7.
The intoxicating scent of smoked bacon and maple syrup drifted up through the beams and across the landing towards Chloe’s bedroom late the following morning. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes and wished that she had a bell to ring to get Oliver to bring breakfast to her. But even if she did, she knew she stood no chance of him putting himself out for her.
She yawned and stretched and felt a smile creep across her face.
Finn.
The previous evening had been so much fun… and so unexpected… and she had another date with him lined up in a matter of hours’ time.
“Chloeee!” Her mom called from somewhere downstairs and she stepped down onto the warm wooden floorboards and grabbed her robe.
The lodge was alive with sound, Christmas music was playing on the radio and Oliver was sat in the main living area with his feet up watching the game. Their mom was working away at the kitchen counters, cooking them brunch and as Chloe stepped down the stairs she really felt the absence of her father.
“Morning Darling,” her mom said as she kissed her on the cheek. “So, how was it out there last night?” she motioned out of the French doors and out into the snowy mountains.
“It was great,” Chloe said coyly. “It’s a really cute place, you’ll both like it.” She smirked at her little secret.
“That’s good,” her mom beamed, “I’m looking forward to heading out in an hour or so.”
“I’ll come with,” Oliver called over his shoulder. “I want to see what this place is about too.”
Chloe picked up the pot of coffee and poured herself a big, frothy cup before she sat down with Oliver and slapped his feet off the table.
“Have you heard from Dad?” she called over to her mom.
“No…” she said. “I tried to call him last night but I think he’ll have been travelling…”
“Maybe we should try him again?” Chloe sat up and looked at her. To make them aware of how much he resented their conversation, Oliver began to turn up the volume on the TV and Chloe slapped him on the shoulder and snatched the remote.
“Here,” her mom said as she passed Chloe her cell phone.
Chloe sipped her coffee, pressed dial and held the phone to her ear. It started ringing and she hummed as she waited, expecting her father to pick up. When it switched the answerphone, she hung up and lay the phone down on the coffee table.
“He didn’t answer,” she said quietly.
“Oh well,” her mom replied from the kitchen, “He’s probably asleep.”
Chloe nodded and sipped her drink, but something at the back of her mind was nagging… It wasn’t like her dad not to be in touch with at least one of them… especially when they were all travelling and apart.
Oliver jumped up and slapped his hands together.
“Right mom,” he said, “Where’s this breakfast?”
Chloe found herself rolling her eyes again and wondering how long she’d be able to stand her brother’s annoying attitude. At least she knew she would have the lodge to herself for the rest of the day, and she could look forward to a few hours peace.
Then suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, Chloe knew what was wrong.
The cell phone… the dial tone… it hadn’t been international.
“Mom?” she said as she got to her feet. “When did dad fly to the UAE?”
“Late yesterday dear, why?” her mom didn’t seem fazed.
“His dial tone wasn’t international…” Chloe felt herself tense.
“Oh Chloe,” her mom chuckled, “You worry too much, now come on, foods ready.”
Chloe followed her mom’s orders and made her way to the table. Even though she knew her instincts were usually right, she didn’t want to worry unnecessarily… She was sure her mom was right… everything was sure to be fine.
Later that day Chloe relaxed in the outdoor hot tub on the lodge’s terrace and watched the way the hot steam billowed up into the freezing cold air around her. She looked out at the snowy mountains and breathed in the fresh scent of pine. She really did love being in this sort of environment, it suited her perfectly.
She closed her eyes and lay back, keeping her head resting just right on the edge of the tub as the bubbles raged around her. Her mom and Oliver had gone into town a few hours before, and she had enjoyed a lazy afternoon of day dreaming about Finn and mentally planning what she would wear that evening for their next date at the bar.
When she thought about how instant their attraction had been it filled her with butterflies and the kind of excitement that was rare to find. She had heard her parents talk about how they had first met and of how they had known instantly that it was meant to be. Chloe felt crazy thinking this way, but that is how it had been for her the night before. The second she had lay eyes on Finn, she knew that he was going to be someone important. She thought back to Damon and of how he had made her so miserable over the past few months. She was so glad to be away from him, so glad to not have to deal with his mood swings and his aggressive nature. He was so shifty and untrustworthy… and even if he was in the same corporate world as her father, she knew that he was a dishonest man and would only have continued to drag her further into the ground.
As her mind wandered and she found herself becoming hot and bothered at the thought of Finn and what he might look like if he climbed into the hot tub with her, she suddenly had the strange feeling that she wasn’t alone. She sat up and brushed her wet hair back off her face. She stood up slightly and looked around. The roads around the lodge seemed quiet and there wasn’t any movement in the trees… yet she could feel it… somewhere, eyes were on her.
She reached out of the tub and across to the chair where her towel and robe were laying and she scooped them up in one. As she got fully to her feet, still standing in the water, she wrapped the huge waffle towel around her and tucked it in at her chest before she pulled the robe over her too. Her teeth chattered as the cold air battered her skin and she skipped lightly to the edge of the terrace and looked out into the forest properly and down onto the roads. She could see other lodges clearly, but she couldn’t see any people. The feeling that she was being watched refused to leave her, and she felt that whoever was there… was close.
She stepped back slowly and made her way back to the French doors, opened them and locked them behind her. Chloe had never been a nervous person, but that had given her the creeps.
She would have bet good money that she wasn’t alone out there. She just knew that someone was watching.