Chapter 9 - Laying with Chloe

'Hi... Can we meet?' Was the message she sent to me.

So I shook my head and gave out a sarcastic scoff while placing my phone back Into my pocket before walking towards the main road ahead to get a cab.

I ARRIVED home few minutes later and noticed my mom dressed, busying around the palour like she was preparing to go out.

"Mom... You look -- what should I say, stunning" I chuckled in a teasing voice as I entered the house, shutting the palour door gently behind me while my gaze remained fixed at my mom who stood erect with a wide grin on her face.

She was literally glowing - almost as though she was excited about something.

"Are you going ou... Wait! -- Is it what I think it is?" I gasped sharply with an amused look as I moved forward and stood in front of my mom who was dressed in a black gown which hung nicely over her shoulders - revealing her mature and elegant features.

My mom wasn't all that advanced in age; infact, she was only 45 years and still looking very attractive enough to cause a man's head to turn.

"Yes.. am going to meet someone, but don't over cloud your head and jump to conclusions" My mom chuckled as she answered, adjusting the leather handbag comfortably on her left arm.

"Oh... So you do admit that it's a date?" I laughed, covering my mouth with my right palm to muffle the sound of my laughter.

"Uh huh!... laugh all you want" My mom giggled, hitting my left shoulder playfully with her right hand.

"No.. no no... It's good, infact -- I'm super glad you are going out to have fun." I said immediately as my laughing subsided - squeezing my mom's right hand as I wrapped and held onto it with both hands. "But I'm a little curious mom... How did you get to know this person you're going to meet?" I asked with a wide grin as I let go of her hand while giving her an Inquisitive look.

So my mom shrugged her shoulders and answered, saying "Well, through that urrrh... How do you call that app you installed on my.."

"Tinder?" I exclaimed quickly in a startled tone.

"Hm-mm" My mom hummed softly and nodded her head.

"Pffff... It's been two months I installed that app on your phone, I mean -- I thought you never logged in on it, not to talk of linking up with someone" I chuckled with a light shrug.

"Well, I did... and I guess I'm not that old fashioned after all" My mom replied with a playful chuckle, raising her right hand to cup my left cheek.

"I've kept your food in the kitchen. You can microwave it whenever you're ready to eat" She said in a low whisper, rubbing her thumb gently on my cheek with a motherly smile on her face.

"Thanks mom... Have fun on your date' I replied softly, just in time as she lowered her right hand down my cheek and playfully tapped my chest twice before walking past me towards the palour door behind.

Then I turned around to look at my mom who suddenly halted her steps few metres to the door and turned to face me, as if trying to recall something.

"Ah yes!... Less I forget, Shelly was here and left few minutes before you came in. I dunno, but she really needs to speak with you" My mom said with her right hand slightly pointing at me as she spoke.

"Yah... She texted me" I affirmed with a slow nod - staring at my mom who only forced a smile and turned to leave.

'What does Shelly want now, I thought she said we were done?' I muttered inaudibly to myself after my mom left before walking into the kitchen to eat my lunch.

Then I came back to the palour after eating and collapsed to lay on a two sitters couch - stretching and yawing from the tiredness i felt before drifting off to a deep sleep.

*****

'urrrgh, what! - who's calling?' I gave out a sleepy grunt as I woke up to feel my right leg vibrating from the phone ringing inside my pocket.

So I took out my phone and answered the call - placing it on my right ear while my eyelids remained closed from the sweet sleep that was still tormenting me.

"...at the right time?" was the only sentence I heard from the feminine voice over the phone when I woke again after dozing off briefly.

"Huh?" I exclaimed in response with a sleepy voice, trying as much as possible to keep myself from dozing off.

"Am asking if I was calling at the right time?" The soft feminine voice repeated over the phone.

"Uh ye--yeah... It's okay, buh who am I speaking with?" I stuttered quickly, rubbing my left hand over my face as I waited for the caller's response with the sleep slowly clearing from my eyes which however remained closed.

"Oh!" The girl's voice rang into my ears in a startled and somewhat disappointing tone. "I guess errrr -- you didn't save my number. It's me, Chloe" She added with her voice sounding low over the phone.

Then my eyelids quickly opened with the sleep clearing instantly from my eyes as soon as I realised she was the one speaking.

"No no... I urrrh, I did save your number Chloe" I stammered awkwardly and raised myself on the couch to sit - glancing quickly at my phone screen before placing it back on my right ear as my lips parted to speak, saying "I was errm -- fast asleep when your call came in that's why..."

"Oh my... Am sorry if I disturbed your resting time" Chloe Interrupted sharply with her voice sounding remorseful.

"No you shouldn't be..." I chuckled, resting my back comfortably on the couch with my head rocked backwards. "Actually am glad your call woke me up - else I would have offer slept" I added in a calm voice, slowly rubbing my left hand over my forehead.

"So listen Liam, I was actually calling to ask if errrm... Urrrh... I dunno, or maybe I shouldn't just stress you." Chloe's speech broke in a confused voice and concluded with a nervous chuckle.

"No, I don't mind. Please go ahead and ask" I urged in a soft voice, leaning forward to sit erect with an attentive look on my face.

"Okay, I wanted asking if will you be chanced to come over because am urrrh... a bit bored and alone with my mom -- just needed someone to talk with before she drives me nuts over here" Chloe said rather shyly with a faint giggle as she concluded her response.

"Fantastic!..." I blurted without thinking - letting my excitement take the better of me.

"I mean urrrm... I wouldn't mind. So when should I come over?" I asked, clearing my throat as I corrected my response.

"Anytime" Chloe giggled. "Oh and uh, wait for me at the play house when you come - I've actually left the door unlocked" she added quickly.

"Hm-mm" I hummed, nodding my head vigorously as I lost my voice and the ability to even mutter a single word correctly!

"Okay... Bye" her shy voice echoed quickly over the phone before she ended the call.

"Yes!" I exclaimed loudly with my voice reverberating all over the house as I lowered the phone from my ear; good thing my mom wasn't around, else she would have pestered me with questions like 'Was the call from a girl? Do you like her and bla bla bla..'

Then I lifted my gaze and glanced at the wall clock in the palour to check the time which was around 5:45pm in the evening; and without wasting any second, I stood up from the couch and bolted towards the bathroom to take a shower.

*** At Chloe's Playhouse ***

I sat on the portable bed inside the playhouse few minutes after arriving while my eyes roved about in admiration. It was surprisingly cosy with only one yellow bulb hunged in the centre of the wooden ceiling - shining brightly to make the whole place feel warm.

What also caught my attention was some of Chloe's childhood pictures which were pinned evenly on the wall - giving the playhouse a touch of fun as I couldn't help myself but giggle at them photos, especially the photo where little Chloe was building a sand castle on the beach.

Then I lifted my phone and was about texting Chloe that I'd arrived when the playhouse door squeaked open.

"Oh, I was about texting you" I chuckled nervously as I lifted my gaze to see Chloe entering - holding a bottle of wine with two wine glasses in her left hand.

"Yea... I saw when you arrived through the kitchen window" she giggled, kicking the door shut with her right foot before walking to sit beside me on the bed.

"Thanks for taking out time to come chat with me" Chloe said, almost in a soft whisper and handing me a glass before filling it halfway with the wine she'd just opened.

Then I turned my body to face her fully with a wide smile before parting my lips to speak.

"So I guess this is the part where we say cheers to..." I chuckled and paused, waiting for Chloe to complete my speech as I raised my wine glass halfway up in front of her.

"Cheers to... errm... to hanging out in my playhouse I guess" Chloe laughed in a confused tone with our wine glasses making a low clanging sound as they clicked.

I shook my head in amusement and took a sip of my wine before turning my head to look at Chloe who sat by side - sipping her wine with her countenance brightened up.

She had her hair packed to a pony tail with a ribbon and was wearing a pinkish coloured armless gown that contrasted beautifully with her complexion.

"So what are your hobbies Chloe?" I found myself asking as soon as she turned her head to notice me staring.

"Well..." She said, clearing her throat purposefully before letting out a shy giggle. "I actually love singing, watching movies and cooking" Chloe answered with a wide grin before removing her gaze from mine and took another sip of her wine.

"Cooking?" I chuckled rhetorically with a surprised look.

"Hm-mm" Chloe hummed and leveled her gaze back on mine. "I actually find cooking to be so much fun - trying new recipes, you know... and What about you, any hobbies?" She asked with a cheerful look on her face.

"Well, none that I can think of" I answered with a a shrug of my shoulders.

"Wait don't tell me you don't have any... Okay -- okay... Let me put it this way, what fun activity do you enjoy doing with your girlfriend?" Chloe rephrased, facing me fully with a wide grin as she waited for my response. But to be honest, I was more than clueless now as to what to say!

So I cleared my throat awkwardly and removed my gaze from hers to look at the glass cup in my hand before saying, "Well, I don't have a girlfriend either"

Chloe gave out an exaggerated scoff that drifted my attention back to her.

"You're kidding right?" She giggled rhetorically with the smile on her face slowly fading away when she realised how serious I was from the way I sat mutely - staring straight into her eyes.

"So why aren't you in a relationship?" She asked with a level of curiosity in her voice before lowering her empty glass on the floor beside the bedpost.

"Nothing to bore you with, I just have my personal reasons" I answered plainly, gulping hard on the last remaining wine in my glass before lowering it on the floor beside me.

Then Chloe slowly ran her right hand over the bed and reached to hold my left hand - squeezing it gently as it rested on my thigh before saying to me in a low whispering voice "Do you mind sharing the personal reasons?"

So I turned to give her a quick glance while holding onto her right hand as my mouth opened to speak - revealing my parents divorce and my resolve not to fall in love; although skipping out some part of the story which involved my sexual escapades with various girls -- like Shelly in particular.

"Am sorry your parent's divorce affected you that way..." Chloe said in a consoling voice that filled me with a strong wave of emotion. Just seeing her sitting by my side made my whole body tingle with desire - wishing for nothing more than to have her in my arms, even if it was right here and now!

I didn't know how to quantify this burning urge I felt, or should I blame it on the wine I drank which did little to make me tipsy and somehow motivated? Maybe, or maybe not!

"Can I be honest with you Chloe?" I said in a whisper as we maintained eye contact.

"Hm-mm" she hummed softly with a nod of her head.

So I drew in deep breaths as if summoning all the courage I could muster before slowly raising my left hand to place on her warm right cheek; and to pleasurable surprise, she didn't resist my touch but sat still - allowing me to gently caress her cheek.

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met Chloe... And I don't regret having kissed you earlier today - despite the fact that you're in a relationship with someone else which I know must've made you angry. And I sincerely apologize if it did" I found myself saying with a somewhat breathless and romantic voice - gazing into her eyes with my throat becoming unusually dry as my heart felt as though it was going to explode straight out from my chest, which made me think if this was the way people felt when they were in love with someone -- for I have I never felt this way before in my entire life!

"Please don't apologize Liam" Chloe's whispering voice fizzled from her lips which grazed lightly on my palm as she tilted her head even more to my gentle touch with her eyes flickering and flamed with desire so strong I could notice.

Then Chloe leaned closer to me in a very slow manner, as if unsure of what she was doing before cupping my right cheek affectionately with her left hand.

"Kiss me" Her soft voice broke out lowly with her warm breath brushing teasingly against my lips - seeing that her face was now close to mine as she waited eagerly to see my next move; wether or not I'll respond to her yearning. But who was I to resist?

So without thinking twice, I tilted my head to the side and leaned my lips on hers; planting a tender kiss that melted Chloe who suddenly lost control of her arms which slowly began to wrap around my neck as our heads switched angles with every stroke of our wet lips becoming wild and tongues twirling - muffling the soft moaning sounds we made.

"Wait" I gasped in a breathless voice as I broke from kissing her - gulping hard while our foreheads remained pressed on eachother. "Are you okay with this?" I asked in a whisper with the top of my nose brushing lightly on hers as I spoke.

"Yess" Chloe whispered back to my face as her arms remained wrapped around my neck and without wasting for my response...