Expectations – Chapter 2B

Chloe continued her quiet vigil near Philip as she sat on the cool black and white tiled, art deco looking floor of the bathroom. Her arms were crossed and rested on the edge of the tub. Her chin rested on her forearm as she silently gazed at the face of the boy who had intruded into her self-imposed, solitary existence the previous year and changed her life forever.

She stared at him uninterrupted and noticed all the little facial features she had grown to love about Philip. His slender nose divided his face into even planes with the high cheekbones defining his dimples even more, though at the moment, they were invisible. His hair fell softly across his forehead with sunlit streaks evident even in the candlelight. Long blond lashes rested against the area directly below his eyes – covering the slate blue windows to his soul she had learned to explore when she wanted to know what was going on inside him. His mouth was soft, pliant and slightly open…the exhaled breath gently rippling over the lavender-scented bubbles that rested near his torso as he slumbered in the hot bath.

It occurred to Chloe that Philip’s features had matured in the past few months – making him even more appealing than before. She could begin to see the handsome young man who was emerging from the boyish looks of a year ago. She keenly became aware that he would grow into his looks and be more attractive, if that were possible, as he aged. Her concern was for the small, dark circles that underlined his eyes. They had been there for two days as Philip refused to give in to his body’s need for rest after all he had been through, ending with the violent death of his father. As Chloe silently took inventory of Philip’s features, she felt a warm, salty tear roll down her cheek.

Why had this happened to Philip? He had deeply loved his father all his life even though Victor had been gone for so many years first on countless business trips and then in the nursing home after his strokes. He had told her of the countless wishes made on shooting stars, birthday candles, Thanksgiving wishbones that one day his father would come home and give him another chance to spend time together. Though he would never admit it, Chloe knew a part of Philip’s need to excel at sports of every kind was a way of gaining his father’s attention and approval. She had enjoyed seeing the sparkle in Philip’s eyes whenever his father praised him for any little thing he did. Father and son had seemed to be drawing closer the past few weeks.

Months before, Philip had arranged for Chloe to meet his father over dinner at Tuscany one evening to formally introduce her to him. She had changed clothes five times before finally settling on the perfect outfit she thought would represent her in the best possible light…for Philip’s sake. She had nearly called Philip and cancelled, so nervous was she. He intuitively knew how she was churning inside and almost never let go of her hand from the moment he picked her up at her house until she danced with his father after dinner - giving her reassuring squeezes the entire time. As it turned out Victor had been astonished by the caliber of person Philip had finally chosen to be his steady girlfriend.

He’d witnessed the parade of vapid, giggling girls Philip had paraded past him over the previous school year and wondered if he would ever understand that a girl with depth, intelligence and poise was what he needed. She wouldn’t be a threat, but a compliment, to him. Chloe knew none of this as she walked into the restaurant that night. She saw Victor’s face go from grim to a gentle smile when introduced to him by Philip. They had talked opera, sports and even the publishing business while Philip sat back and grinned all the while looking at each of them in their animated conversation. She had grown fond of Victor Kiriakis and he of her. Now….it was all gone in the space of a few moments’ time….the time it had taken for two bullets to take Philip’s father from him….forever.

Chloe knew she was the only one who could get near Philip and even with her he was remote. Kate, his mother, had destroyed the mother/son bond when Philip had found her with Vincent Moroni in the throes of passion days before. As much as he had loved his mother through the years when she raised him without Victor by her side, Philip’s hatred of her was now of equal proportion. He had his half brothers but their lives were not as entwined with Kate and Victor as Philip’s had been. All were or had been married…Bo to Hope; Austin to Carrie – before the divorce and Lucas to Nicole and had aspects of their lives that were separate from the Kiriakis mansion. Philip had been the single focus of both of his parents while growing up. Now, he was paying the price for that dotage.

While deep in thought Chloe heard Philip take a long, audible breath and settle down into the water a little farther. Her love for him washed over her at that moment and she reached toward his face to push the hair back from his forehead. Philip, instantly awakened, jumped at her touch and sat up in the tub the way a submarine breaches the surface of the ocean and, just as they do, he created a wake of water. The end result was a wave that washed over the side of the tub and Chloe as well.

"What are you doing?" Philip shouted at her while he fought to remember where he was.

"Ohhh, Philip!!" Chloe yelled – startled at the sudden soaking of her shirt and jeans.

He looked at her and began to recall how he happened to be in a bathtub filled with tons of bubbles.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just trying to push your hair back a little," Chloe said as she reached out again to complete the task.

"Leave it alone," Philip said with a tinge of annoyance as he pushed her hand away.

"I apologize for waking you up. You looked so peaceful…"

"…I wasn’t asleep….I was just resting my eyes," Philip argued. "I told you I wasn’t sleepy."

Chloe knew it was futile to argue with him. She understood, though it was a little thing, Philip did not want to appear to have given in to his body’s need for rest. He needed to be contained…strong, invincible….a true Kiriakis.

"Philip, look…..whether you were asleep or not…."

"…..I wasn’t…."

"Fine….you weren’t. If you want to rest I’ll go in the other room ….whatever you want."

Philip drew a deep breath and exhaled before looking the opposite direction Chloe was and began deliberately emphasizing each word he uttered as though he was speaking to someone who didn’t understand English.

"What…I….want……is….to….get…..out…of…here," he said motioning to his immediate surroundings.

"But, Philip, the water’s still warm and you can’t tell me you don’t feel more relaxed."

"What…..what is the big deal about you and this bath business?"

"I’m trying to help you, Philip," Chloe shouted at him as she swiped at the tear that continued to trickle down her cheek - failing in her efforts to not let him see how his non-appreciation of her efforts cut into her heart.

Philip dropped his head and stared at the floating islands of bubbles. He heard the sniffling sound Chloe tried to muffle. Slowly he turned his head and tried to look at her without Chloe being aware he was. He could see her chin tremble in profile and she constantly adjusted the bridge of her glasses which she must have picked up from the bathroom counter at some point when he probably had……been asleep. Previous arguments and makeup sessions had trained his eye to notice Chloe’s habit of not letting him know when she was crying. She would push the bridge of her glasses up her nose and take a quick swipe at any latent tear that threatened to reveal her vulnerability.

"Chloe…….a bubble bath isn’t going to bring my father back," he said in a barely audible whisper.

"My God, Philip, I know that. It’s just that you’ve been running on pure adrenaline for two days and you’ve got to try to rest, even if it’s only for a few hours."

"You’re not my nurse," Philip snapped at her.

"No, you’re right, I’m not……..I’m just the person who loves you more than anyone else at this moment…and always will."

Philip turned his head and looked at Chloe unable to avoid looking at her after her honest admission. He fought hard to keep from letting her know the remark had finally gotten through to him as nothing else had the past few hours. He pulled his gaze from her face and stared at the faucets at the end of the tub directly in front of him frantically searching for a way to halt inflicting any more hurtful remarks on Chloe. Minutes passed before he looked up at the ceiling and noticed the flickering candlelight from the votive holders along the edge of the tub was actually soothing to him.

"Chloe….," came a softened voice from him.

"Yes?"

"I’ll make you a deal."

"I’m listening."

"I’ll stay in the tub a few more minutes…..then I want to get out. It’s not helping me, okay?"

"I have a counter proposal."

"What? You’ve got to be kidding."

"You stay in the tub a little longer and let me finish with my other idea and see if it doesn’t relax you. I promise, I’ll never make you do this again."

Silence….contemplation by both parties involved in the negotiations.

"How much longer do I have to stay in here?"

"Not more than it takes for room service to arrive….ten minutes maybe."

"All right……ten minutes…"

"Or until room service arrives…."

"TEN minutes," Philip said as he raised both hands out of the water and help up his fingers to emphasize the number.

"Agreed."

"So….so….what’s the other idea?"

"This."

Chloe grinned, the only sign of triumph she dared show. She reached down and picked up the pink, heart-shaped sponge and bar of lavender soap she had placed next to the tub when she sat down. They were already moistened by the tsunami Philip had created when he’d awakened with a start minutes before. She dunked them into the tub as Philip watched her every move. She lathered up the sponge and began making small circles of lather across Philip’s left arm, shoulder and making her way across his opposite arm. Her touch was gentle, the soap rich in texture. She picked up his left hand from the water and, starting at his fingertips, gradually did the same circular motions all the way up his arm until she reached his shoulder once more. She began to reach across for his right hand when Philip voluntarily raised it. Philip never took his eyes from her face watching her concentrate on her task.

"The only thing missing from this is my Ernie Rubber Ducky," Philip said out of the blue.

"Your what?"

"When I was really little…..about four or five….never mind."

Stopping her ministrations Chloe wanted to encourage Philip talking about things that perhaps would help him forget his pain for a few moments.

"Go ahead…I’m listening. Before you do, lean forward."

He hesitated, then, decided to comply. As he leaned forward, Chloe got on her knees, shifting to a position behind him and started scrubbing his back.

"Tell me about Ernie Ducky…"

"No..no…Ernie’s Rubber Ducky…Ernie, you know like in Burt and Ernie on Sesame Street.. Remember, Ernie had to always have his yellow rubber ducky with him when he took a bath….’Rubber Ducky, you’re the one, you make bath time lots of fun’…." Philip suddenly sang causing Chloe to bend over his shoulder to look quizzically at him.

"What are you singing?"

"The……rubber ducky…..song………forget it."

"No, don’t stop. It’s cute…I’ve just never heard it before is all."

"You never watched Sesame Street?"

Chloe shook her head and returned to scrubbing his broad shoulders and back.

"Go ahead with your story."

"Well, I used to have take baths when I was that little. Henderson would fill up the tub with all my other toys, boats – stuff like that but Vivian Alamein, who was taking care of me then, would put the yellow ducky in the bathtub because she knew that’s what would make me get in the tub."

"Vivian Alamein? She’s the one who gave birth to you, right?"

"Yes, she was living with us then…when my mother disappeared. I thought she and Dad were going to be together for awhile…until my…….mother…….returned."

"You always talk about her fondly."

Philip nodded. "I always liked her. She used to see right through me whenever I tried to lie or hide something from her. She would tell me I couldn’t do anything to make her stop loving me, so I should be up front with her. And, I did because she was right, - it was just easy to be honest with her….unlike with my mother I learned I couldn’t manipulate Vivian…..I didn’t want to, either."

"I’m beginning to get this image of you as a four-year-old sitting in the tub playing with your toys."

"Yeah…Henderson used to get upset with me. He’d tell me I always got water all over the bathroom floor."

"Some things never change, huh?"

Philip knew she was referring to the water that had spilled over the side of the tub minutes earlier but made no comment.

"Okay…now, lean back and lower your shoulders in the water to rinse off and then I’ll do your feet and legs."

"No, Chloe, I can do them myself. I’d prefer that."

What he didn’t tell her though was as he was trying to relay the story of his childhood, the physical sensations of her hands and the sponge on his body was making him lose his concentration. Other parts of his body were reacting as well. Rather than enjoying them, he felt guilty for feeling any pleasure at all…..it was disrespectful of mourning for his father, he judged.

"Okay, but while you’re rinsing, lean back and get your hair wet."

"Why?"

Chloe leaned forward again and looked at him with her "just do it" face….no words were necessary when she used that expression. When he resurfaced Chloe had a bottle of shampoo she’d taken from her tote bag. She lathered Philip’s hair and washed it thoroughly as the smell of spring flowers filled the confined space where the bathtub was. Philip recognized it immediately as the fragrance he always smelled when he held Chloe close enough to breathe in the perfume of her hair.

"Okay….all done…dip once or twice to make sure you get the soap out of your hair."

The telephone rang as she finished giving Philip instructions.

"I’ll get it."

"You’re going to have to…I certainly can’t."

"Good point."

Chloe rose and trotted into the bedroom to catch the phone before it stopped ringing. She listened and made a couple of short responses before returning the receiver to the cradle. She turned, heading back to the bathroom to relay the information she’d been told on the phone.

Approaching the door she came to a complete standstill. In the time it had taken her to finish the phone call, Philip had decided to end the bath. He was standing with a glittery sheath of water still on his body and nothing more. Bubbles from the tub were clinging and sliding down his hips attempting to return to their watery domain. Chloe ached to have it be her hands tracing his sides where the bubbles lingered. The muscles of his back, shoulders, thighs and legs were clearly defined and evenly proportioned. He stood comfortably, unaware he was being watched. Chloe thought it was probably the way he stood in the locker room after a game shower talking to his teammates…at ease with his body.

His shook out extra water from his hair and started to turn toward the direction she was standing. Finally, she broke her stare and quickly backed from view, her heart pounding in her chest. Her breathing had appreciably accelerated in less than a minute. It seemed much longer than that, but according to her watch….it was only sixty seconds.

She brought her hands to her face, covered her mouth and nose and took deep breaths. For all the embarrassment and bashfulness she felt, other feelings were even stronger…..arousal and desire. Fighting a losing battle with her conscience, she took a step forward until the bathroom was again in view hoping to see Philip naked one more time. Her eyes darted toward the tub and saw him as he wrapped the royal purple towel around his waist and stepped from the it to the bathmat. Disappointment, shame and excitement took turns battling for supremacy as the emotion of the moment for Chloe. Philip came through the doorframe and appeared startled to see Chloe looking at him so intensely.

"You okay?"

Chloe nodded and looked away fearing he would know by looking at her what she had witnessed. There came a loud knock at the door that made Chloe jump.

"Chloe, what’s with you…it’s probably just room service delivering your dinner. Why don’t you answer that while I put on my bathrobe."

"Right….I’ll go answer the door…over there…."

The only path for her to take to reach the door was by going between Philip and the desk. She haltingly took one step …then another….until she was only a foot from him and could feel the dampness still clinging to his skin and it made her pulse race. He stepped aside, allowing her to get to the door while he reached into his opened suitcase and removed the baby blue, terrycloth robe from its contents. Chloe opened the door and was greeted by a cart filled with metal-covered plates, a small vase containing a pink carnation and a smiling bellboy who contemplated making another sizeable tip before his shift ended at eleven in the evening. He moved the table on wheels into the room. Philip signed the check and turned away from the table – not even remotely interested in what Chloe had ordered because he didn’t plan on eating. Chloe locked the deadbolt on the door when the bellboy had left and walked back into the room to see Philip starting out that same window he had been earlier.

Chloe thought to herself – now, phase two, how I get him to eat. She walked to the table, sensibilities returned to normal and ready to put her plan into action.