Chapter 26

Two minutes. Philip looked at the classroom clock again, using his will to move that stubborn minute hand closer to home. Outside the new sun shone bright and warm. Spring was making an early entrance. And today was Friday. Blessed Friday and he was a minute and fifty seconds away from the weekend. He'd waited over two weeks to unveil this surprise for Chloe. With Henderson's help, he'd planned it to the tee.

He had to admit, though, that ever since last weekend and Chloe's private announcement to him he'd begun to count the minutes until Friday. One minute fifteen seconds. Mr. Ladel droned on and on about something related to U.S. government. After all, that was what the class was called. Philip wholeheartedly promised to whoever up there was listening that as long as he and Chloe had this weekend, he'd read the freaking textbook cover to cover, if he had to.

Heck, his girlfriend was premier genius. It was bound to rub off on him. His grades had been long recessitated from vegetative C's and occasional D's to robust B's and mildly sniffled A's. What could he say? Chloe Lane knew how to motivate.

One minute. Tick tock tick tock. No baseball meeting today. Practice didn't start for another week. She, on the other hand, had choir practice before her weekend began. Nevertheless, her parents were busy at the hospital, which was undergoing annual inspection and review. So, they barely batted a lash, when Chloe told them she'd stay over with a friend for the weekend. Fate might actually be swinging sublimely in their favor for a miraculous change. Forty-five seconds. Jesus, agonized Philip, running a crazed hand through his hair.

He'd seen that pretty pink bag last night. No warm-blooded guy could mistake it for what it was. Which only made sleeping with that scented bear insanely masochistic. He didn't have the heart to lock it away in the closet. So, he took in that heady scent of lavender and dreamt and woke up in a hot sweat. Man, Kiriakis, get a hold of yourself. Philip winced. Bad choice of mental words.

Twenty-five seconds. Free at last…

"Mr. Kiriakis."

Philip jolted. "Uh, yes, Mr. Ladel?"

"What is your take on the Second Amendment and it's relevance in today's society in comparison to the time it was established?"

Philip's eyes bulged. Think, Kiriakis. Talked about it with her the other night. "Well, um, the Founders… um… remembered the British taking away their guns and stuff during the Revolution… and uh… so they wrote the Second Amendment giving all citizens the right to bear arms."

"Very good, Mr. Kiriakis. And how does that compare to today's discussion of the Second Amendment?"

"Uh…" Bell… Where the heck was the bell? "Well, Congress today is talking about gun control and stuff… and some people are for it and some people aren't. Uh, people are probably scared of the government having too much power over them again."

"Nice point, Mr. Kiriakis, to begin this multi-faceted issue."

The bell rang.

Philip let out a huge breath of relief. He felt like kissing that bell. Hallelujah!

"Have a nice weekend, Ladies and Gentlemen!" their teacher shouted, as his students stampeded out of the classroom.

If he only knew how nice this weekend was going to be… With an outrageous grin plastered across his face, Philip joined the rush to the lockers. He found himself whistling a Disney tune, as he merrily slid the relevant books into his bookbag and slammed his locker shut. If he could've skipped without looking like an idiot, he would've.

"Hey, Philly boy," said an unmistakable nasal whine, "You hear-"

"Hello, Jan," he greeted with a bright smile, "Beautiful day, isn't it?" and continued his chipper stride down the hall.

Jan's mouth dropped open. "Is he on drugs or something?"

"Hey, K-Man!" Jason caught up with him in the next corridor and swung a companionable arm over his buddy's shoulder. "Some of the guys are going to the park. You up for some basketball?"

"I'll take a rain check, buddy," glowed Phil, "Gotta get home and pack."

"Pack?" Jase scratched his head. "Where the hell are you going?"

So excited was Philip that he gave his childhood friend a bear hug and laughed at Jason's stunned expression. "Later, man."

Jason watched his friend's rapidly retreating back. "What's up with him? He get lucky or something?" He shrugged and continued to Shawn's locker. Surely his buddy Shawn was sane today.

He came upon the open locker door to find two pairs of feet jutting out below, with one dark Mary Jane clad toe rubbing the side of thick jeans. Jason rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Hey, Shawn!" Jason waited for his friend to turn around. "You up for some basketball?"

Shawn grinned then turned back to Belle, who gave a little pout and tugged on his sleeve. "Can't leave without my favorite cheerleader. It's pretty nice outside. What do you say, babe? Come with us."

Belle smiled hugely at his casual but sweet term of endearment. "How can a girl say no to a sweaty muscle fest?" She gave him a tantalizing peck on the lips. "Let's see, if Mimi wants to come." She interlaced her fingers in his and the three headed toward Mimi's locker.

They walked upon her from behind. Her head was ducked close to that of a dark haired boy with a camera hung protectively on his side. Jason tried not to scowl, as she burst into an irrepressible fit of the giggles and the boy swung an arm over her shoulders and laughed with her.

"Mimi!" called out Belle.

Her friend turned at her name with rosy cheeks. "Belle, you have to see these."

"See what? Hi, Luis," greeted Belle, as she looked down at the dark binder he held. Once her eyes focused in and identified the image, she beamed. "It's Shawn."

"Really?" grinned Shawn, as he took an optimistic look at the 8x11-inch photo. And paled.

"Dude!" laughed Jason, who easily looked over Luis's shoulder. "The Man of Steel himself! Man, you gotta let me have a copy of these," he managed through the hysterical howls, flipping to the next page, where Shawn had flexed like a body builder in fun for Belle, unknowingly posing for the school photojournalist. The next one was of Jason's teammate prancing atop the piano with the blow-up doll. "The guys are gonna love these!"

"Please, God," grumbled Shawn, "Say you burned the negatives."

Meanwhile, Luis happily showed off his contact sheets of the party. "I thought this was a great shot of you, Mimi," prided Luis.

Mimi gave a small smile at the image of sultry Marilyn Monroe blowing a kiss to the camera. Then, her smile died at the next picture. The bubbly Marilyn Monroe in the arms of Indiana Jones on the dance floor. She could barely see his face, but she knew it was him.

"Oh, crap," interjected Luis, "I'd better get the other prints to the Chief. Later, Mimi! Bye, guys!" He quickly left for the newsroom.

"Meems?" Belle reached for her friend's hand.

Mimi took a breath then looked up to meet an equally sorrowful pair of green eyes. And looked away. She cleared her throat. "So, um, where are you guys going?"

"Uh, we figured, since it's so nice out," explained Shawn, exchanging a cautious glance with Belle, "We'd go to the park for some basketball."

"You want to come along, Meems? We could watch some skin or feed the ducks, if we get bored."

Mimi dredged up a smile. "What are you trying to say about the skin?" She determined her own fate, she promised herself. "Yeah, that sounds cool. Let me get my things."

Pushing open the double doors, Chloe stepped out of the school into the soft sunshine. She lifted her face to feel the gentle breeze, which sent the loose ends of her hair floating. With the weather so nice outside, the school was nearly empty. Who could blame anyone for rushing out to enjoy early spring?

Chloe smiled and started the unhurried walk back to her house. The weekend was finally here. Bright and early tomorrow morning, Philip would arrive to sweep her away to… somewhere. She laughed. That boy could keep secrets from the dead. No matter how hard she tried and flattered, he wouldn't reveal a thing. Though, he had mentioned the jet…

Chloe shrugged. The place hardly mattered. Wherever they'd go, she planned to enjoy it. And him.

With that thought, she felt the overwhelming urge to hear his voice. She stopped by a payphone, deposited the coins, and dialed the number, which her fingers could recall now without any conscious effort. She got his voicemail.

"Kiriakis. You know the rest," his recorded voice cool and confident.

"Hi, Philip. It's Chloe. Just wanted to say hi…" She smiled, "Can't wait for tomorrow. Call me later. Bye." She set the phone down and wondered where he could be. He carried his cell phone everywhere with him. Following a hunch, she picked up the phone again.

"Kiriakis residence."

"Hello, Henderson."

"Oh, hello, Miss Chloe. How are you this lovely day?"

Chloe smiled, "I'm fine. Better than fine actually. Would Philip be there by chance?"

"Why yes. He is finishing his chores. Would you like me to get him for you?"

"Actually, Henderson, that's ok. I'll just drop by."

"Very well, Miss Chloe. We'll see you shortly then."

"Thank you, Henderson."

She set down the phone and turned to walk up to the Kiriakis mansion. She'd finished the bulk of her homework assignments during the week. The rest she could do tonight and Sunday. Her bags were already packed. Somehow, she'd squeezed five outfits suitable for any occasion, plus shoes, makeup, accessories, and other things into two rolling carry-on suitcases. She'd had to borrow one suitcase from Belle, since she couldn't really ask Nancy or Craig without arousing suspicion. She inwardly sighed. The things a girl had to do to look inspiring.

She reached the front gates, which the guard opened immediately, as she approached.

"Hello, Miss Lane."

"Hello, Sirus. How are you feeling?" she inquired after his recent bout with the flu bug.

He smiled in return. "Just fine now. I tried gargling orange juice, like Henderson said, and it sort of worked."

She laughed and proceeded up the walk to the grand oak door. She raised the intricate brass knocker and let it fall.

Moments later, the door opened. "Hello, Miss Chloe."

"Hi, Henderson," she smiled and stepped inside.

"Master Philip is helping the stable hands today. You may wait in his room, if you wish."

"Hmmm. Now, this I have to see. Philip Kiriakis getting his hands dirty."

Henderson chuckled. "It may surprise you to see what an industrious assistant he's become." He offered a perfectly starched coat sleeve and led her to the other side of the mansion, through the kitchens, where she waved hello to Cook. Then, they walked out the side door and down a long path, where a little golf cart sat at the bottom of the inclined slope. "Please."

Like the gentleman of long ago, he helped her into the car and then rounded to the driver's side. The small white vehicle was a surprisingly smooth ride over the pristine grassland. They passed the extensive Italian, Oriental, and sculpture gardens, tennis courts, putting greens, and lavish landscape. The land seemed to go on forever, as the sun began to set upon the horizon. Finally, they reached a long pine wood structure, which stretched partially around a fenced-in pasture and training ground.

"Here we are, Miss Chloe. Master Philip should be right through there," he indicated the side entrance.

Chloe hopped out and waved goodbye, before he rumbled off back to the mansion and his duties. She pulled open the door and walked in. The scent of fresh hay and horse hit her instantly, as her eyes gradually adjusted to the dim light. The floors were recently swept clean and on the walls hung all manner of leather and metal. She looked across the long and expansive space, broken only by closed stall doors with hooves visible below.

"Philip?"

A horse here and there whinnied in reply.

She trod slowly from stall to stall. Many of the horses shied away from the newcomer and retreated to the back of their stalls. That was fine with Chloe. She had had no idea that these animals were so big. Their faces were longer than half her body. Her eyes widened at the sounds of hooves pushing the hay beneath them. God only knew what an animal that big could do to a human being caught under those hooves.

"Philip?"

All of a sudden, a massive muzzle poked out of a stall before her. The huge brown eye stared right at her, fluttering those mammoth thick lashes. The mare huffed a bit then sniffed with her huge nostrils at Chloe's pockets.

Chloe stood still, petrified. Maybe she could reason with it. "Uh… hello… I-I was just looking for Philip… you know, cute dirty blond guy with dimples… Do you know Philip?"

The horse neighed, as if in recognition, then returned to nuzzling her arms and pockets.

"I-I'm sorry… I suppose you're looking for something to eat…" Chloe looked about. She saw an enormous chest in the corner. Perhaps, they kept the food in there. Then, she spotted a newly opened bag of baby carrots on the opposite shelf.

She slowly stepped away from the cheeky mare and reached into the bag. Placing a single piece in the center of her palm, she walked back over to the horse and held out her flattened hand. She'd read somewhere that horses were known to mistakenly chew off fingers, if one was not careful. So, she watched with trepidation, as the long neck of the horse stretched out of its stall and sampled the offering. Quickly, the orange stick was gone. Chloe felt her lips curve into an enchanted smile, as she placed another carrot in her palm and held it out to her new equine friend. Ears flickering in delight, the horse quickly gobbled it up and nudged her hand for more. Sniffing the sweet smell of carrot, she couldn't fault the four-legged creature's taste. On occasion, she'd buy these treats for herself.

She gave the horse another carrot, as her other hand very carefully reached out to touch its fur.

"You're spoiling her."

Chloe jumped, sending the carrot flying out of her hand and landing on the ground. Undeterred, the horse leaned out of its stall and bent down to polish it off.

"God, Philip, you startled me," Chloe managed with a hand over her heart.

He chuckled. Then, he walked over to slip his arms around her waist and kissed her neck, where her pulse was still racing. He'd been hanging out with the departing stable hands and Kiriakis jockeys, before he returned to check on his own pony. Then, he'd walked in and seen his beloved Chloe cooing over the brazen chestnut mare. He'd never considered himself a romantic, but he'd felt like he walked into a storybook, filled with fair maids and noble steeds.

"Sorry, beautiful," he said, hugging her. "Were you looking for me?"

She turned in his arms and cocked a brow. She admired his toned physique, adorned only with a sweaty ribbed tank and jeans, hanging loosely on his narrow hips. "Actually no. I'm looking for my other boyfriend with deep blue eyes and dimples."

He laughed. "How was choir practice?"

Chloe shook her head. "Rehearsal was fine. The boys ended up doing diaphragm exercises, so we used up our voices laughing at them." She ever so subtly moved back to admire the mare.

"You want me to introduce you?" grinned Philip at Chloe's obviously smitten expression.

Blushing, she nodded.

He interlaced his fingers with hers and approached the mare. "Hey, Cinnamon." His voice became soft and affectionate. "How you doing, girl?" He ran a hand down the horse's neck. "This is Chloe. Chloe, this is Cinnamon. We call her Cindy for short."

"H-Hello, Cindy." She slowly reached out to feel her fur. It was soft and thick.

Remembering the kind carrot-giver, Cindy gave a small whinny and nuzzled Chloe's chest.

"She likes you. I think, because you bribed her," smiled Philip, his heart warming to see charmed fascination in those sapphire eyes. "We can go riding one day, if you want."

Chloe looked up. "Really?"

"Sure. Come on. You can meet Cindy's homies." He led her to the adjacent stall then gave two short whistles. A jet black thoroughbred answered and poked his head out of the stall. "This is Midnight. He's one of my dad's racing horses. He won the Triple Crown last year in his first time out." They proceeded to the next stall. "This is Buckwheat," he said, as he petted an older quarter with gold fur and white socks. They reached the final stall and without a call whistle, the rambunctious young mahogany stallion neighed in greeting to his master. "And this is Bandit. My dad got him for me last year."

"Hello, Bandit." Chloe smiled at the way Philip lovingly smoothed his horse's coat. Completely at ease, Bandit rested his head on the center of his master's chest. Chloe sighed at the sight. In the beginning, she'd been as untrusting and wary, as a skittish horse. Wasn't it his patience and tenderness that won her heart in the end?

She reached up to hold his cheek before leading his lips to hers. His arms released his horse and came to bind around her, pressing her close to him. She could smell an intoxicating mix of pine, leather, hay, and sweat, but beneath it all, she could smell and taste him. The kiss heated into a blaze. She felt the ache curl from her belly, starbursting outward across her body, until the nerves in her limbs seem to melt and her knees grew weak. Her hands gripped his shoulders for balance. With his heart rate speeding out of control, he hoisted her up, so her legs wrapped around his waist, while her mouth seared a path down his neck.

His offended colt gave Philip a hard nudge in the butt for the lack of attention.

"Whoa." He stumbled forward, backing Chloe into the opposite wall. They broke into laughter, but it did little to relieve the fiery ball in his gut. He looked up, about to attempt at a joke, when his eyes met with hers and all that hair rained provocatively down her face to tickle his skin. "Chloe-"

She placed a finger on his lips. Then, her hands moved to thread through his hair, before she began a trail of kisses from his eyes, nose, to mouth. He could hardly draw in a breath, before she rolled her shoulders and let her jacket slip to the ground. Her arms returned to wind around his neck, while her legs tightened to grind center to center.

Blood singing in his head, his mouth devoured hers with feverish intent, as he stumbled back, kicked open the waist-high door, and brought them into one of the empty stalls. Her nails scraped his skin, as she pulled his sweaty tank from his jeans, stopping at his shoulders. He set her down on a stack of baled hay then yanked off his tank. Their lips and tongues collided again with his greedy fingers stripping her of her blouse, popping buttons in the crazed rush. Her trembling hands reached for his jeans. He almost embarrassed himself right then, when her fingers brushed against him in the process. He swore, as he fumbled with her bra. If he had any brain cells left, he could almost laugh at himself. Reigning stud of Salem High practically done in by a bra clasp.

She moaned, when his callused hands closed over her breasts. It was as if her mind winked out like a light and her body floated, overpowered by sensation and need. She moaned his name again, urging him to hurry.

He kicked off his jeans, while peeling off hers. Then, he pulled her against him and rolled her down atop the fresh hay.

"Ouch," she said, as a particularly adamant straw of hay jabbed her in her back.

Chuckling, he pulled her on top of him, and while trying desperately to hold back a groan at the feel of her silken skin, he reached for their discarded clothes and laid them, as best he could, so the hay wouldn't hurt her. She giggled at his efforts and then held his face in her hands, as he rolled her back onto the makeshift blanket.

Their eyes gazed warmth from deep to sapphire blue.

"I love you, Philip."

His heart filled with such emotion at the complete trust he saw in those exquisite eyes. "I love you, Chloe. So much." Then, his lips descended on hers, sealing their declaration with a kiss. And like a dream, they fell into that kiss, as their bodies joined.