Chapter 9
Breathe Chloe, just Breathe
This was the mantra she kept repeating over and over in her head as she sang one of her favorite Christmas songs to an audience of shocked and captivated Salemenites.
She knew the song like she knew the songs from Phantom she and Brady had sang together so long ago. This gave her the opportunity to peruse the audience and gauge their reactions to her sudden appearance.
First she saw John and Marlena. John had his trademark eyebrow raised because he was fully aware of Chloe's return. Marlena gasped with her hand over her mouth then slowly removed it to reveal a smile that accompanied the tears in her eyes, which Chloe knew were of happiness for her son, or at least she hoped they were.
As she scanned the room she saw Brandon and Lexie who had stopped their happy reunion long enough to smile at Chloe while she sang of hope and love.
Off to the side of Lexie and Brandon she saw the couples of Roman and Kate and Bo and Hope. All four were holding on tight to their respective others and smiling while they enjoyed the spirit of the song. Chloe also noticed that Roman could not keep his eyes off of Kate, and smiled internally knowing this was a match that was going to last forever.
Her gaze floated over the crowd until she saw a group of people she had depended on during her high school years and still did. Rex and Mimi stood mouths agape and then smiled brilliantly while she sang her solo. Belle looked as though she was about to rush the stage and jump Chloe in a bear hug.that is until Shawn held her back. Shawn, well he just shook his head and looked like he wanted to laugh out loud. She could just picture him saying You got us, Chloe, you got us.
As she looked toward Victor, she saw him standing with his wife, Lucas and Philip. Lucas was shaking hands with the 'old man' probably congratulating him on his accomplishment of the opera house. Philip was another story; she couldn't quite read his expression. He stood in front of her arms folded with a dark look in his eyes slowly shaking his head.
Chloe let her brilliant blue eyes rest on Nicole and was taken aback by the hate and rage that seemed to emanate from the young woman. She looked from Chloe to somewhere to Chloe's right and back again all the while shaking in her seat with barely contained fury.
Before she turned her head to where Nicole was looking she caught the movement of a tall dark and mysteriously familiar man who was watching her from the sidelines by the patio door but when she turned her head he was gone.
Chloe finally looked to where Nicole kept glancing and there he was, her soul mate.
He stared at her through loving eyes as she sang with a passion he had never known before. She hadn't spotted him yet and he didn't want to disturb her beautiful solo with the shock of seeing him in Salem when he was suppose to be thousands of miles away.
It's not that he thought she would be upset, they had shared many special times while in Europe, but he didn't want to trouble or worry her when she was so in her element.
He suddenly got the feeling that she sensed him and slipped out the patio door before she had a chance to identify the feeling she had as the sixth sense type that she always told him she got when he was around.
Soon, Ma Cherie, soon I shall see your beautiful face again.
Brady couldn't believe his eyes, it was really her, his Chloe. He looked quickly back to his grandfather who was engrossed in a quiet conversation with Lucas Roberts but took the time to give him a slight nod and a smile.
So this is what he meant when he said he wanted all my dreams to come true. Brady thought in awe, I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Brady could feel Nicole's eyes on him begging him to turn and look, just for a moment to glance her way but Brady couldn't, not even if he wanted to.
She was the definition of elegance and beauty. She wore a pure white dress accentuated with silver that hugged ever curve of her body and had a slit up to her mid thigh just giving him a teasing glimpse of the body he used to adore and worship. She had her hair down and curled with a silver comb holding it back over one ear and giving her a carefree and whimsical look.
Brady forgot how to breathe for awhile as he looked at her and let it out suddenly in one jagged breath.
My god! How could I forget how truly magnificent she is? How could I let Nicole even touch me when I have heaven on Earth, even if she was in Europe. I was so stupid I should have thought to visit her, call, or email more often. I just hope she can forgive how asinine I've been.
Chloe meanwhile was finishing up her solo and saw out of the corner of her eye that Victor was edging up closer to the stage. As she sang the last note of her song and the lights dimmed she edged off the stage and out the patio area where Victor had instructed her to wait as to not be attacked by the crowd.
She heard Victor acknowledge all the applause from her friends and loved ones. She heard him also state that as soon as everyone had a chance to get over their shock and have something to eat they would be able to talk to Chloe and welcome her back to Salem.
Chloe also knew after his speech Victor had plans to pull Brady aside and tell him where to meet his lady love.
Chloe rubbed her bare arms and looked at the brilliance of the patio area that Victor had his staff decorate for the holiday season. She smiled slightly when she felt someone put a warm male dinner jacket on her shoulders from behind.
"I was wondering when you would get out here, I missed you so much." Chloe said as she leaned back into strong masculine arms and closed her eyes inhaling his scent.
"Have you now? And to think I just saw you two days ago, I guess it's true what they say absence makes the heart grow fonder." Chuckled a strong masculine voice that Chloe recognized immediately.
Chloe's eyes fluttered open immediately as she simultaneously spun around and embraced her visitor. "You wretch! What in the world are you doing in Salem?" Her eyes twinkled with laughter as she pulled back to gaze into the brown eyes of the man who held her in his arms.
Before he could answer her they both heard a voice from behind them ask: "That's what I would like to know, as well as how the two of you know each other so well."
"Brady." Chloe gasped and turned pale.
Breathe Chloe, just Breathe
This was the mantra she kept repeating over and over in her head as she sang one of her favorite Christmas songs to an audience of shocked and captivated Salemenites.
She knew the song like she knew the songs from Phantom she and Brady had sang together so long ago. This gave her the opportunity to peruse the audience and gauge their reactions to her sudden appearance.
First she saw John and Marlena. John had his trademark eyebrow raised because he was fully aware of Chloe's return. Marlena gasped with her hand over her mouth then slowly removed it to reveal a smile that accompanied the tears in her eyes, which Chloe knew were of happiness for her son, or at least she hoped they were.
As she scanned the room she saw Brandon and Lexie who had stopped their happy reunion long enough to smile at Chloe while she sang of hope and love.
Off to the side of Lexie and Brandon she saw the couples of Roman and Kate and Bo and Hope. All four were holding on tight to their respective others and smiling while they enjoyed the spirit of the song. Chloe also noticed that Roman could not keep his eyes off of Kate, and smiled internally knowing this was a match that was going to last forever.
Her gaze floated over the crowd until she saw a group of people she had depended on during her high school years and still did. Rex and Mimi stood mouths agape and then smiled brilliantly while she sang her solo. Belle looked as though she was about to rush the stage and jump Chloe in a bear hug.that is until Shawn held her back. Shawn, well he just shook his head and looked like he wanted to laugh out loud. She could just picture him saying You got us, Chloe, you got us.
As she looked toward Victor, she saw him standing with his wife, Lucas and Philip. Lucas was shaking hands with the 'old man' probably congratulating him on his accomplishment of the opera house. Philip was another story; she couldn't quite read his expression. He stood in front of her arms folded with a dark look in his eyes slowly shaking his head.
Chloe let her brilliant blue eyes rest on Nicole and was taken aback by the hate and rage that seemed to emanate from the young woman. She looked from Chloe to somewhere to Chloe's right and back again all the while shaking in her seat with barely contained fury.
Before she turned her head to where Nicole was looking she caught the movement of a tall dark and mysteriously familiar man who was watching her from the sidelines by the patio door but when she turned her head he was gone.
Chloe finally looked to where Nicole kept glancing and there he was, her soul mate.
He stared at her through loving eyes as she sang with a passion he had never known before. She hadn't spotted him yet and he didn't want to disturb her beautiful solo with the shock of seeing him in Salem when he was suppose to be thousands of miles away.
It's not that he thought she would be upset, they had shared many special times while in Europe, but he didn't want to trouble or worry her when she was so in her element.
He suddenly got the feeling that she sensed him and slipped out the patio door before she had a chance to identify the feeling she had as the sixth sense type that she always told him she got when he was around.
Soon, Ma Cherie, soon I shall see your beautiful face again.
Brady couldn't believe his eyes, it was really her, his Chloe. He looked quickly back to his grandfather who was engrossed in a quiet conversation with Lucas Roberts but took the time to give him a slight nod and a smile.
So this is what he meant when he said he wanted all my dreams to come true. Brady thought in awe, I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Brady could feel Nicole's eyes on him begging him to turn and look, just for a moment to glance her way but Brady couldn't, not even if he wanted to.
She was the definition of elegance and beauty. She wore a pure white dress accentuated with silver that hugged ever curve of her body and had a slit up to her mid thigh just giving him a teasing glimpse of the body he used to adore and worship. She had her hair down and curled with a silver comb holding it back over one ear and giving her a carefree and whimsical look.
Brady forgot how to breathe for awhile as he looked at her and let it out suddenly in one jagged breath.
My god! How could I forget how truly magnificent she is? How could I let Nicole even touch me when I have heaven on Earth, even if she was in Europe. I was so stupid I should have thought to visit her, call, or email more often. I just hope she can forgive how asinine I've been.
Chloe meanwhile was finishing up her solo and saw out of the corner of her eye that Victor was edging up closer to the stage. As she sang the last note of her song and the lights dimmed she edged off the stage and out the patio area where Victor had instructed her to wait as to not be attacked by the crowd.
She heard Victor acknowledge all the applause from her friends and loved ones. She heard him also state that as soon as everyone had a chance to get over their shock and have something to eat they would be able to talk to Chloe and welcome her back to Salem.
Chloe also knew after his speech Victor had plans to pull Brady aside and tell him where to meet his lady love.
Chloe rubbed her bare arms and looked at the brilliance of the patio area that Victor had his staff decorate for the holiday season. She smiled slightly when she felt someone put a warm male dinner jacket on her shoulders from behind.
"I was wondering when you would get out here, I missed you so much." Chloe said as she leaned back into strong masculine arms and closed her eyes inhaling his scent.
"Have you now? And to think I just saw you two days ago, I guess it's true what they say absence makes the heart grow fonder." Chuckled a strong masculine voice that Chloe recognized immediately.
Chloe's eyes fluttered open immediately as she simultaneously spun around and embraced her visitor. "You wretch! What in the world are you doing in Salem?" Her eyes twinkled with laughter as she pulled back to gaze into the brown eyes of the man who held her in his arms.
Before he could answer her they both heard a voice from behind them ask: "That's what I would like to know, as well as how the two of you know each other so well."
"Brady." Chloe gasped and turned pale.