Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty Six
"Oh, come on, Alf," Miles nagged. "It's a great idea. You should totally do it."
They were eating breakfast at home with Marilyn, Nicole, Ruby and Romeo.
"I'm just not entirely sure that the two businesses quite go together," Alf said fretfully.
Marilyn looked immediately disappointed.
"Maybe you should just give it a chance?" Romeo suggested. "I'm sure Joey will find the whole thing pretty cool."
He looked to Ruby for confirmation and she readily agreed.
"Well, Joey's not going to be at the bait shop all that long now," Alf pointed out. "I just…"
He looked at Marilyn and the hope in her eyes broke his heart. How could he possibly say no? She had come home to be with the friends she considered family for the last few months of her life. He couldn't disappoint her now.
"Let me think about it," he eventually requested.
"I can't move!" Charlie complained from where she lay, flat out on the bed.
Beside her, Joey kept her eyes closed and snuggled up, resting her hand on Charlie's toned tummy.
"Are you whinging?" she asked sleepily.
"Yes, because I feel like I've just run a marathon!" Charlie pointed.
Joey lifted her head and resting on her elbow, eyeing her girlfriend quizzically.
"And why are you so tired?" she asked.
"Because we spent the whole night have the best sex that's ever existed," Charlie mumbled.
"And so you're complaining because…?"
Charlie grinned and hugged her.
"I'm not complaining!" she decided.
VJ was deeply concerned about the hostility at the breakfast table. Lijuan and Song had left the night before to stay in a hotel and now Leah and Elijah weren't talking.
"Look, I did apologise!" Elijah moaned. "I thought I was doing the right thing…"
"How on earth did you think telling your parents I don't like them was a good thing?" Leah demanded.
"Well, I didn't exactly say that…"
"Well, that's what they heard," Leah snapped, standing up and slamming her breakfast bowl rather hard in the sink. "Come on Veej, we're going to the Diner."
"But I wanted to go to church with Elijah," her son protested.
"Fine!" Leah snapped. "Have fun. And Elijah, you'd better have fixed things with your parents by the time I see you again!"
Without giving him the chance to respond, she stormed out of the house.
Having forced themselves out of bed and down to breakfast, Charlie and Joey were not happy to be leaving the spa. It had been a wonderful weekend and neither was keen for it to end.
"We really should try and get away more often," Joey mused as they packed their suitcases.
"Well, I doubt it'll be soon, unfortunately," Charlie pointed out. "You're going to be rushed off your feet in the lead up to opening the restaurant."
"Yeah," Joey sighed.
She brightened at the thought of running her own business.
"It'll all be fun though," she decided.
"It will," Charlie agreed.
"Are we all set?" Joey asked, surveying the room.
"I think so," Charlie said. "But I'll do a sweep of the bathroom if you do it in here."
Joey nodded and they both set to work. Charlie reappeared in the bedroom a few seconds later, looking flushed and holding their dildo.
"I am so glad we double checked!" she said. "How embarrassing would it be to leave this behind?"
Leah froze when she saw Lijuan and Song appear in the Diner. Leaving Colleen to hold the fort in the kitchen, Leah headed out onto the main floor to get them seated and comfortable.
"Are you feeling more peaceful today?" Lijuan asked rather curtly.
"No," Leah replied, sinking into a vacant chair. "I am so sorry for what happened yesterday."
"Which part, exactly?" her future mother in law asked.
"All of it!" Leah said.
Irene had coached her all morning over how to handle them and make things right again. She just hoped her strategy would prove useful.
"Elijah got the wrong end of the stick," Leah explained. "I have been really stressed recently but I promise it's nothing to do with either of you. I'm just a little overwhelmed with the wedding planning and everything. But to be honest, I feel like I need you both more than ever now. You're going to be so essential to planning everything perfectly."
Lijuan couldn't help but look elated.
"Please would you move back into the house?" Leah begged. "I really want you there."
"What's it like?" Charlie asked curiously, putting their last remaining item into their luggage.
"What's what like?" Joey asked, still amused at how embarrassed Charlie would have felt to leave their toy behind.
"Using… well, this," Charlie said, waving the dildo in the air and then tucking it back in the suitcase.
"Have you forgotten already?" Joey smirked. "It was only last night!"
She sat on the suitcase while Charlie zipped it up. It was their usual routine, with both of them being guilty of over packing.
"Yeah…" Charlie said vaguely, not making eye contact. "Never mind."
Concerned, Joey reached out and tilted Charlie's face so that she was looking at her.
"Charlie?" she asked. "What's up?"
"You're going to think I'm stupid," Charlie informed her.
"Only if you don't tell me," Joey replied.
Still on the suitcase, Joey caught hold of her hands and looked up at her expectantly.
"What does it feel like to wear… that?" Charlie asked. "To use it?"
Joey chewed her lip thoughtfully.
"It's nice," she said. "Especially when it's fitted in the right place."
She smirked and blushed all at once, making Charlie laugh.
"But it's nice to experiment and to know that it makes you happy," she said honestly. "Why?"
"No reason," Charlie said. "I was just interested."
She broke away and gathered up her handbag. They had to check out in a few minutes.
"Do you want to try it?" Joey asked.
"Oh, no," Charlie said quickly. "You already said you wouldn't be comfortable with that. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable. That kind of defeats the object."
Joey hopped off the suitcase and hauled it onto the floor, ready to leave. She approached Charlie and caught hold of her hands again.
"I'd be happy to try it," she said.
"You don't have to do that, Joey," Charlie insisted. "You already said…"
"I can't promise to enjoy it," her girlfriend replied honestly. "But I'm more than happy to give it a go, Charlie."
"But what if it… reminds you?" Charlie asked, really not wanting to bring Robbo up.
"It might," Joey admitted. "But to be honest, I can't imagine ever being with you and not feeling completely safe and happy. So I think we stand a good chance."
"Are you sure?" Charlie asked. "I don't want to pressure you into something you don't want."
Joey moved closer and kissed her.
"There's no pressure," she assured her. "Let's give it a try."
She glanced at her watch.
"When we get home, of course," she added with a grin. "I'm not sure we could ever be quick enough!"
Charlie giggled and kissed her. They headed out of the room together.
Elijah was relieved to find Leah in a much better mood when he brought VJ to the Diner after church.
"Have you forgiven me?" he asked cautiously. "Or are you lulling me into a false sense of security?"
Leah smiled and kissed him.
"I've forgiven you," she said. "And your parents have moved back in."
"They have?"
"I told them how much I need them in preparation for the wedding and that you got your wires crossed about why I was so stressed," Leah explained. "We're having a family dinner tonight."
"Will Joey come?" VJ asked hopefully. "And Charlie. Charlie too."
Leah and Elijah both laughed, wondering if the little boy really thought his crush on Joey was a secret.
"Not tonight," Leah said. "She and Charlie will only have just got back from their trip. But I'm sure you'll see her… them… again soon."
VJ forced a smile but was still disappointed.
"Ooh, I fancy a juice!" Joey declared as Charlie drove them back to Summer Bay.
Charlie chuckled and immediately pulled into the Surf Club car park. They stepped out of the car and headed into the building, holding hands.
"This will be the perfect end to the perfect trip," Joey said, her voice halting when she spotted Angelo very obviously drowning his sorrows at the bar.
"Please don't tell me I spoke too soon," she frowned.
Charlie squeezed her hand and approached her colleague. Opting to give them some privacy, Joey spotted Alf clearing glasses.
"Good evening, boss!" she said cheerfully.
He smiled when he saw her.
"You, young lady, are very much the person I wanted to see," he told her.
"Should I be worried?" Joey asked.
He gestured for her to sit down, deposited some glasses on the bar and came to join her.
"Marilyn's had this crazy idea about running a tarot reading, fortune telling type business out of the spare room of the bait shop," he explained. "But I'm not sure. What do you think?"
"Well, thanks to Marilyn, I just had the best few days of my life so I'm all for it," Joey grinned.
Alf chuckled and nodded but then looked serious.
"Honestly though," he said. "In a business sense. I'm not too sure the two businesses will go to together."
"I think it could work," Joey said thoughtfully. "I mean, most of people who come to bait shop, really want to chat. I'm kind of providing a counselling service for most of the youngsters around her."
She privately cringed at the term 'youngsters' and wondered when she had got old.
"Marilyn might be just the kind of person they need," she said.
Alf nodded thoughtfully. Suddenly, he was desperate to tell Joey that Marilyn was dying.
"Then I think I'll go for it," he decided.
Really, it was the least he could do.
Across the room, Charlie's good mood had evaporated. Slurring his words and making several exaggerated gestures, Angelo had drunkenly informed her that the whole police station was now under investigation for corruption, following Hugo and Martha's escape. He frowned when he didn't get the sympathy he'd been angling for.
"I'm telling you now that you'd better not be guilty of letting him go," Charlie warned. "All the while it was only your own life you were messing up, I was supportive. But if you're dragging the station's name and everyone who works there through the mud, then you have a hell of a lot to answer for. I am not prepared to let innocent people suffer for your mistake."
Without another word, she approached Joey and requested that they skipped the juice and went home.
"Sure," Joey said worriedly.
Saying goodbye to Alf, they headed out into the night.
"Charlie, what's wrong?" Joey asked worriedly, climbing into the car.
Instead of starting the engine, Charlie sank back into her seat and attempted to explain.
Next time… Joey discovers that Marilyn is dying, Angelo makes a confession and the whole police station are investigated on suspicion of corruption…
