Stolen Years (Read 27,173 times)

[Kpatch]

Chapter 10b


Maybe this was a mistake, Chloe thought to herself now that Philip was standing here in the flesh in her bedroom. It would be easier if there were a woman around to help take her measurements. But there wasn’t. Philip will have to do in a pinch, she realized. “This is really embarrassing,” she said, standing there wearing Philip’s heathered t-shirt and holding a tape measure.

“Why? What are you talking about,” he asked closing the door behind him and walking further into the room.

“Well, I ... I was trying to take my measurements so I can tell you my size and ....” Oh gosh, there’s no other way to say this. “Um ... my boobs are too big.”

Philip laughed. “I’m going to have to disagree. First of all, there’s no such thing as boobs that are too big. And second of all,” he glanced at her bustline and let his gaze linger there, “from where I’m standing, they’re just right.”

Oh gosh, she didn’t expect him to be so casual about this. She felt naked under his stare and more than a little embarrassed. Chloe crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s not what I meant, Philip. I mean I can’t see my waist! I can’t measure my waistline because my boobs are in the way.”

“You want me to hold them for you?” Philip was having a hard time suppressing his laughter.

Is he for real? She probably should have known he’d turn this into an opportunity for titillation. He was, after all, Philip Kiriakis, number one stud at Salem High. Looks like he hasn’t changed much at all. Chloe took a deep breath and persisted. “You are so bad,” she teased. “Um, Philip. I need you to take my measurements for me. Do you know how?”

Philip licked his lips. “Hmmm.” He stroked his chin. “I’ve been measured for suits by tailors, but frankly, I never paid all that much attention.” Chloe pouted briefly, so Philip quickly added, “It’s probably not much different. If you recall from high school, I’m a fast study and more than willing to practice,” he laughed.

Chloe rolled her eyes. But Philip’s laughter made her relax a little. If he wasn’t taking this seriously, maybe she shouldn’t either.

Without warning, she felt a change in the atmosphere as Philip’s presence permeated her bedroom. Her whole body flushed when she realized how attracted she felt to Philip. Like a magnet, she wanted to touch him. She started to reach for him, but got nervous and twirled a strand of her own hair instead. What changed, she wondered? Was it the sparkle in his eye when he looked at her? Or maybe it was the way he looked at her, as if he could see right through her clothing. Perhaps it was the way he filled out that designer polo shirt he was wearing, or the way his dimples erupted when he laughed, how masculinity oozed out of every pore, or the sexual inuendos that tripped off his tongue so glibly?

Whatever it was, it made her pulse quicken. She felt her temperature rise. She longed to touch him, to have him touch her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been with a man. Was it months or years? She had no idea, but being this close to Philip seemed to awaken feelings Chloe hadn’t been aware of before. A mental image briefly flashed through her mind of Philip making love to her on a gray leather sofa. She pictured herself ripping his shirt open and slowly pressing her lips into his chest and stomach. She wondered whether it was a memory or a wish.

“One sec,” he said. He took his mobile phone out of his pocket and did a quick search for taking a woman’s measurements. “Ah! A pictorial illustration.” He held up his iPhone for a moment so Chloe could see. “I can do this. Piece of cake,” he said.

She wondered if Philip could tell she was trembling. She felt like a silly school girl with a crush on a boy that was out of her league, the way she felt the very first time she ever laid eyes on Philip Kiriakis. Pull yourself together, Chloe, she said to herself. This isn’t high school. Philip is your friend. Chloe shook herself and held the measurement tape with her palms facing up. “I give unto thee the magic measuring ribbon.”

Philip chuckled and took the tape from her hands. He set his phone down on the desk where he could refer to the instructions as needed. “Okay. It says to hold your arms straight out like this.” He demonstrated the pose with his arms outstretched like Atlas. “Okay.” He looked at her bust line again. “It says to start from the bottom up, so I’m going to measure your bottom, uh, your hips first. Um....” He encircled her body awkwardly with his arms to draw the tape around her, back to front. He glanced at the instructions and looked back at Chloe. He was standing so close, his chest was touching hers.

He looked into her face and she became aware of his body heat. She wanted him to kiss her so badly. Her nerves took over and she laughed. “This isn’t embarrassing, right?”

He smiled. “Not much.” Taking a small step backwards, he bent slightly at the knees and strung the measuring tape around her bottom. He rested his hand on her hip for balance. “Thirty-six. Perfect, just like always.”

Chloe’s eyes locked with Philip’s. “Perfect like always,” she repeated softly. Getting a little self-conscious, she looked down. “Now the hard part.”

The hard part? Now Philip seemed a little self-conscious. “Excuse me?”

This was so embarrassing, she thought. “Um. You need to do my waist. I mean, measure it. I mean....”

“Difficult for you, easy for me,” Philip broke the tension by speaking with a Spanish accent, making Chloe laugh.

“You sure you haven’t done this before,” she asked him.

Philip moved his hand up Chloe’s back without losing contact. He looked up at her face. “No, but I can pretty much guarantee that I’m gonna want to do it again.”

Oh good, she thought. He’s making jokes, keeping the mood light. But those jokes were more than a little suggestive and he looked and sounded so sexy saying them.

He pulled the measuring tape around and read the number. “Twenty four. See, I would have guessed that and been right,” he smiled.

Almost done. Chloe exhaled. Uh oh. “One more ... if you think you can handle it ... my breasts I mean.” He could dish it out. Let’s see if he can take it.

“Oh I can handle your breasts alright. Every day of the week.” Wow, Chloe thought. Great comeback, and right now, she was more than ready for him to put his money where his mouth was, figuratively speaking of course. “Forty two,” he said.

“What? No way I’m 42. That’s just wishful thinking on your part. Look again.” Chloe looked down and saw the problem. She laughed. “Philip, you dummy, it needs to be tighter than that. It needs to be ... um ... touching.” Now she was asking for it. Do it Philip, she thought. Touch me.

“Ohhhh, touching,” his voice deepened. “With pleasure,” he smirked. He tightened the tape and his fingers touched her t-shirt. Chloe’s eyes fluttered shut and she shivered when she felt the back of his knuckles graze her nipples. “You know,” he said huskily, licking his lips, “this process would be a lot easier if you took off this t-shirt.”

Chloe came back to earth. She laughed and tried to get hold of her emotions. “Nice try, Soldier. This t-shirt doesn’t leave much to the imagination as it is, so I’m sure you can easily see where everything is. That’s why I need you to buy me a bra, remember?”

Philip looked at her with surprise. “You just called me Soldier. I remember the first time you ever called me that. Do you?”

Chloe squinted at him, wondering what he was talking about. “No. I didn’t know I ever called you Soldier before now.”

Philip smiled wistfully. “It was at our 5-year high school reunion and you were trying to seduce me.”

Was this just a line? “Liar,” she said jokingly.

“No really. It’s the god’s honest truth. You were.”

“Hmmm.” She kind of liked imagining herself being confident and sexually assertive. And Philip’s smile just now? That told her he liked that side of her too. Good to know for the future. As for the present, she was beyond curious. She had no clear memory of the two of them ever sleeping together. Or maybe that gray sofa she pictured was for real? “So ... did you take me up on it?”

Philip took a step closer, leaned toward Chloe’s face and whispered, “What do you think?” He let his lips brush her lips softly. Oh yes, she thought, closing her eyes. He must be reading her mind. She’d been wanting him to kiss her for the past 10 minutes. She hoped he was still reading her mind, but in case he wasn’t, she placed her hands on his shoulders so he’d know she wanted to keep him close. But just as they began to kiss in earnest, Craig’s voice called from downstairs.

“Chloe? Philip? I’m home. Where is everyone?”

Philip leaned away. “Oh crap. Your father can’t catch me in your bedroom.”

“Philip!” Chloe laughed at Philip’s nervousness. “It’s okay. We’re not sixteen anymore.”

“And that’s exactly why he can’t find me in here. I promised him.” Philip handed Chloe back the tape measure, opened the bedroom door, and left the room.

Philip promised him? What did that mean, she wondered. Chloe looked at the tape measure. She wrapped it around her shoulders and plopped onto the bed feeling completely frustrated.

[melly]

Well. THAT was a good way to start off a Saturday morning....

[jc20886]

Craig would have to barge in just when things were getting good oh well
next time.Philip sure was enjoying himself

[MrsM]

Well that was yummy!!!!

[fluffysmom]

Who knew taking measurements could be so sexy. Love it! I liked Chloe having the memory of her and Philip. I'm glad Philip told Chloe about the reunion. Craig has awful timing.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 11a


Craig watched Philip coming down the stairs and his expression went from curiosity to anger. “Did you just come out of Chloe’s bedroom? What the hell were you doing in there?”

“Nothing,” Philip opened the front closet and took out his coat.

“Don’t give me that.” Craig grabbed Philip’s shoulder from behind and forced him to turn around and face him. “What were you doing?”

Philip looked away as he put on his coat and straightened the collar. “She was giving me a list of things she wants me to buy for her.”

“Oh?” Craig squinted at Philip. “Candy? Flowers? Jewelry?”

“Clothes,” Philip said pointedly, the annoyance evident in his voice. “She’s tired of wearing the same two t-shirts. She came home from the Oaks in a hospital gown so I gave her two of my t-shirts and a pair of drawstring sweatpants and ... she’s a female. She wants something decent to wear.”

“Okay, okay, don’t get so defensive. ... So, you’re going shopping now?”

“First I’m going to see Parker in the hospital. I was waiting for you to get back so I could go. Then, I’ll go to the Square to shop.”

“Philip ... I’m sorry I jumped down your throat. She’s my daughter. Old habits die hard, you know?”

Philip nodded. “I get that. I do. But ....”

Craig looked at Philip skeptically. “Buuuut ... what?”

“Nothing. Nevermind.”

Philip reached for the door handle when Craig grabbed his arm. “But what, Philip? Finish your thought. Come on.”

Philip looked downward, then back up at Craig. “But ... she’s not my daughter. ... See you later.” Philip opened the front door and left.

[gapeach]

Good chapter.

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad Craig apologized to Philip. I'm sure Chloe will be thrilled to have new clothes.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 11b


Chloe sat down on her bed and mindlessly picked up the copy of Romeo and Juliet that she left there. She opened it to the bookmarked page and started to read, but even though her eyes scanned the words, her brain didn’t comprehend any of it. That’s because her mind was somewhere else entirely. It was on Philip.

Until a few minutes ago, she had no idea that she had such strong feelings for Philip. And it was clear he felt the same way. It was as if no time had passed since high school. All she had to do was show him a little encouragement and he did the rest.

She closed her eyes and touched her finger to her lips. She could still feel his lips pressing against hers. It was a kiss unfulfilled, a kiss that threatened to become a show-stopper if her father hadn’t interrupted. Chloe really wanted to know what it was like to kiss Philip that way as an adult. He’d grown into quite a man, handsome, strong, caring, sexy, the whole package. And she could see he was his own man now. The only thing boyish about him was his charm. That characteristic was still very much a part of him. With all of Philip’s charms, sex appeal, intelligence, and sincerity, Chloe couldn’t help but wonder why he was unattached. How did a man like that stay single? Surely there were women who wanted to settle down with him, and Philip was definitely the marrying kind. That much she remembered about him.

She also wondered if he was just teasing when he said she tried to seduce him at their reunion. She was dying to know whether they ever had sex. She felt like she needed to catch up to him. She wanted to feel Philip’s arms around her again, to hold her the way he held her today. If her father hadn’t come home when he did, there’s no telling how far she would have let things progress. Judging from the way Philip made her feel this afternoon, she was pretty sure they would have gone all the way as they used to say in high school.

~~~~~~~~~~
Craig stood looking at the space where Philip stood a minute before, contemplating his words. “She’s not my daughter,” Philip had said to him. So as much as Philip wanted to protect Chloe, his motivations were different than Craig’s. He wanted Chloe to get well, but he also wanted her back. Craig decided that Philip’s concern for Chloe wasn’t quite as unconditional as Craig’s, and that worried him. He turned his head and looked upward toward Chloe’s room. He walked up the stairs and knocked on Chloe’s door. “Baby, it’s Dad, can I come in?”

“Sure, come on in.”

When Craig entered the room, he found Chloe sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading a book. Craig sat down on the bed. “What are you reading?”

“Romeo and Juliet. Again. It never gets old,” she laughed. “Just like me, huh? Stuck in the past.”

“You’ll get your memories back, I’m sure of it. But...”

“What’s wrong?”

“Philip.”

“Daaaad.”

“Hear me out, baby, I want you to be careful, especially now while you don’t have all the information.”

“What do you mean? All what information? What don’t I know?” Chloe sounded a little panicked.

“Relax, honey. I don’t mean anything,” Craig said, backing off a little. “I just don’t think you should be getting involved with a man, whether it’s Philip or anyone else, until your memories are whole again.”

“You never did like Philip,” Chloe remembered.

“Hey, you didn’t always like him either.”

“True. But, he’s being very sweet to me,” she said.

“I know. And you’re cooped up here without any contact with the outside world.” Craig really did understand how easily Choe could get wrapped up in Philip under the circumstances. “It’s natural that you’d get attached to him.”

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t?”

Craig was quiet for a few minutes before answering. “Just be a little guarded, that’s all. That’s my fatherly advice.”

“I see I’m not the only one who hasn’t changed. You haven’t either.” She leaned over and kissed Craig’s cheek. “Try not to worry so much, okay? ... Oh my. I just thought of something.”

“What’s that?”

“Can you imagine what Nancy would say if she was here?”

“Ah yes. That’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Uh oh.”

“Yeah well, I’ve kept her away as long as I could, but yes, she’s coming. Day after tomorrow.”

[gapeach]

Should be interesting now that Nancy is coming back to Salem.

[wendylou]

I don't imagine Nancy is going to make things any easier for Phillip. At least there will be one more person there on Chloe's side.

[MrsM]

Oh boy....

[fluffysmom]

I really enjoyed Chloe's thoughts. I suspect Nancy's visit will be difficult for both Chloe and Philip.

[melly]

YES!!!!!!!!!!! Look out, Kate--Momma Nancy's going to make you pay!!!

[Kpatch]

Thanks for the comments guys. Just a heads-up that tomorrow's chapter is one of my favorites in the story, and not because of what you may be thinking. In my opinion it's quite entertaining. Hope you will agree.