Chasing Clouds

by Annabelle Knight

  “Elodie?” he said with a start, moving the envelope behind him and mumbling an apology.

  “Aaron?” she said uncertainly. “What… what are you doing?”

  “Oh, nothing. I was just…” He trailed off and took a step backwards, his eyes flitting to the gangway door momentarily.

  “Give it here,” she said, holding out her hand.

  “Elodie you’ve got it wrong, this is mine, it’s…” Aaron began, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

  “Give it to me or I’ll have no choice but to report you. I can see that isn’t for you. I mean, what are you thinking? You could be fired for this!”

  She held out her hand expectantly but Aaron didn’t move, his eyes darted towards the open door again and Elodie could see that he was weighing up his options. As he paused thoughtfully, envelope turning slowly in his hands, Elodie saw her chance and took it. She shot towards him and in one swift movement stole the envelope from his hands. She turned it over: she had been right, the envelope was addressed to Mr Walker. She shot Aaron a look and swept off the plane, completely at a loss as to what Aaron could want with a letter addressed to the owner of Alpha Whiskey Air.

  Elodie trudged back into the flat a little after five pm that afternoon, although she felt as though the time should have been midnight considering how tired she was. She hadn’t phoned Carla to announce her arrival; she wasn’t sure why, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Carla was there, on the sofa, painting her fingernails. She had reams of toilet tissue crammed between her toes and had her feet hanging over the arm of the sofa. Clearly, these had been painted earlier and were now being left to dry.

  “Carla, look I….” Elodie stammered, as Steph entered the living area from the bathroom. Elodie hadn’t expected to see them both together.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Steph said without emotion. “Today’s a big day for me and despite the past couple of weeks being a bit shitty, I’d love for you to be there. So what do you say?”

  Elodie looked confused. She wasn’t sure what to say. She knew she needed to say something, though: both Carla and Steph were staring at her, strange expressions on their faces as if they were scientists examining some strange findings.

  “Big day?” Elodie managed. Despite racking her brain, she was none the wiser.

  “I knew she wouldn’t remember,” Steph said to Carla, her voice clipped and matronly.

  “Guys, this isn’t fair. Remember what?” Elodie pleaded.

  “This evening is when Betty hands over the keys to Steph. She asked us to be there for a little celebration. We both said yes,” Carla explained icily.

  Suddenly the memory flooded back and Elodie was overwhelmed with guilt. This was not how she wanted her peace talks with them to go.

  “Oh Steph, I’m so sorry,” Elodie said, her voice genuine and thin. Steph looked at her reproachfully but said nothing.

  “You need to get your priorities sorted, El. You’ve been a really weak friend lately,” Carla added sternly.

  Elodie opened her mouth to argue, but found no rebuttal in her arsenal.

  “You forgot my birthday, you had such a go about me not liking Chase, you didn’t listen to me about Tom or take notice once with the whole Aaron drama. You haven’t even tried to make it up with Carla or me, and now you can’t even remember this. Tonight might mean nothing to you and your super high- flying life with celebs and pilot- shagging, but it’s a really big deal to me,” Steph said, her tone as fiery as her hair. Elodie had never seen Steph upset like this. She looked dejected, as though she had just suffered a great loss.

  “I, I…” Elodie stammered, “I’m really sorry,” she said, getting up and walking over to Steph. “I know now might not be the exact right time. I had planned to give you this surprise tomorrow, but I think now might be better.”

  “I don’t want a surprise, El, I just want you to be a good friend again,” Steph said, fixing Elodie with a resolute stare.

  Elodie nodded. Perhaps now wasn’t the best time for gift- giving, even if it was meant to prove how sorry she was.

  “If you’ll still have me I’d love to come,” Elodie offered. “That goes for you too, Carla. I am so sorry for being so shitty to you both. I guess I was just a bit obsessed and selfish. I promise to never, ever put a guy ahead of my girls again.”

  Carla was silent for a moment, she looked from Steph to Elodie with a glazed expression that Elodie wasn’t sure how to read.

  “We’ve all been there, I guess. Well, apart from me, obviously,” she said with a half- smile after a few, long moments. “If you promise to never, ever let it happen again, then we’re cool.”

  Elodie nodded enthusiastically and then found herself in the midst of an enormous group hug.

  “I can’t believe how twisted you can get over a guy,” Elodie surmised.

  The others nodded, finally glad that she could see him for what he was.

  “OK, so we’ve got an hour or so until we’re meant to leave. Think you can get ready in that time?” Steph asked.

  Elodie said that she could and, dragging her suitcase into her bedroom, shut the door and began to get ready. She suddenly felt lighter than she had done in days, happier and extremely grateful to both of her friends. She pulled herself together in record time; the fatigue she had felt when she’d walked through the door had now been replaced by excitement and gratitude. She was excited for Steph, excited to give them their surprise at a later date and thankful that they had both given her another chance. To some, what had happened might seem small, insignificant in fact; but their bond of friendship hadn’t been tested in many years, and when things were usually smooth sailing even the most minuscule crest was felt firmly by the boat.

  Considering there would only be the four of them at Steph’s honorary inauguration, everyone had made a pretty decent effort. Carla stepped out wearing a cool grey outfit, complete with heeled boots and a dazzlingly bright clutch bag. Steph looked, as usual, effortlessly sophisticated in cream, and Elodie had opted for a blue playsuit with wedged tan sandals that she felt elongated her legs to epic proportions, when in reality she was still the shortest of the group by some margin. Elodie was just about to close the door behind her when she remembered something.

  “Won’t be a minute,” she said, darting back inside the flat. She heard Carla and Steph both chime together that she should hurry up. “Sorry, forgot my phone,” Elodie said, reappearing and patting her bag.

  “Whatever, come on, I’m starving and my feet hurt already. Damn the price of perfection,” Carla said in a mock- whine. She stuck her hand out into the street and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Steph reached out and pushed her hand downwards. “We’re not getting a cab?” Carla moaned when she realised that Steph intended to take public transport, any hint of humour disappearing from her voice.

  “Of course not. I’m not made of money, plus with all the changes I’m planning on making, I need to save every penny I’ve got. You should be doing the same, you know. I know modelling is well paid but only when you’re actually booking the jobs. You said you’ve missed out on the last three.” Steph quipped.

  “Thanks for reminding me,” Carla said glumly. “Fine, we’ll get public transport like peasants, then.”

  “As opposed to taxis like tourists?” Steph argued. “You know they’re a waste of money and they’re not even quicker. Do you know the average city taxi speed is seven miles per hour?”

  “I’ll pay for a taxi for us,” Elodie offered, prepared to do anything to end this petty squabble. “I’m making good money now. Come on, it’ll be my treat.”

  She held her hand out and flagged down a passing cab. Elodie opened the door for them and waited as first Carla climbed in, followed by Steph. Elodie was just about to follow when she heard her name being called by an unmistakable voice that stopped her in her tracks.<
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  “Elodie, wait,” Chase said, striding across the road, his hand raised. Elodie felt her tongue tie and, despite desperately searching for some words, any words, found herself at a complete loss. “You’ve not answered my calls.”

  “This isn’t a good time,” she said crossing her arms over her chest, the face of her watch turned towards the setting sun and glinting in the light. Chase glanced at the taxi and saw both Steph and Carla inside. Instead of looking beaten, he took on a grandiose swell and smiled.

  “Off out?” he stated. “Why don’t you let me take you out instead? I want to explain, you just caught me at a bad time. Please let me wine and dine you. Come on, El?” Elodie felt herself begin to soften, she unfolded her arms and then crossed them again, her fingertips tapping gently on her forearm.

  “Oh you’ve got to be kidding,” Carla said from within the taxi, she had wound down the window and was surveying the pair of them. “She wants nothing to do with you, Chase. Come on Elodie, ignore him. He’s a dick –” The last of her words were muffled, because Steph, in her infinite wisdom, had decided to wind the window back up.

  “Come with me, Elodie. I’m only here for one night and I want to show you how sorry I am.”

  Elodie paused. He did seem genuinely sincere and wholeheartedly sorry.

  “I can’t,” she said finally.

  “Well how about this, give me an hour of your time and I’ll make sure you get to your friends safely?” Elodie looked at Carla who was, in turn, looking back, her eyes ablaze.

  “I, I…” She trailed off wondering why this was such a difficult decision. She knew she should tell him where to go, to dismiss him as he had dismissed her. But, there was something about him, something in the way he carried himself, something in the way he looked at her that filled her with uncertainty. She looked to Carla again, imploring her to help. She opened the car door and leaned in.

  “Guys, I’m not bailing, but I need to do this. I’m going to hear him out and then tell him what I think.”

  “Do what you need to do, Elodie, but remember, you’re worth ten of him,” Carla said as she pulled the door shut. It closed with a resounding thud.

  Elodie could see Carla’s eyes blazing like fire through the glass. She turned to Chase and did her best to erase all emotion from her face; she wanted to appear completely indifferent. The taxi pulled away and even though Elodie no longer had backup, she felt a sense of power settle over her.

  “Well, now Thelma and Louise are gone, we can get reacquainted,” he said. “What do you say? This is your place, isn’t it?” He nodded to the old Victorian building, which housed Carla’s flat. He took Elodie’s hand but she pulled it away, rooted to the spot.

  “I thought you wanted to take me out. ‘Wine and dine,’ you said.”

  “We can go out after, gorgeous. Come on, I’m here for one night only and I’ve missed you, so let’s make the most of it, shall we?” he said, grinning. He reached out for Elodie again but she stepped back. Chase retracted his hand and looked at her, a sort of dumb expression on his face. “What is it with women lately?” he muttered under his breath.

  Everything anyone had ever said about Chase echoed in her mind. No longer would she give him the benefit of the doubt; she was done with him full stop. She knew that she was just a plaything to him, a coveted toy that he only wanted because it had been confiscated. ‘And he has the nerve to call me immature,’ she thought angrily. She had once again made a bad decision and once again it had been because of Chase. ‘No.’ She couldn’t lay the blame at his door. He did have a certain hold over her, but she was after all her own person and the sooner she took responsibility for herself, the sooner she could break free from his spell. ‘This just isn’t right,’ she thought to herself, and thought about Carla’s words once more: ‘If it isn’t right it’s wrong.’

  “This has all been a mistake,” she said, rummaging in her bag for her phone.

  She now realised that she didn’t need to give him a piece of her mind: telling him what she thought of him was wasted energy, energy that she should be spending on her friends. She pulled out her phone and to her surprise saw not one, two or even three missed calls from Chase, but dozens. It would seem that he had been trying to get hold of her ever since she stepped off the plane, but in her rush to get home and ready for the party she’d missed them all.

  “I’m the one who’s made the mistake, Elodie, I never should have…” He trailed off, the sound of ringing coming from his jacket pocket. He whipped his phone out and cancelled the call.

  Normally Elodie would have felt privileged by this action, as though he were putting her first, but something told her that she hadn’t been the only one he’d called that evening. She’d borne witness to how he tried to line up women when he had nothing better to do.

  “Chase, what are you doing?” Elodie asked.

  Chase looked at her with uncertainty, as though she were a puzzle he just couldn’t crack.

  “I just wanted to spend some time with you,” he said, his voice faltering ever so slightly. That was all Elodie needed: it was only now she could see how insincere his words were.

  “Was that your friend, Aaron?” Elodie said evenly; she watched him carefully now. Aaron had been playing on her mind more and more now since Grace had explained a few things.

  “Elodie. You know I don’t actually know Aaron,” Chase sighed. “You should be flattered, though: I didn’t want you seeing anyone else, I wanted you to myself. Come on, it’s a compliment if anything.”

  Elodie took a step backwards, a look of total disdain etched on her face.

  “I’ve got to go,” Elodie said numbly. “Bye, Chase.”

  “Oh come on, don’t be like this, you should be nice to me. Remember the little keepsake I’ve got? Well, we wouldn’t want that surfacing, would we?” Chase said, an altogether stonier tone in his voice now.

  Elodie looked at him, hardly daring to breathe. How could he? She couldn’t believe that he would stoop so low. She wondered if he’d ever been the man that she thought he was, or if, more likely, she had made that man up.

  “Chase, I…”

  “Of course, there’s one way to make sure it never sees the light of day,” he said as his hand wandered to the nape of her neck. He stared at her, his eyes scanning her face intently.

  “Chase, no. I can’t. I don’t want to,” Elodie said without malice.

  Suddenly she felt very differently about him. She was no longer angry or hurt, she felt something strange towards him now and she realised, as her eyes drifted over him, that it was pity. He appeared so much lesser now, smaller somehow and uglier. It was as if for the first time she was seeing him for what he was, rather than what she wanted him to be.

  As the taxi pulled away Steph turned to Carla, a forlorn expression on her face.

  “She’s not going to come, is she?” Steph asked glumly. “I really can’t believe she’d choose him over me again.”

  “Give her a chance Steph, you don’t know that. I think she’s going to tell him to fuck off once and for all,” Carla said, placing her hand on Steph’s knee and giving it a squeeze. “Don’t worry, this is a great night for you and with or without El, I’m going to make sure you have the best time ever.”

  Steph managed a wan smile and looked out of the window.

  “I just wish Andy was here,” she added in a small voice. Carla didn’t reply. There was nothing she could say that would change the fact that he wasn’t. Instead, she asked the driver if she could connect her phone and started a playlist that she knew Steph would love.

  The taxi pulled up outside Betty’s Book Café and Carla handed the driver a crisp twenty- pound note.

  “Are you going to change the name?” Carla asked, gesturing towards the sign above.

  “I hadn’t thought,” Steph replied, casting her gaze upwards. “I don’t think so, ‘S
teph’s Book Café’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Plus it’s not as though I’d actually own it. I’m just taking the reins while Mum chills out. She reckons every year running a café is like ten sat behind a desk.”

  Carla held back as Steph opened the café’s door. Steph expected to see only her mum; she had, after all, insisted that she only wanted her nearest and dearest there and that she most certainly did not want to make a big deal of it. Much like the surprise gathering for Elodie a few months ago, there were balloons placed around the café, a large banner hung with the words ‘Congratulations Steph’ and an assortment of party food had been laid out. All of the staff were there, as well as a few of Steph’s old friends, some family members and on the counter right next to the till stood a large TV screen.

  “Ahhh, guys, this is… Well, it’s just amazing. Thanks so much,” Steph managed when she was finally able to get some words out.

  “No Elodie?” Betty asked looking around the room.

  “She’s on her way,” Carla replied, confidence in her voice, but not in her eyes.

  “What’s that for?” Steph said, interrupting and pointing to the TV by the till.

  “That’s the best part,” Betty said mysteriously. She took Steph by the shoulders and with a flourish of her wrist pressed the on button. Andy’s face lit up the screen: he was in full army gear and looked very smart. Steph squealed when she saw his face.

  “It’s a video message from your Andy.”

  Betty hit play and Andy began to speak.

  “Hey babe,” he started. He looked a little nervous, as though he wasn’t entirely comfortable talking on camera. “I’m so sorry I can’t be there for your big day, but I want you to know that I love you with all my heart and I’m so happy for you. You’re going to totally smash being the boss. I can’t wait to see what this next chapter brings for you, and us. Love ya, babe, always have, always will.”