Chapter Fifteen
(Back to Brady's Loft)
Chloe wiped around her lips and placed her napkin on the table. She pushed her plate a few inches forward with the groan of person with a full stomach. Brady had finished a few minutes before her and was leaning back in his chair with a Cheshire cat smile.
"So, Brady... What comes next?"
Brady stood and swiftly moved around the table to stand next to her. He lifted her hand gently and grazed the top of it with his lips.
"A dance with my diva, please?"
Chloe's eyebrows lifted and she grinned at him. "A dance? I thought that traditionally dessert came after dinner."
Brady shook his head. "Not tonight. Dessert comes later. Now, this is your prom night, and you have to have at least once dance."
Chloe nodded and stood to face him. She knew she would take every chance, and do whatever he asked of her, if it meant she could stand this near to him and have his comforting arms wrapped around her. "Alright, show me what you've got."
Brady nodded and led her to the middle of the floor. He let go of her hand and left her there alone underneath the lights of the disco ball. Brady kneeled down by his stereo and began fiddling with the buttons. He looked up at Chloe with a mischievous grin.
"Alright, I've got the perfect song for us."
Chloe waited as Brady pushed the play button on his stereo. The sounds of the Village People's 'YMCA' began blaring loudly throughout the loft. The volume was so loud and startling that Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. Brady laughed and hit another button to turn it off. Chloe began laughing hysterically and holding her stomach.
"Oh my God, Brady... That scared the hell out of me."
Brady shrugged innocently. "How do you think I feel? I didn't even know I had a Village People CD... or is that Village Persons?"
Chloe rolled her eyes and let her laughter die down. "I think you just ticked off all of your neighbors."
"Nah, we have thick walls in this building. And if I get in trouble, it will be worth it because I made you laugh."
"So, what are we REALLY dancing to?"
Brady gasped in mock surprise. "You mean you don't like the Village People?"
Chloe shook her head. "Not really."
Brady nodded and pushed another button on his stereo. He stood up straight and walked towards her, the look on his face was intense, filled with something Chloe couldn't recall seeing on him before. The notes of the song began and Chloe tried to smile at him, but she was unable to. Something about his gaze drew them closer together until his arms were wrapped around her gently, and they began moving slowly to the music. The song was very slow, so they stayed mostly in one place, their feet not moving at all, just their bodies swaying slightly together in time.
***I have a smile
stretched from ear to ear
to see you walking down the road***
Chloe sighed at his touch and laid her head on his shoulder. She could almost feel the warmth of his skin seeping through his clothes. Chloe knew she must have been trembling with excitement, as the presence of Brady made every one of her senses heightened. In a way, his touch, his smile, his laugh had always made her feel more alive, but she had only begun paying attention to it recently.
***We meet at the lights
I stare for a while
the world around us disappears
Just you and me
on this island of hope
a breath between us could be miles***
Chloe lifted her head and whispered softly. "Brady, I..."
Brady shook his head slowly. "Shhh. Tell me later."
Chloe nodded slightly and put her head back where it had been.
***let me surround you
my sea to your shore
let me be the calm you seek
oh and every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away***
She had almost told him how she felt for him, even though she hadn't intended to. Chloe began this night not planning on saying a word about her feelings for Brady, but as the night wore on, it seemed like the most natural thing to say. She had never been comfortable with those three words until she met Brady. She had almost said them, but he had stopped her before she could.
***And I forgot
to tell you
I love you
and the night's
too long
and cold here
without you
I grieve in my condition
for I cannot find the strength to say I need you so***
She had started the sentence, and the words were about to flow forth without a second thought. She did not think before she began, she did not look before she took the proverbial leap... But he had stopped her. And, now she wondered if she could get the strength back to say it again.
***Oh and every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away
and I forgot
to tell you
I love you
and the night's
too long
and cold here
without you***
The song came to a close and Chloe lifted her head to look into his eyes. The serious, intense gaze that he had before broke into a softer, smiling face. Chloe smiled back as if to thank him. Brady leaned closer to her and pressed his lips to her forehead, just as he had done the last time she was at this loft.
Chloe had come here that night to tell him something, something even she couldn't figure out or comprehend. But, she knew now. Her subconscious had been yearning to tell Brady that she was in love with him, but she had not been brave enough or self-aware enough to realize it on that night.
Her heart was crying out to her at that moment, begging her to tell him that she loved him. But she couldn't. Her mouth could not form the words. And even if she could have, her lungs could not muster enough air to force them out of her. She knew that she was deeply and powerfully in love with this man before her, but she was frozen, unable to tell him the words that were screaming inside her head.
"Chloe, I need to ask you something."
Chloe nodded slowly and barely whispered her reply. "Okay."
"Mocha chip or rocky road?"
Chloe shook her head in confusion. She had lost herself in her own thoughts, and there Brady was to snap her back to the real world. A world where neither of them could express their true feelings to each other.
"What?"
"What kind of ice cream do you want? Mocha chip or rocky road?"
Chloe smiled at him and nodded in understanding. "Mocha chip, of course... Did you even need to ask?"
Brady winked at her and shook his head. "Nope, I just thought I'd be polite."
Brady let go of her and jogged into the kitchen to get their dessert. Chloe turned to watch him as he scooped her favorite ice cream into a clear bowl. She sighed and muttered quietly under her breath to herself.
"How do you know me so well, Brady Black?"
***
(Back to Brady's Loft)
Chloe wiped around her lips and placed her napkin on the table. She pushed her plate a few inches forward with the groan of person with a full stomach. Brady had finished a few minutes before her and was leaning back in his chair with a Cheshire cat smile.
"So, Brady... What comes next?"
Brady stood and swiftly moved around the table to stand next to her. He lifted her hand gently and grazed the top of it with his lips.
"A dance with my diva, please?"
Chloe's eyebrows lifted and she grinned at him. "A dance? I thought that traditionally dessert came after dinner."
Brady shook his head. "Not tonight. Dessert comes later. Now, this is your prom night, and you have to have at least once dance."
Chloe nodded and stood to face him. She knew she would take every chance, and do whatever he asked of her, if it meant she could stand this near to him and have his comforting arms wrapped around her. "Alright, show me what you've got."
Brady nodded and led her to the middle of the floor. He let go of her hand and left her there alone underneath the lights of the disco ball. Brady kneeled down by his stereo and began fiddling with the buttons. He looked up at Chloe with a mischievous grin.
"Alright, I've got the perfect song for us."
Chloe waited as Brady pushed the play button on his stereo. The sounds of the Village People's 'YMCA' began blaring loudly throughout the loft. The volume was so loud and startling that Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. Brady laughed and hit another button to turn it off. Chloe began laughing hysterically and holding her stomach.
"Oh my God, Brady... That scared the hell out of me."
Brady shrugged innocently. "How do you think I feel? I didn't even know I had a Village People CD... or is that Village Persons?"
Chloe rolled her eyes and let her laughter die down. "I think you just ticked off all of your neighbors."
"Nah, we have thick walls in this building. And if I get in trouble, it will be worth it because I made you laugh."
"So, what are we REALLY dancing to?"
Brady gasped in mock surprise. "You mean you don't like the Village People?"
Chloe shook her head. "Not really."
Brady nodded and pushed another button on his stereo. He stood up straight and walked towards her, the look on his face was intense, filled with something Chloe couldn't recall seeing on him before. The notes of the song began and Chloe tried to smile at him, but she was unable to. Something about his gaze drew them closer together until his arms were wrapped around her gently, and they began moving slowly to the music. The song was very slow, so they stayed mostly in one place, their feet not moving at all, just their bodies swaying slightly together in time.
***I have a smile
stretched from ear to ear
to see you walking down the road***
Chloe sighed at his touch and laid her head on his shoulder. She could almost feel the warmth of his skin seeping through his clothes. Chloe knew she must have been trembling with excitement, as the presence of Brady made every one of her senses heightened. In a way, his touch, his smile, his laugh had always made her feel more alive, but she had only begun paying attention to it recently.
***We meet at the lights
I stare for a while
the world around us disappears
Just you and me
on this island of hope
a breath between us could be miles***
Chloe lifted her head and whispered softly. "Brady, I..."
Brady shook his head slowly. "Shhh. Tell me later."
Chloe nodded slightly and put her head back where it had been.
***let me surround you
my sea to your shore
let me be the calm you seek
oh and every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away***
She had almost told him how she felt for him, even though she hadn't intended to. Chloe began this night not planning on saying a word about her feelings for Brady, but as the night wore on, it seemed like the most natural thing to say. She had never been comfortable with those three words until she met Brady. She had almost said them, but he had stopped her before she could.
***And I forgot
to tell you
I love you
and the night's
too long
and cold here
without you
I grieve in my condition
for I cannot find the strength to say I need you so***
She had started the sentence, and the words were about to flow forth without a second thought. She did not think before she began, she did not look before she took the proverbial leap... But he had stopped her. And, now she wondered if she could get the strength back to say it again.
***Oh and every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away
and I forgot
to tell you
I love you
and the night's
too long
and cold here
without you***
The song came to a close and Chloe lifted her head to look into his eyes. The serious, intense gaze that he had before broke into a softer, smiling face. Chloe smiled back as if to thank him. Brady leaned closer to her and pressed his lips to her forehead, just as he had done the last time she was at this loft.
Chloe had come here that night to tell him something, something even she couldn't figure out or comprehend. But, she knew now. Her subconscious had been yearning to tell Brady that she was in love with him, but she had not been brave enough or self-aware enough to realize it on that night.
Her heart was crying out to her at that moment, begging her to tell him that she loved him. But she couldn't. Her mouth could not form the words. And even if she could have, her lungs could not muster enough air to force them out of her. She knew that she was deeply and powerfully in love with this man before her, but she was frozen, unable to tell him the words that were screaming inside her head.
"Chloe, I need to ask you something."
Chloe nodded slowly and barely whispered her reply. "Okay."
"Mocha chip or rocky road?"
Chloe shook her head in confusion. She had lost herself in her own thoughts, and there Brady was to snap her back to the real world. A world where neither of them could express their true feelings to each other.
"What?"
"What kind of ice cream do you want? Mocha chip or rocky road?"
Chloe smiled at him and nodded in understanding. "Mocha chip, of course... Did you even need to ask?"
Brady winked at her and shook his head. "Nope, I just thought I'd be polite."
Brady let go of her and jogged into the kitchen to get their dessert. Chloe turned to watch him as he scooped her favorite ice cream into a clear bowl. She sighed and muttered quietly under her breath to herself.
"How do you know me so well, Brady Black?"
***
