Chapter 4:
John took a good look at the two people who couldn't seem to take their eyes off each other. "Uh, Chloe, this meathead claims to know you."
"We've.met," she said simply and turned her attention back to John. She just couldn't deal with Brady right now. It was no wonder Philip and Brady were related as they both seemed to have inherited the assh*le gene. "Look, Mr. Black, I just came to bring the brownies for the meeting like you wanted. I left them with Jamie. I just thought I'd stop by and say 'Hi' too."
"Of course sweetie, of course. Belle will be here about noon. Would you like to stay and have lunch with Brady, Belle and I or."
"Um, no," she stole a quick glance at Brady as he stood. "I have to get back to work. I'll talk to you later. Tell Marlena I said, 'Take care.'"
"Okay, Chloe, take care of yourself." John watched Chloe walk out of the room. The door shut quietly before John turned to look at his son. He'd noticed the sudden tension in the air when Chloe was aware Brady was there and now he was curious. "Brady, you didn't say a word to her."
"No, but I will." He walked out of the room and spotted Chloe nearing the elevators. He was an ass to her yesterday. The least he could do was apologize. I mean the girl couldn't be all that bad if she was close with his family. "Chloe, wait up." He joined her in the elevator before the doors could close.
"Oh, great," Chloe muttered under her breath. "What is it you want?"
His breath caught in his throat, as he looked down at her in her brown pants and tight tee with 'The Sweet Bar' written in white across the top. G-d, she was hot. "So, you working?"
"Yes." She said, still refusing to look at him.
"So what do you do exactly? Make deliveries? Bake and stuff?" He couldn't believe how this was coming out. What was he? Fifteen?
"Sometimes," she said simply and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, clearly uncomfortable with his presence.
"Well, if you're interested. I mean. if you get sick of the work you're currently doing, I'm sure you could always get a job here at Basic Black. Secretarial work or something? [i]I'm[/i] looking for a secretary actually."
"You are unbelievable." Chloe turned to look at him.
"Well," he smiled. "I try."
"No, I mean truly unbelievable." She narrowed her eyes at him dangerously.
"It's nothing really." He laughed, completely oblivious. "And actually I came in here to apologize to you for yesterday. I was incredibly rude and I was having a bad morning, not that I'm making excuses. I mean I." He blew out a breath. "I truly am sorry."
"Yes, you are: very sorry." She tossed her hair and looked away from him, anger emanating off of her in palpable waves.
"You're kidding.right?" Brady took one look at the rigid set to her shoulders and the back of her very stubborn head and sighed. "I come in here to apologize for my rudeness yesterday and you jump down my throat again. I just don't get you."
She whirled around to face him. "No, but I get you very well. You're nothing but a whiny, spoiled, dim-witted jackass." The elevator came to an abrupt stop at the first floor and the doors opened revealing a surprised Philip.
"Chloe," Philip said softly. "I saw you walk in here.the building. and waited for you to come back down. I was just about to go up and find you, see you. I have to talk to you, explain to you what happened yesterday." He narrowed his eyes at Brady. Since when was he back in town?
She stole a glance at an annoyed Brady and looked back at Philip. "Don't bother," she stomped out of the elevator and walked past him.
"Brady." Philip looked him over defensively. What the hell was his nephew, Brady, doing in an elevator with his fiancée?
"Philip." Brady arched an eyebrow at him, and let the doors of the elevator close.
Philip shook his head and ran to catch up to Chloe who was already out the doors and on the street hailing a taxi.
"Dammit, Philip," she swore when he joined her in the moving cab. This day just kept getting worse and worse and she felt as if she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. First, she had to see Belle's assh*le of a brother this morning and now she had to bump into this one. It amazed her that her life could go completely to pot in the span of 36 hours. "I can't deal with this right now."
"I know Chloe, I know. I realize that I hurt you but can you just.I mean could you just try and see my side of things?"
"Your side of things!? Your backside shooting in the air as you had sex with Cynthia on your desk is the only side that concerns me!" It was silent for a while as she turned to look out the window and watch the passing scenery of big buildings and small businesses.
"I was lonely," Philip said barely above a whisper.
"What!?" She looked him over incredulously. "Is that supposed to be some excuse for screwing that woman in your office?"
"No, not an excuse but.at least maybe you'll get a better understanding of why I did what I did."
Chloe couldn't believe she said what she said next. She should have been telling him to $&@# himself. "So, you were lonely." She waited for him to explain.
"Yes, Chloe. I was lonely. I asked you to officially marry me what? Three years ago? And not earlier because you said you didn't want to be tied down. You wanted your space. Well I've given you your space, but it's like I'm not even here. You work all the time."
"I'm the owner of a business Philip!"
"I know that Chloe but Jesus, I work too. You never have any time for me. And when we're together, it's always talk about our wedding. The flowers, the cake, the caterer.never about us." When Chloe remained silent, he continued. "And I know there's no excuse for what I did with Cynthia but a couple of months ago, a couple of the guys at work were ribbing me about you Chloe. They called me Mr. Lane and asked what size pants you wore because since you were obviously going to wear the pants in the family, they figured it'd make a great wedding gift."
"Why are you telling me this Philip? That because you lack a backbone I should feel sorry for you? Do you really think it can change anything now?"
"Yes.no.maybe. We've put so much time and energy into this relationship that maybe we can start over. I love you, Chloe. No one has or ever can love you the way that I love you, you know that." He tenderly caressed her cheek and frowned when she flinched away from his touch.
The cab came to a stop in front of Chloe's shop. "Goodbye Philip," she said as strongly as she could muster and jogged inside, the tears beginning to fall. What if Philip was right? What if no one would ever fall in love with her but him? All she'd ever wanted in life was to love someone and be loved in return. She knew she loved Philip.or had loved him.or cared about him deeply.G-d, what was love anyway. She didn't know and she was pretty certain she'd never find out. Let's face it: She wasn't exactly the most easygoing girl in the world and Philip had said they'd spent so much time and energy in this relationship to just throw it away. So then why did it hurt so much to even think about getting back with him? Why did she feel as if a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders after leaving him yesterday? Why did she feel like she wouldn't mind in the least if she never saw Philip Kiriakis again?
********************** The Java Café
"How the hell was I supposed to know she owned 'The Sweet Bar'?" Brady looked at his father and Belle innocently.
John merely shook his head and Belle sighed and wondered if her best friend and her brother would ever be able to get along.
John took a good look at the two people who couldn't seem to take their eyes off each other. "Uh, Chloe, this meathead claims to know you."
"We've.met," she said simply and turned her attention back to John. She just couldn't deal with Brady right now. It was no wonder Philip and Brady were related as they both seemed to have inherited the assh*le gene. "Look, Mr. Black, I just came to bring the brownies for the meeting like you wanted. I left them with Jamie. I just thought I'd stop by and say 'Hi' too."
"Of course sweetie, of course. Belle will be here about noon. Would you like to stay and have lunch with Brady, Belle and I or."
"Um, no," she stole a quick glance at Brady as he stood. "I have to get back to work. I'll talk to you later. Tell Marlena I said, 'Take care.'"
"Okay, Chloe, take care of yourself." John watched Chloe walk out of the room. The door shut quietly before John turned to look at his son. He'd noticed the sudden tension in the air when Chloe was aware Brady was there and now he was curious. "Brady, you didn't say a word to her."
"No, but I will." He walked out of the room and spotted Chloe nearing the elevators. He was an ass to her yesterday. The least he could do was apologize. I mean the girl couldn't be all that bad if she was close with his family. "Chloe, wait up." He joined her in the elevator before the doors could close.
"Oh, great," Chloe muttered under her breath. "What is it you want?"
His breath caught in his throat, as he looked down at her in her brown pants and tight tee with 'The Sweet Bar' written in white across the top. G-d, she was hot. "So, you working?"
"Yes." She said, still refusing to look at him.
"So what do you do exactly? Make deliveries? Bake and stuff?" He couldn't believe how this was coming out. What was he? Fifteen?
"Sometimes," she said simply and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, clearly uncomfortable with his presence.
"Well, if you're interested. I mean. if you get sick of the work you're currently doing, I'm sure you could always get a job here at Basic Black. Secretarial work or something? [i]I'm[/i] looking for a secretary actually."
"You are unbelievable." Chloe turned to look at him.
"Well," he smiled. "I try."
"No, I mean truly unbelievable." She narrowed her eyes at him dangerously.
"It's nothing really." He laughed, completely oblivious. "And actually I came in here to apologize to you for yesterday. I was incredibly rude and I was having a bad morning, not that I'm making excuses. I mean I." He blew out a breath. "I truly am sorry."
"Yes, you are: very sorry." She tossed her hair and looked away from him, anger emanating off of her in palpable waves.
"You're kidding.right?" Brady took one look at the rigid set to her shoulders and the back of her very stubborn head and sighed. "I come in here to apologize for my rudeness yesterday and you jump down my throat again. I just don't get you."
She whirled around to face him. "No, but I get you very well. You're nothing but a whiny, spoiled, dim-witted jackass." The elevator came to an abrupt stop at the first floor and the doors opened revealing a surprised Philip.
"Chloe," Philip said softly. "I saw you walk in here.the building. and waited for you to come back down. I was just about to go up and find you, see you. I have to talk to you, explain to you what happened yesterday." He narrowed his eyes at Brady. Since when was he back in town?
She stole a glance at an annoyed Brady and looked back at Philip. "Don't bother," she stomped out of the elevator and walked past him.
"Brady." Philip looked him over defensively. What the hell was his nephew, Brady, doing in an elevator with his fiancée?
"Philip." Brady arched an eyebrow at him, and let the doors of the elevator close.
Philip shook his head and ran to catch up to Chloe who was already out the doors and on the street hailing a taxi.
"Dammit, Philip," she swore when he joined her in the moving cab. This day just kept getting worse and worse and she felt as if she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. First, she had to see Belle's assh*le of a brother this morning and now she had to bump into this one. It amazed her that her life could go completely to pot in the span of 36 hours. "I can't deal with this right now."
"I know Chloe, I know. I realize that I hurt you but can you just.I mean could you just try and see my side of things?"
"Your side of things!? Your backside shooting in the air as you had sex with Cynthia on your desk is the only side that concerns me!" It was silent for a while as she turned to look out the window and watch the passing scenery of big buildings and small businesses.
"I was lonely," Philip said barely above a whisper.
"What!?" She looked him over incredulously. "Is that supposed to be some excuse for screwing that woman in your office?"
"No, not an excuse but.at least maybe you'll get a better understanding of why I did what I did."
Chloe couldn't believe she said what she said next. She should have been telling him to $&@# himself. "So, you were lonely." She waited for him to explain.
"Yes, Chloe. I was lonely. I asked you to officially marry me what? Three years ago? And not earlier because you said you didn't want to be tied down. You wanted your space. Well I've given you your space, but it's like I'm not even here. You work all the time."
"I'm the owner of a business Philip!"
"I know that Chloe but Jesus, I work too. You never have any time for me. And when we're together, it's always talk about our wedding. The flowers, the cake, the caterer.never about us." When Chloe remained silent, he continued. "And I know there's no excuse for what I did with Cynthia but a couple of months ago, a couple of the guys at work were ribbing me about you Chloe. They called me Mr. Lane and asked what size pants you wore because since you were obviously going to wear the pants in the family, they figured it'd make a great wedding gift."
"Why are you telling me this Philip? That because you lack a backbone I should feel sorry for you? Do you really think it can change anything now?"
"Yes.no.maybe. We've put so much time and energy into this relationship that maybe we can start over. I love you, Chloe. No one has or ever can love you the way that I love you, you know that." He tenderly caressed her cheek and frowned when she flinched away from his touch.
The cab came to a stop in front of Chloe's shop. "Goodbye Philip," she said as strongly as she could muster and jogged inside, the tears beginning to fall. What if Philip was right? What if no one would ever fall in love with her but him? All she'd ever wanted in life was to love someone and be loved in return. She knew she loved Philip.or had loved him.or cared about him deeply.G-d, what was love anyway. She didn't know and she was pretty certain she'd never find out. Let's face it: She wasn't exactly the most easygoing girl in the world and Philip had said they'd spent so much time and energy in this relationship to just throw it away. So then why did it hurt so much to even think about getting back with him? Why did she feel as if a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders after leaving him yesterday? Why did she feel like she wouldn't mind in the least if she never saw Philip Kiriakis again?
********************** The Java Café
"How the hell was I supposed to know she owned 'The Sweet Bar'?" Brady looked at his father and Belle innocently.
John merely shook his head and Belle sighed and wondered if her best friend and her brother would ever be able to get along.