Ghosts of the Past

Ghosts of the Past: Chapter 5: Wake up call

The cafeteria is packed with laughing shrill kids and Chloe looks around helplessly with her tray, so far it hadn't gone well, although talking to some students she hadn't cemented any lunch friends yet. Spying a portion of table that is empty she begins to stride towards it,

"Hey, cool confident Chloe wanna sit with us?" It's Marshall from the principal office.

Her face reddens but she is grateful for the offer, she slides onto the seat joining him and one other student.

"So how's ya first day been so far?" he asks, putting his pen down onto the pad.

"Pretty good, well considering its only lunch time." she pushes the potato gems around her tray,

"It's only going to get worse. I don't know what its like down under but here school is shit" despite the disdain in his voice he smiles at her and her heart flutters.

The sound of her cell phone buzzing startles Chloe awake, she jerks up straight heart pounding with alarm ready to fight or flight. She looks around the unfamiliar room trying to gauge where she is, the realization that she is in her hotel room in Detroit comes to her the same time she registers that her head may indeed explode. The events of the morning comes back to her, Marshall being the first thing she thinks of, then the taste of the several whiskeys going bitter in her mouth. Before she can decide if she needs to preemptively throw up the buzzing starts again and the cause of her abrupt wake up becomes clear, reaching for the phone and knocking over a glass of water she clicks the button whilst unintentionally answering with

"Shit, hello?"

"Chloe, hi, its Marshall" as if he even needed to say his name she would recognize his voice anywhere.

"Marshall" she sits up, flattening her hair as if he could see her.

"Bit jet lagged are we, having a nap?" his voice casual but not overly friendly.

"Yeah something like that" she tries to subtly clear her throat.

"You got plans for dinner?"

Flipping her wrist over Chloe realizes its 6:30, god how long had she been asleep?

"No, none at all" the desperation is back and she winces.

"Which hotel you staying at I'll come pick you up, say half hour?"

"Better make it an hour" she tries to regain some level ground in an attempt to dismiss her desperation, but really she is going to need at least half hour to motivate herself out of the bed and into a shower.

"Fine"

She gives him the name of the hotel and he hangs up, no goodbye.

Chloe falls back onto the pillow cringing at how pathetic she has somehow seemed to be when she talks to him.

Half an hour was being generous it takes near forty five minutes to stop feeling sorry for herself and get up to get ready. The shower helps wash away some of her hungover self loathing and as she is brushing her teeth she stares her reflection down,

I am a smart, successful women...a married women, I have nothing to be nervous about, this is simply catching up with an old friend.

Chloe flicks her hands through her hair as the blow dryer hums in her ear

I am a smart, successful women...a married women, I have nothing to be nervous about, this is simply catching up with an old friend.

The repetition helps, her nerves begin to calm and as she slips in her drop earrings and applies her lipstick she is the embodiment of everything she has been affirming. Smacking her lips and smoothing her navy summer dress she smiles at herself, ready to do this.

******

Marshall looks at his phone for the tenth time since waiting in the lobby, she was meant to be down fifteen minutes ago but he didn't mind the waiting so much it kept him annoyed at her. It wasn't necessarily anger that he felt anymore, that had faded years ago and had been replaced with disappointment. But he was confused as to why she was here now, probably the same reason others from his past had resurfaced; money. Although his heart wasn't so much in this theory, that had never been Chloe she didn't care so much about that kind of stuff, plus her family had that part covered, one of the many reasons her mother had hated him.

He glances at his phone again, twenty minutes now, beginning to get frustrated he shakes his head, looking back to the elevator and then he sees her walking out with a J. Crew type, really that guy? Classic normal looking executive probably, cliche suit and hair cut, he scoffs to himself and straightens up, unconsciously puffing out his chest and tilting his jaw in a confrontational stance. Her face lights up when she sees him and his annoyance at her fades, if he thought she looked good this morning she looked better now, the collared navy sundress showing off her perfectly tanned legs and hugging all those curves. The dickhead in the suit says something to her then walks out of the hotel arrogantly ignoring Marshall.

"Husband not joining us?" his tone slightly nasty

"huh?" Chloe genuinely looks confused, then looks at the departing suit.

"That's not my husband...wait how did you know I was married?"

Now he is thrown, feeling foolish and like a jealous teenager,

"I uh..Your name on your business card, its changed" he recovers quickly and now she blushes,

"Of course" she confirms, she motions towards the door, "So where we going?"

"Where do you wanna go? Restaurant?" here we go he awaits the name of Detroit's fanciest.

"Na its too nice of a night, how bout Taco bell and a park? Australia's version just aint the same and I've been hanging"

He smiles despite his resolution to be cold and unfriendly till he knows what she wants, he cant help himself her smile has always been one of his weaknesses, one of those rare light up the eyes one.