Stuck with you for 24 hours or the rest of my life.

Chapter 8

At that, Beca looked at Chloe incredulously. "Do you tell everyone that you know about me?"

"Well, duh," Chloe said, "You're like, one of my favorite humans. Besides, he already knows all about Aubrey."

Turning to John, she informed him, "Beca is coming with me today, since I wanted to show her it, so make sure everyone else knows that the same stuff for me, also applies to her as well!"

"Will do, Miss. Beale."

"She also is allowed to come here, even without me, okay?" Chloe instructed seriously, her face taking on a rare stern appearance. "I mean it," she pressed on, practically demanding John obey her commands, "Whenever she needs to, she should be just as welcome here as me."

At that, John raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Instead he smoothly transitioned back to his slightly more professional persona, and simply said "Duly noted."

"Thanks! We're gonna go now. See ya later!" chirped Chloe, her sunny smile returning once more, as she turned to leave.

"Goodbye Miss. Beale, Miss. Mitchell," John said, shaking his head bemusedly. "Have a wonderful rest of your day, ladies."

"We will!" said Chloe, very sure of herself.

When the two walked inside the lobby, Beca felt a bit odd, since they weren't actually guests, but soon got over it, as everyone greeted them with a smile and a wave. Greetings of "Welcome Chloe" " Hey Chloe" "Hi sweetie" "Good to see you again, dear" and "Hope you have a great time" followed them throughout the lobby, into the elevator and all the way to the 3rd floor when they finally got to the terrace outside.

Chloe pulled a Hyatt key card out of her purse, and swiped it next to the door. It opened with a click, and suddenly Beca found herself in the middle of a beautiful Japanese Zen garden. Rocks and sand were everywhere, with water flowing softly next to bamboo pathways. Thousands of green, luscious plants spilled over the walkways and climbed high up into the air, where all there was blue sky. Not a single cloud was in sight, bathing the entire garden in a beautiful mid morning glowing rays of sunlight. The beams reflected off the ripples in the small pools of water, and koi fish could be seen swimming slowly beneath the clear liquid.

"Wow," she said breathlessly. "What is this place?"

"Isn't it amazing? There's a 32 foot tall waterfall, and they have an outdoor heated pool too!" Chloe explained. "This is where I come when I need a break from everything; school, work, the Bellas, people, and just the stress of life in general. This is my happy place."

"But you live at the Bellas house with me. We share a room together, so I know you don't sleep here. How do you know all of these people?"

"I came to Atlanta once a few years ago from Tampa, on a college recruiting trip when I was in high school. This is where my family and I stayed when we visited Barden. I formed some great relationships with the staff here, and now they let me come here whenever I want, even though I am not a guest. I must come here at least a couple times a month now, sometimes for a long time, and others for a quick visit to say hi."

"How long were you even staying at this hotel the first time, when you discovered this place Chlo?" Beca asked incredulously, as they walked around the upper terrace.

"Just 2 nights," was the answer. "It was a quick little stop on a longer road trip up the east coast."

In awe of her best friends networking skills, Beca had one other question. "Do I dare ask how you got them to give you special permission? You didn't burst into the pool's shower and ask, right?"

Chloe chuckled, but looked a little offended. "No, Beca. I didn't. How many times do I have to repeat myself? The shower thing was an isolated incident, specifically pertaining to you, and only you. You should feel special," she winked, laughing as Beca flushed a deep red.

"I spent the whole evening on the night that we arrived here just lounging by the pool, people watching and talking to some of the other guests. The next day, once I had finished my early morning campus visit at Barden and lunch, I spent the majority of the rest of that afternoon reading a book and listening to music on the terrace. My family and I rounded out the early evening by walking around the grounds one last time before we went out to dinner."

"Ah man, that sounds awesome. The only reason I'm here is because my stupid father forced me to go here. I had to move from Portland. Do you know how big of a change moving from Maine to Atlanta, Georgia is? It's awful. Especially for someone who had no interest in going to college in the first place?" she added as an afterthought.

"BUT," Beca continued sincerely, "this place is magical. I'm without a doubt, consistently surprised by you, even though by this point in time, I really shouldn't be."

"It's really great, isn't it?" Chloe mused, as the two of them took in their surroundings. "This is one of the reasons I chose Barden in the first place. And now I have another great reason to stay," she said softly, stopping the two of them as she looked fondly at her co-captain. "I'm so glad you asked to come here with me."

"Me too," Beca agreed. "It's so peaceful here, it's easy to forget we're in a city with over 420 thousand people. I bet you can lose track of time so quickly."

"Yup," Chloe agreed. "That's why I wouldn't let myself come here until after dinner the day we arrived. I only knew what time it was, when one of the workers said that the pool was closing at 11, and that I needed to come back the next day."

All of a sudden, Beca's stomach growled. "Looks like someone needs feeding," Chloe teased. "And no wonder! It's almost noon. Do you want to eat by the waterfall or the pool?"