"
"My head feels very comfortable, thank you and the only bit of me that isn't, is getting a bit frustrated by being told to rest, when all it needs is you to take pity!" Joey explained pouting.
Charlie grinned at her lover's persistence and shook her head gently, but taking her Joey by the hand guided her through to the bedroom closing the door behind them.
***
"See that wasn't so bad, was it?" Joey said, as Charlie recovered from the warm, throbbing sensations which thundering through her soul as Joey bought her to climax.
Charlie was unable to pass comment either way for a few moments as she lay on the bed recovering.
"Blimey! Was it that good?" Joey asked with a grin and Charlie just looked at her and nodded.
Joey chuckled and pulled Charlie's naked body to her own.
"I suppose being on sick leave does have its advantages!" She continued. "After all, someone has to keep the home fires burning!"
"Joey!" Charlie laughed, "You really do have quite a turn of phrase when it comes to making love and don't even think about 'stoking the boilers', either!" Charlie threatened.
"Damn! How did you know that was my next line?"
"Because, I think I know you pretty well, inside and out!" Charlie said, moving her hands down Joey's body to start to deliver her own kind of pleasure.
***
The village hall was also throbbing. but to the sounds of 'Norman Dewsbury and his Whitstable Wowzors'; a local band consisting of piano, drum, clarinet and double bass. They didn't set the world on fire, but they kept the dance floor full of cheery faces and happy feet!
Ruby and Geoffrey were on their fifth dance together when Geoffrey gave Ruby a piece of news.
"I'm going to leave School and join up!" Geoffrey said proudly as the couple slowly shuffled around to the lilting 'Moonlight Serenade'.
"You're kidding me!" Ruby cried in surprise.
"I can't stay at School indefinitely. Sure, I want to get good qualifications; to become a civil engineer I must, but it's something I need to do!"
Ruby looked at her partner with a frown.
"Does Annie know?"
Geoffrey looked away from Ruby.
"No. I don't know how to tell her."
"With her beliefs, Geoff, she's not going to like it! Have you spoken to Mrs. Roberts about it?"
Geoff nodded his head.
"Irene said that if that's the way I feel, I must do what I think is best. She's not happy about it, but will support me."
Ruby rested her cheek again Geoffrey's shoulder.
"I'll miss you."
Geoffrey smiled.
"What service will you apply for?" Ruby asked.
"I thought perhaps, The Marines?"
Oh, dear God! Ruby thought, closing her eyes at the thought.
Suddenly there was a drum roll. The music stopped and the lights in village hall were switched on.
"It's almost time everyone, so please charge your glasses!" Alf Stewart announced with only a couple more minutes of the year nineteen forty four still remaining.
"Okay everyone, ten, nine, eight..."
***
And after some very memorable foreplay, Charlie sensed Joey was reaching breaking point as the Westminster chimes of the Church clock signalled the fast approach of nineteen forty five.
"Happy New Year, Joey!"
"H... H... Happyeeee... Char-lie!" Joey yelled loudly as she throbbed in time to the Church clock striking twelve, midnight.
"Ring-a-ding, ding, ding!" Charlie whispered as Joey collapsed in a heap.