Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she left the room and, half-consciously disguising her feet, headed for the kitchen. She needed water. She was thirsty, and her lips were so chapped that she felt as if she had returned from a long trip across the Sahara. Furthermore, she had overdone it with alcohol, and now she was feeling the effects of that foolishness.
She pleadingly reached out her hand to James, who immediately guessed that she required water, preferably a whole bottle.
- I'm dying," she croaked, raising her face to the ceiling. She massaged her forehead because drinking too much wine could be strongly felt the next day.
- I'm not at all surprised that you're dying," he announced, looking at her with amusement in his eyes. - What you did at night confirms that you drank too much alcohol.
Chloe opened her eyes wider as she recalled her behavior from a few hours ago. She put her hand to her mouth, embarrassed by what she had put down. It was the first time she felt like collapsing to the ground.
Eight hours earlier.
The blonde clutched the photo to her chest and, throwing herself down on the couch, she wiggled her legs, satisfied that she had finally discovered the truth. All the weight fell from her heart when she realized that the director was indeed a boy from the past. And in adulthood he appeared before her again, extending a helping hand to her.
Out of happiness, she squealed joyfully. She looked around the interior, and a mysterious smile appeared on her face.
She put the photo down on the table and, creeping on tiptoe, approached the door. Furthermore, she peeked inside tentatively, noticing that it was dark and James had already gone to bed.
Chloe entered the room and closed the door behind her. She giggled under her breath as the director turned to the other side. He was lying with his back to her, so she took advantage of this and crept to the bed. She shamelessly lay down next to him, resting her face on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, but did not react in any way.
- Director... - She dragged like a child, embracing him with her arms. - Why didn't you tell me the truth earlier? All these years I was grateful to you for your help. You recognized me and reached out to me again. I'm so stupid that I acted like a brat at first, if I had known.... I would have treated you differently. You are a man who should be respected.
James smiled under his breath. Listening to her drunken confessions was fun. Besides, he had waited so long to finally hear these words from her.
- Is it because you knew who I was that you decided to help me and didn't throw me out of the house when I rebelled? - She puffed out her lips when she heard no answer from him. - Are you asleep, director? Don't sleep... - She poked him to listen to what he had to say. James snorted with laughter, which is why she realized he was cheating. She raised herself on her elbow and looked at his face. She leaned over him, not taking her eyes off him. His eyes were closed. - You revealed the truth to me, and now you would rather not talk to me? - Her voice seemed sadder. - Are you teasing me?
Indignant, she squatted on her knees and, wrinkling her eyebrows angrily, crossed her arms over her chest. She looked like a rebellious child and waited for him to turn to face her, but he continued to pretend to be asleep.
She got off the bed and nervously nudged her leg; however, he still did not respond.
Furthermore, she took offense.
- Now you're rebelling? Great. This was your only chance to hear kind words from me. It won't happen again.
When she left the room, James opened his eyes and laughed quietly. The words he had heard from her earlier were enough for him.
Eight hours later.
- I don't want any more wine.... - She said embarrassed, putting her hands to her face. She was uncomfortable, so she turned her back to him. - What tempted me to come into your room? I felt so stupid...
- I didn't think anything could embarrass you. That's interesting. - She looked at the point in front of her then turned too briskly to face him. The water he had prepared for her spilled on the floor as the girl accidentally knocked the cup from his hand. She opened her eyes wider as they both looked at each other at the same time. Chloe swallowed her saliva harder as this was the first time her heart beat harder.
For her, it was strange.
She was the first to lower her gaze, hurriedly heading to the annex to take a bottle of water to her room.
- If you feel bad, I can still jump to the pharmacy to get some hangover medicine.
Walking past him, she smiled nervously and shook her head.
- I've been worse. I can handle it. I'll get there and get on with my work.
He nodded and took his jacket off the hanger. He headed for the door and looked over his shoulder before leaving.
- Today I will leave the company a little later, so there is no point in you preparing dinner. Eat something on the town.
- On a good note. - He left the apartment, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She pressed her hand to her chest, wondering why she felt so uncomfortable for a moment? She had never experienced this before, and moreover, the pleasant feeling her body felt at that moment....
What was happening to her?
*
Lunch at a nearby fast-food place was the cheapest. The girl felt sorry for the money to eat at the restaurant. Besides, she was rushing to meet Samuel, since the boy had texted her first. She felt stupid after the recent events and felt bad about it, so she decided to apologize to him.
She slowed her step when she noticed him sitting on a bench. Furthermore, she walked over to him and sat down next to him. He glared at her out of the corner of his eye, still pretending to be offended.
- Don't you think we both overreacted?
- It's true. I'm sorry I came at you so harshly. I didn't mean to, but occasionally, I can't control my words and misunderstandings come out of it," she announced so quietly that it was almost a whisper.
- You had a right to be pissed off. You could say that I started everything. I shouldn't interfere in your life. After all, it's none of my business if you want to improve your behavior. Clearly you are starting to mature. I guess that's what upset me the most. I, for one, can't stop acting like a shithead.
Chloe smiled with understanding.
- Anyone can change their behavior just needs a person to help them do it.
Samuel looked surprised by her words. He stuck his eyes wide open at her.
- You shock me, girl. Who would have thought, since you recently put on quite a show, and the only vocabulary your tongue knew was blasphemous words.
They both laughed at the same time. Chloe put her hand on the boy's shoulder and patted him apologetically.
- I guess we can live in harmony, huh?
The boy gave her a flick on the forehead.
- We can, mean woman.
The blonde sat down comfortably on the bench and raised her face to the sky. She closed her eyes, and Sam, who was sitting next to her, smiled at the sight.
- You look more radiant. It's as if you can finally be happy. Has anything happened recently? They say that it is the person in love who changes beyond recognition.
At these words, she opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on the cab standing at the traffic lights.
She froze.
- What are you talking about? - The grave face she tried to put on betrayed her to her colleague. When she looked at him, she laughed nervously. - I think you've started watching those untrue, over-colored movies.
He wasn't going to argue with her, so he let it go. He wasn't stupid and guessed that there was definitely a man behind her change. And he didn't even have to guess who it was about.
- How do you live with a psychic neighbor? - She asked suddenly, entirely changing the subject. Samuel smiled under his breath.
- She had attacked two girls she did not know, believing that they had seduced and taken away her beloved man, which is why she was locked up in a psychiatric ward.
Chloe looked at him closely. That is, she was not the only one. She was also her victim, as the girl had put something untrue into her head. James urged her to report it to the police, but she stubbornly convinced him that she was just going to forget about it. She didn't want anything to do with the police because that was the last place she would have felt like setting foot.
- At least you have peace of mind. The madwoman won't bother you in your apartment any longer.
- That's true, but it's a shame for those poor girls who found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were unlucky to run into her.
- And to think that the other day I passed her in the corridor.... I guess I was very lucky," she said, recalling what hell she had gone through when she noticed Samuel's neighbor following her with a kitchen knife in her hand.
*
Chloe lay down on a bench near the parking lot, forcing her friend to stand. She stubbornly refused to let him sit down, so the boy took advantage and lay down on top of her. The blonde started screaming because he was much heavier than her. Finally, she couldn't stand it and threw him off her, nervously blowing her bangs out of her eyes.
- Did you want to strangle me! - she shrieked, glaring at him out of the corner of her eye.
- That's because you were malicious.
- The one who is not malicious spoke up. - She looked in the direction of the company, but did not see Aaron anywhere. - What time were we supposed to pick him up? Aren't we too soon?
- He should have already left. He came in for a moment because he had to carry his brother's documents.
The girl bit her finger and, nervously moving her leg, looked around. Her attention was caught by an expensive car that stopped in the parking lot. A man got out of it. He corrected his tie and looked in her direction with interest.
The blonde froze. She recognized him. It was the same guy who had attached himself to her last night.
She pressed her lips together in anger when she noticed that a smile appeared on his face. He approached her with a quick step, as if he were afraid, she would escape him. Chloe hadn't planned this, as she had set herself up for a combative conversation.
- I meet you again... - he said with joy in his voice, paying no attention to his accompanying colleague.
The brunet measured him carefully and unceremoniously asked the blonde:
- Who is it?
- I don't know. Yesterday he clung to me, claiming that I reminded him of someone, generally bashing me with cheesy texts. I guess he thought he would pick me up that way," she laughed, entirely ignoring the man's presence.
- I wanted to apologize to you for yesterday's behavior. It was inappropriate on my part. I know it's no excuse, but I drank too much, and you just reminded me of her, so I got a little carried away.
- Like whom? - Her voice was sharp. She fixed an unfriendly gaze on him.
- A woman I've known for more than twenty years.
Chloe squinted, still suspicious of him. She did not know this man, he seemed too direct to her, and therefore very strange.
She carefully followed his movements as he hastily pulled a black wallet out of his jacket. He took out an old photo from it. The girl snatched the photograph from his hand.
Samuel leaned over her and blinked his eyelids in surprise.
- Wow. This woman does indeed look like you.
The blonde girl slapped his forehead with her open palm.
- If anything, I resemble her," she corrected him. She looked carefully at the photograph, studying every detail of her face. It's true. They resembled each other, except that the woman who posed for the lens had long black hair, a rounder face and fuller lips.
She couldn't deny it because the man was right.
- Who is this woman? - She asked, handing him the photo.
- She is a friend of mine. We have been close for many years. She runs a restaurant.
- Does she have any family? - This was the first question that came to her mind.
The man did not answer. He took out a business card with his phone number from his wallet. He handed it to the girl.
- I apologize, but I just started working with this company, and it would be bad if I were late on my first day," he announced, pointing to the building behind him. - If you have any questions, feel free to call me. I'm very anxious to do so because many years ago certain circumstances forced my friend to give up her baby.
Chloe went pale. The man walked away, and she stuck a frightened look at her friend.
- Don't trust him. The man seems strange. - Samuel snatched the business card from her hand and was about to throw it in the trash, but Chloe wouldn't let him.
- I'll question him first. I do indeed resemble this woman, so I want to check it out.