Hand In Glove

Chapter 5

It wasn't far to walk but far enough for hesitation to kick in. Chloe started getting nervous again. What was she thinking? Who was this guy? He could be a psychopath for all she knew. And here she was falling right into his trap. This was going against all the rules. He was a stranger and she was going to his house alone after only just having met him.

Strangely enough, despite her better judgment, she found herself approaching 143 Pine, a classic downtown detached Victorian home with a large wraparound porch lined with weather worn wicker chairs and an old-fashioned swing. Hesitantly, she started on the short path to the front door. Would she dare knock? She was so nervous that she felt like she was going to be sick.

Taking a deep breath, she reached out, pulled on the antique knocker and waited. This was her last chance to bolt, but her legs refused to move. It was an agonizing few minutes. Then the door finally opened.

There he was, looking just as devastatingly handsome as she remembered. She must have appeared as nervous as she felt. He smiled tentatively and motioned for her to enter.

"Come in, please. I promise I won't bite." Ashton could tell she was scared and he understood. After all, he was but a stranger to her and she was so very small next to his six-foot-two height. "How tall are you, anyway?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood. She couldn't be more than five-foot-nothing.

"Tall enough," she said with a shy smile as she entered. She cautiously walked around him as he closed the door behind them. She startled a little at the finality of the sound. This was it. She was now at his mercy.

Her heart raced as she felt her nervousness swell up. She bit her lip to bring herself back down to earth. She concentrated on looking around. The front room was large with hardwood floors. It was open to the kitchen. There was a dark brown leather sofa, and an armchair facing the fireplace. There were a few guitars on stands leaving no question that a musician definitely lived here.

"Can I get you a drink first?" Ashton offered, feeling awkward, and strangely unprepared.

"Yes, I'll have a glass of water, please," Chloe said, feeling thirsty all of a sudden. "This is a really nice house. Have you lived here long?" It was surprisingly neat and tidy. She was expecting a little more disarray from his conversation earlier.

"Thanks, I like it. It's going on two years now," he said, returning from the kitchen. He handed her the glass of water. She accepted it gratefully. "Let me show you around." He led her through the rooms. "This is the living room, the kitchen. Behind the kitchen would be your room."

He opened the door to a large room with a window across the top half of one wall. It was empty except for a few boxes. Across the hall was a bathroom with a small shower. At the other end of the small hallway was a mudroom leading into the backyard.

Chloe couldn't help but feel hesitant. The bedroom was big but empty. She found it hard to picture herself living there. In truth, she was still nervous about living alone with him. Ashton Wright, local rockstar. What could she expect? She imagined loud parties, alcohol, lots of people dropping by unannounced, women coming and going, and who knows what else.

"Do you think your furniture would fit in here?" he asked. "I was thinking, you could use the mudroom as an art studio."

She stared wide-eyed at him, confused. She had assumed he would want to ask her some more questions, that they would spend the afternoon getting to know each other better, but obviously, he had given her the job already. "Really? Are you sure? You don't even know if I'm the right person for the job yet," she said, shuffling nervously under his expectant gaze.

He stood there a long moment, staring down at her, looking very serious. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he lowered his face to meet her eyes and said, "I am absolutely sure, Chloe. You are exactly the right person for this job."