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Post by Kpatch on Aug 22, 2018 7:45:47 GMT -5
Chapter 2a
Philip sipped his coffee and reread Brady’s message as he sat at a small round table in a courtyard outside Starbucks. His mind drifted to the last time he saw Chloe, sitting across from her in that little coffee house outside Salem.
“Somewhere along the way, it became real for me again. I’m in love with you.”
She nodded as tears glistened in her eyes. “I love you too, Philip.”
He instantly left his chair and took her in his arms and kissed her, delirious that she felt the same way he did. He couldn't believe this was really happening, and with good reason-- it wasn’t.
It was yet another fantasy of the same event he'd imagined a thousand times in his mind, attempting to change the outcome. No matter how many times it came out right in his imagination, it didn't change the reality. She didn’t tell him she loved him. She rebuffed him. Again. And if he had any sense, he'd leave that humiliating moment where it belongs -- in the past -- instead of reliving it over and over. “I’m too old to have fantasies about her like I did when I was sixteen,” he mumbled.
A shadow fell over Philip. For a moment, he thought it might be Chloe. He looked up at the man casting the shadow.
“Charleston, South Carolina? Are you kidding me?”
“You’re an hour late, Brady,” Philip replied coldly.
“Airline delays.” Brady tossed his leather jacket over the back of his chair and took a seat. “You’re not really living in Charleston, are you?”
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Post by heroicmuse on Aug 22, 2018 7:52:08 GMT -5
Airline delays? Brady, use the Titan jet! Lol
This should be an interesting meeting.
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Post by André DiMera on Aug 22, 2018 8:17:39 GMT -5
I’m surprised Brady didn’t use the Titan Jet.
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Post by fluffysmom on Aug 22, 2018 16:04:56 GMT -5
Poor Philip. I wish his fantasies had been real too.
I'm looking forward to the meeting with Brady.
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Post by melly on Aug 22, 2018 22:05:08 GMT -5
What’s wrong with Charleston??? How rude, Brady.
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Post by Kpatch on Aug 24, 2018 7:25:58 GMT -5
Chapter 2b
Brady tossed his leather jacket over the back of his chair and took a seat. “You’re not really living in Charleston, are you?”
“Airline delays, Brady? What happened? Did you lose your Titan Jet privileges?”
“Sonny’s been hogging the jet these days. Ever since he learned to fly, he’s like a kid with a new toy.” He looked around. “Good thing it’s not raining or this outdoor meeting you arranged would be a washout.”
In a way Brady was right. Philip wanted to meet Brady outdoors so he could make a quick exit if he felt the need. He set his paper coffee cup down and folded his arms on the table. “You didn’t come here to talk about the weather, Brady, and neither did I. What’s up with Chloe that you couldn’t tell me in a text message or by phone?”
“What the hell is up with you,” Brady shot back. “People have been trying to reach you for months, and when you finally get back to me, you want me to meet you outside a Starbucks in some godforsaken antebellum city.”
Philip looked around the courtyard. “What do you mean? It’s the definition of quaint, don’t you think? Expedia lists it as one of the top twenty tourist destinations in the country.”
“Maybe so, but I just never thought I’d be meeting up with you here.”
“Your message said I should name the time and the place, so that’s what I did,” he said matter-of-factly. He chose Charleston because he didn't want anyone to know where he really lived. “Now, what’s up with Chloe?”
Brady took a deep breath. “Okay, fine. I guess we’re not going to catch up like two old friends.”
“Because we’re not friends.”
Brady leered at Philip before saying, “Fine. If you want the facts, here they are. You know Chloe gave birth to Nicole and Daniel’s baby.” When Philip raised an eyebrow, Brady held his palms up. “Don’t give me that bull, man. I know you know the truth. She tells you everything. But I bet she didn’t tell you she petitioned for custody of the baby. And she got it.”
Philip’s eyes widened. “Chloe did? You mean Nicole’s not—”
“That’s right. Nicole isn’t raising her own daughter. Chloe is. She doesn’t think Nicole’s capable of being a good mother, especially after the Deimos debacle, so she took Holly and moved in with her parents in New York and she’s got a restraining order to keep Nicole away.”
Philip squinted, taking a moment to process. “That doesn’t even sound like Chloe.”
“Maybe not the Chloe we used to know, but she’s not that girl anymore.”
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Post by André DiMera on Aug 24, 2018 8:02:54 GMT -5
Glad Brady told Philip what’s going on. That had to be a shock for him.
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Post by heroicmuse on Aug 24, 2018 8:26:49 GMT -5
I"m glad Brady realizes Chloe is not in her right mind.
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Post by mae00 on Aug 24, 2018 9:47:18 GMT -5
I figured that Philip picked Charleston so no one would know where he really had been hiding out. I'm glad that Brady put it all out there the way he did and didn't try to sugar coat it.
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Post by fluffysmom on Aug 24, 2018 20:37:52 GMT -5
Brady should have talked to Philip over the phone if he didn't want to go to Charleston.
For once Philip and Brady are on the same page that something is going on with Chloe.
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Post by melly on Aug 24, 2018 21:21:33 GMT -5
Philip needs to be asking himself—and Brady—what the heck this has to do with him................
Boss...will you give us some previews, please?
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Post by Kpatch on Aug 25, 2018 14:33:33 GMT -5
Thanks for reading and commenting all week, everyone. Here's a little peek at what's coming next.
Previews
Brady finally tells Philip what he wants him to do. His request enrages Philip, but is Philip overreacting?
Despite his better judgment, he heads for New York and the greeting he gets is not what he expected.
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Post by melly on Aug 25, 2018 18:06:36 GMT -5
I doubt very much that Philip is overreacting...Brady is probably being unreasonable. (I used to like Brady...I’m not sure when I started being so snarky about him!)
Thanks, boss!
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Post by fluffysmom on Aug 25, 2018 18:43:15 GMT -5
Thanks for the previews Kpatch. I'm intrigued. |
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Post by Kpatch on Aug 27, 2018 6:59:47 GMT -5
Chapter 2c
“Nicole isn’t raising her own daughter,” Brady told Philip. “Chloe is. She doesn’t think Nicole’s capable of being a good mother, especially after the Deimos debacle, so she took Holly and moved in with her parents in New York and she’s got a restraining order to keep Nicole away.”
Philip squinted, taking a moment to process. “That doesn’t even sound like Chloe.”
“Maybe not the Chloe we used to know, but she’s not that girl anymore. I tried talking sense into her but it all went in one ear and out the other.”
Philip rubbed the back of his neck. He never had any doubt that Chloe would do the right thing, that she’d give the baby to Nicole. He assumed that’s what happened once the baby was born. This made no sense. “Of all the things I thought you were going to tell me about Chloe, this wasn’t even on the radar.”
“Because it’s insane.”
“The baby’s okay, isn’t she?” Philip asked, suddenly concerned.
“She’s fine. She’s a beautiful healthy baby, but that’s not the point.”
“Okay.” Philip scratched his temple. “So um what is the point? What has any of this got to do with me? Why did you need to see me so badly?”
“I want you to talk to her. Get her to see reason. Convince her to give Holly to her mother. If anyone can talk some sense into her, it’s you.”
“Oh.” Philip laughed a wry laugh. “I don’t think so. Chloe and I haven’t spoken since before the baby was born. Months before, in fact. We used to talk all the time, but—”
“Yeah yeah,” Brady said impatiently. “I know all about it. And I know she broke your heart. Again. Well by now you should be immune to the pain. Grow up Philip!”
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