Sweet Misery

[Samantha1]

Great update, aww, they finally got together, YAY!

[Spotd1]

You are AWESOME Lianne, thank you! That was AMAZING! Looking forward to the date!! Please update soon! Xx

[soph1303]

Awesome update,

Chax pretty much just equal x 1000000000000000000 in that update!!!

Wow go Bianca !! That was totally wicked at the end!!

More soon please

[Kate98]

I've been reading this story since the beginning but this is my first time commenting. You are an AMAZING writer! I can really picture every single scene happening right in front of me! I've loved every single update but I am so happy to see them finally together! Really looking forward to the next update.

[Dingo x]

This chapter was just absolutely amazing!!

Aww Chax

Go Bianca!! Bit worried Tegan will come back pregnant, please please don't let it happen!

Please please update soon, can't wait to read more. xx

[Chax47]

Hey!!

Thanks for all the fab reviews!!! You all make my day very happy!! hehe

Anyways....date anyone?!! haha enjoy....

Oh and Dingo....you don't have to worry

Chapter 14

Dress casual. That's all the note had said. The note which had arrived at her door early that morning attached to a dozen red roses. The roses were now decorating a vase in her bedroom, the scent catching her senses as she walked past. It had only just turned lunch time and Charlie was already beginning to hate having a day off. Being at home meant that she had all the time in the world to agonise about her upcoming first date with Brax. Anticipation had long ago mixed with nerves, although deep down the excitement still lingered underneath. How could it not; Charlie Buckton finally had a date with Darryl Braxton. She quickly realised that spending all day staring at her wardrobe wasn't getting her very far, Charlie decided to abandon the outfit search and get some fresh air.

After strolling along the beach for close to an hour, she found herself standing outside the Surf Club. She knew that Angelo was still out of town for a couple of more days so there was no risk of running into him, should she decide to venture up the stairs. Smiling to herself, she went inside.

----

Brax had decided that his best bet for that day was to keep himself busy. He had planned everything as best as he could. Now all that was left to do was wait for the big date. That was proving to be easier said than done. He checked his watch every two minutes, but time seemed to be standing still. He had to keep telling himself that he had waited this long for her; a couple of more hours wouldn't hurt. He knew it was right but somehow his reasoning didn't remove the burning desire he had to see her.

"Here's the wine for table five." He told the waitress, handing her a bottle of red and two glasses on a tray. He was doing whatever he could to stay focused on something else; that currently involved sorting out the drink orders.

He was about to begin the next order when his attention settled on the door. His face broke out into a smile as the object of his thoughts weaved her way through the restaurant and stopped at the bar.

"Hey you." She returned his smile as she took a seat at the bar.

His eyes locked onto hers as he leant on the bar towards her. Her eyes were glowing. "Hey yourself. I may have just been thinking about you..." He confessed, his smile growing slightly.

"Oh really?" He nodded in response. "I got the flowers. Thank you, they were beautiful."

He reached across the bar and took her hand in his, holding it gently in his own. "You are more than welcome." He gave her hand a squeeze before bringing it up to his lips and placing a small kiss on her knuckles. "So not that I don't like the surprise, but what brings you here?"

"I was just passing and wanted to see you. Also...dress casual? Do you know what that means to a woman?" He shook his head, the smile never leaving his face. "Exactly, it means nothing." She deadpanned, which only caused him to laugh.

"You came here to discuss clothes with me?" He teased, his left eyebrow arched.

Charlie rolled her eyes at him. "No, but a little help would be nice. If I knew what we were doing I'd know how to dress appropriately..." She offered, but the smile on his face told her that he wouldn't budge.

"Would you like a glass of wine while you're here?" He let go of her hand and stepped away, taking a glass from under the bar and smiling at her.

She laughed lightly as she shook her head. "You're really not going to help me out here, are you?"

Placing the empty glass down in front of her, he shrugged. "You will look beautiful no matter what you decide to wear. However, if you would like for me to spoil the lovely evening that I have planned...I could divulge some information?" He could see the temptation in her eyes and it took him all his strength to not start laughing. He kept his face straight, making sure she knew that he meant business.

She held his gaze for a moment before gently pushing the empty wine glass towards him. "I guess a glass of wine would be nice." She mumbled, sheepishly glancing away from him. The sound of his laughter brought the smile instantly back onto his face.

"Right answer." He walked away, returning a few seconds later with her drink.

-----

They had agreed on 8pm for the mystery date to begin. Charlie had watched him work while she finished her wine, the occassional conversation taking place when Brax could get away. She had tried in vain again to get any clue about even the location of the date, but all he would tell her was that he would be picking her up.

Bianca had turned up a little after 6 to help Charlie get ready. The bedroom had certainly seen better days. Clothes and shoes littered the floor as Charlie had frantically tried on numerous outfits. Bianca had suggested a few ensembles, but Charlie had dismissed each option. She now had twenty minutes before Brax was due to arrive and despite her hair and make up being immaculate, she was still wearing her pyjamas.

"You can never go wrong with a dress..." Bianca spun around from the wardrobe holding a pale blue summer dress. "Throw on a pair of sandals, and you have an outfit." Charlie pulled a face as she studied the dress. Bianca couldn't help but roll her eyes. "He's going to be here any minute. Unless you want his lasting impression of you to be in that kind of sleepwear, I'd put this on." She tossed the dress towards Charlie and threw herself down onto the bed, amongst the piles of dismissed clothes.

Charlie picked up the dress and sighed. "I'm overthinking it, aren't I?"

Bianca nodded enthusiastically as she smiled. "Although to be fair, if I had a date with Darryl Braxton I may overthink it a little too..." She winked, ducking quickly as Charlie threw a bunch of clothes at her.

"You're not supposed to be perving at my date."

Bianca smirked. "If you don't hurry up and get changed, I'll happily go in your place."

Charlie glared at her as she quickly changed into the dress. After slipping on the matching sandals, she ran her hands through her wavy hair, letting it fall naturally around her face. Holding her hands out at her side, she smiled.

"So, how do I look?" She thought she'd gotten rid of her nerves, but now that she was dressed and ready to go, her resolve was beginning to crumble.

Bianca returned her smile. The dress was perfect; casual but not too casual. "You look beautiful." She gushed, causing Charlie to grin goofily.

"I am so nervous." She shyly admitted as she checked her appearance one final time in the mirror.

Bianca stood up, walking over to stand beside Charlie. She smoothed down the back of her hair, before resting her hands on her shoulders. Giving her a small hug, she looked over Charlie's shoulders into the mirror, her reflection smiling back at her friend.

"I have seen the way he looks at you. You could wear a paper bag and he would still look at you in that sickly gooey way that he does." Charlie raised her eyebrow as she turned her head to the side to stare at Bianca. "Ok, maybe it's not sickly...but my point is, he likes you. No need to be nervous." She gave her a sweet smile as she moved past her and picked a bottle up from the dressing table. "Perfume...and then you are done!"

----

Twenty minutes later, Charlie sat alone in the living room, waiting not too patiently. Bianca had slipped out a few minutes earlier, her parting words being for Charlie to enjoy herself. At 8pm on the dot, a gentle knock on the back door made her heart pound.

Showtime.

Reaching the door, she opened it and smiled. Part of her still couldn't believe that Darryl Braxton was on her doorstep, waiting and wanting to take her out on a date.

"Hi." It came out as a whisper as his eyes scanned her body. Beautiful. "Wow, you look amazing."

She couldn't help but blush as she felt his eyes studying every inch of her. "Hey. And thank you."

His choice of black trousers and a white shirt buttoned to just above his chest, gave little away about the evening's activities, but her she immediately noted how hot he looked. Realising that she had been staring at him for a little longer than may have been deemed acceptable, she cleared her throat and smiled.

"Shall we go?" He nodded at her question, holding out his hand for her to take. As she accepted, her eyes fell onto his other hand and she paused. "Oh, I'll just grab a jacket. I didn't think..."

Before she could move away from him, he took hold of her hand and stopped her. "This is for you." Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she lingered in the doorway. He linked their fingers together, giving her hand a small squeeze. "It's hardly romantic if you have to be wear your own coat if you get cold..." As he blushed at his own words, Charlie bit down on her bottom lip, trying her hardest not to squeal with excitement. They hadn't even left the house yet and the romantic gestures were already in full swing.

"Ok. After you." She ran her thumb over the back of his hand as she followed him out of the house.

They were walking, that much she knew. Whereever they were going, it had to be local. Brax still refused to give anything away as he led the way. They remained hands linked as they walked, the conversation flowing easily, interrupted occasionally by Charlie's questions.

"Are we nearly there?" She asked playfully, knowing that her constant questions were getting on his nerves. She was excited to see what he had planned and she could no longer hide it. She had to remove her smirk as he came to a standstill in the middle of the road.

"Yes, we're here." He turned to face her, his face straight and expressionless.

She gazed at him in surprise before glancing around at their location. Nothing. Her mouth slowly dropped. "We are?" She looked back at him as his face broke into a very sarcastic smile.

"Yes, Charlie. For the first date with the woman of my dreams, I have chosen to bring her to the middle of a road. Not just any road, but this particular road. I hear it's the most romantic spot in Summer Bay!" The sarcasm had laced through his voice, matched with the sly smile he was now wearing. He stared back at her, watching as her eyes fell to the floor and a sheepish smile tugged at her lips.

"Ok, I won't ask anymore..." She whispered but when Brax didn't carry on walking, she looked back up at him. He just shrugged.

"I was being serious, we are here." He tried his hardest to keep his face straight, but the stare she was giving him was too adorable and he found his face softening. "Ok, we're not here but I was trying to prove a point..." He trailed off, throwing her one last smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and continued walking.

She smiled as she leant into him. "Point well and truely proved. I'll be quiet now..."

Feeling a moment of boldness, he leant over and kissed the top of her head, pulling her slightly closer into his body.

They walked for a few more minutes, this time in silence, before Charlie realised that they were walking parallel to the beach. She risked a glance at Brax to see that he was smiling to himself. Darkness had fallen over the sand a little over an hour ago, but there was a small amount of moonlight making it's way through the clouds.

She was slightly taken aback as he turned slightly, guiding them towards the beach. She didn't make any comment, choosing to trust instead in the knowledge that he had planned something special. However, as she glanced both ways up the beach, she was failing to see what that could possibly be.

The sound of the waves lapping the shore filled the evening air. Charlie sighed contentedly as she made a mental image of this night. It was something she had never imagined would happen, but now that it was happening right in front of her eyes she didn't want the dream to ever end.

The next five minutes were spent walking to the far side of the beach. As they got nearer, Charlie began to notice faint light coming from the distance. It was hard to make out what it was at first, but as they got within a few metres of the lights, Charlie felt a warm feeling in her chest. If she had thought that the evening was romantic a few moments ago; the game had just been upped. In amazement, she turned to Brax, who was smiling brightly at her.

"Is this really for us?" A mixture of surprise and adoration took hold of her voice, although in fairness she was surprised that any sound had come out. His plan for the evening had touched her.

"Of course it is. Do you like it?"

She glanced back at the huge picnic blanket which had been placed onto the sand. Cushions and blankets were scattered on top, around an open picnic basket with two wine glasses beside it. Candles of various sizes and colours were placed around the blanket, providing the lighting for their own private dining area.

Her smile continued to grow. "I love it. It's perfect." She placed a soft kiss on his cheek before she sat down. He took a seat beside her, immediately opening the wine and pouring them both a glass.

"I'm glad." He handed her a glass and raised his own for a toast. "To new beginnings." He smiled at her as she clinked her glass against his.

"New beginnings." She whispered, taking a sip of the white wine. "But wait, you came to pick me up tonight...how did you pull this off?"

"I may have had a little help." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Heath has some good uses, occassionally."

Charlie laughed a little. "I'm sorry, that sounded like you said Heath?" Brax nodded. "Heath helped you plan this perfect, romantic evening?"

"No, the planning was all me. He just helped put it into motion." He smiled as he placed his glass down beside him and began remove the food out of the basket. He wouldn't volunteer the information, but if she asked he would admit that he hadn't actually cooked the food himself. Leah had been more than happy to help him with the culinery side.

Charlie didn't seem to want to question it though as she watched him place the containers out on the blanket in front of her. The sound of the waves played quietly in the background, bringing a smile to her face. The evening was as perfect as it could get, and it had only just started.

"This all looks amazing!" She commented as they began dishing food out onto plates.

The conversation continued while they ate. Even though they had been friends and Brax knew tidbits about her life, he was eager to know more. As though he didn't know her, he asked her the standard first date questions; where she grew up, when she first moved to the Bay, when and why she joined the police. Some of the questions he was already aware of the answers, but he wanted to make sure that he knew everything about her; something which Charlie had been all too willing to help with.

After they finished eating, Brax put everything back into the basket while Charlie topped up their drinks. Once the basket had been cast aside, they were now side by side on the blanket. Charlie was laying back, propping herself up with one elbow while her other hand held her drink. She glanced up at the sky. The clouds from earlier on had disappeared, leaving a clear sky which was dotted with bright stars.

Brax sat beside her, stealing glances at her when he thought she wouldn't notice. He couldn't believe he had actually gotten his wish, well two wishes. He had kissed Charlie Buckton, and was now on a date with her.

"This has just been amazing. You realise you've now set a pretty high bar for our second date, right?" She asked him, turning her attention from the sky to him. The flirty glint in her eyes was accompanied by a small smile.

"I get a second date?" His stomach had flipped with excitement. This woman effected him in ways he was sure she didn't know.

"If you want to of course. But it's gonna be tough trying to top this..." She joked, taking a sip of her wine before placing the glass on the sand beside her.

He sighed as he leant closer towards her, their faces now inches apart. "You just have to show up." He gave her a final smile before closing the gap between them with a lingering kiss.

Perfect.

----

Hope you all enjoyed x

[Loshi88]

Amazing I absolutely love this fic, you are a brilliant writer x

[Inactive User]

Wow amazing!! More soon please xx

[luscious01]

Totally loved it thank you so much Lianne the romance of the first date made my heart melt!!!xx

please update soon i totally love this story u r an amazing writer

l xxxxxxx

[soph1303]

Great update,

You're right that date was just perfect !!