Side By Side Chapter 2: Getting To Know Each Other

Brady and Chloe have finished dinner and are now just sitting on the couch talking and drinking. Brady a beer and Chloe a Long Island iced tea.

Since Chloe knocked on his door, he had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her, and his head off of what he'd like to do to her. Chloe was wearing a black tank top, which had a kind of shimmering effect and a black, short, embroidered black suede skirt. It was summer after all, and she wanted to look nice. Her hair was up in high pony tail and the only make up she wore was light pink lip gloss, which mad her full pouty lips look even more kissable, and her scent of mango was drawing him in.

Chloe herself could barely take her eyes off of Brady. He

was wearing a black muscle shirt, and blue jeans which hugged his leg muscles and his butt, and what a butt it was!

His scent was intoxicating to Chloe and his eyes were drawing her in. Brady cleared his throat and Chloe's eyes snapped back to his.

"Well we didn't really talk during dinner so let's start with the basics. (Pause) Where are you coming from?"

"Boston."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"So why move to Salem?"

"Well I actually lived here with my parents until I was 12, and then we moved to Boston, and I guess I wanted to come back to my roots."

"Oh really?"

"Uh huh. Oh and plus I'm taking some classes at Salem U."

"But you lived in Boston. Why didn't you go to Worthington, or Sarah Lawrence (Okay I'm pretty sure there is no college named Worthington I'm stealing it from Dawson's Creek, and I know Sarah Lawrence is in Bronxville NY, but I have no idea how close that is to Boston. Just pretend it is closer then Salem U would be.)

"Because like I said I wanted to come back to my roots."

"If that's true, why are your eyes telling me something different? Something sad? Painful? (Pause) Chloe you can tell me."

"Look, I know we're supposed to be getting to know each other, but I don't feel right talking about something that personal with someone that is still practically a stranger."

"Okay fine I won't push. So you mentioned your family before, are you close?"

"Yes very. Especially these past few years."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. My mom and dad just had another baby, 2, almost 3 years ago. It brought us all together, since my mother almost lost the baby."

"Did they have a boy or a girl?"

"A girl. I have a sister. Her name is Victoria Jade Wesley.

I call her V-Bear. She's a real miracle."

Brady watched as Chloe's eyes sparkled and shinned. Brady could see pride and love in them.

"You really love her don't you?"

"Like she was my own."

"Is she your only sibling?"

"Yes. (Pause) You're doing all the asking. It's my turn. (Pause) How about your family? Are you close?"

"Yes very much. (Pause) After years of tension and jealousy and even hate everything is good. I'm actually going to be working for my father in September at his company."

"Oh yeah? What company?"

"My father is John Black. He owns and runs Basic Black."

"You're joking right?"

"No, why?"

"I'm going to be modeling for Basic Black to help pay for my classes and my house."

'Wow."

"Yeah. I guess it's true. It really is a small world."

Chloe and Brady spent almost the rest of the night talking.

Chloe got Brady's life story. Listening to how his mother had dies had been hard for her, but she handled it. She felt bad for him. How his stepmom told him she wasn't his real mother and how he got sent away to boarding school, and then all the trouble he had when he came home from dropping out of college.

She found out he had lots of stepbrothers and sisters, or so it seemed, but he was most closest to his youngest sister belle. She was surprised to learn that he liked opera and that is when she told him it was her passion; well music was in general. She even told him about living in foster homes and orphanages and finally being reunited with her mother, to just finding out 2 years ago that the man she thought was her step father was really her biological father.

She never told him everything and Brady knew that. He just hoped that one day she would tell him what she was to scared to right now...

TBC