Charlie had tried to back out of Hugo's offer, but as if he hadn't heard a word she had said on the phone, he was there waiting for her at 8 just like he had said. They had only gone out for a few drinks, they didn't talk about much. Well she didn't, he went on and on about his scuba diving business with Alf. While he was too busy concentrating on himself he failed to notice that Charlie was making a mental list of the things she didn't actually like about him. She concluded that even though he was a nice guy, there was no WOW FACTOR. This had pretty much been it, for the past 6 months. The sex, she thought and shuddered. OH if she was honest it was terrible, for her at least, he always seemed happy. He was an average size of sorts, but when they were together it never felt intimate the ways she always imagined it to be. Perhaps true love only existed in fairytales.
She revisited the conversation they had had.
"Hugo?" She had looked at him "Huh?" he grunted. "Where do you see this going?" she sighed. "Well business is slow at the moment, Alf and I know that…" "No! With us?" He looked at her closer. "Us?" "Yeah us!" "What's brought this on?"
It wasn't the first time she had brought it up. It wouldn't the last it seemed because she had been to chicken shit to say how she was really feeling. Instead they had gone back to his place, and as always she had ended up unsatisfied, while he fell asleep with a grin, lying on her breast.
She had snuck out at 4am. Now lying in her own bed, she curled up and buried her head in the covers. What was she doing?
-
"So how was you date with lover boy?" Ruby fluttered her eye lashes, as Charlie plonked herself down at the table and groaned. "Ruby I'm REALLY not in the mood." Ruby backed off for once. "Hey no no! You touch my food, you feel my fork!" Charlie pulled back her arms from Ruby's plate of pancakes, and made a pathetic attempt to win her over with a soppy look. "Anyway I hope you weren't actually threatening an officer there!" she smiled at Ruby. "Of course not princess!" Ruby beamed. After some whining on Charlie's part, she eventually gave in, though the next struggle was getting VJ to hand over the strawberry syrup. "Morning everyone!" Leah came bouncing in. "How does she do it?" Charlie asked Ruby in amazement. "Every morning she's like that!" Ruby drew herself nearer to Charlie and divided her first to fingers and stuck her tongue in between. "Ruby!" "Oh come on she and Roman are soooo at it!" "OK would you change the subject!" Charlie insisted. Ruby thought for a minute "Are you going to see Wonder Wo..I mean Joey again?" Phew that was close! "I don't know yet, anyway I've got to get going." She stood up to grab her runners. "Where?" Ruby demanded "it's Saturday!"
-
The only place where no one could hassle her was the beach. Not work, not Ruby, not Hugo, not Colleen, no one. She had already done the whole length of the beach and back when she finally called quits and started walking again.
She realised she was in the exact spot where she had been buried by Ruby. Thoughts flushed her mind, and she let out a rather silly giggle. Oh god she had been in a bad temper that day! She turned to face the sea, and gaze out into the open. She saw a sense of peace in the sea, she couldn't describe it. She could make out a body sitting in the sand, further ahead. The closer she got the more familiar the face grew. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, but made her way over. "Hey are you alright?"
Oh shit! Great now she must think I'm a lonely depressed individual. Why did she have to be at work that day?
"Hi, yeah I'm fine, just enjoying the peace." "Oh I'm sorry do you want me to leave?" Charlie looked at her worriedly. "No, you're all right, please sit." She offered her. There was an awkward moment of silence between them. Neither knew how to start a conversation off. "I'm just going to be blunt" Joey turned to her after a while "I'm just going through a rough patch at the moment, and I'd really rather not talk about it. I'm sorry I bolted when I saw you at the station, I just got overwhelmed with everything I guess, and I didn't want you to think less of me." She forced herself to make eye contact. Charlie just smiled compassionately "Really, you have nothing to apologies for. Your business is your business, ok? But if you ever want to talk or anything…" Joey relaxed a little and smiled. "So where in the world does a Senior Constable find time to relax on the beach?" She hinted a grin from the corner of her mouth. "Ha, I have to make time! Saving the town from man-eating sharks, solving disappearances, and generally trying to keep Colleen, the town parrot, quiet is not as easy as it seems ya know!" "So really this..I'VE GOT EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL appearance is just a cover up….." Joey teased. Charlie rolled her eyes and nodded. It was true!
"Well what about you, Ruby reckons you're Wonder Woman!" She sat back rather pleased with herself. Charlie knew she was getting her own back on Ruby, she'll be mortified when she finds out she told her. "How the hell….how many people know?" she said in a sincere tone. Charlie let out a snort. "Don't worry you're secret is safe with me!" Charlie rubbed her arms feeling the wind "ah see now I'm wearing me Wonder Knickers, they radiate a sheath around my entire body so I don't feel the cold." Joey was leaning back on her hands. Charlie rolled onto her side laughing "I gota get me some of those!" "Oh I'm not so sure you could handle such extremely advanced knickers!" Joey couldn't help but laugh as well, where in the world was all this dribble coming from??
"Charlie?" a voice invaded their laughing fits. "Charlie, hey I was wondering if you want to spend the afternoon on one of Alf's boats he's leant it to me for the afternoon? Plus you rushed off this morning, I just thought since I have the afternoon off, why not?" Charlie looked up at him blankly for a second….what? She coughed, and stood up. "Sorry Joey, this is Hugo. Hugo, Joey." Both shook hands not entirely knowing what to make of each other. "This is.." "Her boyfriend!" Hugo cut in. Charlie frowned. Not for long mate. "Well, you up for it?" She sighed "I was just going to enjoy the afternoon here" she pointed out. "Ha what ever for? You've got to be joking!" "Look I should really head back..." Joey suddenly felt out of place, and unwanted. She started heading in the opposite direction. "No Joey don't leave!" "Really go enjoy you afternoon, it'll get warmer later." She smiled and walked off. Charlie turned to Hugo.
"What?" He said bewildered, raising his hands. "Don't give me that!" "What is your problem Charlie?" She turned around furious. "My problem?! You really want to know?" "Yeah PLEASE shed some light!" he demanded. "I have tried several times now to bring to you attention that this relationship isn't working. And you refuse to acknowledge this!" "Oh come on, every couple argues it's healthy." "God damn it Hugo, I'm not talking about arguing! You have this idea in your head that everything's hunky dory, when it's clearly not! I hate the way you don't listen to me when I have a problem, yet you demand my attention when you do. You reckon I should just drop all my plans for the day to fit in with yours. Your not committed enough to talk about moving in together, actually making a real go of this relationship, and the sex.." "What about the sex?" he eyed her. She was going to hate herself for saying this "I'm never satisfied, there's no connection between us!....There I've said it!" She sat down on the sand, her legs giving way. She didn't look up at him. She knew the face that was staring down at her. After what seemed like the longest pause of the century he replied "Fine!" And walked away.
-
Ruby found Charlie sitting on the sofa. "Hey I saw you with wonder woman!" she teased, leaning on her shoulder from behind. She grew worried when no reaction sparked from her, and turned her head to see the big rivers flowing down her cheeks. "Charlie? What's wrong?" She walked round and joined her on the sofa, cuddling up close and letting her bury her head in the neck. She couldn't make out a lot but, Hugo, fight, rung a bell. "What's wrong with me Rubz?" She said after her eyes dried up. Ruby didn't know what to say, what do you mean?" "Hugo's a decent guy, yet I see nothing in him. He is thoughtful, and gentle, but there's no spark." Ruby kept quiet. "He planned this boat trip for this afternoon, and I could think about was hiding from him." "Maybe he's just not the right guy Charlie?" She said thoughtfully. "I suppose neither was Roman, Miles, …or Angelo…" she sniffled. "Why not concentrate on you for a while Charlie, what's wrong with that? You life does not have to revolve around making other people happy the whole time!" She blinked at her several times. Was this the same immature Ruby, speaking such justified words? "Anyway he'll get over it! Personally I always thought he'd go for Martha, no offence!" "Me too! I still can't understand why he came over to me that night, after Rachel and Tony's wedding." "Someone told me that everything happens for a reason, even if you don't know it straight away." Charlie looked up at her and smiled. She'd said that to her when their mum died. "Thanks Rubz. I'm sure mum's watching over us right now! Hey maybe that's the reason…so she could be with us no matter where we were." With this new realisation, they put their minds at ease and enjoyed watching a film together, something they hadn't done in a while.