Chapter Three Hundred and Sixty Nine

"This is a nice surprise, by the way" she said, to Watson in the backseat.

"Charlie's taking pity on me," Watson replied.

"It's not pity!" Charlie insisted, turning left onto the farm. "It's friendship."

"What's going on?" Joey wondered.

"Monica and I are probably breaking up," Watson informed her glumly.

"What?" Joey squeaked in shock. "Seriously?"

Watson nodded and explained the situation of her girlfriend's job offer.


Angelo found Alf in the Surf Club and was not greeted with any warmth.

"I'm really sorry I was so rude and ungrateful," the former police officer said. "And if, on the off chance, the job is still available, I'd like to take it."

Alf surveyed him, not feeling very compassionate.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked.

"Someone made me aware of what a prick I've been," Angelo replied honestly.

He hated that Joey, of all people, had succeeded in teaching him a lesson but he supposed it had to come from somewhere. He had nothing right now and according to Marilyn's tarot cards, he'd have nothing in the future. He had to make a change somewhere. Why not start here?

"I'll give you a week's trial," Alf decided. "If you can prove yourself and get along with Joey while she trains you then sure, you can have the job."

Angelo thanked him gratefully.


At the end of what was a very successful and busy boxing class, Charlie, Joey and Watson all approached Tony to congratulate him.

"It went well, didn't it?" Tony checked, trying not to sound prematurely elated.

"It went great," Joey said. "We'll definitely be here next week, won't we, girls?"

Charlie and Watson both agreed.

"Thanks," Tony said gratefully. "All of you. Thanks."

Congratulating him again, the three women left him to clear up with Xavier and April.


"I think that's pretty much perfect," Liam decided.

Ruby had invited him round to the apartment so that they could choose songs to record together at the studio he had booked. He had been a little anxious about blurring boundaries but he'd felt too awkward to insist he didn't visit her at home.

"Me too," Ruby agreed, half about the song choices and half because she was looking at him.

"Well, I'd better get going," Liam decided, getting to his feet.

"You could stay for a bit," Ruby offered.

"No, I should…"

They were interrupted by Charlie and Joey arriving home. Ruby's parents were immediately concerned and there was no question about him staying anymore. Charlie saw him quickly to the door, warning him that he should be more professional than to spend that kind of time with a student.

"You are so embarrassing!" Ruby declared angrily when he had gone.


Xavier sat dumbly on the sofa, staring at his mother. He pinched himself, convinced it was a nightmare and that Gina hadn't really informed him that John was going to be moving in with them.

"Don't I get a say?" he asked. "I don't want him to live here."

"I know," Gina replied. "But this is the first time in a long time where I've met someone I can see a future with, Xavier. Please don't ruin it for me now. I don't ask much of you but if you could just be supportive, if you could at least try to get to know him…"

Xavier shook his head and stood up.

"I will never support this," he declared.

He then stormed out of the house.


"Ruby, would you calm down?" Charlie snapped.

She had not been prepared to go from having such a nice time at the boxing class to such a drama at home.

"No, I will not calm down!" Ruby argued. "You just humiliated me in front of Liam!"

"He is your teacher and you have a crush on him," Charlie reminded her. "He should not be spending time alone with you in our apartment!"

"You made me look like a child!"

"You are a child!"

"I'm sixteen, Charlie! Sixteen! Nearly seventeen! I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself and making my own decisions!"

With that, she stormed into her bedroom and slammed the door so hard that pictures on the wall rattled. Charlie looked helplessly at Joey.

"You were in the right," her girlfriend told her. "Although, perhaps you should have said it rather than shouted it."

"She started shouting first!" Charlie protested.

Joey chuckled affectionately and pulled her into her arms. They kissed tenderly.

"Give her some breathing space and she'll come back apologetic," Joey said. "She always does."


Nicole looked at Penn and then looked at the painting he had drawn of her. She thought he made her look much more beautiful and elegant than she actually was. Swooning a little, she kissed him. When he guided her back onto the bed of his caravan, she let him.


"Oh, I wish you didn't have to go to work today," Joey complained.

It was Saturday morning. Usually, Charlie managed to get the weekends off so that she and Joey could spend time together. But sometimes, she wasn't that lucky with the rota.

"Me too," she replied. "But it's only a short shift so I'll come and meet you straight after."

Joey nodded, almost satisfied. They kissed as Ruby emerged from her bedroom. She and Charlie had just about made up the night before so they all hoped that things would be peaceful from here on out.

"Okay, I'll see you both later, okay?" Charlie said.

Kissing Joey one more time and ruffling Ruby's already messy hair, she headed out of the apartment.


Alf left home feeling unhappy. He knew it was stupid but Marilyn's doll, Mr Oddly felt like a real menace. He got the shivers every time he saw him and he was unnerved that no matter how he tried to throw him away, he always came back.

"Hi, Joey," he greeted when he arrived at the Surf Club.

She looked up from where she had been busily sketching in a pad.

"Hi, Alf," she replied, closing the pad and approaching the bar as he prepared to start work.

"What have you got there?"

"Oh, I was just playing around with some designs and stuff," Joey explained. "For menus and everything. Charlie gave me this book to put all my ideas in."

"How's it going up there?" Alf wondered.

"Great!" Joey beamed. "The builders are doing everything perfectly. And I feel all special and important every time I'm called over there to direct them!"

Alf laughed.

"You are special and you are important," he replied.

Joey's smile got wider.

"Angelo apologised to me, by the way," Alf informed her.

"He did?"

"And he'll be starting work with you on a trial basis from Monday."

Joey pulled a face.

"It was your idea!" Alf chuckled.

"I know," Joey replied. "I'm all selfless like that. But working with him in theory is going to be a lot easier than in practice!"


Charlie and Watson thanked Miles and left the house. There was a thief at the caravan park and lots of people's belongings had gone missing. Customers were complaining so Miles had phoned the police to see if they could get to the bottom of it. He and Charlie were both relieved that he wasn't responsible, like he had been with the graffiti the year before, although really, that hadn't been his fault.

"Where on earth do we start with this?" Watson wondered.

"We start with Colleen," Charlie decided.

"You don't think she's a secret tea leaf, do you?" Watson joked.

Charlie laughed and shook her head.

"But she does know every single person's business in this town," she said. "She might have seen something."


"It's looking really great, Joey," Alf said.

They had gone upstairs to look at the progress being made on the restaurant.

"I'm really pleased with it," she said.

The work was only half done but in her imagination, Joey could see everything working perfectly.

"I can't believe this is really happening," she admitted. "I used to sit at home and play 'restaurant' and now I get to do it for real!"

Alf chuckled and they headed back out of the room together.

"Are you okay, Alf?" Joey wondered, following him back to the bar in the Surf Club.

She pulled up a stool and offered him her undivided attention.

"Yeah," he said tiredly. "Just…"

"Just?" Joey nudged.

"It's that stupid doll, Mr Oddly!" he exclaimed.


Xavier met up with April on the beach. She'd been there to support him the previous day when he had first found out about Gina and John's plans. And this morning, he was still desperately unhappy and stressed. He was grateful for her friendship. After everything that had gone wrong with Ruby, it was nice to be with someone who seemed to care enough to put him first when he needed help. And she was clearly above swooning over the likes of Liam Murphy.


"You buried him?" Joey asked incredulously.

"And he still came back!" Alf replied, sounding rather desperate.

Joey shook her head.

"Well, he can't have done it by himself," she said. "So, one of your housemates must be pranking you or something."

"That's what I thought but they swear they're not," Alf said. "And they don't even know that I buried him."

He shuddered.

"The whole thing is so creepy," he said. "I don't understand why Marilyn is inflicting that horrible thing on me."


After her shift, where she had come no closer to finding the thief of the caravan park, Charlie met up with Joey to look at the progress of the restaurant.

"It's coming along really nicely, isn't it?" the police officer said.

"Yep!" Joey grinned.

Charlie pulled her into a hug. Standing in the middle of the half renovated room, they kissed.

"Thank you for making all of this possible, Charlie," Joey said sincerely.

Charlie kissed her again.

"My purpose in life is to make you happy," she said. "And I'm glad to be succeeding."

"You're definitely succeeding," Joey replied, kissing her again.

It became increasingly passionate. Joey nudged Charlie against the wall and began fumbling with her clothes. Then she pulled away and sneezed, making both of them laugh.

"Well, that was a passion killer!" Joey remarked, blushing.

Charlie giggled and nodded.

"Dust is not attractive," she agreed. "But I know a place where there is no dust to be found…"

Taking Joey's hand, they hurried home as quickly as possible.


Alf came in from where he had been sitting with a beer in the garden. He paused when he heard a strange rattling sound coming from the laundry room. Cautiously, he approached and opened the tumbledryer. Inside, was Mr Oddly – the same Mr Oddly that he had put in a box and thrown out to sea only a couple of hours before.


Next time… Angelo and Joey attempt to work together at the bait shop, Penn causes trouble for Colleen and a Mr Oddly War breaks out at the caravan park…