Chlollie Fanfic: Beauty in the Breakdown VII, Sacred Words Chapter 2
Some more Chlollie for ya!
Er...*glances around nervously*...still no Oliver, but don't hurt me! He appears in the next chapter, and then the fun begins. I know. I've half-written it. ;-)
PS: I was reliably informed by the lovelyladydevon that Orlando is not coastal, so I've relocated our favourite pair to Miami instead. Apologies for my lackof research and poor knowledge of US geography!
Enjoy!
Title: Beauty in the Breakdown VII: Sacred Words
Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Chlollie
Rating: NC-17 (this chapter PG)
Warnings: A Re-telling of Chlollie post-Warrior
Timeline: Season 9
Disclaimer: All known characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Series Summary: With Oliver by her side, Chloe learns to let go, find peace, and fall in love.
Story Summary: Chloe and Oliver finally exchange those three little words - in their own inimitable style, of course. ;)
Feedback: …Always. :)
BITB Series inspired by my favourite song on the Chlollie playlist sxymami0909sent me. Thanks, Cori! :)
Brilliant banner by we_are_parallel. Thanks so much for letting me use your awesome work! ;)
Out of sight, they say (is) out of mind
But your image will remain (with me) ‘til the end of time…
- Eyes Wide Shut, by JLS
Read previous chapter here.
Chapter 2
The flight was smooth and swift, and the landing gentle. In no time at all Chloe had taken the brief taxi ride to the hotel, being sure to leave the friendly driver a generous tip.
She knew Oliver’s Suite was on the top floor and had the number, so there was no need to stop at Reception. Quickly she strode through the opulently decorated lobby and went straight up the elevator to the penthouse floor. Once there she walked slowly along the corridors, checking the doors for his room number.
An unobtrusive hotel maid with a trolley of linens scuttled past her, the wheels making a slight squeak with every rotation. Suddenly the squeaking noise stopped and to her complete shock, Chloe heard her own name being uttered.
“Chloe?” said the girl in slightly accented English, and Chloe spun around, startled. “You are Chloe Sullivan, yes?”
Chloe stared at her and then narrowed her eyes, trying to put a name to the face. “I’m sorry…have we met?”
She shook her head. “You don’t know me,” she said with a smile as she approached. “My name is Karenna, I’m the housekeeper assigned to Mr Oliver’s room. I know you from the picture.”
“Picture?” Chloe echoed, baffled.
Karenna nodded. “He has your picture on the dresser, and he’s mentioned your name a few times.”
Chloe blinked. “Oh. I see,” she finally managed blankly.
Welcome to The Florida Palms in Miami, Chloe,” Karenna continued with a smile. “I hope everything is well with you?”
“I, uh…” he had her picture on the dresser? “I’m…I’m fine, thank you, Karenna. I’m trying to locate Oliver’s Suite; it’s number---”
“…1203, and it’s the split-level Suite just at the end of this corridor,” the young lady finished. “If you come with me, I’ll show you; I’m just going to service the room now.”
Chloe heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
“It’s my pleasure. Please come with me.” She led Chloe to the end of the corridor and opened the door to 1203 with her master key, then stood aside to let her enter.
Chloe stepped into the room and her eyes widened as she was greeted with a luxury suite decorated in fresh, bright colours, the most notable of which was (unsurprisingly) green. There was a small spiral staircase to the upper level terrace, and she went upstairs, her breath catching at the sheer beauty of panoramic view of the azure blue ocean, soft golden sands and lush green palms from which the hotel took its name.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Karenna said cheerfully from downstairs as she swiftly went about her daily business. “I see it every day, and it never fails to put a smile on my face.”
Chloe spent a few more minutes gawping at the view and exploring the terrace before making her way back downstairs. “It’s absolutely breath-taking, Karenna,” she said with a smile. “You have a lovely establishment here.”
Karenna beamed. “Please, make yourself comfortable,” she continued. “Mr Oliver is in a meeting in the conference room on the Mezzanine Floor. I’ll tell him you’re here---”
“Oh, no!” she said quickly. “Please don’t, he doesn’t know I’m here; I, er…flew over to surprise him.”
“Ah!” the girl said, her eyes lighting up. “Say no more, I understand. A pleasant surprise it will be for him, too; he needs to relax more. Everyone here says he works too hard.”
Chloe stared at her. “Everyone knows him?”
She nodded. “He’s one of our favourite regulars, he knows each and every one of us by name,” she said proudly. “We always like to take extra special care of him, and when your picture showed up and we realised he’d met a nice girl, we were so thrilled. You want to see? Come; it’s over there.”
Chloe followed the young woman towards the dresser. Sure enough, there was a framed photograph of her smiling face right in the centre. There was also another one of her by the bedside table, right beneath the lamp. It was a candid shot; they’d been having a lazy weekend, she had just woken up and was giving him a sleepy smile when he’d surprised her by taking the picture.
You’re the last thing on my mind before I close my eyes at night, and the first person I think of when I wake up, without fail, whether I’m lying beside you or not.
Tears sprang to her eyes as she recalled how sincerely he’d said those words to her in their last conversation. She could see now why that was so.
“Would you like something to eat, or drink?” Karenna asked.
She dragged her errant mind back to the present. “Er…”
“Have a look at the menu, and when you’re ready to order, just dial Room Service on #1 and ask for whatever you want,” she said. “I’ll have a word with them first and advise them of your request for discretion.”
“Discretion?”
Karenna’s eyes twinkled. “You want to keep your arrival a secret, no?”
“Oh! Yes, of course. Thank you Karenna, a late lunch would be lovely.”
The young woman took Chloe’s order and placed a call down to room service for her.
“Your meal will be ready in twenty minutes,” she said as she hung up. “Once you’re finished, Room Service will be along to take the cart away. I’m afraid I have to leave you now, but if you need anything---”
“Karenna, you’ve already gone above and beyond the call of duty to make me comfortable,” she said with a smile as she shook the girl’s hand and surreptitiously pressed a hefty tip into it at the same time. “I can’t thank you enough.”
Karenna beamed. “It’s my pleasure. And thank you very much, you’re very generous. Please enjoy your lunch, and if you have any requests, please feel free to contact Guest Relations. They’ll attend to you straight away.”
***
Lunch was a leisurely affair on the terrace, and the seafood dish she’d ordered was the most delectable thing she’d ever tasted. She took a sip of sweet white wine and stared out over the ocean, wishing with all her heart that she could have shared it with Ollie. If she’d indicated her presence here to him, no doubt he would have joined her, but…
She sighed, watching the sapphire-blue waves lap gently on the shore. She knew why she hadn’t told him she was here; it was because she and Oliver had a good track record with surprises. The last time she’d surprised him, they’d ended up cleaning house together, bonded as they shared life stories, cooed over baby pictures and laughed out loud in a cloud of baby powder. Not to mention the most awesome lovemaking that had followed.
And then he’d looked at her and told her point blank that he was falling in love with her. Their relationship had progressed from there, and she’d gotten happier and happier every day since.
She smiled to herself. Yes, their relationship had thrived on surprises from Day One. There was no reason to think this one would be any different.
She sighed and rose and rang for the Room Service attendant to come for the tray.
“I trust you enjoyed your meal, ma’am?” the young waiter named George asked pleasantly.
“Immensely, thank you. My compliments to the Chef,” she replied with a wide smile.
“Mr Oliver has just gone into his third meeting of the day,” he informed her. “As requested, he is as yet unaware of your presence here.”
“And I’d like to keep it that way,” she said with a wink as she handed the young man a generous tip.
He pocketed it with a huge grin. “Understood. Thank you, and if you need anything…”
She smiled. “…I know just who to call.”
George smiled and exited the room. Chloe glanced ruefully at her purse, thinking she should really keep tabs on her tipping. Everyone here was so nice, she would probably go home broke, but with a big smile on her face nevertheless.
She yawned, feeling a little tired from the flight over, and thought that a nap and a bath sounded like a heavenly idea. Oliver would be in that meeting for at least another two hours; it would give her time to prepare to give him a proper welcome.
***
After the world’s most relaxing bath in the world’s most relaxing tub (which she and Oliver would totally have to share whilst they were here), Chloe slipped into a moss-green silky negligee which dipped low between her breasts and fell softly to mid-thigh. She grinned, thinking she ought to do an inventory of exactly how many green pieces of clothing had come into her wardrobe since she and Oliver started dating. She now gravitated to any green item in a shop window, almost as if there was an invisible magnet between her and anything green. Heck, even her tea was green these days.
But she loved the way she looked and felt in green, and - best of all - she loved the look in Oliver’s eyes every time he saw her in his signature colour. It made her suddenly monochromatic wardrobe totally worth it.
By now the sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting the room in a golden glow. Chloe yawned again, her eyelids heavy. She made her way to the bedroom and lay down in the centre of the superkng-sized bed, keeping her cellphone close to hand. She snuggled comfortably into the pillows and drifted off, hoping with all her heart that the next time she opened her eyes, Oliver would be beside her.
***
Chapter 3…