Chapter Four Hundred and Sixty One
Joey kissed Charlie passionately, her fingers tangled up in her hair, as she pulled her closer. Charlie closed her eyes and breathed in her girlfriend's scent, the natural smell of her skin fused with their laundry detergent and the now slightly faded aroma of her body spray.
They hadn't made it further than where they had been standing. It felt good, with all the stress of the world around them – Ruby, Alf, Penn, Angelo – to just be able to focus on each other for a change and for nothing and nobody else to matter. Even for just an evening.
Their mouths exploring, their tongues playing, Charlie nudged Joey back against the nearest table with her hip. Joey moved her hands from Charlie's hair to round her neck. She lay back on the table and pulled Charlie down with her. They continued to kiss lovingly.
Marilyn waited with Mitzy for the ambulance but time seemed to be passing too slowly. In desperation, she phoned Sid, hoping that perhaps there might be something that he might be able to do to help. Or at the very least, she wouldn't be alone.
Charlie fumbled hurriedly with Joey buttons, torn between wanting to rip her clothes off and also not wanting to stop kissing her. Eventually she paused enough to fling open her shirt, pressing her warm lips against the flesh she found there. Joey leant on her hands, back against the table and looked up at the ceiling, thoroughly enjoying the attention Charlie bestowed on her.
She smiled and sat back up as Charlie reached round and swiftly unhooked her bra, promptly dropping it onto the floor.
Deciding to catch up, Joey began undoing Charlie's buttons also, making short work of her shirt and bra. Naked breasts pressed against naked breasts as they kissed feverishly.
Joey wrapped her legs around Charlie's waist, pulling her closer. Charlie kissed her harder. Joey paused.
"Did we lock the door?" she asked.
"I have no idea," Charlie said.
Deciding to risk it, they continued.
Sid met Marilyn at the hospital where she waited anxiously for news of her best friend. Mitzy had been all but lifeless in the ambulance. Something was telling her that this was the end. She wanted to believe that she would pull through in her heart of hearts, she didn't think that her friend could survive yet another collapse.
"I'm here," Sid said, standing beside her.
"Please," Marilyn said. "Please go in there with her. You're the best. And she needs the best."
Joey and Charlie were on top of each other on the table, gasping for breath.
"That was good," Joey breathed.
"That was very good," Charlie agreed.
"We should do it more often."
"We should."
"Here."
"Here."
"Like that."
"Like that."
Marilyn leapt up the second Sid appeared out of Mitzy's hospital room.
"What's happened?" she asked urgently. "Is she okay?"
Sid held her hands.
"Mitzy has suffered a stroke," he explained.
Tears formed in Marilyn's eyes as guilt washed over her.
"It's my fault," she said. "I stressed her out."
"No," Sid said. "It's not your fault. Mitzy is an unwell woman. It could have happened at any time. Please don't blame yourself."
"Do you think anyone would eat here again if they knew half the things we got up to in here after hours?" Charlie mused, as she and Joey got dressed.
Joey zipped up her trousers.
"We keep the place clean and tidy," she said with a grin.
Charlie laughed and pulled her in for a kiss.
"We do," she said. "And we're always happy."
"We are indeed always happy."
They kissed again.
Indi and Romeo were sat on the beach together, Romeo listening patiently while his girlfriend explained all about the affair her mother had had with her boyfriend.
"I think that's why I freaked out the other day," she said. "I love you and I want to be with you but I think maybe I have more intimacy issues than I realised. You know, because of stuff that happened in the past."
Romeo nodded and put his arms around her. It hadn't been easy recently, with how she had been pushing him away. He had been at a complete loss over what had been wrong and whether it was his fault or not. But now he at least felt like he understood and there was a way to work through things.
"Do you keep in touch with your Mum?" he asked.
"No," Indi replied. "Is that awful?"
"I'm not one to judge," he told her. "My Mum and I aren't exactly close."
She was eager to switch the conversation onto him but she knew he wouldn't let her so she didn't try.
"What do you think I should do?" she asked instead.
"I think you need to find a way to try and get closure," Romeo told her. "And then you might be able to move on."
Charlie and Joey left the restaurant, feeling rather loved up.
"How about a walk along the beach before we go home?" Joey suggested. "Just because it's quiet and peaceful."
Charlie smiled.
"Sounds good to me," she replied, leading the way.
Marilyn was sat by Mitzy's side, clutching her hand when her friend finally came round in her hospital bed. She was groggy and disorientated. Marilyn's heart lurched, she felt so full of apology, regret and love. She just hoped that she could make things right before it was too late.
Joey lay back against the sand, Charlie leaning over her, kissing her passionately. It was in these moments that they lost the whole of the rest of the world. It was only each other that existed, only each other that mattered. There was no stress, no drama, nothing else to concern them. All they needed was love.
"Mitzy, I'm so sorry for the things I said," Marilyn told her friend. "I never want to fall out with you. Ever. I love you so much."
Mitzy gazed at her friend with tears in her eyes, clutching her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I lied to you. I lied about your end date because I didn't want to die alone. I'm sorry."
Marilyn squeezed her hand and kissed it.
"It's okay," she said. "It's okay. It doesn't matter."
She kissed her hand again.
"It's okay."
"We should… um… we should…" Charlie tried between kisses.
"Yeah… we should… yeah…" Joey agreed.
Neither made any attempt to get up and go home.
"I did the right thing," Mitzy told Sid. "What you wanted me to do."
Marilyn had gone to get a coffee while the Doctor checked his patient over.
"I told her I lied about her end date."
"I'm glad you've admitted it," Sid replied, removing the blood pressure band from her arm.
"I didn't lie," she said. "I just wanted to set her free. I didn't want her to live with the burden I have these past months."
Doctor and patient looked each other in the eye.
"It's up to you to look after her now," Mitzy said. "Don't let her down."
The following morning, Joey was setting up for the day with Claire, who seemed distracted.
"What's on your mind, Claire?" her boss asked.
"Nothing…"
Joey raised her eyebrows.
"I just… I keep thinking about Ruby and that stupid prediction," Claire admitted. "She still seems to have her heart set on it and I worry about her."
Joey took both her hands and looked her in her eye.
"We worry about it too," she said honestly. "But right now, we need to tread carefully. And you also need to make sure that you're taking care of yourself, not spending all your time fretting about your friend, okay? This isn't your responsibility. Please try and stop worrying so much. We're a team. We'll handle everything together."
Claire exhaled, trying to let out all her stress. She nodded and thanked her.
"I'll try and relax about it," she promised.
"Good girl," Joey replied, giving her a hug.
By lunch time, word had got round the Bay that during the night, Mitzy had passed away. Marilyn had been by her side and Sid had been there to support his partner.
"Hey, are you okay, Jo?" Charlie asked, having stopped by the restaurant to grab her lunch.
"Yeah," she replied, without commitment.
Charlie took her hand and led her through to the office.
"What's up?" she asked, when they were sat down.
"Everyone is saying it's stress that led to the stroke or whatever it was," Joey said. "What if it was my advice to Marilyn that caused it all?"
"Oh, Joey!" Charlie said, gathering her into her arms. "Don't be silly."
She hugged her tightly.
"Of course it wasn't," Charlie said. "Mitzy was really sick. She was terminal. You can't go blaming yourself for what's happened."
Joey sank against her.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I just… I spend my life giving advice to people. What if it was wrong?"
"From what I've heard, Marilyn was with Mitzy when she died. She was holding her hand and they were the best of friends. You did nothing wrong."
Joey hugged her tighter.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Next time… Joey has a crisis of confidence, Romeo and Indi want to contact Indi's mother and Dex embarks on a terrible evening…
