This will probably be the last update of the day but I will be back tomorrow with the rest! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Three Hundred and Ninety Six

That night, Ruby stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom. She took a deep breath and surveyed herself critically. Today, she was desperate to turn over a new leaf and leave the mess she had made with Liam behind both of them. She didn't want to keep drinking and falling apart on him. She knew she needed to accept that he wasn't interested in her and move on. Charlie was always telling her what a lovely, pretty girl she was. If she was right, didn't that mean that she would find someone one day soon who would love her the way she wanted to be loved? She longed to be with someone that could provide a relationship comparable to what Charlie had found with Joey. She just wanted to be happy and stop feeling like a failure.


Charlie and Watson were enjoying their evening. Joey had been flitting between them and work all evening and Charlie was pleased that she was making an effort.

"It seems like talking things through was helpful," Watson commented when Joey headed on back to the kitchen.

The restaurant was particularly busy and it was a case of all hands on deck.

"Yeah," Charlie said, watching her girlfriend leave. "I'm really looking forward to the weekend. And once she's sorted the shifts out and everything, she'll have a lot more time. Angelo wants to take on full time hours and for some reason she trusts him with responsibility. So hopefully I'll get my girlfriend back again soon."

She grinned happily.

"Don't get me wrong though," she added. "I'm really happy for Joey. She loves this place. It's her dream come true and I'm totally supportive."

"I know," Watson assured her. "I don't think I've met anyone so supportive of their partner before!"

She smiled but then looked sad. Charlie immediately bad for going on about her own relationship when her friend was still adjusting to life without Monica.

"It's okay, Charlie," Watson assured her, knowing what she was thinking. "There has to be life after Monica. I don't expect other people to stop living just because I'm going home alone every night."

She managed a smile.

"And I'm glad you're happy," she added. "You deserve that."


"I just… I really, really like you," Nicole admitted to Penn. "And at the risk of sounding really dumb, I'd like us to become more serious."

She held her breath, fearing rejection but smiled when he kissed her instead.

"I'm serious about you," he said.

It was sort of true. He just wasn't serious in quite the way she might want him to be. He had big plans for her. She was going to be an integral part in bringing Alf Stewart down to his knees.


"Joey!" Charlie called, catching hold of her girlfriend as she walked past them.

"One sec!" Joey requested.

She completed her task of delivering starters to a table and then came back to Charlie.

"What's up?" she asked.

"We miss you," Charlie said.

Joey eyed her quizzically.

"I doubt very much that Watson misses me but thank you for the sentiment," she grinned.

"Watson totally misses you!" Charlie said. "Don't you?"

She kicked her, albeit gently, under the table, making her snap to attention.

"What?" Watson squeaked. "Oh! Yes! I totally miss you too."

Joey chuckled and kissed Charlie's cheek.

"It's really busy in the kitchen," she said apologetically. "But I'll be back with you when I can. And we still have tomorrow, don't we?"

Charlie nodded but pouted. Joey kissed her lips and hurried back off.


Nicole wasn't in quite as good a mood as she was before when she and Penn arrived for dinner at the restaurant. She had popped back into the house from his caravan in order to get changed but Marilyn and Miles had queried her particularly swoony look. And they hadn't been able to stop themselves from interfering and trying to get her to change her mind about the man she was falling in love with.

"Just forget about them," Penn told her. "They're idiots. They don't know what they're talking about."

Nicole nodded but sighed, annoyed with her friends for ruining her night. Why couldn't they just be happy for her?


"We have company," Watson said, nodding towards the door of the restaurant.

"Joey?" Charlie asked hopefully.

She frowned when she saw Bianca approaching them instead.

"What a welcome," Bianca remarked, sitting down at their table.

"Sorry," Charlie apologised. "I was hoping Joey was taking a break or something. But I promise I'm genuinely pleased to see you."

She grinned and called Angelo over to serve their newest arrival.

"I was kind of hoping to see Joey tonight too," Bianca said a little awkwardly.

"Good luck," Charlie said.

As if on cue, Joey bustled past, waving but not stopping.

"She's flat out," Watson said.

Bianca sighed.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked, a little worried.

"It's Ruby," Bianca told her.


Neither Penn nor Nicole had been particularly good company and had called it a night after their meal, which had been delicious but still not enough to lift their mood. Penn was secretly seething that people seemed so intent on ruining his plan and Nicole was torn between her adoration of her boyfriend and the concern of her friends.

She had been home no longer than five minutes when she heard Sid and Miles debating the issue in the lounge. Then she heard them leave the house.


"What's wrong with Ruby?" Charlie asked urgently.

As far as she was aware, her daughter was hanging out at home doing her homework. Charlie had even invited her out for dinner but she had turned her down.

"Do you want me to go?" Watson asked, anxious of imposing herself on family business.

"No, of course not," Charlie said.

She returned her attention to Bianca who looked like she might regret opening her mouth.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked. "What's the matter?"

"It's her and Liam," Bianca said awkwardly.

Charlie forced herself not to jump to conclusions.


Nicole got dressed and was already in a worse mood than she had been before. She'd been tucked into bed with a magazine when Penn had called, asking to meet her outside. She dreaded to think what it was about, judging by the tone of his voice.

She walked past Miles, Marilyn and Sid without even looking at them, very certain that they had upset her boyfriend.

"Penn, what's wrong?" she asked when she caught up with him outside his caravan.

"I'm breaking up with you," he told her, getting right to the point.

She stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"Sorry?" she managed.

"Being with you is just too much hassle, Nic," he said. "I've got all your little mates attacking me on all sides. I'm sick of it."

She opened her mouth to respond but no sound came out. He headed back into his caravan and slammed the door. Nicole watched the van for a moment before trudging back into the house.

"Nicole, are you okay?" Marilyn asked.

"Don't pretend you care," the teenager snapped, hurrying back up to her room.


"Joey, please can we go home?" Charlie begged.

The restaurant was closed but when Charlie had come to find her girlfriend, instead of cleaning up like she normally did, she was fast asleep with her head on the desk of her office.

"Joey?"

The restaurant owner sat up quickly, looking startled.

"Where am I?" she wondered.

"Where you always are," she remarked.

Joey frowned and gazed at her, wondering what she had done wrong. Charlie felt bad for snapping but right now, she had to get home and talk to Ruby. She'd phoned her and been assured that she was safely at home doing her homework as planned but Charlie was itching to get back.

"Sorry," Joey mumbled, still a little bewildered. "I'll just finish cleaning up…"

"No!" Charlie begged. "Please, can we just go home?"

"Charlie, I have to!"

"I have to go home, Joey!" Charlie said. "Not everything is about this place."

Joey looked wounded. Charlie sank into a chair and apologised.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm just worried about Ruby."

"Ruby?"

Joey yawned and apologised again. Charlie sighed.

"Look, let's just go home, okay?" she requested. "You need to sleep. And then it's one more day before we get to chill out and relax a bit."

Joey nodded and allowed Charlie to help her to her feet.


Next time… Charlie continues to worry about her family, Leah collapses under the weight of losing Elijah and Romeo finally makes his feelings for Indi clear…