A Pathway of Adversity

Chapter 10

As their soft lips moved together, Joey could hardly believe what was happening. Her attraction to Charlie had been sudden, but overwhelming. Was she living a dream or had Charlie Buckton really been at the other end of the kiss?

They gently moved apart. Joey's mouth hung open a little and Charlie swallowed as the reality of the moment dawned upon her.

"Joey, I'm so sorry!" She said, quickly. "I never meant to do anything like that... it just sort of... happened."

Joey smiled at Charlie who was clearly struggling with her emotions.

"Charlie." She said gently. "Your lips are so soft. Your kiss is something which I will never forget; I will treasure it, always."

Charlie looked confused. She had just kissed another woman and that woman had not only enjoyed the embrace, but had also locked it in her memory.

"But Joey... I had no right to..."

Joey leaned forward and rested her lips against Charlie's. Charlie's heart beat rapidly and though she felt it was wrong, somehow she couldn't stop the wonderful kiss and ached for Joey's arms to encircle her. Joey did not disappoint; her arms reached out and pulled Charlie closer. The kiss was long but sweet and soon, both girls had run out of breath. Joey was first to release Charlie's lips and moved a fraction from her face. She noticed a strange look in Charlie's eyes.

"Charlie. Please say you don't regret this!"

Charlie was speechless, still struggling to understand how another female could move her in the way that Joey had. She felt her heart burst into life and all her pulses reacted in such a way that made her blush.

"I-I don't understand what's happening to me." She said, quietly.

"Charlie... please don't be frightened! Sometimes it happens like this. All of a sudden you find yourself in the middle of something and before you can stop it... it's happened. You don't know how much I've wanted this."

She softly touched Charlie's warm cheek with her finger tips and looked deep into her eyes.

"Oh my God, Joey! What have I done?"

Joey released her. She realised that Charlie had come back to reality and now needed some space to think. Chances were, she would run for the hills and never allow Joey within touching distance of her again.

"I... I think I'd better leave." Joey said standing up.

Charlie watched her as she rose from the sofa.

"Thank you for this evening." Joey said, trying to smile. "I hope that I... well, it doesn't matter now."

She picked up her jacket from the back of the sofa and headed for the front door.

"Joey!" Charlie called.

Joey turned around and noticed the desperate look in Charlie's eyes.

Hugo Austen shuffled the deck of cards and started to deal them between the players. He glanced up occasionally from his task, meeting the distrusting eyes of the other men. He smiled to himself as he finished dealing and picked up his cigarette from the ash tray. Taking a pull and inhaling deeply, he allowed the smoke to seep slowly from his nostrils. Smiling wryly, he picked up his own playing cards and studied his dealt hand.

Constable Watson glanced at her watch. It was long after her bedtime and was feeling tired and hungry. How long was she expected to sit outside this building waiting for Hugo Austen to reappear? It wasn't likely that she would find out what he was doing by just making a note of his travelling times and destinations. She looked at her watch again and sighed. Picking up her mobile phone she keyed a message.

'He's been in there for hours. I'm for home. If you want a 'watcher' for the rest of the night, do it yourself!'

She pressed the send button and turned off the phone. Switching on the car engine, she pulled away and headed for home.

Charlie rose from the sofa and walked quickly to where Joey stood.

"Joey, I'm sorry. I guess I must have been having a sort of fit. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I took a liberty with you. I'm so sorry."

Joey looked sadly into Charlie's blue eyes.

"No, Charlie. It's me who should be sorry. I took advantage of the situation. But unlike you, I am not confused by my feelings. I'm just sorry I allowed them to run free this evening. Good night."

Joey turned and opened the door. She walked out closing it quietly behind her. Charlie continued to stare where Joey had lately been standing and felt the darkness which had shrouded her life for so many months, return, leaving her miserable and lonely.

A man sitting two chairs from Hugo Austen threw his playing cards into the middle of the table and cursed at his bad luck. He kicked away his chair and drinking down the rest of his whisky, shot Hugo Austen a withering glance and left the room. Hugo grinned and collected up the bank notes.

"Another hand, anyone?"

The remainder of the party mumbled and one by one, threw in their cards, also making ready to leave. The hour was late and it was raining outside. Hugo watched as each man left the room until he was quite alone. He stubbed out his fifteenth cigarette and swallowed the remainder of his drink. He gathered up the abandoned playing cards and placed them back in the box. Closing the lid, he kissed the pack and placed them in his pocket alongside a cigarette packet. He rolled his winnings into a bundle and placed it safely into his trousers pocket. Switching off the lights, he left the room to return home to Martha.

Joey lay in her bed, devoid of sleep. Her mind played over the scene of two wonderful kisses she had lately shared with Charlie Buckton. She remembered the taste of Charlie's lips and the softness of her skin and tormented herself with replaying the scenes over and over again in her mind. She composed conversation which she regretted not using at the time and cursed her own misfortunes in love.

Charlie lay awake likewise; trying to understand why Joey had made her feel the way she did, when no man had ever got anywhere near her accomplishment. For all the time she had been with Angelo Rosetta, he had never made her feel so whole; so complete as Joey Collins had done in just a few hours. Why had it taken a woman's touch; a woman's lips to set her heart on fire when all a man had ever been able to achieve, was a mere glimmer.

She threw back the bed clothes and heaved herself out. Walking to the kitchen, she poured out a glass of cold milk in hopes of it helping her to sleep for what remained of the lonely, dark night.