CHAPTER TWELVE

Three hours later Micah emerged from the room. Derek, Trevor, and Samantha were all ready to leave and just waiting for Chloe. Derek had been holding his breath for the past hour because he was afraid that it was taking too long. What if he was too presumptuous, trying to get Chloe to deal with her scars…who was he to do that, he wondered. What if she’s angry with him, on her birthday and the night that he was going to…suddenly, every rational thought that Derek ever had, fell out of his head. Chloe stepped around the corner and into the room. The sight of her propelled Derek’s vital signs into a tizzy.

While Trevor and Samantha fussed over her and told her how beautiful she was, Derek only stared. His mouth was bone dry and he was glad of that because otherwise, he may be drooling. She had darkened her hair a little bit and whatever they had put on her eyes made them really pop, more so than usual. She looked radiant and that dress and those shoes she was wearing. Damn! Derek wasn’t sure how he was going to make it through the night without completely molesting her.

When Samantha and Trevor stepped back, at last, her eyes met his and Derek swallowed the huge lump that was stuck in his throat and preventing him from taking a breath. He took a deep one and said, “There is nothing more beautiful on this earth. God Chloe, you look incredible. For a second there I didn’t think I was going to be able to speak.”

She smiled. “For a second there, I wasn’t sure that you liked the look.”

Derek closed the space between them and gently cupped her face in his hand. “Just so there is never, ever any question…you don’t have a look that I don’t like. This was about you, getting the pampering you deserved. I want to spoil you, Chloe. I want to give you everything. If I ever overdo it, it’s because I love you. All you have to do is tell me enough and I’ll stop. But God baby, make-up, and hair and that dress look so good on you.” He leaned in close to her ear and said, “But so does nothing. You in the shower this morning were also the most beautiful creature on earth. I love you so much.”

Chloe put her arms around him and rose up on her toes. Even in the four-inch heels, he towered over her. She let her lips glide across his and said, “Thank you. I loved all of that attention, contrary to what I would have believed. I also love all of your attention. Thank you, Derek.”

She stepped back and looked at him in his gun-metal gray Armani suit and black and gray paisley tie. He wore everything he put on well, but this particular suit was so well tailored to his gorgeous body that it made her want to rip it right off of him and explore the body underneath with her hands, lips, and tongue.

“You look pretty damned amazing yourself,” she told him. Then she looked at her parents. Samantha was wearing a soft tan dress and heels and her pretty blonde hair was styled softly around her face. It lay spilled across her shoulders and the only jewelry she wore was a think gold chain and her wedding band. Chloe wondered if you were just born with that kind of class, or if her mother could teach it to her. Trevor had on a dark blue suit and he was looking as classy and attractive as his wife. “You all look incredible. I can’t wait to be seen with you.” She giggled and the other’s laughed.

**

In the limousine, Chloe was toasted once more by her parents and Derek. Chloe drank sparkling cider while the others toasted with champagne. She didn’t care. She didn’t need alcohol; she was high on life. The limousine took them to Manhattan, but she was confused when they passed through mid-town and headed towards lower Manhattan. She didn’t say anything, but she thought either lower Manhattan or Brooklyn were odd choices for Derek. When the car stopped, she realized they were adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry. Where the heck were they eating?

The driver opened the door and Derek stepped out first and took Chloe’s hand. The Whitemore’s exited and they all started towards the ferry.

“Are we eating on the island?” Chloe asked. She hadn’t been on the island for years, but all she remembered being there was an eclectic sort of food court. It wasn’t that she minded they just all seemed a bit over dressed for it.

“Yes,” Derek said.

“Oh, it’s a great evening for it,” she said. It was warm for September in New York. The temperature was in the low seventies, but with the humidity, it felt more like eighty. Chloe and Derek stood at the front of the ferry and looked out at the water and the islands in the distance. It was a gorgeous view, especially at night when the city lights danced off the surface of the East River.

Once they were on the island, they were loaded onto a tram and taken to a place called ‘Governor’s club.’ Chloe had heard of it, but she had never been there. It was billed as the only man-made beach and outdoor beer garden in New York. There was a building…kind of. It was made of tin and it had a roof and three walls. The space where the fourth wall would go when rolled down was opened up to a giant, private beach. There were no other people there, but Chloe could see a band setting up on the enormous stage.

“What do you think?” Derek asked her.

“It’s…wow, I love it. I love the little beach. That’s so cool. I want to take off my heels and traipse through the sand to that bar over there in the corner and get a soft drink or juice of course,” she added with a grin.

“Okay, let’s do that,” Derek said.

To her surprise, he slipped out of his shoes and her parents slipped out of theirs. Derek took her hand and led her through the large, open building. When they stepped out onto the sand, Chloe was nearly thrown into a heart attack when the fifty or so people sitting at the tables to the right of the building stood up and yelled

“Surprise!”

“Oh my God!”

Roxi and Jake were right up front and Lexi was there with Brock. Kevin was there, of course, and Max was there and a whole bunch of her friends from the parks renovation project that she works with or she did before her life went haywire. Derek and her parents must have worked for weeks to track these people down and invite them. No one had ever gone to this kind of trouble for her before. She was stunned, but when she saw Chantelle for the first time since Jesse’s trial, her body slipped into a mild state of shock.

“Chantelle?”

“Hey, Kel…shit sorry. I meant Chloe!”

“Chantelle! Oh my god!” Chloe threw her arms around her friend and they hugged. When they separated, they both had tears in their eyes. “I can’t believe it. I’m so happy to see you. Are you doing okay?”

Chantelle smiled. She was still as beautiful as Chloe remembered her. Jesse hadn’t left any visible scars on her face, anyways. “I’m doing well. Getting better every day. You look great.”

“I’m getting better every day too. Thanks mostly to these incredible people.” Chloe hugged her again. “Thank you so much, Chantelle. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I am so sorry about all you had to go through.”

Chantelle held up her hand to stop her friend and said, “That’s all in the past. I hear that now we can have a real friendship at last. My mother and I got a place in Manhattan. Maybe we can do lunch and coffee and things like that.”

“You have no idea how much I would love that. Thank you.”

Chloe hugged her one more time before moving on to welcome the other guests who had come to celebrate her birthday. When she reached Roxi and Jake, she didn’t miss the fact that Jake’s arm had been around Roxi’s waist. Roxi looked gorgeous as always in a strapless blue dress that was the exact shade of her eyes. Chloe hugged her and then Jake. “Thank you, both for being here. I can’t believe you all knew about this and no one slipped and told me.”

“That was easy since I never see you anymore,” Roxi said with a curled lip.

Chloe laughed. “Maybe I should come back to work?”

Roxi rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t tease me. I can’t seem to find another girl who can dance like you do and has that blatant sex appeal that made men want to leave most of their money in my club.”

“Maybe that’s a sign that it’s time to sell the place and go into another line of work,” Jake said.

Chloe was shocked. No one ever suggested to Roxi that she should get out of the exotic dancer/club/bar business.

Roxi looked at him and with her most dazzling smile she said, “I’m open to suggestions, but just so you know, the new minimum wage will not support me in the way to which I’ve become accustomed.”

Chloe watched in amazement as Jake raked his eyes over her friend. He looked like he was already familiar with her curves. When they finished travelling and landed on her face, he grinned and said, “I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can come up with something.” Roxi smiled seductively and hooked her arm through his.

“The planning sessions will be stimulating, I’m sure.”

“Okay you two get a room,” Derek said, walking up behind Chloe.

Jake grinned again and said, “You’re not the only one who gets the girl, little brother.”

Mentally shaking her head, Chloe hooked her own arm through Derek’s and led him over to where Lexi and Brock were sitting. They looked even more lovey-dovey than Jake and Roxi. Love was definitely in the air.

Lexi jumped up and hugged her friend. “I’m so happy to see you! I missed you like crazy!”

“I missed you too,” Chloe told her. “Hi, Brock.”

“Hi, Chloe. Happy birthday. I’m glad you’re doing okay.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you were looking after Lexi for me so that I didn’t have to worry about her too.”

Brock looked at Lexi. He had adoration in his eyes. “It was completely my pleasure,” he said.

Chloe finished saying hello to everyone and then she took a good look around. The faux beach was lined with tiki lights burning soft hues of yellow and blue light and casting shadows across the sand. The tables were covered with brilliantly colored linen tablecloths and vases filled with tropical flowers sat in the center of each one but the real star of the show was the food. There were tables lining the walls and on top of the tables sat every delicacy that a person could imagine. One table held platters laden with steaks and chicken and fish. Another table held just about every side dish a person could think of. The next held platters of vegetables and sauces and dips and then there was the dessert table. In the center was a huge cake with pink icing that said, “Happy Birthday Chloe!” It was surrounded by a variety of cakes, pies, tortes and candies.

“This is amazing Derek. Thank you so much.”

Derek stood behind her and slipped his arms around her. “It was mostly Samantha. She should go into party planning.”

“She should,” Chloe said, “It’s perfect.”