Hand In Glove

Chapter 29

The next few days around the house were tense, to say the least. Chloe stuck to her word, giving him lots of space. She was pleasant and polite, even cheerful to a fault, pretending like nothing happened. She actually started to convince herself that it had been nothing more than a dream.

She even had him laughing over dinner a few times, and eventually after a couple of weeks they were back to their usual selves. Only when alone, would she let herself feel the hurt she harbored in her heart. She wanted to scream at him, shake him for what he'd done. How could he have been so cruel? How could he have gone from hot to cold so quickly? She felt used and foolish for letting herself go like that.

Still, she often caught herself thinking about that night. His lips, his hands... Sometimes her heart would skip a beat when she'd catch him glancing her way.

Chloe decided to tidy up her closet one afternoon to clear her mind. She smirked when she came across the red dress she wore on New Year's Eve. Feeling defiant, she toyed with the idea of wearing it for dinner that night. Wouldn't that be funny, she thought to herself as something fell out of the closet. It was the clutch purse she had with her that night. It fell open.

When Chloe picked it up, she spied the business card still inside. Oh yeah, she'd almost completely forgotten about him. Mike, the handsome dark haired guy, the one who'd gotten Ashton all in knots. At least, he'd shown genuine interest in her. She should call him, she thought rebelliously. Why not? It's not like she had any other prospects right now. Besides, it might be a nice distraction. It might even be good for Ashton. He could take comfort, knowing she'd be occupied with someone else. He'd be off the hook.

She'd even caught herself considering Nick lately but she didn't want to get involved in that whole dating members of the band thing. It wouldn't be good for anyone.

Reaching for her cell phone, she called the number on the card. She heard a ring tone and then an answering service prompting her to leave a message. "Hey, Mike, it's Chloe, from New Year's Eve, red dress. Give me a call if you'd like to set something up." She hung up, laughing to herself. He probably wouldn't call back but she didn't have anything to lose at that point.

During dinner, Chloe sat quietly across from Ashton. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms. In his mind, he'd done it a thousand times. It was useless to fight his feelings for her anymore but he knew he'd messed up. She probably didn't want anything to do with him. So, he pretended like nothing happened and hoped one day she'd give him another chance. If she let him, he would take it and he wouldn't look back.

"It looks like me and the boys will be pretty busy the next few weekends, starting with this Friday. We'll be going out of town again, at least, a couple of times. You're welcome to come Friday if you like?" he mentioned casually.

"Good, you guys seem to be doing very well lately," Chloe said supportively. "Any new songs on the horizon?"

"I've got a few up my sleeve I think the guys will enjoy. Nick and I have been working on a couple of tunes."

Chloe listened on as he described the songs in great detail. His face lit up when he talked about his music. At times like these, Chloe would forget the hurt she harbored in her heart. He was so beautiful and she hung on to every word.

She startled when she heard her phone ring. She excused herself and went to her room. It was unusual for her to get phone calls during dinner time. It could only mean one thing. "Hello?" she answered. "Oh hey, you remembered me." Her voice carried through to where Ashton sat. "Yes, sure that would be great. I'll see you then. 143 Pine, that's right, yes, bye."

"Sorry about that. What were you saying?" she asked, joining Ashton in the kitchen.

"Never mind. It's not important. So, who was that, Chloe?" he asked, curious.

"Oh, that was Mike. You remember the guy from New Year's Eve? He just called to ask me out for dinner on Friday," Chloe said nonchalantly.

"Mike? That guy? Really, Chloe?" he asked incredulously, shaking his head.

"Yes, that guy and I said yes!" She defiantly crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Listen, Chloe, you don't want to get mixed up with that sleazeball. Trust me. I know his type," he insisted.

"Well, I'll just have to take my chances." She shrugged. "Anyway, I don't see how it's any of your concern."

"Fine!" Ashton said abruptly. "Do what you want," he said, pushing himself away from the table. He stood up and turned to leave but hesitated. He spun back around and leaned over the table, gripping its edge. "Just don't you bring him back here. I don't want to have to worry about seeing his naked ass running around in my house," he growled venomously, giving the table a shake.

Chloe jumped in her chair at his callous implication. "How could you say something like that to me?"

He turned and walked away without another word. Chloe sat there shaking. He was hard to figure. What could be so terrible? He'd made himself clear. He wasn't interested in her. So what was his problem? What did it matter who she went out with? Shaking herself off she got up and put the dishes away.

Turning her attention to Friday, she decided she was going to go out with Mike whether Ashton approved or not.

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To be continued...

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Hand In Glove

Copyright © 2014 by Maria Bernard. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-9731474-5-2

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