Chapter 10 #2
‘I’m in Seven Sisters,’ she says, still looking up, entranced by the night sky, her eyes wide and curious.
I sit down on a neighbouring sun lounger. Telling me where she lives is the most personal information that she’s revealed so far today. Maybe it’s the silence, the stars or the fact it’s late and we’re alone. Perhaps it’s given her some space to breathe, to share.
‘Make sure that you get up for sunrise one morning, it’s pretty spectacular,’ I say.
‘Will do,’ she replies. I can only catch a glimpse of her from the corner of my eye but I’m pleased that the view has brought her some calm – I can tell by the way she takes long deep breaths to savour the moment, to hear the gentle whirring of the breeze and the buzz of cicadas in the background.
She takes another sip of water, wiping the corners of her mouth as she does so.
‘I don’t drink enough water,’ she tells me.
‘People rarely do. I always think it strange when it’s a basic human requirement. We are all sixty percent water,’ I tell Chloe, trying to dazzle her with my statistics knowledge.
‘Then I think I’m about twenty-three percent,’ she jokes. I like the curve of her smile when it appears, the way it lifts her cheeks and hits her eyes.
‘That’s precise.’ I push another bottle in her direction. ‘Then please hydrate, let’s up those percentages. Especially as you’ve been…’ I pause mid-sentence. ‘Let’s take care of you.’
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and bends her knees to her chest when I say that.
‘So apart from the rehydration, is there anything else you think you might need from this holiday?’ I ask.
Chloe pauses for a moment before answering. ‘Well, is Pedro around? You’ve not wheeled him out yet.’
‘He’s my day-three special surprise.’
She grins. ‘To be fair, it was the villa on the flyer that brought me here. Something about this place spoke to me,’ she says, looking up to the bedroom balconies.
I’ve seen her do this all day. Whereas Zara and Jess take photos of food and sunsets, Chloe seems more fascinated by archways, running her hands across the stone. I like that fascination, how she can be so wrapped up in a place.
‘But if we’re being super honest… I needed a break from work,’ she continues. ‘I work too hard. I love what I do but sometimes I give too much of myself to my job. My office is a nightmare.’
I can hear her stress as she says this out loud, noticing the worry that pours out of her. ‘So, you’re a workaholic?’
‘I work hard. There’s a difference,’ she says, correcting me.
‘When was your last proper holiday?’ I ask.
‘Three years ago,’ she says, coughing to mask the answer and waiting to hear my criticism.
‘I get that. I run a restaurant – sometimes getting away from work can be hard. But I hope you’ve had weekends off. Have you ever managed to get away?’
‘Define “get away”,’ Chloe says.
‘A city break,’ I suggest.
‘Does a Costco in Chingford count?’
‘No.’
‘Then no,’ she says, laughing. ‘I’ve got into a habit of using my weekends to sleep, watch TV, read, do my laundry,’ she admits blankly.
‘That’s—’
‘Sad. Very, very sad indeed,’ she says, interrupting me.
But I look at her and I get it. I shrug, holding her gaze as it starts to open up, trying to absorb her words.
‘Not at all. You’re exhausted. You’ve been consumed by real life.
’ She stares at me for a moment, silent.
Was that too much? Too personal for the first day?
‘Why is the office a nightmare?’ I enquire.
Chloe exhales deeply. ‘There’s a junior architect, Nancy. She’s shagging the boss.’
‘Yikes,’ I say, pulling a face. ‘Is he a fit boss though?’
‘God, no. He’s very hirsute,’ she says, grinning to herself.
‘You’re not one for body hair?’
‘In moderation.’ Chloe smiles and blushes, turning her head to look away from me.
‘That can’t be easy,’ I say, trying to return to the more serious thread of the conversation. ‘Office politics are already complicated, but shame on Julian for abusing his power like that.’
She pauses for a moment in response. ‘I never told you my boss’s name. Were you eavesdropping?’
I’ve been caught out and I’m not sure how to react. ‘I’m sorry, I heard you on your phone call. If I can be so bold, you are allowed a holiday. Are they asking you to work? That’s not fair.’
She looks at me, her expression pained to hear that out loud. ‘You don’t know me. I work hard for a reason, I’m good at my job.’
‘I don’t doubt that but maybe block their number for a few days? Have a proper break. I can hide your phone,’ I suggest playfully.
‘And get fired? That would be great. Lose my livelihood and career for some stars and a bit of ham,’ she jokes.
But as soon as she says this, her expression drops.
I don’t think she meant to be rude but it’s clear she doesn’t want to be lectured about the state of her life.
She stands up. ‘Look, it’s been a long day.
I better go to bed. Mosquitoes are coming for me. ’
I don’t want her to go, but I’m already getting this wrong. Should I apologise? I should set things right. It’s going to be a long week otherwise. ‘Don’t forget your water.’ I reach down and hand it to her, our fingers brushing against each other.
Chloe takes the bottle and clutches it to her chest, almost wielding it for safety. ‘Good night, Ben.’
‘Rest well, Chloe.’
She walks hastily away from me, back into the house. That’s not gone well. I run my hands through my hair in frustration, kicking myself for overstepping. It was too much. I hear her running up the stairs. I can almost bet she’ll be barricading her door tonight.