Chapter 9
Philip sat quietly in the family limousine next to Belle. He looked over at her.
She had her blonde hair in an upswept hairdo. She was wearing a bluish-purple
iridescent knee-length dress. She looked pretty. Then why I am I wishing it was
someone else here next to me? Philip wondered. Knock it off, Kiriakis, he
reprimanded.
Two weeks ago this is exactly what Philip thought that he had wanted. He’d
been interested in Belle and wanted to take her to this dance. Philip had been
absolutely determined to win the title of King of the Sophomore Class at the
Last Blast Dance, and he had been sure that with someone as popular as Belle
Black on his arm that the title was easily going to be his. For some reason
though, winning the title of king had become less and less important with each
passing day. Philip even had to admit to himself that he wasn’t really
interested in dating Belle. She was just his counterpart – the female version
of Philip Kiriakis, every bit as popular as he was. He’d almost felt like
there was an expectation to date her, that he should naturally be interested in
her. And here he was with what he thought was his wish. Philip looked over at
Belle again, and knew that he felt nothing for her but friendship.
"Hey, in case I didn’t mention it earlier, you look really nice tonight,
Belle."
Belle smiled and looked over at Philip. "Thanks, Philip. Um, that’s a
really nice suit you’re wearing. Is it new?"
"Yeah, my dad got it for me in Italy."
Belle turned back to look out of the window. Philip did look nice in his
designer duds, but Belle would have traded Philip in his Armani to be sitting
next to a certain Shawn Brady in jeans and a leather jacket in a New York
minute.
"So, you feel like explaining to me what it is we’re doing here?"
Philip asked.
Belle faced him, her eyes widened in feigned shock. "What do you
mean?"
"It isn’t like you to do what you did, Belle. I don’t think you’re
interested in me or in going out with me. I kind of pride myself on knowing
these things," Philip smiled.
Did she dare tell him?
"Can you keep a secret, Philip?" Belle asked solemnly.
Philip winked at Belle. "Sure."
"So can I." Belle smiled. Philip gave Belle a knowing look and Belle
threw her hands up in the air. "All right, all right. I’m kind of using
you," she said.
"Using me? For what, my body?" Philip joked.
"There’s just someone that I’d like to make jealous tonight, and I
couldn’t think of a better way than to show up on Philip Kiriakis’
arm," she said apologetically. She hoped Philip wasn’t hurt by her reason
for asking him to take her to the dance. Belle neglected, however, to mention
that after Philip had paid her an adequate amount of attention, she intended for
him to be fully distracted by the new and improved Chloe. She was hoping Shawn’s
chivalrous instincts would kick in and that he would be her date for the rest of
the night after Philip abandoned her.
"Would this have anything to do with Shawn Brady?" Philip asked, with
a glimmer of amusement in his eye.
Belle punched Philip’s arm. "NO, it doesn’t have anything to do with
Shawn. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I am not interested in Shawn,
and he is definitely not interested in me."
Philip mockingly rubbed his arm as if in pain where Belle had smacked him. Belle
looked at him with pleading in her eyes. "Would you help me, Philip?"
"How could I deny my nephew’s sister anything?" he said.
**************************************************
Jason rolled his head back, resting it on the back seat of the car. The things
this girl could do with her mouth…
Jan sat up and looked at him. "You set it all up today, right?"
Jason forced himself to open his eyes and look at her. "Yes, I did just
what you told me to do."
He grabbed the back of Jan’s neck and pulled her into a hungry kiss. Jan broke
it off and pushed him away. "Calm down, Jason. There’ll be time for that
later. Right now we have business to attend to."
"Tell me again why we’re doing this to Philip?"
Jan rolled her eyes. "Duh, do you not listen when I talk?" Not
really¸ Jason thought.
Jan pulled out a compact and began reapplying her lipstick. "What is the
most important thing in the world to Philip?"
Jason shrugged, "His reputation."
"Exactly. And how will it look when he gets crowned King with Ghoul Girl as
his Queen? And then when we dump the blood on them?" Jan closed her compact
and looked at Jason with an evil intensity. "Can’t you just see her up
there in one of those ankle-length black dresses she always wears? Philip
Kiriakis will never live it down. The sight of Vampira and Philip together will
stay in everyone’s memories for a long, long time."
"And just how do you plan on making all of those things happen?"
"My dear boy, we have something on almost every member of the sophomore
class. We will ‘convince’ all of them to vote for Philip and Chloe. And then
your bucket falls and…"
"It’ll be Salem High’s version of ‘Carrie’," Jason smirked.
Jan opened the car door. "Let’s go. There’s work to be done."
Philip should never have told Jan off, Jason thought. He’d be sure to never
make the same mistake.
**************************************************
Shawn tapped his fingers against his pant leg. He looked over at Chloe, who was
staring through the small windows in the gym doors into the dance. She had
wrapped herself in a black cloak, and was hiding her face within its cowl. Shawn
directed his gaze in the same direction, through the pane glass window. What he
saw struck him. Belle was dancing to a slow song with Philip. She was resting
her head on Philip’s shoulder. A wave of jealousy washed over Shawn. It was an
entirely new sensation for him. He couldn’t believe what had been happening to
him lately. He had never had any reason to be jealous. Belle had never gone out
with anyone else. This was new territory for him.
Shawn had such strong feelings for Belle, but was so afraid to admit them. He
was afraid of the rejection. But he was mostly afraid of the commitment. He was
only 16 years old. He wasn’t ready to settle down or be serious about any one
girl. Shawn saw a future in Belle. It was too scary to even think about. He had
dealt with it by pushing it to the side, by not admitting to how he felt. But
standing there now, watching Belle with some other guy, with Philip Kiriakis,
Shawn felt like he could actually hurt someone. Philip would be good. Shawn
fantasized about pounding Philip’s face in. Maybe that would help to relieve
some of the tension.
Chloe stood, unable and unwilling to move. This was it, she thought. She was
going to let the kids at school see her in an entirely different light. What if
they made fun of her or rejected her? How was she going to cope then?
She was startled at Shawn’s voice. "Don’t you think we ought to go
in?"
Chloe smiled. "That’s what we came here for, right?" Chloe removed
her thick black glasses and stuck them into her purse. Shawn grabbed the door
and held it open for her. The music had changed to a fast-paced tempo. Belle had
spotted Shawn the second he walked into the school. She had purposely laid her
head on Philip’s shoulder, knowing that Shawn would see. When the song ended,
she grabbed Philip and pulled him near the door to talk to Mimi. She wanted to
be the first thing Shawn saw when he walked in. Chloe and Shawn headed into the
gym. Belle was not the only one that had noted the second Shawn and Chloe
arrived. Jan and Jason headed over towards Chloe.
"Typical," smirked Jan. "Of course she’d wear all black."
A small crowd of Jan’s friends had started to form around Shawn and Chloe. Jan
started to chant, "Ghoul girl, ghoul girl, ghoul girl…" Jason
quickly joined in, and soon most of the kids were chanting along with them.
Chloe stood there like a deer in the headlights. Shawn was disgusted by the
reaction of his peers and apparently didn’t know what to do, either. Belle
started towards Chloe.
"Forget it. This was a bad idea," Chloe whispered, and started to head
back through the doors. Belle came up, grabbed Chloe by her shoulders and turned
Chloe to face her. "I don’t think so, Chloe Lane. You’re not going
anywhere. You picked tonight to make a grand entrance, to take off that black
cape, and show everyone who you really are. Now do it."
Chloe untied the drawstring at her neck with shaking hands and loosened the
ties. The chanting of "ghoul girl" was suddenly hushed as Chloe pushed
the cape off of her. Philip had a perfect view of Chloe, and he felt like
someone had punched him in the stomach. If someone had asked him a question at
that moment he would have been unable to form any words. He had no idea she had
a body like that under those black baggy clothes she always wore. Some of the
crowd had begun whispering among themselves while others began drifting away to
dance.
Mimi looked at Chloe in surprise, as well. Chloe was dressed in a red sequined
sheath, with delicate spaghetti straps. Her face was perfectly made up, with red
lipstick the same shade as the dress.
"Okay," Mimi asked, "did anyone else just feel that shift in the
space-time continuum?"
Philip had certainly felt a shift somewhere. Chloe had her hair in a bun at the
back of her head. She arched her back slightly and reached up with what Philip
decided was the sexiest gesture he had ever seen, and pulled two pins out or her
hair. She shook her head, and her hair cascaded down like a waterfall into soft
waves. Philip didn’t think he’d ever seen anything more amazing in his whole
life. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
Mimi looked at Philip and cocked one eyebrow. "You can pick your jaw up off
the floor now, Philip." It was sickening what a dress and a little lipstick
could do.
Shawn was surprised as well. Looked like the ugly duckling had decided to turn
into a swan. And then he focused all of his attention on Belle. She looked like
a princess out of another fairy tale with her blonde hair swept away from her
face, and her sparkling gown. Shawn decided that enough was enough. He had to
talk to her. Right now.
Shawn stood in front of Chloe. "Chloe, you look great. That’s a very
pretty dress."
Chloe grinned. "Thanks, Shawn."
"But if you’ll excuse me for a second, I need to talk to Belle," he
said. Shawn grabbed Belle by the hand and pulled her away from Chloe, with Belle
protesting the entire way.
Chloe placed her cape on the table next to the door and suddenly felt very
alone. Shawn and Belle were gone. She stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to
do now.
Philip’s feet seemed to be moving of their own volition. "Hi,
Chloe."
"Hey, Philip." Chloe suddenly felt even more awkward, and ten times
more nervous. Philip looked amazing, and she was sure he knew it.
"Looks like our dates abandoned us," Philip said, as he put his hands
into his pockets.
"Mm-hmm," Chloe replied, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her
ear.
"That’s a, uh, well, great dress," Philip stammered. Real smooth,
Kiriakis. That’s the best you could do? he thought. Chloe looked down at her
dress. "Oh, thanks."
LeAnn Rimes’ "I Need You" began to play. Philip looked at Chloe with
his piercing blue eyes. "I really like this song."
"Oh," Chloe replied.
She wasn’t making this easy. "Do you like to dance?" Philip asked.
"Are you asking me to?" Chloe responded.
"Yeah," Philip said.
"What about Belle?"
Philip smiled and gave Chloe the full dimple treatment. "I don’t think
Belle would want to slow dance with you, Chloe."
Chloe didn’t want him to know how badly she wanted to dance with him. She
sighed. "Well, seeing as how my date has disappeared, I suppose I don’t
have anything better to do right now. Might as well."
"You really know how to pump a guy’s ego, don’t you Chloe?" Philip
grimaced.
Philip held out his hand to her. Chloe looked at him and then delicately placed
her own in his. He briefly rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, and
Chloe’s nervous tremors started all over again. Philip led Chloe out to the
dance floor. He placed her left hand on his shoulder, and took her right hand in
his own. He placed his own hand high up on her back, to lead her. Within moments
Philip was expertly guiding Chloe around the floor.
Philip couldn’t help himself – he was staring and he knew it. What had she
done to her eyes to make them look even more beautiful? he thought. He wouldn’t
have thought it possible, but they were even more amazing tonight than he had
remembered.
"You dance really well," Chloe said in a breathless voice. She couldn’t
believe how smooth Philip was. She’d never, ever danced with a boy before, and
was terrified that she was going to mess up and step on Philip’s foot. But he
was so confident, so sure of himself, and led her in such a way that she felt
like the best dancer on the floor.
"Yeah, well, my mom made me take ballroom dance when I was little,"
Philip confided.
Chloe noticed that Philip was staring, but couldn’t make any sort of comment
about it to him. She was staring too. He was so unbelievably handsome. If he
wasn’t already so rich, he could have been a model. His eyes were glittering
like two dark sapphires as he took every inch of her eyes into his own. They
danced this way, neither able to tear their gaze from each other. People were
stopping to watch them. The intensity between them was indescribable.
Philip pulled Chloe in closer and put her other hand around his neck. He wanted
to hold her against him. He could smell that faint scent of strawberries from
her shampoo. Philip reached up to brush a strand of hair behind Chloe’s back.
His hand hovered a fraction of an inch from her face. She could almost feel his
hand, as if he were actually caressing her cheek. He swept her hair back and
allowed himself to run his hand down the length of her hair. He placed his free
hand on her waist and pulled her even closer to him.
"Look at you," Philip said quietly.
Chloe waited to see if he would continue.
"I’m looking at you and I can’t believe what I’m seeing. You’re
beautiful." Philip suddenly realized how cheesy that must have sounded and
hung his head a little. "That sounds so lame."
Philip looked back into those expectant eyes. "You’re more than
beautiful. You’re the most beautiful girl that I’ve ever seen. Ever,"
he whispered.
"Don’t say that," Chloe whispered back.
"Why?" Philip laughed. "Most girls love to hear how beautiful
they are."
"I’m not most girls."
"Thank God for small favors," Philip replied.
Chloe was suddenly self-conscious. Philip looking at her like that, telling her
that she was beautiful…she looked around and saw people watching them.
"Philip," she whispered, "everyone’s staring at us."
"I don’t see anyone but you, Chloe," Philip murmured.
Chloe was starting to feel overwhelmed.
"Why are you trembling?" Philip asked her.
"I’m cold," she lied.
"I don’t think so, Chloe."
He had to kiss her. He had to know what her lips would feel like on his. He had
to know what the electricity between them would feel like if ignited. Philip
reached one hand up to cup the side of her face. He looked at her and started to
move his face closer to hers.
Chloe’s heart suddenly went into overdrive, and she was struck with a mixture
of sensations; fear, curiosity, anxiousness, and an overwhelming need to have
Philip kiss her.
to be continued...
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