True Love Once One is Removed:
Chapter 12: Close Encounters



Turning the knob and hearing it click, Alexia began to open the door slowly but surely. She was getting closed to something or someone. Until the phone ringing disrupted her from opening the door any further. She left the door standing slightly open and picked up her phone. "Hello"

"Alexia, my darling, how is Italy? Has Chris been on good behavior?" Lillie said through the phone. She had been riding along with Rolf and Stefano to some secret whereabouts in Ireland. Where all the real fireworks would occur.

"Italy is beautiful and…oh never mind." Alexia said feeling the words wouldn't fit, or if they didn't make sense.

"What is it dear?" Lillie asked frowning at the sound of Alexia's voice.

"Nothing bad, it's just I have this sense of home. Like I am beginning to feel more complete, why in Italy, I don't know. I hadn't been feeling like this until recently. I guess it's the magic of Italy getting the best of me, huh?" she said smiling

"I'm sure it is honey. Well I will let you get back to getting primped for the Ball tonight, did you want to speak with your father before I hang up, darling?"

"No, I'm quite fine but if you could tell Dad I said hi will be fine. Thanks Lillie and goodbye" Alex said hanging up.

"Bye" Lillie sighed out. She felt bad, if Alexia didn't live through this… 'I shouldn't never gotten involved with this, nor her but its too late' Lillie thought. But knew there was other things behind this story that lied behind Chloe being the one picked for the transformation.
*******

Alexia stood looking back at the door and began to walk back toward it. But stopped short of it when she realized it was quiet. The noise that had been once outside her hotel room was gone. Alexia reached and pulled the door wider than what it already was and got a shock. There stood Chris looking nicely, carrying a tray.

"Food for the madam of room 405. I was told of an extravagant beauty, and I am most willing to say the messenger was clearly wrong. Because the woman that stands before me does not know description with her beauty." Chris said talking properly and trailing his eyes down her body that was only in a robe. While her hair still appeared to be wet. "Also this beauty has luscious body, if I say so myself" Chris grinned smugly.

Alexia was already blushing for the fact that she hadn't realized she was still underdressed but knew what Chris was doing. Then she turned her attention to the tray once again and saw the note that said 'AJ'. "Oh is that for me" Alexia said taking it from his hands.

"Who else would it be for?" Chris inquired.

Alex turned her attention to him. She knew not how to thank him. He had went out of his way to deliver something special for her. A gesture that was so… So Chris. Alexia stepped to Chris slowly. Facing him, and only a hair length away from his lips.

Chris becoming quite nervous but excited in the same time. It wasn't as if he hadn't ever had those lips pressed against his. But he really had been trying to avoid this type of closeness since the incident at her funeral, in the closet. The funeral in which she had no idea about. But he was trying to put off this, just a little longer so that he could express himself just right to her. He didn't want to push her and yet sometimes she was just so hard not to get close to. But now here he was complaining about it. 'I bet, what's his face…Brady wouldn't mind being here right now.'

Alexia stepped even closer, a breath short of those lips. With her hand reaching to the side of his face. Grasping his shirt as if clinging onto dear life with her free hand. Drawing him even closer. She moved her mouth closer and past his lips to his ear and in a seductive manner she whispered, "Thank you."

Next thing Chris knew he was being rushed out the room and Alexia said "See you in a hour!" Then she closed the door to her room.

"WHOA." Chris said aloud. He was definitely going to have to freeze his boxers in the freezer why he took a very cold shower. Then he would slip those icy boxers on, because he needed a cool down period after that.
********

Brady sat in his room thinking about what happened. He felt he was closer to Chloe more than ever. Why did that guy seem so familiar, though. As Brady thought back to what happened in the hallway earlier…


Flashback

"What am I doing!" Brady questioned. Who did this guy think he was. "I was simply looking for my room and besides that why the hell is it your business to know!" Brady yelled stepping closer and dropping his bags to the ground.

"Well, I think you need to keep walking because theres nothing here for you. Why don't you take you and your bags back to Salem before I show you something to run from" Chris said as his anger mounted in his back. "What are you, trying to take up the scenes of how food looks in front of this hotel room door? I'm sure someone of your kind has been too many hotels and had room service delivered to you. So why is it that this room, moves you?" Chris replied sarcastically.

"Look you know what I don't have time for your…" and Brady stopped as he heard the door behind him open. Then it stopped about an inch past its opening. Brady walked towards the door reaching for the door when he felt someone jerk him from behind.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Chris yelled a little louder just about to let his anger get the better of him when one of the personal representatives called for him.

"Mr. Riley, may I speak with you?" he said stepping up to the gentlemen and feeling as if he were interrupting something.

"Yeah, why don't you handle that boy." Brady said snatching away Chris hands away from his shoulder. And as Brady walked off he patted Chris's back and said, "And next time I won't be so forgiving. Don't ever grab me like that again and still plan on keeping those precious fingers, got it Asshole"

Then Brady gave one hearty hard slap on the back and grinned walking off.

Chris stared at him through eyes that could kill.


(End of Flashback)

As Brady thought about the two interacting he remembered. 'Shit why hadn't I figured it out before' he thought. Finally realizing why the guy looked so familiar and that attitude. And how he knew he was from Salem. It was the guy from Chloe's funeral. More and more Brady thought about it, the more it made sense. Perfect sense. 'He's in love with AJ' Brady thought but a knock got him out of his thoughts.

"Son, are you ready?" John asked outside the door.

"In a few minutes I'll be. I'll be coming right down!" Brady yelled back.

"Okay, I'll be in my room" John said as he walked off from Brady's door and bumped into someone along the way. "Oh sorry" John said quickly but kept walking but stopped and turned around. The guy was dressed in a tux and John watched as he knocked a door down from his son's room. Then he watched as the door slowly opened and the face of the young man's brightened. 'Why am I still standing here' John thought as he walked off.
********
Chris walked to AJ's room and along the way bumped into someone but it didn't bother him. After the earlier performance given out by her he was sure that now more than ever was the time. He knocked on her door a couple of times and slowly she opened. Staring in utter shock. Amazing? No. Breath taking? That she was but still she looked so elegant in her ball gown. Made up of silver and hints of sparkle blue. Her hair cascading down her shoulders, having been straightened.

Alexia smiled at the response she was receiving from Chris, "You ready" she asked smiling.

"As ready as I'll ever be" Chris said as he held out his hand. And the two walked off with the arms intertwined.
***********

As Brady swept his eyes across the room once more to make sure there wasn't anything he was forgetting. Seeing he was okay. He left his hotel room and looked down the hallway as he saw a couple turning the corner. Seeing the girl looked very familiar. 'Could it be?' he thought.

"Hey son! You ready?" John said stepping out of his room.

Brady sighed and saw that the couple was gone. He looked to his father and said "Ready."

"Well let the plan begin. Operation CL is now in session"




TBC………