Chapter 28

The sun steadily rose in the cloudless sky. There couldn't have been a better day to be out and about. Basking in the exhilarating weather, the teens strapped on their life vests.

They weren't exactly fashionable, sniffed Belle, but they gave the outing an adventurous feel. She looked over at Shawn, whose warm brown eyes panned the glittery water, and she sighed. Sailing was like second nature to him, since he'd practically grown up on a boat. And my, did he wear it well, she thought. The smooth olive complexion that not even the longest winter could blanch. The shiny raven hair that no amount of sun or salt could dull. The wide palmed hands that had toughened from manning the riggings, scrubbing the deck, and polishing the Fancy Face II to its fairy tale glory. After all, Brady blood was the blood of Irish fishermen. No matter the shore. No matter the inland.

Drawn immediately to the water, Shawn jumped with ease into the blue paddleboat. Then, with a heart-stopping smile, he held out his hands to guide Belle onto the boat. She gripped him tight, as the boat buckled a bit with the extra weight.

Pulling her closer, he ran an encouraging hand over her hair. "Don't worry. I've got you."

She felt her cheeks flush, so she quickly settled on the hard plastic seat. With that smile alone, the boy could charm the scales off a rattlesnake. Well, she sighed, here we go again. Her feet found the pedals and gave an experimental push, jolting the boat forward.

"Whoa!" Shawn nearly toppled into the water, before he forced his weight back to the center of the boat.

"Oops." A giggle escaped, before his amused girlfriend could help it. She cleared her throat. "I wonder how Mimi and Jason are doing," and deliberately looked over at the neighboring craft.

"I'm steering," announced Jason, adjusting his long legs as best he could in the cramped space.

"No, I'll steer, and you, superjock extraordinaire, can concentrate on pedaling." Unlike Jason, Mimi had plenty of legroom. But she knew that neither her leg strength nor endurance could compete with his. She reached behind for the rudder control, only for her hand to bump into his, which had already gripped the handle. She cocked a brow. "Ahem."

He looked down at those pretty manicured nails and frowned. "You know how to steer?"

Mimi gave him a bored look. "It may come as a shock to you, but this isn't like brain surgery. Even for a poor helpless 'chick.' Now-"

"Hey, Jase!" called out Shawn from the next boat. "Race ya to the cove!"

"You're on, Brady!" With no warning, his legs pumped into a pedaling frenzy, sending the little craft flying over the water.

Mimi gripped the sides for dear life, as the agitated water sputtered around her. What had she gotten herself into? Scathing remarks on the tip of her tongue, she choked on a scream, when another pink boat with a picturesque family of three drifted across their path.

"Starboard!" shouted Jason, stilling pedaling like a maniac with no intention of slowing down.

"What?!" screamed Mimi, frozen in her seat.

"Starboard! Turn right! Turn right!"

In the name of self-preservation, she bobbed her head and yanked frantically at the rudder control. They skidded by the horror-struck family with millimeters to spare. Mimi put her first breath of relief to good use. "Jason! You idiot, are you trying to get us killed?"

"Where are they?"

"What do you mean, 'Where are they'? We almost ran over those people!" Her eyes fumed into a lava brown.

"How far back are Shawn and Belle?" he insisted, his eyes taking quick glances behind them.

"I can't believe you," growled Mimi, "Starboard, my ass." She only looked toward the stern to keep from strangling him. Her eyes widened, after her temper abated enough to appreciate the sight behind them. Their friends had just whizzed by the same hapless family. All three members cringed to the side, causing the father to fall with a loud splash into the chilly pond. Mimi tried to stifle a laugh but failed.

"Well? Where are they?" repeated Jason.

"Um… they're back there alright," grinned Mimi, "But they're gaining."

"Not for long," replied Jason with an answering grin.

"We're coming, Meems!" yelled a happy Belle and waved.

Mimi laughed and waved back to her friend.

"See you at the finish line, Shawn," taunted Jason, whose face glistened from light perspiration.

"Dream on, Welles!"

Jason chuckled and threw Mimi a devil-may-care smile. "Come on, Meems. Let's show 'em what we're made of."

Always up for a challenge, she grinned. "Aye, aye, Skipper." She set her feet upon the pedals and let it rip.

"I'm walkin' here!"

Honk. Honk. Honk.

Chloe awoke to peculiar sounds. Nonetheless, her eyes decided that they liked being closed. Therefore, she inwardly shrugged and settled back in. Content, she cuddled closer to that familiar scent, when his arm tightened around her.

Honk. Honk. Honk.

What was that? she wondered with some irritation. She opened her eyes to find herself in the plush interiors of a limousine. She peered through the tinted glass, as a rush of yellow cabs swept passed in intricate formation. Meanwhile, intrepid cyclists weaved in and out of traffic. What the… She gaped with wide eyes. She'd never seen so many cars. And such wide streets. And the people. They flooded from the sidewalks onto the street, oblivious to traffic laws.

Philip chuckled, as she leaned across him to practically press her nose against the glass. "Good morning to you, too."

"Where are we?" she asked, trying to see the top of buildings with little success. She focused in on a nearby license plate. "New York." She turned back to Philip. "We're in New York City?"

"The one and only Big Apple," he grinned, blue eyes twinkling, "Surprise."

She didn't know what to say. She looked back out the window, where everywhere she looked there was bustling activity. Amazing. When she'd first left the orphanage, she'd wanted to come here. She'd even bought the bus ticket. Living with the Wesleys hadn't seemed like such a good idea at the time, and her heart was her music. So, where better to nurture such a heart than the home of Juilliard, Broadway, and, of course, the Metropolitan Opera House?

Philip tried to gauge her reaction. "I thought you'd like to see the city, before you came here for school. You know, Juilliard." Her eyes were still wide before the windowpane. "Chloe?"

Intrigued, she spotted a slender woman in a slim trench with a long cashmere scarf wrapped stylishly about her neck. Belle would definitely approve, smiled Chloe. Walking parallel with that woman was another decked out in leopard print pants and knee-high boots, complete with a feather boa and pink-dyed poodle.

She was here. She was really here. She turned back to look at Philip. "You brought me to New York."

He tilted his head, still unsure whether or not she approved. "Yeah. So… what do you think?"

Overwhelmed, she reached and pulled him into a mind-melting kiss. She rested her forehead against his and softly said, "Thank you."

Those big blue eyes looked into his. He felt her fingers run through his hair. His blood quickened. Off went the brain. On went the glands.

"Mr. Kiriakis," announced the driver on the intercom. Chloe noticed then the dark privacy glass, separating driver from passenger. The limo came to a smooth stop on the pristine Park Avenue curb. "We've arrived at the penthouse, sir."

Dimples flashed. "Come on, beautiful. The weekend just started."

"Charge!" Shawn gave the battle cry, wielding forward an invisible weapon.

Belle couldn't help but laugh at her boyfriend, as their boat steam-engined on a collision course for Jason and Mimi. "Ok. No more G.I. Joe for you, Tough Boy." Then, she gave a shriek, when she caught a sudden stream of water in the face.

"Jason!" gasped Mimi, seeing the aqua war begin, "Where the hell did you get that from?"

"Oh, now you're asking for it, Welles." With an evil cackle, Shawn pulled out his own mini-supersoaker watergun from his wide pant pocket. "Attack my woman, will ya?" He fired, soaking Jason in the back.

"Attack!" cried a dripping Belle, scooping up water in her hand and flinging it at Jason in retribution, showering a laughing Mimi in the process.

Undeterred, Jason re-aimed his hydro-weapon at the enemy. "'Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!'" He was rewarded with Shawn's gurgling at the shot in the eye and nose. "Take that, Brady!" He turned back to share the small victory with Mimi, who looked at him quizzically. "What?"

Mimi shook herself and drummed up a smile. "Keep pedaling, buster. We're close to cove." Then, she concentrated on her feet. That outburst had been Shakespeare, hadn't it? She'd heard it before in Drama Club. When did superjock put aside what little brainpower he had to remember something from Shakespeare? A crash from behind brought her abruptly out of her thoughts.

"Payback time!" Shawn shouted, before he showered them both with his watergun. Belle cupped water into her hands and added to the melee.

Mimi could only huff in amusement, as she got soaked. "Ok, now it's on." She plunked both hands into the water and hurled whole waves at their friends.

Still pedaling away in escape, Jason laughed at Mimi's heroic efforts. "Now, you guys are in for it. Get 'em, Meems!" He sprayed Belle and Shawn for good measure with his watergun.

"Oh, Philip…"

He grinned, watching as Chloe gawked at the jaw-dropping opulence of the Kiriakis penthouse. "My dad stays here, when he checks on Titan's New York office."

"Mister Kiriakis," said the perfectly groomed butler, who materialized out of thin air, "Caroline will unpack your things. While you wait, would you and the lady care for some refreshments? Fresh cider, lemonade, or iced tea, perhaps?"

"Chloe?" He walked up behind her and circled his arms around her waist. "Want something to drink?"

She blushed, wondering what these servants must be thinking. Their teenage master with his girlfriend. Alone, without any parental supervision in the big city. And what would they think, when she would spend the night in the same room as he? "Um, maybe some ice tea."

Philip looked back to the servant. "Make that two ice teas - no sugar," he added, slanting Chloe a wink.

"Very well, sir."

"Thanks, Niles."

The servant gave a gracious smile and nod, before leaving for the kitchen.

Philip kissed her neck. "So, beautiful, we've got about six hours to kill. What do you want to do? Statue of Liberty? Empire State? Central Park? FAO Schwartz? Madison Square Garden? Anything your heart desires. Only… please don't say the UN or Bellevue."

Giggling, she turned in his arms. "What's the matter, Kiriakis? I would think, you'd find international affairs and mental illness incredibly romantic." Her cheek found its favorite spot on his chest. "Well, the Statue of Liberty sounds nice. And so does the Empire State Building. But I've always wanted to see Broadway and the Met."

He chuckled. "Way ahead of you. Got that part covered, so we can stick to the touristy stuff for now."

She pulled back to inspect those twinkling blue eyes and dimples. "Philip…"

He smiled. "So, Statue of Liberty first, then we'll just kinda play it by ear. What do you think?"

"Philip…"

"We could drop by Chinatown on our way back. Grab some late lunch."

Her eyebrow cocked. "Really?"

He tucked a wavy tress behind her ear. "Then, later maybe we could check out the Empire State, after the sun goes down."

"Uh huh…" she smiled, narrowing her eyes in amused suspicion.

"Then, there's this great Greek place on Lexington that we can go for some dinner. Afterwards, we could take a ride around the city… you know, to get a little of everything… Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, Times Square… maybe take a carriage ride around the Park."

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide a smirk. "Play it by ear, huh?"

He grinned, "Absolutely."

"We are the champions!" Jason shot straight up from his seat and did his epileptic dirty bird, while the paddleboat shook wildly in the water from the bizarre movement. "Yeah!" he hollered with hands punching up in the air.

Belle finally took a long deserved breath after the furious race to the cove and smiled at their overjoyed friend. Meanwhile, Shawn shook his head, feigning disgust. His buddy Jase was the epitome of sportsmanship alright. But man, was Jase funny when he did the unofficial Salem High endzone dance. Just for the hell of it, Shawn pointed his watergun at Jason and pulled the trigger. The last of the water trickled lamely out.

His girlfriend joked, "Shawn Brady and his projectile dysfunction."

Shawn pointed the watergun now at giggling Belle and gave another pathetic squirt, sending his friends into howls of laughter. Forever good-natured, he merely shrugged and joined in the merriment. He said to Jason, "Whatever, dude. We coulda had you guys at anytime."

"Yeah, right," taunted Jason. "Ok, rematch. Race you back to the dock."

Before he could pick up the gauntlet, Shawn folded from a solid blow to his stomach.

"Don't even think about it, Shawn Douglas Brady," warned Belle.

Jason laughed at his buddy's predicament. "You're so whipped, dude."

"And you're such a dork," countered an exasperated Mimi and gave him a hard shove.

"Hey!" His arms flailed crazily, as he fell with a gigantic splash into the pond. His bright orange life vest had him safely bobbing to the surface. "What the hell?" sputtered Jason.

His friends were in stitches.

"Need some help, buddy?" grinned Shawn, still holding his sides from laughter.

"Oh, Jason," giggled Mimi, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push so hard," extending a hand to pull him back up.

He took it and, with a wicked grin, yanked her into the water with him.

Screaming, Mimi emerged to the surface, cheeks reddening with outrage. "Why you…" She lunged after him. "You think that's funny? I'll show you funny!"

Slick as an otter, he kept right on laughing, darting away from those pretty but dangerous fingernails.

From their dry viewing area, Shawn and Belle exchanged a smile and watched, as Jason finally let Mimi catch him and dunk his head into the chilly pond water.

"God, I'm stuffed," sighed Chloe, as she patted her full belly. "What was that leafy thing again?"

Philip stretched out his long legs on the dark carpet. Nothing like traveling in a limo, when you're six feet tall and just ate yourself into a happy stupor. He absently fiddled with the thin strap of her breezy peach dress, which she'd changed into, before they'd left the penthouse. "Something like sticky rice in lotus leaf. That's the great thing about Dim Sum. We don't have to know the names of dishes or Chinese. We just point and grab."

Chloe smiled, took his hand in hers, and admired the frazzled activity outside. The Statue of Liberty had been so amazing. All the pictures she'd seen couldn't compare to the real thing. Lady Liberty was so radiant and grand, capturing the hopes and dreams of those who'd left the only home they'd ever known for the chance at something better. The crowds had been also incredible, but somehow, Philip had managed to get them passed the six-hour line to the torch. When one's last name was Kiriakis, lines did not exist. Chloe shook her head, still wondering how fate saw to unite Chloe Lane and Philip Kiriakis. Because, she thought with a dreamy smile, when his thumb ran over her knuckles, united they were.

The ten story Coca Cola bottle within a flashing red neon rectangle dazzled even in the day. As the limo crossed each crowded intersection, the eye-popping billboards, streaming tickers, and giant monitors gleaming off the side of surrounding skyscrapers had all eyes staring upward. With all these distractions, it was a miracle there wasn't a perpetual thousand-car pile-up in the middle of Times Square.

And where there was Times Square, there was Broadway. Her hands pressed against the glass, as the theatre displays came into view. "Cabaret." "Phantom of the Opera." "Annie." "Rent." "Les Misérables." "Fosse." "Miss Saigon." Her mouth dropped open, but not a sound escaped, so enchanted was she. Then, the limo turned off Broadway into a smaller street. With a dizzy smile, Chloe turned back to share her excitement with Philip, when the limo came to a halt.

Not waiting for the driver, he opened the door and took her hand. "Come on, beautiful. We don't want to be late."

"Late? Philip, what are you talking about? Where are we going?" She climbed out of the limo and found herself under a bright overhang with lights lining every possible edge. "What's this?" She noticed the crowd hurrying into the three sets of double doors. A theatre.

"Get your souvenir programs!" shouted a lady with a baseball cap and t-shirt. "Authentic 'Aida' souvenir programs!"

Eyes wide, she turned back to a grinning Philip. "'Aida'?"

"Yeah, for me. I figured I should understand it in English, before we see it in Italian."

When she didn't think her eyes could widen any further, they did. "Italian?"

His dimples came in full force. "Yeah. Verdi's in Italian, right?" When he saw, realization sink in and the initial signs of glee in her eyes, he added, "Eight o'clock tonight, center parterre box seats. At the Met. Oof," he managed, when she jumped into his arms. Feeling the emotions wash over him, he tightened his arms around her and closed his eyes. This moment made it all worth it.

"I can't believe you did this for me," she whispered.

He drew her back to run a thumb over her cheek. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." He gave her a warm kiss, tasting the sweet salt of her tears. "Come on."

"But Philip," she sniffed, looking at herself now, "I'm not dressed for it."

"You look great, Chloe. Just check out all the other people."

Sure enough, she saw plenty of neon Hawaiian shirts, jeans, and sneakers alongside the fur coats and black ties.

Philip slipped an arm around her waist. "You wanted Broadway. We got Broadway. Come on, beautiful. Curtain's in five minutes."

Giddy, Chloe stepped with Philip through the double doors and into her dreams.

"Next time, we'll bring our own weapons. Right, Meems?"

"I think we held our own today," smiled Mimi, "But definitely, we're bringing water cannons next time."

Shawn made a display of rolling his eyes. "Chicks." He chuckled, when Belle smacked him in the chest. "See ya later, guys."

"Later, bro," said Jason, as the group parted ways. By default and habit now, he walked Mimi home.

After the pond, the teens had returned to Shawn's house, so that Jason and Mimi could change into some dry clothes. Shawn's pants were a little short on Jason and Mrs. Brady's clothes were somewhat long on Mimi, but they were dry and available. Afterwards, they all headed over to the pizza parlor, where they inhaled three large pies.

"Oh my God," muttered Mimi, after devouring five huge slices. "We've turned into pigs." She gave Jason a light shove in the shoulder. "What have you guys done to us?"

"That's nothing," he replied, "Me, Shawn, and Phil can take down six pizzas on a good day. Stick with us, babe, and you'll gorge, belch, and pee standing up with the best of them."

Mimi could only shake her head. "Uh, that's ok."

Jason had shrugged, while grinning like a fool.

They finally reached the Lockhart walkway. Jason Welles and Mimi Lockhart had spent a day together and survived. More than survived. They'd had fun.

"Well, we kicked some major ass today," smiled Jason, thinking how cute and overwhelmed Mimi looked in grown-up's clothing.

"Yeah," agreed Mimi, "We make a pretty good team. I guess I'll see you at school." She started down her walkway.

"Hey, Meems," he blurted out.

She turned back to look at him. "Yeah?"

"Uh…" He scratched the back of his head, suddenly inarticulate. Come on, dude, he said to himself, pull yourself together. "Uh, never mind." Fuck. Jase, you fucking wuss. "See ya."

"See ya," she smiled, then disappeared into her house.

He sighed, "Wanna go out sometime?" He gave his forehead a smack. "Whatever, dipshit. Ain't gonna happen." Not after everything that's happened. He let out a long, frustrated breath and walked back home.

Edging passed one in the morning, Philip stood in his boxers, working the kinks out of his weary muscles. The penthouse master bedroom was significantly larger than his own bedroom at home, but the lavish Kiriakis tastes were evident, even if the style was somewhat slicker than that of the mansion.

Be that as it may, the grandeur of the New York penthouse made little impression on the weary but happy teens, when they arrived back from their limo tour of the Manhattan nightlife after the opera. Even though Philip hadn't understood a syllable, he'd enjoyed it. Especially the ending. "Aida" had been the only Italian opera he'd found at the Met, in which the lovers weren't hopelessly torn asunder at the end. Man, he thought, Italians must be a bunch of really pessimistic people, if the depth of their operatic tragedy was any indication. But the English musical version had definitely helped him with the basic storyline.

She'd enjoyed the musical as much as she'd enjoyed the opera, he remembered with a smile now. How could he describe Chloe, when she was in the thralls of her music? He had to admit that he'd spent most of the time watching her very evocative reactions to the story unfolding on stage. She just had a way of letting people know what she was feeling, what she was all about, especially when it came to her music. Giving her that first taste of Broadway and a world-renowned opera house was the best thing about this trip.

Ok, he confessed to himself, when he heard melodic humming from the direction of the bathroom. Maybe the music wasn't exactly the best thing. His ears perked up to listen in. The notes, which she hummed, were of the passionate however ill-fated love of an Egyptian commander and an enslaved Nubian princess. Yeah, love was definitely a powerful thing.

He grinned at the fragrant bottles and jars lined across the dresser. Her things had been unpacked in the same room as his. When they first made this little discovery, Chloe blushed but smiled. After they'd returned for the night, she'd disappeared into the bathroom soon after to prepare for bed. Philip used the neighboring bathroom, familiar with girls and their washroom marathons. Nevertheless, a guy couldn't help anticipating what those clinks and sounds were all about behind that bathroom door. Whatever happened to that pretty pink bag…

He opened the bedroom door to answer the soft knock.

"Mister Kiriakis," said the servant across the threshold, "Will there be anything else you need tonight, before I retire?"

"No, thanks, Niles. Good night."

The servant nodded and left for bed.

Yawning, Philip closed the door and walked over to turn down the bed. His muscles were pretty beat after today's hectic itinerary. After the Broadway show, they'd watched the sun set from the windy top of the Empire State. Then, they'd returned to the penthouse to freshen up for dinner and the opera.

He'd surprised Chloe again with a formal dress to wear to the Met. The Salem Kiriakis staff had taken her measurements from her angel costume, which she'd left at the guesthouse. Thoughtful Marie had picked out a dress the color of cranberries, which accentuated Chloe's skin and hair. Of course, she'd looked breathtaking, he recalled. Meanwhile, he'd donned his new tux, eased her into her cloak, and proudly escorted her to dinner. They'd arrived at the opera house with minutes to spare before curtain. Finally, they came back to the penthouse after a ride around the city. Now, the day took its toll. At least, New York was an hour ahead, so the clock would soften the insult to his endurance.

He gave his arms a final stretch over his head and bent down to touch the floor. He heard the bathroom door at last open and the sound of a light switch. This had to be a new record for Chloe, he thought jokingly. But no matter what she did, she always looked great, so it really didn't matter to him.

He felt his easy smile fade, as his eyes started from her pretty toes and up the liquefied blue satin that flowed over her curves, with spaghetti straps tentatively holding the vision by her shoulders. Endlessly, her hair fell in teasing waves to her waist. When his gaze reached her eyes, they possessed a bewitching glow.

He quite simply forgot to breathe.

She gave a timid smile, silently delighted by his reaction. He seemed frozen in place. So, she took a breath and walked toward him.

He felt his heart leap into his throat, as the satin shimmered over her body. She seemed too beautiful to be real. And those eyes. They engulfed him in their luminance. Then, his mind numbed, when she slowly ran her hands up his chest, entwined her arms around his neck, and pulled him in for a kiss.

What an awesome thing it was. A meeting of lips.

Taking in that heady scent of lavender, he closed his eyes and gave himself to sensation. His heart lurched then accelerated to a thunderous pace. Trembling, his hands moved to run up and down her curvy figure, before he swept her up in his arms and carried her to bed.