Chasing Clouds

by Annabelle Knight

  The Brodericks disembarked and were met by a team of security on the tarmac. Elodie watched in awe as they were bundled into a Range Rover with blacked- out windows and driven off, leaving behind only a handful of staff to collect their luggage and personal effects from the plane. Elodie breathed a sigh of relief: her first flight was over and it had gone well. Even Grace had seemed pleased with her, which, when you considered what a disadvantage Elodie had, was really quite remarkable.

  “So what happens now?” Elodie asked once the plane had been cleared and they had readied themselves to leave.

  “Well, we go through security and customs as you usually would, and then you do what you like. You have the address of the hotel?” Elodie nodded. They had an expenses card for travel costs and a daily subsistence allowance, anything else they wanted to do was on them.

  “So we just go?” Elodie asked, seeking clarification. She didn’t want to put a foot wrong and risk losing this job.

  “Yes Elodie, we just go. Ground crew clear up, obviously. Dear God, are you always this dim or are you putting on a special show just for me?”

  Grace gave Elodie a frosty stare that seemed to undo all of the hard work Elodie had put in over the course of the flight. In one swift movement Grace had swept past her and Elodie found herself alone. She stared in her wake and watched as Grace navigated the jet bridge with precision and purpose and before Elodie could blink she had rounded the corner and was gone. Elodie couldn’t explain it but she didn’t want to leave the jet.

  She wanted to experience more. She was still so new to this and she felt that if she could just spend a little more time on board the plane then she’d be better equipped to handle anything the job could throw at her. She walked the length of the cabin, letting her fingers run over any surface that they could find. The Brodericks had left behind a half- drunk bottle of Champagne; Elodie picked it up and rotated it to read the label. It was the same make that she had drunk with Steph and Carla that night in the Grosvenor Suite. Elodie set it down; it wouldn’t be long before the cleaning team descended and she didn’t want to be caught red- handed handling the celebrities’ cast- offs. Elodie’s mind wandered: this world that she had been thrust into was something most people could only dream of. She imagined herself sat on of the plush sofas, sipping expensive Champagne whilst adorned in only the finest garments money could buy. She wondered just how much you had to be worth in order to make something like this affordable and if the people here were any happier than her?

  “Penny for them,” a man’s voice said from behind her, breaking her out of her reverie. Elodie spun around and wasn’t disappointed to see that it was Chase.

  “I was just, errr, taking in my surroundings, I guess,” Elodie said, taking a step backwards and accidentally bumping into one of the chairs.

  “How are you finding it?” Chase said, taking a step closer. “Enjoying it, I hope?” Elodie nodded.

  Chase was almost uncomfortably close to her now. She could smell the hazy aroma of him; she detected no aftershave, just a hint of raw masculinity that seemed to penetrate her very being. She tried to ignore it, but there was something in the way he looked at her, something dangerously enticing.

  “Everything’s fine,” she managed after a protracted pause, realising that an uncomfortable silence had begun to build between them.

  “Are you going to the hotel first? We could share a taxi?” Chase said, turning to face Elodie. He fixed her with a stare that bordered on uncomfortable and waited for her answer.

  Elodie wasn’t sure what to say; Chase made her feel on edge. To say he was intense was an understatement and Elodie found his presence a difficult pill to swallow. He never seemed to be able to relax. Even when she had seen him ‘enjoying himself’, he appeared stiff, maybe even stressed. Elodie didn’t really know what his deal was; all she knew was that it made her feel disconcerted. Still, she didn’t want to seem rude, especially to someone who had, when it came down to it, helped her out for no reason other than he could.

  “That’d be great,” she replied, offering him a sweet smile, which he did not return.

  “I’ll call down and sort a car. I just need to take care of something first, I’ll meet you at the exit. You know where to go and what to do, right?”

  Elodie nodded. This was all part and parcel of the job now, and it didn’t matter whether you flew economy, first- class or sat on the captain’s lap, everyone had to go through passport control and have their bags checked. You just got to do it a whole lot faster if you were crew.

  Elodie walked out of the airport and waited. She couldn’t quite believe she was here, in New York, with an entire weekend to do what she pleased. The passengers on her return flight were to be American property tycoons off to visit London. Elodie wasn’t looking forward to that flight as much as she had been with her first one: when pitched head to head, millionaire property tycoons definitely came second to superstar celebrities.

  ‘Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d say,’ Elodie thought to herself as she took out her phone She should really let everyone back home know how her first flight had gone. After sending out the relevant messages Elodie stuffed her phone back into her bag and glanced around. The airport was busy and a far cry from Langley.

  After traversing the bustling concourse, Elodie made her way to the taxi rank. She looked around, hoping to see Chase so that they could share a taxi as he had offered, but he was nowhere to be seen. Elodie was getting hot and bothered as the New York sun beat down on her heavily. She took a few steps to her right and took shelter in a covered area; the shade came as an instant relief.

  Elodie was still in her uniform and, after a long flight, wanted nothing more than to shower and change into something a little less restrictive. She checked her watch and saw that it had been almost twenty minutes since she had left the plane. Elodie decided to give him another ten. If he hadn’t made an appearance in that time, she would make her way to the hotel on her own. She bristled with annoyance.

  ‘Why on earth am I waiting for him?” she wondered. The grace period in which she had gifted Chase came and went; each time Elodie looked at her watch she decided to give him just a few more minutes.

  “Elodie?” Chase said questioningly when he eventually appeared. “I didn’t think you’d wait this long.”

  Elodie started to say that it was OK, to accept his apology but she stopped short of herself when she realised that none had been offered.

  “I didn’t want to leave, I thought you might…” she trailed off, “not know where I am.”

  “I would have assumed you’d left.”

  Elodie bristled: not only had he not apologised, he was making out as though she had been stupid for waiting. Elodie flushed, feeling like a reprimanded schoolgirl. Chase stuck out his hand and flagged down a car.

  “Here we are,” he said, gesturing towards the cab as it crawled to a stop beside them.

  Chase leaned forward and opened the door. Elodie hung back, fully expecting him to get in first. He didn’t; instead, he stepped aside and allowed Elodie to go ahead. She thanked him and climbed in, vaguely aware that his eyes followed her a little too closely as she went. The journey to the hotel was a pleasant one, the cab driver chatted amiably to start with, asking which part of England they were from and, jokingly, if they’d ever met the Queen.

  “Oh yeh, all the time. I have her to tea at least once a year,” Elodie had said, giving Chase a mischievous smile. It was at this point Chase did something Elodie had not expected… he laughed. It was a gentle sound, full of good humour and incredibly contagious, Elodie felt her stomach dip and she realised that, maybe, Chase wasn’t that bad.

  As the drive progressed they chatted affably. Chase retained his unyielding nature but began to soften a little as time went on. Elodie liked the fact that she seemed to be able to see him thaw before her very eyes and continued to chat animated
ly to him about everything and anything.

  “So, that’s about it, really. I went from housewife, to girl about town, to career woman,” she finished.

  “You don’t regret anything? Lots of women wouldn’t have done that, you know,” Chase said.

  “They would have if they weren’t happy, and the bottom line is that I wasn’t happy. I guess if it’s just one area of your life that isn’t perfect you can just put up with it, but when it seems to be all areas, then you’re kind of forced into action. It was hard at the time, I’m not going to lie, but looking around now it was definitely worth it.”

  Chase nodded his understanding. He shifted in his seat and Elodie looked down with a start: he had placed his hand right next to hers. Their fingers were barely an inch apart. Elodie felt the breath catch in her throat as she stole a glance at Chase.

  He hadn’t seemed to notice and was nonchalantly gazing out of the window. Elodie glanced back down, his hand had crept closer: their fingertips were almost touching now. She froze, her hand lay there motionless. She waited, wanting to see if he would move even closer, if their fingertips would brush. The idea of it sparked electricity within her and Elodie realised, like a bolt out of the blue, that she wanted it to happen. Elodie felt a desperate desire to feel his skin on hers. She shook her head and yanked her hand away, suddenly causing Chase to turn his head and look at her quizzically,

  ‘‘What on earth am I doing, he’s practically your boss,’ she reprimanded herself for her slip in professionalism, ‘and besides, he’s too old and one hundred per cent not interested, plus you’d be trying to compete with girls like that blonde leggy one at Casa.’ Elodie gave herself a little shake and vowed not to get caught up in the whirlwind that was Chase.

  Chapter 14

  The following morning Elodie awoke bright and early. The time difference meant that she was up and out of bed before the bedside clock could show seven am. She had planned to head over to a little bakery that sold the ‘world’s best’ half- doughnut half- croissant first, and after that she would take the subway and check out some sights. She showered, her second one since she’d checked in. The hot water beat down against her skin and Elodie took a deep, contented breath. She was still getting used to the fact that this was now her life. Once dried and dressed, she packed her small backpack with a bottle of water from the hotel mini- bar, her mobile phone, the visitors’ guide given to her by the hotel check- in clerk and a small tube of factor thirty sun cream. She glanced around her hotel room and sighed: she had spent one night there and it was already a mess. Deciding that she had far more pressing matters to tend to than keeping her room orderly, she headed to the door and made to leave.

  “Chase?” Elodie said, startled to find him pacing up and down right in front of her door. For a split- second, Elodie hadn’t been able to place him, as he was wearing a T- shirt and shorts, which were a far cry from his usually smart attire.

  “Breakfast,” Chase said. He seemed to jump, as if he weren’t expecting her to appear from her own hotel bedroom door. Elodie said nothing. Was this meant to be a question? Did he want to know where to go?

  ‘He shouldn’t have turned his nose up at the guide,’ Elodie thought to herself, remembering how he’d waved it away when the desk clerk had offered him one during check- in.

  “Do you want to get breakfast with me?” Chase said slowly, this time the question clear.

  “Oh right,” Elodie replied as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She hadn’t banked on having company. She wasn’t exactly against the idea in theory, it was just that she had been looking forward to exploring the city and had a very set idea as to what that would entail. “I was just heading out, actually, sightseeing.”

  “Well, you’ll need sustenance for that,” Chase said, any trace of awkwardness vanishing from his voice entirely. “I know a great place, my treat.”

  Elodie didn’t know what to say. It was kind of Chase to look out for her. He knew it was her first job and her first time in New York, but what he didn’t know was that she had been looking forward to exploring it by herself. Still, Elodie found herself agreeing to breakfast; she reasoned that she still had two more mornings in which to get her croissant- cum- doughnut.

  Chase led Elodie through the streets of New York; they were dense with commuters and even at such an early hour were alive with energy. Elodie marvelled as they passed yellow taxicabs, street food vendors, newspaper stalls and department stores she’d only ever seen in films. She glimpsed Chase out of the corner of her eye who was smiling a curious sort of smile at her.

  “What?” she asked defensively, suddenly feeling self- conscious.

  “You look like a kid at Christmas,” Chase said, his tone strangely flat despite the jovial look on his face. Elodie couldn’t decide if he were remonstrating or teasing her. Either way, she felt her cheeks begin to colour and hoped that he would put it down to the already warm weather rather than embarrassment.

  “I’ve just never been anywhere like this before,” she vacillated lamely. She was beginning to regret changing her plans to accommodate him.

  “I didn’t mean anything negative by it, it’s nice,” Chase said, not seeming to notice the change in atmosphere at all. “Right then, here we are,” he said proudly as he came to a standstill outside of a place that looked very much to Elodie like somewhere you would go for a fancy meal on payday and not somewhere you would just nip for breakfast whilst out sightseeing.

  She glanced at the menu hung on the wall outside and practically reeled when she saw the prices. ‘Thank God Chase is paying,’ she thought. Elodie scolded herself internally: ‘I’m on a really decent wage now, I should pay my own way.’ Chase held the door open for her and she walked in, feeling once again as though all eyes were on her. The restaurant Chase had chosen, The Rodney, was impeccably decorated and emanating from the kitchen were the most deliciously inviting smells Elodie had ever experienced. They were seated on a small two- person table in the far corner and waited on by a smartly dressed man whose name tag told Elodie that he was called Paul. Elodie scanned the menu looking for a single word that she recognised. ‘Where’s just plain old scrambled eggs on toast?’ she thought to herself as her eyes scanned dishes such as ‘Dauphinoise with Hashed Serrano’ and ‘Ballotine of dejeuner meats’. She looked to Chase who was completely engrossed in his menu; he didn’t seem to be having any issue with it at all and when Paul reappeared with their drinks Chase ordered his food, Elodie took a breath to order hers but was interrupted.

  “And she’ll have the same,” Chase said, taking Elodie aback. “So what do you think?” He asked her after a moment of silence. Elodie looked at him, trying to figure out exactly what this was. He seemed so relaxed, so nonchalant, so confident. She still wasn’t sure of him, of what he was about. “Earth to Elodie…” he said, waving a broad hand in front of her face. “Come in, Elodie? Everything alright?”

  “Yes, sorry, everything’s fine. I’m just curious, I guess…” Elodie trailed off. Was she going to come across as immature if she said what she was about to? Chase raised an eyebrow and, seeing his eyes narrow slightly, changed her line of questioning. “Curious about what the food will be like.” An air of relief seemed to wash over Chase, and Elodie thanked her quick thinking.

  ‘As if I was about to ask him what this was, it’s obviously him being nice. Lucky escape, you idiot, just be cool… think like Carla!’ Elodie smiled to herself, the thought of Carla provoked such a strong, warm feeling that she just couldn’t help it. She made a mental note to give her a ring later; they were due a catch- up and, besides, she wanted to see what her friends thought about the whole Chase thing, if it even was a thing.

  Once Paul had brought out their meals the conversation quickly turned to Alpha Whiskey and work. Elodie wanted to know everything: she asked question after question, which Chase answered without hesitation. If Elodie was annoying him, he didn
’t let it show. In return, he probed further into her life. He stepped carefully at first, only asking neutral questions that wouldn’t cause offence, but familiarity brings about a certain sense of confidence and as Chase became more comfortable with Elodie and Elodie with Chase, the topics of conversation transformed from the pleasant and polite to something a little more personal. Chase offered a few of his own stories and it transpired that he too had been through a breakup. His fiancée had run off with her boss and left Chase to pick up the pieces.

  “She’s totally ruined me. Relationships just don’t interest me now. They’re just not worth it, you know?”

  Elodie nodded in a way that she hoped conveyed sympathy. It was obvious that he found it hard to trust in people and didn’t give his time to just anyone. Elodie felt a little bubble of pride float within: he must think she was worth his time.

  Once their plates were clean and the bill paid, they took their leave.

  “So what are your plans for the rest of the day?” Chase asked as they walked out of The Rodney and into the street.

  “Just tourist stuff,” she answered, half- hoping that he would have more things planned for them. “What about you?”

  “I’m meeting a friend this afternoon. Going to head back to the hotel now to freshen up. You can tag along if you want?” he said.

  Elodie would have liked to have spent more time with Chase. Breakfast had piqued her attention; she enjoyed his company and the more she got to know him the more attractive he was to her. She politely declined his offer, not wanting to appear too keen; and besides, tagging along was never a good look. They shared a look and Chase bent down and administered a soft kiss on her cheek. He pulled away and brushed a stray piece of hair from her face; Elodie felt the back of his strong fingers brush against her skin and a spark of desire ignited deep inside her.