“OK, we’re almost ready. You can retrieve Mr Walker now, hun,” Gareth said, smoothing down his uniform. His voice was strangely tense.
“You OK?” Elodie asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. Gareth looked at her and shrugged her off.
“I’m fine. It’s just that, well, this could be it, couldn’t it? You know, Mr Walker seeing how valuable I am, finally. I think he’s flying back on purpose, to give me a ticket to the gala.”
Elodie smiled uncertainly. How could she tell Gareth that she’d already been given one? She decided that she wouldn’t and instead wished him luck and left to escort Mr Walker onto the flight.
Feeling a touch guilty about being given one of the much- coveted tickets, Elodie went above and beyond: anything Gareth wanted she did without question and anything he needed she sought to find and, to top it all off, she even managed to big him up a little bit to Mr Walker. She hoped Gareth would get a ticket, she really did, and was going to help in any way she could to make his wish come true.
The flight passed without incident and Elodie found that Mr Walker, when flying solo, was even more pleasant to be around. He chatted with them jovially between bouts of work and seemed to really take an interest in their wellbeing. Elodie felt extremely lucky to have a boss like him. Midway through the flight, he caught her stifling a yawn and suggested she make use of the bedroom. Elodie must have given him a look because he immediately burst out laughing, apologised and clarified that if she needed to rest, she was more than welcome to. The rest of the flight passed and before long Chase had announced that they were in descent. Elodie had managed to keep him from her thoughts up until that moment, but couldn’t help reacting when his smooth voice rang over the address system. Elodie had gained some perspective in the short time she’d been away. She knew she needed to make things up with Carla and Steph. She knew that Chase was bad news, and the sneaking suspicion that she needed to apologise to Aaron had begun to plague her in the back of her mind. The way Jess had reacted to her had mirrored how she had reacted to Aaron, and the frustration she had felt would have been only a fraction of what Aaron had experienced. It was then that Elodie was struck with an idea. It was a long shot, but it might go some way to making things right between them all.
Alpha Whiskey’s Boeing Business Jet touched down at Langley late afternoon. Elodie left feeling extremely pleased with herself. Her plan hadn’t exactly gone off without a hitch. Alex Walker had reacted with incredulity at first and even after much explaining and a touch of begging was still firmly stuck on ‘no’ as the answer to her question.
“You don’t want much, do you?” he had asked. “I’m sorry Elodie, but I don’t just hand out tickets at random.”
“OK, well how about just one more? That way I can give them both to my friends. They won’t hate me anymore and I’ll just stay at home.”
Mr Walker looked at her quizzically and cocked his head to the side as he ran a hand down the side of his face.
“I would love to help, but there are other people more deserving. I’m sorry.” He gave her an apologetic glance before leaving the plane.
Elodie stood there at a loss. She had been so sure his good nature would bend in her favour. She sighed, knowing of course that he was right. It was completely unfair to ask for three tickets to the gala, especially since she’d been downright lucky to secure one in the first place. She realised then and there that she must have appeared so ungrateful. Elodie disembarked feeling diminished. She was concerned that her request bordered on impertinence and worried that maybe it would have ramifications of a negative persuasion.
‘Why can’t you just keep your big mouth shut?’ she scolded herself.
Inside the terminal, Mr Walker was chatting to someone that Elodie didn’t recognise. She hung back, desperate to make amends and put herself back in his good books. The two men shook hands and parted, this was it, so Elodie took her chance.
“Mr Walker?” she said as she paced over to him, “I want to apologise, I should never have asked. It was so rude and entitled and I just want to say sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be sorry for looking out for your friends, but you need to be a bit careful about people taking advantage. They’re not the first pals to try and get a free ticket.”
“Oh no, they haven’t asked,” Elodie said with surprise. She thought she’d explained everything back on the plane but realised that in her desperation, her story had come out as more of a jumble than a cohesive tale. “I did something terrible and I want to make it up to them. I’d do anything to make it up to them.”
Alex Walker surveyed her and rubbed his chin, but said nothing. All Elodie could do was wait. She hoped he could feel how sincere she was, how much she wanted this and not for herself but for her friends.
“Alright then, but this might make you unpopular.” He opened up his jacket and retrieved another two tickets. “Now promise me you won’t go shouting about this, I don’t want to get accused of favouritism but, I’m a sucker for a person in need, plus anyone who’d be willing to forgo the event for her friends is either a very good person or crazy… and I don’t think you’re crazy.”
Elodie couldn’t believe it: the tickets were in her hand. She stared at them. The gold lettering glinted as she turned them over, hardly able to believe her luck.
“I don’t know what to say,” she began.
Mr Walker put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
“You don’t need to say anything, I can see how much they mean to you.”
“Thank you,” Elodie managed, “I can’t believe it.”
She stood there, completely dumbstruck as Alex Walker bade her farewell and, with a warm smile, walked off.
Elodie was thunderstruck. She floated through Langley, eager to get home and share her news. She was so thankful that after some explaining, negotiation and perhaps a touch of desperation, she had managed to pull it off. Her suspicions about Mr Walker had been right: he was a very nice man.
On her journey home she rang both of them, twice, wanting to make sure they were both together and waiting when she got back. Neither of them answered her call so she left them voicemails as a last resort and just hoped that they would pick them up before her homeward journey came to an end. She walked through the door with a giant smile on her face, unable to hide just how happy she was. Her smile didn’t last long; the flat was empty. She called for both of them, but they weren’t there.
“Shit, they’re not here,” Elodie said aloud to her empty flat.
She tried them both again but neither picked up when she had tried phoning. A horrible feeling began to creep over Elodie that maybe things wouldn’t just go back to normal as easily as she wished.
‘But they’re my best friends, they have to forgive me,’ she hoped.
Elodie poured herself a glass of wine and spent the evening watching telly. She flicked through the channels aimlessly without taking in any of what she viewed, her attention divided. The time ticked by and Elodie couldn’t help but wonder where on earth they were. She got the feeling they were purposefully avoiding and ignoring her and dodging her calls. Elodie sighed: had her actions really been that bad? Elodie knew deep down that her words had been really hurtful, and that they had cut the pair deeply. But more than anything, she knew that abandoning Steph on her birthday, or rather not even thinking about her whilst she was with Chase, had been a really, really shitty thing to do. She had every intention of thoroughly apologising; she needed to say the words to them and for them to hear how truly sorry she was. She had an idea that it might take an extra- special something to make it up to them, a grand gesture of sorts, Elodie cast her eye to the envelope Mr Walker had given her.
‘Well, if this doesn’t do it, nothing will.’ All she needed to do now was to get them all together, offer a heartfelt apology and unveil her surprise.
To Elodie’s dismay, she was called in to wo
rk. Gareth was sick and there was no one else to cover at such short notice. Elodie, still keen to impress, agreed to go in without hesitation. The deal was sweetened slightly by the fact that their destination was Bermuda, a place Elodie had longed to visit since she was a child. She knew Chase wouldn’t be there; she had overheard him tell Jessica, or had it been Tara, that he had the next fortnight off work. She shuddered as she remembered the creepy way in which he’d tried to entice both of them, one after the other, with the same line. Elodie would be away for a week; her plan was going to have to be put on hold. She wanted to do this face- to- face. A text or call simply wouldn’t suffice.
Elodie boarded the flight to Bermuda feeling uneasy. Time was slipping through her fingers like sand. As much as she was looking forward to this trip, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she would enjoy it so much more knowing that she, Steph and Carla were back on good terms
“So, do you know what’s the matter with Gareth?” Elodie asked after a couple of hours. Grace turned to her and told her that it wasn’t professional to gossip about other crew member’s health. “I wasn’t,” Elodie said, a little flustered. “I was just asking after him, he’s my friend and I just…”
“Sorry,” Grace said suddenly, “I’ve just had a rough few weeks. It’s not your fault. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”
Elodie stared. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn’t find any words. Had Grace just apologised to her? Was this the olive branch that Elodie craved? Elodie didn’t know what to say, so she did the only thing she could think of, she smiled.
Elodie stepped off the plane and onto the tarmac at Bermuda’s L. F. Wade International Airport feeling good. She was sure Grace was beginning to warm to her and that feeling put a spring in her step. Elodie had been the last of the plane, relieving Grace so she could leave a little earlier.
Elodie headed outside to wait for her car. They were staying in the Clear View Hotel and Elodie couldn’t wait to get there, unpack and enjoy a little luxury for a few days. The sliding doors opened and Elodie smiled as she felt the sun on her skin. She was surprised to see Grace still standing outside, a stony look on her face. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her foot tapped impatiently.
“Everything OK?” Elodie asked.
“Fine,” Grace said curtly, “There’s been a mix- up and I don’t have a car, so now I’m waiting for a taxi but they’ve said it’ll be at least half an hour. I’ve done back- to- backs non- stop and I’m shattered. Ugh! All I want to do is go and lie down.”
“You can share my car if you like?” Elodie offered.
Grace looked at her, a curious expression on her face. It was as though Elodie had just done her a great kindness and she couldn’t quite believe it.
“If you’re sure?” Grace asked. Elodie nodded enthusiastically.
The two women waited for a few moments before the car arrived. Elodie climbed into the back alongside Grace and the car set off. Elodie marvelled as they drove: Clear View was only a short drive away but it was the best short drive of Elodie’s life. They traversed a beautiful stone bridge, which took them from the airport to the main part of the island. Elodie gasped at the view. The calm sea looked to Elodie like a glistening sapphire, so rich in colour that it almost didn’t look real. She dug around in her bag and took out her phone: she absolutely needed pictures of this.
“Do you always act like a tourist wherever you go?” Grace asked.
“I am a tourist,” Elodie replied, grinning. “Oh come on, even if I saw this every single day I’d never tire of it.”
“It is pretty spectacular.” Grace conceded.
Elodie took several pictures before setting her phone down. She didn’t want to be one of those people who only experienced things through the eye of a lens. She wanted memories of her own, to be able to close her eyes and recall the feeling of experiencing these things with her own eyes.
“Aaron really liked you, you know,” Grace said suddenly.
Elodie turned her head sharply and stared at her, wondering where on earth that had come from.
“And I really liked him,” Elodie said carefully, “when I thought he was single. Look, I know things between the two of us have always been a bit rocky and I know that’s my fault in a way, but I genuinely didn’t go after him. I didn’t know he was seeing someone and if I did, well, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near him. I’m genuinely not that kind of girl.”
“Seeing someone?” Grace quizzed.
“OK, sorry, had a girlfriend. More than seeing someone, I don’t know. Sorry… you, you just make me nervous,” Elodie said defensively.
Grace raised her eyebrow and turned to look out of the window. Elodie sighed. ‘Just when I thought things were starting to go well,’ she thought mournfully.
The car pulled to a stop outside Clear View and Elodie got out. The air was thick and warm outside of the car, but even so Elodie suddenly felt as though she could breathe far easier. Grace grabbed her suitcase in record time and was off to check in before Elodie had time to blink.
The car journey had been a confusing one. If Grace and Aaron were a couple, then why would Grace say that he had liked her? Was it a sort of trap? A way to see what had really happened between them on their ill- fated date? Elodie couldn’t make head nor tail of it – it just didn’t make sense.
She checked in, was given her key card and headed up to her room. The room was simply furnished, clean and entirely unremarkable. What took Elodie’s breath away was what was outside. She pulled the balcony doors open and let out a low, impressed sigh. The view was spectacular. She cast her eyes down towards the white sandy beach and calm turquoise waters; above was crystal- clear blue sky that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was incredibly hot. Elodie stripped out of her work uniform; the cream pencil dress fell to the floor and she stepped out of it. She was desperate for a shower, as the flight had been almost eight hours and the passengers had definitely erred on the more demanding side.
Elodie had just stepped out of the bathroom when there was a knock at the door.
“Just a second,” she called, as she roughly dried herself before slipping into a large cotton robe that had been hanging on the bathroom door. She padded across the room and opened the door.
“Can I come in?” It was Grace, stood there with a bottle of bubbly in one hand and two glasses in the other. “I wasn’t sure what to bring and figured that everyone likes a bottle of bubbly.”
Elodie stepped aside to let her in. She was in shock: Grace was the last person she had expected to pay her a visit.
“Hi. Errr, is everything OK?’ Elodie managed.
“I think we need to talk, and I think you’ll want a glass of this whilst we do.” Grace handed the bottle to Elodie and marched herself across the room. She lifted the latch on the door to the balcony and settled herself on the balcony. “Come on then,” she called from outside, “I don’t have all evening.”
Elodie poured the Champagne into two tumblers she found in the bathroom and the two women sat out on the balcony together in complete silence for several long moments.
“So what is it we need to talk about?” Elodie asked, taking a sip of the crisp Champagne and savouring the taste.
“The whole sordid affair,” Grace said curtly. Elodie wasn’t entirely sure what she was getting at but thought she better let Grace speak; she wasn’t exactly famed for her long fuse. “Your little love triangle, you know… you and Aaron, you and Chase.”
“Look, it’s like I said before, I’m sorry, I…”
“Didn’t know. Yes, yes, I know you didn’t know, because there was nothing to know. Aaron and I aren’t together, we never have been. Christ, Elodie, don’t be so naïve. Aaron is a lovely guy who I’ve known for a really long time and if you’d only listened to him and treated him with a bit more respect you could have had something really good. But ins
tead, you binned him off and went for Chase. God knows where you got the idea that we were together.”
“Well, I saw you guys laughing and then Chase told me, well as good as. He said that Aaron was a bit of a lad’s lad, that he didn’t so much have a girlfriend, more like girlfriends. He…”
“And you believed him? What reason on God’s green earth could he possibly have to lie to you? Elodie, he’s the lad’s lad, he’s the one with the girlfriends, and he thought that if he poisoned you against Aaron you would be free for the taking. It’s all a competition for him and you were the prize.” Grace took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t want to carry on this weird tension. It’s doing neither of us any good and, as I’ve gotten to know you better, I can see that you’re not like the other women he’s been with, you’re not an idiot, you’re not money- grabbing or trying to sleep your way to the top. You’re just naïve. You actually liked him, didn’t you?”
Elodie said nothing: this was a lot to take in in a short space of time. She looked out to sea, the horizon suddenly looking like a very inviting place.
“But… it’s not just Chase’s version of events that made me think that Aaron was no good, there was a picture too,” Elodie said, her mind racing back to the two shadows cosied up to one another.
“What picture?” Grace asked as she furrowed her brow.
Elodie explained to Grace how she and Carla had done a bit of online detective work, albeit it with slightly flushed cheeks. When she had finished Grace inhaled and, taking out her phone, said nothing. She tapped at the screen; her eyes narrowed and she wore a look of dogged determination on her face.
“Ah! here,” she said, brandishing the phone towards Elodie. Elodie took it from her and felt a little wave of sadness as her eyes fell onto the very picture that had sown the seeds of doubt in the first place. “Elodie, look at the next photo.”
Elodie swiped and saw that the next upload was one of a delicious- looking fry- up, posted the following day.
“I don’t understand…” Elodie said, utterly perplexed. How was a picture of beans and bacon proof of anything?
Chasing Clouds Page 35
