Hi everyone. We're moving into River Boys territory in this chapter (but I will write it differently to the show). Also, I feel like some chapters have drifted a bit too far away from Charlie and Joey so from now, they will be a bit more refocused. I hope you enjoy this one! Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Five Hundred and Fifty
It was Valentine's Day and Angelo was a mix of nerves and excitement as he prepared to host the Singles Night at Bucktons'. He had sorted out the food, he knew the bar was fully stocked, he'd done plenty of advertising and he'd managed to book Liam to perform as the entertainment. He just hoped that everything would go well.
At his home down by the river, Liam was desperately trying to rehearse for his gig that night. He remained oblivious to the fact that his girlfriend was feeling completely neglected.
Firstly, Bianca was worried about April. She had just been released from hospital and being looked after by Irene but she was in a lot of trouble with Gina, who was deciding what to do in terms of punishment from the school. She was also potentially in trouble with the law. Bianca was struggling to understand her sister's state of mind.
Secondly, this was the first time since they had got together that she and Liam hadn't been sleeping together. Bianca was worried. Normally, she and Liam couldn't keep their hands off each other but for the past few days, since he had been offered the gig with Angelo, it seemed like that was all he could fit inside his head. Bianca felt completely shut out. And she was beginning to worry that it meant the passion in their relationship had died.
That night, Charlie and Joey delayed their arrival at the party, not wanting to pressure Angelo, who they knew was particularly nervous about the success of the night.
"Hey, do you think he's arranged a singles' night because he wants to get laid?" Joey asked as they walked towards the venue.
"I wouldn't rule it out," Charlie said.
She stopped and pulled Joey into her arms, kissing her. A car with loud music charged past them. Wolf whistles and rude hollers were called out of the windows. Charlie and Joey ignored them and continued walking to the party.
"You okay?" Joey asked.
"I'm fine," Charlie said. "You?"
"I'm fine," Joey assured her. "I guess I just forget sometimes. Living here, we're kind of protected from pricks like that. There just isn't any homophobia or immature harassment like that here. It's a good, happy place to live."
"It's nice to live in that kind of bubble," Charlie agreed. "It's not nice when it gets burst sometimes."
The party was definitely busy but it wasn't quite going how Angelo had hoped. For starters, the restaurant was full of couples and not quite so full of single people, especially not single women. It was frustrating to say the least. Sure, some women had shown up and some of them were hot but looking around, there really were a lot of established couples here which wasn't his intention.
Watson and Kerri were sat at one table with Hannah. Claire was working but quite clearly trying to steal as much time with her girlfriend as she possibly could.
Bianca was sat at a table by the window with Leah, who was indeed single but not a possible option for him. However, plenty of guys did seem keen to chat her up, so long as Bianca's grumpy face didn't put them off.
Liam was busy setting up and Romeo had agreed to work behind the bar so Indi was attached to him. Angelo gathered that the couple were trying to make things work after not getting along recently.
He looked up as Charlie and Joey walked through the door. Now his anxiety levels really were high. It was like the Queen had arrived. He knew his work would be scrutinised. He was representing their business, their livelihood and he needed things to go well. He was desperate to impress them. They waved cheerfully at him and headed over to join Leah and Bianca.
"What's up with your face?" Joey asked bluntly.
Leah burst out laughing. Bianca looked affronted.
"Isn't this the night you get to swoon over your guy?" Charlie asked, hopping up on a seat beside her girlfriend and glancing over at Liam who was setting up on the makeshift stage.
"Well, I would if it was going to get me somewhere," Bianca said. "No point getting all excited if I'm just going to get frustrated afterwards."
Charlie and Joey looked quizzical.
"Have you guys ever gone through a… dry spell?"
Charlie and Joey exchanged glances.
"Oh, what's the point of even asking you?" Bianca snapped.
"Hello, everyone," Angelo said into the microphone, interrupting them. "Can I have your attention please?"
The hubbub of noise began to die down as he introduced a very nervous looking Liam. Everyone clapped and cheered, especially Bianca as he began to play.
"He really is good," Joey said.
"He is," Bianca agreed, smiling happily at her boyfriend.
She wondered if perhaps she had been selfish, wanting to keep him all to herself instead of just supporting him as he prepared to face the public for the first time in so long. She sat back, sipped her drink and watched him do what he did best.
"How's April doing?" Charlie asked her.
"Pretty well," Bianca confirmed. "Irene's looking after her tonight. I just wish Xavier would make some progress."
The teenager was still unconscious in hospital. Gina was keeping a vigil by his bed.
"Um… hey…" said a male voice.
Charlie, Joey and Bianca all smiled to themselves as a rather shy looking guy approached Leah and asked her to dance.
Angelo was pleased as more and more people began to join the party, namely more groups of women. Obviously the trendy people didn't show up until later. As he surveyed the room, everyone seemed to be having fun. Even Bianca seemed to have a smile on her face.
Across the room, Liam was on his break. Bianca had come to join him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard.
"I am so proud of you," she said.
He looked delighted.
"Am I doing okay?" he asked.
"You're amazing," she told him. "And I'm sorry if I've been grumpy."
"Have you been grumpy?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes. This was exactly what she had been feeling grumpy about. He hadn't even noticed.
"Liam, I feel like you've hardly even noticed me these past few days," she admitted.
"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry. I've just been so nervous and…"
"But you still… you know?"
He looked confused.
"You're still attracted to me?" she checked.
He laughed and kissed her.
"Of course I'm still attracted to you! How could I not be?!"
"Well, we haven't… you know!"
He laughed and kissed her, promising that tonight there would be no more distractions.
Bianca returned to her table with Charlie, Joey and Leah, who had indeed danced with her potential suitor and then decided that she preferred sitting with the girls.
"You look a lot more cheerful," Leah commented.
"Liam and I are all sorted," Bianca informed her friends. "I was worried that he was put off me or something but we're all good."
"How long has it been?" Leah wanted to know.
"Nearly a week!" Bianca complained.
Leah nearly spat out her drink.
"Is that it?" she exclaimed.
"Well… we're usually at it all the time," she said a little more quietly, taking her seat. "Isn't everyone else?"
"Well, I'm not," Leah said. "Obviously."
Bianca looked at Charlie and Joey who decided not to answer. Their friends were about to pry when they were interrupted by a gang of new arrivals.
"What the hell are they doing here?" Charlie muttered under her breath.
"Do you know them?" Leah asked, looking the tattooed men up and down.
She couldn't help but think that at least fifty percent of them were rather attractive. They charged up to the bar, demanding drinks. They looked like they'd had a few already.
"They're River Boys," Charlie said. "They normally stick to Mangrove River. I don't know what they're doing here."
"Angelo's bloody advertising," Joey said tightly.
"Well, hopefully they'll behave," Bianca said. "Will they behave? I have no idea what River Boys are but from the look on your face I don't think I'm supposed to like them."
"They won't behave," Charlie said.
"Well, can you get rid of them please before they misbehave," Joey said, her voice rather harsh.
"Joey, I can't throw them out for nothing," Charlie said.
"It's your venue," Joey snapped. "You can do what you want."
"I can't bar someone just because I don't like them," Charlie said as politely as possible. "Also, trying to bar them is the best way of provoking them."
"Fine," Joey said. "But having them here is going to ruin the evening for everyone else."
Charlie sighed. She couldn't understand why Joey seemed so angry. She also hadn't realised that her girlfriend had such strong opinions on these people.
Romeo, Claire and Angelo were all struggling to serve the new people who were demanding more drinks than they needed absolutely immediately.
"We should go over and help, Jo," Charlie said, looking over.
"This is Angelo's problem," Joey said stubbornly.
"Okay but it's not his fault that these guys have shown up," Charlie said. "And it's not Romeo and Claire's fault either."
She took her girlfriend's hand and looked into her eyes, silently asking her what was wrong.
"Fine," Joey relented grudgingly.
She stood and let Charlie take her by the hand towards the bar. They quickly joined their colleagues and began serving drinks to their new customers.
"Since when did Sergeant Buckton become a bar wench?"
Charlie looked up to find herself face to face with Darryl 'Brax' Braxton, leader of the River Boys Gang. She rolled her eyes as he smirked at her.
"I own this bar," she said. "So I'd politely warn you and your boys to behave."
He held his hands up.
"We're just here to have a good time," he said. "No trouble."
He placed his order. She served him and took his payment.
"Bar work suits you, Sergeant," he said.
She ignored him and moved onto the next customer.
Heath Braxton, younger brother of Brax, got his beer from Claire, finished hitting on her and joined his mates who were busy jeering at Liam as he tried to continue his gig. Heath couldn't believe that this place had some washed up of has been, still performing as if he was still somebody. What a loser.
He spotted a couple of women, one dark haired and one blonde sat at a table near the window and decide to try his luck with whichever one was interested in him.
"Hey, ladies," he said. "My name's Heath."
"Congratulations," the blonde said sarcastically.
"Aren't you going to introduce yourselves?" he asked. "It's only polite."
"I'm Bianca," the blonde said. "And I'm dating the guitarist."
"That loser?" Heath exclaimed. "Really?"
She ignored him. He shook his head and turned his attention to the other woman who introduced herself as Leah. He asked her to dance. She said no. He swigged his beer, not his first of the night.
"Oh, come on," he said. "You're not with anyone, are you?"
"No but I'm quite happy here, thanks," she said politely.
"Just one dance," Heath persisted, leaning closer.
"Really, I'm fine," he said.
"All I'm asking for…"
"She said she's fine!" Bianca snapped. "Would you leave us alone please?"
Behind the bar, Charlie touched Joey's hand.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Joey nodded. But she was lying. She didn't want these thugs in her bar. And she didn't want to be around them. Everything was telling her to run away. But pride was rooting her to the spot. So she remained serving drinks, despite how rude they all were and despite the fact that she was sure more than one of them had attempted to flirt with her girlfriend.
She spotted Angelo stepping out from behind the bar and approaching Leah and Bianca at their table. Then everything happened very quickly.
"I don't think the ladies want you hanging around them," Angelo said.
Bianca and Leah exchanged glances, silently remarking at Angelo's old fashioned chivalry. However, his heart was very much in the right place and they were grateful. This Heath guy was being very persistent and annoying.
"Oh yeah?" Heath said, standing tall, ready to intimidate the barman. "And what exactly are you going to do about it?"
"I'm politely asking you to leave them alone," Angelo said.
Behind the bar, Joey tensed. She just wanted the night to end without any trouble.
"And I'm impolitely telling you to fuck off," Heath said.
He prodded Angelo in the chest.
"Little man."
"Well, I'm in charge of this bar so now I'm asking you to leave," Angelo said, not rising to the bait.
"Oh, you're in charge, are you?" Heath said, several of his friends coming to join him.
Liam had stopped playing. Several people were becoming worried. Charlie and Watson approached each other, hovering nearby, ready to break things up if necessary, as well as call for backup.
"Yes, I am," Angelo said, determined not to back down. "Please get out."
"No," Heath said.
He shoved him again. And again. And again. Finally, Angelo snapped and shoved him back. Charlie's heart sank as Angelo's retaliation gave the signal for an all out brawl. Before anyone could do anything, every River Boy had launched himself on every available guy they could find. Chaos swirled around them. Charlie yelled for Joey to call the police while she and Watson attempted to separate people. Liam and Romeo had been pulled into the fray.
Joey ran into the office, relieved to escape. She phoned for help immediately and couldn't bring herself to return to the main bar. Her heart was pounding as she feared what was happening out there, scared that Charlie could get hurt.
Heath thoroughly enjoyed throwing punches at Angelo, who he was pretty sure had once upon a time been a cop. Carried away, he had trashed several tables and chairs, scattering other guests who had fled the building. He had broken a window and stolen a few bottles along the way.
For his part, Brax had thrown a few punches at nobody in particular and trashed the bar as well as he could. Well, why not? It was something to do on a Saturday night. He and his girlfriend had just broken up. It was quite a release to take his feelings out on something else, especially premises belonging to a cop who constantly hassled him and his brothers. Perhaps if she was busy fixing it up then she wouldn't be so busy at work.
Joey emerged from the office. She knew she had to be brave. This was her business. This was her livelihood. And her Charlie, her love was out there. She might need her. She couldn't let her fears stand in the way of doing the right thing.
She stopped abruptly when she saw the utter chaos in front of her. The bar had been absolutely trashed. It wouldn't be a case of a bit of sweeping and tidying. It was going to be a whole refit and calling on the insurance company. Her heart broke as surveyed the scene in front of her. It felt like everything she had worked for had been broken.
She looked across the room and saw Charlie struggling to stop one guy from trashing the place further. He was fighting her off. She prayed that the police would come soon. Charlie and Watson were struggling on their own. Angelo and Liam seemed to be making things worse. She spotted Romeo with a cut face and rushed towards him. The next thing she knew, a metal chair came smashing towards her, crushing her to the ground in searing pain. She was sure she saw Heath smirk at her as he walked past.
It felt like forever before the police eventually turned up. Brax, Heath and several other River Boys were arrested and bundled off into custody, organised by Charlie, despite her not being on duty. She was exhausted by the time she found her way back into the restaurant to survey the utter devastation of the scene.
"Joey!" she yelped.
Her girlfriend was sat on the floor with a paramedic who was examining her arm. Charlie skidded towards them, landing on her knees.
"Joey, what happened?" she asked urgently.
She felt overwhelming guilt over choosing work over Joey. She hadn't realised she had been injured.
"It looks like a fracture to me," the paramedic said.
"How?" Charlie said.
"I got hit with a chair," Joey said.
Charlie fought back tears.
"Did you hear that Miles arrived back here in the middle of it all?" Leah said, appearing behind them.
Charlie and Joey both looked shocked.
"He got hit on the head with a bottle and knocked out," she said. "He's been taken to hospital."
"Which is exactly where you need to go right now, young lady," the paramedic told Joey.
"I'll come with you," Charlie said, standing up.
"We need to sort this place out," Joey objected. "And Angelo was arrested."
"I'll close it all up," Leah promised. "Don't worry about anything, okay? Just get yourself fixed up."
Charlie hugged her and thanked her. She followed Joey and the paramedic out to the ambulance, still feeling guilty about not noticing her partner was in danger earlier.
Next time… The locals attempt to help begin fixing up the restaurant, Joey and Charlie are fragile in the wake of Valentine's and Brax has a proposition for Angelo…
