Chloe Sparrow

by Lesley Crewe

  She stops eating. “Oh, you blessed child. How old were you?”

  “Fifteen.”

  Harriet’s reaches over and covers my hand with her own. “That’s dreadful. What a brave young woman you are. I hope I haven’t upset you.”

  “Not at all.”

  “Let’s talk about happier things.”

  That’s how I find out that Austin cried on his first day of school and every day after that for a week. He’d bring home stray cats only to find that they belonged to the neighbours. He had a dog-walking business in junior high that was quite lucrative, and his dream is to go to Africa and see mountain gorillas.

  The back screen door opens and Julia comes to the dining room looking like a street kid.

  “What’s for dinner? Oh, hi, Chloe! I was going to call you.”

  She spoons some dinner on a plate and sits with us. “Your music critic came to the club and he liked my stuff. He gave me the name of a few people he knows and I’ve picked up a couple of gigs through them.”

  “I’m so glad to hear it.”

  “Just having those names and numbers is like gold. It’s the people you know who make a difference in whether you get discovered.”

  “I wish I could sing like you do. If you ever get a record deal, I will be first in line.”

  “I’ll hold you to that. Sorry I have to eat and run, but I have to rehearse. See ya.” She takes her plate of food and disappears downstairs.

  “Austin and Julia are like chalk and cheese, as you may have noticed.”

  “Austin told me.”

  “Did he, now? He tends to keep things private.”

  “Austin is a great guy. I hope he picks the right girl.”

  She quickly looks down at her plate. “I hope he does, too.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  When I step on Dr. McDermott’s scale at the end of two weeks, I’ve gained seven pounds. He’s pleased.

  “You have colour in your cheeks, and you’re sleeping better. Keep this up. Your period should kick in when you gain another five to seven pounds. If it doesn’t, come to see me. Remember, good food, walk every day, and do some strength training to fill out those skinny arms. Being strong is being healthy.”

  I’m very proud of myself, despite the fact that I had to buy new pots and pans. At least I’m feeding myself.

  The gang is back from Calgary, and I can’t wait to see everyone, but I give them the weekend off so the locals can see their families and take some downtime. I visit the girls who are back at the mansion. Since Sarah F. was the latest casualty, there’s only Jocelyn, Lizette, Kate P., Sarah C., Jennifer P., and Sandy W. left. All the troublemakers are gone. It’s time to get serious. In my gut, I think Jocelyn and Lizette will be the finalists, and I believe that’s sinking in with the other girls, even though they won’t admit it.

  I join them out on the patio as they have lunch. “Did you miss me?”

  “No!” they laugh.

  “You look really good,” Jocelyn says.

  Lizette passes me the chips and dip. “Eat up.”

  “Thank you.” I shovel the chip through the dip. “How did Amanda do?”

  “She was great,” Jennifer says. “Always got to the bus on time, unlike someone I can mention.”

  Sandy nods while looking at her cellphone. “And we weren’t held up waiting for you to come back from the emergency department of every town we went to.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  My room at the guest house hasn’t been touched since I went on sick leave. I’m tidying up my belongings when I hear a car pull up. It’s Austin’s Mini, so I stick my head out the window.

  “What are you doing here? Go home and see your mother!”

  “Hi, Chloe.” He waves and disappears, and then I hear him thumping up the stairs, so I walk out of my room into the hallway.

  “Good to see you,” I smile.

  He comes right over and gives me a hug. “Let me look at you. It’s amazing! You look fresh as a daisy.”

  “It’s miraculous what good food and rest will do.”

  We grin at each other. It occurs to me that he looks changed from the man who took care of Norton almost two months ago. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m tired, but that comes with the job. Reality’s a bitch.”

  “Why are you here? You’re not due back until Monday.”

  “There are no groceries in my apartment, and it’s hot and stuffy from being locked up for so long.”

  “So go to your mom’s.”

  “Julia and I had an argument. It’s easier to be here.”

  “Are you hungry? We could go out to eat and visit the kittens afterwards.”

  Now he gives me the smile I remember. “Sounds great.”

  We end up going down to the Harbourfront, where we buy bagged lunches and head to HTO Park to sit in the sandpit on Muskoka chairs under enormous yellow metal umbrellas. We look out over the water enjoying the cool breeze, eating our egg salad sandwiches, and drinking lemonade.

  “Have you and your sister always been at odds?”

  “No. Julia’s great when she’s not taking advantage of mom, who works hard for her money. She should get a real job and contribute, instead of singing in bars sporadically.”

  “But you did what you wanted to do. Why shouldn’t she?”

  Austin takes a gulp from his bottle. “Point taken.”

  “I totally missed you when I came home.”

  “I missed you too.”

  “You guys feel like family now. It’s a nice feeling.” I smile.

  He glances at me and then turns his head and looks out over the water, so I get a chance to watch him. He really is someone you could take home to your parents and they’d be happy about it.

  “Now that you’re halfway through this crazy journey, are you sorry you did it?”

  “I’m not sorry that I met some great people and travelled the country, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t. I’d rather meet someone at work or be set up by a friend. That way Trey and Jerry wouldn’t argue everywhere I go and Brian wouldn’t film my every move. I’m not looking forward to watching myself kiss girls on television.”

  “Between you and me, are you in love? And who is she?”

  “I am in love, but I’m not telling who with. You’re as bad as Julia. She never stops yapping about who I should pick.”

  “I think it’s Jocelyn, she’s perfect.”

  “What if I don’t want perfect?”

  “You’d be a fool. Who doesn’t want that?”

  He doesn’t answer, and I leave it be. “It’s getting hot. Let’s go see Norton’s brood.”

  “Good idea,” he says.

  Aunt Ollie and Gramps hardly let Austin in the door before they’re pumping him for free veterinarian advice. Austin doesn’t seem to mind.

  Peanut is in my arms. “This is the one you saved. Just imagine if you hadn’t been here, this little life might never have had a chance. It’s so admirable, your choice of profession. When I was a little girl I wanted to have a pet, but Mom said no.”

  “She was mean,” Aunt Ollie tells Austin.

  I’m taken aback. “Don’t say that.”

  “It’s the truth.” Gramps nods.

  “Don’t talk about my mother like that. She’s not here to defend herself. We have to go.” I put Peanut down and leave their house and enter my own.

  Austin is a few moments behind me. “Chloe!”

  This anger is consuming me. “Maybe Mom was mean, but she didn’t deserve to die a horrible death, and I still miss her. I don’t care if she was bat-shit crazy; a lousy parent is still better than no parent at all.”

  Tears fall from my eyes and there’s nothing I can do about it. Austin stays close but doesn’t touch me. That’s probably something h
e learned in vet school. Don’t approach the anxious animal, just keep calm and it will feed on that energy. It works, because soon I want to hug him. He puts his arms around me protectively, but not tightly. That makes me cling to him. He doesn’t tell me to stop or shush. He leaves me be.

  “Come sit.”

  We go to the couch and I lean against his shoulder. “I always feel better when you’re around.”

  “Thank you. I feel the same way.”

  “You feel better when you’re around too?” I smile up at him. He leans forward and kisses me. Austin and I are kissing. What the heck is going on? He and I are on this couch and I’ve got my fingers in his hair and he’s kissing my broken nose. I’m about to object but Mary-Ellen tells me to stay put. Mercifully, the constant tickertape of my inner voice grinds to a halt, and I’m in this moment that I’ve never experienced before, when the world gets smaller and smaller and the only people in it are Austin and me.

  And Aunt Ollie.

  “Chloe?” she shouts from the front door.

  My extra seven pounds come in handy. I push Austin away from me with more force than I intended and jump up, smoothing down my clothes and hair. Then one more leap gets me into my father’s recliner across the room. Austin stays on the couch looking slightly stunned.

  Aunt Ollie shows up at the living room entrance. “Are you mad at me?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “Okay then.” Out she goes.

  As soon as the front door closes, I run back to the couch and we pick up where we left off. So this is how good necking and fooling around and other dangerous things feel: so good I don’t ever want them to stop. I’m beginning to understand this obsession with lovemaking.

  Until I remember who I am and who he is.

  I wiggle away and get to my feet. “I have no idea what just happened, but this has to stop instantly! I’m going to lose my job! Someone will find out and Mr. Gardner will string me up. There are millions of dollars riding on this. You have to propose to Jocelyn and live happily ever after. There’s nothing else to be done!”

  He puts up his hands. “Calm down.”

  “Sorry I pushed you, by the way, when Aunt Ollie showed up. I didn’t mean it.”

  “Chloe, I’ve been dying to say this to you. Ever since we met—”

  I literally run out of the room and run down the hall. “I’m not listening!”

  Now he chases after me. “What are you doing, you crazy fool?”

  I’m so freaked at this point I jump on a kitchen chair and then hop on another one when he comes closer. “I don’t want you to talk—I don’t want to hear—”

  “You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”

  “I do. And before you say it, I forgot to tell you I have a boyfriend.”

  He stops and so do I.

  “He’s an art gallery owner.”

  “You never mentioned him.”

  “I’m your boss.”

  “Is it serious?”

  “It’s ongoing, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Do you love him?”

  “That’s implied.”

  He looks annoyed. “Why can’t you ever answer a question outright?”

  “Sorry, I’m a bit flustered. Please don’t be upset with me because then I’ll forget to eat.”

  He looks like he wants to shake me but he doesn’t. “I’m not mad at you.”

  “You’re a wonderful kisser, by the way.”

  “So are you.”

  My ears perk up. “I am?”

  “No one ever tell you that before? Your boyfriend never mentioned it?”

  “He’s reserved.”

  He puts his hands through his hair, the gesture of frustration that I’ve come to know. “I’d better go. Thanks for the great day. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  He turns and walks down the long hallway to the front door. I scramble after him.

  “So what do we do now? How do we behave? This was a momentary slip, so we shouldn’t let it affect our relationship because I do think you’re wonderful…”

  His hand is on the doorknob when he faces me. “You figure out what you want to do and let me know. Obviously my opinion doesn’t matter to you. You have a very bad habit of not listening to anyone but yourself, so I hope you know what you’re doing.” He shuts the door.

  Aunt Ollie’s offer of a grilled cheese sandwich for supper is declined.

  Amanda calls me later that night. “Jason tells me you were a godsend the day you came over and cleaned the kitchen for him.”

  “It was nothing.”

  “Believe me, when you’re a parent, those kinds of gifts mean the most.”

  “Have you had a nice weekend?”

  “The boys are adorable and the sex has been great. I don’t want to go to Quebec.”

  “Too much information.”

  “Jason tells me Steve drove you home that day. So you’re not holding a grudge after all?”

  “Sorry Amanda, I have to go. Someone’s at the door.”

  “See you at the airport!”

  There’s no one at the door, of course. The house feels very empty.

  Le Chateau Frontenac and old Quebec City are enchanting. It looks like we’re back in eighteenth-century France, with narrow cobbled streets and courtyards flanked by stone row houses with leaded windows. You can take tours on horse-drawn carriages of the surrounding landscape and see sites like the Plains of Abraham, with the mighty St. Lawrence River meandering below. Standing high on a bluff, the hotel is an historic landmark. I’ve always thought it could have been used as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies.

  We plan on being in Quebec City for four days. Brian and the guys take miles of film the first day because everywhere you look, there’s something beautiful to look at. Austin and his dates will go to the Citadelle de Québec, a massive fortification that sits above the city and also to one of the oldest churches in Quebec, Notre-Dame Basilica-Cathedral. The funiculaire, a little cable car on rails poised on an inclined plane that connects the upper and lower part of the old city, is adjacent to Le Chateau Frontenac. Amanda and I go up and down a few times, but just wandering around Place Royale and Le Petit Champlain, a street of fabulous restaurants and shops, is enchanting.

  Trey and I catch up over the magnificent breakfast buffet in the dining room, as he heaps his plate and waxes poetic about the food.

  “Look at this apple butter, Trey. Have you tried it?”

  His mouth is full. “No, I’m too busy sucking up this maple syrup. I can’t believe we’re staying here, I thought for sure the CBC wouldn’t spring for it.”

  “We’re doing the charm ceremonies on the balcony, so it’s mutually beneficial.”

  My plate holds only fruit. Trey looks horrified. “We are at the Chateau Frontenac, one of the best dining experiences in the world. Please tell me you’re going to eat more than that.”

  “I’m not hungry today.”

  “You’re the second person to say that. Austin didn’t want much either. If you ask me, he’s running out of gas. He’s definitely not the same fellow that started this, but he puts up a good front on camera.”

  Austin and I are wary of each other. We’re polite, but we busy ourselves by talking to others, although he often glances at me and I confess I do the same.

  Brian is filming Austin and Lizette in a horse-drawn carriage at noon. Amanda and I are in a carriage behind them.

  Amanda asks the driver, “Can you get closer to the carriage ahead of us?”

  “Not too close, mademoiselle. The horse, she kick.”

  “Can you go by them?”

  The driver flicks his thin whip in the air, and the horse picks up speed. The other driver takes it as a good-natured challenge. We pull up next to them, horses clopping in sync. Amanda waves and Lizette sho
uts at their driver to go quicker. “Plus rapide!”

  “I knew she’d do that!” Amanda laughs. “She is so competitive.”

  Their carriage takes off and we are left behind. Our driver is more sensible. We soon lose sight of them.

  “What did you do that for?”

  “I’m bored. I feel the need for speed.”

  “You are full of beans.”

  Amanda claps her hands. “I’ve got it! Remember, we needed another segment. Why don’t we find a place with go-karts, and the girls can chase Austin around a track? Lizette will show off big-time, and it will be fun. I love go-karts.”

  “I’ve never done it.”

  Amanda goes off to organize, and I make the mistake of coming through the lobby, where I see Trey and Jerry arguing in the middle of the ornate carpet. Guests are walking around them, trying to reach the front desk.

  “Could you two come with me for a moment?” They follow me to an out-of-the-way corner.

  “What on earth is going on? You’re making a spectacle of yourselves.”

  “I cannot be responsible for making sure all his luggage gets on a trolley,” Jerry says. “I have enough baggage of my own.”

  “So what am I supposed to wear at tonight’s charm ceremony? The airline still hasn’t found my bags. I am the host. What you wear makes no difference. You’re fiddling with lights.”

  “You’re always lording it over me, the fact that you’re the host. What the hell do you do other than say Austin, when you’re ready?”

  “I resent that.”

  “I don’t give a flying f—”

  My eyes widen. “Shhhh! This is a classy place.”

  “I don’t need this agro.” Jerry storms off towards the elevators.

  “If it was his suit, he’d be upset.”

  “Would you like a cup of tea, Trey?”

  We order tea and crumpets and sit in the lounge by the large window. It’s amazing how calming tea can be. Trey is an interesting person when you get to know him.

  “How long have you and Jerry been together?”

  “Fifteen years.”

  “How have you managed to last that long?”

  “When you find the right person, you don’t let them go.”