Love Me Long (Love Me Book 4)

Chapter 23

It was St Patrick's Day in Savannah, which was an institution and a holiday for all. It brought in over one hundred thousand visitors to celebrate every year. St Patrick's Day always caused the ER to be flooded with accidents and drunks. Chloe was supposed to get off two hours earlier than she did, which meant that she was late for the party she was hosting. The parade started at ten o'clock, and it was half-past nine when she reached her apartment. The party was always at her apartment because it overlooked the parade route.

Chloe was unlocking her door with a mass of people in the square behind her when Elliot Black, the man she had been dating for a few weeks, walked up behind her.

"Perfect timing," Chloe greeted with a smile.

"Are you just now getting home?" he asked.

"I am. My shift ran over because they were short-handed. Everyone wants off for the parade today." Chloe led the way up to her apartment on the second floor.

Chloe had met Elliot at the coffee shop she frequented. He was a handsome man who was in real estate development. When he had asked her out, her initial response had been to tell him no, but then she reminded herself there was no reason she shouldn't take him up on his offer.

At lunch the day before, Elliot had asked her if she wanted to go to the parade with him, and she had, on a whim, invited him to her place. No one knew she was dating him, so he would be a surprise to everyone, and she was dreading it.

Chloe placed her keys in the dish by the door and watched Elliot look around. It felt odd to have a man in her apartment. Ben and Silas were the only men who had ever been invited. Elliot was a handsome man, he was lean and tall, with dark hair and eyes, and he had a great dress sense, but there was something that made her unwilling to share a lot with him. She had tried to tell herself that it was because he wasn't Valentine, but she wasn't so sure.

"You really do have a premium spot here, don't you?" he asked over his shoulder with a smile as he looked out the balcony doors.

"Yes." Chloe joined him, opening the doors and letting all of the noise from the street below flood into the room. "The parade comes around the square, and the Grand Marshall stops in front of the cathedral to be blessed."

They watched the scene below for a few minutes.

"I had a difficult time finding parking. Where do all of your friends park?" he asked, watching the scene below him.

"They all live downtown, but they aren't on the parade route, so they walk here," Chloe noted that he smiled at her words.

"They all have apartments like you?" Elliot asked without looking at her.

"No, they have houses." Chloe didn't have time to worry about what was going through his mind. "I'm going to get a quick shower. Would you open the door for anyone who comes? I'm only expecting a few people. Help yourself to anything in the fridge you like." Chloe rushed into her bedroom and took the quickest shower of her life, but it wasn't fast enough.

"Chloe's in the shower. She'll be out in just a moment." She heard Elliot greet someone.

Chloe groaned as she pulled on her t-shirt. Great! That hinted at an intimacy that wasn't there. The questions from Faye and Lia would be never-ending. She should never have invited Elliot.

Chloe was tired, so she didn't try with her appearance like she usually did. She was wearing a pair of old faded jeans, an old t-shirt, and a baggy cardigan. She had cleaned all the makeup off her face and pulled her hair into a loose bun on her head.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted as she joined them. "Did you meet Elliot?" Chloe looked from Elliot to Lia and Faye, who were hiding grins. Silas looked bored, Ben looked curious, and Valentine's face was void of expression. Eliot was eyeing her plain face with shock.