Whilst the boyfriends away

56.

It's the following evening and I'm home alone with Charlie for the next couple of hours whilst Aston earns some overtime, so as promised I intend to tell him about the phone call from Jamie and hopefully get a few answers. I'm not feeling any more confident now than I did yesterday, and if I'm honest I'm a little worried about his reaction.

I chose to have the conversation with him whilst we cook dinner together, it might be easier.

"Have you got any plans for the weekend?" I asked.

"I don't know yet, why?" he replied.

"No reason, I was just wondering."

"I might go out with some more of the lads."

"Oh again, have I met them?"

"Probably at some point," he shrugged chopping some vegetables. "Why?"

"I didn't realise you had so many friends. I can't remember the last time you had a lads night out."

"There's only a few of us."

Thinking about it the last time Charlie had anything to do with these lads was before he got the job, so it's a bit strange that they're now back on the scene over a year later.

"I got a phone call from Jamie yesterday," I continued.

"What?" he frowned.

"Sorry, that's a lie. He rang your phone whilst you were sleeping, I thought it would be important so I answered it."

"You answered my phone?"

"Yeah, I didn't think you would mind."

"Hm, I'll have to ring him back later."

"He did leave a message."

"Do you want anymore vegetables chopped?" he asked trying to dodge the subject.

"No that's enough," I said taking them from him. "Something about your P45 being in the post."

"Oh."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, that's nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Why is he sending it home then?" I continued to ask.

"It's complicated babe, but like I said its nothing to worry about."

"Are you getting paid for being at home?"

"Yeah, I'm on sick pay until everything is sorted."

"That could be months."

"I'll go back once I've been diagnosed and treated. Hopefully it won't be too long."

"If the doctor gets his arse in gear it won't be."

I started to put our sausage casserole together and watched as Charlie poured two large glasses of wine beside me.

"Here," he smiled passing me a glass.

"Thank you."

"Is there anything else to be done?"

"No, I'll keep an eye on this."

"Alright, well I've got some things to sort out on the laptop so I'll do that before dinner."

"Okay, it won't be long."

Charlie's reaction wasn't exactly what I expected, he had an answer but I thought it would be a little more detailed than 'its nothing to worry about." I don't know what else I could have asked without giving the game away.