Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy Three
It was Monday morning and Martha's mood hadn't improved. Liam had moved out of the farm and she already missed him. She also felt very guilty about the way she had treated him. And she hated Hugo for how he had messed up his life and the lives of those he loved. Xavier was keeping secrets, she was a wreck and his mother couldn't even say his name. It was a tragic state of affairs. And on top of that, she was utterly mortified at the clumsy pass she had made at Angelo. She was just grateful that he had turned her down.
It had been a surprisingly busy day at the bait shop and Joey was happy with the arrival of lunch time. She worked all day in the week and a recently hired man worked the weekends. Joey had only met him a couple of times and usually they left notes for each other to pass on relevant information. She gathered that he was studying at University and working part time to pay his rent. She supposed that she was doing the same thing, only she was working full time and studying part time. College in general was going really well and she was expecting to graduate with all the appropriate qualifications within the next few months. The college had fast tracked her because she had already done most of it before. She was excited at the prospect of finishing but scared about what it meant she might have to do afterwards. Charlie was still eager for the restaurant to work but Joey couldn't help but feel nervous. What if Charlie's faith in her was unfounded? What if she failed? What if she let everyone down?
Charlie was working away in her office. Angelo had been unusually quiet but Watson had popped in for animated chat about the party. It had definitely been a nice weekend and she was very happy that she, Joey and Ruby had all settled into their new home so quickly. It already felt like they belonged there and that was a very special feeling.
Joey wandered into the Diner to find Elijah and Leah deep in conversation at the counter.
"Hey, Joey," Leah greeted.
"Am I interrupting?" Joey worried.
"Not at all," Elijah assured her.
"In fact, you're very much the person I wanted to see," Leah told her.
Joey hesitated, approaching with caution. She figured she had either done something wrong or she was about to do her friend a favour.
"What's up?" she asked.
"It's VJ," Leah explained.
At home, Marilyn sat at the table, meekly eating a sandwich while Alf and Miles discussed the caravan park vandal. She kept her head down, confused at the way her housemate complained when she had seen him cause the damage in the process. She could not even begin to understand what was going on. Miles was flighty and random but he was the last person she had expected to turn out to be the mysterious graffiti artist. It just didn't make sense in her head.
"Well, I kind of did already talk to him," Joey pointed out. "I don't think I can really do any more than that."
Leah had explained that her son and her boyfriend had spent the afternoon together yesterday but that VJ had hardly spoken the whole time and didn't seem keen on making the effort.
"Oh, you know he'd do anything for you," Leah pointed out. "Could you not just try and have another word?"
"He's expressed a keen interest in fishing," Joey said. "Why don't you take him after school?"
Elijah nodded.
"I'm willing to try it," he said. "I'm willing to try anything."
"Bring him to the bait shop and I'll set you up," Joey said. "Then if you can busy yourself for a few minutes, I'll have a quick chat with him. Can't say fairer than that."
She grinned at Leah to show that she didn't mind. Through Charlie, Leah had done a lot for her. She dreaded to think where she would be now if she hadn't been allowed to move into the house after what had happened to her. It was something she would be eternally grateful for. Plus, she adored VJ – although not in quite the same way that he adored her.
"For that, you get a free lunch," Leah decided, pleased with the outcome of their conversation.
Ruby had convinced Tony to let her sit in on his first boxing class with Xavier. Traditionally, violent sports weren't really her thing but watching her boyfriend work up a sweat and finally find a past time that he clearly loved, was turning into a very good experience. He looked hot and seemed to be enjoying himself more than he had in a long time. She was proud of him.
"What on earth is this?" a voice demanded.
Ruby, Tony and Xavier all turned towards the door to see Gina standing there, looking utterly furious.
Tidying up the kitchen after lunch, Marilyn moved to put the butter back in the fridge. She paused when she spotted a pencil drawing on the front, held by a magnet. Curiously, she pulled it off the fridge and stared into the face of the little girl from her dreams.
"Who is this?" she asked Miles.
Turning around, she showed him the drawing. He blanched and then shook his head.
"Nobody," he said.
"But you drew it," Marilyn pointed out. "You signed the bottom."
"It was done from a magazine," Miles lied. "It's nobody."
With that, he dashed off as if he had somewhere urgent to be. Marilyn continued to stare at the drawing.
Charlie was relieved to finally get a lunch break. She'd got swept up with paperwork and lost track of time. Knowing she had missed out on eating with Joey, she headed down to the bait shop to see her and have a quick catch up.
"Hey, stranger," Joey remarked pleasantly when she saw her girlfriend approach.
Charlie headed inside and caught her up in a kiss.
"Sorry," she said. "I meant to call but I got all bogged down with paperwork."
"It's fine," Joey assured her. "Besides, we've got tonight."
She grinned. Charlie kissed her again.
"I look forward to it," she said.
"Do you really think this will work?" Xavier asked.
School had finished for the day and he and Ruby were holed up in the Diner discussing what had happened with Gina and Tony. The siblings had had an almighty row and the teenagers had ducked out as quickly as possible.
"I don't see why not," Ruby said.
Charlie walked into the Diner and spotted Martha looking glum and lonely. Ordering a salad and her usual coffee, she pulled up a chair beside her friend.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, getting right to the point.
"Embarrassed," Martha sighed.
Charlie patted her arm.
"Don't worry about it," she said. "Everyone gets wasted once in a while. I mean, do you remember Leah's 30th? She danced on the table!"
Martha giggled. She very much remembered that night.
"And she threw up on Roman," she recalled.
Charlie giggled.
"How she managed to date him after that, I'll never know!"
"What's a little vomit between friends, hey?" Martha giggled. "Although, I think I did something as bad, if not worse."
"Did you vomit on Angelo?" Charlie asked. "If you did, I'm sure Joey would enjoy the story!"
"I kissed him," Martha admitted, stunning her friend into silence.
"But I already did what you told me to!" VJ protested.
With Elijah occupying himself with looking around the bait shop, Joey had taken the little boy to one side.
"When I asked you to spend time with him, I kind of meant you to open your mouth and have a conversation."
VJ folded his arms and pouted, insisting that she hadn't specified.
"Well, I'm specifying now," Joey said firmly but gently.
She smiled. He wavered.
"Just give him a chance, okay?" Joey encouraged. "He's a really nice guy and I know that the two of you getting along will mean the world to your Mum."
VJ sighed and grudgingly got to his feet.
"Alright," he relented. "I'll do my best."
Joey hugged him. VJ's smile automatically returned.
Having reassured Martha that she hadn't done anything wrong – although it was ill advised – Charlie finished her food and was about to head out of the Diner when she spotted Ruby and Xavier. She was about to approach but her daughter's words stopped her short.
"It's perfect," Ruby said. "You totally have something to bargain with now. You'll stop boxing if your Mum dumps John."
"Ruby," Charlie scolded, barging in on the conversation. "You can't encourage Xavier to blackmail his mother!"
Ruby looked immediately guilty.
"I didn't mean it quite like that," she mumbled.
"Well, that's how it sounds," Charlie said. "It's not on. You can't play on a mother's concern for her child to ruin a relationship that she's clearly happy with."
"You don't even like John," Ruby pointed out. "He ended Joey's career on the trawler."
"Whether I like him or dislike him doesn't come into it," Charlie insisted. "And neither of you should try to ruin it."
That evening, a somewhat cranky Ruby was watching television with Charlie and Joey. Her phone beeped. Reading the message, she smiled.
"Who's that?" Joey wondered.
"Gina's going to let Xavier carry on boxing if he moves back into the house," she said. "And she's said that she's not going to dump John but she won't have him at home."
"Sounds like a good compromise," Joey said, putting her arm around Charlie.
"Blackmail is still not cool," Charlie complained a little sulkily.
"I said I was sorry!" Ruby protested.
"And she said she'd forgiven you so why don't we all play nicely?" Joey, ever the optimist suggested.
"How can you always be in a good mood?" Ruby wondered.
"I have a wonderful partner, daughter, home, job..." Joey replied. "What on earth is there to be unhappy about? Life is a beautiful thing!"
Charlie grinned and kissed her.
"You make me very happy," she said.
That night, tucked up in her bed, Marilyn continued to be tormented about Amber, Miles and her own demise. She had no idea what to do.
Next time... VJ and Elijah bond, Charlie finds out about what's happening with Miles, Alf struggles with his Hugo secret and Romeo and Annie go on a date...
