Alan stared at the screen, praying his hearing was failing. 'The North Trade Center has just collapsed.' The words kept echoing in his head. He glanced up at the t.v. screen, where they were interviewing people who had witnessed the whole event. There was only one thing on his mind…
"Chloe," Alan whispered. Monica looked at him. Although she knew all about Chloe from watching in angelic form, she was supposed to know nothing about Chloe in human form.
"Who is Chloe?" Monica asked. Gloria opened her mouth to say they knew who Chloe was, but Monica shook her head quickly. Gloria paused and looked at Alan for a response. Alan stood up and paced the room.
"She..." he paused, "I'm not sure if I should tell you." He wandered around a few more moments before settling down on the couch beside Monica. Monica smiled sympathetically at him. She took his hands in her own.
"Alan, whatever is said in this room, will never leave this room," Monica said. Alan seemed to calm at this. Alan smiled at Monica and took a deep breath.
"About a year ago, Chloe worked here as an assistant manager. We became good friends; going out to lunch, talking, and many other things. About a month later, she asked me to come over for dinner at her place. It was pretty much a quiet evening. Later on, one thing led to another and..." he trailed off. He could feel tears stinging his eyes. Monica just nodded.
"Alan..." Monica started, but Alan cut her off. He continued with his story.
"I told my wife I had to work late that night, so she never suspected anything. Chloe thought it would be best if she switched jobs. She took a job as an advertiser across town. We still talked on the phone occasionally, though. About four months later, she showed up here and told me she was pregnant. Over the past six months, she'd drop by and we'd talk. Yesterday she told me she was going to New York. She was supposed to go to the north Trade Center this morning for an interview," Alan finished up, a tear falling down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly. Monica released his hands and stood up. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys to the Cadillac. She threw them to Gloria, who caught them with ease.
"Get in the car Gloria. And wait for us," Monica instructed. Gloria nodded and left the room. Alan looked up at Monica with a questioning look.
"Wait for us?" he asked quietly. Monica nodded.
"Listen, I know you don't know me very well yet, but I need you to trust me. From what you have told me, you must love Chloe so much and I know you're worried about her," Monica said, gesturing toward the door. Alan nodded and headed toward the door. He held it open for Monica and himself, and then closed it behind them. Monica headed off to find Sean, Alan close behind. They soon found him and closed themselves in his office. Sean smiled at the two.
"Ok, good. Alan, about the show tonight..." Sean said, but was interrupted by Monica.
"Sean, Alan won't be doing the show tonight," Monica said. Sean's jaw dropped.
"What?" Sean fumed. Monica put on a stubborn look.
"Just what I said. We, along with Gloria, were watching the news. The north Trade Center has just collapsed," she tried to explain.
"Well, I'm sorry, but what does that have to do with anything?" he asked, almost yelling. Monica was losing her patience with him.
"Sean, just listen to me, will you? Do you remember Chloe?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Oh, yeah, I do," Sean said coldly.
"Last night, she went to New York for a job interview...in the north Trade Center," she finished. Sean's eyes went wide and he looked at Alan briefly before turning back to Monica.
"Is...is she okay?" Sean asked.
"We...don't know yet," Monica replied. She watched as Alan opened the door and left the room.
"What are you going to do?" Sean asked, his voice more calm this time.
"Just trust me," Monica said. Sean nodded. Monica smiled sadly at him, and then walked out of the room. She found Alan sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. She lightly tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped, and then blushed when he saw her. She headed for a pair of double doors.
"C'mon, let's go," she said, opening the door. They walked to the car, where Gloria was sitting in the backseat. Monica got in the driver's seat and Alan in the passenger's seat. Gloria handed Monica the keys and she started the car. Alan looked at Monica.
"Monica, where exactly are we going?" he asked. Monica looked at Alan.
"New York."
"Chloe," Alan whispered. Monica looked at him. Although she knew all about Chloe from watching in angelic form, she was supposed to know nothing about Chloe in human form.
"Who is Chloe?" Monica asked. Gloria opened her mouth to say they knew who Chloe was, but Monica shook her head quickly. Gloria paused and looked at Alan for a response. Alan stood up and paced the room.
"She..." he paused, "I'm not sure if I should tell you." He wandered around a few more moments before settling down on the couch beside Monica. Monica smiled sympathetically at him. She took his hands in her own.
"Alan, whatever is said in this room, will never leave this room," Monica said. Alan seemed to calm at this. Alan smiled at Monica and took a deep breath.
"About a year ago, Chloe worked here as an assistant manager. We became good friends; going out to lunch, talking, and many other things. About a month later, she asked me to come over for dinner at her place. It was pretty much a quiet evening. Later on, one thing led to another and..." he trailed off. He could feel tears stinging his eyes. Monica just nodded.
"Alan..." Monica started, but Alan cut her off. He continued with his story.
"I told my wife I had to work late that night, so she never suspected anything. Chloe thought it would be best if she switched jobs. She took a job as an advertiser across town. We still talked on the phone occasionally, though. About four months later, she showed up here and told me she was pregnant. Over the past six months, she'd drop by and we'd talk. Yesterday she told me she was going to New York. She was supposed to go to the north Trade Center this morning for an interview," Alan finished up, a tear falling down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly. Monica released his hands and stood up. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys to the Cadillac. She threw them to Gloria, who caught them with ease.
"Get in the car Gloria. And wait for us," Monica instructed. Gloria nodded and left the room. Alan looked up at Monica with a questioning look.
"Wait for us?" he asked quietly. Monica nodded.
"Listen, I know you don't know me very well yet, but I need you to trust me. From what you have told me, you must love Chloe so much and I know you're worried about her," Monica said, gesturing toward the door. Alan nodded and headed toward the door. He held it open for Monica and himself, and then closed it behind them. Monica headed off to find Sean, Alan close behind. They soon found him and closed themselves in his office. Sean smiled at the two.
"Ok, good. Alan, about the show tonight..." Sean said, but was interrupted by Monica.
"Sean, Alan won't be doing the show tonight," Monica said. Sean's jaw dropped.
"What?" Sean fumed. Monica put on a stubborn look.
"Just what I said. We, along with Gloria, were watching the news. The north Trade Center has just collapsed," she tried to explain.
"Well, I'm sorry, but what does that have to do with anything?" he asked, almost yelling. Monica was losing her patience with him.
"Sean, just listen to me, will you? Do you remember Chloe?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Oh, yeah, I do," Sean said coldly.
"Last night, she went to New York for a job interview...in the north Trade Center," she finished. Sean's eyes went wide and he looked at Alan briefly before turning back to Monica.
"Is...is she okay?" Sean asked.
"We...don't know yet," Monica replied. She watched as Alan opened the door and left the room.
"What are you going to do?" Sean asked, his voice more calm this time.
"Just trust me," Monica said. Sean nodded. Monica smiled sadly at him, and then walked out of the room. She found Alan sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. She lightly tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped, and then blushed when he saw her. She headed for a pair of double doors.
"C'mon, let's go," she said, opening the door. They walked to the car, where Gloria was sitting in the backseat. Monica got in the driver's seat and Alan in the passenger's seat. Gloria handed Monica the keys and she started the car. Alan looked at Monica.
"Monica, where exactly are we going?" he asked. Monica looked at Alan.
"New York."