Thanks for the reviews Kelly & EC Brenway!

Kelly - Hope you like the shopping trip!

EC - Thanks, glad you liked the last chapter and hope you like this one just as much!

The Chemistry In Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Tuesday 10th December 2024

Just over an hour later after their martial arts class, Chloe and Elly were leaving the fitness center, via the hairdressers after Chloe got her usual trim to alleviate Pierce's suspicions of where she'd been spending her afternoon.

Elly turned to Chloe, "I got a favour to ask. Bea and Yashvi's engagement party this Friday night…I need a new dress. I haven't brought a really nice dress in ages and don't really have anything on me that's engagement party-esque. I guess when I returned, it never occurred to me I'll be attending my sister's engagement party let alone her wedding one day. Plus, I need to get a nice dress for Aster, too. Do you know of any shops around here that could be perfect for me?"

Chloe thought for a moment, "Oh…"

"If you're pressed for time and need to get back home before you pick up your niece and nephews from school and daycare, I can just get an Uber home myself, Chlo. Aster's been looked after by Karl so I have plenty of time to browse the shops on my own," Elly offered.

Chloe glanced at her watch, "Nah, I got time. Not a lot of time, about half an hour before I gotta be in an Uber back home. There is actually a really nice shop for dresses about 3 blocks from here, if you don't mind the walk."

"Lead the way," Elly decided.

A few moments later, Chloe and Elly were at the shop Chloe had suggested. Within minutes, Elly had found a dress for Aster and was already looking at dresses for herself, "Ooh what about this one?"

Chloe glanced at it, "Not your colour…no offence."

Elly looked down at the dress she was holding, "Good point, you're right. I love that you don't sugar coat it for me so I don't turn up wearing a dress that is so not my colour."

Chloe then smiled at Elly as she put the dress back on the hanger then started flicking through other dresses before picking out another one, "Okay, Chlo, this has to be the dress!"

Chloe's jaw dropped gently as Elly held the dress up against herself.

Holy…everything good and pure in the world…that dress shows so much skin and Elly will look sexy as anything wearing that dress…and I'm supposed to spend an entire evening at the engagement party not wanting Elly?

Now, that's the reaction I was hoping for, Chlo! Let's see if this lil number can work its magic and make you realize I'm all yours if you want me…

Elly winked at Chloe's inability to form words, "I'll take that as a 'yes.' Thanks for your input, Chlo," then turning to get her purse out of her handbag, spotted another dress, "Oh my, Chlo, this dress is completely perfect for you. Wow, it even kinda matches my dress…not that that's the reason why you should get this dress and I know you weren't planning on buying a new dress for the party but…look at this one, Chlo, it's totally you."

Chloe walked over to Elly, taking the dress off the rack and holding it against herself, swallowing deeply as she felt Elly's eyes roaming her body and wondering if she was imagining it, "Damn, Elly, you're right this dress is so…" Chloe's eyes fell to the price tag of the dress.

Out of my price range…

"It's perfect, isn't it?" Elly enthused, "Who knew we could find three perfect dresses in ten minutes time here? C'mon, let's be bad and buy these dresses before someone else sees how incredible they are."

Chloe started to put her dress back on the rack, "You get your dresses for you and Aster, I have several dresses at home to choose from."

Elly reached out to stop Chloe placing the dress back, "Are you kidding me, Chlo? This dress is perfect, you legit do not even need to try it on to know that. You've got to buy this dress. Give me one reason why you can't get this dress?"

I can't afford it…

"It's a bit…pricey," Chloe admitted.

Elly frowned, "Not for the wife of a billionaire."

Chloe placed the dress back, "I forgot my card at home."

"I'll buy it for you then," Elly offered.

"You don't have to do that, Elly," Chloe refused, "It's just a dress."

"Not when it's the perfect dress for you, Chlo. What's going on?" Elly pressed.

Chloe finally shrugged, "I lied about not having my card to pay for the dress. It's just…over my limit to put it on the card."

"How so? Have you racked up that much debt on your billionaire's card with a spending obsession you've managed to hide from me?" Elly wondered.

Chloe wanted to snigger at the thought of doing that, "It's not a big deal but I can only PayWave anything I want to buy on my card and this dress is…over that limit. I don't need you to buy the dress for me, Elly. I mean, hey, it's Tuesday, got a few days 'til the party and look," Chloe pointed to a sign on the counter where the shop assistant was helping other customers, "They have an online shop, so I'll get Pierce to buy me the dress on his card tonight then pick it up on Friday after our class but before the party. Problem solved."

"Pierce limits your spending to under a $100 per transaction via PayWave?" Elly scoffed, "Are you sure you don't have a shopping addiction?"

"Course not," Chloe insisted, "If I wanted to, I could go to a hundred stores and spend under $100 on my card at each and every one and he wouldn't notice. I just can't purchase anything more than that cause I don't have the PIN for this card."

"That doesn't make any sense, Chlo. Why is Pierce limiting your spending by you not having the PIN for the card that allows you to not PayWave it and authorize transactions over $100 with the PIN and yet he's allowing you to make as many small transactions as you could want?" Elly pointed out.

Chloe turned away from the dress, refusing to look at it anymore despite knowing Elly was right about how perfect it was for her and that it did match Elly's dress, "Pierce is just…funny about money stuff. He changes PIN's and cards and accounts all the time. I couldn't keep up with the way he kept changing it every week so I gave up and we settled on my account working this way but he still changes the PIN every few days and I just…don't buy things that are expensive unless I ask Pierce to buy it for me. Not that I have to tell him what it is I'm buying; he just gives me one of his cards to order what I need online. It's a system…it works for us."

It sounds like Pierce is in some denial of money problems that you don't seem clued in on. If this isn't another piece of proof that Pierce is controlling you because this is financial abuse with the way he's found a way to control your spending…I don't know what is.

Deciding not to debate the matter further, still afraid of Chloe shutting her down if she brought up her concerns about Pierce being controlling before she could find a suitable way of approaching the matter, Elly assured Chloe, "You order the dress tonight and we'll pick it up on Friday," then winking at the blonde, "You are gonna look like the hottest woman in the world at this party. You'll have everyone wanting you out of that dress!"

Chloe opened her mouth in surprise, trying to work out if Elly was flirting with her, as Elly turned around with the dresses for herself and Aster, taking them to the counter to buy them.

I must be imagining Elly flirting with me…right? Elly couldn't want me…out of that dress?

A few moments later, as Elly and Chloe stepped outside the shop, Elly's hand holding the bag with her purchases, Chloe took them aside so she could order an Uber to take them home.

Across the road from the girls, Pierce's beamer pulled up and parked in a free bay, that was within sight of the pair yet they didn't spot him. Pierce stared down at his phone that was in the phone cradle, then glared across the road at Elly and the way the brunette was staring at his wife.

Pierce wondered if Elly still harboured feelings for Chloe and if she did, what that could possibly do to his marriage.

"Chloe's started inviting Elly to her appointments at the hairdressers and now they are what…going on a shopping spree blocks away from where I know Chloe is meant to be with Raul. I can't stand how much time Elly is spending with Chloe. I want my wife back before Elly can persuade Chloe to do something she doesn't want to," Pierce said bitterly to himself, "I want Elly gone before the end of this engagement party…I'd better start working out how to do so."

With the girls oblivious to Pierce's presence nearby spying on them, within minutes an Uber driver picked them up to take them back home to Ramsay Street. Pierce was tempted to follow them home, with an excuse that he wanted to work from home more often to spend time with Chloe just in case Elly was intending on spending more time with Chloe. But a phone call from the hotel reminding him of an important meeting he needed to be at in half an hour quashed his idea of keeping tabs on how much time Chloe and Elly were spending together.

Chloe and Elly parted ways when the Uber took them back home to Ramsay Street.

Fifteen minutes after Chloe had returned home, she heard a knock on her front door. Chloe had been in the laundry, sorting through her washing that needed to be done, and couldn't help but smile at the idea of the visitor being Elly and Aster. Just the thought of the pair brought happiness to Chloe.

I really need to get a handle on what these feelings are when it comes to both Elly and Aster. Why do they make me so happy? The life I have now with Pierce is the life that I have chosen. What makes you even think Elly likes you that way...?

Chloe was surprised when she opened the front door to find no one standing on her door step. Opening the security door, she found a box with a card attached to it scribbled with her name. Picking the box up, Chloe stared out down her driveway looking for any sign of who had left the present but there wasn't a person in sight.

Chloe closed the doors behind her, walking over to the kitchen counter, placing the box down. Opening the card first, Chloe recognized Elly's handwriting –

'Chlo, couldn't resist, you know me! Xox Elly'

Does the kisses and hugs actually mean…? Stop that! It doesn't!

Chloe put her thoughts to the side, opening the box and was surprised to find the dress she'd refused to buy at the dress shop inside.

Chloe stared at the dress, reaching her hand out to it then lifted her left arm to check her watch for the time, as she couldn't help but think.

That doesn't make any sense, I've been home fifteen minutes. The Uber takes at least 10 minutes each way to the fitness center and that shop was just a bit further away… Did Elly get the dress at the shop without me knowing…? No, she didn't because you were still standing in front of the rack the dress was on when she paid for her dresses… Maybe she asked for one from out the back when she paid to surprise me cause there's just no way…Elly got this dress so quickly…and with the box and the card and the… Kisses and hugs in the message…what do they mean?!

Next time - It's Engagement Party time! Pierce meets someone unexpected at the Party and Elly comes clean to Bea with the truth...