felineflash
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Toujours dans mon coeur, Maman.
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Being
Sept 19, 2011 20:23:05 GMT -5
Post by felineflash on Sept 19, 2011 20:23:05 GMT -5
Chapter 15 - Overheard
Philip sighed deeply as he closed the door behind him. God, what a day. What a weird day. The house was quiet as he climbed the steps. He’d called both Victor and Chloe before he and Steve had gone down to the police department to let them know what was going on. Of course, Dad had been furious that he hadn’t been made aware of the situation in the first place. Chloe had sounded genuinely relieved, telling him that she hadn’t wanted to call and bother him. Chloe had said she’d be back here later in the afternoon, Dad had said he’d be leaving for a dinner meeting late in the afternoon. Well, it’s late afternoon...hell, it's evening, and if I didn’t know that at least Henderson’s around here somewhere, I’d swear this place was empty.
Going to the police department had been utterly fruitless, but it was worth it to see Hollingsworth in cuffs again, fuming at him. “You did it to yourself,” Philip had sneered at him.
“It’s not over, Kiriakis. Far from over,” Paul had warned. At that point, Steve had told him that it was time for the zookeepers to put the animals to bed, and dragged him out of there. They hadn’t really talked on the ride back to Philip’s car, but as he got in and turned the key, Steve had tapped on his window.
“You need me again, you let me know. I’ve got your back. Besides, I need to kick your butt at pool.”
Philip smiled now as he remembered that. I like Steve. He’s a good guy. It’s hard to believe he was ever one of Dad’s goons. This house is like a mausoleum. Where the hell is everyone? Well, come to think of it, it was Sunday, so Cook was off. And Sabrina had been relieved of her duties. Maybe she can go work for Morgan’s mother or something. But Henderson must be around here somewhere. He wandered through the house, into the east wing, and passing Chloe’s barely opened door, he heard her voice.
“Yes! Isn’t that great?” She exclaimed.
She must be talking on the phone.
“I go in tomorrow to make everything official. Mom, I can’t tell you how excited I am about this. It just feels like everything’s going to be OK again.” A pause, then, “Well, I can’t say it hasn’t been weird. But Victor seems to have finally gotten it through his thick skull that I had nothing to do with Brady’s drug problem, so at least he’s being civil to me.”
A-ha. A breakthrough. Dad finally got some sense.
“I don’t know…” Her voice caught. He moved closer to the door as quietly as he could. Yeah, eavesdropping isn’t exactly cool, but…
“No, no, no. It has nothing to do with Lucas. I adore Lucas, but we’re just friends. That’s all we should have ever been. Mom, you know I haven’t. Even when I was with Brady, he was always in my heart.”
I sure as hell hope she’s talking about me.
“Because, it’s not that easy. Because he’s changed, Mom,” her voice caught again, she was clearly crying.
No, Chloe, don’t cry. Don’t cry over me. Please, don’t cry.
“He’s just so…hurt, and sad. And I don’t know how to help him. I don’t know how to take his pain away. And then I look at myself, and I’ve changed too, and…Mom…I do, Mom, I do love him. But I can’t tell him that! Because if I do…everything always falls apart once I say those words. You know it does. It’s like some kind of evil spell was cast on me, and whenever I say those words, everything just goes ‘poof’! Mom, I do. I love him more than ever now. But I’m afraid that I’ll lose him. Because it’s what happens. Because he’s changed so much. Because I’m afraid that he can’t let me…” she sobbed, then a movement caught her eye. She saw the reflection of a tiny sliver of black trouser leg skirt past her door in the mirror. “Mom, I love you. I have to go.”
Busted! He stopped in his tracks, taking on his nonchalant stance. The door fully opened, and she looked at him, tears staining her cheeks. “What’s wrong?” He asked innocently. You love me…you love me…you love me…it was like a singsong in his head. I am so ridiculous. But you love me!
“Oh, oh…nothing. I was talking to my mom.”
“You’re crying,” he pointed out, coming closer.
“Oh, I was telling her about my job. Tears of joy!” She exclaimed, a bit too far on the bubbly side. She turned quickly and wiped the tears away. “I’m so glad Tyler’s OK. I was so worried all day, I think I gave myself an ulcer.”
“Tell me about it. Well…how about we have dinn--damn.”
“Damn, what?”
“It’s Cook’s night off, and Sabrina’s been fired. She was Paul’s little errand girl,” he said bitterly.
“Sabrina…the tall blonde?”
“That’s her. How about Chez Rouge?” He asked, following her into the room and sitting on the bed.
“Ugh. I mean, I love Chez Rouge, I just don’t want to go there tonight. I don’t feel like dressing up, and there’s always some kind of drama going on there.”
“OK,” he slapped his knee, “I’ve got it. I’ll grill!”
“You’ll…grill?” She stared at him incredulously.
“Yeah, you know, steaks, vegetables, all that good stuff? What do you think?” I haven’t grilled in forever. This is going to be great…steaks, corn, roasted peppers, some potatoes…
Chloe was laughing at him. Really, really laughing at him. “You don’t think I can grill?”
“Um, no!” She laughed. “I can’t picture Philip Kiriakis, perfectly coiffed, in his Armani suit, standing over a barbecue pit!”
She’s damn near in hysterics. Ha ha. “Are you calling me uptight?” He teased.
“Uptight? You? Never!” She giggled.
“What about you? When’s the last time you went slumming? Come on, last night, you’re coming from Smith Island, from the Horton Cabin that has no indoor plumbing, and your hair’s perfect, makeup’s just right,” he passed a hand over his face to demonstrate.
“Oh, so you’re calling me…what?” She came over and stood in front of him, taunting him.
“A diva.”
“A diva? I am not a diva!” She cried out indignantly.
“Oh, yes, you are,” he caught her around the waist, laughing, and pulled her down so that she was laying across his lap. “You are so a diva,” he smiled down at her.
“Well, you’re uptight,” she laughed. “But I guess you’ll do,” she reached up and caressed his cheek as she rose. I almost said it, I almost said ‘But I love you anyway’. And I do, I do.
“You guess?” He caught her hand, looked in her eyes. You love me, just say it. You love me.
“I guess. So, are you going to grill or what? Grillmaster. Show me what you’ve got!”
“I have to change into my laid back clothes first,” he grinned. “But I will show you what a real man can do with a grill,” he pulled her close and kissed her. Really kissed her, and for a moment, they breathed as one.
Then she smacked his butt. “Get going, then! I’m hungry!”
Diva.
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