Please Stand by the Shore

Chapter 9: Both feet in

Author's note: My apologies this took so long!! Been a busy few months for me, hence why this chapter is kinda short; It's just a bit of a filler, next chapter will be longer and more exciting! Hopefully someone out there is still reading haha :)

Chloe's POV

"...Seriously Chloe? That's all you're going to tell me?"

My eyes travel from the latte cradled between my hands and lift up to see a look of sheer disappointment painted across Tay's face. She wastes no time conveying this disappointment to me verbally. 

"You finally sleep with Eddie, and the only details I get are 'It was fantastic'? Oh, hunny, no no. You don't get off the easily. Juicey details, cough em' up."

"You want a play by play or something?" I snort out sarcastically between sips.

"I don't need a novel, but you gotta give me something." Tay raises the coffee to her lips, and after taking a long, over dramatized sip, she begins to pout slightly. "I haven't had a good lay in weeks, I'm living vicariously through you right now."

"Alright, alright, gheeze." I give in. "Well, so as I was saying, after we talked about all that Jerry stuf-"

"Hot Blonde guy, yes go on." she slyly sneaks in.

"I never said he was hot. You asked if he was good looking, and I said yes. You jumped to the conclusion of 'hot'."

"Let's not argue semantics."

I roll my eyes and continue my story. "As I was saying. So after all that, we got heated on his desk. Then we moved to the bed, where we had lots of, erm, fun."

Her expression remains the same, unwavering. Fingertips tapping on the table in front of us, I can tell she is waiting for more exciting details.

"Tay, it was fant-" I stop myself from using the same descriptive word as before, "It was amazing. We just had this crazy hot chemistry." 

"So, what's he packin' down there?" She cuts in, presumably unimpressed by the details I had given thus far.

As she watches me slowly shake my head in disbelief of her bluntness, she continues raising her one brow up, gesturing for an answer. I decide to be a good friend. 

"If you must know," my voice lowers slightly before I continue, "He is quite blessed...." I pause as my cheeks flush, "...down there."

My answer produces a wide grin from her, as she nods her head up and down, satisfied with my response. And hey, I wasn't exaggerating about that piece of information either.

"BUT, more importantly, something else happened." I slip in.

Her ears twitch in delight, as she leans her body closer to me, intrigued. 

"He asked me to be his girlfriend, the real deal." My heart leaps out of my chest as the words leave my mouth, "And I said yes, obviously."

"Well, FINALLY!" she blurts out, "I was wondering when one of you would grow a pair and just ask the other one."

Somewhat defensively I retort, "Well, it's not that easy you know. With us living in two different countries may I remind you, makes it a bit more complicated."

"It's only complicated if you make it complicated." she flatly responds.

"No, it's complicated because he leaves in 9 days." 

"Wait," she shoots me a look of confusion, "9 days? Oh. Yeah, I guess that sucks eh."

"He called me last night, after he got off the phone with his tour manager. Everything is booked. They leave here in 9 days for a 5 month tour."

As I glance over at Tay, I can not only see the discomfort she's experiencing, but feel it vibrating off her. A loyal, trustworthy, and tentative friend she was. Only thing she couldn't provide me with was advice or comfort when it came to relationships. She was a free spirit, never one to be tamed. Which it made it difficult for her to understand the dynamic of relationships. All she can do is shoot me a sympathetic 'it'll be fine' smile. 

"I'm just..." I continue quietly, "nervous for when he goes on tour. I trust him, I really do. And it's not that I think he's going to be out hooking up with other women or anything like that. But 5 months away from each other is going to be hard, emotionally. Trying to keep that spark going, keep him interested in me while I'm miles and miles away. Not to mention I have no clue whats going to happen when he gets back."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how will it work? Will one of us have to move?" the words are now streaming quickly out of my mouth.

"You're worrying too much."

"Or what if it's different when he comes ba-"

 "Chloe," she spits out, which manages to stop my rambling, "you know I don't do all this romance crap," she sighs and continues, "but even I know a great connection when I see one. He clearly cares for you, and you him. Whatever obstacles you guys face, you'll find a way through."  

I glance up at her, and noticed her eyes have softened. For the years I had been friends with her I had never once heard her speak this highly of any of my relationships. I can't help but smile at her fondness of my relationship with Eddie.

"BUT, more importantly..." her voice mimicking my own from earlier, "back to the sex part. Did you get to cum?"

"CHRIST Tay!" Desperately I try not to cough on my last sip, "A little louder will yah, I don't think the elderly couple behind us heard."

A playful cackle emits from her, as she glances over to the surrounding tables unapologetically, not even the slightest bit embarrassed of her intrusive question. In truth it was quite pleasant having someone to discuss it with. Although it had only been a few days since it had happened, i was secretly dying to talk about it. He was all I could think about.

Suddenly though I catch a glimpse of the time on the large clock on the wall, and realize I'm nearly late for work.

"Shit, I'd love to stay and continue this wildly inappropriate conversation for a coffee shop at 9 in the morning, but I gotta run. I'll call you tonight. Love yah."

I toss a ten down on the counter, covering the latte and a tip. As I gather my jacket and purse I turn back around to her and tease, 

"For the record," her eyes travel up to meet my mischievous grin, "Multiple times."