Chapter Three Hundred and Seventy Six

"I'm still unsettled by this, just so you know," Charlie said, following Joey out from the bedroom and into the kitchen on Monday morning.

"Why?" Joey giggled.

Last night, both women had admitted to checking Bianca out. Charlie was horrified by both of them but Joey seemed to take it all in her stride.

"Because we're only meant to look at each other," Charlie squeaked.

"Charlie, tell me something," Joey said seriously. "Are you going to leave me and run off with Bianca?"

"No!"

"And do you think I'm going to?"

"No…"

"So can you accept that one of the many, many wonderful things about being in a lesbian relationship, is that you can check out other women?" Joey said. "Together. Nobody needs to feel threatened. It's just harmless fun."

Charlie remained sceptical. Joey leant closer and kissed her tenderly.

"Hot women will come and go," she whispered. "But none of them will ever be a patch on you. And there is no way on earth that I'd ever offer more than an appreciative glance."

"Okay," Charlie said reluctantly, circling her arms around her waist.

They kissed.

"So… you don't wish she was gay or anything?" she asked.

"If I hadn't been checking her out with you, I wouldn't have done it at all," Joey promised. "You're my one and only. And you always will be."

Pleased, Charlie released her so that they could start making breakfast.


Indi woke up with a start. She was sweaty and out of breath. Closing her eyes again, she sank against her pillows, wondering how on earth she was ever going to get over Romeo Smith. She had never had problems attracting boys but he didn't seem to notice her at all, not as more than a friend anyway.


"Well, I don't see what's so amazing about her," Ruby said grumpily, sitting down to breakfast with her parents. "She seemed like a blonde bimbo to me."

"She's a teacher!" Charlie said. "And she's a nice person."

Ruby continued to look sour about the whole thing.

"You just think she's hot," she accused. "I heard you two talking before I got up."

"She is attractive," Charlie admitted. "But she only had an effect on us because she was so nice. She's fun to be around."

"Well, if she steals one of you from the other as well as Liam, she's not going to know what's hit her!" Ruby declared.

Charlie and Joey exchanged glances as the teenager stormed back into her room to get ready for school.


Indi was still in a bad mood as she and Dex walked to school together. She had had another row with her father about his date with Marilyn.

"Oh look, there's Romeo," Dex said.

"Don't!" Indi cringed as he called him over.

It was too late. The object of her affection approached them.

"Are you okay?" he asked, seeing her unhappy face.

"She's just flustered because she likes you so much," Dex announced.

It took everything Indi had not to kill him.


Charlie and Joey stopped by the restaurant to check on how everything was going.

"It looks like we'll be done by the end of the week," the man in charge of the refit said.

"Really?" Joey said excitedly.

"I'd estimate Thursday."

Charlie smiled as Joey looked like she might combust with joy and excitement.


Bianca arrived at Summer Bay High, ready to take her first class. She had met up with her sister the previous evening and although they had squabbled as usual, they had both been pleased to see each other. And so far, Bianca agreed that the small town was a lovely place to be. She'd met Charlie and Joey, who she hoped would become good friends. She had quite enjoyed flirting with Liam. Yes, she thought life in Summer Bay could prove to be very interesting indeed.


Eager to avoid Indi, Romeo had ducked out of school as quickly as possible and asked Nicole to meet him and Joey in the Diner. Regardless of Penn's masterminding the charges against Colleen being dropped, neither of them trusted their friend's boyfriend. And after much deliberation, they had agreed to share their concerns with her.

"What's all this about?" Nicole wondered when she reached their table.

Romeo opened his mouth but no words came out. Joey opted to take the lead.

"We're a little bit concerned about your relationship with Penn," she ventured.


"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked in genuine but happy surprise.

Having seen Liam and Bianca flirting in the school corridor no less than twice in one morning, Ruby had dragged herself over to the police station for some quality 'Mum time'.

"I was lonely," Ruby replied. "Can we go to lunch or something?"

"Sure," Charlie readily agreed.

"With Joey?"

"She has other plans."

Ruby looked immediately suspicious.

"Not with Bianca, I hope," she said, her words souring even further when she said her name.

Charlie chuckled and shook her head.

"With Romeo and Nicole," she explained, linking arms with her daughter and leading the way out of the police station. "They're staging some sort of intervention."

"But I thought Penn was nice…?" Ruby said, sounding genuinely bewildered.


"You think he's cheating on me?" Nicole asked, trying not to sound as desperate as she felt.

"We don't know anything for sure," Joey said.

Romeo had been almost absent from the conversation.

"But you saw him flirting with some other girl?" Nicole checked, looking at Romeo.

"I did," he said. "And I'm sorry if we said something and we shouldn't have. We just don't want you to get hurt."

"No, thank you," Nicole said. "I'm sure it'll all be easily explained but I'm grateful that you're both looking out for me."


Charlie and Ruby walked back to the police station together, where Ruby would then leave to get back to school.

"When I am going to find 'the one', Charlie?" she wondered. "Why does everybody else get to love except me? I'm surrounded by couples all the time and it's not fair. Is there something wrong with me?"

Charlie stopped walking and took both of Ruby's hands.

"There is nothing wrong with you," she assured her. "But you have to be patient for the right time, the right place and the right person. I mean, look at me. I never thought I was ever going to find real love and now I'm happier than I could ever have imagined being. And the same thing will happen for you too."

"If we're having this same conversation a year from now, you have permission to put me down," Ruby decided.

Charlie chuckled and assured her there would be no need for that.


Penn had stopped by the Diner on the pretence of being a good citizen to reassure Colleen that the robbery incident was completely over and done with. He had also added that she need not go to work in a disguise anymore.

Leaving the venue, he spotted Nicole walking back towards school with Romeo. Jogging up to her, he was surprised when she didn't return his kiss.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'll give you some privacy," Romeo offered.

Hurrying off, he reluctantly caught up with Indi, who he had been avoiding all day in panic that she had feelings for him. He couldn't help but wonder when his life got so complicated.

"Nic?" Penn said, cupping her face. "Has something happened?"

"Have you been seeing other girls?" she asked, getting right to the point.

"What?" he denied. "Why would I do that when I have you?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Nicole said sadly. "I know we're just casual but if we're seeing other people, there need to be ground rules. I can't be messed around like that again. It hurts too much, Penn."

He took both her hands and gazed into her eyes, pretending to be earnest.

"I'm not the type of guy to mess anyone around," he told her. "Especially not someone as amazing as you."

She looked fearfully at him before managing a smile. They kissed.

"Now, you head off to school and I'll call you tonight, okay?" he said.

Smiling, Nicole jogged to catch up with Romeo and Indi, only for Romeo to storm away before she reached him.

"What's with him?" she wondered.

"It's far too complicated for me to explain," Indi replied.


Joey jolted when she heard someone burst into the bait shop.

"Woah!" she squeaked when she saw Romeo. "Where's the fire?"

"I'm not done meddling in people's love lives yet," he told her, heading over to where Marilyn was trying to find the perfect seat for Mr Oddly.

"Marilyn, I have to tell you something," he said.

Joey hovered in the doorway behind him.

"You need to really think about going out with Sid," the surfer said urgently.

"Romeo, I'm touched that you care," Marilyn replied sweetly. "But I am aware of his reputation…"

"Are you aware that he slept with one of the nurses he worked with after he'd arrange the date with you?" he asked.

Marilyn looked a little uncomfortable. Romeo looked panicked at Joey.

"Sorry," he said. "I just… I just thought you should know."


Back on the beach, with Nicole long gone at school, Penn had immediately set about flirting with the first pretty girl he saw. Nicole's accusations had been nothing but a challenge and her distress had been nothing short of pathetic. The sooner he could get on with his plans for Summer Bay, the better.


Charlie and Joey were relieved to arrive home at the end of the day. Both had had quite enough of trying to fix other people's romantic lives.

"Okay, so you spent the day telling Nicole that Penn might be cheating on her and listening to Romeo inform Marilyn that Sid got laid the night he arranged a date with her?" Charlie paraphrased.

"Yep," Joey said, flopping down on the couch. "Not to mention resisting telling Romeo that Indi is crazy about him."

Charlie chuckled and came to sit with her, pulling her into a hug.

"And you spent your shift consoling Watson about Monica and your lunch break listening to Ruby lament about being single?" Joey clarified.

"Pretty much," Charlie said.

"Then I officially forbid either of us to discuss anybody's romances but ours," Joey decided.

They kissed tenderly.

"I'm all for focussing on ours," Charlie whispered, kissing her again. "Maybe in a nice, hot bubble bath?"

"You're on," Joey replied happily.


Sid was surprised when Marilyn arrived at the hospital.

"You haven't hurt your finger again, have you?" he asked, approaching her.

She looked confused for a moment and then shook her head.

"Oh, no," she assured him. "I just wanted to ask you a question."

The Doctor's heart sank.

"What question?" he asked stiffly.

"Are you really single, Doctor Walker?" she asked. "Or are you planning to break my heart?"

He reached out and took both her hands.

"I'm single," he said. "I did have a… night with one of the nurses but that was a mistake more than anything else. You're the person that I want to spend time with and get to know."

She beamed at him.

"Well, good then," she said. "As long as we're both clear."


Lying in the bath, Joey felt completely relaxed as she lay back against Charlie's warm, wet body. She moaned as Charlie gentle massaged her shoulders. Closing her eyes, Joey smiled.

"Aren't you just so happy that we don't have to deal with all the relationship issues that everyone around us has to?" she mused.

Charlie smiled and kissed her shoulder.

"Definitely happy," she agreed.


Next time… Joey finishes her job at the bait shop and looks towards the beginning of the restaurant, Leah's concerns continue as Elijah regales the kids with his life as a missionary and more Mr Oddly arguments ensue…