Chasing Clouds

by Annabelle Knight

  Elodie nodded. He was right, of course, but somehow she thought that just being herself wasn’t going to do it.

  The car pulled to a standstill and a valet in a very smart black and gold uniform opened the door. Elodie’s heart sank a little as she saw other diners entering the building. To say she was underdressed was an understatement. The restaurant was on the top floor of a very tall building and boasted spectacular views of the city. Elodie took a deep breath. It was too late to do anything about her outfit now, she was just going to have to wow them with her personality instead. Putting one foot in front of the other with as much confidence as she could muster, she walked inside. The splendour inside rivalled that of the private jet and everything was done to the highest of standards. The restaurant was more like a hotel: it had a waiting area, a reception desk and front of house staff to relieve you of your coats and show you to your table.

  “Reservation name?” Noho’s receptionist asked politely, eyeing Elodie up and giving her a slightly bemused look.

  “I think it’ll be under Chase Ford,” Elodie said, standing on her tiptoes and peering over the desk. She hoped that the table hadn’t been booked under another name. The receptionist looked down at the screen of her tablet and furrowed her brow.

  “One moment please,” she said, picking up a telephone receiver hidden behind her desk. She turned away from Elodie and in hushed tones gave some instruction to the person on the other end of the line. Turning back to face Elodie, she extended her hand towards the modern- looking sofa behind her and told her to wait for a moment. Elodie did as she was told and sat down. She crossed her legs, uncrossed them and then crossed them again as she shifted in her seat. The sofa was beautiful, but it sure wasn’t comfortable.

  ‘What’s taking so long?’ she thought to herself. The more time that passed, the more anxious she became. Eventually, a staff member came to her, apologised for the wait and escorted her to an ornately- decorated round table, where Chase and four other people sat. Elodie took her seat next to Chase and was introduced to each of Chase’s friends in turn: Jules and Ian, a very good- looking couple who lived in France; and Sissy and David. Sissy was incredibly well- spoken, elegantly turned out and seemed very forthright. David, on the other hand, was exceptionally quiet and reserved. Elodie smiled at everyone as she sat and said a rather timid hello. Chase’s friends were polite, but not overly welcoming. Elodie wondered if perhaps they were being protective of him, seeing as he had such a bad run of luck with women in the past, and decided to try and not take it personally.

  “It’s a bit of a squeeze,” Elodie said in an effort to break the ice.

  “Well it wouldn’t have been if they hadn’t had to lay an extra setting,” Sissy said coolly as she gave Chase a look. “No matter, though, you’re here now.”

  Chase gave Elodie an apologetic glance and suddenly it all made sense. The reason she had been kept waiting was so they could juggle the seating arrangement. Her cheeks flushed slightly; she didn’t know what to say. She’d never felt like more of an imposition in her life.

  “Drink?” Chase suggested.

  Elodie nodded. She couldn’t think of anything she wanted more right now. The waiter came and took her order. Sissy pointed out that she was simply starving due to being made to wait and although no names were mentioned Elodie knew this comment was aimed at her. She ordered a large glass of rosé wine, which was delivered to her promptly.

  “Oh rosé, I don’t think I’ve had that, well ever,” Sissy giggled and Elodie felt herself blush a similar shade to that of her wine.

  As the evening progressed Elodie felt more and more out of her depth. The conversation was very mature; they talked about things that she had little experience of and because of this she found it quite difficult to get involved. They discussed, in depth, the state of world politics, the property crisis in France and debates about religion in the workplace. Elodie tried to join in when she could, but each and every time she volunteered an opinion it was met with polite disregard. Elodie sipped on her wine and hoped that instead of looking bored she was exuding quiet contemplation.

  Chase squeezed her knee under the table and Elodie glanced at him; he offered her a smile as his hand ventured a little higher. Elodie felt herself stiffen. Was he really doing this right now? She glanced around to see if anyone had noticed. They hadn’t. Chase eased Elodie’s thighs wider and trailed softly further and further up the inside of her leg, his touch as smooth as silk. He paused at the very top, his fingers stopping just short of her most sensitive spot. Elodie stared at her plate and took another sip of wine. She couldn’t bring herself to look up, she knew that if she made eye contact with anyone then they’d see right through her. Chase didn’t move, he gripped her harder and then, without warning, released his hand.

  “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to make a call.”

  He got up and upon leaving gave Elodie’s shoulder a little squeeze. She turned to look at him as he walked away. He looked back over his shoulder and motioned to Elodie to follow him as he rounded a corner. A wave of excitement rolled over her; she waited for a moment and then, with a sweet smile, excused herself in favour of the ladies’ room. No one seemed to notice her departure. She quickened her pace as she walked across the dining room, following in Chase’s wake. She rounded the same corner he had and in an instant he was on her. Chase pinned Elodie up against the wall, one hand gripping her waist, the other cupping her cheek. Their mouths became one as Chase pressed himself firmly against her.

  “This way,” he said, pulling away from her.

  Chase led her down the corridor, trying various doors as he went. The third door offered them their haven. A small storeroom filled with table linens. Chase closed the door behind her; the moment the lock had clicked shut they were entwined in one another once more. Chase held her against the door, pinning her hands over her head. Elodie panted as he lifted the hem of her dress and felt wet desire begin to pool between her thighs. Chase pulled her underwear to the side and pushed one finger, followed by another, inside her. She gasped as he slid into her effortlessly and curved his fingers in a delicious way that made every fibre of her want to cry out. He put his free hand over her mouth and in hushed tones whispered that she needed to be quiet. She nodded her understanding and reached for him hungrily, she undid his belt and trousers in such a way that told him that she was desperate for him. He withdrew his fingers and held them up rotating them and watching as they glistened with her essence. He held them to her mouth. Elodie moved her head backwards and looked at him, not entirely sure what he wanted. Silently he pushed them further towards her; he parted her mouth with his outstretched index finger. Elodie now understood: she opened her mouth to obey him and he watched lustfully as she tentatively sucked on them.

  “Good girl,” he said, his voice low to keep them from being discovered. When he was satisfied with her he pushed his trousers and underwear down in unison. His manhood throbbed before her; she reached out and took it in one hand, stroking deftly up and down. Chase let out a throaty moan and, without warning, picked her up. Elodie was overtaken by fathomless lust: she felt as though she were being swept downstream and, try as she might, she could not resist. She was helpless, engulfed in the very idea of him and completely at his mercy. Elodie leant heavily on the door as Chase lowered her onto his bulging erection. He thrust into her, his muscular arms holding her tightly; she gripped his shoulders and bit her bottom lip. She wanted to scream, to cry out with pleasure but she knew that she would have to remain quiet if they were to go undetected. Elodie knew she was close, how could she not be? Chase seemed to know exactly what she needed, what she wanted and every thrust of his hips brought her closer to the edge. He felt her body tense and her grip tighten and knew it would be a matter of moments before he felt her climax. The orgasm devastated Elodie: she bit down onto Chase’s shoulder to keep herself quiet and shook uncontrollably as she came. Chase wasn’
t far behind. It was as though her climax had brought his own on. The two clung to each other for several long moments as their breath gradually settled.

  “You better go first,” Chase said, pulling his trousers back up and fastening his belt. He opened the door and Elodie slipped out. She made her way to the toilets, convinced that everyone she passed knew exactly what she had been doing.

  When Elodie sat back down at the table she did so without a hair out of place. However, she needn’t have bothered, as not one of Chase’s friends looked up. She finished her wine wondering why Chase was friends with these people: they weren’t exactly welcoming, and if Elodie were to take a leaf from Carla’s book and call a spade a spade she would say that they were both snobby and rude. Chase returned to the table a few minutes after Elodie, expertly pocketing his phone as he sat down to give the impression that he’d just finished with his call.

  The meal passed in much the same way it had started and with each new course Elodie felt less and less as though she should be there. She kicked herself for having suggested it in the first place and started to wish that Chase had just said no. Aside from the odd glance her way, he barely spoke to her for the rest of the meal. Once their main course had been cleared the waiter sashayed back over to them in such a way that made him look like as though he were floating.

  “Any desserts at all, or have we had our fill?”

  Elodie could have sworn his eyes flicked from his notepad to her at these words. She opened her mouth to reply. She had absolutely every intention of ordering a pudding: after all, it wasn’t every day you got to eat in a place like this.

  “The bill please,” Chase said, cutting across her. “You don’t want more, do you?”

  He turned to Elodie. She looked around to gauge the rest of the table’s reaction: they were all staring at her, looking as though never in their lives had they witnessed someone order a dessert before.

  “Oh, no. I was, I’d just like a glass of water, if that’s OK?” she asked.

  “Still or sparkling?” the waited asked second- naturedly.

  “Tap will be fine,” Elodie said.

  “Table water it is,” the waiter said, looking down his nose at her. He floated off and seconds later appeared with a single glass of water atop an ornate silver tray. Elodie sipped at it under the watchful eye of Sissy, who had raised one eyebrow in a perplexed sort of way. Feeling self- conscious, she reached out for Chase under the table, who upon feeling her fingers brush his leg moved it out of reach abruptly. Elodie knew that she’d done something wrong. She wasn’t used to places like this. Everyone acted so differently and practically spoke a different language; it was totally at odds with how she usually was. Still, she knew that in order to impress Chase she would have to pull her finger out and learn the ropes quickly; she didn’t want to embarrass him again.

  When the bill came, Chase insisted on paying. There were lots of cries of protest but in the end he won, taking out his platinum credit card and waving it at the waiter. Everyone rose from the table, administered air- kisses left, right and centre and then went their separate ways.

  “Well that was an experience,” Elodie overheard Sissy mutter to Jules. “How old is this one? I swear they get younger by the day.”

  The two sniggered to themselves and Elodie pretended to be busy rummaging in her bag. She wished she’d worn her hair down; perhaps then they wouldn’t have been able to see her furiously reddening cheeks.

  “Of course they liked you,” Chase reassured her once they had said their goodbyes and were now alone on the street outside. “They’re just a tough crowd to please – that’s all.”

  Elodie gave Chase a sideways glance. They hadn’t had reason to like or dislike her as she’d gone largely unnoticed all evening.

  “They didn’t even give me a chance,” she sighed.

  Sissy’s words played on her mind: “They get younger by the day.” Elodie wanted to know what she had meant but daren’t ask Chase. She didn’t want to look bitchy. Still, the words rang in her head like a gong. Chase wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into him.

  “You’re worrying about nothing. Besides, it doesn’t matter if they don’t like you, I like you enough for all of them.”

  Elodie smiled; he always seemed to know just what to say. Chase gave her a kiss on the top of the head before flagging down a cab. “You’ll be good from here, won’t you?”

  Elodie looked at him confusedly.

  “I thought I might come back to yours?” she said. Normally she would have just accepted the situation, but a bit of wine, combined with some mind- blowing secret sex, had given her an air of confidence that she just couldn’t shake.

  “I’d love that, but I’ve got an early start. Another time, maybe?” Chase said as he checked his watch and gave her a peck on the cheek.

  Elodie couldn’t lie: she was disappointed. She had wanted more than anything to spend the night with him. They had been seeing each other for weeks now and so far had been kept at arm’s reach when it came to his personal life. Chase leaned in and gave Elodie a somewhat awkward hug. She felt his phone, still in his breast pocket, buzz. He released her and checked his messages. A frown fell across his face and his brow crinkled, which made him look much older than his years.

  “Actually Elodie, yes. Yes, you should stay with me tonight,” he added, pocketing his phone and wrapping an arm around her.

  “Really?” she asked, thinking that maybe she was right to go down the path of gentle persuasion. Perhaps a bit of encouragement was all he needed.

  Less than half an hour later Elodie found herself standing in the middle of Chase’s flat in a complex called Millennium Square. It was a huge industrial- looking space with highly- polished concrete floors, giant stone- coloured rugs and a lot of sophisticated brushed chrome touches. His living room was about the size of her entire flat and had impressive views of the city. As they walked in, an alarm started beeping a shrill warning. Chase leaned over her and flipped down a steel panel to reveal a keypad. Elodie tried to avert her eyes in time but couldn’t help noticing him type the numbers six, nine, six. Thankfully she didn’t catch the last number and Chase didn’t notice that she’d seen the first three. The last thing she wanted was for him to think her rude, or that she was casing the joint for a cat burglary later on.

  “Come on then, or are you going to wait in the hallway all night?” Chase asked.

  Elodie stepped into his apartment. Everything looked so expensive. He even had a giant modern art piece: the sculpture towered over her and she found herself strangely drawn to it.

  “You like it?” Chase asked when he saw her staring. “Got it last week, cost an absolute fortune.” She nodded, even though she wasn’t entirely sure exactly what it was meant to be.

  She bent down and gingerly removed her shoes. She was surprised to see that for the second time that evening her fingers were shaking. Despite the unrestrained setting she found herself in, she couldn’t help but notice that there were no personal touches. Chase didn’t have a single photograph on display; instead, he had lots of large, very expensive- looking prints hanging on the walls. In his hallway hung so much art that she was reminded of the Eason Art Space, and she surveyed the pieces in front of her now with much the same interest as she did on her date with Aaron.

  ‘Aaron.’ Her mind echoed his name. Something about how they had left things hadn’t been right, He seemed so desperate for her to believe him, and what had she done? Branded him a liar and tried to put everything to do with him to the back of her mind. But still, one thing just didn’t add up: if Chase knew Aaron so well as to know that he was a two- timing cheat, then why hadn’t he even acknowledged him when they’d bumped into each other on the plane? Elodie had been so wrapped up in almost getting caught that at the time it had barely entered her consciousness. However, now she looked back on it, she couldn’t remember seeing even the fainte
st flash of recognition on Chase’s face.

  “Chase? Do you remember that guy Aaron I told you about?” Chase looked puzzled and shook his head. “The one I dated briefly, the guy with the girlfriend?”

  “Oh yes, of course, why do you ask?”

  “How well do you know him? Are you friends?” Elodie probed.

  “I know him well enough to know that you’re too good for him. Now enough with the questions, or I might start to think you’ve got a thing for this guy,” he teased.

  “I don’t, I swear,” Elodie said, a slight note of panic in her voice. She definitely didn’t want Chase to think she still had feelings for Aaron.

  Chase gave her shoulder a squeeze and told her that he believed her before manoeuvring her into the large, open space that was his living room.

  “Drink?” Chase asked as he gestured to a table next to him. On top of it sat a slate tray and on top of that a bottle of expensive- looking whisky and two square tumblers. “You like Dalmore, right? It’s an eighteen- year- old single malt.”

  Elodie wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Eighteen years or not, all whisky tasted the same: gross.

  “Go on,” Chase persuaded, leaning forward and pouring a half- inch measure in the bottom of one of the tumblers. He handed it to Elodie and, looking her square in the eyes, knocked back the drink he had poured for himself. She hesitated, the glass wavering near her lips before she followed suit. The amber liquid burned the back of her throat: its taste was so strong that she had to actively stop herself from spluttering.

  “It’s good,” she said, trying not to choke. The whisky warmed her and she felt a heat settle in her chest, which she found a welcome relief in the otherwise cool space.

  Chase relieved her of her glass and set it down. He stepped towards her: without her shoes, Chase towered over Elodie even more than usual. He gazed down at her a curious look in his eye. She stood in complete silence; he said and did nothing. Elodie felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention and prickle as he seemed to undress her with his eyes. Elodie could feel something building between them as he looked at her, as though she were the only woman in the world.